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Egypt’s inflation unexpectedly accelerated to 26.2% in August

Published

1 week ago

September 10, 2024

Egypt’s annual urban inflation rate unexpectedly rose to 26.2% in August from 25.7% in July, according to figures from the CAPMAS statistics agency released on Tuesday.

Prices rose 2.1% month on month, outpacing a 0.4% increase in July. Food prices increased by 1.8% in August, after falling by 0.3% in July, and were 29.0% higher than a year ago.

According to a poll of 19 economists, August urban inflation is anticipated to drop to a median of 25.1%.

Sara Saada of CI Capital was one of the few analysts who forecast that inflation would rise.

“We expected this, as the August reading reflects energy price hikes that were announced in the last week of July. This included diesel, that has a broad-based effect,” she said, speaking to Reuters after the figure was announced.

Prices have risen in the last month due to rising summer product prices, 10-15% fuel hikes around the end of July, a 25-33% increase in metro tickets at the beginning of August, and a 21-31% increase in energy bills, partially in August.

Inflation has been progressively dropping since September’s record high of 38.0%, and the central bank’s real overnight borrowing rate, at 27.25%, became positive in July for the first time since January 2022.

Egypt is one of Africa’s largest economies. In 2022, it ranked second after Nigeria, with a GDP of over 475 billion US dollars.

Although many economies throughout the world experienced contractions owing to the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, the country maintained a positive real GDP growth rate over the same period.

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Botswana grants a mining permit for its first manganese operation

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Giyani Metals, Botswana’s first manufacturer of manganese suitable for batteries, revealed that the country had granted it a 15-year mining permit.

The demand for manganese, a crucial component of batteries, is anticipated to rise due to the rise in electric vehicles and other clean energy applications.

One of the few battery-grade manganese projects outside of China is Giyani’s Kgwakwe Hill (K.Hill) project, which will process manganese oxide material on-site to generate high-purity manganese sulphate. 90% of the world’s supply of high-purity manganese is controlled by this Asian nation.

An early economic study from 2023 states that the K. Hill mine will produce 80,000 metric tonnes of high-quality manganese sulphate monohydrate annually throughout a 57-year life.

“The next step is production of battery-grade manganese from our demonstration plant, which is under construction in Johannesburg, South Africa,” the Canadian company said in a statement.

It further stated that the product from the demonstration facility will be utilised for off-taker qualification, an essential stage before the signing of offtake agreements.

The diamond industry is very important to Botswana, which produces the most diamonds globally in terms of value. The gem industry accounts for 30% of national income and 70% of foreign exchange earnings.

The nation wants to diversify its mining industry by using resources including iron ore, nickel, copper, and coal.

The nation is home to three active copper mines in addition to its two active coal mines.

The demand for battery metals like manganese is predicted to decrease the nation’s dependency on diamonds as a result of the growing need for green minerals worldwide brought on by the energy transition.

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Ghana records fastest growth in 5 years as GDP expands by 6.9% in Q2 2024

Published

1 day ago

September 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Ghana has recorded its strongest rate of economic growth in five years in the second quarter of 2024, with the country’s statistics agency reporting on Thursday that the country’s GDP expanded by 6.9% year over year.

The country, which is a top producer of cocoa, oil, and gold has been battling the greatest economic crisis in a generation as a result of spiralling public debt, the robust rise signifies a noteworthy comeback.

“The 6.9% growth rate is the highest since the second quarter of 2019 and it was driven largely by strong expansion in the extractive sector, just as we saw in the second quarter of 2019,” government statistician Samuel Kobina Annim said.

Mining and quarrying contributed to the 9.3% growth in Ghana’s overall industry sector, while the gold sector climbed by 23.6% during the quarter for the third time in a row. Agriculture expanded 5.4%, but the services sector grew by 5.8%, according to Annim.

However, the cocoa sector shrank by 26.2% for the fourth consecutive quarter, underscoring the effects of a persistent drop in crop output brought on by disease and unfavourable weather.

The West African state is benefiting further from the economic recovery as it restructures its debt. After striking a preliminary restructuring agreement with two bondholder groups, it has extended an invitation to holders of its about $13 billion worth of international bonds to exchange their holdings for new instruments.

Bondholders can accept the offer until September 30. However, there will be a 1% consent fee for those who accept it before an early deadline of September 20.