South Africa issued $3.5B in Eurobonds in 2024, accounting for 25.6% of the total $13.65B issued by African countries

Key takeaways:

  • South Africa issued $3.5 billion, making up over a quarter (25.6%) of all issuances on the continent.
  • South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria issued $8.3 billion, accounting for 61% of Africa’s total Eurobond issuance in 2024.
  • Despite economic uncertainties, Nigeria remains an active player in international markets, issuing $2.2 billion in Eurobonds.
  • Francophone West Africa has a strong presence as Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Benin collectively issued $4.4 billion, highlighting their growing role in Africa’s debt markets.
  • At $0.75 billion and $0.55 billion, respectively, Benin and Cameroon still secured external financing, but at significantly lower levels than their larger counterparts.

In 2024, African countries collectively issued $13.65 billion in Eurobonds, with South Africa leading at $3.5 billion, accounting for 25.6% of the total issuance. Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria followed closely, issuing $2.6 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively. These figures highlight the increasing reliance on international debt markets as African economies seek external funding to address fiscal deficits, infrastructure development, and economic expansion.

Source:

Afreximbank

Period:

2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Tags
Related Insights

Nigeria set to clear IMF debt by mid-2025 after reducing outstanding balance by 87.5% from March 2023 to March 2025
Key Takeaways:
  • Nigeria’s outstanding debt to the IMF has reduced from SDR 2.45 billion in March 2023 to SDR 306.81 million by March 2025.
  • The country has maintained a consistent quarterly repayment pattern, averaging SDR 306.8 million.
  • This steady repayment trend reflects Nigeria’s commitment to managing its external obligations.
  • At the current repayment rate, Nigeria is positioned to fully clear its IMF obligations by mid-2025.

As of March 31, 2025, the top five countries accounted for 57% of total IMF credit outstanding
Key Takeaways:  
  • Argentina tops the list with SDR 31.1 billion in outstanding IMF credit.
  • The top three borrowers, Argentina, Ukraine, and Egypt, together hold over 45% of total IMF credit.
  • All 15 countries on the list have outstanding credit of at least SDR 1.4 billion.
  • African nations such as Kenya, Angola, Ghana, and Ethiopia rank among the top 15 IMF debtors.
  • The top 10 countries alone account for more than two-thirds of the IMF’s total outstanding credit.

Egypt accounts for one-third of over SDR 26 billion owed by Africa’s top 10 IMF debtors
Key Takeaways:
  • Egypt leads African nations in IMF debt, with SDR 8.63 billion in outstanding credit.
  • The combined debt of these 10 countries represents 24% of the IMF’s total outstanding credit globally.
  • East African nations, Kenya and Ethiopia, hold a combined SDR 4.5 billion in IMF credit.
  • West Africa is strongly represented with Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, and Cameroon owing more than SDR 7.4 billion collectively.

The cost of borrowing in Africa is increasing, with 27.5% of government revenue going towards debt interest
  • Africa now spends 27.5% of revenue on interest payments, nearly 4 times higher than in 2008.
  • The debt burden is rising faster than economic growth as interest payments as a percentage of GDP grew from 5.4% in 2008 to 8.2% in 2024, showing increasing financial strain.
  • Effective interest rates have more than tripled from 1.4% in 2008 to 5.0% in 2024, making debt less affordable.
  • Between 2008 and 2019, the ratio of interest to revenue rose by 12.2 percentage points, and in five years (2019–2024), it surged by another 8.5 percentage points.
  • As borrowing costs rise, the risk of defaults and fiscal crises in African economies grows, making financial stability a concern.
  • More money spent on debt means less for roads, hospitals, and schools, slowing down long-term economic progress.

A total of 8 African countries have issued the sum of $15.7B in Eurobonds in thirteen months (Jan '24 - Jan '25)
  • African countries issued a total of $15.7 billion in Eurobonds, demonstrating continued reliance on external debt markets.
  • While the first ten months totaled $6.2 billion, November and December alone added $7.5 billion, marking a sharp increase.
  • The total issuance jumped from $6.2 billion in October to $10 billion in November and then $13.7 billion in December, showing a drastic shift in borrowing.
  • Eight African countries drove this activity, as the borrowing is concentrated among key economies.

Nigeria secured a record $2.8 billion loan from Chinese lenders in 2017
  • Nigeria has received $9.4 billion dollars in Chinese loans across different sectors since 2002
  • The highest loan inflow was in 2017, with $2.8 billion, mainly for transportation and energy
  • Transportation projects received the most funding, with notable amounts in 2017 ($2 billion) and 2019 ($1 billion)
  • Loan inflows dropped significantly after 2017, with no borrowings between 2020 and 2022, and $973 million in 2023

POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form

A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved