The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market
moves and political events may affect African markets on Friday.
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GLOBAL MARKETS
Asian shares on Friday slipped from the record they hit a
day earlier, but the prospect of a major U.S. coronavirus
relief package left some investors still in the mood to pick
up stocks and other risk-exposed
assets. MKTS/GLOB
WORLD OIL PRICES
Oil prices eased on Friday but stayed within touching
distance of nine-month highs hit overnight as soaring
COVID-19 cases weigh on fuel demand and U.S. lawmakers
continue to battle over a $900 billion economic stimulus
package. O/R
EMERGING MARKETS
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STOCKS
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SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS
South Africa's rand stretched its latest winning streak to a
fourth consecutive session on Thursday, climbing to a new
10-month best, while the stock market flirted with record
highs as hopes for more stimulus in the U.S. boosted risk
appetite. SECURITY
Security forces on Thursday rescued nearly 350 schoolboys
who had been kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria and taken
into a vast forest, the governor of Katsina state said,
bringing relief to many families. TELECOMS
MTN MTNJ.J could be compliant with Nigeria's order for
telecoms firms to add National Identification Numbers (NIN)
to all registered SIM cards within six months, its incoming
Nigeria head Karl Toriola said on Thursday. MARKETS
The Kenyan shilling KES= traded steady against the dollar
on Thursday amid sluggish activity as companies were closing
down for end-of-year holidays, traders said. CONFLICT
Rebellious soldiers used government tanks to attack their
former comrades in a military base in the first chaotic days
of Ethiopia's month-long war in the region of Tigray,
according to two soldiers caught in what they described as a
10-day siege. MARKETS
The Ugandan shilling UGX= traded stable on Thursday but a
slight uptick in demand by energy importers was seen posing
a depreciation risk, traders said. ECONOMY
Zambia must build majority stakes in selected mines to
benefit from its mineral wealth beyond taxes, President
Edgar Lungu said on Thursday, as he set out an economic
recovery plan after the country defaulted on a debt payment
last month. FOOD
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday
appealed for an additional $204 million to support 4 million
of the most food insecure Zimbabweans for the next six
months. MINING
Trafigura is ending an artisanal cobalt formalisation
project in Democratic Republic of Congo, which it has run
alongside miner Chemaf and NGO PACT for nearly two years,
the commodities trader said on Thursday. CORONAVIRUS
Pharmaceutical companies should sell COVID-19 vaccines to
African countries at discounted rates and allow them to be
produced locally to potentially cut costs, the head of the
continent's disease control body said on
Thursday. CURRENCIES
Nigeria's naira and other African currencies are likely to
trade stable or firm slightly in the week ahead, helped by
Diaspora inflows and waning appetite for hard currency as
some firms wind down activity ahead of Christmas
holidays. For the latest precious metals report click on GOL/
For the latest base metals report click on MET/L
For the latest crude oil report click on O/L