Weekly African Footprint: August 01, 2014

Below is a headline summary of our Weekly African Footprint. Please click here for more detailed reports. It includes the following:

Quick summary table displaying the performance of all the African Stock Exchanges and African currencies on a WTD and YTD basis. Summaries of the keys markets and relevant economic and corporate news.

Do not hesitate to contact us should you require further information.

Ghana

• GEPC, MMDAs to identify products for export
• Ghana obtains $1m grant from France to strengthen accountability
• BoG lifts ban on importation of dollars, other major currencies
• BoG intensifies regulation of microfinance institutions
• Ghana and World Bank sign $156 million agreement
• Ghana 400 mln cedis 3-yr auction oversubscribed, yield at 25.4 pct

Kenya

• Nakumatt takes over first Shoprite store
• Kenya's Safaricom gets committee nod for government security contract
• Safaricom tightens grip on market as talk time increases
• Bamburi replaces brewer as top NSSF investment stock
• Kenya's Equity Bank says H1 2014 pretax profit up 21 pct
• Nakumatt eyes first Kenyan supermarket entry into Juba and Burundi
• Kenya's KCB first-half pretax profit rises 16 pct
• Kenyan hotel chain says H1 profits down on security woes
• Centum raises its stake in K-Rep Bank to 67pc
• Kenya's KCB may issue bond to raise funds for mortgages after strong H1
• Kenyan shilling inches down on dollar demand
• Kenya seeks 60 bln shilling loan to raise power connections
• Treasury pledge to take up Uchumi shares unlocks issue
• Top price of Kenya's highest grade tea rises at auction
• Kenyan banks buoy shares, shilling steady
• Kenya inflation rises to 7.67 pct in year to July

Nigeria

• Cardbury Nigeria H1 profit down 20%
• FCTA Attracts N1.8tn Private Investment
• UBA Capital Posts N1.5bn Profit Before Tax in Six Months
• PZ Cussons posts 7.4 percent increase full-year profit
• Skye Bank Chief Canvasses Listing of Telcos, Oil Firms on the NSE
• Transcorp’s Results Raise Investors’ Hopes
• Fidelity Bank Grows Loans to N438bn, Records N9.7bn Profit
• GTBank Partners Forte Oil on Agent Banking
• Nigeria Pepsi bottler 7Up 3-mth pretax profit up by 50 pct
• Nigeria's Fidelity Bank H1 pretax profit drops 15.7 pct
• Total Nigeria H1 pretax profit drops 12 pct to 3.42 bln naira
• Oando Lead Gainers on Acquisition of ConocoPhillips
• Lafarge Africa H1 pre-tax profit up 29 pct to 17.75 bln naira
• Nigeria's Diamond Bank H1 pre-tax profit falls 8.4 percent
• Nigerian conglomerate UACN H1 pre-tax profit broadly flat at 5.06 bln naira
• Oando Ups Oil Production to 50kbpd with Acquisition of ConocoPhillips
• CBN to Auction N135bn Treasury Bills
• Nigerian Real Estate Market Valued at 6.4 trillion
• NSE to Introduce Nigerian Depository Receipts
• Banks May Reduce Dividend Payout
• Capital market operators back compulsory listing of top firms

Zambia

• Zinc and Zambia weigh on Vedanta's quarterly earnings
• ‘Tanganyika corridor to benefit Zambia’
• Zambia's inflation at 8.0 percent year-on-year in July

Zimbabwe

• PPC secures $18m for new plant
• BAT Zimbabwe declares dividend
• Bindura smelter can handle platinum
• Schneider Electric partners local firm
• Mwana Africa to continue operating in Zimbabwe
• Zimpost GPS rollout project almost complete
• Delta agrees to consolidate businesses
• Implats Zimbabwe unit says to spend $690 mln to upgrade metals refinery
• Old Mutual market position rises
• Zimplats profits up 164 percent to $50m
• Stock exchange to set up SMEs fund
• Chinamasa, Chidhakwa in Russia to court investors
• Government to settle tobacco retention debt
• Government to issue $30m Treasury Bills