The Editorial Team |

South African economy not the second largest in Africa anymore

Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: New data from the International Monetary Fund shows that Egypt is now Africa’s second largest economy after Nigeria, pushing South Africa into third place, according to a KPMG on Wednesday (May 11). South Africa has been known as the continent’s second-largest economy since Nigeria rebased its gross domestic product (GDP) data in early 2014. However, the IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) released in mid-April provided more sobering GDP statistics for…

Fixed Income | Investec Sees South African Bonds as Resilient in Junk Downgrade

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Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: South Africa’s corporate bond market is better equipped than other emerging countries to deal with a cut in the nation’s credit rating to below investment grade, said Hendrik du Toit, chief executive officer of Investec Asset Management Ltd. The country has a relatively small pool of dollar bonds, compared with rand-denominated debt, and a large domestic money management business with the capacity to invest in the assets, Du Toit…

Kenya | Kenya Central Bank Sees Current-Account Gap Narrowing on Inflows

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Capital Markets in Africa: Dollar inflows into Kenya will result in a narrower current account gap this year and are among reasons the shilling has a “bias toward strengthening,” Central Bank of Kenya Governor Patrick Njoroge said. The deficit, the broadest measure of trade in goods and services, is expected to shrink to 6.3 percent of gross domestic product this year, Njoroge said in an interview Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Kigali, the…

Africa Embraces the Fourth Industrial Revolution

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Kigali, Rwanda, Capital Markets in Africa: Africa should use the opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution to transform itself into a full partner on the global stage, said Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, at the opening address of the 26th World Economic Forum on Africa. “Africa should not be still playing catch-up when the fifth revolution comes around, he added. Kagame called for “a continent free of pity and apprehension, a…

Nigeria | Naira Devaluation Bets Jump Most on Record on Policy Review

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LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Traders raised bets on a devaluation of Nigeria’s naira by the most on record after the vice president of Africa’s biggest economy said it was carrying out a “substantial review” of its foreign-exchange policy. Naira three-month non-deliverable forwards weakened to 237 against the dollar, before paring losses to trade 7.2 percent lower at 230.5 by 12:41 p.m. in London, still the biggest drop since the contracts started trading in March 2011….

Transnet Turns to Retailers, Manufacturers as Commodities Falter

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Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: South Africa’s state rail and ports operator is considering entering new businesses, including warehousing and pitching its services to retailers and manufacturers, as it seeks to boost income and reduce its reliance on transporting coal and iron ore. Transnet SOC Ltd. plans to increase the volume of consumer and manufactured goods on its rail lines and may add distribution operations, Chief Executive Officer Siyabonga Gama, 48, said on Wednesday. While…

South Africa | Transnet Moving to Fixed-Rate Debt as Credit Downgrade Looms

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Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: Transnet Holdings SOC Ltd., South Africa’s state-owned transport company, is cutting its proportion of floating-rate debt to hedge against a rise in borrowing costs in the event of a downgrade of the country’s credit rating to junk, Chief Executive Officer Siyabonga Gama said. The possibility of South Africa’s national sovereign debt rating being cut to junk by S&P Global Ratings next month is “a big concern for the country, it’s…

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