African Economies 2025 : What Executives think...

Howdy! It's Brian again.

In today's edition of ‘The Daily Brief’, we analyze a PwC CEOs survey for Sub-Saharan Africa. Highlighting the optimism in growth and the foreseeable constraints…

We also highlight Safaricom M-Pesa's foray into the Ethiopian market and a new agreement between asset management firms that would see a delayed project begin at last…

These…and more stories…

ECONOMY  

African Economies: A Sense of Optimism 

CEOs in Sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly optimistic about business and global economic growth, with 63% expecting improvement in the next 12 months, surpassing both the previous year and the global average. Declining interest rates and rising global demand are expected to boost African exports and economic growth. In East Africa, Kenya anticipates increased private sector lending, while Tanzania sees growth in mining, tourism, and infrastructure investments. Business confidence in South Africa is at a four-year high, Nigeria is stabilizing its currency through fiscal reforms, and Ghana expects lower inflation to drive consumption. However, regulatory uncertainty remains a major concern, with 57% of CEOs citing it as a potential disruption. AI adoption is gaining traction, with 72% planning implementation, and 32% of CEOs report increased revenue from climate-friendly investments.

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Today's Poll 

Yesterday's Poll Results

Do you think the CBK will succeed in coercing banks to reduce interest rates in line with its decision?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yes (62.16%)

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ No (37.84%)

CAPITAL MARKETS

The Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway woes local investment

Everstrong Capital and CPF Capital & Advisory Ltd. have signed an agreement to raise $1 billion for the Usahihi Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway project through Kenya’s capital markets. The 440-km, four-lane dual carriageway will be funded using a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to enhance local investment participation. A government-appointed committee, led by CPF’s Dr. Hosea Kili, will develop PPP deal structures to attract domestic investors, including banks, pension funds, and insurers. The initiative aims to reduce reliance on expensive foreign financing and shift Kenya toward self-reliance in infrastructure development. The expressway, expected to cut travel time between Nairobi and Mombasa from 10.5 to 4.5 hours, received approval in May 2023 following an agreement between Everstrong Capital and KeNHA. Previously, the project stalled in 2019 after Kenya reached its debt ceiling, halting a $2.3 billion deal with Bechtel.

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COMPANIES 

Safaricom M-Pesa's rally in Ethiopia

Safaricom Ethiopia's M-PESA customers grew 245% to 10.8 million by December 2024, driven by airtime purchases and cross-border transfers. Despite this growth, M-PESA revenue dropped 74% to KSh 9.8 million, with transaction value falling 30% to KSh 14.7 billion, even as transaction volume surged 1023% to 124.8 million. Mobile data was the largest revenue contributor at KSh 4.8 billion, with total service revenue rising 79% to KSh 6.3 billion. The number of one-month active mobile data customers increased 141% to 4.4 million, with average data usage per customer jumping 82.6% to 6.6GB. Safaricom expanded its network with 3,101 base stations, covering 48.5% of Ethiopia’s population, and aims to reach 55% by June 2025. Ethio Telecom began privatization by selling a 10% stake, with shares available to Ethiopian citizens until February 14, 2025.

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News Desk 

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