The Editorial Team |

COVID-19: Can Africa Afford Lockdowns? By Chukwuma Charles Soludo

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – From Johannesburg to Lagos, Cairo to Dakar, Kinshasa to Kigali, Nairobi to Accra, etc., the debate on how Africa should respond to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is raging. At an African regional policy platform, I had expressed some of these (personal) views some weeks ago but I have been encouraged by most members to circulate them in Africa beyond the platform. This year, 2020, begins a new decade…

Africa Energy Forum relocates to Amsterdam from 20-22 October 2020

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This year’s Africa Energy Forum (aef) has been rescheduled to take place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands from 20-22 October 2020. Previously due to take place in July, the move comes in the interests of all attendees’ safety after monitoring the COVID-19 situation and its impact on global economies. The Forum, organised by EnergyNet, brings together decision-makers in Africa’s energy sector to form partnerships, identify opportunities and collectively move the industry forward. EnergyNet’s Managing Director Simon…

Algeria Economy Contract, Ethiopia Weaker Economic Activity

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – IHS Markit projected Algeria’s economic activity to contract by 5% in 2020 due to the imposition of restrictive measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, as well as to lower hydrocarbon exports. Also, it forecast the fiscal deficit to widen from 8% of GDP in 2019 to 10% of GDP in 2020, despite the government’s plan to reduce spending by 30% this year. It anticipated that the government is likely…

RMH to Spin Off FirstRand Stake After Market Turmoil Hits Shares

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) — RMB Holdings Ltd. will spin off its stake in Africa’s biggest banking group by market value even after turmoil in global stock markets caused the shares of both companies to plunge. The unbundling of FirstRand Ltd. to RMH’s shareholders will unlock 5.4 billion rand ($300 million) in value for investors of the holding company, who will now directly own equity in the banking group, Johannesburg-based RMH said in a statement on Tuesday. Since…

Nigerian Central Bank Plans $39-Billion Fund Post Pandemic

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Nigeria’s central bank plans to set up an independently managed fund within the next 12 months to help build critical infrastructure in the West African nation once the coronavirus pandemic is over. The fund will start with a combination of debt and equity capital of 15 trillion naira ($39 billion) and focus on building transport networks “required to move agriculture products to processors, raw materials to factories, and finished goods…

Chocolate Demand Slump Signals Slowdown in Cocoa Processing

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Cocoa processing probably declined in the first quarter on falling chocolate demand from retail outlets shuttered across the globe because of the coronavirus outbreak, according to surveys conducted by Bloomberg. In Europe, the biggest consuming region, grinding may fall 3% from a year earlier, according to the median estimate in a survey of seven analysts, brokers and processors. Estimates ranged from a drop of 1% to as much as 11%….

South Africa Cuts Off Funding Line to State-Owned Airline

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) — South African Airways has been denied any further funding by its government owner as the national carrier looks for ways to recover from the coronavirus crisis and a local form of bankruptcy protection. The airline’s administrators, who were put in charge in December, were told by the state to instead source cash from available resources, according to a letter they sent to affected parties and to Bloomberg News dated April 14….

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