Singapore Wealth Fund Said to Invest in Crypto Exchange Coinbase

Singapore Wealth Fund Said to Invest in Crypto Exchange Coinbase

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte was among investors that helped U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Inc. raise $300 million last year, according to people familiar with the matter. While Coinbase said it garnered investment in its October funding round from firms including Tiger Global Management, Wellington Management and Andreessen Horowitz, GIC’s participation hasn’t previously been disclosed. GIC declined to comment, while an official for Coinbase also declined to comment. With the foray into digital assets, possibly…

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Blue Label Mulls New Investors for Embattled Carrier Cell C

Blue Label Mulls New Investors for Embattled Carrier Cell C

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Blue Label Telecoms Ltd. is considering offers for potential new investment in Cell C Pty Ltd. after posting a first-half loss partly caused by its interest in South Africa’s third-largest mobile-phone company. Blue Label led a rescue of Cell C two years ago, but the move is yet to pay off as the unit struggles with debt and the dominance of larger rivals, Vodacom Group Ltd. and MTN Group Ltd….

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Nigeria’s Dangote Tops a Very Short List of African Billionaires

Nigeria’s Dangote Tops a Very Short List of African Billionaires

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Aliko Dangote’s $17 billion net worth makes the Nigerian the richest person in Africa and the only member of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index from one of the 60 poorest countries. About half of Nigeria’s 190.9 million citizens subside on less than $1.90 a day, giving it a Gini coefficient (a measure of wealth distribution) of 48.8, compared with 41.5 for the U.S. and 29.2 for Sweden. Dangote, 61, is among just a few…

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Steinhoff Financial Recovery Boosted by Quarterly Sales Gain

Steinhoff Financial Recovery Boosted by Quarterly Sales Gain

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Steinhoff International Holdings NV said it’s on track to publish audited financial results and is entering the final stages of a debt restructuring as first-quarter sales rose 3 percent. The South African retailer, which almost collapsed amid an accounting scandal in late 2017, has sold assets and held extensive talks with lenders as it battles to stay afloat. The owner of Conforama in France and Mattress Firm in the U.S….

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Liberty in Talks to Sell Businesses to Focus on South Africa

Liberty in Talks to Sell Businesses to Focus on South Africa

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in AfricaA) – Liberty Holdings Ltd. is in talks to sell majority stakes in its health-insurance business as well as its asset-management operations in East and West Africa as the Johannesburg-based firm focuses on its home market. The firm’s property and casualty insurance units in Malawi and Namibia are also up for grabs as Chief Executive Officer David Munro pushes ahead with his plans to simplify the company, improve profitability and win…

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Cedi to Rebound on Strong Ghana Economy, Says Central Bank

Cedi to Rebound on Strong Ghana Economy, Says Central Bank

ACCRA (Capital Markets in Africa) – The slump in Ghana’s currency to a record low against the dollar will be temporary and doesn’t reflect the West African nation’s positive economic fundamentals, according to the central bank. The cedi has declined 8.2 percent this year, the most among more than 140 currencies tracked by Bloomberg, posing risks to the inflation outlook and foreign-investor demand for the country’s bonds. Almost all of the losses came after the Bank of Ghana unexpectedly…

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Credit Suisse Sued by Mozambique in London Courts Over Contracts

Credit Suisse Sued by Mozambique in London Courts Over Contracts

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Mozambique’s government, caught up in a scandal after defaulting on $2 billion in loans, sued Credit Suisse Group AG and others in London. The lawsuit is against the Swiss lender, Privinvest Shipbuilding SAL and three individuals, according to a court document. The claim is being brought for potential breaches of commercial contracts and arrangements but the filing provided no further information. In December, the U.S. Department of Justice accused three former Credit Suisse workers,…

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