Egypt's economy is estimated to have grown by an annualised 6 to 6.2 percent in the October to December quarter, the cabinet's spokesman said on Wednesday, heralding its best performance since the global downturn.

The trade turnover between Vietnam and Egypt reached over US$200 million in 2010, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in Egypt.

The Prime Minister has approved an agreement on tourism cooperation between Vietnam and South Africa which was signed in Hanoi on October 6, 2010.

* Nigerian exports to fall 70,000 bpd in Feb

Morocco's public foreign debt stood at $19.8 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2010, up from $19.4 billion at the end of 2009 and at its highest since at least 2005, according to the finance ministry data released by Reuters over the weekend.

The chief executive at financially troubled Air Zimbabwe Peter Chikumba has relinquished his post after months of pay disputes, two strikes by pilots and mounting operational losses after he chose not to renew his contract that expired on December 31 after four years in the job.

South Africa's rand weakened against the dollar on Tuesday after struggling to hold on to 3-1/2 year highs the previous day and should relinquish further ground as importer demand rises after the holiday break.

Mali expects its gold production to rise 20 percent in 2011 to 60 tonnes and increase further to 62 tonnes in 2012, according to President Amadou Toumani Toure.

The Egyptian state's main wheat buying agency said on Monday it wanted to buy cargoes of 55,000 to 60,000 tonnes of soft and/or milling wheat and hard wheat for shipment March 1 to 10.

South Africa's rand strengthened against the dollar on Tuesday, trading near its strongest levels in three years as the greenback fell broadly.

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's gross domestic product is expected to grow by about 5.8 to 6.0 percent in the fiscal year to end-June 2011, the ruling National Democratic Party said in a statement on Saturday.

South Africa's rand firmed on Wednesday, hitting a six-week high against the dollar and a four-year high against the struggling euro, while stocks inched lower on concerns recent gains may be overdone.

South Africa's Neotel , a unit of India's Tata Communications, said it is considering restructuring as it faces tough competition in Africa's biggest economy.

South Africa's rand advanced to four-year highs against a battered euro on Monday and stocks inched up, supported by mining shares.

Egypt's central bank said on Saturday it was exempting banks from a 50 percent cash cover requirement on sugar imports for a period of six months, a move that should spur imports and help tackle food price inflation.