South Africa’s Central Bank Keeps Benchmark Rate Unchanged

South Africa’s Central Bank Keeps Benchmark Rate Unchanged

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) South Africa’s Reserve Bank kept borrowing costs unchanged for a fifth straight meeting even as inflation forecasts worsened. The Monetary Policy Committee unanimously decided to leave the benchmark repurchase rate at 7 percent, Governor Lesetja Kganyago told reporters Tuesday in the capital, Pretoria. That’s in line with the forecast of all 24 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The key lending rate has remained unchanged since March after the MPC raised it by 200 basis points since 2014…

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Angola Banks Appeal for Bailout as Oil Slump Cuts Liquidity

Angola Banks Appeal for Bailout as Oil Slump Cuts Liquidity

LUANDA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Angolan banks are appealing to the government to help put together a bailout package to protect account holders as lenders reel from low oil prices that make up almost all of the nation’s foreign-exchange earnings. Financial assistance could come from the administration of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos or be shared by all of the southwest African country’s 28 operational lenders, Amilcar Silva, chairman of the Association of Angolan Banks, said in…

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Mozambique Holds Key Interest Rate as Inflation Seen Peaking

Mozambique Holds Key Interest Rate as Inflation Seen Peaking

MAPUTO (Capital Markets in Africa) – Mozambique’s central bank held its key lending rate, with inflation expected to peak as the debt-distressed nation’s currency stabilizes. The Monetary Policy Committee kept the benchmark rate at 23.25 percent, Governor Rogerio Zandamela told reporters Wednesday in the capital, Maputo.Banco de Mocambique has raised the monetary policy rate by a total 13.5 percentage points in past meetings this year to try stem spiraling consumer prices in the coal-producing country. Consumer prices have…

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Botswana’s central bank keeps Bank rate unchanged at 5.5 percent

Botswana’s central bank keeps Bank rate unchanged at 5.5 percent

GABORONE (Capital Markets in Africa) – The Bank of Botswana Bank Rate was maintained at 5.5 percent at the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held on December 13, 2016. This was in view of the positive outlook for price stability, with inflation forecast to be within the Bank’s 3 – 6 percent medium-term objective range. The Bank stated that the current state of the economy and both the domestic and external economic outlook, including the…

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MPC Maintains Status Quo but Ignores Elephant in the Room …

MPC Maintains Status Quo but Ignores Elephant in the Room …

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held its scheduled 6th and final meeting for 2016 on the 21st and 22nd of November. The conclusions from the two-day deliberations were broadly in consonance with our prognosis in the Pre-MPC note; “Blunted Policy Tools Call for Rollback of Administrative Measures” where we projected that the MPC will likely hold all rates constant whilst reinstate the need for the CBN’s hierarchy to properly…

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Central Bank of Kenya to hold rates at 10 pct on Nov 28

Central Bank of Kenya to hold rates at 10 pct on Nov 28

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Kenya is expected to keep interest rates stable on Nov. 28 ahead of an expected rate rise in the United States while cautiously dealing with the impact of new banking regulations, a Reuters poll found on Friday. The shock of trade-sceptic Donald Trump ascending to the top office of the world’s biggest economy has wrong-footed African countries, many of which have enjoyed beneficial trade agreements. A stronger dollar and higher…

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South Africa leaves key rate steady, warns of risks to inflation

South Africa leaves key rate steady, warns of risks to inflation

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s central bank kept its benchmark repo rate unchanged at 7 percent on Thursday in line with market consensus, but warned that risks to the inflationary outlook had increased. Delivering the last scheduled rate decision for the year, the central bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said food price inflation was expected to moderate at a slower pace than what the bank had previously forecast. The bank has kept the benchmark…

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