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December 20, 2017

How big are African pension funds?

According to a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, “Africa Asset Management 2020” (get your copy here) total assets under management in 12 selected Africa countries were $293 billion in 2008, more than doubling to $634bn by 2014. They are forecast at $1.1 trillion in 2020. (The 12 countries are: South Africa, Morocco, Mauritius, Namibia; Egypt, Kenya, Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria; Angola, Algeria, Tunisia).

Pensions are increasingly important as many countries set up and grow pension schemes. Mauritius and Ghana are examples of countries with 3-pillar pension systems and some countries are starting to revise their regulations to allow pension funds to invest more widely than just into domestic bonds, money market and equities

By Tom Minney

September 27, 2017

Do African commodities exchanges achieve the desired results?

The Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) was set up with backing from the Ethiopian Government. In a very readable 2012 paper by the founder and first CEO Eleni Gabre-Madhin outlining the origins, aims and implementation of ECX, she mentions the Government backing in replacing laws so that trade in commodities including coffee (which makes up 35% of Ethiopia’s exports from 2000-2014), has to go through the exchange, and the determined resistance from those who had previously dominated the export trade.