South Africa |

South Africa’s Economic Outlook Disappoints S&P as It Weighs Rating

Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: Economic growth in South Africa “has continued to disappoint,” S&P Global Ratings said, three weeks before the company is due to complete a review that may see the country cut to junk. S&P may lower the nation’s credit rating to non-investment grade when it announces the result of an assessment of South Africa’s BBB- ranking on June 3. Discussions on the decision are still underway, S&P Managing Director for sub-Saharan Africa Konrad…

Commodity Rout Hits Home as South Africa Has Record Output Drop

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Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: South Africa’s mining production fell the most since at least 1980 after the country’s biggest gold and platinum mines halted unprofitable output. Production declined 18 percent in March from a year earlier, accelerating February’s revised contraction of 8.3 percent, Statistics South Africa spokesman Juan-Pierre Terblanche said by phone Thursday. Expectations were for a drop of 12 percent, according to a Bloomberg survey of eight analysts. “This is a radical structural shift for…

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…

South Africa | Barclays Unit Rejects South Africa Minister’s Invite to Gupta Talks

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Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: Barclays Africa Group Limited’s Absa declined an invitation to meet South African Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane to discuss the closure of bank accounts related to companies controlled by the Gupta family, who are friends of President Jacob Zuma and in business with his son. “We have respectfully declined on account of client confidentiality,” the Johannesburg-based lender said in an e-mailed response to questions on Wednesday. “As a bank we cannot discuss any…

South Africa | Partnerships Can Avert South Africa Junk Rating, Radebe Says

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Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa — South Africa’s government is confident that its partnerships with business and labor can help it avert a credit-rating downgrade to junk, according to Jeff Radebe, Minister for Planning, Performance, Monitoring & Evaluation in the Presidency. “We are not envisaging a downgrade because we have put in measures as a government working with our partners in the private sector and labor to ensure that we stay the course,” Rabede told…

Infrastructure | South Africa Secures $16.5 Million for National Internet Rollout

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Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa — South Africa has set aside 250 million rand ($16.5 million) to start the first phase of broadband roll-out across Africa’s most industrialized economy and will approach the private sector, banks and development institutions about additional funding, the telecommunications minister said. Construction will start in three months following various delays, Siyabonga Cwele said in a phone interview on Monday. The total cost of the project could rise to as much as…

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