Africa

A RACE TO THE FINISH   By Jonathan Gregson   With several of the world’s fastest-growing economies to be found in sub-Saharan Africa, investors are keen. They are now looking beyond the commodities sector, and China continues to lead the ...

NEWSMAKERS: KENYA   By Dan Keeler   Nervousness about Kenya’s March 2013 general election is prompting international investors to put their investment plans on hold, says Musalia Mudavadi, one of the leading candidates in the presidential race.   Mudavadi: Kenya’s ...

COMMODITIES BOOM SEES AFRICA OUTPACE GLOBAL GROWTH   By Antonio Guerrero   African economic growth is outpacing the global average for the first time, according to a World Bank report, with such sub-Saharan countries as Sierra Leone, Niger and Angola ...

DIFFFICULT CHOICES   By Antonio Guerrero   African oil producers stand to benefit from continued sanctions on Iranian oil exports. But their path is not without challenges.   As the US and EU tighten the screws on Iran, imposing sanctions ...

BANKING ON AFRICA   By Erik Heinrich   A continent-wide boom is shaping a new breed of pan-African lenders.   The future has never looked brighter for sub-Saharan Africa. Many of its economies are expanding at annual rates of 6% ...

INVESTOR FEARS RISE ON MINE STRIKES   By Antonio Guerrero   Violent strikes at South Africa's Marikana platinum mine, operated by UK group Lonmin, could impact investment flows.   Violence mars Marikana mine strikes Photo Credits: MIKE HUTCHINGS / REUTERS ...

By Gordon Platt, Antonio Guerrero and Anita Hawser MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA ALGERIA Mohammed Laksaci Grade: C The central bank of Algeria, Africa’s second-largest oil producer, has kept its discount rate at 4% for the past few years to encourage ...

NEWSMAKERS: ETHIOPIA   By Valentina Pasquali   Plagued by corruption and emerging from three decades of stable but authoritarian government, Ethiopia is undergoing its first peaceful transfer of power after the death, in August, of longtime prime minister Meles Zenawi.   ...

ZIMBABWE'S BANKS TOLD TO BOLSTER CAPITAL RESERVES   By Antonio Guerrero   With the goal of stabilizing the financial system in mind, Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank has boosted minimum capital requirements for banks by as much as 900%.   Zimbabwe’s banks ...

Global Finance names the 2012 World's Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks in Middle East/Africa NEW YORK, July 27, 2012 – Global Finance has announced the First Round winners in the "World's Best Internet Banks" competition in Middle East/Africa. This is the ...

Global Finance names the 2012 World's Best Consumer Internet Banks in Middle East/Africa NEW YORK, July 20, 2012 – Global Finance has announced the First Round winners in the "World's Best Internet Banks" competition in Middle East/Africa. This is the ...

AFRICA UNBOUND   By Antonio Guerrero   Arnold Epke, group CEO at Ecobank, a pan-African bank founded in 1985 and with a presence in 32 countries, shares his insights on Africa's past, present and prospects.   Global Finance : How will ...

TIME FOR CHANGE   By Antonio Guerrero   Nigeria holds great promise with its massive oil reserves, but endemic corruption, unfettered militant attacks on pipelines and lack of regulatory clarity could halt progress in its tracks.   When the Nigerian ...

FEELING THE EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC CONTAGION   By Antonio Guerrero   The Africa Finance Corp, a multilateral finance institution based in Nigeria, says it has a pipeline of sub-Saharan investment projects worth $3 billion over the next year. The AFC ...

NEWSMAKERS: ZIMBABWE   By Valentina Pasquali   After targeting the lucrative mining sector, Zimbabwe's indigenization minister Saviour Kasukuwere is now ramping up pressure on foreign banks operating in the country to hand over 51% of their shareholdings to indigenous Zimbabweans as ...

RETAILER EXPANDS IN NIGERIA   By Gordon Platt   Mr Price Group has developed a successful retail formula in South Africa that could work well in markets across Africa.   The majority of Mr Price’s 1000-plus stores are in South Africa, ...

SABMILLER MAKES MORE AFFORDABLE LOCAL BEER   By Antonio Guerrero   The UK’s SABMiller, the world’s second-largest brewer, plans to invest up to $2.5 billion in Africa over the next five years to build new breweries and revamp existing ones to ...

PLATINUM MINING PROJECT PROMISES BIG REWARDS   By Antonio Guerrero   South Africa’s state-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has entered into a $420 million public-private partnership to develop a mine that could become one of the world’s largest platinum producers over ...

By Thomas Clouse, Jonathan Gregson, Antonio Guerrero & Gordon Platt AFRICA Not only is Africa rich in natural resources, but it also offers the promise of fast economic growth in a number of countries, and a population lacking basic banking services. ...

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY   By Antonio Guerrero   A number of African markets may be on the verge of massive growth—fueled by a rising consumer class.   Given the long-standing reputation for political and economic volatility in some African markets, ...