logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
17m 42s

Is Africa’s debt cycle unbreakable?

Financial Times
About this episode

Ghana was once considered a success story and a model for African development. But after suffering several economic shocks, the west African country is now struggling to pay off its debts. The FT’s west Africa correspondent Aanu Adeoye and Africa editor David Pilling explain how Ghana exemplifies the debt cycle that many African countries find themselves stuck in, and what has to change to break it. 


Clip from GhanaWeb TV

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

For further reading:

How Ghana’s economy became a cautionary tale for Africa

Africa needs international help to avoid a lost decade

Ghana default puts domestic debt ‘can of worms’ in the spotlight

Ghana secures $3bn IMF deal after creditors agree to debt restructuring

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

On Twitter, follow Aanu Adeoye (@aanuadeoye), David Pilling (@davidpilling) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07)


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Aug 20
Palantir’s relentless rise
Palantir shares have soared this year, making the data analytics company one of the most valuable listed US tech groups. The FT’s Tabby Kinder explains how a paradigm shift in Silicon Valley helped propel Palantir to new heights and why many think it will be among the biggest win ... Show More
23m 29s
Aug 19
Why Big Tobacco is buzzing over nicotine pouches
This is a revised version of an earlier episode and clarifies the position of Zyn in the US market.As the popularity of cigarettes has slid in the past couple decades, Big Tobacco has been searching for a new hit product. Now, they think they’ve found it: nicotine pouches. FT rep ... Show More
20m 58s
Aug 6
Can Bobby Jain build the next hedge fund giant?
Two summers ago, hedge fund manager Bobby Jain set out with a huge goal: build a hedge fund that can rival the likes of industry giants Citadel and Millennium. But in the year since his firm started trading, Jain has found the going tough. FT hedge fund correspondents Amelia Poll ... Show More
22m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
ACFM Microdose: Making Sense of Sovereign Debt w/ Heidi Chow
After last week’s ACFM on the meaning and morality of personal debt, Keir and Nadia zoom out to the macroeconomics of debt. Joining them to make sense of concepts like sovereign debt, structural adjustment and international ratings agencies is Heidi Chow, executive director of De ... Show More
1h 9m
Sep 2024
Is China helping Africa realise its potential?
China is now Africa’s biggest trading partner, with 20% of exports going to China and 16% of imports coming from there, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) meeting earlier this month, President Xi Jinping promis ... Show More
19m 26s
Sep 2024
How to cut government debt, with Robin Wigglesworth
Jamaica’s economy struggled for decades, and at one point it had amassed debts worth more than 140 per cent of GDP. Even the IMF wouldn’t return its calls. But somehow, in the 2010s, it managed to halve its government debt – over just seven years. Today on the show, we ask how th ... Show More
28m 24s
Feb 2024
South Africa's youth struggling to find jobs
South Africa's finance minister Enoch Godongwana, acknowledged that the country's economy is facing 'a tipping point'. There's massive youth unemployment in South Africa and this recent forecast won't be favourable to young people. We hear reaction and look at possible solutions. ... Show More
39m 9s
Apr 2025
India’s middle-class debt crisis
Nvidia says it expects to take a $5.5bn blow as the US clamps down on the Silicon Valley group’s ability to export artificial intelligence chips to China, and PwC is exiting 12 countries. Plus, the junk bond market has basically ground to a halt, and India’s middle class is deali ... Show More
11m 5s
Jun 12
Recovery Interrupted: Sub-Saharan Africa’s Outlook
After four long years of numerous crises, sub-Saharan Africa’s hard-won recovery has been disrupted by yet another shock. The sudden shift in the global outlook has clouded the region’s short-term prospects and significantly complicated policy making. Economist Andrew Tiffin and ... Show More
11m 1s
Feb 2025
Brazilian Currency & Debt Crisis
Brazil is facing a currency and debt crisis as investor confidence in the country’s economic policies plummets. Since President Lula da Silva returned to office in 2023, increased public spending and rising debt levels have fueled concerns about Brazil’s financial stability. The ... Show More
17m 29s
Aug 2024
Michael Drury on China's Trillion Dollar Secret and Why The U.S. Is Not Headed Imminently Into A Recession
This interview with Michael Drury explores how China’s problems affect the global economy, its economic advantages, and where it spends its trillion-dollar surplus. We also discuss the US economy’s resilience, why Michael doesn’t see a recession, and much more.–Follow Jack Farley ... Show More
1h 17m
Jul 2023
Will drastic reforms save Nigeria’s economy – or cause more pain?
When Bola Tinubu was elected as Nigeria’s president in May, many expected little would change. But from the first minutes of his inauguration speech, the 71-year-old has brought big changes to Africa’s largest economy. He says the moves, including scrapping a key fuel subsidy, ar ... Show More
18m 33s
Jan 2025
Ep93. Africa in the Age of Disorder
In 2024, the Disorder podcast looked a lot at Ukraine, Syria, Israel-Palestine, India, Bangledesh, and even north Africa… but we didn’t devote sufficient time to sub-saharan Africa. So what does Africa look like in the Age of Disorder?  To find out, Jason is joined this week by P ... Show More
52m 2s