<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="427" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/7KVHJR6UA5PHZGXNL4DBLFNXXE.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-554607"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People buy and sell vegetables at Mile 12 International Market in Lagos, Nigeria May 13, 2022. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File photo</figcaption></figure>



ABUJA, Nov 15 (Reuters) &#8211; Nigeria&#8217;s inflation rate rose for the second straight month in October, advancing to 33.88% in annual terms NGCPIY=ECI from 32.70% in September mainly due to higher food prices, official data showed on Friday.



Inflation quickened sharply in the second half of last year after President Bola Tinubu devalued the country&#8217;s naira currency&nbsp;NGN=D1&nbsp;and cut subsidies to try to lift economic growth and shore up public finances.



It started to ease in July this year as the impact of the naira devaluation began to fade, but a series of petrol price increases and severe flooding that has wiped out crops again spurred price pressures, exacerbating the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades in Africa&#8217;s most populous nation.



A report by the National Bureau of Statistics said food inflation reached 39.16% year-on-year in October from 37.77% the previous month&nbsp;NGFINF=ECI, caused by price rises for staples such as rice, maize, bread, potatoes and cooking oil.



Torrential rain and floods in 29 of Nigeria&#8217;s 36 states this year have destroyed more than 1.5 million hectares of cropland, making millions go hungry and causing mass displacement.



The central bank has hiked interest rates five times this year to try to get inflation under control. It is due to announce its final rate decision&nbsp;NGCBIR=ECI&nbsp;of the year on Nov. 26.



(Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha; Additional reporting by Mohd Edrees in Bengaluru; Editing by Alexander Winning)

7KVHJR6UA5PHZGXNL4DBLFNXXE

Nigeria inflation rises for second month, spurred by food

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="501" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Mpox-test.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-554540" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Mpox-test.jpg 750w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Mpox-test-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Mpox-test-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A test tube labelled &#8220;Mpox virus positive&#8221; is held in this illustration taken August 20, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) &#8211; Global health advocates have written to the makers of a key mpox diagnostic test to call for its price to be cut from around $20 per test to $5, to help tackle low testing rates in poorer countries badly hit by the virus.



Medical diagnostics firm Cepheid&#8217;s GeneXpert mpox test is one of three approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, but the price is prohibitive for countries like the hardest-hit Democratic Republic of Congo, activists said.



Mpox was declared a global public health emergency by the WHO this summer, when an outbreak in Congo began to spread to neighbouring countries. The virus typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and can kill.



This week, WHO said cases in Africa showed a &#8220;general rising trend&#8221; although they may be levelling off in parts of Congo. But a lack of tests is hindering the capacity to confirm cases, particularly in Congo, one of the world&#8217;s poorest countries.



&#8220;We urge you to lower the price of the mpox test cartridges to $5 and prioritize supply for African countries fighting mpox outbreaks,&#8221; read the letter sent by groups including rights NGO Public Citizen and medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres.



Cepheid&#8217;s test is particularly important because machines that process the results are available across Africa, as they are also used for tuberculosis testing.



Danaher DHR.N, the parent company of Cepheid, reduced its TB test prices to $7.97 last year after pressure from activists.



Asked for comment on the letter, a Cepheid spokesperson wrote: &#8220;We have worked quickly to ramp up production of our mpox test, including in response to an urgent request from the WHO.&#8221;



The company was prioritising orders from areas where the test was most needed and had an access programme providing a &#8220;significant&#8221; discount for orders made through the WHO and similar organizations, the statement said. It did not reveal what that discount was or make any other comment on price.



The $5 price tag proposed by advocates is based on research showing that the tests can be produced for less than that.



Public Citizen&#8217;s access to medicines director Peter Maybarduk said the recent WHO approval was an opportunity to ramp up testing. &#8220;Lower prices would help health agencies meet the moment,&#8221; he said.



(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; Editing by Ros Russell and Philippa Fletcher)

Mpox test

Health advocates press Cepheid for cheaper mpox tests

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="548" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/XITIO74YJBM5XNTYYV6EQSSGSY-2-820x548.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-554521" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/XITIO74YJBM5XNTYYV6EQSSGSY-2-820x548.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/XITIO74YJBM5XNTYYV6EQSSGSY-2-300x201.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/XITIO74YJBM5XNTYYV6EQSSGSY-2-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/XITIO74YJBM5XNTYYV6EQSSGSY-2-768x514.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/XITIO74YJBM5XNTYYV6EQSSGSY-2-1536x1027.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/XITIO74YJBM5XNTYYV6EQSSGSY-2-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">South African bank notes featuring an image of former South African President Nelson Mandela are displayed at an office in Johannesburg, file. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Nov 15 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The rand eased early on Friday, extending a week of losses following Donald Trump&#8217;s U.S. election win, and ahead of S&amp;P Global&#8217;s scheduled review of South Africa&#8217;s sovereign credit rating.



At 0705 GMT, the rand traded at 18.28 against the U.S. dollar&nbsp;ZAR=D3, about 0.2% weaker than its previous close.



The rand has endured five sessions of losses as the dollar rallied after Trump&#8217;s victory, while markets fretted over potential policies by the president-elect, which could include tariffs and tax cuts.



Investors will on Friday look to S&amp;P Global&#8217;s scheduled review of South Africa&#8217;s sovereign credit rating.



Analysts expect Africa&#8217;s most industrialised economy to remain three notches into sub-investment grade at &#8216;BB-&#8216;, with a stable outlook.



On the Johannesburg stock market, the blue-chip Top-40 index&nbsp;.JTOPI&nbsp;was flat.



South Africa&#8217;s benchmark 2030 government bond&nbsp;ZAR2030=&nbsp;was little changed in early deals, with the yield at 9.155%.



(Reporting by Tannur Anders; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

New South African bank notes featuring an image of former South African President Nelson Mandela are displayed at an office in Johannesburg

South African rand extends losses; S&P rating review due

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="429" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/https___cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com_reuters_UBA56WNMY5LWDEZ67BOH74TT2U-820x429.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-554238" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/https___cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com_reuters_UBA56WNMY5LWDEZ67BOH74TT2U-820x429.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/https___cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com_reuters_UBA56WNMY5LWDEZ67BOH74TT2U-300x157.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/https___cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com_reuters_UBA56WNMY5LWDEZ67BOH74TT2U-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/https___cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com_reuters_UBA56WNMY5LWDEZ67BOH74TT2U-768x402.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/https___cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com_reuters_UBA56WNMY5LWDEZ67BOH74TT2U-1536x804.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/https___cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com_reuters_UBA56WNMY5LWDEZ67BOH74TT2U.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The head of Nigeria&#8217;s state oil company NNPC, Mele Kyari, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Abuja, Nigeria August 7, 2019. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



ABUJA, Nov 14 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Nigeria&#8217;s state oil firm NNPC said on Thursday it had increased oil production to 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd), with the possibility of getting to two million bpd by year-end.



Oil production at Africa&#8217;s top crude exporter was estimated at 1.3 million bpd in October, according to producer group OPEC&#8217;s latest report. Nigeria often counts condensate production of around 250,000 bpd as part of its production.



The NNPC said the increase was a result of collaborative efforts with its joint venture operators and its partners on production-sharing contracts, alongside security agencies and the government.



&#8220;The team has done a great job in driving this project of not just production recovery but also escalating production to expected levels that are in the short and long terms acceptable to our shareholders,&#8221; NNPC CEO Mele Kyari told a press briefing.



Nigeria has been battling crude theft in its Niger Delta production region, sabotage, and local unrest, which has hampered output growth.



In June, NNPC set up a &#8216;war room&#8217; to coordinate efforts of oil partners, the government and private security personnel to stem crude theft. Since then, several vessels used in stealing crude have been destroyed and some illegal refiners arrested.



Kyari said the interventions across every segment of the production chain, supported by rigorous pipeline monitoring from security agencies, had been critical to the recovery.



(Reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja and Isaac Anyaogu in Lagos. Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha. Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Mark Potter)

https___cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com_reuters_UBA56WNMY5LWDEZ67BOH74TT2U

Nigeria lifts oil production to 1.8 mln barrels per day

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="567" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TAKTGYGGUFIUFGNJON3QOOIO24-820x567.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-502655" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TAKTGYGGUFIUFGNJON3QOOIO24-820x567.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TAKTGYGGUFIUFGNJON3QOOIO24-300x208.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TAKTGYGGUFIUFGNJON3QOOIO24-130x90.jpg 130w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TAKTGYGGUFIUFGNJON3QOOIO24-768x531.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TAKTGYGGUFIUFGNJON3QOOIO24-1536x1063.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/TAKTGYGGUFIUFGNJON3QOOIO24-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">South African Rand coins are seen in this illustration picture taken October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Nov 14 (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa&#8217;s rand was stable early on Thursday after trading turbulently in the days after Donald Trump&#8217;s U.S. election win, ahead of September&#8217;s mining production data.



At 0803 GMT, the rand traded at 18.2400 against the dollar, near its previous close of 18.2450.



Mining data for September at 0930 GMT will give clues on the health of Africa&#8217;s most industrialised economy.



The rand has lost almost 5% against the greenback since the U.S. election last week as markets expect Trump&#8217;s policies to bring higher short-term economic growth but also potentially inflationary pressures.



&#8220;It&#8217;s not only the rand that has found itself in free fall, but all emerging markets,&#8221; said Rand Merchant Bank analysts in a research note.



&#8220;This sell off is by no means negative sentiment in South Africa but rather a very buoyant dollar,&#8221; the note added.



On the Johannesburg stock market, the blue-chip Top-40 index traded 0.1% down.



South Africa&#8217;s benchmark 2030 government bond was little changed in early deals, with the yield at 9.15%.



(Reporting by Tannur Anders; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

South African Rand coins are seen in this illustration picture

South African rand stable after big losses, mining data ahead

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="720" height="425" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ANCK25OQIFMHTJYACOM5XU5T24.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-498541" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ANCK25OQIFMHTJYACOM5XU5T24.jpg 720w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ANCK25OQIFMHTJYACOM5XU5T24-300x177.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ANCK25OQIFMHTJYACOM5XU5T24-152x90.jpg 152w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kenya shilling coins and notes are pictured inside a cashier&#8217;s booth at a forex exchange bureau in Kenya&#8217;s capital Nairobi, April 20, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Nov 14 (Reuters) &#8211; The Kenyan shilling weakened on Thursday due to increased demand for dollars across various sectors in the economy, one trader said.



At 0704 GMT, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 129.30/129.50 to the dollar, compared with Wednesday&#8217;s closing rate of 128.75/129.75.



(Reporting by Sonia Rao; Editing by George Obulutsa)

ANCK25OQIFMHTJYACOM5XU5T24

Kenyan shilling weakens due to increased FX demand from various sectors

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4032" height="1960" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/NB4Q7CHLRFODVLN7TXTDGJIBOY-1.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-554153"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Homes are submerged in water after a massive flood in N&#8217;djamena, Chad, October 14, 2022. REUTERS/Mahamat Ramadane/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



N&#8217;DJAMENA, Nov 14 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The deputy director of Chad&#8217;s National Meteorological Agency waggled his finger up and down to demonstrate how a motionless humidity gauge at the agency&#8217;s headquarters should have been working.



The broken hygrothermograph was among the dustblown outdoor equipment in the capital N&#8217;Djamena that is meant to help the agency known as ANAM to track weather patterns.



The situation in Chad is replicated across much of Africa, a continent sorely lacking the reliable forecasts that are a keystone of disaster management as climate change makes extreme weather more frequent.



At COP29 climate talks on Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for urgent action to overcome a shortage of data and funding. The aim is to meet a target for universal protection by end-2027 from early warning systems to help preparation for extreme weather events.



For Chad, that appears a particularly ambitious goal.



Around 80% of the devices at the agency&#8217;s site in N&#8217;Djamena are not operational, Deputy Director Hamid Abakar Souleymane told Reuters in October, as Chad battled another season of devastating floods.



&#8220;The reliability of weather information depends on the resources invested in producing it,&#8221; he said, describing a relentless push for more funding and trained personnel.



Africa, a continent of 1.5 billion people, has the world’s least developed weather and climate observation network with fewer stations operating to global basic standards than Germany, according to the World Meteorological Organization.



&#8220;There are many declared stations that exist or may not exist. In fact, many of them are not sharing data,&#8221; said Albert Fischer, director of the WMO Integrated Global Observing System division.



As of the third quarter of 2024, only two out of 53 African WMO countries were compliant with basic requirements for ground-level observation stations, Fischer said.



Being unprepared has deadly consequences. Floods not only happen more often across Africa than in Europe and North America combined, but they kill four times more people on average due to a lack of preparedness and warnings, a 2023 article in the journal Nature said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-one-warned-us">&#8220;NO ONE WARNED US&#8221;</h2>



Good weather data alone is not enough, as evidenced by deadly floods in October in Spain when some local authorities were blamed for failing to raise the alarm in time.



Chad&#8217;s plight nevertheless shows the scale of what can happen when disaster strikes one of the most vulnerable and data-poor regions on earth.



Heavier-than-usual seasonal rains in parts of West and Central Africa drove rivers to break their banks in recent months, leading to floods in every one of Chad&#8217;s provinces with 1.9 million people affected, over 570 killed, and 72,000 heads of cattle swept away.



&#8220;Everywhere is flooded. We have lost our fields of sorrel, beans, and grain. Everything is destroyed now because no one warned us of such a catastrophe,&#8221; mother-of-four Josiane Allasra said, speaking at a makeshift camp for displaced people on the outskirts of N&#8217;Djamena in late October.



&#8220;We&#8217;re hungry and we have nowhere to shelter our children.&#8221;



ANAM did not have the resources to track the worsening conditions as the disaster unfolded across a country the size of France and Spain combined.



&#8220;We have significantly less than we need. We need stations and we need funding,&#8221; Souleymane said during a tour of ANAM&#8217;s N&#8217;Djamena facilities, where stacks of old weather data spilled out over the floor of the archive and packaged equipment gathered dust.



A 2023 review of Chad&#8217;s hydromet capacity, found that it had just two trained forecasters, making round-the-clock forecasting and warning impossible.



The agency also lacks the financial and technical means to maintain a network of new automatic weather stations from the U.N. Development Programme, which anyway only covered the south and centre of the country, the report said.



&#8220;There&#8217;s a lot of wasted investment and infrastructure that is scattered &#8230; around Africa,&#8221; said Ana Heureux, programme management officer at a U.N. fund that supports countries like Chad to close their vast data gaps.



Under a five-year programme, the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) plans to help Chad upgrade or launch 34 weather stations to global observation standards. Chad currently has one surface-land weather station.



To avoid a situation in which authorities find themselves with technology they do not have the expertise and funds to maintain, SOFF&#8217;s strategy includes making use of advisers from developed countries. Once up-and-running, countries will continue to receive SOFF support provided they share their data internationally, Heureux said.



&#8220;Finally, we have one fund that&#8217;s really dedicated to long-term support,&#8221; said the WMO&#8217;s Fischer.



Since mid-2022, SOFF has supported 23 African countries. However, its own funding outlook is uncertain. Since 2020, it has raised $94 million out of a target of $200 million by 2025.



There &#8220;has been a bit of a challenging fundraising donor environment, with everything happening in the world,&#8221; said Heureux, adding that SOFF hoped to close the gap including via a big fundraising push at COP29.



(Editing by Barbara Lewis)

NB4Q7CHLRFODVLN7TXTDGJIBOY

Africa has world’s least developed weather observation network

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="612" height="350" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1040865674-612x612-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-400879" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1040865674-612x612-1.jpg 612w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1040865674-612x612-1-300x172.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Stock market report. 3d illustration</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Nov 14 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The following scheduled economic event, company announcements, equity and currency market moves may affect South African markets on Thursday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-economic-events">ECONOMIC EVENTS</h2>



September mining production data



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-companies">COMPANIES</h2>



MTN Group third quarter earnings



Gold Fields third quarter operational update



Sanlam third quarter operational update



Gary Arnold named Astral Foods chief executive officer, effective Feb. 1, 2025



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-african-markets">SOUTH AFRICAN MARKETS</h2>



South Africa&#8217;s rand staged a recovery on Wednesday after three days of heavy losses as markets fretted over what U.S. President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s policies could mean for trade relations, while U.S. inflation rose as expected.



On the Johannesburg stock market, the blue-chip Top-40 index was down about 0.2%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-markets">GLOBAL MARKETS</h2>



Weak China markets dragged broader Asian shares lower on Thursday, while longer-dated U.S. bond yields rose alongside the dollar as investors assessed the monetary policy and inflation outlook in the world&#8217;s largest economy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wall-street">WALL STREET</h2>



The Dow and the S&amp;P 500 ended slightly higher on Wednesday while the Nasdaq lost ground after October data showed consumer prices rising in line with expectations, adding support to bets that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in December.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gold">GOLD</h2>



Gold fell for a fifth straight session on Thursday to hit its lowest level in eight weeks, pressured by a stronger U.S. dollar and rising Treasury yields amid uncertainty over the pace of the Federal Reserve&#8217;s interest rate cuts.



&#8211; &#8211; &#8211; &#8211;



Some of the main stories out in the South African press:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-business-day">BUSINESS DAY</h2>



&#8211; Government to cut state guarantees for IPPs



&#8211; Treasury releases proposal for second phase of carbon tax



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fin-24">FIN 24</h2>



&#8211; Carbon tax: Eskom to receive &#8216;price neutrality&#8217; in phase 2



(Compiled by Tannur Anders; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

Stock market report. 3d illustration

South African Markets – Factors to watch on Nov. 14

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="612" height="408" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-524583" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1.jpg 612w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /></figure>



The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Thursday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-markets">GLOBAL MARKETS</h2>



Weak China markets dragged broader Asian shares lower on Thursday, while longer-dated U.S. bond yields rose alongside the dollar as investors assessed the monetary policy and inflation outlook in the world&#8217;s largest economy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-world-oil-prices">WORLD OIL PRICES</h2>



Oil prices dropped slightly early on Thursday on expectations of higher global production amid forecasts for weak demand growth, while a firmer dollar also kept a lid on prices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-africa-markets">SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS</h2>



South Africa&#8217;s rand staged a recovery on Wednesday after three days of heavy losses as markets fretted over what U.S. President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s policies could mean for trade relations, while U.S. inflation rose as expected.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nigeria-petroleum">NIGERIA PETROLEUM</h2>



Nigeria&#8217;s state oil firm, NNPC Ltd said on Wednesday one of its subsidiaries has agreed to supply 100 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to the Dangote oil refinery for the next 10 years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kenya-markets">KENYA MARKETS</h2>



The Kenyan shilling weakened slightly against the dollar on Wednesday, one trader said, as the U.S. currency has strengthened globally following the presidential election, increasing local demand.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mauritius-election">MAURITIUS ELECTION</h2>



Veteran Mauritian politician Navin Ramgoolam was sworn in as prime minister for his fourth term on Wednesday, a decade after he last left power, following his coalition&#8217;s dramatic triumph in a general election.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-democratic-republic-of-congo-imf">DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO IMF</h2>



The IMF on Wednesday said it had reached a staff-level agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo for a new three-year, $1.77 billion economic and financial program as well as a new three-year $1.1 billion climate-focused program.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ivory-coast-imf">IVORY COAST IMF</h2>



Ivory Coast will create a $500 million green finance fund to support sustainable growth initiatives, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a statement. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-zambia-central-bank-rate">ZAMBIA CENTRAL BANK RATE</h2>



Zambia&#8217;s central bank raised its benchmark lending rate by 50 basis points on Wednesday, saying inflation risks were still skewed heavily to the upside.



((Compiled by Nairobi Newsroom))

istockphoto-1076949610-612×612-1

African Markets – Factors to watch on Nov 14

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/UP2NUJ3FC5MHFCYLXSKRKTCMZA-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-554111" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/UP2NUJ3FC5MHFCYLXSKRKTCMZA-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/UP2NUJ3FC5MHFCYLXSKRKTCMZA-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/UP2NUJ3FC5MHFCYLXSKRKTCMZA-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/UP2NUJ3FC5MHFCYLXSKRKTCMZA-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/UP2NUJ3FC5MHFCYLXSKRKTCMZA-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/UP2NUJ3FC5MHFCYLXSKRKTCMZA-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A supporter of Senegal&#8217;s Prime Minister and the head of the ruling Pastef party Ousmane Sonko reacts as he attends a campaign rally for the upcoming early legislative election, in Guediawaye on the outskirts of Dakar, Senegal, November 13, 2024. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra</figcaption></figure>



DAKAR, Nov 14 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Senegal will vote in legislative elections on Sunday that will determine whether the new president and government can gain control over the national assembly and push through their agenda for reforms.



The high stakes in the election are threatening to spark renewed unrest following a period of calm. The run-up to the presidential election in March saw some of the worst violence in the country&#8217;s recent history.



Campaigning has grown heated in recent days and comes at a precarious time for the new government, which is navigating a spiraling fiscal crisis that could undermine its ability to deliver on promises to boost the economy and create jobs.



Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, known for his fiery rhetoric, said this week that his supporters had come under attack and urged them to take revenge. He has also warned that restraint should not be mistaken for weakness.



&#8220;Let them not say that we&#8217;ve changed and that since we came, everyone can do as they please,&#8221; he said on Tuesday evening. &#8220;We could have used our strength, but we didn&#8217;t.&#8221;



Top priorities for Senegalese voters are jobs and the economy, as inflation has squeezed livelihoods and the nation&#8217;s growing youth population struggle to find employment.



More than 7 million registered voters will have the chance to vote for candidates for the 165 seat-assembly, choosing between 41 registered parties or other entities. Polls open at 8 a.m. (0800 GMT) and close at 6 p.m.



&#8220;We want a lower cost of living, affordable water, electricity, and transport, so everyone can work and live decently,&#8221; said Cheikh Diagne, a street seller in downtown Dakar.



Babacar Ndiaye, research director at the think-tank WATHI, said that Senegalese have historically voted in favour of the president during previous parliamentary elections.



&#8220;When they choose a president, they then give that president the means to work and govern,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Every time a president has won, he has in due course also gained an absolute majority in the National Assembly.&#8221;



The West African country is plunging towards a debt crisis after the new government said it had discovered the budget deficit was much wider than reported by the previous government. A $1.9 billion IMF programme is on hold while the government audit is reviewed.



The main threat to the ruling party Pastef&#8217;s ambitions is the unexpected alliance of two opposition parties, including the Republic party (APR) headed by the former Prime Minister Macky Sall.



The race also includes two smaller opposition coalitions. The one led by Dakar&#8217;s mayor, Barthelemy Dias, has clashed with supporters of Pastef.



Mariam Wane Ly, a former parliamentarian and trailblazer for women in politics in Senegal, said the campaign period had given leaders a chance to explain their agendas and she expected Pastef to win the majority it is seeking.



&#8220;I think it&#8217;s going to make up for all the unhappiness,&#8221; she said.



(Additional reporting by Portia Crowe; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Campaign rally for the early legislative elections in Dakar

Senegal heads to the polls amid fiscal crisis, threat of unrest

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="540" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/YPMFQQSS3NLHLJL3LP32C774LE-1-820x540.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-486141" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/YPMFQQSS3NLHLJL3LP32C774LE-1-820x540.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/YPMFQQSS3NLHLJL3LP32C774LE-1-300x198.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/YPMFQQSS3NLHLJL3LP32C774LE-1-137x90.jpg 137w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/YPMFQQSS3NLHLJL3LP32C774LE-1-768x506.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/YPMFQQSS3NLHLJL3LP32C774LE-1-1536x1012.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/YPMFQQSS3NLHLJL3LP32C774LE-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A shopper walks past a Vodacom shop in Johannesburg, file. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa&#8217;s biggest mobile operator Vodacom is looking at taking a new low-price phone that uses the cloud to offer smartphone-style features to other African markets, an executive said on Wednesday.



Mobile internet penetration in sub-Saharan Africa was just 27% at the end of 2023, with millions struggling to access services because smartphones are too expensive or network coverage unavailable, according to the GSMA industry body.



The South African unit of Vodacom, majority-owned by Britain&#8217;s Vodafone, recently launched a cloud-based smart feature phone, which is manufactured by South African mobile phone firm Mobicel. Vodacom is a reseller.



Vodacom introduced it as a way to reduce the cost of smartphone access and to accelerate migrating customers from legacy 2G and 3G networks to modern 4G networks as South Africa starts phasing out these older networks.



&#8220;We have sold roughly a bit less than 100,000 devices in South Africa,&#8221; Davide Tacchino, managing executive for terminals at Vodacom South Africa, told Reuters at the Africa Tech conference, adding that the company was seeing interest from customers and distributors.



&#8220;At this stage, it&#8217;s South Africa, but we are evaluating to expand in the other markets.&#8221;



The phone, retailing at 199 rand ($11), leverages the power of cloud computing to deliver a range of features typically associated with entry smartphones at a more affordable cost.



It comes with popular applications such as YouTube, TikTok and Facebook, all accessed via the cloud, giving users a &#8220;smartphone lite&#8221; experience.



Mobile operators are racing to shift their customers to 4G and 5G networks as South Africa has proposed gradually phasing out and shutting down older networks by the end of 2027.



As well as introducing more affordable devices, operators are offering pre-paid device financing options, but they have also asked the government to cut taxes on smartphones.



South Africa&#8217;s Communications Minister Solly Malatsi told Reuters on Tuesday that he had held encouraging preliminary talks with the Treasury about his proposals to cut those taxes.



($1 = 18.1781 rand)



(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla. Editing by Mark Potter)

FILE PHOTO: A shopper walks past a Vodacom shop in Johannesburg

S.Africa’s Vodacom eyes taking cloud-based phone to other African markets

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TE3RFSDQENJTFFYC6SW6PIPCBE-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-529685" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TE3RFSDQENJTFFYC6SW6PIPCBE-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TE3RFSDQENJTFFYC6SW6PIPCBE-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TE3RFSDQENJTFFYC6SW6PIPCBE-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TE3RFSDQENJTFFYC6SW6PIPCBE-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TE3RFSDQENJTFFYC6SW6PIPCBE-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TE3RFSDQENJTFFYC6SW6PIPCBE-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters building is seen ahead of the IMF/World Bank spring meetings in Washington, U.S., April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Nov 13 (Reuters) &#8211; The International Monetary Fund should sell 4% of its gold to help offer debt relief to low income countries devastated by climate-related catastrophes, a study said as climate financing dominates early talks at the COP29 summit.



From the Caribbean to Africa, low income countries have turned to the IMF in recent years for support in the face of shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic, driving up repayments to the lender of last resort in subsequent years.



Although the IMF has a facility known as Catastrophe Containment Relief Trust (CCRT), this only covers 30 poor countries and has just $103 million available, said researchers from the Boston University Global Development Centre.



The CCRT is used to pay off an eligible member state&#8217;s loans to the IMF for up to two years, providing immediate relief and allowing those funds to be targeted at other priorities.



&#8220;Many climate-vulnerable countries have been unable to access the CCRT as its eligibility criteria fails to account for climate vulnerability &#8230; and funding is severely limited,&#8221; the researchers said in a report.



The solution lies in selling some of the IMF&#8217;s 90.5 million ounces of gold reserves, the report said, taking advantage of elevated prices to boost the fund and cover more countries.



Selling 4% of the IMF&#8217;s gold would generate $9.52 billion, the study said, covering debt relief for 86 countries.



&#8220;With current gold prices exceeding $2,600 per ounce, selling a small fraction of gold has the potential to generate significant revenues and easily replenish the CCRT,&#8221; it said.



Gold was trading at $2,606.42 per ounce on Wednesday.



IMF gold reserve sales are rare. The last was in 2009/10, when it offloaded an eighth of its reserves, which was triggered by the need to boost its lending capacity.



At its inception in 1944, member states used to pay their IMF quotas with gold, the research report said, meaning it accumulated reserves at a historical cost of just $45 per ounce.



Repayments of IMF loans are taking a bigger chunk of annual debt servicing costs for vulnerable economies, the report said.



The Indian Ocean island of Madagascar will pay $106 million to the IMF next year, a quarter of its debt service, rising to $158 million and 41% in 2026, the report added.



Mozambique will also experience an increase in repayments to the IMF during a similar period, the researchers found.



Any sale of IMF gold would require support from the bulk of its executive board members, and for member states to pledge to channel their share of the proceeds to the CCRT, they said.



&#8220;Replenishing the CCRT should be considered a high priority because, in contrast to other IMF lending programs, the CCRT comes with no conditionality,&#8221; they concluded.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Alexander Smith)

FILE PHOTO: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters building is seen ahead of the IMF/World Bank spring meetings in Washington

IMF urged to cash in on gold price to help poor countries hit by climate change

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="546" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-452758655-820x546.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-553742" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-452758655-820x546.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-452758655-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-452758655-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-452758655-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-452758655-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-452758655-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA &#8211; DECEMBER 01: Danny Jordaan (SAFA president) during the arrival of the FIFA World Cup Trophy at Lanseria Airport on December 01, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo images)</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Nov 13 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan was arrested on Wednesday over allegations he used the organisation&#8217;s money for his own purposes, according to local media reports.



Jordaan, who was a leading figure in bringing the 2010 World Cup to South Africa, had tried to interdict his imminent arrest on Tuesday, but the Johannesburg High Court is only scheduled to hear his submission on Thursday.



The arrest stems from a raid by police on the SAFA offices in March, after which police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the allegations are that &#8220;between 2014 and 2018, the president of SAFA used the organisation&#8217;s resources for his personal gain, including hiring a private security company for his personal protection and a public relations company, without authorisation from the SAFA board.&#8221;



Jordaan, 73, and his reported co-accused, SAFA chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo and businessman Trevor Neethling, are due to appear in court later on Wednesday.



Neither Jordaan nor SAFA responded to a request for comment from Reuters, but in his affidavit to court seeking to block his arrest, he denies any wrongdoing.



(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

FIFA World Cup Trophy arrives at Lanseria Airport

South Africa FA president Danny Jordaan arrested

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-524644" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Uganda shillings. Uganda. (Photo by: Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



KAMPALA, Nov 13 (Reuters) &#8211; The Ugandan shilling stable on Wednesday, although it was expected to strengthen, lifted by dollar inflows from remittances, traders said.



At 0719 GMT, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 3,665/3,675, compared with Tuesday&#8217;s closing rate of 3,668/3,678.



(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa)

UGANDA SHILLING

Ugandan shilling stable; to firm due to remittance inflows

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="485" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CORIUWLHAJI4LNBBJBT32ZAVTI.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-422769" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CORIUWLHAJI4LNBBJBT32ZAVTI.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CORIUWLHAJI4LNBBJBT32ZAVTI-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CORIUWLHAJI4LNBBJBT32ZAVTI-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kenya Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge displays Kenyan shilling bank notes during a news conference at the Central Bank in Nairobi, Kenya, June 3, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Nov 13 (Reuters) &#8211; The Kenyan shilling weakened slightly against the dollar on Wednesday, one trader said, as the U.S. currency has strengthened globally following the presidential election, increasing local demand.



At 0700 GMT, the shilling traded at 129.00/129.30 to the dollar, compared to Tuesday&#8217;s closing rate of 128.50/129.50.



&#8220;We&#8217;ve been seeing the dollar appreciate against all currencies globally, including the shilling,&#8221; the trader said.



&#8220;Because of the dollar being attractive we are now seeing investors starting to buy dollars to repatriate them back to the U.S. markets.&#8221;



(Reporting by Sonia Rao; Editing by George Obulutsa)

Kenya Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge displays the newly designed Kenyan shilling bank notes during a news conference at the Central Bank in Nairobi

Kenyan shilling weakens slightly as dollar demand increases

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="615" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-820x615.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-553691" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-820x615.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-120x90.jpg 120w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Zainab Abubakar eats cooked food with her children at Gubio IDP camp in Maiduguri, Nigeria October 28, 2024. REUTERS/Abraham Achirga</figcaption></figure>



GUBIO, Nigeria, Nov 13 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Unrelenting price rises and a brutal insurgency had already made it hard for Nigerians in northeastern Borno State to feed their families. When a dam collapsed in September, flooding the state capital and surrounding farmland, many people ran out of options.



Now they queue for handouts in camps for those displaced by fighting between extremist Boko Haram rebels and the military. When those run out, they seek work on local farms where they risk being killed or raped by local bandits.



&#8220;I can&#8217;t even cry anymore. I&#8217;m too tired,&#8221; said Indo Usman, who tried to start again in the state capital Maiduguri, rearing animals for the two annual Muslim holy days, after years of repeatedly fleeing rebel attacks in rural Borno.



The flood washed that all away, driving her, her husband and their six children to a bare room at Gubio, an unfinished housing project about 96 km (60 miles) northwest of Maiduguri that has become a displacement camp.



Torrential rains and floods in 29 of Nigeria&#8217;s 36 states this year have destroyed more than 1.5 million hectares of cropland, affecting more than nine million people, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.



Climate change is a factor, as is Nigeria&#8217;s poorly maintained or non-existent infrastructure as well as vulnerabilities caused by the weakening Naira currency and the scrapping of a government fuel subsidy.



The cost of staples like rice and beans has doubled, tripled or even quadrupled in a year, depending on location &#8212; an unmanageable shock for millions of poor families.



Mass kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and conflict between farmers and pastoralists in the central belt, traditionally the nation&#8217;s bread basket, have also disrupted agriculture and squeezed food supplies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hungriest-of-the-hungry">&#8216;HUNGRIEST OF THE HUNGRY&#8217;</h2>



Roughly 40% of Nigeria&#8217;s more than 200 million people live below the international poverty line of $2.15 per person per day, the World Bank estimates.



Already, 25 million people live in acute food and nutrition insecurity &#8211; putting their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger, according to a joint analysis by the government and U.N. agencies. That number is expected to rise to 33 million by next June-August.



&#8220;The food crisis in Nigeria is immense because what we are seeing is a crisis within a crisis within a crisis,&#8221; said Trust Mlambo, head of programme for the northeast at the World Food Programme, in an interview with Reuters in Maiduguri.



With international donors focused on emergencies in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, Mlambo said there was not enough funding to fully meet Nigeria&#8217;s growing need for food aid.



&#8220;We are really prioritising the hungriest of the hungry,&#8221; he said.



In Borno, the Alau dam, upriver from Maiduguri, gave way on Sept. 9, four days after state officials had told the public it was secure. Local residents and engineers had been warning that it was under strain.



Hundreds of people were killed in the resulting flood, according to aid workers who did not wish to be identified for fear of offending the state government. A spokesperson for the state government did not respond to requests for comment.



Zainab Abubakar, a self-employed tailor in the city who lived in relative comfort with her husband and six children in a house with a refrigerator, was awoken at midnight by water rushing into her bedroom.



They ran for their lives while the flood destroyed their house and carried everything away, including her sewing machine. Now, they are sheltering at Gubio and collecting rice from aid agencies in a plastic bucket.



&#8220;There is no alternative,&#8221; she said.



In Banki, on Nigeria&#8217;s border with Cameroon about 133 km (83 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, Mariam Hassan lost crops of maize, pepper and then okra in repeated flooding of her subsistence farm this year, leaving her with nothing to eat or sell.



&#8220;I beg the neighbours or relatives to give me food, not even for me but for my children, for us to survive,&#8221; said Hassan, who has eight children. &#8220;The situation has turned me into a beggar.&#8221;



(Additional reporting by Ahmed Kingimi and MacDonald Dzirutwe; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Philippa Fletcher)

More Nigerians face hunger as floods worsen impact of inflation, conflict

Millions of Nigerians go hungry as floods compound hardship

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="612" height="408" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-524583" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1.jpg 612w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Nov 13 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The following equity and currency market moves may affect South African markets on Wednesday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-african-markets">SOUTH AFRICAN MARKETS</h2>



South Africa&#8217;s rand hit a three-month low on Tuesday, hurt by a stronger dollar and weaker gold prices, as markets grappled with what another Donald Trump presidency will mean for U.S. policy and trade relations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-markets">GLOBAL MARKETS</h2>



Asian stocks slumped on Wednesday as a sharp rise in U.S. bond yields unnerved investors ahead of key inflation data that could inform the pace of Federal Reserve policy easing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wall-street">WALL STREET</h2>



Wall Street&#8217;s three major indexes closed lower on Tuesday as investors booked some profits from a post-election rally and waited anxiously for U.S. inflation data due this week.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gold">GOLD</h2>



Gold prices edged up on Wednesday as investors sought bargains after steep declines in the previous session, while the spotlight shifted to U.S. inflation data, which could shed more light on the Federal Reserve&#8217;s path for monetary policy.



&#8211; &#8211; &#8211; &#8211;



Some of the main stories out in the South African press:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-business-day">BUSINESS DAY</h2>



&#8211; Coalition govt aims to review bilateral trade agreements



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fin-24">FIN 24</h2>



&#8211; Tax the rich? Treasury says it is considering a wealth tax



(Compiled by Alexander Winning)

Reuters

Nigeria inflation rises for second month, spurred by food

Health advocates press Cepheid for cheaper mpox tests

South African rand extends losses; S&P rating review due

Nigeria lifts oil production to 1.8 mln barrels per day

South African rand stable after big losses, mining data ahead

Kenyan shilling weakens due to increased FX demand from various sectors

Africa has world’s least developed weather observation network

South African Markets – Factors to watch on Nov. 14

African Markets – Factors to watch on Nov 14

Senegal heads to the polls amid fiscal crisis, threat of unrest

S.Africa’s Vodacom eyes taking cloud-based phone to other African markets

IMF urged to cash in on gold price to help poor countries hit by climate change

South Africa FA president Danny Jordaan arrested

Ugandan shilling stable; to firm due to remittance inflows

Kenyan shilling weakens slightly as dollar demand increases

Millions of Nigerians go hungry as floods compound hardship

South African Markets – Factors to watch on Nov 13

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Reuters

Nigeria inflation rises for second month, spurred by food

Health advocates press Cepheid for cheaper mpox tests

South African rand extends losses; S&P rating review due

Nigeria lifts oil production to 1.8 mln barrels per day

South African rand stable after big losses, mining data ahead

Kenyan shilling weakens due to increased FX demand from various sectors

Africa has world’s least developed weather observation network

South African Markets – Factors to watch on Nov. 14

African Markets – Factors to watch on Nov 14

Senegal heads to the polls amid fiscal crisis, threat of unrest

S.Africa’s Vodacom eyes taking cloud-based phone to other African markets

IMF urged to cash in on gold price to help poor countries hit by climate change

South Africa FA president Danny Jordaan arrested

Ugandan shilling stable; to firm due to remittance inflows

Kenyan shilling weakens slightly as dollar demand increases

Millions of Nigerians go hungry as floods compound hardship

South African Markets – Factors to watch on Nov 13

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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