Africa Bonds

The sukuk market has started slowly in 2014, but IFIS data for announced deals suggests there is enough in the pipeline to surpass last year’s total issuance. High profile deals could come from both regular borrowers and those tapping the market for the first time.

The Republic of South Africa will “definitely” issue a debut sukuk this year and is targeting up to $750m from the deal, a national treasury official said on Wednesday.

The International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation (IILM) has auctioned its third $490m short term dollar sukuk.

Despite Egypt’s rejection of political Islam last year, Islamic banking in the country is set to accelerate, say bankers. Seizing the opportunity to help those most affected by Egypt’s struggling economy will bring a doubling of Islamic banking assets over the next two years, they predict.

The burgeoning green bond sector took two important strides this week, as the European Investment Bank increased an outstanding deal to the largest volume on record and the African Development Bank entered the Scandinavian capital markets for the first time with its second ever green bond.

In 2014, emerging market bankers will be chasing after bigger mandates, but fewer of them if this year’s numbers are anything to go by. The average size of an emerging market bond in the first weeks of this year has leapt skywards compared to previous years while the number of deals priced has plummeted, according to Dealogic data. But DCM officials say they see little real change in the way deals are pitched or sold as a result of that new strategy.

Renaissance Capital has appointed Robert Lamprecht as chief executive officer of Renaissance Capital in South Africa.

Sukuk is one of the fastest growing markets in the Islamic finance sector. In this second part of our Islamic Finance Basics series, we look at the underlying principles of sukuk, its development as an asset class and how it compares to conventional instruments.

The International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation (IILM) will auction its third $490m short term dollar sukuk next week.

The average size of an emerging market bond in the first weeks of this year has leapt skywards compared to previous years while the number of deals priced has plummeted, according to Dealogic data. This may be a function of sovereigns having so far dominated the market — especially in CEEMEA — but is a trend that could be the shape of things to come for the rest of the year.

In 2013, several CEEMEA issuers roadshowed, mandated or even released price talk for a new Eurobond before postponing the deal. EuroWeek Emerging Markets recaps the borrowers that may be waiting for a window, and finds out whether they are still looking or have embarked on another funding plan.

Prospective international sukuk debutante Morocco is pushing ahead with plans to introduce Islamic banking for the first time, with parliament set to take a vote on the government’s draft bill as early as April.