Ethiopia’s private equity market is relatively small by African standards, but has strong macro drivers that signal significant potential for future growth, writes Dorothy Kelso of AVCA
Jacques Verreynne of NKC African Economic says that the country has for many years been on an unsustainable path
The East African region continues to attract private equity (PE) investors and while Kenya remains the primary target for PE capital, Tanzania is also seeing as increasingly popular investment destination, writes Anna Lyudvig
As the African continent continues to attract global interest, Mauritius is rising to become the natural gateway for investing in Africa, writes Shaffick Hamuth, Economist and former Senior Investment Advisor of the Board of Investment, Mauritius.
The Zimbabwean economy and its people have often been referred to as resilient, steadfast and even innovative. In local parlance, this innovation is often referred to as “making a plan” - an idiom which encapsulates a continual socio-economic process of adaptation to survive or even grow under tough economic conditions.
Egypt has witnessed speedy economic recovery since 2013. Last year, its financial market was declared as the fastest growing in the world. As the country continues to attract foreign capital, Anna Lyudvig explores opportunities in the Egyptian stock market, outlining how to find good bets and address risks
The news out of the Maghreb region has not been particularly encouraging recently: Tunisia’s economy seemingly suffered a major body blow with the terrorist attack on tourists on June 26, while the decline in oil prices over the past year has had a major impact on Algeria’s public finances. Meanwhile, events in Morocco have been relatively low-key, but the economy appears to be entering a phase of faster economic growth.
Nigeria has lost a lot of credibility with the unceremonious removal of ousted central-bank governor Lamido Sanusi, and Nigeria has continued to lose further credibility with a host of poor decisions made by the bank since he left, argues Akin Sawyerr, Founder & CSO of Market Atlas.
Despite high demand for cement in Kenya, profit margins in the sector remain under pressure, as competition ramps up.
Kyle Smith, analyst at African Alliance Asset Management, explores the investment opportunity of South African listed companies as they become an increasingly viable proxy for African economic exposure.
In the months leading up to January 2015, the price of oil fell by 60% driven down largely by booming shale oil production, the drop in energy demands from emerging markets and the strengthening of the US dollar. By late-January of 2015, Brent Crude traded at around $50, hitting its lowest-levels since the global financial crisis in 2009. Prices however recovered to around $60-65 by the end of the first quarter of 2015 – but this still represents a major adjustment from the $90-110 average price levels we’ve seen over the last five years.
Alkan Shenyuz, CEO of Veventis, analyses the Egyptian market, the aftermath of the Arab Spring and whether it is safe to return for investors.
Mozambique liquefied natural gas (LNG) stands to transform the country and entrench it as a leading player in the global LNG industry. Developing these reserves and scaling up the currently planned LNG facility to its potentially multi-train capacity, will establish Mozambique as one of the largest exporters of LNG, a commodity of increasing global prominence.
A new $918m deal with the IMF should alleviate some of Ghana’s fiscal pressures and help restore investor confidence ahead of a critical bond issue, but further reforms will be needed to balance the budget.
