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High US Interest Rates and Risk Aversion Make Refinancing Costly for African Nations

  • African nations face high borrowing costs due to attractive US rates and risk aversion. Accessing funds through Eurobonds is challenging.

  • Sovereigns are seeking to diversify funding sources to mitigate high financing costs.

  • Favorable US rates will keep African borrowing costs high in the short term, making it hard to refinance maturing Eurobonds.

  • Kenya has relied on bilateral agreements and multilateral loans rather than issuing sovereign bonds due to high rate demands.

  • African issuers like Kenya, Zambia and Angola have billions in Eurobonds maturing soon that need refinancing.

businessinsider.com
Relevant topic timeline:
Chinese sovereign lending to Africa dropped to its lowest level in nearly two decades, falling below $1 billion in 2021, as Beijing shifts away from big infrastructure projects on the continent due to debt crises and economic headwinds at home.
Kenya's 10-year Eurobond rates surge to 18.7%, signaling default concerns, as investors worry about the country's ability to refinance its foreign obligations and President Ruto's call for debt restructuring adds to uncertainty.
Debt-laden companies in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are facing a $500 billion refinancing challenge in the first half of 2024, which could result in the demise of many "zombie" businesses despite a potential increase in interest rates. The rush to secure cash comes as banks limit risks before stricter capital rules take effect, and failure to obtain affordable funding could lead to insolvencies and layoffs.
High interest rates and growing risk aversion among investors have led to debt crises in several developing economies, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Ukraine, and Zambia, which will be a primary focus at the upcoming IMF and World Bank meetings.