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South Africa Exits Recession in Second Quarter as GDP Rises 2.5%

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s economy exited its second recession in almost a decade in the three months ended June 30 after agricultural output surged. Gross domestic product increased an annualized 2.5 percent in the second quarter compared with a revised decline of 0.6 percent in the previous three months, the statistics office said in a report released on Tuesday in the capital, Pretoria. The median of 21 estimates compiled by Bloomberg was for growth…

South Africa’s Biggest Gold Miner Halts Dividends as Debt Builds

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Sibanye Gold Ltd. canceled its dividend after debt ballooned while it swung to a loss, marking a series of firsts for the South African producer that’s been one of the world’s top performers in its four-year history. Sibanye will focus on cutting borrowings after its $2.2 billion purchase of U.S. platinum-group metals producer Stillwater Mining Co. earlier this year, making the payment of a cash dividend “inappropriate,” the Johannesburg-based…

IMF to Return to Zambia in May to Continue Loan Talks

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LUSAKA (Capital Markets in Africa) – The International Monetary Fund will send a mission to Zambia in May to continue talks over as much as $1.6 billion in aid the government is seeking after they failed to reach a deal in Washington this month. “Progress was made but program discussions have not yet been concluded,” Alfredo Baldini, the fund’s representative in Zambia, said Friday in response to emailed questions. “The authorities and IMF staff have agreed…

Nigeria to Cut Stake in Oil Assets Under Buhari’s Growth Map

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria plans to sell portions of its oil assets to help fund President Muhammadu Buhari’s four-year program to lift the economy from its worst slump in a quarter century and create 15 million jobs. Buhari proposes in a 2017-2020 economic blueprint to reduce the government’s stake in joint-venture oil assets and other holdings. Selling them will “optimize their efficiency and reduce fiscal burden on the government,” according to the proposal posted on the…

FirstRand First-Half Profit Rises 13% After Bank Boosts Lending

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – FirstRand Ltd., Africa’s biggest bank by market value, said fiscal first-half profit rose 13 percent after lending increased and its insurance operations sold more policies. Net income increased to 11.89 billion rand ($904 million) in the six months ended Dec. 31, from 10.48 billion rand a year earlier, the Johannesburg-based company said in a statement on Thursday. The interim dividend rose 10 percent to 1.19 rand a share, exceeding growth in so-called…

Turkey Plans to Invest $1 Billion in Mozambique Over 20 Years

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MAPUTO (Capital Markets in Africa) – Turkey will invest $1 billion in Mozambique over the next two decades, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a two-day visit to the southern African country struggling to attract foreign investment. Mozambique’s finances have been in trouble since early 2016 when it emerged the government withheld information about the magnitude of its indebtedness while arranging new credit. The nation has since said missed interest payments for external commercial loans, including a…

Egypt Mulls Highest Borrowing Cost in 16 Years for Bond Sale

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CAIRO (Capital Markets in Africa) – Egypt is tapping investors in a sale of dollar-denominated bonds, offering to pay them the highest coupon since 2001 and its first venture into international capital markets since a currency devaluation in November. Africa’s third-biggest economy is offering three maturities of debt, with an initial yield target between 7.625 percent and 7.875 percent on 10-year bonds, according to a person familiar with the matter who isn’t permitted to speak publicly…

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