Africa Chart Pack Still a region of "two-speed" growth The latest data for South Africa suggest that the economy picked up pace in Q1, supported in large part by a rebound in mining production after last year’s strikes. Elsewhere in the region, although... 26th April 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Weak rand to provide limited relief for South African manufacturers Growth in South Africa’s manufacturing sector appears to have stagnated in the first quarter of 2013, but some policymakers have suggested that production could soon pick up as a weaker rand helps to... 24th April 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Effects of a Chinese slowdown to vary across the region An economic slowdown in China is likely to drag on growth in sub-Saharan Africa, but the more important point is that the effects will vary from country-to-country. Zambia is probably the most... 22nd April 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Regional growth holding up well despite external headwinds GDP data released over the past week or so show that, while growth in a number of sub-Saharan Africa’s smaller economies slowed in the latter part of 2012, the region was still one of the world’s... 5th April 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Kenyan markets rally but post-election challenges remain Kenyan financial markets have rallied in the past few days following the Supreme Court’s ruling that the presidential election held in March was legitimate. Nevertheless, with growth appearing to have... 3rd April 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Eurobond yields unlikely to rise sharply After falling in 2012 and early 2013, yields on African eurobonds have edged up over the past few weeks. However, the sell-off in the bond market has not been confined to Africa, as the spread over... 27th March 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Chart Pack Kenyan elections pass peacefully but risks still linger Events in sub-Saharan Africa have been dominated by presidential elections in Kenya. By past standards at least, the vote was peacefully and markets have remained stable. The shilling has actually... 26th March 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economic Outlook Strong domestic demand to help Africa outperform The growth outlook for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains good. Admittedly, the region will not be immune from global headwinds, particularly from the ongoing recession in Europe. Export demand may also... 15th March 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Kenyan rate cutting cycle has probably ended The Central Bank of Kenya kept its benchmark interest rate on hold at 9.50% today and, with inflation having bottomed out and the current account deficit still a cause for concern, we think this marks... 12th March 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update First thoughts on Kenyatta's victory On the face of it, an earlier-than-expected victory for Uhuru Kenyatta in Kenya’s presidential election has reduced the risk of public unrest and political uncertainty that had previously threatened... 11th March 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Markets holding their nerve as Kenya delays election results Kenya’s parliamentary and presidential elections have so far passed relatively peacefully, helping to keep markets calm amid news that the results have been delayed due to technical problems. But the... 6th March 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Chart Pack South Africa struggling to match its regional peers South African Q4 GDP surprised on the upside but, 2009 aside, sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA’s) largest economy still grew at its slowest pace for over a decade over the course of last year as a whole... 27th February 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Equity market rally loses steam Following a strong start to the year, the rally in sub-Saharan African equity markets has lost a little steam in the past few weeks. Nevertheless, the MSCI frontier Africa index is still up by around... 22nd February 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Focus The "two-speed" continent The scope for rapid “catch-up” growth, allied with improving levels of governance, point to a relatively upbeat outlook for most of sub-Saharan Africa over the next decade or so. By contrast, a lack... 19th February 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Fears over a return to "original sin" are overdone An improvement in global risk appetite and a sharp fall in emerging market bond yields over the past few months have led to a flurry of planned eurobond issues from countries in sub-Saharan Africa... 15th February 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Focus Buoyant domestic demand to support regional growth Buoyant domestic demand should ensure that sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the world’s best performing regions over the next two years, even if the global economy remains weak. We are particularly... 12th February 2013 · 1 min read
