Africa Economics Weekly AGOA extended, Kenya and Uganda hold rates The African Growth and Opportunity Act took another step towards being extended this week, providing further evidence that Africa is emerging from the latest US trade actions relatively unscathed... 14th August 2026 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Update South Africa’s inflation outlook still benign South Africa’s inflation figures for July, due next Wednesday, are likely to show a temporary drop (probably to 4.3%) and the headline rate is likely to rise back to around 5% by early 2027. But we... 13th August 2026 · 3 mins read
Africa Economics Update Can Africa move up the commodity value chain? Governments in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly turning to interventionist measures to boost refining of commodities. But many of the conditions to make this a success, including transport... 11th August 2026 · 4 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Ghana and South Africa’s fiscal discipline paying off Ghana's reforms under its IMF program, which finished this week, have given the government space to loosen policy to support growth. Fiscal discipline is also paying off in South Africa, where the... 31st July 2026 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Update Africa: lower US tariffs, but China will be the key partner Sub-Saharan Africa has come out of the latest round of US tariffs in a better position relative both to last year and to many other EMs. That will provide opportunities for some countries. But even so... 30th July 2026 · 4 mins read
Africa Chart Pack Africa Chart Pack (Jul. 26) Economic growth in the region has been resilient in the face of the energy shock, and we think growth will accelerate from here. Although inflation rose last month, most central banks will be able to... 29th July 2026 · 0 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Hawkish holds in Ghana & Nigeria, dovish hold in South Africa The decisions by central banks in Nigeria and Ghana to hold interest rates (rather than cut) suggests that policymakers in both countries are focusing on burnishing their inflation-fighting... 24th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Update SARB signals high bar for additional rate hikes The South African Reserve Bank’s (SARB’s) surprise decision to keep its policy rate on hold (rather than hike) today suggests that the MPC isn’t as hawkish as we had thought, and our base case now is... 23rd July 2026 · 3 mins read
Africa Rapid Response South Africa Consumer Prices (Jun. 26) The larger-than-expected rise in South African inflation, to 5.0% y/y in June, alongside the recent rise in oil prices, increases the risk that the Reserve Bank (SARB) will follow up the 25bp hike... 22nd July 2026 · 2 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly South Africa and Nigeria rate meetings, Angola’s large cut South Africa’s central bank is likely to hike rates again next week, but with inflation stabilising and underlying pressures relatively soft, we think this will be the last in the cycle. Nigeria... 17th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Update Strong El Niño unlikely to unnerve the SARB A strong El Niño has brought food price risks in South Africa into focus, but we think it unlikely that this could extend the Reserve Bank’s tightening cycle beyond the one 25bp hike this year in our... 14th July 2026 · 4 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly SA Treasury cuts off municipalities, Nigeria’s oil output South Africa’s municipal funding freezes this week signal the Treasury’s commitment to fiscal discipline, but risks hurting the ANC’s electoral appeal ahead of November's critical local elections. In... 10th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Focus South Africa’s medium-term prospects brightening The fallout from the energy shock will delay but not derail a cyclical recovery in South Africa. Growth is likely to accelerate more than most expect in 2027-28 and this will be accompanied by a much... 7th July 2026 · 14 mins read
Africa Chart Pack Africa Chart Pack (Jun. 26) The US-Iran deal has triggered a slump in energy prices providing relief to Africa’s energy importers, particularly those in East Africa. Energy exporters such as Angola and Nigeria will see their... 30th June 2026 · 0 mins read
Africa Economic Outlook Growth to strengthen even as fiscal strains linger Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is likely to accelerate over the coming years and most of our growth forecasts lie above the consensus. At the same time, the backdrop of low inflation (by the region’s... 29th June 2026 · 19 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly South Africa’s PPI surprise, Ebola response South Africa’s PPI surprised to the upside this week, but with crude oil back to pre-war prices and domestic harvests strong, we think the SARB rate hiking cycle is nearly done. Elsewhere, the Ebola... 26th June 2026 · 5 mins read
