Africa Data Response Ghana GDP (Q3) & Kenya Interest Rate Ghana’s GDP growth picked up in Q3, to 5.1% y/y, following a sharp slowdown in Q2. But given the declines in commodity prices, and tight monetary and fiscal policy, we think that the economy will grow... 14th January 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa Manufacturing PMI (Dec.) The decline in December’s manufacturing PMI suggests that the sector ended 2014 on a low point. Although it probably contributed strongly to GDP growth over Q4 as a whole, that looks unlikely to be... 14th January 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa Manufacturing Production (Nov.) November’s fall in South African manufacturing production was perhaps overdue given the strength of output in previous months. The sector is still likely to have contributed positively to GDP growth... 12th January 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response Nigeria Consumer Prices (Nov.) Data released over the weekend showed that inflation in Nigeria continued to slow in November. But we expect it to accelerate again before too long as the effect of the naira’s weakness feeds through... 15th December 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa Consumer Prices (Nov.) South Africa’s headline rate of inflation slowed slightly in November. We think that it will fall further in the coming months, but core price pressures are likely to remain strong. As a result, we... 10th December 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa Manufacturing Production (Oct.) Manufacturing output in South Africa continued its steady recovery in October. Lower oil prices and a weaker rand will provide a boost to the sector over the coming months, but underlying growth is... 9th December 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa Current Account (Q3) Despite the fall in oil prices and the weakness of the economy, South Africa’s current account deficit remained large in Q3. If lower oil prices are maintained, as we expect, then the deficit should... 8th December 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa Manufacturing PMI (Nov.) The latest manufacturing PMI for South Africa suggests that growth in the sector continued to pick up at the beginning of Q4. But strong growth is unlikely to last. 1st December 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa Trade (Oct.) The large rise in South Africa’s trade deficit in October was largely down to an unusually large increase in oil imports, which is unlikely to be sustained. Nevertheless, the external shortfall will... 28th November 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa GDP (Q3) The modest pick-up in South African GDP growth in Q3 reinforces the picture that the economy is struggling to recover from a strike-induced slowdown in the first half of the year. Meanwhile, upwards... 25th November 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa Consumer Prices (Oct.) Inflation in South Africa remained close to the upper limit of the central bank’s target in October. Although recent declines in commodity prices will put some further downward pressure on inflation... 19th November 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa Manufacturing Production (Sep.) The jump in the annual growth rate of manufacturing production in September paints a false impression of the sector’s strength. In quarterly terms, output actually contracted in Q3 as a whole. 11th November 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Data Response South Africa Manufacturing PMI (Oct.) October’s manufacturing PMI gave some encouraging evidence that South Africa’smanufacturers are bouncing back from the weakness earlier in the year. But we doubtthat the sector is about to embark on a... 3rd November 2014 · 1 min read