Africa
De-dollarisation no guarantee of EM policy autonomy – study
Sarb paper argues sound domestic fundamentals are more crucial than lowering dollar usage
Mozambique’s ‘debt scandal’ casts shadow over governor appointment
Activist says president’s U-turn is likely to have been prompted by public outcry
Cameroon’s purchases of bank stakes raise concerns
State’s acquisition of former SocGen subsidiary raises questions about governance, say experts
Botswana keeps rates steady, Rwanda hikes by 50bp
Rising inflation drives east African nation to raise bank rate to highest level since 2009
Leonie Dunn on Namibia’s technological advances
Deputy governor reflects on instant payments launch and digital transformation at the central bank, against a challenging macroeconomic backdrop
Ghana’s gold board rejects responsibility for $1.7bn losses
Dispute follows claim by politician citing a report by IMF
Market reforms are about boosting policy transmission, says CBN
Changes brought in by Nigerian central bank enable individual investors to participate in OMOs
Geopolitics is fastest-rising research topic for economists
Research economists are most widely judged on their output of papers
Libyan governor sets out conditions for withdrawing resignation
Issa reportedly wants faster implementation of budget, trade reforms and halt to wage rises
Economists devote up to half of working hours to research
Higher-paid research economists tend to spend more time on own research
Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia and Uganda all hold rates
Expert says El Niño weather event likely to drive greater rate variability in 2027
Africa’s domestic debt shift raises costs and risks, BIS warns
Diversifying investor bases necessary to reduce reliance on central and commercial banks, study says
Central banks predict growth more accurately than inflation
AI models may offer more precise forecasts
Guinea taps IMF funding as it prepares major mining project
Central bank is expected to implement governance and transparency reforms
Most key projection models capture policy rates
But respondents rarely disclose policy rate forecasts alongside scenarios
PBoC appoints Deutsche Bank as a renminbi clearing bank for Europe
China’s central bank reiterates pledge to internationalise RMB as part of its five-year plan
Third of key models now employ endogenous financial sector
Multiple channels of monetary transmission rooted in majority models
Central banks complement traditional models with AI
Time series and semi-structural models remain economists’ choices for forecasting
Working paper production linked to number of PhD economists
Central banks averaged output of roughly 10 working papers last year
Third of economics departments say staffing ‘barely sufficient’
Forecasting, policy analysis and research are economists’ top duties
Sarb governor outlines cautious stance on technological change
Kganyago sets out opportunities and risks of AI and stablecoins as Sarb marks 105th anniversary