African bonds: Putting the past behind it?

For all the excitement about African Eurobonds, things have not always gone smoothly for investors in recent years.

In 2008, the Seychelles defaulted on more than $311 million in debt while in 2010 Côte d’Ivoire defaulted on its $2.3 billion Eurobond – it was not until June this year that it resumed coupon payments.

In Gabon, the government has missed a number of payments to its Eurobond sinking fund, leading Standard & Poor’s to suggest in September that the government’s “fiscal management has deteriorated in recent months”.

Such episodes are a timely reality check, but they do not seem to be putting off investors to any great extent.

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