South Africa

South Africa’s Standard Bank is set to raise a syndicated loan by the end of the month, which, according to market sources, will be provided by Chinese banks. But bankers say the pipeline for syndicated loans in Africa and the Middle East remains nearly empty, as both lenders and borrowers continue to feel the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prosus made a barnstorming debut outing in the European bond market after Monday’s dollar trade, with the ecommerce and investment company that straddles investment grade and emerging market investor interest seeing €13.5bn of demand for a €1bn deal.

Junk-rated South Africa has found some relief from its ballooning fiscal deficit through multilateral institutions, which are helping prop up its battered economy. Though the government has supported domestic lenders, there may yet be opportunities for them to enter international markets, some believe.

Redefine Properties, the South African landlord, has completed a tender offer for all of its outstanding €117.2m bonds that are exchangeable into shares in RDI Reit, the London-listed real estate investment trust.

Redefine Properties, the South African real estate company focused on commercial properties, has completed a buy-back of its outstanding €117.2m 1.5% exchangeable bonds due 2021, as part of a wider restructuring of the firm.

Wednesday evening proved a busy night for equity bock trades, despite wider sell-offs in secondary markets over fears of a second wave of Covid-19.

Pepkor, the South African retailer, raised R1.9bn ($110m) in a sale of new shares on Tuesday night to reduce leverage and to prepare it for the future impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sappi, the South African pulp and paper company, decided just before lunchtime on Friday to cancel a €250m bond issue, judging the price it would have had to pay too high. The failure of this deal contrasts with the vigorous issuance by much riskier companies in the US market.

South African bank Investec has chosen to extend the tenor of an existing loan instead of refinancing it, in an attempt to avoid paying the wider margins lenders are demanding as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Turkey has joined the list of emerging market countries experimenting with quantitative easing programmes in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis engulfing conventional funding markets.

Moody’s downgraded South Africa on Friday, removing the battered sovereign’s final investment grade rating. Sentiment among investors and bankers was split, with some confident that borrowers will be able to lean on their relationship lenders if needed, and others worried about the economic hit which is heading the country’s way.

Sasol, the South African chemicals company, has unveiled a $6bn package of measures designed to shore up its business, which has been damaged by the spread of the Covid-19 virus and the collapse in oil prices.