Companies shy away from Long-Term Debt as Economy Sags

South Africa companies are becoming reluctant to raise long-term funding as the country’s economic outlook deteriorates, according to Standard Bank Group, Africa’s biggest arranger of corporate bonds.

 

About 74% of corporate bonds issued in South Africa had maturities of three years or less, compared with 42% in 2014, Standard Bank data showed. Debt with maturities of five and seven years dropped to 26% of total sales excluding issuance by banks, from 54% last year.

COCOBOD to help Bridge Global Cocoa Neutralise deficit

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is confident measures put in place to raise national cocoa production figures will soon translate into increased output to bridge the global cocoa deficit. The deficit is expected to peak at one million tonnes by 2020, which, if not checked, could cause prices of the beans to skyrocket.
However, with special yield-boosting initiatives such as the free distribution of hybrid cocoa seedlings, luring of youth into cocoa farming and the free distribution of fertilisers and other inputs, COCOBOD, which regulates the country’s cocoa sector, said its estimates showed that Ghana’s annual figures would rise in the next few years and subsequently neutralise the deficit.

FBN gives value Shareholder Maximizes Admission to Premium Board -Report

First Bank Nigeria Holdings Plc (FBNH) has maximized the value of owners with its admission to the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) new listing platform, the Premium Board and the associated Premium Board Index (PBI).

 

The board aims at providing a platform for greater global visibility for eligible African corporates to make it easier for them to attract global capital flows and reduce the cost of funding.

Malware threats on the rise as hackers target e-banking platforms

Malware targeting banking apps and websites on mobile devices are on the rise as the online transaction industry continues to evolve in Nigeria.

Fraud in the Nigerian payments system and also on a global scale has been on the rise over the past few years as technological advances continue to impact on the way we transact.

SunPower Puts Total on the Cutting Edge of Solar

Today, the world is facing a dual challenge: meeting global energy needs and finding ways to solve climate change by emitting less carbon. At Total, we know we can do both, by diversifying the kinds of energy we use. That’s why we are actively involved in solar photovoltaics¹ through our majority interest in SunPower, the world’s second-largest solar energy company. SunPower’s solar panels are 

among the most reliable and efficient in the world, with a conversion rate of 21.5%.