Author: Evelyn Shumba

A pre-budgetary statement released by the Ministry of Finance projects a slowdown in inflation to an estimated 134% at the end of 2020 from 660%. The inflation slowdown will ride on the back of the foreign exchange auction system that has been adopted by Zimbabwe’s monetary regulators. There is anticipation that this system will lead to sustained exchange rate stability. 

The Reserve Bank has also proffered a strong grip on money supply to curtail the inflation rate. Money supply growth has been one of the major reasons for the burgeoning rate of inflation. 

source: tradingeconomics.com

The finance minister also projected economic growth of 7.4% in 2021 from a 2020 slowdown of 0.4%. The minister, in addition, promised to sharpen the investment climate and attract fresh capital to the struggling nation to realize these ambitious growth figures.

Recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, resumption of global economic activity as well as …

Revelations by the Brand Finance Africa 150 2020 Annual report indicate that COVID-19 has cost Africa’s brands $6.3 billion in brand value. This is based on an assessment of the enterprise value of brands across sectors in 2020. 

What’s in a name?

Good brand names create a financial value metric known as brand value. This refers to the worth of a brand in financial terms. In simple terms, how much would someone else pay for the brand. The value of a brand is determined by the earnings attributable to the performance of a brand and how much income the brand owner would receive by licensing the brand on to the market. 

Stronger brands are cross-cutting and usually operate across many markets with success. They are determined by the performance measured against competitors. 

A good brand translates to more profitable operations.

Who is Brand Finance?

Brand Finance is a brand valuation …

Victoria Falls Stock Exchange

Zimbabwe’s newest stock exchange, The Victoria Falls Stock Exchange will open its doors to trading on Monday 26 October 2020. The VFEX will trade in foreign currency only. 

The exchange will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, with reports indicating that there are plans to bring in an equity partner.

The launch and official opening to be graced by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance and Economic Development, former AfDB Vice-President Professor Mthuli Ncube is set to take place this Friday.

The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange experienced a hiatus from trading as instructed by the Finance ministry in a crackdown on parallel market activity earlier this year. It was to open its floors a month later but in the absence of fungible counters. The Victoria Falls Stock Exchange is therefore expected to start off trading with the fungible counters that were suspended from trading on …

US Election 2020

It’s vote o’clock for the US again as Americans go to the polls scheduled for November 3, 2020, to select the country’s next president. The run-up to the US elections is always a dramatic campaign that is interesting to watch. This year the match pits incumbent president and Republican candidate Donald Trump against the Democrats pick Joe Biden. While the voting may be confined to American soils, the outcome of the elections has far-reaching implications for Africa and the rest of the world.

What Does the US Election Have To Do With Africa?

Being a world superpower, the outcome of the US elections directly or indirectly affects the African continent.

The US has no fixed foreign policy towards Africa and thus foreign policy is largely dependent on the inhabitant of the white house. How the US provides aid and trades with Africa has changed significantly with the …