Banking | - Part 13

Kenya | Barclays Leaves Kenya Feeling Like `Flowergirls’ in Africa Exit

Nairobi, Kenya, Capital Markets in Africa: Central Bank of Kenya Governor Patrick Njoroge urged Barclays Plc and its Johannesburg-based unit to engage with regulators in the countries in which it operates as the British bank plans to exit the continent. “It feels like we are being treated like flowergirls” who have no real role to play in the transaction, he said in an interview at the World Economic Forum’s annual Africa conference in Kigali, Rwanda on Thursday, declining to say…

Investors Targeting African Banks Despite High Risks, Fitch Says

Posted on by The Editorial Team

LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: Fitch Ratings-London-10 May 2016: With the exception of South Africa, sub-Saharan African banks tend to have highly speculative fundamental credit quality, but strategic investors are still looking to expand in the region, says Fitch Ratings. Barclays is progressing with the sale of its African banking franchise, Nigeria’s United Bank for Africa is diversifying into new countries and Morocco’s BMCE Bank is increasing its stake in a Sub-Saharan subsidiary. The…

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

Posted on by The Editorial Team

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…

Kenya | Equity Group Pauses Africa Expansion Plans as Economies Slow

Posted on by The Editorial Team

Nairobi, Kenya, Capital Markets in Africa: Equity Group Holdings Ltd., Kenya’s biggest bank by market value, put plans to expand into five other African countries on hold after sliding prices for commodities from oil to copper caused currencies to tumble. The lender, which had prioritized entries into Nigeria, Angola, Ghana, Mozambique and Zambia, will instead focus on deepening its presence in markets in which it already operates by growing branch networks, Chief Executive Officer James Mwangi said. “We…

South Africa Reserve Bank Sees Medium to High Risk of Credit-Rating Cut to Junk

Posted on by The Editorial Team

Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa — There is a medium to high probability that South Africa’s debt will be downgraded to non-investment status, according to the country’s central bank. A cut may lead to capital outflows, affect the government’s rand-denominated debt, increase the cost of funding and reduce credit to the private sector, the Pretoria-based South African Reserve Bank said in its Financial Stability Review on Tuesday. Spreads on credit-default swaps would also widen, corporate profits…

S&P sees South Africa’s banks up against growing credit risks

Posted on by The Editorial Team

Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa — South Africa’s banks will find it tougher to turn a profit as the economy remains feeble for the next few years and credit risks rise, credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s said on Thursday. Consumers, squeezed by rising interest rates, unemployment of around 25 percent and high debt levels, are a growing headache for lenders in Africa’s most advanced economy which is forecast by the government to…

Nigerian Central Bank keeps interest rate at 11%, turns deaf hear to currency devaluation …

Posted on by The Editorial Team

ABUJA, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa — Nigeria’s central bank Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held the policy rate at 11 percent after lowering it from a record 13 percent in November 2015, Governor Godwin Emefiele informed reporters on Tuesday in Abuja, the capital. That was in line with economists and analysts expectations. Emefiele said the twelve members of the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to keep the rate unchanged. The bank also held the cash reserve…

« 1 … 11 12 13 14 15 … 17 »