Finance | - Part 142

Africa’s Biggest Company Seeks Partnerships With Phone Companies

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Naspers Ltd., Africa’s biggest company by market value, is seeking partnerships with mobile-phone operators on the continent to boost its video-on-demand business and help compete with U.S. giant Netflix Inc. The owner of Africa’s biggest pay-TV provider is planning to build on a joint venture agreed to last year with Kenya’s largest company, Safaricom Ltd., to roll out online service Showmax at more affordable data prices. Safaricom is 40 percent…

Citigroup, Top Africa Loan Arranger, Sees M&A Boosting Lending

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Citigroup Inc., sub-Saharan Africa’s top loan arranger in 2016, expects increased sovereign demand and mergers and acquisitions to drive lending in the region this year as low valuations spur deals. “Lots of financing activity is expected in 2017,” Aziz Rahman, the bank’s head of corporate finance in the region said in an interview on Monday. Loans to sovereigns and corporates will increase as M&A deals rise and infrastructure spending picks…

Microlender Plans West African Expansion After Ghana Acquisition

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ACCRA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Letshego Holdings Ltd., the Botswana microlender that has made acquisitions in Nigeria and Ghana during the past year, plans to enter Ivory Coast to boost access to West Africa’s francophone market. The lender, which has operations in 11 African countries, is also weighing up an expansion into Zambia and Zimbabwe, Chief Executive Officer Christopher Low said in an interview in Botswana’s capital, Gaborone. Letshego, which had a loan book of $620 million…

Germany and African Countries Seek to Strengthen Trade and Investment Ties

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – This year, Germany will host the first ever privately held event exclusively dedicated to strengthening trade and investment ties between Germany and the African continent. The Germany-Africa Business Forum (www.GermanyAfrica.com), which will take place March 23, 2017 in Frankfurt, capitalizes on a wave of interest taken by the German government and companies to increase their engagement with African countries. Last October, German Chancellor made a 3-day visit to Mali,…

Nigeria to sell diaspora bonds in March after eurobond issue

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria will look to issue a debut diaspora bond by March to raise funds from Nigerians abroad, after completing a $1 billion eurobond sale this month, a finance ministry source told Reuters on Wednesday. Nigeria is in its first recession in 25 years and needs to find money to make up for shortfalls in its budget. Low prices for crude and militant attacks in its crude-producing heartland, the Niger Delta,…

Banks Batten Down in Mozambique as Bond-Coupon Payment Looms

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Africa’s largest banks are ensuring they protect themselves and their clients from the potential fallout if Mozambique defaults on its government debt next week. Standard Bank Group Ltd., the continent’s biggest lender by assets, is holding liquidity in excess of regulatory requirements in its Mozambique unit “to cater for funding withdrawals during periods of stress,” said Finance Director Arno Daehnke. FirstRand Ltd.’s consumer-banking business, First National Bank, is holding all of…

Nigeria to Partner Schlumberger on Chad Basin Oil Exploration

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria’s state oil explorer said it’s on the verge of a deal with Schlumberger Ltd. to help in its search for commercial deposits in inland basins away from the restive Niger River delta region. Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. and the world’s largest oil-services provider will carry out joint exploration and risk assessment studies in the frontier basins, including the Chad basin, Babatunde Adeniran, chief operating officer in charge of ventures, said…

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