Africa Economics Weekly Ghana’s fiscal mess, data & decisions wrap Official statements by the authorities in Ghana signalled commitment to restoring fiscal and debt sustainability, and left little doubt that this will include a sovereign debt restructuring. Meanwhile... 25th November 2022 · 6 mins read
Africa Data Response Nigeria GDP (Q3) GDP growth in Nigeria slowed to 2.2% y/y in Q3 as woes in the oil sector intensified and key parts of the non-oil economy, such as agriculture and manufacturing, performed poorly. Even with pre... 24th November 2022 · 3 mins read
Africa Economics Update CBN shifting in less hawkish direction The Central Bank of Nigeria raised the benchmark rate by 100bp, to 16.50%, today, and MPC members appear to be itching to take their foot off the monetary policy brakes. But we suspect that the... 22nd November 2022 · 3 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Hawks to rule in upcoming SA & Nigeria rate decisions In next week’s MPC meetings in South Africa and Nigeria, inflation concerns are likely to hold sway over economic woes, and we expect both central banks to keep raising interest rates. South Africa’s... 18th November 2022 · 7 mins read
Africa Data Response Nigeria Consumer Prices (Oct.) Data out of Nigeria showing a pick-up in inflation to 21.1% y/y in October offered little sign that price pressures are abating. And that’s before the effects of recent flooding and currency weakness... 15th November 2022 · 2 mins read
Africa Economics Update Nigeria’s economy heading from bad to worse Nigeria’s demonetisation efforts are likely to add to already-high economic costs of the country’s unorthodox policies. The resulting currency falls will fuel inflation further and disruptions to... 10th November 2022 · 3 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Strikes in SA, naira under pressure, Ethiopia ceasefire South Africa is on the cusp of large public sector strikes which will deal another blow to the recovery and raise the risk of fiscal slippage just a week after the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement... 4th November 2022 · 6 mins read
Africa Economics Update Nigeria and the risks stemming from demonetisation The Nigerian central bank’s plans to replace high-value bank notes by the end of January will, if India’s experience in 2016 is anything to go by, disrupt activity and fail to address some of the... 3rd November 2022 · 5 mins read
Africa Chart Pack Here comes the slowdown The past month has brought further signs that economies across Sub-Saharan Africa are in the midst of a slowdown. The latest activity data out of South Africa suggest that, after GDP contracted in Q2... 31st October 2022 · 11 mins read
Africa Economic Outlook Storm clouds gathering Sub-Saharan Africa has suffered particularly heavily from the pandemic and then spillovers from the war in Ukraine, and the global recession will only add to the headwinds. Taken together with tight... 25th October 2022 · 24 mins read
Africa Data Response Nigeria Consumer Prices (Sep.) The rise in Nigeria’s headline inflation rate to a 17-year high of 20.8% y/y last month reinforces our view that policymakers will raise the benchmark rate by a further 100bp, to 16.50%, in November... 17th October 2022 · 2 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Politics and fiscal policy moving in tandem Political considerations ahead of key elections in South Africa and Nigeria are likely to add to reasons to loosen fiscal policy over the coming quarters. And while that may support activity in the... 30th September 2022 · 5 mins read
Africa Chart Pack African central banks stepping up to the plate Just like their peers in advanced economies, monetary policymakers across Sub-Saharan Africa have turned more hawkish recently. Central banks in South Africa and Nigeria hiked interest rates... 29th September 2022 · 12 mins read
Africa Economics Update Rising inflation, weak naira push CBN into large hike The Central Bank of Nigeria upped the pace of its tightening cycle today, increasing the benchmark rate by 150bp, to 15.50%, as officials have become increasingly concerned about sky-high inflation... 27th September 2022 · 2 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Ghana’s economic woes, perpetual power cuts in SA Despite the release of better-than-expected Q2 GDP growth figures in Ghana, the economic outlook remains gloomy as policy tightening to address the country’s debt woes will increasingly bite. And in... 23rd September 2022 · 7 mins read