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Zambia, Zimbabwe to Sell $440 Million Stake in Hydro Project

LUSAKA (Capital Markets in Africa) – Zambia and Zimbabwe plan on selling $440 million in equity stakes in the hydropower plants that form the centerpiece of the proposed $4 billion dam that will straddle their border. This is according to a document published by Ernst & Young Advisory Services Pty Ltd., the countries’ adviser. The Batoka Gorge hydropower project on the Zambezi river between the Kariba dam and Victoria Falls, will produce 2,400 megawatts of power once complete…

Capitec Says Political Risk May Delay SouthAfrica Economic Rebound

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – The uncertainty surrounding South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s future risks heaping extra pressure on consumers and delaying a rebound in the country’s economy, according to the nation’s largest provider of loans not backed by assets. “It’s going to be a difficult year if you look at the political risk,” Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Gerrie Fourie said by phone on Tuesday. “It’s probably going to be much longer before there’s a turning point…

Reserve Bank of Malawi slashes policy rate to 22 percent

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LILONGWE (Capital Markets in Africa) – The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of Malawi on Friday 24th March 2017, agreed to cut the indicative cost of money, technically known as the policy rate, by 200 basis points from 24 percent to 22 percent, a development buoyed by a sharp fall in inflation. It is the second time in five months that the monetary authorities have slashed the policy rate following a 300…

Anglo’s Billionaire Investor Puts Mining on Cusp of M&A Era

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Anil Agarwal’s surprise move into Anglo American Plc suggests the mining industry may be on the cusp of a new wave of deals. For years, Anglo has been the subject of takeover speculation and during the worst of the commodities crisis, it seemed on the verge of a breakup. It spent last year getting back on firmer footing, but the 2 billion pound ($2.4 billion) investment by one-time Anglo suitor Agarwal has sparked…

Too Soon to Call South Africa Rate-Hike Cycle End, Kganyago Says

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s central bank can’t yet call the end of its interest rate-increase cycle, even as the risks to inflation have eased since the Monetary Policy Committee’s January meeting, Governor Lesetja Kganyagosaid. “It’s too early for me to make the call as to whether we are still on the tightening cycle or not,” Kganyago said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Jonathan Ferro. “We can’t say that” the increased cycle is…

China’s Sinopec nears deal to buy Chevron’s South African assets

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – China’s Sinopec is nearing a deal to buy Chevron’s South African oil assets for up to $1 billion to secure its first major refinery on the continent, several people familiar with the matter said. China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, or Sinopec, Asia’s largest oil refiner, was the last bidder remaining, and close to a deal with Chevron after an auction that spanned more than a year for its refinery,…

Zimbabwe prints $102 million in bond notes, half its limit

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HARARE (Capital Markets in Africa) – Zimbabwe’s central bank has printed half of the ‘bond notes’ quasi-currency it intends to issue under a $200 million scheme, a state newspaper reported on Friday, as the country grapples with a biting shortage of U.S. dollars. The notes are intended to be pegged to the U.S. currency but fears have been raised that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) would print more than planned, undermining their value. Long…

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