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Credit ratings agency SP Global Ratings has downgraded Senegal’s local currency sovereign rating to CCC+/C, signaling increased refinancing risks as the country struggles with a debt overhang of $13 billion and stalled IMF negotiations.
Nigeria saw a remarkable resurgence in investor confidence in 2025, with net capital inflows soaring nearly 90% to $23.22 billion, driven largely by foreign portfolio investments. While high-yielding local bonds attracted significant interest..
Uganda’s economy experienced its fastest growth in over three years, with real GDP rising 8.5% year-on-year in Q4 2025, driven by strong consumer demand and a construction boom.
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has drastically impacted global fertiliser trade, cutting off one-third of supplies and causing urea prices to surge over 30%. This disruption threatens food security, especially in sub-Saharan Africa…
New data shows petrol prices in Nigeria have jumped 39.5% since February 23, placing the country among the hardest hit globally by the latest geopolitical crisis.
The IMF report comes after Africa’s industrialised nation recorded its fifth consecutive quarter of expansion, with gross domestic product rising 0.4% in Q4 2025 pushing annual growth to 1.1% — the highest since 2022.
South Africa’s National Treasury warns of limited capacity to shield the economy from a looming fuel price crisis due to escalating Brent crude oil prices. With the potential for record fuel price hikes and rising inflation, local businesses may pass costs to consumers.
Analysts say the inflation figures largely predate the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, which has triggered a sharp surge in global oil prices and dashed hopes of a rate cut as policymakers meet next week.
Burundi is gaining investor interest with its agreements to explore the Musongati nickel project, a significant resource in East Africa. While the deal with Lifezone Metals and KoBold Metals promises potential economic benefits amid rising global nickel demand.
The payments, which include both installments on borrowed sums and interest charges, reflects 24.5% of the government’s total revenue of $11.81 billion (KSh1.53 trillion) over the same period.
Nigeria’s inflation slowed to 15.06% in February, marking an eleventh straight month of easing price pressures, though food inflation rose to 12.12% amid seasonal demand.
African equities entered 2025 with caution. Inflation was still biting in several economies, currencies were volatile, and foreign investors remained selective about frontier exposure.
Ethiopia’s manufacturing sector is losing employment share despite strong economic growth, highlighting structural bottlenecks that could complicate the country’s industrialisation strategy, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Regional liquidity strains have left the country reliant on debt rollovers rather than fresh borrowing, prompting officials to highlight the need for stronger budget rigidity and sustainable public finances.
The disruption of shipping and energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly 20% of global seaborne oil trade, has pushed crude prices 40–50% higher in recent weeks, raising concerns about renewed inflationary pressure across global markets.
Despite the broader easing, food inflation remains elevated. Prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 10.8% year-on-year, slightly higher than the 10.4% recorded in January.
Inflation continued to cool across several of Africa’s largest and most closely watched economies in February, extending a downward trend that gathered pace through much of 2025 and the opening weeks of this year.
Tanzanian authorities are pushing domestic value addition, including plans for a state-backed refinery and requirements for large miners to process and trade portions locally.
The announcement comes as Zimbabwe, once barred from borrowing from the World Bank, African Development Bank and Paris Club creditors after defaulting in the late 1990s, inches toward rejoining the global financial mainstream.
Kenya’s private sector stayed in expansion mode in February, with the Stanbic Bank PMI at 50.4 above the 50 neutral line despite a slight slowdown. Services, construction and retail led gains, while inflation cooled to 4.3%.
