African Markets - Factors to watch on Jan 27

The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market
moves and political events may affect African markets on Friday.

- - - - -
EVENTS:
*SENEGAL - Court ruling due on whether incumbent President Abdoulaye
Wade' s eligibility to stand for a third term in the upcoming February
26 election.
*MAURITIUS - The Bank of Mauritius to auction 91-day Treasury bills
worth a total 400 million rupees.

GLOBAL MARKETS
A broad asset rally inspired by the U.S. Federal Reserve's pledge to
keep rates low paused on Friday, as investors sought to gauge how
sustainable the burst of optimism will be while waiting for the
outcome of crucial Greek debt talks.

WORLD CRUDE OIL PRICES
Brent crude rose above $111 on Friday on hopes of steady demand growth
as the latest data out of the United States swelled a list of positive
indicators pointing to economic expansion gaining momentum in the
world's top oil consumer.

Brent crude rose 30 cents to $111.09 a barrel by 0234
GMT, and is poised to post a weekly gain of 1.4 percent, reversing two
weeks of losses. U.S. crude increased 27 cents to $99.97, and
is set to rise 1.5 percent this week, also reversing two weeks of
losses.

GOLD PRICES
Gold fell from a 7-week high on Friday as speculators booked profits
ahead of U.S. GDP data, but prices were heading for a fourth week of
gains with the Federal Reserve's pledge to keep interest rates near
zero for some time supporting sentiment.

EMERGING MARKETS
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AFRICA STOCKS
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AFRICA FIXED INCOME
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AFRICAN CURRENCIES
Kenya and Uganda's shillings are likely to find support next week from
investors chasing their high-yielding government bonds, while central
bank dollar sales would keep Ghana's cedi on an even keel after steep
falls this year.

SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS
South Africa's All-share index closed above 34,000 for the first time
in its 17-year history on Thursday, after news the U.S. Federal
Reserve will continue to support economic growth lifted stocks and
commodities around the world.

The rand also neared a three-month high against the dollar,
breaking through tough resistance as a global risk rally saw investors
turn to higher-yielding assets, pushing South Africa bond yields down
19 basis points as well.

NIGERIA MARKETS
Nigeria raised 89.76 billion naira ($561.46 million) at an auction of
government bonds on Wednesday, its first debt auction this
year with yields higher than at its previous auction, the Debt
Management Office said on Thursday.

NIGERIA ECONOMY
Nigeria's economy is expected to grow around 7 percent this year and
next thanks to solid performance in industries outside of its bedrock
oil sector, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday.

Also, interest rates may need to rise this year if the government
pushes ahead with an expansionary budget, Nigeria's central bank
governor said on Thursday, despite the finance minister's stated wish
for a rate reduction.

NIGERIA SECURITY
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan challenged the violent Islamist
Boko Haram sect on Thursday to identify themselves and state clearly
their demands as a basis for talks, while acknowledging that military
confrontation alone will not end their insurgency.

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KENYA MARKETS
The Kenyan shilling closed firmer for the third straight
session on Thursday, unfazed in the final minutes of trading by the
finance minister's resignation following his indictment earlier this
week for crimes against humanity.

The Nairobi Securities Exchange's main NSE-20 share index

was barely changed, down 0.1 percent at 3,188.23 points.

KENYA FINANCE MINISTER
Kenyan Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta resigned on Thursday, days
after being indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes
against humanity during violence that followed the disputed election
of 2007.

KENYA ECONOMY
Kenya's economy is set to grow 5 percent this year and nearly 6
percent in 2013, boosted by better trade links in the region, provided
political tensions remain in check, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday.

Meanwhile, year-on-year inflation rate is seen dipping
to 18 percent this month from 18.93 percent in December as an
aggressive cycle of monetary tightening in the second half of 2011
filters through the market.

KENYA AIRLINE
Kenya Airways posted a 15.4 percent growth in total
passenger numbers in its third quarter, lifted by flights to new
routes and greater flight frequencies within Africa, it said on
Thursday.

MAURITIUS T-BILL
Mauritius sold all 400 million rupees ($13.61 million) worth of
364-day Treasury bills at auction on Thursday at a weighted yield of
4.43 percent, lower than the 4.54 percent fetched at the previous
auction, the central bank said.

ZAMBIA INFLATION
Zambia's inflation was at 6.4 percent year-on-year in January, the
Central Statistics Office said on Thursday after a rebasing of the
consumer price basket that made comparisons to previous months nearly
impossible.

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