SA in last chance saloon - Moody's; debt soars; world funds Congo revival; Zim protests; US equities soar

Loading player...
South Africa is fighting to preserve its last remaining investment-grade credit rating and avert a forced selloff of billions of rand of its debt after Moody’s Investors Services gave it just over three months to get its finances in order, says Bloomberg.

When Nelson Mandela came to power in 1994, he faced the challenge of uniting a nation divided by apartheid and healing an economy shattered by sanctions and mismanagement. A quarter of a century later, his one-time protege Cyril Ramaphosa faces perhaps even bigger obstacles, including a dismally low economic growth rate of 2%, says Bloomberg.

“Zuma and his allies erased about 20 years of progress,” Claude Baissac, the head of Eunomix Business and Economics, which advises on political risk, is reported as saying.

The World Bank could provide as much as $5bn to Democratic Republic of Congo over the next five years if its new government commits to raising more revenue, fighting corruption and opening up its economy.

Zimbabwe police have given public sector workers permission to march for better pay on Wednesday in what is widely seen as a test of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s willingness to tolerate dissent, reports Reuters.

US stocks climbed to records while Treasuries tumbled as trade optimism fuelled demand for risk assets, says Reuters. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 140 points at the open on Monday to claim its first all-time high since July. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 Nov 2019 12PM English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

BN Daybreak: Apple earnings; Amazon AWS; RMB housing; Anglo’s SA exit; Tesla China sale

Today's BizNews Daybreak covers Apple's quarterly results, Rivian's SUV success, and Anthropic's AI breach, alongside a semiconductor rally driven by Microsoft and Oracle. Football federations oppose FIFA selling World Cup stakes, while Donald Trump claims a Gaza disarmament agreement. Meanwhile, Alec Hogg discusses Anglo American’s South Africa exit, RMB launches…
30 Jul 11PM 14 min

Cityboy: How psychopaths win big in business, politics - but lose in life

A former top-ranked City of London stockbroker has written a manual for winning at business, politics and life. There's just one catch: to follow it, you'd have to think like a psychopath. Geraint Anderson, the man behind the legendary "Cityboy" column, tells BizNews editor Alec Hogg why he built his…
30 Jul 9AM 32 min

R1-billion blended finance programme to transform real estate

In this interview with Chris Steyn, Alessandro Scalco of RMB Sustainable Finance shares the details of a R1 billion Blended Finance Programme to formalise and scale South Africa’s burgeoning affordable rental market. Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) has partnered with INDLU, a property financial technology company that empowers landowners to build,…
30 Jul 6AM 15 min

BN Daybreak: Ramaphosa interdict bid; Fed holds rates; Fauci's Fifth Amendment; Zambian kwacha

In today's episode, the Fed leaves interest rates unchanged amid a fractured vote and market sell-offs. Locally, four parties are challenging President Ramaphosa's impeachment interdict, while Treasury controversially releases funds to 69 failing municipalities. We also cover Dr. Fauci invoking the Fifth Amendment regarding the Covid-19 response, Zambia's kwacha surging…
29 Jul 11PM 16 min