MTN Gains Most Since 2016 at Start of $1.1 Billion Sale Plan

MTN Gains Most Since 2016 at Start of $1.1 Billion Sale Plan

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – MTN Group Ltd. shares jumped the most in almost three years after Africa’s biggest wireless carrier started a 15 billion-rand ($1.1 billion) disposal plan to shore up the balance sheet. The company agreed to sell its 53 percent stake in Botswana’s Mascom to Econet Global Ltd. for $300 million, the Johannesburg-based company said in a statement on Thursday. Other businesses now on the market include e-commerce services, which includes Nigerian online retailer…

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South Africa Central Bank Seeks Consistently Lower Inflation

South Africa Central Bank Seeks Consistently Lower Inflation

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s central bank wants to see sustainably lower inflation to ensure cheaper borrowing costs in the economy, Governor Lesetja Kganyago said. “We have indicated that a consistently lower rate in the near term, at the midpoint of our target band — 4.5 percent — would lower long-term interest rates and be more supportive of balance in the economy,” Kganyago said Wednesday in a speech in Stellenbosch, near Cape Town. The…

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Witness in Shell-Eni Nigeria Trial Withdraws Graft Accusations

Witness in Shell-Eni Nigeria Trial Withdraws Graft Accusations

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – A retired Swiss oil executive who previously said he had knowledge of illicit dealings over a Nigerian oil block involving Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Eni SpA reversed his statements at a trial in Milan Wednesday. “I’ve never had contact with Shell,” ex-executive Richard Granier-Deferre said. “I’ve never had relations with people from Eni in my entire career.” The trial centers on Oil Prospecting License 245, offshore Nigeria, which has snowballed into one…

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BOE’s Saunders Sees No Rush to Hike Rates as Brexit Fog Persists

BOE’s Saunders Sees No Rush to Hike Rates as Brexit Fog Persists

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa): The Bank of England doesn’t need to rush to raise interest rates until the uncertainty of Brexit lifts, according to policy maker Michael Saunders. In a speech in London Wednesday, Saunders, considered one of the most hawkish members of the Monetary Policy Committee, said that tame inflation and a slowdown in growth meant officials could adopt a wait-and-see approach as Brexit plays out. BOE officials voted unanimously last month to hold…

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South Africa Determined to Nationalize Central Bank, Ramaphosa Says

South Africa Determined to Nationalize Central Bank, Ramaphosa Says

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s ruling party has taken a decision to nationalize the central bank and it will be implemented, President Cyril Ramaphosa said. “We have got to go through processes,” Ramaphosa told parliament in Cape Town on Thursday. “There is no hidden agenda.” Ramaphosa’s comments come a day after he was scheduled to meet with Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago in Cape Town. Kganyago on Wednesday emphasized the importance of central bank independence in…

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South African Authorities Finally Closing in on Biggest Fraud

South African Authorities Finally Closing in on Biggest Fraud

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – It’s been a long 16 months for investors who were devastated when global retailer Steinhoff International Holdings NVshocked markets with its accounting scandal, but now South African police and regulators are finally saying their investigations have progressed. With four separate cases lodged, the police’s serious commercial crimes unit has taken 21 statements to probe potential fraud and theft involving Steinhoff directors. While the cops are closing in, South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct…

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South Africa’s ANC Support Drop Risks Richest Province, Poll Shows

South Africa’s ANC Support Drop Risks Richest Province, Poll Shows

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Support for South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has slipped ahead of May elections and the party could lose its majority in the Gauteng province, home to the country’s industrial hub and capital, a quarterly poll conducted by the South African Institute of Race Relations shows. Of 1,611 registered voters surveyed last month, 54.7 percent said they supported the ANC on the national ballot, down from 56 percent in…

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