Flood Deaths Climb as Mozambique Races to Rescue Stranded

Flood Deaths Climb as Mozambique Races to Rescue Stranded

MAPUTO (Capital Markets in Africa) – Deaths from flooding in the wake of Cyclone Idai climbed to more than 380 as Mozambique’s government battled to deal with the devastation wrought by one of southern Africa’s most deadly recorded storms. The toll may rise dramatically yet as thousands remain stranded. Almost a week after the Category 3 storm made landfall, heavy rains continued in Mozambique’s Sofala province. Rescue workers have saved 3,000 of 15,000 families stranded…

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Eskom Reduces Intensity of Blackouts as Power Imports Return

Eskom Reduces Intensity of Blackouts as Power Imports Return

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. reduced the intensity of rotating power cuts on Friday — the country’s ninth straight day of scheduled blackouts — after imports from Mozambique were partially restored. South Africa’s supply from the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric system was cut about a week ago when Cyclone Idai damaged pylons in neighboring Mozambique. The loss of imports compounded an existing shortfall in South Africa after several of…

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MTN South Sudan Gets Boost as Hopes Rise That War Is Ending

MTN South Sudan Gets Boost as Hopes Rise That War Is Ending

SOUTH SUDAN (Capital Markets in Africa) – MTN Group Ltd.’s South Sudan unit said it’s investing at least $30 million in revitalizing and expanding its operations as a new deal to end a five-year civil war brings relative peace to much of the country. Reviving transmission sites, upgrading to 3G and adding new coverage — they’re all planned by MTN South Sudan, one of the two remaining mobile-phone operators in the country. After a period…

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AFRICA INSIGHT: Recovery in Economic Growth to Prove Fleeting

AFRICA INSIGHT: Recovery in Economic Growth to Prove Fleeting

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Sub-Saharan Africa should benefit from stronger economic activity in Nigeria and South Africa this year. But we expect this recovery to be temporary. A weak investment climate and a high reliance on commodity exports will probably come back to haunt Africa’s two largest economies. Second-tier economies, such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Senegal are likely to keep expanding strongly in the near term, although they are testing critical…

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Tunisian Central Bank Holds Key Rate With an Eye on Inflation

Tunisian Central Bank Holds Key Rate With an Eye on Inflation

TUNIS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Tunisia’s central bank left its benchmark interest rateunchanged as it monitors the effects of last month’s hike on inflation. The key gauge was held at 7.75 percent, the Central Bank of Tunisia said in a statement on Friday. The bank raised the rate by 100 basis points last month, the first increase since June, citing a need to curb price growth. Inflation accelerated to 7.3 percent in February from 7.1…

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Brexit Risks Still Looming That Could Disrupt European Finance

Brexit Risks Still Looming That Could Disrupt European Finance

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – A no-deal Brexit has been averted on March 29, but the prospect of a chaotic U.K. withdrawal from the European Union is still looming. Uncertainties remain despite regulators saying there is almost no chance of a crisis in the financial system and that they’ve prevented the biggest potential problems. Here are the key vulnerabilities. Trading Venues The EU gave traders new reason to fret that markets could turn ugly….

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Why the Ethnicity Pay Gap Is Even More Complicated Than Gender

Why the Ethnicity Pay Gap Is Even More Complicated Than Gender

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Companies in the U.K. are still grappling with the mandatory gender gap reporting reporting that went into effect last year, revealing a widespread disparity in the salaries and bonuses of men and women. Now the British government may require them to similarly analyze the pay of workers of different ethnicities. A survey of 80 large organizations by PricewaterhouseCoopers found 95 percent had not analyzed their ethnicity pay gap, with three quarters saying they…

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