Author: The Editorial Team

NIGER(Capital Markets in Africa) — Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou, who’s due to step down next month after serving two terms, was named the 2020 winner of the world’s largest leadership prize — a $5 million award made by Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim’s foundation. Issoufou is the sixth winner of the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership since it was introduced in 2006 to promote good governance in the world’s poorest continent. Previous recipients include…

DAKAR (Capital Markets in Africa) — Days of protests in Senegal that were triggered by the main opposition leader’s arrest showed no signs of abating, with rights group Amnesty International putting the death toll in violent clashes between police and demonstrators at eight. Ousmane Sonko, who came third in 2019 presidential elections, was released on bail Monday as he awaits trial on charges of rape. Sonko, 46, was accused of the assault last month by…

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) — Steinhoff International Holdings NV is in talks with the providers of director liability insurance policies about help settling legal claims resulting from a 2017 accounting crisis that took the South African retailer to the brink of collapse. An agreement with the insurers would be of similar magnitude to what the company concluded with Deloitte & Touche LLP two weeks ago, Chief Financial Officer Theodore de Klerk said in an interview Monday….

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Bond markets were once again the centre of attention last week, with government bond yields continuing their upward climb. 10-year yields in the UK and US rose another 0.10%-0.15% to end the week at 0.86% and 1.45% respectively. UK gilt yields have now risen 0.62% since the start of the year or, to put it in more sensationalist (but less meaningful) terms, they have more than tripled in the…