LUSAKA, July 28 – Zambian President Rupiah Banda dissolved parliament on Thursday and set Sept. 20 as the date for elections that are likely to hand him and his Movement for Multi-party Democracy another five years in power in Africa’s biggest copper producer.
Category: business
Kenya leaves rates on hold, shilling falls
NAIROBI, July 27 – Kenya’s central bank surprised markets by leaving its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 6.25 percent on Wednesday, confounding analysts and putting the shilling under pressure.
Nigeria raises benchmark interest rate to 8.75 pct
ABUJA, July 26 – Nigeria’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate by a bigger-than-expected 75 basis points to 8.75 percent on Tuesday, the fourth increase this year in a continued fight against inflation.
S.African gold strike starts as petrol protest ends
EMALAHLENI, South Africa, July 28 – Some 100,000 South African gold miners went on strike on Thursday, but fuel workers ended a stoppage that had slowed commerce and caused panic buying.
Mutharika propelling Malawi to uncertain future
LILONGWE, July 22 – If the billboards adorning its capital are anything to go by, Malawi is on the up and up, with President and self-proclaimed Economist-in-Chief Bingu wa Mutharika “propelling Malawi into the future”. The petrol queues snaking hundreds of yards through its dusty boulevards give a very different – and far more realistic […]
Forex: Nigeria naira to extend gains vs dollar
Nigeria naira to extend gains vs dollar NAIROBI, July 21 – Nigeria’s naira is seen extending gains against the dollar in the coming week mainly due to dollar inflows from the energy sector, while greater offshore interest in Kenya’s bond market might support the shilling.
Escalated euro crisis to hit S.Africa-Gordhan
JOHANNESBURG, July 21 – South Africa would not be able to escape an escalated European crisis unscathed, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Thursday, adding its direct economic exposure to the countries affected was reasonably low.Â
Nigerian inflation falls in June after rate hikes
ABUJA, July 18 – Nigeria’s headline inflation fell to 10.2 percent year-on-year in June from 12.4 percent in May, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday, as Central Bank monetary tightening helped to curb a rise in prices.Â
SouthAfrica fuel workers reject new offer
JOHANNESBURG, July 21 – South Africa’s main fuel sector union and employees at state power utility Eskom said on Thursday they had rejected employers’ latest wage offers, raising tensions in strikes threatening Africa’s largest economy.Â
S.Africa's June CPI quickens to 5.0 pct y/y
JOHANNESBURG, July 20 – South Africa’s targeted consumer inflation quickened to its highest level in 15 months in June, data showed on Wednesday, but this was in line with market expectations and not likely to persuade the Reserve Bank against leaving interest rates unchanged.Â