PPC Extends Slump Amid Ongoing Weak Demand for Cement in Congo

PPC Extends Slump Amid Ongoing Weak Demand for Cement in Congo

KINSHASA (Capital Markets in Africa) – PPC Ltd. suffered its biggest two-day decline this year after reporting earnings that missed some expectations and as difficulties continue to plague the cement maker’s operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. South Africa’s biggest producer of the building material is seeking a fresh start under Chief Executive Officer Johan Claassen after fending off a series of takeover approaches last year. The Johannesburg-based company is counting on an upturn in demand in…

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Investing in African equity markets today: Zimbabwe as a case study for sub-Saharan Africa

Investing in African equity markets today: Zimbabwe as a case study for sub-Saharan Africa

HARARE (Capital Markets in Africa) – A decade after its first disastrous flirtation with hyperinflation, Zimbabwe is once again on the economic precipice with the effects being conspicuously similar. Supermarket shelves have started to empty, some public and even private sector salaries remain unpaid, banking hall queues are getting longer and hospitals are short of basic supplies. Whilst the humanitarian state of affairs is critical we find the microeconomic structures persistently durable given that businesses continue…

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Francophone Africa: Reality and Opportunities in Real Estate

Francophone Africa: Reality and Opportunities in Real Estate

ABIDJAN (Capital Markets in Africa) – Africa and its potential have been on every investor’s lips for some time now. This interest is especially relevant when strong trends are emerging across cities of Africa, whether French, English or Portuguese-speaking, including an emerging middle class and rapid urbanization. Early 2000, commodities-driven economies with impressive growth rates such as Nigeria and Angola were the first targets of international investors. However, with the recent fall in commodities price,…

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Cameroon considers two-year IMF aid programme to drive growth

Cameroon considers two-year IMF aid programme to drive growth

YAOUNDE (Capital Markets in Africa) – Cameroon and the International Monetary Fund are considering a two-year aid programme for the Central African country to deliver sustained and inclusive economic growth. Leaders of the Central African bloc (CEMAC) agreed in December to engage with the IMF to find ways to overcome macroeconomic instability caused in part by lower global commodity prices, the IMF said in a statement. Cameroon, which produces oil, cocoa, and coffee and is the…

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