Africa Bonds

South Africa’s National Treasury is meeting with its nine primary banks on Friday to discuss its 2017 Eurobond issuance, according to its senior analyst Alilali Nelufule.

‘Business as usual’ was the tone this week in emerging markets, after last week’s losses were reversed and mandates began trickling through from across CEEMEA.

South Africa’s National Treasury is meeting with its nine primary banks on Friday to discuss its 2017 Eurobond issuance, according to its senior analyst Alilali Nelufule.

Seven years after first being mooted, draft Moroccan covered bond legislation is expected to emerge in the first half of next year, when it could be followed by supply. Fitch Ratings believes covered bonds will spur retail mortgage lending and will have a positive credit impact on banks.

Not one to mince its words, Republic of Congo has said it "vigorously contests" S&P's decision to downgrade its foreign currency issuer rating to CCC on Friday.

Banque Ouest Africaine de Developpement (BOAD), the West African regional development bank, has made plans for a follow-up trade to its dollar debut last year and South Africa’s Steinhoff has prepared a 7.5 year euro denominated note.

Mozambique’s debt crisis is the latest financial market hot potato to be passed around by its stakeholders with a series of statements that would not look out of place in an election campaign. But with the IMF in the country and Mozambique’s future ability to pay looking ever more likely, it is time to reach an agreement, restructure and move on.

Bankers were calling the end of the dream run in emerging market bonds on Friday after Liquid Telecom was unable to tighten pricing or meet the $600m size target for its debut note on Thursday.

Debut issuer Liquid Telecom had the sole focus of the CEEMEA primary bond market this week with bankers on the deal hoping that the combination of high yield and low duration will tick the right boxes for investors as rates continue to tick up.

Pan-African fibre cable company Liquid Telecom is expected to come to the market with a $600m five non-call three year trade this week, bolstered by sharply improving sentiment towards sub-Saharan Africa credit.

Bondholders and creditors remain at loggerheads over the restructuring of Mozambique’s debt following the publication of an independent audit of the country’s debt by risk assessment firm Kroll.

Nigeria last week priced the first ever SEC-registered diaspora bond, raising $300m from a novel funding source made up of Nigerian expatriates. And continuing its bid to diversify its funding kit, the sovereign has now turned its sights to a naira denominated sukuk.