The Editorial Team |

Angola’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Plans to Finance Deep-Sea Port

LUANDA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Angola’s sovereign wealth fund committed $180 million to building a deep-sea port in a bid to boost trade as oil prices remain low. The port will include a 630-meter (2,070-foot) terminal, ship-repair facilities and a free-trade zone, Fundo Soberano de Angola, known by its Portuguese acronym FSDEA, said in an e-mailed statement on Tuesday, without saying where the port will be built. The commitment, which will lead to the creation of 20,000 jobs,…

Goldman Hails Global Rebound as Currie Sees Commodity Demand

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LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Commodities will be supported in the months ahead by a global rebound spanning the U.S., Europe, and China that’s buttressing worldwide demand for raw materials, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. “We’re seeing a cyclical uptick in global economic activity and that’s driving demand, not only for oil but all commodities,” Jeffrey Currie, head of commodities research, said in Hong Kong on Tuesday. “That’s the core reason why we upgraded our outlook…

South Africa’s Central Bank Keeps Benchmark Rate Unchanged

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) South Africa’s Reserve Bank kept borrowing costs unchanged for a fifth straight meeting even as inflation forecasts worsened. The Monetary Policy Committee unanimously decided to leave the benchmark repurchase rate at 7 percent, Governor Lesetja Kganyago told reporters Tuesday in the capital, Pretoria. That’s in line with the forecast of all 24 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The key lending rate has remained unchanged since March after the MPC raised it by 200 basis points since 2014…

Egypt Mulls Highest Borrowing Cost in 16 Years for Bond Sale

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CAIRO (Capital Markets in Africa) – Egypt is tapping investors in a sale of dollar-denominated bonds, offering to pay them the highest coupon since 2001 and its first venture into international capital markets since a currency devaluation in November. Africa’s third-biggest economy is offering three maturities of debt, with an initial yield target between 7.625 percent and 7.875 percent on 10-year bonds, according to a person familiar with the matter who isn’t permitted to speak publicly…

Kenya Banks Face New Row with Lawmakers over Deposits Plan

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NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – A new row is brewing between Kenyan banks and parliament after a lawmaker proposed placing restrictions on deposits by state-owned companies, months after the state imposed a cap on lending rates. Kimani Ichung’wah, vice chairman of the Public Investments Committee, drafted a bill seeking to bar state-owned corporations from investing or depositing public funds with lenders in which the government has a stake of less than 20 percent. Ichung’wah declined to…

Nigeria to Check Capital of Underwriters as Recession Weighs

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria’s insurance regulator plans to audit the capital position of underwriters to ensure their ability to pay out claims as the country struggles to recover from a recession. The verification, scheduled for the first quarter, aims to protect “policyholders and beneficiaries of insurance contracts against unexpected losses,’’ the Abuja-based National Insurance Commission said in an e-mailed statement Monday. Nigeria’s economic downturn and conditions specific to the industry “have created the need for…

Angola Banks Appeal for Bailout as Oil Slump Cuts Liquidity

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LUANDA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Angolan banks are appealing to the government to help put together a bailout package to protect account holders as lenders reel from low oil prices that make up almost all of the nation’s foreign-exchange earnings. Financial assistance could come from the administration of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos or be shared by all of the southwest African country’s 28 operational lenders, Amilcar Silva, chairman of the Association of Angolan Banks, said in…

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