Africa
Kenya: Capacity Building Vital to Local Investment in Energy & Infrastructure
Kenya currently faces an infrastructure financing gap of USD4bn, according to data from the World Bank, with the government’s recent borrowing spree unlikely to plug it. Bonds & Loans hosted an exclusive breakfast roundtable discussion with bankers, developers, and investors to explore the bottlenecks preventing local institutions from investing Kenyan money in Kenyan projects.
6 Nov 2019
SBM Intel: “Nigeria is broke, but it’s not acting like it”
All is not well in the largest economy on the African continent. Nigeria faces an array of issues, largely the result of internal political problems. Bonds & Loans speaks with Cheta Nwanze, Head of Research at SBM Intelligence, about public debt, central bank independence, and growing political risk in Nigeria.
30 Oct 2019
Nedbank CIB: Growth of ESG-Linked Funding Should be Driven by Capital Allocators
There is a pressing need to improve social and environmental outcomes in South Africa, and finance can play an important role in bringing them about. But the growth of the sustainable finance segment needs to be driven by allocators of capital – banks and investors, says Nedbank’s head of debt capital markets origination Bruce Stewart.
25 Oct 2019
SWOT Analysis: African Credit Markets in 60 Seconds
Bonds & Loans examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats across Africa following a research trip to the region.
10 Oct 2019
Kenya: Political Tensions Pose Moderate Risk to Fiscus
So far, 2019 has seen a marked escalation of political tensions within Kenya’s ruling Jubilee coalition. The coalition – led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto – has so far been able to effectively keep a lid on the political and ethnic divisions that boiled over into widescale violence ten years ago. The recent arrest of a high-profile minister has sparked concerns…
27 Sept 2019
Following Divestment, Forte Upstream Services CFO Mulls Expansion into E&P
Following the conclusion of the divestment of its downstream and power generation businesses, Bonds & Loans speaks with Idris Olufowobi, Chief Financial Officer of recently formed Forte Upstream Services Ltd. about the company’s funding objectives and challenges, and discusses why the company is assessing a move into the exploration & production space.
17 Sept 2019
Benin Minister of Finance on the Country’s Successful Eurobond Debut, Reform, and Development
Benin’s debut Eurobond issuance was one of the top sovereign transactions of 2019, decisively putting the country on the map for EM investors. Bonds & Loans caught up with the country’s young and enthusiastic Minister of Finance, Romuald Wadagni, to discuss the government’s borrowing strategy, the country’s impressive growth story, and progress on key reforms.
11 Sept 2019
Viathan Group CFO: “Banks that don’t embrace fintech will be replaced”
Viathan Group is an emerging energy player in the power and gas sector in Nigeria but in financing circles, the company is perhaps best known for its innovative 2018 infrastructure bond issuance – when it pioneered a new structure for the country’s capital markets. Babajide Ibironke, the Group’s CFO, talks to Bonds & Loans about the company’s growth ambitions and funding strategy, overcoming the…
6 Sept 2019
Time to Reform Africa’s State-Owned Enterprises
State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) play a significant role in the global economy – but in recent years, they have become synonymous with corruption and poor governance. Robert Besseling, Director at EXX Africa unpacks and assesses efforts (or in some cases, lack thereof) to reform.
3 Sept 2019
RMB: Governance Concerns in South Africa Risk Being Outweighed by Insatiable Demand for Assets
The South African fixed income market is at risk of neglecting governance-related issues if domestic demand for fixed income assets continues to outpace supply, according to Rand Merchant Bank’s Co-Head of the Debt Financing Group.
30 Aug 2019