State Funds Seen at Risk in Congo Presidential Vote Campaign

State Funds Seen at Risk in Congo Presidential Vote Campaign

KINSHASA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Democratic Republic of Congo presidential-hopeful Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary’s appointments to his campaign-finance team raises the risk state funds will be used to finance his election bid, two anti-graft groups said. Shadary, the ruling-coalition candidate chosen by President Joseph Kabila to succeed him, is seeking to become the leader of the world’s biggest cobalt producer in a vote scheduled for Dec. 23. The 57-year-old former interior minister has been sanctioned by the European…

Read More

South Africa Report Urges Eskom, Transnet Criminal Probes

South Africa Report Urges Eskom, Transnet Criminal Probes

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – A forensic report into South Africa’s state-owned electricity utility and ports and rail operator found some executives and board members failed to act in the companies’ best interests and recommended criminal investigations against them. The findings are contained in a report by Fundudzi Forensic Services, which the National Treasury contracted to investigate the following: The acquisition of locomotives at Transnet SOC Ltd. The appointment of U.S. consultancy McKinsey &…

Read More

Google Plans High-Flying Balloons to Provide Internet in Africa

Google Plans High-Flying Balloons to Provide Internet in Africa

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – The tech giant says a network of high-flying blimps can connect millions. Bringing fast, widespread internet to rural Africa has proven vexing for companies that have tried—and largely failed—with strategies ranging from drones to satellites. Now, a sister company of Google says it has the answer: balloons.   Loon, spun out of the search giant’s X innovation lab in July, is teaming up with Telkom Kenya Ltd. to build a…

Read More

Nigeria’s $2.86 Billion Eurobond Offers More But Gets Less

Nigeria’s $2.86 Billion Eurobond Offers More But Gets Less

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria’s sale of $2.86 billion eurobonds failed to attract as much interest as previous issues even though it offered yields that were considerably higher. Friday’s offering in London, issued in three tranches, attracted bids of $9.5 billion for notes with yields as high as 8.75 percent and 9.25 percent for two of the tranches. Earlier this year a $2.5 billion, two-tranche offering of 12- and 20-year securities, yielding 7.14 percent…

Read More

MTN Rwanda Considers Share Sale as Carrier Seeks Network Upgrade

MTN Rwanda Considers Share Sale as Carrier Seeks Network Upgrade

KIGALI (Capital Markets in Africa) – MTN Group Ltd.’s Rwanda unit is considering a share sale on the country’s stock exchange to help fund planned network upgrades. The move would follow an initial public offering of MTN’s Ghanaian division earlier this year, pursued by Africa’s largest wireless carrier in exchange for new spectrum. MTN’s Nigeria business has pledged to sell shares in Lagos, while an IPO in Kampala is under review for Uganda. “It is…

Read More

Cigarette Makers Altria, BAT Drop as FDA Considers Menthol Ban

Cigarette Makers Altria, BAT Drop as FDA Considers Menthol Ban

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Altria Group Inc., the maker of Marlboro, fell on news of a possible ban on menthol cigarettes in the U.S., which account for about 20 percent on the company’s profit. A senior U.S. Food and Drug Administration official said last week that the agency is looking at restricting menthol in traditional cigarettes. Doing so would be a step toward eliminating or tightly limiting use of the popular cigarette flavor,…

Read More

Atlas Tower Is Said to Hold Talks With Empowerment Partners

Atlas Tower Is Said to Hold Talks With Empowerment Partners

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Atlas Tower Pty Ltd. is in talks to bring in partners from South Africa’s black majority to help the telecommunications tower company expand at home and enter new markets on the continent, according to people familiar with the matter. Chief Executive Officer Nathan Foster has relied mostly on wealthy individual investors for funds since he founded the business in 2007 and is looking to do additional private fundraising and…

Read More
1 418 419 420 421 422 1,073