South Africa’s New Mining Charter to Credit Past Black Deals

South Africa’s New Mining Charter to Credit Past Black Deals

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa will give mining companies credit for past black-empowerment deals even when the investors later sold their shares to whites or foreigners, removing a major concern for the industry. The country’s new Mining Charter, which is aimed at distributing South Africa’s mineral wealth more widely, will apply the “once empowered, always empowered” principle as long they met the previous 26 percent black-ownership requirement. The minimum percentage will also…

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The Legal Cases Ensnaring Prominent South African Officials

The Legal Cases Ensnaring Prominent South African Officials

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – A slew of legal cases involving South African politicians and officials, including former President Jacob Zuma, are working their way through the courts, with some prominent public figures at risk of being jailed or losing their jobs. This is the state of play of some of the most high-profile lawsuits: Zuma’s graft trial Zuma, who the ruling party forced to resign in February after a scandal-tainted tenure lasting almost nine…

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South Africa’s Nene Sees Faster Growth and Smaller Budget Gap

South Africa’s Nene Sees Faster Growth and Smaller Budget Gap

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa’s economy will expand faster and the fiscal deficit may be smaller than the estimates set out in the February budget, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said. Gross domestic product will grow more quickly this year than the 1.5 percent predicted in the budget, Nene told lawmakers in Cape Town on Tuesday, without giving a new forecast. The fiscal shortfall for the year to March 2018 could be “marginally lower” than…

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MRPDA Amendment Bill: Key Amendments for the South African Oil and Gas Industry

MRPDA Amendment Bill: Key Amendments for the South African Oil and Gas Industry

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The principal South African upstream oil and gas legislation, the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 28 of 2002 (MPRDA), has been in flux since 2013 when the first draft the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill, 15 of 2015 (the Bill) was published. On 16 December 2015, following the Bill’s passage through the South African National Assembly (the lower house of Parliament), the President exercised the power…

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INTO AFRICA May 2018 Edition: Bouncing Back – African Oil and Gas

INTO AFRICA May 2018 Edition: Bouncing Back – African Oil and Gas

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Welcome to the May 2018 edition of INTO AFRICA, a publication with fresh insight into Africa’s emerging capital markets. This month’s edition, titled: Bouncing Back: African Oil and Gas explores oil and gas laws and regulations across African countries as well financing options for oil and gas projects. With the oil price pushing through to the US$70 mark, and further confidence that the price will remain more stable in…

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Foreigners Can’t Resist South African Debt. That’s a Problem

Foreigners Can’t Resist South African Debt. That’s a Problem

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Foreign investors just can’t resist South African bonds — that should worry policy makers in Africa’s most-industrialized economy. Non-resident holdings of the country’s debt climbed to 43 percent in March from 41 percent at the end of December, according to National Treasury data. That’s almost double the emerging-market average, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. figures. When it comes to fixed-rate securities, which constitute 82 percent of South Africa’s 1.76 trillion rand ($140 billion)…

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State Firms Debt May Threaten Financial Stability, SARB Says

State Firms Debt May Threaten Financial Stability, SARB Says

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – The inability of South African state-owned companies to roll over debt could threaten the nation’s financial stability and ultimately result in more credit-rating downgrades, according to the central bank. Governance issues at state companies, rising contingent liabilities and inadequate liquidity could add pressure to government finances through the increased use of guarantees, the Reserve Bank said in its six-monthly Financial Stability Review released in Pretoria on Wednesday. “Financial stability centers around…

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