Features

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — As the rest of the world prepares for a vaccine-driven return to normal over the next few months, at her community health center in a poor, working-class neighborhood of Cape Town, Andrea Mendelsohn is dreading the arrival of April and May—that’s when the weather will get cooler in the southern hemisphere and bring a surge in coronavirus cases. Few people in South Africa—aside from medical staff like Mendelsohn—will be…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — As scientists raced to develop Covid-19 vaccines, public health specialists were hoping that more than one group would succeed. Having multiple companies producing vaccines would make it easier to inoculate a lot of people fast. Be careful what you wish for. A range of vaccines with different efficacy results now has given rise to worries that some people may refuse the shot on offer in hopes of getting a…

NIGER(Capital Markets in Africa) — Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou, who’s due to step down next month after serving two terms, was named the 2020 winner of the world’s largest leadership prize — a $5 million award made by Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim’s foundation. Issoufou is the sixth winner of the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership since it was introduced in 2006 to promote good governance in the world’s poorest continent. Previous recipients include…

DAKAR (Capital Markets in Africa) — Days of protests in Senegal that were triggered by the main opposition leader’s arrest showed no signs of abating, with rights group Amnesty International putting the death toll in violent clashes between police and demonstrators at eight. Ousmane Sonko, who came third in 2019 presidential elections, was released on bail Monday as he awaits trial on charges of rape. Sonko, 46, was accused of the assault last month by…

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) — Steinhoff International Holdings NV is in talks with the providers of director liability insurance policies about help settling legal claims resulting from a 2017 accounting crisis that took the South African retailer to the brink of collapse. An agreement with the insurers would be of similar magnitude to what the company concluded with Deloitte & Touche LLP two weeks ago, Chief Financial Officer Theodore de Klerk said in an interview Monday….

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) – Bond markets were once again the centre of attention last week, with government bond yields continuing their upward climb. 10-year yields in the UK and US rose another 0.10%-0.15% to end the week at 0.86% and 1.45% respectively. UK gilt yields have now risen 0.62% since the start of the year or, to put it in more sensationalist (but less meaningful) terms, they have more than tripled in the…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Former President Donald Trump stopped a hair short of declaring himself a candidate for 2024 on Sunday, but told a conference of conservative supporters he’s already laying the groundwork for a third presidential campaign. Bookending a 90-minute campaign-style speech with not-so-subtle hints of his future plans, Trump reassured the Conservative Political Action Conference that he had no plans to go away or to start a third party. Trump’s central…