veri blog

Five years after missing a US$42.5 million Eurobond coupon and tumbling into default, Zambia has finally clawed its way back into the good graces of at least one major rating agency. On Friday, S&P Global Ratings  lifted Zambia’s long- and short-term foreign-currency ratings to CCC+/C  from selective default (SD) , formally removing the scarlet letter that has hung over the country since 2020. “It confirms that Zambia has moved out of default status and is steadily restoring

When Ghana’s finance minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, stood up to present the 2026 budget, one line cut through the usual noise of deficits and debt targets: after 25 years, the government would abolish the 15% VAT on mineral exploration and reconnaissance . For most Ghanaians, it sounded technical. For the mining industry, it was seismic. For a quarter of a century, companies prospecting for gold and other minerals have paid VAT on high-risk, upfront spending – drilling, assayi

On a busy street in central Harare, shopkeepers still quote prices in both U.S. dollars and the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) – but the tone of the conversation has shifted. After years of relentless price surges, inflation has suddenly fallen hard , dropping from 82.7% in September to 32.7% in October 2025 , its lowest level in nearly two years. Business groups and policymakers say this is no accident. A new, partly gold-backed currency, firmer monetary policy and an unexpected gold p

When pension executives, regulators and investors gathered in Kampala this month for the All-Africa Pensions Summit, the talking point was not another foreign aid package or a new donor facility. It was Africa’s own money – more than US$1.3 trillion  in combined pension and sovereign wealth fund assets – and how much of it is still sitting in short-term instruments instead of building roads, power plants and hospitals. For Uganda, the host country, the moment felt symbolic. I

Harare, 16 October 2025 — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has offered cautious praise for Zimbabwe’s recent fiscal and monetary reforms, acknowledging steps toward macroeconomic stabilization. Yet despite progress, the global lender remains unable to extend new credit due to Zimbabwe’s substantial debt arrears. Instead, the two parties are engaging under a structured dialogue framework aimed at building institutional credibility ahead of a more formal program. The cor

Excited to Begin Building Relationships in Uganda with Veri Platform In just a few days, I’ll be visiting  Uganda  for the very first...

I’m heading back to Kenya again soon — and honestly, I couldn’t be more excited. The thought of returning doesn’t feel like another...