Banking | - Part 69

Rwandan and Seychelles Central Bank Keeps Key Interest Rate Unchanged

SEYCHELLES (Capital Markets in Africa) – Rwanda’s central bank kept its benchmark lending rate at a record-low 5.5 percent as it sees inflation and exchange-rate pressures remaining subdued. The key rate was held at 5.5 percent, Governor John Rwangombwa told reporters in the capital, Kigali, on Tuesday. While inflation could accelerate to about 4.5 percent by the end of this year, from 3 percent in May, price pressures are low, he said. The Rwandan franc weakened 1.5…

Nigerian Low-Cost Mortgage Lender Set for $1.4 Billion Boost

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LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Nigeria’s government plans to inject 500 billion naira ($1.4 billion) into its low-cost mortgage lender over the next five years in an effort to spur home ownership that has failed to take off in Africa’s most-populous nation. Faced with a housing deficit of 17 million units, Nigeria is seeking to improve access to home loans in an economy that vies with South Africa as the continent’s biggest. A lack of…

South Africa Central Bank Sees Limited Room for Further Easing

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – South Africa has little room for further interest-rate cuts unless the inflation outlook improves, the central bank said. Monetary policy is still marginally accommodative and “the room for additional rate cuts remains limited in the absence of a more durable improvement” in the price-growth outlook, the central bank said in its annual report published on its website on Monday. The Monetary Policy Committee kept its key rate unchanged at 6.5 percent last…

KCB, Equity Bank Seen as Biggest Winners If Kenyan Rate Caps Go

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NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – KCB Group Ltd. and Equity Group Holdings Ltd., Kenya’s largest lenders, will be the biggest beneficiaries from the scrapping of laws limiting the amount of interest banks can charge, according to Exotix Capital Ltd. analyst Faith Mwangi. Treasury Secretary Henry Rotich has started steps to revoke legislation that the International Monetary Fund has said is damaging the economy and banks have blamed for stalling loan growth. The government is racing to meet an…

Barclays Africa Retail Banking CEO Moganwa Leaves Amid Shake-Up

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JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Barclays Africa Group Ltd. Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Banking Jan Moganwa is leaving as the South African lender’s retail and business banking division embarks on a reorganization of its top management. The announcement was made in a notice to staff seen by Bloomberg News and confirmed by Johannesburg-based Barclays Africa spokesman Songezo Zibi. Moganwa will pursue other interests after five years at the unit, which he joined as head of products and…

Algeria’s banking sector is adequately capitalised and profitable

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ALGIERS (Capital Markets in Africa) – The International Monetary Fund indicated that Algeria’s banking sector is adequately capitalised and profitable. It noted that the capital adequacy ratio of banks operating in Algeria increased from 18.9% at the end of 2016 to 19.6% at end-2017, while their Tier-One capital ratio declined from 16.3% at end-2016 to 15.2% at end-2017 as a result of higher credit growth. It also pointed out that the banks’ return on assets was at 2% and their return…

Angolan Banking sector resilient to macroeconomic shocks

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LUANDA (Capital Markets in Africa) – The International Monetary Fund considered that the heavy reliance of Angolan banks on the oil sector constitutes a key risk, mainly for state-owned banks, while private banks are better positioned to weather the impact of an oil shock given their initial strong position. It indicated that the main channel of transmission of an oil shock is through fiscal activity, as lower oil prices would contain public spending and weaken non-hydrocarbon sector activity and,…

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