Africa Chart Pack African markets shrug off Fed tapering Financial markets in Africa appear to have taken yesterday's decision by the US Fed to taper its monthly asset purchases under QE3 in their stride. Of the region's major economies, Kenyan and Nigerian... 19th December 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Remittance inflows could take the edge off current account concerns Concerns have been raised about the impact of less accommodative global monetary policy on capital flows to sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but one factor that often gets overlooked is that of overseas... 17th December 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Rand set to weaken further next year The key development in African financial markets over the course of 2013 has been the slump in the South African rand, which has depreciated by more than 20% against the US dollar. But while most of... 12th December 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Focus African consumer boom has much further to run Sub-Saharan Africa's (SSA's) consumer market has quadrupled in size since 2000, and is now worth over US$650bn. While some of the tailwinds that have supported consumption over the past decade are... 11th December 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Chart Pack Central banks turn more hawkish Interest rates were kept on hold in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana this month, but the more interesting aspect of the announcements was the notably hawkish tone struck by policymakers. In... 28th November 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Weak South African economy not a major threat to rest of region The ongoing weakness of the South African economy has raised questions over the potential impact on the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. In this Watch, we argue that, due to a variety of factors, trade... 12th November 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Kenyan rate hikes possible next year The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) kept interest rates on hold today and, with inflation having peaked, pressure to raise rates in the near term has eased. But a large current account deficit that is... 5th November 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Chart Pack Rand respite unlikely to last Like most other major emerging market currencies, the South African rand has rebounded over the past month as markets have adjusted to the prospect of US monetary policy staying looser for longer than... 30th October 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Natural resource boom will bring its own challenges The production of natural resources will be a key driver of growth in Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania over the coming years, but it is also likely to bring a number of challenges. In Ghana, oil... 25th October 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Debut dollar bond issues still likely to go ahead The prospect of monetary policy staying looser for longer than initially expected in the US has left open a window for potential bond issues in Africa. We still expect a number of countries in the... 22nd October 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economic Outlook Positive outlook but challenges lie ahead Sub-Saharan Africa is likely to remain one of the world’s fastest-growing regions over the next few years. Domestic demand will remain the key driver of growth. And while several external headwinds... 10th October 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Chart Pack Nigeria bucks the inflation trend... for now Inflation has edged up in most countries in Africa in recent months, but Nigeria has bucked the trend. Here, inflation dropped to its slowest pace since April 2008 last month. This has been due in... 26th September 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update African markets rally as Fed delays tapering The surprise decision by the US Fed to delay the tapering of its asset purchases this month has provided a temporary reprieve for emerging market assets, including those in Africa. In light of this... 23rd September 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Rise in capital spending takes edge off deficit concerns An increase in capital expenditure across the region over the past few years means that the general widening in budget deficits may not be as worrying as the headline figures suggest. But there are... 17th September 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Fed tapering unlikely to put region’s external positions at risk The turbulence in financial markets over the past few months has raised concerns about how emerging markets will perform as global monetary conditions tighten. In the case of Africa, current account... 13th September 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Subsidy reform key to sustaining fiscal discipline The widening of fiscal deficits in several economies in sub-Saharan Africa over the past few years has increased the importance of subsidy reform. The good news is that policymakers are starting to... 9th September 2013 · 1 min read
