<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="562" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-820x562.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-451375" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-820x562.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-300x206.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-131x90.jpg 131w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-768x526.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-1536x1053.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FTDTXBVVGNK4ROM6N5ELSNCWHI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court signage and logo is pictured in Abuja, Nigeria February 16, 2022. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde</figcaption></figure>



ATHENS, March 30 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;West African neighbours Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have announced a new 0.5% levy on imported goods as they seek to fund a new three-state union after leaving the larger regional economic bloc, they said in a statement.



The Alliance of Sahel States began in 2023 as a security pact between the military rulers of the three countries, who all took power in coups in recent years. It has since grown into an aspiring economic union with plans for biometric passports and closer economic and military ties.



The levy was agreed on Friday and will take effect immediately. It will affect all goods imported from outside the three countries, but will not include humanitarian aid, the statement said. It will &#8220;finance the activities&#8221; of the bloc, it said, without giving details.



The move ends free trade across West Africa, whose states have for decades fallen under the umbrella of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and highlights the rift between the three states that border the Sahara Desert and influential democracies like Nigeria and Ghana to the south.



The juntas of the three countries announced plans to leave ECOWAS last year, accusing the bloc of failing to assist in their fight against Islamist insurgents and ending insecurity.



ECOWAS had imposed economic, political and financial sanctions on the three in a bid to force them to return to constitutional order, to little effect.



Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are some of the poorest countries in the world and have been overrun by an armed Islamist insurgency over the past decade.



The violence, committed by groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, has killed thousands, forced millions to flee, and eroded faith in the democratically-elected governments who initially struggled to contain it.



(Reporting by Boureima Balima and Fadimata Kontao; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

Ecowas court hearing on whether Nigeria’s Twitter ban violated rights, in Abuja

West African juntas impose levy on imported goods

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4931" height="3078" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ZDTAXS54SNPKXI5JFDUILKDUHI.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602896"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Internally displaced people from Khartoum gather at their shelter in an IDP camp in Um Durain county, Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan, Sudan June 21, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/SUDAN/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



KHARTOUM, March 28 (Reuters) &#8211; Residents of Sudan&#8217;s Tuti island at the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile have emerged from paramilitary control to speak of hardships suffered and relief that their oppressors have been driven away.



They say Sudan&#8217;s Rapid Support Forces, who have been forced by the army off the island between the capital Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman, would block people from medical treatment, jail others and extort inhabitants.



&#8220;I suffered from severe urinary retention,&#8221; recalled elderly islander Omar al-Hassan, saying an RSF member stopped him from crossing a bridge to see doctors.



&#8220;He claimed our papers were incomplete, but we had all the necessary documents. He just wanted money.&#8221;



The RSF, whose war with the army erupted in April 2023 and which still controls swathes of west Sudan, did not respond to a request for comment by Reuters. The RSF has either denied it violates human rights or said it would hold perpetrators to account, while accusing the army of widespread abuses.



The U.N. accuses both sides in the civil war of abuses that may amount to war crimes.



Tuti island, with its green landscape overlooking the majestic Nile waters, was once one of Sudan&#8217;s most soothing spots, offering relaxation in a nation with a long history of war.



Its population of about 10,000 could relax on beaches near lemon trees swaying in the breeze. People would also pass time at coffee shops, puffing on water pipes, perhaps discussing Sudan&#8217;s complex, combustible politics.



That was before the conflict between the army and RSF &#8211; once partners in a coup that toppled veteran autocrat Omar Hassan al-Bashir &#8211; erupted and ravaged Sudan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tuti-is-free">&#8216;TUTI IS FREE&#8217;</h2>



Now, in a microcosm of the war&#8217;s devastation, Tuti&#8217;s close-knit farming community are at risk of famine and have been ravaged by dengue fever.



Sudan&#8217;s military, headed by career army officer Abdel Fattah al-Burhan claimed control of Khartoum, including Tuti island, this week.



“We conducted a thorough and comprehensive cleanup of all areas of the island &#8230; We tell the people to return and come back,&#8221; said soldier Al-Tahir al-Tayeb.



&#8220;We will only take our rights by this,&#8221; he added, tapping on his gun. &#8220;We say to them, Tuti is free, and God is great.&#8221;



Nearby, a woman walked by a shop surveying destruction as people lingered at a mosque.



RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, rose from lowly beginnings to head a widely feared Arab militia that crushed a revolt in Darfur, winning him influence and eventually a role as the country&#8217;s second most powerful man, and one of its richest, as an enforcer for Bashir.



The RSF, menacing young men armed with rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns mounted on trucks, mastered desert warfare in the Darfur region but lack the discipline of the regular army.



That was clear on Tuti island, said resident Abdul Fattah Abdullah, describing how RSF men followed him on four motorcycles and grabbed him as he was carrying vegetables from a market.



The next 20 days, locked up in a small room with 32 army officers, were the hardest in his whole life, he complained. It did not end there. RSF fighters demanded the equivalent of $400, he said.



&#8220;They harassed people, demanding either their gold or their money. May God punish them,&#8221; said Abdullah.



(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

ZDTAXS54SNPKXI5JFDUILKDUHI

Sudanese on Nile island in capital recount paramilitary repression

March 28 (Reuters) &#8211; The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Friday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-events">EVENTS:</h2>



The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to announce its first interest rates decision for 2025.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-markets">GLOBAL MARKETS</h2>



Asian stocks fell on Friday with heavy selling in South Korea and Japan while safe-haven gold hit a record high as the latest tariff salvo from U.S. President Donald Trump stoked investor worries of an all-out trade war.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-world-oil-prices">WORLD OIL PRICES</h2>



Oil prices held near one-month highs on Friday and were poised for a third weekly gain on a tightening global supply outlook after the U.S. imposed tariffs against countries buying oil and gas from Venezuela and placed restrictions on Iranian oil trade.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-africa-markets">SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS</h2>



South Africa&#8217;s rand weakened on Thursday as markets fretted over U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs due next week.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kenya-markets">KENYA MARKETS</h2>



The Kenyan shilling was stable against the dollar on Thursday, data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) showed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-africa-markets">AFRICA MARKETS</h2>



The Kenyan, Ugandan, Nigerian and Ghanaian currencies are expected to be broadly stable against the dollar in the next week to Thursday, while Zambia&#8217;s is seen under pressure, traders said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kenya-imf">KENYA IMF</h2>



The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday that Kenya&#8217;s cash shortage requires a new spending strategy as it confirmed the government requested a new program.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-sudan-britain">SOUTH SUDAN BRITAIN</h2>



Britain on Thursday advised its citizens in South Sudan to leave the country following rising tensions that have brought the East African nation to the brink of renewed civil war.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chad-migration">CHAD MIGRATION</h2>



The U.S. embassy in Chad has suspended the issuance of most nonimmigrant visas for 90 days, the State Department said on Thursday, in the first known international travel restrictions of President Donald Trump&#8217;s second term.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-congo-hunger">CONGO HUNGER</h2>



Twenty-eight million people face acute hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a record for the country, driven by an escalating conflict between the government and Rwandan-backed rebels in the east, the United Nations said on Thursday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-sudan-security">SOUTH SUDAN SECURITY</h2>



The detention of South Sudan&#8217;s First Vice President Riek Machar has effectively collapsed the peace deal that ended the 2013-2018 civil war, his party said on Thursday.



((Compiled by Nairobi Newsroom))

World map with charts and graphs as symbols of global finance

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 28

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4630" height="2929" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GP73G3YF7FNEDCJIJEBMT334WM.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602772"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kenya&#8217;s Opposition leader Raila Odinga addresses delegates after signing a memorandum of understanding between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) with President William Ruto, to pursue proposed reforms under the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) talks, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Kenya March 7, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, March 28 (Reuters) &#8211; Kenya is sending former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to South Sudan as a special envoy to help defuse a growing rift between President Salva Kiir and his longtime rival First Vice President Riek Machar, which threatens to drag the country back to war.



Machar was put under house arrest in the capital Juba on Wednesday night, according to his party, effectively voiding a 2018 peace deal that ended a five-year civil war and brought the two men into a fragile power-sharing government.



Their administration has been slow to adopt key provisions of the peace pact, such as national elections and the unification of their two forces into one army.



Machar&#8217;s detention took the country &#8220;one step closer to the edge of collapse into civil war&#8221;, a spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday.



Machar&#8217;s party denies government accusations that it backs the White Army, an ethnic militia largely comprising Nuer youths, which clashed with the army in the northeastern town of Nasir this month, triggering the latest crisis.



In response to the fighting, Kiir&#8217;s forces rounded up several of Machar&#8217;s most senior allies, including the petroleum minister and the deputy head of the army.



Forces loyal to the two men have clashed in recent days outside Juba and elsewhere.



Kenyan President William Ruto, who chairs the East African Community (EAC) bloc, said he had spoken with Kiir about Machar&#8217;s detention, and was sending a special envoy to help de-escalate the situation and report back.



Odinga&#8217;s spokesperson, Dennis Onyango, confirmed that the former prime minister would travel to Juba on Friday.



Machar&#8217;s spokesperson, Puok Both Baluang, said Odinga&#8217;s appointment was a welcome gesture &#8220;as long as it is in line with de-escalation of the situation&#8221;.



&#8220;(Machar) is fine, but nothing changes. He&#8217;s still under house arrest,&#8221; Baluang told Reuters by telephone.



Ruto said he had also consulted Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who sent troops this month to South Sudan at the government&#8217;s request to help secure the capital, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, which has hosted South Sudan peace talks in the past.



The African Union said it was sending a &#8220;Panel of the Wise&#8221;, a group of five &#8220;highly respected African personalities&#8221;, to help calm the situation.



Rival factions loyal to Kiir and Machar fought a civil war from 2013 to 2018 that killed hundreds of thousands.



(Reporting by Hereward Holland; Editing by Ammu Kannampilly, Clarence Fernandez and Alex Richardson)

GP73G3YF7FNEDCJIJEBMT334WM

Kenya sends former PM Odinga to defuse South Sudan crisis

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="544" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-820x544.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-479306" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-820x544.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-136x90.jpg 136w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/LYNXMPEG6217H-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Customers queue to draw money from an ATM outside a branch of South Africa&#8217;s Capitec Bank in Johannesburg,South Africa, March 2, 2017. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/Files</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 28 (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa&#8217;s Capitec Bank said on Friday that Group CEO and founding member Gerrie Fourie will retire in July after 11-1/2 years at the helm, and named Graham Lee, the group executive of its retail bank division, as his successor.



Fourie has been on the executive management team for the past 25 years. He become the CEO in January 2014 and will retire at the annual general meeting to be held on July 18.



&#8220;Under his stewardship as CEO, the company transformed from a challenger bank serving 5 million clients in 2014 to South Africa&#8217;s leading digital bank and a diversified financial services company serving over 24 million personal and business clients&#8221;, the lender said in a statement.



Santie Botha, Chairman of Capitec&#8217;s Board added that Fourie has not only facilitated significant growth and innovation &#8220;but has also built a strong and diverse leadership team, poised to carry the group into the future.&#8221;



As the lender diversified over the last four years, Fourie expanded the executive structure to include divisional executive teams responsible for the personal bank, business bank, insurance company, and strategic initiatives.



Lee, 50, has been a member of the group executive committee since 2022. He joined Capitec in 2003 and has held numerous strategic positions in credit, technology and data, and personal bank operations.



Basani Maluleke will succeed Graham Lee as group executive for the personal bank division, Capitec said.



(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla in Johannesburg, additional reporting by Yamini Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and David Evans)

Customers queue to draw money from an ATM outside a branch of South Africa’s Capitec Bank in Johannesburg,South Africa

South Africa’s Capitec Bank CEO Gerrie Fourie to retire in July

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="541" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-820x541.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-425628" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-820x541.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-300x198.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-136x90.jpg 136w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-768x507.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-1536x1013.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/E2LAHPZEEFN6VLWP7WHSXPENYQ-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: The logo of South Africa&#8217;s central reserve bank is seen during the delivery of a keynote address by South Africa&#8217;s central bank governor, Lesetja Kganyago, at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 27 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa recorded foreign direct investment inflows of 7.5 billion rand ($411.76 million) in the fourth quarter, compared to outflows of 3.2 billion in the third quarter, central bank data showed on Thursday.



The South African Reserve Bank said in its Quarterly Bulletin that the inflows were due to increased equity investment in domestic subsidiaries by non-resident parent companies.



Portfolio investments recorded smaller inflows of 33.4 billion rand in October-December, compared to inflows of 45.6 billion rand in the third quarter.



&#8220;Non-residents&#8217; net acquisition of debt securities, which included the proceeds from national government&#8217;s issuance of two international bonds amounting to $3.5 billion, outweighed their disposal of equity securities,&#8221; the central bank said.



($1 = 18.2144 rand)



(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning)

FILE PHOTO: South Africa’s central bank governor to delivers keynote address

South Africa shifts to FDI inflows in fourth quarter, central bank says

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="612" height="357" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1030878162-612x612-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-400669" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1030878162-612x612-1.jpg 612w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1030878162-612x612-1-300x175.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">World map with charts and graphs as symbols of global finance</figcaption></figure>



March 27 (Reuters) &#8211; The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Thursday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-events">EVENTS:</h2>



Sierra Leone is expected to announce its rate decision.



Zimbabwe&#8217;s statistics agency releases March inflation data.



Namibia&#8217;s finance minister presents the budget for the fiscal year starting on April 1 2025.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-markets">GLOBAL MARKETS</h2>



Global stocks fell on Thursday, led by heavy losses in Japan and South Korea, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on auto imports, with European stock futures also pointing to a lower open.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-world-oil-prices">WORLD OIL PRICES</h2>



Oil prices edged up on Thursday on concerns about tighter global supply after U.S. tariff threats on Venezuelan oil buyers and earlier sanctions on Iranian oil buyers, while traders weighed the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s auto tariffs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-africa-markets">SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS</h2>



South Africa&#8217;s rand opened stronger on Thursday, ahead of the release of a quarterly bulletin by the central bank and monthly producer inflation figures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kenya-markets">KENYA MARKETS</h2>



The Kenyan shilling was stable on Wednesday, supported by foreign-currency inflows from the diaspora and tea exports, traders said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-sudan-security">SOUTH SUDAN SECURITY</h2>



The United States on Thursday called on South Sudan President Salva Kiir to release his rival First Vice President Riek Machar who was reportedly under house arrest, saying it was time the country&#8217;s leaders demonstrated their commitment to peace.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nigeria-security">NIGERIA SECURITY</h2>



Suspected Islamist fighters launched a coordinated attack on an army base and a military outpost in Nigeria&#8217;s northeastern Borno State, killing at least 16 people, security sources told Reuters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-senegal-economy">SENEGAL ECONOMY</h2>



The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday called for Senegal to streamline tax exemptions and phase out costly energy subsidies as part of &#8220;urgent reforms&#8221; after an audit revealed misreporting of economic data.



((Compiled by Nairobi Newsroom))

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 27

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="5000" height="3243" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/PMUHNUWJO5JCDIURCOV3C2CCAY.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602355"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A used Mini Cooper electric car is seen for sale outside the showroom of a used car dealer in Manchester, Britain, October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File photo</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, March 27 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom will on Tuesday hear arguments to overturn a judgment that could cost Britain&#8217;s financial industry billions of pounds in fresh legal costs and potential customer compensation.



The Court of Appeal ruled in October that it was unlawful for lenders to pay commissions to motor dealers without a customer&#8217;s informed consent, triggering speculation about the nature and scale of possible remedies for affected borrowers.



Lloyds Banking Group, Close Brothers and Santander UK SANS have together already set aside more than 1.5 billion pounds ($1.9 billion) to cover potential compensation claims.



Some analysts say the fallout could be the costliest for banks since they paid almost 40 billion pounds in compensation to customers for mis-selling payment protection insurance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-will-the-supreme-court-consider">WHAT WILL THE SUPREME COURT CONSIDER?</h2>



Reviewing three earlier claims &#8211; two against South African lender FirstRand and one against Britain&#8217;s Close Brothers &#8211; the Supreme Court will decide the extent of car dealers&#8217; legal responsibility to provide appropriate information to consumers when also acting as credit brokers.



Assuming a duty of care is owed, the court is also expected to rule whether commissions paid by lenders to car dealers were &#8220;secret&#8221; or insufficiently disclosed, and whether lenders are liable as accessories for procuring the credit brokers&#8217; breach of duty.



If lenders are considered liable, and the relationship between lender and consumer is considered &#8220;unfair&#8221; under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, the court will decide what kind of remedy errant lenders have to make.



The Supreme Court&#8217;s judgment is expected in the summer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-might-be-impacted">WHO MIGHT BE IMPACTED?</h2>



The Financial Conduct Authority banned the payment of discretionary motor finance commissions in 2021, eliminating incentives for brokers to hike the interest rate customers pay on their motor finance loans.



But some customers say they were treated unfairly before the ban came into effect, prompting the FCA to launch a probe in January 2024 into historic potential misconduct.



If the Supreme Court rules lenders and brokers should have been more transparent about commissions, the regulator has said it will consult on the structure of a compensation scheme within six weeks.



More than 2 million people a year rely on the motor finance market to buy a car, FCA data shows.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-much-could-banks-have-to-pay">HOW MUCH COULD BANKS HAVE TO PAY?</h2>



Only a handful of UK lenders have motor finance businesses large enough to be materially concerned about the ruling.



These include Lloyds, Close Brothers and Santander UK, which have already made provisions of 1.15 billion pounds, 295 million pounds and 165 million pounds respectively.



But analysts say other types of commissions paid by banks to credit brokers could face scrutiny if the court decides customers must consent to such payments.



Total &#8216;worst case&#8217; industry costs could reach 30 billion pounds, ratings agency Moody&#8217;s said in November.



RBC Capital has estimated a &#8216;base case&#8217; impact on banks and non-banks of almost 18 billion pounds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-might-influence-the-supreme-court-decision">WHAT MIGHT INFLUENCE THE SUPREME COURT DECISION?</h2>



The outcome of another legal dispute, Expert Tooling vs. Engie Power on March 21, could have a bearing on the motor finance ruling.



That case involved Engie supplying electricity to Expert Tooling via an energy broker. The Court of Appeal found that the commission paid to the broker should have been disclosed. However, it did not find Engie an accessory to the broker&#8217;s breach of duty due to the lack of evidence of dishonesty.



Some lawyers say lenders will likely escape significant financial liabilities unless claimants can prove commission payments were concealed or hidden dishonestly.



Others are not so sure, citing key differences between the cases, including that the claimant in Expert Tooling vs Engie was a business, not a consumer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-next-for-the-banking-industry">WHAT NEXT FOR THE BANKING INDUSTRY?</h2>



Several major British banks have signalled an interest in recent months in mergers and acquisitions, but worries about a damaging consumer finance scandal have cast a pall over dealmaking.



Clarity over the ruling and any compensation scheme could unlock cash set aside to cover legal expenses and revive M&amp;A activity, analysts and bankers say.



($1 = 0.7738 pounds)



(Reporting by Sinead Cruise. Editing by Mark Potter)

PMUHNUWJO5JCDIURCOV3C2CCAY

Is Britain on the cusp of another multibillion-pound consumer finance scandal?

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="720" height="504" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/BMQRSYHVQ5KPZEVUFBZAFEVTYQ-1.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-601101"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Delegates walk past the Transnet logo at the Investing in African Mining Indaba 2024 conference in Cape Town, South Africa February 7, 2024. REUTERS/Esa Alexander/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



March 27 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa&#8217;s United National Transport Union (UNTU) said on Thursday it rejected a final wage offer tabled by state-owned logistics group Transnet, which was signed by a smaller union.



Transnet on Thursday announced a three-year pay agreement with the South African Transport and Allied Workers&#8217; Union (SATAWU) to replace the current wage deal which expires on March 31. SATAWU confirmed the agreement in a separate statement.



Under the deal agreed with SATAWU, Transnet will implement 6% wage increases in the first two years of the new agreement and a 5.5% raise in the third year.



UNTU, which represents more than half the workforce at Transnet, declared a deadlock in the wage talks, saying it wants a 10% increase across the board and a single-year agreement, among other demands.



&#8220;UNTU is fully prepared to take to the streets and mobilise our 25,000-plus members to secure a liveable, just and fair agreement,&#8221; it said in a statement.



Transnet said it remained &#8220;positive that this offer will be accepted by all employees&#8221;.



&#8220;Transnet considers the offer to be reasonable and fair given the current financial and operational challenges,&#8221; the firm said.



(Reporting by Nelson Banya; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)

BMQRSYHVQ5KPZEVUFBZAFEVTYQ (1)

Transnet’s major union rejects wage deal agreed by rival

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3605" height="2572" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/57G3VEKNUJPP3CRC4HB3EXGSLY.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602039"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A satellite images shows the presidential palace, in Khartoum, Sudan, March 21, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



DUBAI, March 26 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The Sudanese army is encircling Khartoum airport, two military sources told Reuters on Wednesday, as it battles to oust its rival Rapid Support Forces from a last foothold in the capital, though the war looks far from over.



The army seized the presidential palace in downtown Khartoum after fighting on Friday, an important symbolic advance after two years of a conflict that is splitting the massive country into rival zones of control.



On Wednesday, the army said it had gained control of Tiba al-Hassanab camp south of the capital, which it described as the RSF&#8217;s last base in central Sudan and last stronghold in Khartoum State.



The military sources said the army was encircling the airport, which is located in the city centre, and surrounding areas. Witnesses said the RSF had focused its troops in southern Khartoum, apparently to secure their withdrawal from the city via bridges to the neighbouring city of Omdurman.



Recent army gains in central Sudan, retaking districts of the capital and other territory, come as the RSF has consolidated its control in the west, hardening battle lines and threatening to move the country towards a de facto partition.



The war, which erupted two years ago as the country was attempting a democratic transition, has caused what the U.N. calls the world&#8217;s largest humanitarian crisis, with famine in several areas as well as outbreaks of disease.



It has driven 12.5 million people from their homes, many of them seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eruption-of-warfare">ERUPTION OF WARFARE</h2>



The army and RSF had at one point been in a fragile partnership together, jointly staging a coup in 2021 that derailed the transition from the Islamist rule of Omar al-Bashir, a longtime autocrat who was ousted in 2019.



They had also fought on the same side for years in the western state of Darfur under Bashir&#8217;s government.



The RSF, under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, developed from Darfur&#8217;s janjaweed militias and Bashir developed the group as a counterweight to the army, led by career officer Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.



After they seized power together in 2021, the two sides clashed over an internationally backed plan aimed at launching a new transition with civilian parties that would require them both to cede powers.



Major points of dispute included a timetable for the RSF to integrate into the regular armed forces, the chain of command between army and RSF leaders, and the question of civilian oversight.



When fighting broke out, Sudan&#8217;s army had better resources including air power. However, the RSF was more deeply embedded in neighbourhoods across Khartoum and was able to hold much of the capital in an initial, devastating burst of warfare.



The RSF also made rapid advances to gain control of its main stronghold of Darfur and over El Gezira state, south of Khartoum, a big farming area.



With the army now re-establishing its position in the capital, it is making a new push to cement its control in the centre of Sudan.



(Reporting by Khalid Abdulaziz and Tala Ramadan; Writing by Jana Choukeir and Angus McDowall; Editing by Toby Chopra, Frances Kerry and Alex Richardson)

57G3VEKNUJPP3CRC4HB3EXGSLY

Sudan army surrounds Khartoum airport, sources say, in battle for capital

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1080" height="782" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/KJPI5CCCKBMFFMGZUYUMW4RVBE.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-602002"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Duke of Sussex visits the Kasane Health Post, run by the Sentebale charity, in Kasane, Botswana, September 26, 2019. Dominic Lipinski/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, March 26 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Britain&#8217;s Prince Harry said he was &#8220;in shock&#8221; after quitting as a patron of Sentebale, a British charity he set up to help young people with HIV and Aids in Lesotho and Botswana, following a row between trustees and the chair of the board.



Harry, the younger son of King Charles, co-founded Sentebale in 2006 in honour of his mother Princess Diana nine years after she was killed in a Paris car crash. Sentebale means &#8216;forget-me-not&#8217; in the local language of Lesotho in southern Africa.



Co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, as well as the board of trustees, joined Harry in leaving Sentebale following a dispute with chair Sophie Chandauka, who has taken legal action to try to retain her position.



&#8220;It is devastating that the relationship between the charity&#8217;s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation,&#8221; Harry and Seeiso said in a joint statement published on Sky News on Wednesday.



Harry, who lives in California with his wife Meghan and two children, stopped working as a member of the royal family in 2020. He has been heavily involved in causes in Africa for many years and visited Nigeria last year.



The trustees had acted in the best interests of the charity in asking the chair to step down, the joint statement said.



&#8220;Although we may no longer be Patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care,&#8221; it added.



Reuters has contacted Britain&#8217;s Charity Commission and Sentebale for comment.



(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate Mayberry)

KJPI5CCCKBMFFMGZUYUMW4RVBE

UK’s Prince Harry ‘in shock’ after quitting his African Aids charity

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="573" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-820x573.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-601968" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-820x573.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-300x210.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-129x90.jpg 129w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-768x537.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-1536x1074.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/QS64ZYEOH5M5XIIVOXIAGD6OTY-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Delegates walk past the MTN logo at the Investing in African Mining Indaba 2024 conference in Cape Town, South Africa February 7, 2024. REUTERS/Esa Alexander/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 26 (Reuters) &#8211; MTN Group and Airtel Africa have struck a deal to share mobile phone network infrastructure in Uganda and Nigeria, they said on Wednesday, aiming to save on investments while still increasing service coverage.



Mobile operators in Africa are seeing sustained demand for digital and financial services, but building and maintaining networks are expensive, especially for fast 5G connections.



&#8220;There are opportunities within regulatory frameworks for sharing resources to drive higher (operational) efficiencies and improve returns,&#8221; MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita said in a statement.



Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said the agreement would avoid duplication of expensive infrastructure.



Sharing infrastructure allows operators to extend their network coverage more quickly, especially in rural or less densely-populated areas where it might not be economically viable to build separate networks.



Following the conclusion of agreements in Uganda and Nigeria, MTN and Airtel Africa will explore various opportunities in other markets, including Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda and Zambia, the companies said.



Among the deals under consideration are radio access network sharing, the largest portion of the cost in network deployment and operation; commercial and technical agreements for fibre infrastructure sharing; and, if necessary, the construction of fibre networks, they added.



&#8220;This engagement does not preclude the parties from collaborating with other operators in any respective market,&#8221; the companies said.



(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by Mark Potter)

Investing in African Mining Indaba 2024 conference in Cape Town

MTN Group and Airtel Africa agree to share networks in Uganda and Nigeria

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/101416618-rand-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-373504" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/101416618-rand-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/101416618-rand-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/101416618-rand-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/101416618-rand-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/101416618-rand-scaled.jpg 2048w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/101416618-rand-1110x740.jpg 1110w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/101416618-rand-696x464.jpg 696w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/101416618-rand-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/101416618-rand-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/101416618-rand-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 26 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa&#8217;s rand edged higher early on Wednesday, as investors mulled over U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s reciprocal tariff plans which they fear will cause an economic slowdown.



At 0707 GMT, the rand traded at 18.25 against the dollar, about 0.2% stronger than its previous closing level.



The dollar&nbsp;=USD&nbsp;was little changed against a basket of currencies.



Investors feared that Trump&#8217;s reciprocal tariffs, expected to take effect on April 2, are likely to be inflationary, potentially slowing economic growth and intensifying trade tensions.



However, Trump said on Monday that not all of his threatened duties would be imposed next week and some countries may get breaks.



&#8220;Increasingly, one gets the sense that the US economy is slowing and that the Trump administration does not want to exacerbate a downturn through the harsh imposition of tariffs,&#8221; ETM Analytics said in a research note.



Like other risk sensitive currencies, the rand often takes cues from global drivers like U.S. policies and economic data, in the absence of major local drivers.



On the stock market, the Top-40 index was up about 0.1%.



South Africa&#8217;s benchmark 2030 government bond was marginally stronger in early deals, with the yield down 0.5 basis point to 9.14%.



(Reporting by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Andrew Heavens)

101416618-rand

South African rand gains amid unease over Trump’s tariff plans

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="612" height="357" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1030878162-612x612-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-400669" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1030878162-612x612-1.jpg 612w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/istockphoto-1030878162-612x612-1-300x175.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">World map with charts and graphs as symbols of global finance</figcaption></figure>



March 26 (Reuters) &#8211; The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Wednesday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-events">EVENTS:</h2>



Kenya&#8217;s Finance Minister John Mbadi will launch the government&#8217;s medium term strategy, laying out his plans to keep the government afloat amid high debt service costs and squeezed revenues.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-markets">GLOBAL MARKETS</h2>



Asian stocks followed Wall Street higher on Wednesday and the U.S. dollar meandered as markets awaited clarity on President Donald Trump&#8217;s trade policy ahead of a new round of tariffs next week.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-world-oil-prices">WORLD OIL PRICES</h2>



Oil prices climbed on Wednesday in early Asia trade on concerns of tighter supplies after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs against countries importing oil and gas from Venezuela and after U.S. crude inventories fell more than expected.



South Africa&#8217;s rand gained on Monday as investors awaited clarity on the next round of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kenya-markets">KENYA MARKETS</h2>



The Kenyan shilling was stable on Tuesday, supported by inflows of foreign exchange from several sectors including horticulture, traders said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sudan-politics">SUDAN POLITICS</h2>



A Sudanese paramilitary force locked in a war with the army has placed new constraints on aid deliveries to territories where it is seeking to cement its control, including areas where famine is spreading, humanitarian workers say.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-congo-security">CONGO SECURITY</h2>



Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo battled militiamen allied with the government on Tuesday as regional countries tried to give fresh impetus to faltering peace initiatives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-sudan-security">SOUTH SUDAN SECURITY</h2>



South Sudan&#8217;s First Vice President Riek Machar has accused Uganda of violating a United Nations arms embargo by entering the country with armoured and air force units, and conducting airstrikes there.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-burundi-security">BURUNDI SECURITY</h2>



Burundi&#8217;s President Evariste Ndayishimiye said he had seen &#8220;credible intelligence&#8221; that Rwanda has a plan to attack his country, whose forces have battled Rwandan-backed rebels in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.



((Compiled by Nairobi Newsroom))

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 26

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GA7DA74QSJKXFKRCPNMRKUIEWI-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-601938" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GA7DA74QSJKXFKRCPNMRKUIEWI-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GA7DA74QSJKXFKRCPNMRKUIEWI-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GA7DA74QSJKXFKRCPNMRKUIEWI-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GA7DA74QSJKXFKRCPNMRKUIEWI-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GA7DA74QSJKXFKRCPNMRKUIEWI-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/GA7DA74QSJKXFKRCPNMRKUIEWI.jpg 2027w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Roasted coffee beans are seen on display in Bogota, Colombia June 5, 2019. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/</figcaption></figure>



KAMPALA, March 26 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The volume of Uganda&#8217;s coffee exports rose 27.9% in February, compared to the same month a year ago, as high prices pushed traders to release larger quantities from their inventories, the agriculture ministry has said.



Uganda is Africa&#8217;s largest coffee exporter followed by Ethiopia, and primarily cultivates the robusta variety.



In February, the east African country shipped 555,756 60-kilogram bags of coffee, which was 27.9% more than the same month last year, the ministry of agriculture said in a report published late on Tuesday.



Uganda earned $167.7 million from coffee exports in February, more than double received during the same period last year, the ministry said.



&#8220;The prevailing high prices at the international scene prompted exporters to release their stocks,&#8221; the report said.



Uganda earned $1.7 billion from exports in the twelve months to February, compared to around $1 billion in the previous year, according to the ministry.



(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Hereward Holland and Eileen Soreng)

GA7DA74QSJKXFKRCPNMRKUIEWI

Uganda’s February coffee exports jump 28% y/y on high prices

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="4012" height="2932" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/4MJWUG2Y4BLLRMY5UP5QQD5V6Y.avif" alt="" class="wp-image-601607"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Women walk past a PEP Home store in Johannesburg, South Africa, November, 22, 2022. REUTERS/Sumaya Hisham/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 25 (Reuters) &#8211; South Africa&#8217;s Pepkor said on Tuesday it will buy fashion businesses Legit, Swagga and Style and homewares brand Boardmans from privately owned retail group Retailability, as part of its expansion into the adult clothing market.



Pepkor, which also sells electronics and furniture, already owns the PEP and Ackermans clothing brands which have given it a dominant share of the children&#8217;s clothing and school uniform markets in South Africa.



The total purchase consideration payable on the closing of the proposed deal represents less than 2% of Pepkor&#8217;s market capitalisation subject to relevant net working capital adjustments, Pepkor said in a statement. It will be settled in cash



According to LSEG data, Pepkor&#8217;s market capitalisation was 97 billion rand ($5 billion) at Monday&#8217;s close, making the deal worth around 1.94 billion rand, or $107 million.



The businesses to be bought by Pepkor operate 462 stores across South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Eswatini. They will be incorporated into Pepkor&#8217;s Speciality business unit, which has 941 stores across the same countries.



&#8220;The proposed transaction will add significant additional scale to Pepkor Speciality and expand its product offering in the adult market, especially in womenswear through the Legit brand,&#8221; Pepkor said.



Pepkor has been growing its adultwear categories over the past year through the recent acquisition of Choice Clothing and the launch of its new Ayana womenswear brand.



Retailability, which sells affordable apparel and lifestyle products across a number of brands in Southern Africa, bought department store chain Edgars from struggling parent Edcon in 2020 after it entered into a form of bankruptcy protection.



The Edgars, Edgars Beauty, Red Square, Kelso and Keedo businesses will continue to be operated by Retailability, Pepkor said.



($1 = 18.2675 rand)



(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by Joe Bavier)

4MJWUG2Y4BLLRMY5UP5QQD5V6Y

South Africa’s Pepkor to buy Retailability adult clothing businesses

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="461" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-2-820x461.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-400641" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-2-820x461.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1x-1-2-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A collection of mixed denomination South African rand coins sit in an arranged photo in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. South Africas inflation rate rose for the first time this year in May after food-price growth quickened from the slowest pace since December 2015. Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, March 25 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa&#8217;s rand edged higher early on Tuesday as markets focussed on U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs and awaited the country&#8217;s key indicator data due later in the day.



At 0608 GMT, the rand traded at 18.23 against the U.S. dollar, about 0.2% stronger than Monday&#8217;s close.



Local investors will focus on South Africa&#8217;s leading indicator for January at 0700 GMT, which collects data on vehicle sales, business confidence, money supply and other factors in Africa&#8217;s most industrialised economy.



The dollar was little changed against a basket of currencies as investors awaited clarity on the next round of Trump tariffs expected to take effect on April 2.



South Africa&#8217;s benchmark 2030 government bond was slightly weaker, with the yield up 2 basis points to 9.155%.



(Reporting by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Tannur Anders and Sumana Nandy)

Reuters

West African juntas impose levy on imported goods

Sudanese on Nile island in capital recount paramilitary repression

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 28

Kenya sends former PM Odinga to defuse South Sudan crisis

South Africa’s Capitec Bank CEO Gerrie Fourie to retire in July

South Africa shifts to FDI inflows in fourth quarter, central bank says

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 27

Is Britain on the cusp of another multibillion-pound consumer finance scandal?

Transnet’s major union rejects wage deal agreed by rival

Sudan army surrounds Khartoum airport, sources say, in battle for capital

UK’s Prince Harry ‘in shock’ after quitting his African Aids charity

MTN Group and Airtel Africa agree to share networks in Uganda and Nigeria

South African rand gains amid unease over Trump’s tariff plans

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 26

Uganda’s February coffee exports jump 28% y/y on high prices

South Africa’s Pepkor to buy Retailability adult clothing businesses

South African rand firms as markets await leading indicator data

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Reuters

West African juntas impose levy on imported goods

Sudanese on Nile island in capital recount paramilitary repression

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 28

Kenya sends former PM Odinga to defuse South Sudan crisis

South Africa’s Capitec Bank CEO Gerrie Fourie to retire in July

South Africa shifts to FDI inflows in fourth quarter, central bank says

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 27

Is Britain on the cusp of another multibillion-pound consumer finance scandal?

Transnet’s major union rejects wage deal agreed by rival

Sudan army surrounds Khartoum airport, sources say, in battle for capital

UK’s Prince Harry ‘in shock’ after quitting his African Aids charity

MTN Group and Airtel Africa agree to share networks in Uganda and Nigeria

South African rand gains amid unease over Trump’s tariff plans

African Markets – Factors to watch on March 26

Uganda’s February coffee exports jump 28% y/y on high prices

South Africa’s Pepkor to buy Retailability adult clothing businesses

South African rand firms as markets await leading indicator data

News Tips

Advertise With Us

Newsletters