South Africa | - Part 19

South Africa Business Fears Political Limbo If ANC Vote Stalls

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s main business group fears the country will be stuck in political limbo if infighting causes the ruling party’s elective conference in December not to go ahead. The race to succeed President Jacob Zuma as leader of the African National Congress is widely seen as a head-to-head contest between his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the leader’s ex-wife and former chairwoman of the African Union Commission. The battle has grown fractious…

South Africa’s $14 Billion Question as Downgrade to Junk Looms

Posted on by The Editorial Team

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Wall Street and other global banks say it’s a question of when, not if, South Africa loses investment grade status on its local-currency ratings. The bigger question is how much damage that would cause. Bank of America Corp. estimates there may be $14 billion of outflows if rand debt is excluded from Citigroup Inc.’s World Government Bond Index, which requires non-junk ratings from Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings. That…

Moody’s says South Africa budget credit negative; central bank flags growth fears

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Ratings agency Moody’s said on Monday the budget statement presented by South African Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba last week was credit negative, while a central bank official raised concerns over economic growth. Gigaba shocked markets on Oct. 25 by flagging sharply weaker growth expectations, wider deficits and rising government debt. The comments by Moody‘s, which along with S&P Global is expected to review South Africa’s credit ratings next month,…

Spinoffs Drive South Africa Listings as Valuations Spur Sellers

Posted on by The Editorial Team

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s main stock exchange may witness the most new listings for at least two years in 2017, helped by a spate of spinoffs as owners look to tap a market trading near record highs. Of the 18 debuts this year, six are carved out of other companies, most of which are publicly traded. A further four new arrivals are backed by collections of investment holdings, rather than providing…

Gigaba in `Hard Place’ With South Africa’s $2.9 Billion Tax Hole

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South African Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba faces a gaping budget hole — and will have to consider cutting spending, raising taxes and selling state assets if he wants to avoid further ratings downgrades. The economy he oversees is hampered by a deteriorating growth outlook, partly stemming from a battle for control of the ruling party that’s stoked political uncertainty and deterred hiring and investment. Gigaba will outline policy changes in his first mid-term budget…

Spire Rejects Bid From Holder Mediclinic for Rest of Shares

Posted on by The Editorial Team

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Spire Healthcare Group Plc rejected a takeover proposal from its biggest shareholder Mediclinic International Plc, saying an offer that values the U.K. private hospital operator at 1.2 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) “significantly undervalues Spire and its prospects.” South Africa’s Mediclinic, which owns almost a third of Spire, approached the company with an offer that valued its shares at 298.6 pence apiece in cash and stock, Spire said in a statement on Monday. That…

Ramaphosa Damns South African Graft Amid Rumors He’ll Be Fired

Posted on by The Editorial Team

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said mounting allegations that the state has been “captured” by private business interests is damaging the nation’s international reputation, as rumors swirled that he’s about to be fired amid a battle for control of the ruling party. “Our state, comrades, is now being talked about in the most negative terms all over the world,” Ramaphosa said Friday in a speech to members of the National…

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