La pandémie a créé un besoin urgent de plus de capital patient en Afrique. Les gouvernements de tout le continent étant confrontés à des contraintes budgétaires tout en reconnaissant l'importance des investissements dans les infrastructures et les services essentiels, le PE et le VC offrent une voie intéressante pour le soutien financier. La pandémie a également accéléré la numérisation…
On fuelling economic growth in Africa through insurance penetration In what ways did the Covid-19 pandemic impact the insurance sector in Africa? FARID CHEDID: Government measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 such as national lockdowns have translated into slow economic growth, and in some cases recession. The performance of the insurance sector is traditionally closely linked to that of the…
The pandemic has created an urgent need for more patient capital in Africa. With governments across the continent facing budgetary constraints while recognising the importance of investment in essential infrastructure and services, private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) offer an attractive avenue for financial support. Covid-19 has also accelerated digitalisation in key African markets, which…
Reaching a population of 42.3m by the end of 2018, Algeria is the second-largest country in North Africa after Egypt. The country is one of Africa’s most important producers of hydrocarbons and enjoys large reserves of shale oil and gas not commercially exploited. Although Algeria enjoys a relatively closed economy, it holds close trading links with its Mediterranean neighbours to the north, and
Advances in financial technology (fintech) have been slow to arrive to Algeria. A low bank penetration rate remains a significant challenge, notwithstanding substantial progress in recent years (see analysis), as do a cultural preference for cash and the dominance of state-run banks that have little incentive to innovate. Framework In June 2017 the government announced that Algérie Poste would roll…
In developing and emerging market economies, the share of the population with access to basic financial services tends to lag significantly behind that of advanced economies. This can be chalked up to the relatively smaller size and sophistication of the banking sector, lower incomes, a higher degree of informal employment and patchy identification records prevalent in less developed countries. As…
Investment funds are smart financing tools that encourage private investment by providing shortand medium-term capital resources to companies. Private equity financing supports companies looking to finance their foundation, growth and in some cases recovery and maintenance. Furthermore, in an economic context in which financing needs are steadily increasing, they represent a real operational solution…
The decision by authorities to embark on a programme of monetary financing towards the end of 2017 marked somewhat of a turnaround in a difficult year for Algeria’s banks. A competitive dynamic has remained in recent years, with no new entrants, exits, mergers, acquisitions or privatisations of note. In fact, early 2018 saw the government announce that it was backtracking on plans to float one or…
Following a muted performance in 2017 on the back of sluggish growth in the wider economy, market players in Algeria’s insurance industry anticipated that improved conditions in 2018 would support a sector recovery, a view partially borne out by the sector’s performance in the first half of 2018. A particular bright spot is the life segment. Although it accounts for just 10% of the overall sector…
Stability has been the order of the day in Algeria’s capital markets of late, with little in the way of new products, listings or other impetus for significant evolution. The authorities’ decision to embark on a programme of non-conventional monetary financing in late 2017 has restored liquidity to the banking system, increasing the availability and reducing the cost of bank lending (see Banking…
