Africa Economics Weekly Nigeria’s loan-to-bond swap, SA power cuts permeating Plans by the government of Nigeria to swap central bank loans to bonds have hit a sticky patch, making it unclear whether the country can reap the associated economic gains. Elsewhere, the fallout... 20th January 2023 · 6 mins read
Latin America Economics Weekly Brazil’s hot labour market, Argentine bonds Expectations for inflation and interest rates in Brazil have shifted up on the back of Lula’s fiscal plans, but an equally (if not more) concerning development on this front is the surge in wage... 20th January 2023 · 8 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update Where are EM debt risks greatest? It looks highly likely that Tunisia’s government will this year follow in the footsteps of Sri Lanka and Ghana by defaulting on its external debts. Fortunately, public debt risks elsewhere don’t look... 17th January 2023 · 4 mins read
Africa Economics Update Runners and riders in Nigeria’s upcoming elections In the first instalment of our Election Watch series ahead of the late-February polls in Nigeria, we assess the economic policies proposed by key candidates. The elections offer a chance to depart... 12th January 2023 · 7 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly What lies in store in 2023, Ghana’s latest debt-move The new year has started with economies in Sub-Saharan Africa bracing for disruptions due to the end of zero-COVID in China and a looming global recession. While these are likely to pass by mid-year... 6th January 2023 · 5 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Fears EGP fall will trigger sovereign debt crisis overdone The latest fall in the Egyptian pound sends a strong signal that the authorities are committed to the shift to a more flexible exchange rate. And while the weaker currency poses a threat to the... 5th January 2023 · 8 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly 2022 ends with a debt bang 2022 will be a year to forget for many African economies – it was marked by growing balance sheet strains and culminated in Ghana's government opting to default on much of its external debt earlier... 23rd December 2022 · 5 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Tunisian debt, Morocco & CBAM, Jordan protests The result of parliamentary elections in Tunisia last weekend will probably strengthen President Saied’s ability to pass laws, but could also dissuade the IMF from formally approving a financing... 22nd December 2022 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Leadership changes in South Africa? Ghana’s IMF boost South Africa’s president dodged impeachment earlier this week and is likely to be re-elected as leader of the ruling ANC party over the weekend, but the country’s economic challenges have only grown... 16th December 2022 · 5 mins read
Africa Rapid Response Ghana secures $3bn IMF deal The news that Ghana has secured a $3bn staff-level agreement with the IMF will go some way to easing the country’s economic crisis, but the government still needs to clear a number of hurdles to put... 13th December 2022 · 2 mins read
Africa Economics Update Making sense of debt developments in Ghana As the authorities in Ghana take further steps towards a debt restructuring, in this Update we take stock of the latest developments and their economic implications. 7th December 2022 · 5 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Lula’s fiscal plans intensify Brazil’s public debt risks President-elect Lula’s plans to increase spending could raise Brazil’s public debt ratio by an additional 10% of GDP by the end of his presidential term in 2026. And while it seems likely that these... 6th December 2022 · 3 mins read
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
Event EM Drop-In: Past peak inflation – what now for EM policymakers? 1669906800 Inflation appears to have finally peaked for emerging markets – but how quickly will price pressures now ease, and what will that mean for the 2023 outlook?
Emerging Markets Economics Focus Higher interest rates exposing private sector debt risks Higher interest rates and larger private sector debt burdens mean that debt interest service ratios could rise to levels last seen in the 1990s in many EMs next year. This is unlikely to be a major... 17th November 2022 · 18 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Manufacturing boost to SA, Kenya’s public finances The surprising strength of South Africa’s manufacturing data for September has lengthened the odds that the economy was in a technical recession over Q2 and Q3. And in Kenya, bond markets have rallied... 11th November 2022 · 7 mins read
