Weekly African Footprint: August 18, 2017

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.

Botswana

•  Gem Diamonds HY revenue falls, gets offer for Botswana mine
•  Botswana's unemployment rate drops to 17.6 pct in 2016

Egypt

•  Egypt's Beltone Financial to launch $1 bln fixed income fund: CEO
•  Egypt streamlines industrial licensing to boost investment
•  Egypt to hold tender for oil exploration in Eastern Desert
•  Egypt to reduce imports of LNG to 80 cargoes in 2017/18 year
•  Average yields fall on Egypt's five- and 10-year T-bonds
•  Egypt's unemployment rate below 12 percent for first time since 2011
•  Egypt's first bitcoin exchange to begin trading this month
•  Egypt's central bank keeps key interest rates unchanged

Ghana

•  Ghana Commercial Bank Takes Over Capital-Strapped Lenders
•  Ghana's gold, diamond output to drop as govt curbs small-scale mining
•  BoG to announce new capital requirements in September
•  Ghana shuts two banks to protect financial stability

Kenya

•  Stanbic earnings hit by Sh1.8bn bad debt write-off
•  Barclays Bank of Kenya's H1 pretax profit down 12 pct
•  South Africa-based Old Mutual eyes Kenya expansion
•  Co-op Bank profit drops 10pc as interest rate cap cuts income
•  Economic Storm Clouds Hang Over Kenyan Leader's Second Term
•  CMA reviewing tax to attract venture capital companies
•  Low uptake for T-bills ahead of last week’s polls
•  Pesa Link moves Sh8bn in the first five months
•  Kenya Pulls Back From Brink as Electoral Dispute Heads for Court
•  Interbank lending rate at 2-year high in tight money market
•  Coffee prices edge up as sale resumes
•  Marine insurance premiums up 64pc in first half of year
•  Nairobi food prices in sharp fall as road transport normalises after polls
•  Kenyan shilling seen firming as the opposition heads to court

Malawi

•  Malawi's inflation slows to 10.2 percent in July

Mauritius

•  Mauritius needs to tighten monetary policy as inflationary pressures build: IMF

Nigeria

•  Skye Bank expands digital financial offerings with SkyeXperience
•  Zenith Bank makes provision on 30 pct of its 9mobile loan: executive
•  Shareholders laud Conoil’s strategy, approve N2.1bn dividend
•  MTN wants electronic listing, reopens talks with SEC
•  Wema Bank Expands Operations
•  NAHCO Records N203m Profit in Six Months, Market Rebounds
•  Pension Fund Hits N6.5trn
•  Lagos Closes N85bn Bond Issuance Programme
•  Nigerian stocks down to almost two-week low
•  Nigeria to raise 135 bln naira in bonds on Aug. 23
•  Nigeria Seeks to Diversify From Oil With $41 Billion of Rail
•  CBN to license stockbrokers to access liquidity window
•  Naira to weaken further as dollar demand increases
•  Increased offshore trade boosted Nigerian shares in June

Tanzania

•  Vodacom Tanzania's shares rise 6 pct on first day of trading
•  Mortgage sector gets first financing firm
•  Kenya election affects Dar bourse performance
•  Zanzibar raises retiree pensions by 120 per cent

Zambia

•  Zambia's copper mine suspends operations after restricted power supply
•  Zambia's CEC confirms reduced power supply to Glencore's copper miner
•  Africa's Biggest Copper Mine Hit by Zambian Power Restrictions
•  EMR Capital to take 80 pct stake in Zambia copper mine

Zimbabwe

•  HCCL to resume underground mining operations
•  ZB engages Visa, card ready in Q3
•  Caledonia confident Blanket Mine will meet target
•  Agribank reports $2,18mln profit in H1
•  Econet launches credit scheme for civil servants
•  NetOne dials BancEasy, FML
•  Gains in heavyweight counters help extend ZSE run
•  Zimbabwe's inflation slows to 0.14 percent y/y in July
•  Milk production stabilises after rain disruptions
•  Farmers paid $551mln but tobacco sales down
•  ZSE reaches market capitalisation peak