Category: Africa

COVID-19 has disrupted the global economy with the uprooting of supply chains. The decades-long, single-minded focus on optimising supply chains helped the world minimize costs, reduce inventory, and boost asset utilisation…

Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to ease restrictions when it lifted lockdown measures on 20 April. The country’s Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta argued the 21-day lockdown of Ghana’s biggest cities had become financially unbearable for most of the population, a concern that gave the government little choice but to lift the restriction…

An investor called me and asked, “One question for you, where would you take a risk in Africa today?” The COVID-19 crisis has the globe in a massive selloff, creating significant dislocation in the capital markets. But what does this mean for Africa’s private markets…

The last couple months can only be characterized as unprecedented, as many countries and markets went from indifference of the pandemic to visible panic. In many emerging markets, the flight of capital coupled with slowed investments has further complicated fragile situations. Yet these unexpected and difficult times still present opportunity for investment…

The impact and longevity of COVID-19 and low commodity prices are putting acute pressure on African economies and pushing some sovereigns close to default. Besides Zambia, which has already begun the process to potentially hire an advisor for a sovereign restructuring, Angola is becoming the country with the highest risk for a potential debt restructuring…

African countries have been among the last to be hit by the global coronavirus pandemic. Yet, as the cases rise and governments rightfully take the necessary measures to slow the spread of the virus, the continent is likely to face widespread economic fallout as business slows to a near halt…

Here are four African countries that could benefit from a “Year Of Return”-type campaign…

Many observers go as far criticising many Arab states for building asymmetrical relationships, where African states are acting on behalf of Arab states simply for large sums of cash. There is some truth in that thinking. But the reality is that policy-makers in African countries have to make their own policy decisions and govern their own borders…

Top prediction for Africa in 2020: Younger Africans will be more vocal. They’ve seen how protests led to the removal of leaders such as Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe…