By Rafiq Raji, PhD
Twitter: @DrRafiqRaji, @macroafrica

• Nigeria senate conducts hearing on cryptocurrencies (23 Feb). Central bank recently banned banks from crypto transactions. CBN governor & SEC DG summoned.
• Kenya’s Uhuru & Raila campaign for BBI, amid Ruto pushback. Kenya counties debate & vote on BBI bill; 12 approvals thus far, 24 threshold could be crossed Tuesday
• South Africa state capture inquiry continues. Former transport minister Dipuo Peters testifies.
• Guinea begins ebola vaccinations (23 Feb). Vaccines arrived 1-day late due to bad weather.
• South Africa releases Q4-20 labour statistics (23 Feb). Q3 unemployed persons were 6.5 mln, an unemployment rate of 30.8%
• South Africa’s Mboweni delivers 2021 budget speech (24 Feb). Reuters survey suggests deficits expected to narrow to 9.7% of GDP (2021/22), 8.5% (2022/23) & 7.5% (2023/24) from an estimated 13.95% in 2020/21.
• South Africa producer inflation Jan-21 (25 Feb). Forecast is 3.0% yy from 3.0% in Dec-20.
• South Africa central bank releases Jan-21 monetary & credit statistics (26 Feb). M3 (fcst. 9.4% yy, prev. 9.5%), PSCE (fcst. 3.8% yy, prev. 3.6%)
• Kenya releases Feb-21 consumer inflation data (26 Feb). Forecast is 5.5% yy from 5.7% in Jan-21.
• Covid-19 updates by authorities. Focus still on acquisition of vaccines, South Africa already started vaccinations.

Africa headlines: https://www.reuters.com/news/archive/africa
Global headlines: https://www.reuters.com/theWire