South Africa

EM bond markets around the world have been forced by difficult conditions to shut down early for summer. The only trade due this week, from South Africa's Eskom, will have to attract investors that are ready to hunker down and wait for September.

Eskom’s return to markets this week is the latest example of how the best bet in the emerging markets is often not on how strong a company is, but how strong its friends are. That is a lesson well remembered for investors, as EM hits a rocky patch.

South African state-run power company Eskom is aiming to print a total of $1.5bn and is expecting to sell both guaranteed and unguaranteed tranches of its bond, according to two sources close to the deal.

Eskom is roadshowing its first international bond in three years this week, but otherwise the primary market is silent.

Eskom has until the end of next week to issue a planned dollar bond before markets shut for the summer, syndicate bankers said on Friday.

South Africa’s troubled state-run power company, Eskom, signed a $2.5bn loan from China Development Bank (CDB) this week, securing almost two-thirds of its funding requirements for the financial year and reviving hope among investors that the country’s state-owned companies have moved one step closer to returning to the capital markets. That wish was swiftly granted by Eskom mandating for its first bond since 2015. Mike Turner and Francesca Young report.

South Africa’s Eskom has signed a $2.5bn loan from China Development Bank, securing almost two thirds of its funding requirements for the financial year amid speculation that the troubled state run power company might buy back its 2021 bonds.

South Africa’s Investec Bank has doubled the size from launch of its two year syndicated term loan to $600m, after a 'significant' oversubscription.

Creditors to retailer Steinhoff have agreed to give the scandal-hit company an extra three weeks to provide a debt restructuring plan, two days after the company said it would not be able to hammer out a deal in time for the initial June 30 deadline.

Scandal-hit retailer Steinhoff International Holdings has asked its creditors for a three week extension to hammer out the final terms of a multi-billion euro debt restructuring.

Absa Bank and Rand Merchant Bank are selling a 2.9% stake in Shoprite, the South African food retailer, as part of a derivative transaction with Christo Wiese, chairman of Shoprite and former chairman of Steinhoff International.

Shares in Quilter, the UK asset management arm of Old Mutual, performed well in the aftermarket on Monday after its £239m London IPO.