Africa

ROUNDUP   By Antonio Guerrero   The African Development Bank (AfDB), which plans to increase its capital base to $100 billion, launched a $600 million fund to strengthen African banks. The fund was created through a partnership with the European ...

Emerging Markets Investor: Company to watch   By Gordon Platt   Sasol is a prime example of a successful multinational company based in South Africa, where it mines coal to provide the raw material to produce synthetic fuels and chemicals. ...

REGIONAL REPORT: REGIONAL RESURGENCE   A flurry of bond issues illustrates the growing confidence west Africa’s nations have in their economic and political futures. Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire are leading the way.   By Nick Kochan   The contrasts in ...

Roundup   By Antonio Guerrero   South Africa’s central bank: Shareholders to get less control Nigeria has secured a $915 million concessionary loan from the World Bank to help the government fund infrastructure development projects. Funds will be drawn between ...

Roundup   By Antonio Guerrero   Digging deep: Companies mining in Zambia face high taxes The World Bank is asking members to support a controversial $3.75 billion loan to Eskom, South Africa's state-run power utility. The loan would be used ...

AFRICA   By Gordon Platt   REGIONAL WINNER: Standard Chartered Bank Standard Chartered Bank's earnings from its African operations rose 54% last year to $482 million. The London-based emerging markets bank receives 90% of its income and profits from Asia, ...

Roundup   By Antonio Guerrero   Nigerian central bank’s energy fund has caused controversy South Africa’s $2 billion dollar-denominated sovereign bond issue in March marked the country’s largest-ever foreign-currency-denominated security. The 10-year paper carries a 5.5% coupon, which is the ...

Global Finance names the 2010 World's Best Emerging Market Banks in Africa   NEW YORK, March 23, 2010 — Global Finance magazine (www.gfmag.com) has named the "Best Emerging Market Banks in Africa" in an exclusive survey to be published in ...

Roundup   By Antonio Guerrero   Under threat: Wildlife in Uganda’s Kabwoya reserve African Union (AU) heads of state attending a February summit will review plans to create a $4 billion Libya-based African investment bank. South Africa, Nigeria, Libya, Algeria ...

In From The Cold   Global businesses and investors are taking more interest in sub-Saharan Africa, home to some of the world’s most neglected emerging markets.   By Antonio Guerrero   Sub-Saharan Africa has long been considered to be on ...

Auto Sales Revival Puts New Shine On Platinum   By GP   South Africa-based Anglo Platinum, the world’s largest primary producer of platinum, retrenched in 2009 after demand for the metal used in catalytic converters suffered from decreasing consumption by ...

Roundup   By Antonio Guerrero   Game on: South Africa prepares for the 2010 World Cup This year’s FIFA Soccer World Cup in South Africa will inject nearly $7.5 billion into the nation’s economy, according to a study by the ...

Roundup   By Antonio Guerrero   Panning for gold: African mines spark investor interest Rising gold prices have sparked renewed interest by foreign investors in African mines. Banro, a Canadian gold miner, expects to close a debt financing deal for ...

Roundup   —Antonio Guerrero   China is extending its access to Africa’s raw materials with a new deal in which it will provide some $7.2 billion in financing to the de-facto government in Guinea, the world’s largest bauxite producer and ...

Global Finance ranks the Biggest Emerging Market Banks by Region. NEW YORK, October 16, 2009 — As the world’s key emerging markets continue to drive the global economy out of recession, Global Finance unveils its second annual Global Finance 200, ...

Roundup   By Antonio Guerrero   Trade between Africa and China is slowing Africa has emerged as one of the key casualties of the global economic slowdown, after newly released figures show its exports to China plummeted this year. Trade ...

Istanbul, October 6th, 2009 - Global Finance magazine hosted its thirteenth annual Best Bank Awards ceremony on October 6th, 2009, in Istanbul (Turkey), at the same time as the Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank. More than 200 ...

  Roundup   By Antonio Guerrero   Ghana looks to diversify exports beyond cocoa After years of seeing foreign investors flee amid a plummeting economy and political upheaval, Zimbabwe may be about to reverse the outflow with its impending privatization ...

With bank stability still high on corporate and investor agendas, Global Finance magazine publishes in the October 2009 issue its annual list of the world’s safest banks.   Global Finance has published its world’s safest banks listing for 18 years. ...

THE WORLD'S BIGGEST BANKS 2008 Rank Name Country Fiscal Year Total Assets ($b) 1 Royal Bank of Scotland Group United Kingdom 12/2007 3,807 2 Deutsche Bank Germany 12/2007 2,974 3 BNP Paribas France 12/2007 2,494 4 Barclays United Kingdom 12/2007 ...