Anti-Corruption

  1. Africa’s Growth Prospects. Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow at 3.8 percent in 2019, which is a significant improvement over last year’s regional growth rate of 2.6 percent. Excluding the continent’s largest economies (Angola, Nigeria and South Africa), which are growing collectively at an average of 2.5

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Continue Reading Top Ten Issues to Watch in Africa in 2019

In March 2017, World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim announced that the World Bank would provide a record $57 billion in financing for projects in sub-Saharan Africa in the 2018–2020 fiscal year period. Consistent with that commitment, the World Bank’s most recent annual report indicates that $19.8 billion was…
Continue Reading What Companies Need to Know About World Bank and African Development Bank Debarment (and How to Avoid It)
We are pleased to share that partner Ben Haley has relocated to the firm’s Johannesburg office to lead the firm’s Africa-focused compliance and investigations efforts. Mr. Haley is an experienced compliance and investigations lawyer who assists corporations and individuals in navigating the dynamic enforcement environment. In addition to representing companies

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Continue Reading Covington Strengthens Africa Practice with Key Additions to Johannesburg Office

Over the last several decades, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by multinational companies has become a critical engine of economic growth in Africa, with FDI in the extractive industries particularly significant. A common response by local governments in Africa to increased FDI is “local content” requirements, which are designed to ensure…
Continue Reading Compliance Risks from Local Content Requirements – Considerations for Doing Business in Africa

On June 3, 2018, French tycoon Vincent Bolloré warned investors that Groupe Bolloré—a logistics provider with extensive operations in former French colonies in Africa—may suffer negative commercial and financial consequences as a result of a corruption investigation initiated by French authorities. Mr. Bolloré was questioned for two days by French…
Continue Reading What Companies Need to Know About France’s Loi Sapin II Anti-Corruption Law

In this blog, Covington’s Africa practice  highlights ten key issues to watch in Africa in 2018.

  1. U.S. Policy: The derogatory remarks that President Trump made about Africans and Haitians, which he denies having said, create a negative image for the U.S. across the region as the year begins. Nevertheless, the

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Continue Reading Ten Key Issues to Watch in Africa in 2018

Opportunity in Africa abounds. Half of the world’s 25 fastest-growing economies are on the continent and according to the United Nations (UN), half of the anticipated global population growth between now and 2050 will occur in Africa. Upwards of 800 U.S. companies have a presence in South Africa alone. Yet,…
Continue Reading Opportunity in Africa: Covington Launches Johannesburg Office

Over the past two days, members of the private sector, government and civil society have gathered in Nairobi to discuss the role of the private sector in fighting corruption and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.  The scourge of corruption has long been one of the main obstacles to realizing the…
Continue Reading Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria Finally Stepping Up Anti-Corruption Efforts

A new, comprehensive report published by the African Union’s high-level panel on illicit financial flows and the United Nations economic commission for Africa (Uneca) concludes that Africa loses more than $50 billion every year to illicit financial flows (IFFs).  The report, entitled Illicit Financial Flows, represents the first African …
Continue Reading AU-UN Report Reveals Startling Illicit Financial Flows in Africa

Earlier this month, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and Nigeria’s Convention on Business Integrity (CBi) announced the launch of a Corporate Governance Rating System (CGRS) that will rank NSE-listed companies based on their corporate governance practices and anti-corruption policies.  The new rating system is designed to promote a more transparent…
Continue Reading Nigeria Launches New Corporate Governance Rating System