Africa Economics Update South African GDP contracts in Q1, rapid rebound unlikely The South African economy contracted for the first time since 2009 in Q1 as the ongoing strike action in the mining sector proved to be more damaging than most had expected. Looking ahead, there are a... 27th May 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Another leg down for currencies Most currencies in Africa have posted substantial losses against the US dollar over the past month, with the Ghanaian cedi and Zambian kwacha slumping to record lows. What’s more, there are a number... 23rd May 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update SARB holds rates steady, but door still open for future hikes The recent strength of the rand allowed the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to keep interest rates on hold today. But given that South Africa is still among the most vulnerable EMs to a slowdown in... 22nd May 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Long-run prospects remain upbeat despite growing political concerns The apparent re-emergence of political risk in a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the past couple of months has led some commentators to question the region’s longer-term growth... 16th May 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South Africa GDP Tracker suggests sharp slowdown in Q1 Our GDP Tracker suggests that the South African economy grew at its slowest pace in nearly five years in Q1, with annualised GDP growth slumping to around 0.2% q/q from 3.8% q/q in Q4. 14th May 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Focus What another five years of ANC rule means for South Africa Victory for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa’s general election last week was largely expected and, as such, financial markets have taken the result in their stride. However... 12th May 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South Africa: manufacturing sector to drag on GDP growth Following a solid performance at the end of last year, the latest hard manufacturing production data from South Africa suggest that the sector dragged on overall GDP growth in Q1. What’s more, a pick... 8th May 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Markets stable as early vote count suggests comfortable ANC win Voting has concluded in South Africa’s general election, and the early signs are that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) will retain a comfortable majority in the national assembly. Financial... 8th May 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South African elections: what to watch out for The latest opinion polls suggest that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party will retain its majority when South Africa votes for a new national assembly in next week’s general elections... 2nd May 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Chart Pack Nigeria rises to top of the pile Following significant revisions to historical GDP data, Nigeria was confirmed as the largest economy in Africa earlier this month. Measured GDP has almost doubled to US$510bn, placing Nigeria... 29th April 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Rise in South African inflation has further to run South African inflation rose in March to the ceiling of the Reserve Bank’s (SARB’s) target range, and the effects of a weak rand and rising local food prices mean it is likely to accelerate further... 23rd April 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Markets regain some composure after Q1 rout Following a woeful Q1, financial markets in Africa have stabilised in the early part of Q2. In most countries, bond yields have edged down and currencies have made modest gains. Nevertheless, there... 17th April 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update IMF’s new growth forecasts underscore growing vulnerabilities The IMF last week made significant downward revisions to its economic growth forecasts for sub- Saharan Africa (SSA) for 2014-15, leaving them close in line with our own. Indeed, this is another sign... 16th April 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Focus A look back at Zuma’s first term South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, looks set to triumph in next month’s election despite – rather than because of – the performance of the economy during his first term in office. Looking ahead... 9th April 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South Africa PMI points to manufacturing slowdown in Q1 The South African manufacturing PMI fell back in March and, taking Q1 as a whole, the survey indicates that the sector has been growing by around 1% y/y in the early part of 2014. This is weaker than... 1st April 2014 · 1 min read
Africa Chart Pack Effects of China’s slowdown to vary across the region Concerns over the impact on sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) of a further slowdown in China have resurfaced over the past couple of weeks. While we do not expect China to experience a hard landing, we do... 28th March 2014 · 1 min read
