Mercedes Plans More Drone Deliveries After 100 Perfect Flights

Mercedes Plans More Drone Deliveries After 100 Perfect Flights

  LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Mercedes-Benz, conducting the biggest test using drones to ship everyday items like ground coffee and cellphones, said the mini aircraft completed 100 drop-offs to strategically placed vans in Zurich with a perfect safety record and more deliveries are planned for next year. About 50 individual customers placed orders with Swiss online shopping platform Siroop, choosing “airmail deals” from selected items from retailer Black & Blaze Coffee Roasting Co. for same-day delivery. The drones…

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Bad Brexit Scenario Mars All-Bank Pass in BOE’s Stress Tests

Bad Brexit Scenario Mars All-Bank Pass in BOE’s Stress Tests

  LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – British banks may have unanimously passed Bank of England stress tests, but that clean bill of health came with concern about a messy Brexit, courtesy of Governor Mark Carney. The central bank told lenders to add another 6 billion pounds ($8 billion) to their capital buffers and may increase their requirements again next year because it’s worried that the combination of a no-deal Brexit without a transition period and a global…

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Fitch Rates Nigeria’s U.S.$3 Billion Eurobond ‘B+’

Fitch Rates Nigeria’s U.S.$3 Billion Eurobond ‘B+’

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — One of the leading rating agencies, Fitch Ratings has assigned Nigeria’s $1.5 billion 6.500% senior unsecured notes due 28 November 2027 and the $1.5 billion 7.625% senior unsecured notes due 28 November 2047 a final rating of ‘B+’. According to a statement yesterday, the final rating replaced the expected rating of ‘B+ (EXP)’ that Fitch had assigned to the issue on November 15, 2017. It explained that the expected…

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Namibian Ruling Party Elects Geingob as Leader Before 2019 Vote

Namibian Ruling Party Elects Geingob as Leader Before 2019 Vote

  WINDHOEK (Capital Markets in Africa) – Namibian President Hage Geingob was elected leader of the southwestern African nation’s ruling party, positioning him to seek a second term in 2019 elections. The South West African People’s Organization also elected Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as vice president at its congress that ended Monday, the state-owned Namibia Broadcasting Corp. said on Twitter. The Swapo party has been in power since 1990 when the country, which also borders Angola, Zambia and…

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South32 May List South Africa Coal as $305 Million Boost Planned

South32 May List South Africa Coal as $305 Million Boost Planned

  JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South32 Ltd. will manage its South African energy-coal assets separately from April and spend 4.3 billion rand ($305 million) extending the life of its Klipspruit operation, as it seeks to include more black shareholders into the business before possibly listing it in Johannesburg. “South African Energy Coal requires ongoing investment to sustain production and meet its take-or-pay rail and domestic-supply obligations,” the Perth, Australia-based company said in a statement on Monday….

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Hedge-Fund Platforms Fear Bitcoin Is a Fad Like Tamagotchi

Hedge-Fund Platforms Fear Bitcoin Is a Fad Like Tamagotchi

  LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Bitcoin’s march toward respectability faces another hurdle as hedge-fund platforms reject the overtures of firms trading cryptocurrencies. Brooklands Fund Management, Mirabella Advisers and Privium Fund Management — which provide back-office functions and regulatory help for investment firms — all say they’ve had discussions with bitcoin funds in recent months. So far, they’ve turned down requests to take them on as clients, citing a lack of understanding about the value…

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Blockchain Secondary Market Planned Amid Explosion of Interest

Blockchain Secondary Market Planned Amid Explosion of Interest

  LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – A new way for accredited investors to put money into blockchain startups is opening up. A firm called BnkToTheFuture plans to open a market in the second quarter that will let investors trade equity stakes in companies involved with the blockchain, the transaction-tracking technology that underpins digital currencies like bitcoin. BnkToTheFuture will use a blockchain ledger to keep record of those investments for clients. Its impending market will join a…

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