NAIROBI, March 29 (Reuters) - The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Monday.
EVENTS:
*KENYA - The central to announces its latest benchmark lending rate decision.
*KENYA - Equity Group Holdings to release its full-year 2020 earnings.
GLOBAL MARKETS
Asian share markets edged higher on Monday while oil prices slipped as the ship blocking the Suez Canal was re-floated, raising hopes the vital waterway could reopen and ease global shipping backlogs.
WORLD OIL PRICES
Oil was slightly lower on Monday, relatively placid after four sessions of wild swings in price, as efforts continued to dig out the giant container ship clogging the Suez Canal and little new emerged in the demand picture.
SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS
The South African rand was a touch weaker on Friday, with investors still digesting the central bank's decision to keep lending rates unchanged in the face of global inflation pressures and rate hikes in other emerging markets.
MARKETS
The Kenyan shilling KES= was stable on Friday as demand was met with sufficient inflows of hard currency, traders said.
COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta restricted travel in the capital Nairobi and four surrounding counties on Friday as COVID-19 infections hit record levels in East Africa's richest economy.
SAFARICOM
Kenya's biggest telecoms operator Safaricom SCOM.NR has started trials for 5G high-speed internet network using technology from Nokia NOKIA.HE and Huawei, it said.
CORRUPTION
Tanzania's new president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, on Sunday ordered the suspension of the head of the ports authority over corruption allegations, continuing her late predecessor's anti-graft drive.
MINING
Japanese trading company Sumitomo Corp 8053.T said on Monday its Ambatovy nickel project in Madagascar resumed operation on March 23 after it had been shut since March last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SECURITY
Dozens of people were killed in an attack on the northern Mozambique town of Palma this week, a spokesman for the country's defence and security forces said, including seven people when a convoy of cars was ambushed in an escape attempt.
ECONOMY
Zambia, Africa's first pandemic-era sovereign default, will resume virtual talks with the International Monetary Fund next week as it seeks to stabilise its debt-burdened economy, its finance ministry said in a statement on Friday.