South Africa

Boutique banking firm MetZurich has hired two bankers from Investec who left the firm earlier this year when the bank effectively closed its emerging markets business.

South African internet group Naspers and pan-African fibre cable provider Liquid Telecom are looking to add to what has been the busiest month for African issuance since July 2014. But an oil-related sell-off this week may mean tougher conditions for Liquid Telecom in particular next week.

South Africa-based media group Naspers is looking to add to what has been the busiest month for African issuance since July 2014 but an oil-related sell-off this week suggests that the company may have missed the golden window.

South Africa’s Sibanye Gold attracted more than $2bn of demand for a debut dual-tranche Eurobond on Tuesday.

Sibanye Gold, one of the largest South African gold mining companies, has raised R13.5bn ($1bn) to refinance its acquisition of Stillwater in the US, after its rights issue was multiple times oversubscribed.

Investec Bank launched a $300m two year term loan this week to refinance a three year facility signed in February 2015. The deal comes after Moody's downgraded South Africa's five biggest banks on Monday, following the sovereign downgrade last Friday.

Systemic corruption, excessive reliance on the courts, and risk of judicial overreach will erode institutional strength, and weigh on growth in South Africa, said Moody’s on Friday as it lowered the country’s rating to Baa3 from Baa2.

Nigeria on Wednesday added to a building pipeline of African credit with a diaspora bond, the first of its kind from a sub-Saharan African country.

South Africa's Sibanye Gold has mandated banks for a $1bn bond offering which will be used to refinance part of a bridge loan used to acquire Stillwater Mining Company.

Barclays has sold more than half its stake in Barclays Africa, its separately listed South African subsidiary formerly known as Absa Bank, through a huge R37.7bn ($2.9bn) block trade on Wednesday night that was covered in 45 minutes.

The drought of equity-linked bond issuance in EMEA has suddenly ended this week, with the launch of two deals in three days, by GN Store Nord, the Danish maker of hearing aids and audio devices, and Impala Platinum Holdings, the South African mining company.

A sell-off of shares in Sibanye Gold, one of the largest South African gold mining companies, entered its second day on Friday after the company unveiled terms for a highly dilutive R13.5bn ($1bn) rights issue on Thursday morning.