African Alpha News:
A Door to Africa: Standard Bank Reaps the Benefit of Bold Thinking
To understand where Standard Bank is today, says its boss, Jacko Maree, you have to go back to South Africa in early 1987, when Standard Chartered, its original parent, sold out completely. Most South African firms were not welcome in the rest of Africa, he says, and “it wasn’t entirely obvious” that Standard Bank’s priority should be there or indeed in emerging markets at all...Read more
World Cup 2010, Who Profits Most?: The Money Flows, But Not Only into South African Pockets
The football World Cup may give South Africa’s economy an astonishing extra 0.5% of growth, according to a recent report by Grant Thornton, a firm of accountants. That is quite a chunk of the country’s forecast 3% rate for the year. Some 373,000 foreigners are now expected during the tournament, which kicks off on June 11th. On average they will stay for 18 days, go to five matches and spend 30,200 rand (nearly $4,000) each...Read more
Biggest Sub-Saharan IPO? Life Healthcare Said to be Planning
Life Healthcare Group Holdings Ltd., the South African hospital owner, will seek about $900 million in an initial public offering that would be sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest ever IPO, two people familiar with the situation said...Read more
Africa to Enjoy Strong Rebound: IMF
Sub-Saharan African will enjoy a strong recovery this year and next after the region fared much better than most developed countries during the global economic crisis, the IMF said on Wednesday... Read more
Nigeria Holds Key to Bharti´s $10.7 Billion African Gamble
The majority of Nigerians don´t own a mobile. Yet it is in that country that the fate of Indian mobile giant Bharti Airtel´s $10.7 billion African adventure will play out... Read more
