Between Q1 2023 and Q1 2025, South Africa reduced IMF debt by over 75%, with full repayment possible at the rate of SDR 381.4 million quarterly by the end of 2025

Key Takeaways:

  • South Africa’s outstanding debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) decreased from SDR 3.05 billion in March 2023 to SDR 762.8 million by March 2025.
  • The debt level remained unchanged at SDR 3.05 billion through the first three quarters of 2023.
  • Starting in December 2023, South Africa began making consistent quarterly repayments of SDR 381.4 million.
  • This trend demonstrates steady progress in debt reduction and a strengthened commitment to fiscal discipline.
  • The country is potentially on track for full repayment of its debt by the end of 2025.

Over two years, South Africa has steadily reduced its outstanding debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Beginning with an outstanding balance of SDR 3.05 billion in March 2023, the country maintained this level throughout the first three quarters of that year.

However, from December 2023 onward, South Africa began making regular quarterly repayments of SDR 381.4 million. By March 2025, the country’s IMF debt had fallen to SDR 762.8 million, representing a reduction of more than 75%.

Source:

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Period:

2023-2025
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Tags
Related Insights

Kenya’s IMF debt surges by 1,109%, rising from SDR 249 million in March 2020 to over SDR 3 billion in March 2025
Key Takeaways:
  • Between 2016 and 2020, Kenya's debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) declined steadily by 59%, from SDR 609.8 million to SDR 249.9 million.
  • This downward trend reversed dramatically after 2020, with public debt rising to SDR 3.02 billion by March 2025.
  • The most significant annual increase occurred between 2020 and 2021, when debt jumped by 178%.
  • The lowest recorded debt level during the study period was in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it fell to approximately SDR 250 million.
  • Kenya’s IMF debt grew more than elevenfold (1,109%) from its 2020 low to its 2025 peak.

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.

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

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