The Stears Weekly Macroeconomic Report highlights the macroeconomic trends and policy shifts shaping the African investment landscape, helping you make informed decisions in dynamic markets.
Country updates
Central Africa
Foreign exchange
Last week, most Central African currencies came under pressure. Except for the Angolan kwanza, which remained steady at AOA912/$, supported by central bank interventions and higher oil receipts, the Central African CFA franc (XAF), the common currency of six CEMAC member countries, weakened by 1.3% w/w to trade at FCFA566.2/$ and the Congolese franc (CDF) depreciated by 0.2% w/w, trading at CDF2,882/$. The volatile global economic environment, characterised by US tariff impositions, higher-for-longer interest rates by the US Fed, and a stronger US dollar, applied downward pressure on these currencies. While these headwinds will remain concerns for Central African markets in the near term, we anticipate near-term stability across all markets, cushioned by firm reserves and tight monetary policies that will anchor exchange rate expectations,
