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Finance

Recovery and growth of the South African debt capital markets

Published by Gbaf News

Posted on December 11, 2010

4 min read

· Last updated: June 21, 2019

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Speaking at the IMN Capital Markets Summit in Cape Town, Florian von Hartig, Standard Bank Group’s Global Head of Debt Capital Markets, said that despite the volatility of the markets, Standard Bank Group believes that the overall trend is towards stabilisation.

Impact of 2008-2009 Financial Crisis

Government intervention in the global financial market made during 2008 and 2009 to address the global credit crisis was not unprecedented, but was extraordinary. Standard Bank Group believes the effects of the stabilisation programmes instituted globally will make itself felt by the end of 2011.

Mr von Hartig, said: “The credit crunch resulted in investors fundamentally shifting their view of emerging markets from purely opportunistic investments to more strategic investment portfolios. Standard Bank believes that growing institutional investor demand for emerging markets debt is a structural shift in the international capital markets. Foreign purchases of local bonds have been net positive to the extent of R70bn for the year to date. This is a phenomenal figure in the context of the South Africa local market.”

Rise in Non-Governmental Issuances

Non-government issuances exceeded R80bn for the year to date. The R100m mark is likely to be exceeded soon as we expect the evolution and development of the South African market to continue. Already this year the market has seen strong growth in Floating Rate Note and CPI instruments as well as the gradual migration of risk appetite down the credit curve.

Shift Towards Offshore Debt Markets

“This strategic shift has seen local issuers assessing the offshore market. Standard Bank has seen the South African Sovereign and several investment grade issuers such as Naspers, Goldfields and Mondi venture into the global capital markets, with public sector issuers like Transnet and Eskom likely to follow.

“We expect the trend to persist through 2011 with the large state owned enterprises cementing offshore Debt Capital Market funding as a core source of funding in the medium term.”

Increasing Offshore Investor Interest

Standard Bank Group predicts that offshore interest in emerging markets, and especially interest in Africa will increase in the next three to five years. As markets become more at ease about the strength of the global economic recovery, the low interest rate environment will drive investors towards higher yielding emerging market assets providing a good backdrop for emerging market debt issuance.

 

Speaking at the IMN Capital Markets Summit in Cape Town, Florian von Hartig, Standard Bank Group’s Global Head of Debt Capital Markets, said that despite the volatility of the markets, Standard Bank Group believes that the overall trend is towards stabilisation.

Government intervention in the global financial market made during 2008 and 2009 to address the global credit crisis was not unprecedented, but was extraordinary. Standard Bank Group believes the effects of the stabilisation programmes instituted globally will make itself felt by the end of 2011.

Mr von Hartig, said: “The credit crunch resulted in investors fundamentally shifting their view of emerging markets from purely opportunistic investments to more strategic investment portfolios. Standard Bank believes that growing institutional investor demand for emerging markets debt is a structural shift in the international capital markets. Foreign purchases of local bonds have been net positive to the extent of R70bn for the year to date. This is a phenomenal figure in the context of the South Africa local market.”

Non-government issuances exceeded R80bn for the year to date. The R100m mark is likely to be exceeded soon as we expect the evolution and development of the South African market to continue. Already this year the market has seen strong growth in Floating Rate Note and CPI instruments as well as the gradual migration of risk appetite down the credit curve.

“This strategic shift has seen local issuers assessing the offshore market. Standard Bank has seen the South African Sovereign and several investment grade issuers such as Naspers, Goldfields and Mondi venture into the global capital markets, with public sector issuers like Transnet and Eskom likely to follow.

“We expect the trend to persist through 2011 with the large state owned enterprises cementing offshore Debt Capital Market funding as a core source of funding in the medium term.”

Standard Bank Group predicts that offshore interest in emerging markets, and especially interest in Africa will increase in the next three to five years. As markets become more at ease about the strength of the global economic recovery, the low interest rate environment will drive investors towards higher yielding emerging market assets providing a good backdrop for emerging market debt issuance.

 

Key Takeaways

  • Despite market volatility, Standard Bank projects a trend toward stabilisation in South African debt capital markets and effects of global stabilization programmes to be felt by end‑2011.
  • Institutional investor demand for emerging market debt has shifted from opportunistic to strategic, evidenced by net foreign bond purchases of R70bn and non‑government issuances exceeding R80bn year‑to‑date.
  • There is increasing issuance of Floating Rate Notes and CPI‑linked instruments, and issuers including Naspers, Goldfields, Mondi—and soon Transnet and Eskom—are tapping offshore markets.
  • Standard Bank anticipates that offshore investor interest in emerging markets, particularly Africa, will grow over the next three to five years, driven by low interest rates and improving global recovery.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What factors signal stabilisation in South African debt capital markets?
Despite volatility, Standard Bank sees improving investor confidence and expects the effects of 2008‑09 global stabilisation programmes to materialise by end of 2011.
How much foreign investment has entered South African local bonds?
Foreign purchases of local bonds have been net positive to the extent of R70 billion year‑to‑date, a strong indication of institutional investor interest.
Which issuances have driven growth in the local debt market?
Non‑government issuances exceeded R80 billion year‑to‑date, with growing issuance of Floating Rate Notes and CPI‑linked instruments.
Which local issuers are accessing global capital markets?
Issuers like Naspers, Goldfields and Mondi have tapped offshore markets, with state‑owned enterprises such as Transnet and Eskom expected to follow.
What is the outlook for offshore interest in emerging market debt?
Standard Bank expects offshore interest in emerging markets—especially Africa—to increase over the next three to five years, aided by low interest rates and global recovery.

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