Africa
Conducive Macro Backdrop Bolstered Rwanda’s Financial Sector in 2019 – Central Bank
Rwanda’s financial sector enjoyed healthy growth throughout 2019, whilst key metrics indicate that the banks remain well capitalised and non-performing loans (NPLs) are continuing to fall, according to a recent note from the Financial Stability Committee at the National Bank of Rwanda.
21 Feb 2020
South Africa Saw Record Bond Issuance in 2019 Despite Lacklustre Economy
Debt issuance in South Africa reached 10-year highs in 2019 despite the economic and political volatility that punctuated much of the year, with bond volumes totalling ZAR164.82bn (approx. USD10.9bn) according to data collected by Nedbank.
21 Feb 2020
Kenya Announces Plans to Streamline Building Approval Processes
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Housing & Urban Development, Charles Hinga, announced plans this week to harmonise building fees and approval processes for buildings throughout the country. The move is intended to cut costs for developers, spur the growth of affordable housing, and stimulate investor participation in the sector.
20 Feb 2020
Standard Chartered Kenya Launches Mobile Bond Trading Service
Standard Chartered Kenya has launched a bond trading service via its app, SC Mobile App, allowing customers to trade local currency government bonds through their mobile devices.
19 Feb 2020
Monetary Policy Alone Cannot Support Growth in South Africa - Standard Bank
While inflation is edging up incrementally in January, more pro-growth reforms are urgently needed as a downgrade by Moody's looms.
18 Feb 2020
South Africa’s Mining Sector Production Continues to Fall – Standard Bank
South Africa’s mining sector suffered a drop in production during 2019, following an equally disappointing performance in 2018, according to a report from Thanda Sithole, an economist at Standard Bank. Production fell by 1.4% year-on-year in 2019, after a 1.9% decline in 2018.
18 Feb 2020
Tension Between SDGs Raises Questions About the Growth of Sustainable Finance in South Africa
Given the size and depth of South Africa’s domestic capital markets, many see the country as the continent’s frontrunner for developing the sustainable finance segment. But the key to addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is in a transition plan likely to be found in the narrow space between the precarious state of the economy, on the one hand, and the country’s worrying carbon…
18 Feb 2020
Angola’s Minister of Finance on Privatisations, Following Through on Free Trade, and Managing the Tricky Balance between Economic Diversification and Oil Dependence
While João Lourenço’s government continues to dominate the headlines - for highly visible corruption indictments against his predecessor José Eduardo dos Santos, his family, and associates - Vera Daves de Sousa, Angola’s young and resolutely optimistic Minister of Finance, is working hard behind the scenes to chart a more financially sustainable path for the country following years of economic…
13 Feb 2020
Securitisations Could Help South Africa-Based Financials Overcome Ratings Challenges and Liquidity Issues
South African lenders could lean on securitisations to help address credit ratings pressures and a lack of liquidity in the banking sector, but key bottlenecks need to be addressed by regulators before the sector can really take advantage of them, according to Gill Raine, a senior policy advisor at The Association for Savings & Investment South Africa (ASISA) and veteran banker.
12 Feb 2020
Ghana Raises USD3bn Across Three Tranches – Including SSA’s Longest-Dated Eurobond
Ghana raised USD3bn across 7, 15, and 41-year notes this week, the region’s longest-dated bond issuance to date and a major milestone for the country.
6 Feb 2020