Regional vulnerabilities rising, but differentiation is needed

Clouds have gathered over the outlook for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the past few months due to growing concerns over widening twin budget and current account deficits and the effects of a slowdown in China. But while vulnerabilities are mounting at an aggregate level, there are key distinctions to be made between countries. In this Watch, we argue that it is the region’s industrial metal producers, or countries that have experienced a sharp rise in government current expenditure, that now look set for a period of softer growth.