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 How would a slump in gold prices affect South Africa? The sharp drop in gold prices over the past week or so has led to a sell-off in South Africa’s stock market, but the sector’s declining importance to the overall economy means that, so long as further... 19th April 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South Africa: inflation to breach target, but only temporarily South African inflation is likely to rise above the Reserve Bank’s 3-6% target range in the near term, possibly as early as this month. Nevertheless, any spike should prove temporary, and inflation is... 17th April 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Focus A closer look at South Africa's current account vulnerabilities The sharp widening of South Africa’s current account deficit in 2012 has grabbed most of the headlines, but the more worrying issue is the deterioration in the quality of capital inflows that are... 15th April 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South African mining rebounds, but still faces headwinds The strong rebound in South African mining output in the early part of 2013 suggests that the sector made a decent contribution to overall GDP growth in Q1. But nevertheless, the sector still faces a... 11th 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 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 Economics Update Weak South African rand leaves little room for rate cuts Concerns over the impact of a weak rand on inflation leaves the South African Reserve Bank with little room to cut interest rates over the coming months, despite the outlook for subdued economic... 20th 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 What is driving the weakness of the South African rand? Over the past decade, fluctuations in the South African rand seem to have been driven primarily by changes in global risk appetite. But while risk appetite has improved over the past six months, the... 8th March 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South African manufacturers still facing big challenges The South African manufacturing PMI ticked up in February, but the overall sluggishness of export demand and problems in the domestic supply chain means the sector still faces significant challenges... 1st March 2013 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South Africa: fiscal consolidation postponed again The South African Finance Ministry today nudged up its forecasts for the fiscal deficit for the next three years, but we suspect that the budget shortfall may still surprise on the upside. 27th February 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
