Tag: Africa
Nigeria, Libya, DRC…Top elections to watch in Africa in 2023
Africa is a big continent with 54 countries. Thus it should come as no surprise that there are many elections to watch in 2023 with many elections expected to be very competitive…
The Top Five Most Important African Elections to Watch in 2021
There are many elections in Africa in 2021, but they won’t all be competitive. Some of the countries on the calendar, like Benin, Chad, and the Republic of the Congo, have very strongly entrenched incumbents. The 2021 election calendar in Africa, in comparison to 2020, however, will have many international observers from afar and maybe on the ground, as in Libya…
USA – Africa: President Biden’s top three challenges
Africa, in the eyes of some political analysts, has been an after-thought for Washington these last four years. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing; it speaks to the political and economic stability that dominates most of the 54 countries on the continent. That said, Biden will encounter a few major issues that may not test bipartisanship but will surely require more than an after-thought approach…
Nigeria: NNPC’s privatisation should mimic Saudi’s Aramco
Can Nigeria’s President employ the strategy of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince in privatising a state oil corporation?
Ethiopia delays elections: Is COVID a valid excuse?
American President Donald Trump explicitly floated the idea of delaying November’s presidential election by way of a tweet on 30 of July…
Coronavirus: Chance to improve exposed weaknesses of Africa’s banking system
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: Debt repayments greater than health or education spending
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…
Going Against The Grain: Early Bets On A Few African Countries
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…
Coronavirus in Africa: an opportunity for innovative investment
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…
Coronavirus: Will a price war force change in Angola?
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…