The Editorial Team |

South Africa’s DA Would Trim State’s Size to Curb Debt to GDP

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s biggest opposition party, would reduce the size of the government to help curb the country’s ratio of debt to gross domestic product, leader Mmusi Maimane said. The continent’s most-industrialized economy has to “deal with the question of a bloated state,” he said in an interview on Bloomberg TV Thursday, three weeks before general elections. Given the opportunity, the party would also sell state-owned companies, allowing international partners…

KCB Group to Acquire All Shares of National Bank of Kenya

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NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – KCB Group Plc, Kenya’s biggest lender by assets, plans to acquire state-owned National Bank of Kenya Ltd. through a 10-for-one share swap. If approved, the deal will be the second banking tie-up offer in East Africa’s largest economy in less than five months after NIC Group Plc and Commercial Bank of Africa Ltd. proposed a merger. The consolidation is in line with the central bank’s aspirations for a stronger banking sector. Shares of NBK, as…

South Africa Reserve Bank Says Too Early to Claim Inflation Win

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s central bank says it’s premature to claim victory in the war against inflation and sees price growth stabilizing at 4.5 percent only by the end of 2021. While inflation has been inside the central bank’s target band of 3 percent to 6 percent for two years and was at the midpoint of this range in March, it’s “too early to claim that inflation is already permanently lower,”…

Oil Steadies as Political Risks Mingle With Economic Worries

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Oil steadied below $64 a barrel in New York as ongoing threats to supply from political crises were offset by disappointing indicators on the global economy. West Texas Intermediate futures gained 12 cents, bringing their gain this week to 0.2 percent. A Purchasing Managers’ Index, which measures private-sector activity in the euro area, unexpectedly slid in April, and German factory numbers came in lower than forecast. Still, an escalating crisis in…

Cash-Strapped Tunisia Exhales With Delayed IMF Loan on the Way

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TUNIS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Tunisia is readying for the next installment of its International Monetary Fund loan after months of delay, a sorely needed cash injection for a North African nation whose government is struggling to cut costs, curb inflation and boost economic growth. The tranche of around $250 million, part of the $2.9 billion loan Tunisia secured in 2016, is expected to be paid out after the fund conducts its sixth review…

Botswana’s Blue Diamond Set to Challenge Its Most Famous Rival

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GABONE (Capital Markets in Africa) – Botswana’s state-owned diamond marketer has unveiled a gem that exceeds the clarity and purity of one of the world’s most famous, the Hope Diamond. At just over 20 carats, the oval-shaped blue diamond, known as Okavango Blue, is smaller than Hope Diamond, but graded above it in terms of purity by the Carlsbad, California-based Gemological Institute of America, Okavango Diamond Co. Managing Director Marcus ter Haar said in an interview…

Nigeria’s Access Bank to Raise Extra $88 Million of Debt in 2019

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Access Bank Plc, which obtained a $162.5 million loan last month to boost its capital and fund operations, will raise additional $87.5 million this year, its chief executive officer said. The fund will qualify as tier-two capital and will be needed to strengthen operations following merger with rival Diamond Bank Plc, CEO Herbert Wigwesaid Wednesday on an investor call in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub. Access Bank acquired Diamond Bank last month in a deal…

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