Alister Bull

The head of the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa said a feud with US President Donald Trump risks a strategically important relationship that benefits both nations.

It came as a shock both domestically and abroad when Yoon Suk Yeol, the president of South Korea, declared martial law on Dec. 3. But the country has a history of martial law and military rule.

South Africa would gain significant economic benefits by adopting a lower inflation target though the process should be carefully managed, according to the International Monetary Fund.

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With its oil wealth, Nigeria should be awash with foreign currency. But years of economic mismanagement have left the country with a debilitating shortage of dollars. In an attempt to fix the problem, President Bola Tinubu relaxed longstanding foreign exchange restrictions shortly after taking office in May 2023. The local naira currency, pegged for years at an artificially high level against the dollar, has since fallen 70%. Tinubu’s goal was to trigger an influx of foreign capital and eventual

Zambia needs about $900 million this year to deal with its worst drought on record in parts of the country that’s wiped out crops and is set to cut economic growth by more than half, Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said.

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It’s almost certainly the most closely scrutinized scatter chart in world financial markets. Every three months since January 2012, the Federal Reserve has sent analysts scurrying by updating its “dot plot,” which has become the de facto monetary policy forecast of the US central bank — whether the Fed wants it to be or not. It’s also an important source of clues to dissent within the Fed’s policymaking committee, even if it can be as cryptic as it is crucial.

The International Monetary Fund said it’s monitoring events in Ghana after lawmakers passed a bill seeking up to three years in jail for people identifying as an LGBTQ person.

Africa faces economic headwinds this year, but some of the continent’s brightest sparks are shading it in a more hopeful light.