South Africa Plans Return to Islamic Market to Plug Budget Gap

South Africa Plans Return to Islamic Market to Plug Budget Gap

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa )- South Africa’s debut sale of Islamic bonds had investors clamouring for four times the amount offered. The government is hoping for more of the same as it returns to the market to help plug a budget shortfall of more than $4 billion. Africa’s most-industrialized nation is considering a rand-denominated sukuk in the fiscal year starting April 1, after becoming the first African nation to issue a sovereign Shariah-compliant bond…

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Africa Finance Corp plans maiden sukuk soon

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Africa Finance Corp (AFC), a pan-African multilateral institution based in Nigeria, is likely to make a debut U.S. dollar sukuk issue by early February, banking sources close to the deal said on Wednesday. If AFC makes a final decision to go ahead with the proposed debt sale over coming days, the sukuk will be issued in two or three weeks through a private sale, a banking source familiar with the…

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Nigeria Central Bank set limits on banks’ investment in govt Islamic bonds

Nigeria Central Bank set limits on banks’ investment in govt Islamic bonds

LAGOS ((Capital Markets in Africa)) – Nigeria’s central bank has set commercial banks’ investment in Islamic bonds issued by state governments to 10 percent of the total amount on offer and fixed a maximum tenor of 10 years for the bonds, it said in a circular. The central bank said it considered the need to issue the guidelines to enhance the quality of sukuk instruments and to grant liquidity status at its discount window as well…

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African sovereign trio add to growing appeal for sukuk

African sovereign trio add to growing appeal for sukuk

DAKAR (Capital Markets in Africa) – Senegal has upsized its second sale of sovereign sukuk, with Ivory Coast and Togo expected to close their own deals in coming days, as Islamic finance gains traction as an alternative funding option for African sovereigns. Despite strong growth in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, Islamic finance has lagged in Africa although it could be an important growth driver for the industry as it is home to a…

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ICD supports Ivory Coast to successfully Issue the largest West African Sovereign Sukuk

ICD supports Ivory Coast to successfully Issue the largest West African Sovereign Sukuk

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Capital Markets in Africa — On 21st December 2015 the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, acting through the Ministry of Economy and Finance, closed an inaugural local currency, CFA 150 Billion (USD 244 million) Sukuk al-Ijara (“Sukuk”). The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (“ICD”), an arm of the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank, acted as the Lead Arranger. The sukuk with a five‐year maturity, was subscribed by regional…

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