Africa Economics Weekly (Un)Common Framework, a little cheer in South Africa Zambia has become the latest country – after Chad and Ethiopia – to seek debt restructuring under the G20’s Common Framework, but tough negotiations lie ahead and few other countries are likely to go... 5th February 2021 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Different IMF takes on fiscal policy, Nigeria’s funding gap The IMF’s campaign encouraging governments to broaden fiscal support to prop up recoveries does not seem to extend far and wide. While the Fund appears to be backing a pause in Kenya’s fiscal... 29th January 2021 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly South Africa’s state guarantee snub, vaccine round-up The South African government’s decision this week to provide no further debt guarantees to state-owned lender Land Bank underscores the mounting pressure on the public purse. And even with some... 22nd January 2021 · 6 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Vaccine AUphoria?, polls in Uganda, debt relief demand The announcement that the African Union (AU) has secured a large COVID-19 vaccine order is a positive step towards Africa’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis, but the road remains long and bumpy... 15th January 2021 · 7 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly 2021 off to a bad start in SA, limits to regional trade pact The near-term outlook for South Africa has taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks as virus containment measures have been tightened to try to curb a second wave of COVID-19. Mounting pressure on... 8th January 2021 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly COVAX concerns, momentum at Eskom, Zambian mines Reports this week pointing to the multilateral COVAX facility’s high risk of failure underline that the roll-out of vaccines for many African countries is likely to be slow, delaying the ensuing... 18th December 2020 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Zambia’s dance with the IMF, restrictions looming in SA The confirmation this week that Zambia requested an IMF funding program is a positive step, which is likely to improve the chances of a wider debt restructuring deal with external creditors. Meanwhile... 11th December 2020 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly South African state of COVID-affairs, cocoa wars South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech to the nation last night suggests that, for now at least, the government is continuing to prioritise the economy over battling a second wave of COVID... 4th December 2020 · 7 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Nigeria flip-flops, policymakers in financing pickle Mixed signals from recent policy announcements in Nigeria raise doubts about the administration’s commitment to pro-business reforms, especially in relation to the currency. At least the government... 27th November 2020 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly “Vaccine boost” to take time, let’s talk about debt A string of good news from COVID-19 vaccine producers may be followed by further positive updates in the coming weeks, but it is likely to take longer for the “vaccine boost” to reach much of Sub... 20th November 2020 · 8 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Vaccines and wars... recoveries and restrictions... The announcement this week of a successful trial of a COVID-19 vaccine is without doubt good news, but the economic gains for Africa may not be as sweeping as many might hope. Meanwhile, Ethiopia... 13th November 2020 · 7 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Ethiopian tinderbox, soft South African recovery Frictions between Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray region turned into military confrontation this week, which will inflict damage not only on the population but also on the economy. In... 6th November 2020 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Debt and despair in SA & Zambia, election jitters South Africa’s Medium Term Budget Statement outlined harsh austerity measures, but it wouldn’t take much to knock the plans off course and leave debt on an unsustainable trajectory. In Zambia, there... 30th October 2020 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly COVID in South Africa, Nigeria protests, Zambia hopes The recent rise in newly recorded COVID-19 cases in South Africa appears to reflect higher testing more than anything else. But it’s a reminder that a renewed outbreak of the virus poses a major... 23rd October 2020 · 6 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Default and debt relief, stale SA recovery plan Debt relief efforts took different turns for African governments this week. For many, the extension of a debt service suspension deal will come as good news. But a stand-off between Zambia, China and... 16th October 2020 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Nigeria’s deficit financing options diminishing This week’s 2021 budget presentation by Nigeria’s President Buhari points to challenges in financing the government’s ambitious spending plans, raising the risk that the authorities turn to financial... 9th October 2020 · 4 mins read
