<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-524644" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/UGANDA-SHILLING-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Uganda shillings. Uganda. (Photo by: Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



KAMPALA, Nov 13 (Reuters) &#8211; The Ugandan shilling stable on Wednesday, although it was expected to strengthen, lifted by dollar inflows from remittances, traders said.



At 0719 GMT, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 3,665/3,675, compared with Tuesday&#8217;s closing rate of 3,668/3,678.



(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa)

UGANDA SHILLING

Ugandan shilling stable; to firm due to remittance inflows

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="485" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CORIUWLHAJI4LNBBJBT32ZAVTI.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-422769" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CORIUWLHAJI4LNBBJBT32ZAVTI.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CORIUWLHAJI4LNBBJBT32ZAVTI-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CORIUWLHAJI4LNBBJBT32ZAVTI-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kenya Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge displays Kenyan shilling bank notes during a news conference at the Central Bank in Nairobi, Kenya, June 3, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Nov 13 (Reuters) &#8211; The Kenyan shilling weakened slightly against the dollar on Wednesday, one trader said, as the U.S. currency has strengthened globally following the presidential election, increasing local demand.



At 0700 GMT, the shilling traded at 129.00/129.30 to the dollar, compared to Tuesday&#8217;s closing rate of 128.50/129.50.



&#8220;We&#8217;ve been seeing the dollar appreciate against all currencies globally, including the shilling,&#8221; the trader said.



&#8220;Because of the dollar being attractive we are now seeing investors starting to buy dollars to repatriate them back to the U.S. markets.&#8221;



(Reporting by Sonia Rao; Editing by George Obulutsa)

Kenya Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge displays the newly designed Kenyan shilling bank notes during a news conference at the Central Bank in Nairobi

Kenyan shilling weakens slightly as dollar demand increases

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="615" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-820x615.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-553691" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-820x615.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-120x90.jpg 120w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZTA2SOQSIFIDVMFOYKRV5C5I24-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Zainab Abubakar eats cooked food with her children at Gubio IDP camp in Maiduguri, Nigeria October 28, 2024. REUTERS/Abraham Achirga</figcaption></figure>



GUBIO, Nigeria, Nov 13 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Unrelenting price rises and a brutal insurgency had already made it hard for Nigerians in northeastern Borno State to feed their families. When a dam collapsed in September, flooding the state capital and surrounding farmland, many people ran out of options.



Now they queue for handouts in camps for those displaced by fighting between extremist Boko Haram rebels and the military. When those run out, they seek work on local farms where they risk being killed or raped by local bandits.



&#8220;I can&#8217;t even cry anymore. I&#8217;m too tired,&#8221; said Indo Usman, who tried to start again in the state capital Maiduguri, rearing animals for the two annual Muslim holy days, after years of repeatedly fleeing rebel attacks in rural Borno.



The flood washed that all away, driving her, her husband and their six children to a bare room at Gubio, an unfinished housing project about 96 km (60 miles) northwest of Maiduguri that has become a displacement camp.



Torrential rains and floods in 29 of Nigeria&#8217;s 36 states this year have destroyed more than 1.5 million hectares of cropland, affecting more than nine million people, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.



Climate change is a factor, as is Nigeria&#8217;s poorly maintained or non-existent infrastructure as well as vulnerabilities caused by the weakening Naira currency and the scrapping of a government fuel subsidy.



The cost of staples like rice and beans has doubled, tripled or even quadrupled in a year, depending on location &#8212; an unmanageable shock for millions of poor families.



Mass kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and conflict between farmers and pastoralists in the central belt, traditionally the nation&#8217;s bread basket, have also disrupted agriculture and squeezed food supplies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hungriest-of-the-hungry">&#8216;HUNGRIEST OF THE HUNGRY&#8217;</h2>



Roughly 40% of Nigeria&#8217;s more than 200 million people live below the international poverty line of $2.15 per person per day, the World Bank estimates.



Already, 25 million people live in acute food and nutrition insecurity &#8211; putting their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger, according to a joint analysis by the government and U.N. agencies. That number is expected to rise to 33 million by next June-August.



&#8220;The food crisis in Nigeria is immense because what we are seeing is a crisis within a crisis within a crisis,&#8221; said Trust Mlambo, head of programme for the northeast at the World Food Programme, in an interview with Reuters in Maiduguri.



With international donors focused on emergencies in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, Mlambo said there was not enough funding to fully meet Nigeria&#8217;s growing need for food aid.



&#8220;We are really prioritising the hungriest of the hungry,&#8221; he said.



In Borno, the Alau dam, upriver from Maiduguri, gave way on Sept. 9, four days after state officials had told the public it was secure. Local residents and engineers had been warning that it was under strain.



Hundreds of people were killed in the resulting flood, according to aid workers who did not wish to be identified for fear of offending the state government. A spokesperson for the state government did not respond to requests for comment.



Zainab Abubakar, a self-employed tailor in the city who lived in relative comfort with her husband and six children in a house with a refrigerator, was awoken at midnight by water rushing into her bedroom.



They ran for their lives while the flood destroyed their house and carried everything away, including her sewing machine. Now, they are sheltering at Gubio and collecting rice from aid agencies in a plastic bucket.



&#8220;There is no alternative,&#8221; she said.



In Banki, on Nigeria&#8217;s border with Cameroon about 133 km (83 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, Mariam Hassan lost crops of maize, pepper and then okra in repeated flooding of her subsistence farm this year, leaving her with nothing to eat or sell.



&#8220;I beg the neighbours or relatives to give me food, not even for me but for my children, for us to survive,&#8221; said Hassan, who has eight children. &#8220;The situation has turned me into a beggar.&#8221;



(Additional reporting by Ahmed Kingimi and MacDonald Dzirutwe; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Philippa Fletcher)

More Nigerians face hunger as floods worsen impact of inflation, conflict

Millions of Nigerians go hungry as floods compound hardship

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="612" height="408" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-524583" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1.jpg 612w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Nov 13 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The following equity and currency market moves may affect South African markets on Wednesday.



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



South Africa&#8217;s rand hit a three-month low on Tuesday, hurt by a stronger dollar and weaker gold prices, as markets grappled with what another Donald Trump presidency will mean for U.S. policy and trade relations.



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



Asian stocks slumped on Wednesday as a sharp rise in U.S. bond yields unnerved investors ahead of key inflation data that could inform the pace of Federal Reserve policy easing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wall-street">WALL STREET</h2>



Wall Street&#8217;s three major indexes closed lower on Tuesday as investors booked some profits from a post-election rally and waited anxiously for U.S. inflation data due this week.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gold">GOLD</h2>



Gold prices edged up on Wednesday as investors sought bargains after steep declines in the previous session, while the spotlight shifted to U.S. inflation data, which could shed more light on the Federal Reserve&#8217;s path for monetary policy.



&#8211; &#8211; &#8211; &#8211;



Some of the main stories out in the South African press:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-business-day">BUSINESS DAY</h2>



&#8211; Coalition govt aims to review bilateral trade agreements



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fin-24">FIN 24</h2>



&#8211; Tax the rich? Treasury says it is considering a wealth tax



(Compiled by Alexander Winning)

istockphoto-1076949610-612×612-1

South African Markets – Factors to watch on Nov 13

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/WTO-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-553664" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/WTO-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/WTO-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/WTO-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/WTO-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/WTO-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/WTO-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (not pictured), co-hosts an event of Women in Leadership with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization in Abuja, Nigeria, May 11, 2024. REUTERS/Marvellous Durowaiye/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



GENEVA, Nov 12 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The World Trade Organization&nbsp;is&nbsp;planning&nbsp;a special meeting of its top decision-making body later this month where a call could be made on the reappointment of its&nbsp;Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a document showed on Tuesday.



Trade sources said such a meeting appeared to be a route that could fast-track the appointment process to avoid any risk of it getting blocked by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, whose teams and allies have criticised both Okonjo-Iweala and the trade watchdog in the past.



The&nbsp;WTO document sent by the General Council chair said the first day of the Nov. 28-29 meeting would allow Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian finance minister, to present her vision for the 166-member organisation and answer delegates&#8217; questions. The second day could provide &#8220;an opportunity for Members to take a decision on the appointment of the next Director-General&#8221;, it said.



Okonjo-Iweala, 70, is the sole candidate for the job and told Reuters she wants to complete &#8220;unfinished business&#8221; from her first term which includes new rules on cutting fishing subsidies and finding a fix for its hobbled appeals court.



Dozens of countries have voiced support in recent WTO meetings for her reappointment after her term expires on Aug. 31,&nbsp;2025. But some have privately observed that the WTO&#8217;s election process, which typically lasts months, could allow for Trump&#8217;s team to oppose her candidacy.



Trump is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20.



In 2020, his administration gave its support to a rival candidate and sought to block her first term. She secured U.S. backing only when President Joe Biden succeeded Trump in the White House.



Those who follow the trade body say it is likely to face a messy, recriminatory period for trade under Trump. He has vowed to impose new tariffs of 10%-20% on global imports and 60% on goods from China, well above the rates it has committed to under WTO rules and upending global trade flows.



Asked about the potential to speed the WTO&#8217;s reappointment of Okonjo-Iweala, Trump&#8217;s transition team responded with a non-specific answer.



&#8220;The American people reelected President Trump because they trust him to lead our country and restore peace through strength around the world. When he returns to the White House, he will take the necessary action to do just that,&#8221; a Trump-Vance transition spokesperson said in an emailed statement.



The U.S. Trade Representative&#8217;s office, still controlled by the Biden administration, declined to comment.



There is no guarantee that WTO members, which approve decisions by consensus, will agree to a second term for Okonjo-Iweala at the November meeting and the chair could opt to postpone the decision, trade sources said.



If they do pursue it, it might backfire, suggested Keith Rockwell, a former WTO director and senior fellow at the Hinrich Foundation. &#8220;Let&#8217;s see how the United States likes being pushed into a corner,&#8221; he said, calling the actions to speed up the appointment process &#8220;unprecedented.&#8221;



(Reporting by Emma Farge; Additional reporting by David Lawder in Washington; editing by Thomas Seythal, Alexandra Hudson and Richard Chang)

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, co-hosts an event of Women in Leadership with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization in Abuja

WTO may seek to reappoint chief ahead of Trump presidency

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TJORLERHRFO4NIRPMFSZ32CFMA.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-529012" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TJORLERHRFO4NIRPMFSZ32CFMA.jpg 800w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TJORLERHRFO4NIRPMFSZ32CFMA-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TJORLERHRFO4NIRPMFSZ32CFMA-132x90.jpg 132w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TJORLERHRFO4NIRPMFSZ32CFMA-768x525.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: An oil pump jack outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, June 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



Oil prices may see a drastic fall in the event that oil alliance OPEC+ unwinds its existing output cuts, said market watchers who are predicting a bearish year ahead for crude.



“There is more fear about 2025′s oil prices than there has been since years — any year I can remember, since the Arab Spring,” said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at OPIS, an oil price reporting agency.



“You could get down to $30 or $40 a barrel if OPEC unwound and didn’t have any kind of real agreement to rein in production. They’ve seen their market share really dwindle through the years,” Kloza added.



A decline to $40 a barrel would mean around a 40% erasure of current crude prices. Global benchmark Brent is currently trading at $72 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures are around $68 per barrel.



Given that oil demand growth next year probably won’t be much more than 1 million barrels a day, a full unwinding of OPEC+ supply cuts in 2025 would “undoubtedly see a very steep slide in crude prices, possibly toward $40 a barrel,” Henning Gloystein, head of energy, climate and resources at Eurasia Group, told CNBC.&nbsp;



Similarly, MST Marquee’s senior energy analyst Saul Kavonic posited that should OPEC+ unwind cuts without regard to demand, it would “effectively amount to a price war over market share that could send oil to lows not seen since Covid.”



However, the alliance is more likely to opt for a gradual unwinding early next year, compared to a full scale and immediate one, the analysts said.



The oil cartel has been exercising discipline in maintaining its voluntary output cuts, to the point of extending them.



In September, OPEC+ postponed plans to begin gradually rolling back on the 2.2 million barrels per day of voluntary cuts by two months in an effort to stem the slide of oil prices. The 2.2 million bpd cut, which was implemented over the second and third quarters, had been due to expire at the end of September.&nbsp;



At the start of this month, the oil cartel again decided to delay the planned oil output increase by another month to the end of December.



Oil prices have been weighed by a sluggish post-Covid recovery in demand from China, the world’s second-largest economy and leading crude oil importer. In its monthly report released Tuesday, OPEC lowered its 2025 global oil demand growth forecast from 1.6 million barrels per day to 1.5 million barrels per day.



The pressured prices were also conflagrated by a perceivably oversupplied market, especially as key oil producers outside the OPEC alliance like the U.S., Canada, Guyana and Brazil are also planning to add supply, Gloystein highlighted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bearish-year-ahead-for-oil"><a></a>Bearish year ahead for oil</h2>



The market consensus is that there’ll be a “substantial” oil stock build next year, said Citibank energy strategist Martoccia Francesco.



“Should the producers group proceed with their production plan, the market surplus could nearly double… reaching as much as 1.6 million barrels per day,” said Francesco.&nbsp;



Even if OPEC+ doesn’t unwind the cuts, the future ofl prices is still looking break. Citi analysts expect Brent price to average $60 per barrel next year.



Further fueling the bearish outlook is the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, whose return is associated by some with a potential trade war, said analysts who spoke to CNBC.



“If we do get a trade war — and a lot of economists think that a trade war is possible, and particularly against China — we could see much, much lower prices,” said OPIS’ Kloza.



Trump has also touted a “drill baby drill” policy for U.S. producers, vowing to cut energy prices in half.



For that to happen to retail gasoline prices, oil would need to drop to “below $40” per barrel, said Matt Smith, Kpler’s lead oil analyst.



Right now, retail gasoline prices are at a “sweet spot” at $3 per gallon, where consumers do not feel the pinch and input prices are still sufficiently high for producers, Smith added.

FILE PHOTO: An oil pump jack outside Almetyevsk, Russia

Oil could plunge to $40 in 2025 if OPEC unwinds voluntary production cuts, analysts say

The multimillion-dollar pay off to hosting an F1 Grand Prix

Are Companies ‘Quiet Quitting’ DEI Initiatives?

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="564" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/5ZABZJ64ORN6FNDDUVALDCPACU-820x564.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-553370" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/5ZABZJ64ORN6FNDDUVALDCPACU-820x564.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/5ZABZJ64ORN6FNDDUVALDCPACU-300x206.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/5ZABZJ64ORN6FNDDUVALDCPACU-131x90.jpg 131w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/5ZABZJ64ORN6FNDDUVALDCPACU-768x528.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/5ZABZJ64ORN6FNDDUVALDCPACU-1536x1056.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/5ZABZJ64ORN6FNDDUVALDCPACU-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: A shopper walks past the DSTV satellite TV subscription store, a product of MultiChoice Group Limited, a South Africa-based entertainment company, at the Mall of the North, in Polokwane, in the Limpopo province of South Africa, March 31, 2024. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Nov 12 (Reuters) &#8211; South African pay television company MultiChoice Group reported a 99% fall in half-year profit on Tuesday and described the operating environment as &#8220;extremely hostile&#8221;.



The owner of DStv, whose pay-TV business operates across 50 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, said its performance was marred by weaker local currencies and constrained consumer spending particularly in Nigeria and extreme power disruptions in Zambia.



Multichoice said its adjusted core headline earnings per share &#8211; its measure of the underlying performance &#8211; fell to 2 cents per share for the six months ended Sept. 30, down from 356 cents per share a year earlier.



Overall group revenue at Multichoice fell by 10% to 25.4 billion rand ($1.41 billion) on a reported basis but grew by 4% on an organic basis, which excludes the impact of foreign exchange effects and mergers and acquisitions.



Multichoice said subscriptions fell by 5% and 15% respectively in its South African and Rest of Africa operations.



It said profit was further hit by incremental investments in streaming platform Showmax, which Multichoice is prioritising to fight off competition from streaming giants Netflix, Amazon and Disney.



&#8220;Stripping out Showmax, the group would have seen reported trading profit increase by 28% on an organic basis,&#8221; said Multichoice, whose shares were down 0.3% at 1212 GMT.



(Reporting by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Tannur Anders, Jan Harvey and Alexander Smith)

A shopper walks past the DSTV satellite TV subscription store, in Polokwane

South Africa’s Multichoice profit plunges as subscriptions slip

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="527" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/KB3XP45BC5OJRD6EVRXRJ2KARA-1-820x527.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-553304" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/KB3XP45BC5OJRD6EVRXRJ2KARA-1-820x527.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/KB3XP45BC5OJRD6EVRXRJ2KARA-1-300x193.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/KB3XP45BC5OJRD6EVRXRJ2KARA-1-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/KB3XP45BC5OJRD6EVRXRJ2KARA-1-768x494.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/KB3XP45BC5OJRD6EVRXRJ2KARA-1-1536x988.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/KB3XP45BC5OJRD6EVRXRJ2KARA-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Job seekers wait beside a road for casual work offered by passing motorists in Eikenhof, south of Johannesburg, South Africa, November 20, 2023. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



PRETORIA, Nov 12 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa&#8217;s unemployment rate fell in the three months after the formation of a coalition government that has boosted business confidence and led to hopes for more progress on economic reform, data showed on Tuesday.



The official unemployment rate fell to 32.1% in the third quarter of 2024, from 33.5% in the second quarter, the first time the official rate had fallen in a year, Statistics South Africa figures showed.



The coalition government was formed in June after the African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years, pushing it into a broad alliance with the market-friendly Democratic Alliance and other smaller parties.



Investor optimism over the coalition fuelled a rally in the country&#8217;s rand currency and local-currency debt.



The decline in joblessness in the latest three-month period was driven by rising employment in six of the 10 industries tracked by the statistics agency: community and social services, construction, trade, agriculture, mining and utilities.



There were job losses in transport, manufacturing, private households and finance.



However, South Africa still has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, and Black South Africans continue to experience the worst unemployment levels relative to the country&#8217;s other racial groups.



Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke told a press conference that the long-term unemployment rate had risen more than 10 percentage points in the last decade, rooted in a mismatch between people&#8217;s skills and the jobs on offer.



Under an expanded definition of unemployment, which includes those discouraged from seeking work, 41.9% of the labour force was jobless in the third quarter, down from 42.6% in the second.



(Reporting by Kopano Gumbi; Additional reporting by Tannur Anders; Editing by Alexander Winning and Alex Richardson)

Job seekers wait beside a road for casual work offered by passing motorists

South African unemployment rate dips under coalition government

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/O54XSCJWJJMT5LVMUWPPJYCAQE-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-553286" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/O54XSCJWJJMT5LVMUWPPJYCAQE-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/O54XSCJWJJMT5LVMUWPPJYCAQE-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/O54XSCJWJJMT5LVMUWPPJYCAQE-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/O54XSCJWJJMT5LVMUWPPJYCAQE-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/O54XSCJWJJMT5LVMUWPPJYCAQE-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/O54XSCJWJJMT5LVMUWPPJYCAQE-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: People work out on the outskirts of Dakar, Senegal October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI/DAKAR, Nov 11 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Senegal will have to wait until at least June to get any sort of resolution of its lending programme with the International Monetary Fund that could lead to fresh disbursements, a source with knowledge of the process told Reuters.



There was no immediate comment from the finance ministry on the prospect of a delay that will be a test for a government seeking quick support to help it deal with an increasingly precarious fiscal situation.



A $1.9 billion IMF programme agreed in June 2023 has been on hold since a government audit three months later uncovered larger debt and deficit figures than the previous administration had reported, sending yields on the West African nation&#8217;s dollar bonds soaring and triggering credit ratings downgrades.



Dakar is seeking a new programme with the Fund, but the source said the IMF will not even consider the request before the audit findings, which are scheduled to be certified by Senegal&#8217;s court of auditors mid-December, are subsequently reviewed by the Fund&#8217;s executive board.



&#8220;They need to start by sorting out the issues identified in the audit,&#8221; the source said. Following the certification, the Fund&#8217;s board was expected to determine the next steps towards a resolution, a process expected to take another six months, the source added.



Senegal&#8217;s finance ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



Senegal secured in June last year $1.526 billion under a three-year IMF Extended Fund Facility and Extended Credit Facility programme plus additional financing of $371.1 million from the Resilience and Sustainability Facility providing long-term concessional cash for climate-related spending.



Senegal got payouts of $216 million when it reached the loan agreement with the Fund and another $279 million in December last year after getting sign off on the first review by the executive board.



Subsequent reviews and IMF board sign-off, the step that ultimately triggers more payouts, have not been completed.



The IMF board is expected to consider various remedies for the misreporting, the source said, including demanding potential reimbursements for any loans advanced on the basis of the misreported data.



Another source confirmed a resolution would take &#8220;a few months&#8221;.



The Fund said last month it was assessing the implications of the data revisions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cash-strapped">CASH-STRAPPED</h2>



Senegal had already been grappling with slower-than-projected growth and a worsening budget deficit before the revelations about the larger debt and deficit figures.



President Bassirou Diomaye Faye&#8217;s government reopened a privately placed international bond last month to raise $300 million.



Public debt averaged 76.3% of GDP, compared with the previously reported 65.9%, the audit found. The end-2023 budget deficit stood at over 10%, more than double the original indication.



&#8220;The hidden fiscal cost revelations under the previous government have raised markets&#8217; concerns around Senegal&#8217;s debt sustainability,&#8221;&nbsp;J.P.Morgan&nbsp;said in a research note.



The yield on Senegal&#8217;s 2048 bond rose above 10% for the first time since early August, in the sessions following the release of the initial audit findings.



The bonds inched down in early trading on Tuesday.



Faye, elected in March on the back of youth voters&#8217; disenchantment with the previous government&#8217;s economic policies, has called a snap legislative election for Sunday.



He blamed the previous parliament&#8217;s refusal to initiate a new budget law, and its pushback against a plan to abolish wasteful state bodies for the move.



His Pastef party will need to secure a majority of the 165 seats to implement his economic reforms. Pastef held just 26 seats in the dissolved legislature.



&#8220;Parliamentary elections can provide some needed political capital for the new government to commence the now heavier lifting required to correct the trajectory of fiscal accounts,&#8221; J.P.Morgan said.



Implications of misreporting to IMF generally make investors nervous. The Fund suspended disbursements to Mozambique in 2016 after it failed to disclose more than $1 billion in external loans.



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri and Portia Crowe; Editing by Karin Strohecker and Andrew Heavens)

FILE PHOTO: People work out on the outskirts of Dakar

Senegal will have to wait at least until June for IMF loan resolution, source says

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="576" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LA24V6GG4VKUROZCEGVVO63DKQ-1-820x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-534754" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LA24V6GG4VKUROZCEGVVO63DKQ-1-820x576.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LA24V6GG4VKUROZCEGVVO63DKQ-1-300x211.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LA24V6GG4VKUROZCEGVVO63DKQ-1-128x90.jpg 128w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LA24V6GG4VKUROZCEGVVO63DKQ-1-768x540.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LA24V6GG4VKUROZCEGVVO63DKQ-1-1536x1079.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/LA24V6GG4VKUROZCEGVVO63DKQ-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A street money changer counts South African Rands in Harare, Zimbabwe, file. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Nov 12 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa&#8217;s rand extended its losses in early trade on Tuesday to hit a two-and-a-half month low, ahead of third quarter unemployment figures and September manufacturing data.



At 0805 GMT, the rand traded at 18.0375 against the dollar, about 0.6% softer than its previous close, and its weakest level since mid-August.



The currency has traded turbulently since Donald Trump&#8217;s U.S. election win last week.



The dollar firmed against a basket of currencies.



Local investors will look to third quarter unemployment numbers at 0930 GMT and September manufacturing output data at 1100 GMT, which could give clues on the health of Africa&#8217;s most industrialised economy.



&#8220;The labour market remains a significant drag on growth,&#8221; said Andre Cilliers, currency strategist at TreasuryONE.



&#8220;While reforms under the government of national unity (GNU) may offer a glimmer of hope, businesses are likely to remain cautious on hiring until clearer signs of sustained economic momentum emerge,&#8221; Cilliers added.



On the Johannesburg stock market, the Top-40 index was down about 0.8%.



South Africa&#8217;s benchmark 2030 government bond was weaker in early deals, with the yield up 5.7 basis points to 9.282%.



(Reporting by Tannur Anders; Editing by Alex Richardson)

FILE PHOTO: A street money changer counts South African Rands in Harare

South African rand extends losses before unemployment, manufacturing data

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="612" height="408" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-524583" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1.jpg 612w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/istockphoto-1076949610-612x612-1-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Nov 12 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The following scheduled economic events, company announcements, equity and currency market moves may affect South African markets on Tuesday.



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



Q3 unemployment rate



September manufacturing output



Government bond auction&nbsp;SARB24



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-companies">COMPANIES</h2>



Premier Group interim results



Multichoice half-year results



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



South Africa&#8217;s rand slumped on Monday, buffeted by global headwinds including a softer gold price, the sputtering Chinese economy and uncertainty over future U.S. policy after Donald Trump&#8217;s election victory.



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



Asian stocks eased while the dollar held at four-month highs on Tuesday, though the excitement was centred on bitcoin as it soared to a record peak on investor bets on assets that are likely to benefit from Donald Trump&#8217;s election win.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wall-street">WALL STREET</h2>



Wall Street&#8217;s main indexes notched record high closes on Monday, lifted by stocks expected to benefit from Republican President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s potential fiscal policies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gold">GOLD</h2>



Gold hovered near a one-month low on Tuesday, as investors awaited a set of key U.S. economic data and comments from Federal Reserve officials for further clarity on the interest rate trajectory. 



&#8211; &#8211; &#8211; &#8211;



Some of the main stories out in the South African press:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-business-day">BUSINESS DAY</h2>



&#8211; City Power averts Joburg power crisis



&#8211; Climate finance: The impact of potential US withdrawal for Africa



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fin-24">FIN 24</h2>



&#8211; Transnet scrambles with equipment delivery as peak fruit exports loom



(Compiled by Alexander Winning)

South African Markets – Factors to watch on Nov 12

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kenya-Shilling-banknotes-and-coins-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-381494" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kenya-Shilling-banknotes-and-coins-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kenya-Shilling-banknotes-and-coins-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kenya-Shilling-banknotes-and-coins-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kenya-Shilling-banknotes-and-coins-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kenya-Shilling-banknotes-and-coins-scaled.jpg 2048w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kenya-Shilling-banknotes-and-coins-1110x740.jpg 1110w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kenya-Shilling-banknotes-and-coins-696x464.jpg 696w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kenya-Shilling-banknotes-and-coins-1068x712.jpg 1068w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Kenya-Shilling-banknotes-and-coins-1920x1280.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kenyan shilling banknotes and coins sit arranged at a market stall in Mombasa, Kenya, on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017. The countrys Treasury has already cut this years growth target to 5 percent from 5.9 percent as the protracted election furor damped investment and a drought curbed farm output. Photographer: Luis Tato/Bloomberg</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Nov 12 (Reuters) &#8211; The Kenyan shilling was stable against the dollar on Tuesday, data from the London Stock Exchange Group showed.



At 0610 GMT, the shilling traded at 128.50/129.50 to the dollar, the same as Monday&#8217;s closing rate.



(Reporting by Sonia Rao; Editing by George Obulutsa)

General Economy As Kenya Faces Bleak 2018 Outlook In Vote Aftermath

Kenyan shilling stable versus dollar – LSEG data

<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>



NAIROBI, Nov 12 (Reuters) &#8211; The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Tuesday.



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



Asian stocks eased while the dollar held at four-month highs on Tuesday, though all the excitement was centred on bitcoin as it soared to a record peak underpinned by investor bets on assets that are likely to benefit from Donald Trump&#8217;s election win.



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



Oil prices were little changed in early trading on Tuesday, awaiting further price direction from OPEC&#8217;s monthly report after China&#8217;s stimulus plan and oversupply concerns took the wind out of markets in prior sessions.



SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS



South Africa&#8217;s rand slumped on Monday, buffeted by global headwinds including a softer gold price, the sputtering Chinese economy and uncertainty over future U.S. policy after Donald Trump&#8217;s election victory.



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



The Kenyan shilling was steady against the dollar on Monday, as inflows from the agriculture and tourism sectors matched demand from general goods importers and oil marketing companies, traders said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mauritius-election">MAURITIUS ELECTION</h2>



Mauritius&#8217; incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said on Monday his political alliance was headed for a major defeat to a rival coalition led by a three-time former premier following Sunday&#8217;s parliamentary election.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-zambia-economy">ZAMBIA ECONOMY</h2>



The International Monetary Fund said on Monday that it reached a staff-level agreement for the fourth review of Zambia&#8217;s loan program that would release about $185.5 million to Lusaka upon approval by the IMF&#8217;s management and its executive board.



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



Senegal will have to wait until at least June to get any sort of resolution of its lending programme with the International Monetary Fund that could lead to fresh disbursements, a source with knowledge of the process told Reuters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ivory-coast-cocoa">IVORY COAST COCOA</h2>



Cocoa arrivals at ports in top grower Ivory Coast reached 455,000 metric tons by Nov. 10 since the start of the season on Oct. 1, up 30% from the same period last season, exporters estimated on Monday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ghana-politics">GHANA POLITICS</h2>



Ghana&#8217;s main opposition leader John Dramani Mahama looks set to win December&#8217;s presidential election, an opinion poll showed on Monday, placing him ahead of his main challenger, ruling party candidate Muhamudu Bawumia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-botswana-politics">BOTSWANA POLITICS</h2>



Botswana&#8217;s Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe will double as finance minister, new President Duma Boko said on Monday, announcing the first ministerial positions in his cabinet.



((Compiled by Nairobi Newsroom))

World map with charts and graphs as symbols of global finance

African Markets – Factors to watch on Nov 12

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="234" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/blog-2099x600-fad-property-tax-istock-2152079686-c-vuk8691-820x234.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-553242" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/blog-2099x600-fad-property-tax-istock-2152079686-c-vuk8691-820x234.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/blog-2099x600-fad-property-tax-istock-2152079686-c-vuk8691-300x86.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/blog-2099x600-fad-property-tax-istock-2152079686-c-vuk8691-160x46.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/blog-2099x600-fad-property-tax-istock-2152079686-c-vuk8691-768x220.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/blog-2099x600-fad-property-tax-istock-2152079686-c-vuk8691-1536x439.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/blog-2099x600-fad-property-tax-istock-2152079686-c-vuk8691-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: vuk8691/iStock by Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



The world’s governments must raise an additional&nbsp;<a href="https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/061/2023/005/061.2023.issue-005-en.xml?cid=541463-com-dsp-crossref&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">$3 trillion</a>&nbsp;to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth goals this decade. The cost in emerging markets equals 4 percent of gross domestic product—and 16 percent for low-income countries.



How can countries finance such staggering price tags? Large cities such as Delhi and Lagos show a way forward: Taxing property more efficiently can play a meaningful role in raising revenue at the local level, allowing countries to invest more in their people,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/imf-how-to-notes/Issues/2024/09/19/How-to-Design-and-Implement-Property-Tax-Reforms-555103?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">new IMF analysis</a>&nbsp;shows. Previous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/006/2023/006/006.2023.issue-006-en.xml?cid=535449-com-dsp-crossref&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">IMF research</a>&nbsp;has shown that countries have ample potential to raise more domestic tax revenue if they need it—up to 5 percentage points of GDP over two decades.



Of course, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2024/09/16/political-parties-of-all-stripes-are-pushing-for-higher-government-spending?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">political challenges</a>&nbsp;of such reforms are far from trivial, as recent events in several countries suggest that raising taxes can create social unrest. More efficient real estate taxes have an advantage in this regard: by being locally collected and spent, they may be politically less challenging than increases in broad-base national taxes.



Recurrent taxes on immovable property could help local governments capture the wealth generated through construction-intensive urbanization. Generating such revenue fairly is especially important given the difficulty in developing countries of taxing income and wealth, which can be highly mobile.



The appeal of property taxes is clear when we look at revenue raised in advanced economies: more than 1 percent of GDP on average in OECD countries, and nearly 3 percent in some advanced economies. By contrast, they raise only around 0.1 percent of GDP in emerging Asia and Africa.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2024/11/11/how-property-taxes-can-help-low-income-countries-to-develop?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/USIMF/2024/11/10506443/fad-property-tax-chart-newsletter_original.png" alt="column chart showing revenues from property taxes as a percent of GDP in various groups of economies"/></a></figure>



Achieving such a large growth requires improving property-tax coverage and addressing the capacity challenges in valuing real estate as ways to reverse the current revenue underperformance. New property identification technologies and simplified valuation methods have become widely available. With policy reforms and better technology, recurrent property tax revenues in developing countries should be at least 10 times higher than current levels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-local-revenue-and-spending">Local revenue and spending</h2>



When well designed, property taxes become a reliable and progressive form of municipal financing. They enhance the accountability of local governments, since proceeds can be used to fund better local public services, and taxes the increase in wealth of those who own real estate that has appreciated due to urbanization and associated public-infrastructure development. The tight link at the local level between revenue and spending shields property taxes from national politics and imposes higher accountability standards on local councils for the effective use of the resources.&nbsp;



National legislation should regulate how much property taxes can differ across a country, limiting divergences in the level of local public services funded by this source. Municipalities should limit exemptions to a narrow range of public organizations, and forgone revenues should be regularly reported.



The impact on “asset-rich but cash-poor” households such as pensioners can be softened by deferring taxes until the property is sold, at which point full payment is due.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellites-and-drones">Satellites and drones</h2>



It’s best to take a gradual approach to property-tax reform, using modern technology to broaden the coverage of area-based taxes (expressed as a fixed rate per square meter). The goal should be to transition to full value-based property taxes in coming years as countries gain experience in implementation and market price information is meticulously recorded for periodic property valuation.



Modern mapping technology, such as satellite imagery and aerial photography by drones, can be used to fast-track the expansion and coverage of property taxes to all parcels that ought to be included in the fiscal register.



Indian officials in Delhi and the greater Bangalore metropolitan area have started using satellite imagery to map properties in a geographic information system. In Africa, several municipalities have made impressive strides. Lagos&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theafricareport.com/3393/lagos-proves-africas-property-tax-potential/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">increased</a>&nbsp;tax collection fivefold to more than $1 billion in 2011 by broadening the base of its property tax, coupled with better enforcement.



The increased precision of satellite images enables the accurate measuring of surface areas and the development of fiscal-register maps that depict buildings and their alterations. This allows the fast roll-out of an area-based property tax until valuation capacity has advanced to migrate toward a market value-based property-tax system that can raise more revenue.



Demand for capacity development from the IMF in this area indicates that many countries are seeing the benefits from this combination of the right policies and technology enablers. It makes property-tax reform effective and politically appealing, especially when its objectives are communicated properly to the public.

blog-2099×600-fad-property-tax-istock-2152079686-c-vuk8691

How Property Taxes Can Help Low-Income Countries to Develop

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="461" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/107351661-17036182092023-10-24t101848z_1359207624_rc2yy3ac3wuf_rtrmadp_0_fintech-crypto-bitcoin-820x461.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-553187" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/107351661-17036182092023-10-24t101848z_1359207624_rc2yy3ac3wuf_rtrmadp_0_fintech-crypto-bitcoin-820x461.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/107351661-17036182092023-10-24t101848z_1359207624_rc2yy3ac3wuf_rtrmadp_0_fintech-crypto-bitcoin-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/107351661-17036182092023-10-24t101848z_1359207624_rc2yy3ac3wuf_rtrmadp_0_fintech-crypto-bitcoin-160x90.jpeg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/107351661-17036182092023-10-24t101848z_1359207624_rc2yy3ac3wuf_rtrmadp_0_fintech-crypto-bitcoin-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/107351661-17036182092023-10-24t101848z_1359207624_rc2yy3ac3wuf_rtrmadp_0_fintech-crypto-bitcoin-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/107351661-17036182092023-10-24t101848z_1359207624_rc2yy3ac3wuf_rtrmadp_0_fintech-crypto-bitcoin.jpeg 1858w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dado Ruvic | Reuters</figcaption></figure>



Bitcoin was trading just shy of $90,000 Monday night after breaching $80,000 just a day earlier.



The flagship cryptocurrency was last higher by 12% at $89,100, according to Coin Metrics. Earlier Monday, it rose as high as $89,623.00. Its price is expected by many investors to continue making fresh records on its way up to $100,000 later this year.



“Bitcoin is now in price discovery mode after breaking through all-time highs early last Wednesday morning when it was officially declared that Trump won the election,” said Mike Colonnese, an analyst at H.C. Wainwright. “Strong positive sentiment is likely to persist through the balance of 2024 and [we] see bitcoin prices potentially reaching the six-figure mark by the end of this year.”



Crypto investors have been cheering President-elect Donald Trump’s promises to make the regulatory environment more supportive and even friendly toward crypto businesses, which have long struggled with a lack of clarity of the rules of the road.



While bitcoin has long been deemed a safe asset in Washington – that is, not subject to securities laws – the long tail of cryptocurrencies and crypto-related startups have been operating in a risky grey area.



“That’s just shifted 180 degrees,” Matt Hougan, chief investment officer of Bitwise Asset Management, told CNBC. “We’re now in a positive regulatory environment, we now have tailwinds from that, and that comes in the case of a market that was already in a bull market … that’s going to push us higher.”



Ether was trading higher by 5.8% Monday evening. Payments token XRP rose nearly 4% and the token linked to decentralized finance project Polygon gained more than 4%. Dogecoin has been one of the biggest winners – likely due to its connection with Elon Musk, who helped get Trump elected. It’s up 38%.



In the stock market, Coinbase and MicroStrategy gained about 3% and 5%, respectively, in extended trading. In the regular session on Monday, Coinbase surged 19% to trade above $300 for the first time since 2021. It’s now about 6% from its high from that year.



Traders and analysts agree this rally is just only beginning.



“It does seem like there’s an air gap between the previous [bitcoin] all-time highs around $72,000 and $100,000,” Hougan said. “It’s hard exactly to see what would force sellers to come into this market and halt the momentum before we get to that level. Of course, there are no guarantees. You could see pullbacks, but we’re in a new crypto market cycle. … I do think that we are right to be bullish and the bias is still on the upside.”

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