The Editorial Team |

South Africa | Sasol Set for Its Biggest Decline Since 1998 on Writedowns

Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: Sasol Limited was set for the biggest decline in more than 17 years after saying fiscal full-year profit will drop by as much as 30 percent following write downs. The South African fuel producer reported impairments totaling 11.5 billion rand ($770 million), citing the collapse in energy prices. The shares fell 11 percent in Johannesburg, which would be the largest slump on a closing basis since October 1998….

Ghana Mulls Syndicated Loans After Abandoning Eurobond Sale

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ACCRA, Ghana, Capital Markets in Africa: Ghana is considering raising money through private bank loans, abandoning plans to sell as much as $1 billion of Eurobonds on concern its inability to raise targeted budget revenue may spark an investor selloff. With-lower-than-expected oil prices, the government can’t raise all the revenue needed to meet the budget gap, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on its website. That may worry investors in Ghana’s Eurobonds and prompt them to…

Commodities Set to Break Into Bull Market After Four-Year Rout

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LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Markets in Africa: The four-year bear market that pushed commodities to the lowest level in a quarter century is coming to end as supply constraints drive a recovery in everything from soybeans to zinc. The Bloomberg Commodity Index, which tracks returns from 22 raw materials, is on track to close more than 20 percent above its low on Jan. 20, meeting the common definition of a bull market. While the index has come close to…

South African Bonds Gain Most in Two Months With Rand on S&P

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Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: South African bonds gained, driving yields down the most in more than two months, after the country escaped a downgrade that would have left its debt rated so-called junk. Yields on benchmark rand bonds due December 2026 dropped 15 basis points, the most since March 13, to 9.04 percent by 3:23 p.m. in Johannesburg, adding to an 11-point decline on Friday after S&P Global Ratings affirmed South Africa’s…

Nigerian Ex President Goodluck Jonathan Defends Record on Curbing Corruption

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LAGOS, Nigeria, Capital Market in Africa: Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan defended his government’s record on fighting corruption and denied his successor’s assertion that the country’s Treasury was left empty when he handed over power last year. Jonathan, 58, was succeeded in May 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari, who accused the previous administration of looting billions of dollars and leaving the country’s finances “virtually empty.” “There’s no way he would have inherited an empty Treasury,” Jonathan said in…

South Africa’s S&P Rating Respite Strengthens Gordhan’s Hand

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Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan emerged in a stronger position in his tug of war with President Jacob Zuma after S&P Global Ratings decided not to cut the nation’s credit rating to junk. “This means that Gordhan will not be going anywhere for the time being, unless he takes a personal decision to go,” said Susan Booysen, a politics professor at the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Governance. “This is another…

South Africa Needs Improvement in Next Six Months, S&P Says

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Johannesburg, South Africa, Capital Markets in Africa: South Africa’s government needs to implement the reforms it promised to boost growth between now and December, S&P Global Ratings sovereign analyst Gardner Rusike said. “We are looking at improvements between now and the next six months,” Johannesburg-based Rusike said on a conference call with reporters on Monday. If the “government moves on to clarify some of the policy areas, it helps on confidence and it helps on investment, which…

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