Fewer SA curbs, more SDRs, who knows what in Nigeria

Improving virus numbers allowed South Africa to ease containment measures this week, which is likely to inject much-needed momentum into the recovery. A mooted increase in the IMF’s SDR allocations could result in a big improvement in many African countries FX reserves. But it wouldn’t solve the problem of unsustainable external debts in some places, such as Zambia and Ethiopia. Finally, Nigeria’s central bank has done more to confuse than clarify this week over its exchange rate policy and sterilisation bill sales.