The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Wednesday.
GLOBAL MARKETS
Asian equities slipped on Wednesday as investors looked to the Federal Reserve's guidance on its monetary policy while futures for U.S. tech shares jumped after strong earnings from Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT).
WORLD OIL PRICES
Oil prices climbed on Wednesday after industry data showed U.S. crude stockpiles fell unexpectedly last week and China, the world's second-biggest oil user, reported its lowest daily rise in COVID-19 cases, bolstering hopes of a pick-up in demand.
SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS
South Africa's rand firmed by more than 1% on Tuesday in a return of risk appetite globally as investors continued to weigh the benefits of fiscal stimulus and coronavirus vaccine rollouts over concerns about second and third wave infections.
SECURITY
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a new military high command, a spokesman said on Tuesday, after years of mounting criticism over spreading violence by Islamist insurgents and armed gangs.
RATES
Nigeria's central bank held its benchmark lending rate at 11.5% on Tuesday at its first interest rate meeting of 2021, as it battles to combat rising inflation and a recession.
MARKETS
The Kenyan shilling KES= was stable against the dollar on Tuesday and traders said all eyes were set on the central bank's monetary policy committee's meeting the following day.
ECONOMY
Kenya will reduce its budget deficit to 7.5% of GDP in the 2021/22 (July-June) financial year, from 9.0% this fiscal year, the National Treasury said in a draft budget policy statement.
ELECTION
Uganda's opposition leader Bobi Wine accused security forces on Tuesday of humiliating him, his family and staff as he was freed from house arrest in place since a disputed Jan. 14 election that he lost to long-serving President Yoweri Museveni.
CYCLONE
Crowded centres for people left destitute by Cyclone Eloise in Mozambique create the perfect conditions for COVID-19 to spread, with some living at least 10 to a tent with no access to water, soap or masks, an international aid group said on Tuesday.
ECONOMY
Tanzania's economy is expected to expand by 6% or more this year from an estimated 5.5% last year, the central bank said, buoyed by the expected global economic recovery and faster private sector credit growth in the first half.
SECURITY
Malian and French forces killed around 100 jihadists and took another 20 captive in a joint operation this January in central Mali, the West African nation's army said in a statement on Tuesday.
HEALTH
Forty people in Gambia confirmed as coronavirus positive in the past week have refused to self-isolate or escaped treatment centres, the health ministry said on Tuesday, promising to reveal the identities of those flouting health regulations.
COAST COCOA
Ivory Coast's domestic cocoa traders association GNI has called for the regulator in the world's top bean producer to introduce reforms that would end the dominance of six multinationals in handling the West African country's cocoa exports.