Features

ACCRA (Capital Markets in Africa) — The first consignment of Ghanaian shipments to the U.K. to face post-Brexit tariffs docked at Portsmouth last night, including 185 metric tons of bananas, the majority of which were so-called Fairtrade. Because Britain and the European Union reached a trade deal so close to the divorce transition deadline of Dec. 31, some other “continuity” deals — those intended to roll over the terms of trade the U.K. enjoyed as…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) — Universal Music Group Inc. is bolstering its presence in Africa, where streaming and other forms of music distribution are relatively underdeveloped. The firm, majority-owned by Vivendi SA, plans to build up operations in countries including Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya in 2021, according to the company’s newly appointed regional chief executive officer, Sipho Dlamini. Universal also has an office in Ivory Coast to oversee French-speaking countries, alongside a base in…

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) — South African medical insurance companies, business organizations, and the government are developing a program in which the private sector will help fund Covid-19 vaccines for people not covered by insurance. Legislation has been amended to allow the companies to fund shots for people who don’t have medical insurance and talks are now focused on the number of those who may benefit, said Stavros Nicolaou, head of the Health Workgroup for B4SA,…

NEW YORK(Capital Markets in Africa) — Republicans won four House races in California in congressional districts carried at the presidential level by Joe Biden, according to a Bloomberg Government analysis of precinct-level results. The split-ticket victories last month, which have become relatively rare in recent elections, allowed the GOP to claw back some of its sharp losses from 2018. Three of the seats were held by a Democrat, and the fourth Republicans first won in…

HARARE (Capital Markets in Africa) — Zimbabwe’s central bank plans to sell a majority stake in the southern African nation’s sole gold-buying firm in a bid to boost compliance with the trading of the precious metal. Fidelity Printers and Refiners will be split in two, with 60% of its gold-refining business sold to private investors, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said in an emailed statement. The central bank would retain a 40% stake, plus full ownership of…

LONDON (Capital Markets in Africa) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s last-ditch plea for European Union leaders to step in and salvage the bloc’s faltering trade negotiations with the U.K. was frustrated when summit talks overran on Thursday night, pushing Brexit to the fringes. The meeting of the EU’s 27 government chiefs in Brussels went through the night as they tussled over tough new climate targets. Leaders, including those crucial to the U.K. talks, like German…

CASABLANCA (Capital Markets in Africa)  — President Donald Trump said Morocco and Israel agreed to establish full diplomatic relations and that he was recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed region of Western Sahara. The Western Sahara issue was long seen as a sticking point in getting Morocco to join with countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan in recognizing Israel. Taken with the earlier agreements, Thursday’s announcement helps bolster Trump’s efforts to reshape…