IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ehl/lserod/87636.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Localising sovereign debt: the rise of local currency bond markets in sub‐Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Dafe, Florence
  • Essers, Dennis
  • Volz, Ulrich

Abstract

This paper analyses the development of local currency sovereign bond markets (LCBMs) in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), a potentially important source of longer‐term public finance. We make two contributions to the literature. First, we build a novel data set comprising 28 SSA countries for the period 2000–14 to uncover the main correlates of LCBM capitalisation, of local currency bond (LCB) tenors and of LCB issue yields. We find that LCBM capitalisation in SSA relates to politico‐institutional factors, overall financial development and financial system structure. For LCB tenors and issue yields, inflation levels matter too. Second, we complement our econometric analysis with qualitative case studies of Kenya and Nigeria, where we further investigate the drivers of LCBM development and place LCBMs in a broader public debt context. While we document the increasing importance of LCBMs in SSA, we also highlight new vulnerabilities, including those related to investor base composition.

Suggested Citation

  • Dafe, Florence & Essers, Dennis & Volz, Ulrich, 2018. "Localising sovereign debt: the rise of local currency bond markets in sub‐Saharan Africa," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87636, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:87636
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/87636/
    File Function: Open access version.
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bhattacharyay, Biswa Nath, 2013. "Determinants of bond market development in Asia," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 124-137.
    2. Cheikh A. Gueye & Amadou N. R. Sy, 2015. "Beyond Aid: How Much Should African Countries Pay to Borrow?," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 24(3), pages 352-366.
    3. Eduardo Borensztein & Kevin Cowan & Barry Eichengreen & Ugo Panizza (ed.), 2008. "Bond Markets in Latin America: On the Verge of a Big Bang?," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262026325, December.
    4. Carmen M. Reinhart & Kenneth S. Rogoff, 2014. "This Time is Different: A Panoramic View of Eight Centuries of Financial Crises," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 15(2), pages 215-268, November.
    5. Emmanuel Farhi & Jean Tirole, 2018. "Deadly Embrace: Sovereign and Financial Balance Sheets Doom Loops," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 85(3), pages 1781-1823.
    6. Dennis Essers & Hans J. Blommestein & Danny Cassimon & Perla Ibarlucea Flores, 2016. "Local Currency Bond Market Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Stock-Taking Exercise and Analysis of Key Drivers," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(5), pages 1167-1194, May.
    7. Carmen M. Reinhart & Kenneth S. Rogoff, 2009. "Varieties of Crises and Their Dates," Introductory Chapters, in: This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly, Princeton University Press.
    8. John D. Burger & Francis E. Warnock, 2006. "Local Currency Bond Markets," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 53(si), pages 1-7.
    9. Hans J. Blommestein & Greg Horman, 2007. "Government Debt Management and Bond Markets in Africa," Financial Market Trends, OECD Publishing, vol. 2007(1), pages 217-244.
    10. Olatundun Janet Adelegan & Bozena Radzewicz-Bak, 2009. "What Determines Bond Market Development in Sub-Saharan Africa?," IMF Working Papers 2009/213, International Monetary Fund.
    11. World Bank, 2016. "World Development Indicators 2016," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 23969.
    12. Wenxin Du & Jesse Schreger, 2013. "Local Currency Sovereign Risk," International Finance Discussion Papers 1094, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    13. Giovanna Bua & Juan Pradelli & Andrea Filippo Presbitero, 2013. "Domestic public debt in low-income countries: trends and structure," Mo.Fi.R. Working Papers 85, Money and Finance Research group (Mo.Fi.R.) - Univ. Politecnica Marche - Dept. Economic and Social Sciences.
    14. Barry Eichengreen & Ricardo Hausmann, 1999. "Exchange rates and financial fragility," Proceedings - Economic Policy Symposium - Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, pages 329-368.
    15. Ms. Marcela Matamoros-Indorf & Ms. Mrinalini Sharma & Mr. Simon Townsend & Mr. Luis Ignacio Jácome, 2012. "Central Bank Credit to the Government: What Can We Learn From International Practices?," IMF Working Papers 2012/016, International Monetary Fund.
    16. Danny Cassimon & Dennis Essers & Karel Verbeke, 2016. "The changing face of Rwanda's public debt," BeFinD Working Papers 0114, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    17. Danny Cassimon & Dennis Essers & Karel Verbeke, 2015. "What to do after the clean slate? Post-relief public debt sustainability and management," BeFinD Working Papers 0103, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    18. Battaile,William G. & Hernandez,Fernando Leonardo & Norambuena,Vivian, 2015. "Debt sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa : unraveling country-specific risks," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7523, The World Bank.
    19. Stijn Claessens & Daniela Klingebiel & Sergio L. Schmukler, 2007. "Government Bonds in Domestic and Foreign Currency: the Role of Institutional and Macroeconomic Factors," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(2), pages 370-413, May.
    20. repec:nam:befdwp:3 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Mthuli Ncube & Zuzana Brixiová, 2015. "Public Debt Sustainability in Africa: Building Resilience and Challenges Ahead," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 33(5), pages 555-580, September.
    22. Mr. Yibin Mu & Mr. Peter Phelps & Ms. Janet Gale Stotsky, 2013. "Bond Markets in Africa," IMF Working Papers 2013/012, International Monetary Fund.
    23. Herman, Barry & Ocampo, Jose Antonio & Spiegel, Shari (ed.), 2010. "Overcoming Developing Country Debt Crises," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199578795.
    24. Kathrin Berensmann & Florence Dafe & Ulrich Volz, 2015. "Developing local currency bond markets for long-term development financing in Sub-Saharan Africa," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 31(3-4), pages 350-378.
    25. Tatiana Didier & Sergio L Schmukler, 2014. "Debt Markets in Emerging Economies: Major Trends," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 56(2), pages 200-228, June.
    26. Florence Dafe & Dennis Essers & Ulrich Volz, 2018. "Localising sovereign debt: The rise of local currency bond markets in sub‐Saharan Africa," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(12), pages 3317-3344, December.
    27. Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan & Ingrid Harvold Kvangraven, 2016. "Assessing Recent Determinants of Borrowing Costs in Sub-Saharan Africa," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(4), pages 721-738, November.
    28. International Monetary Fund, 2008. "Kenya: Ex Post Assessment of Longer-Term Program Engagement," IMF Staff Country Reports 2008/338, International Monetary Fund.
    29. Mthuli Ncube & Zuzana Brixiova, 2015. "Working Paper 227 - Public Debt Sustainability in Africa: Building Resilience and Challenges Ahead," Working Paper Series 2170, African Development Bank.
    30. Wenxin Du & Jesse Schreger, 2016. "Local Currency Sovereign Risk," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 71(3), pages 1027-1070, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. John Beirne & Nuobu Renzhi & Ulrich Volz, 2024. "Local Currency Bond Markets, Foreign Investor Participation And Capital Flow Volatility In Emerging Asia," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 69(02), pages 517-541, March.
    2. Kaltenbrunner, Annina & Perez Ruiz, Daniel & Okot, Anjelo, 2022. "A structural analysis of foreign exchange markets in sub-Saharan Africa," EIB Working Papers 2022/11, European Investment Bank (EIB).
    3. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2020. "Finance, governance and inclusive education in Sub-Saharan Africa," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 17(8), pages 1044-1061, July.
    4. Daniela Gabor, 2021. "The Wall Street Consensus," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(3), pages 429-459, May.
    5. Asongu, Simplice A. & Nnanna, Joseph & Acha-Anyi, Paul N., 2020. "Inequality and gender economic inclusion: The moderating role of financial access in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 173-185.
    6. Simplice Asongu & Rexon Nting, 2020. "The comparative economics of financial access in gender economic inclusion," African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(2), pages 193-207, December.
    7. Simplice Asongu & Oludele Folarin & Nicholas Biekpe, 2019. "The stability of demand for money in the proposed Southern African Monetary Union," International Journal of Emerging Markets, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 15(2), pages 222-244, August.
    8. Belke, Ansgar & Volz, Ulrich, 2018. "Capital flows to emerging market and developing economies: global liquidity and uncertainty versus country-specific pull factors," IDOS Discussion Papers 23/2018, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    9. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2018. "ICT, Financial Access and Gender Inclusion in the Formal Economic Sector: Evidence from Africa," The African Finance Journal, Africagrowth Institute, vol. 20(2), pages 45-65.
    10. Florence Dafe & Dennis Essers & Ulrich Volz, 2018. "Localising sovereign debt: The rise of local currency bond markets in sub‐Saharan Africa," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(12), pages 3317-3344, December.
    11. Yushi Chen & Ulrich Volz, 2022. "Scaling up sustainable investment through blockchain‐based project bonds," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 40(3), May.
    12. Asongu, Simplice A. & Nnanna, Joseph & Acha-Anyi, Paul N., 2020. "Finance, inequality and inclusive education in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 162-177.
    13. Amr Hosny, 2020. "Nonresident holdings of domestic debt in Nigeria: Internal or external driven?," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 32(3), pages 472-485, September.
    14. Simplice A. Asongu & Joseph Nnanna & Paul N. Acha-Anyi, 2020. "Inclusive Education for Inclusive Economic Participation: the Financial Access Channel," Research Africa Network Working Papers 20/019, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    15. SENGA, Christian, 2018. "Portfolio optimization at the frontier: Assessing the diversification benefits of African securities," Working Papers 2019001, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    16. Christian Senga & Danny Cassimon & Dennis Essers, 2018. "Sub-Saharan African Eurobond yields: What really matters beyond global factors?," Review of Development Finance Journal, Chartered Institute of Development Finance, vol. 8(1), pages 49-62.
    17. Pedersoli, Silvia & Presbitero, Andrea F., 2023. "Public debt management and private financial development," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 47(1).
    18. Xiao, Hao & Lin, Jie & Tang, Xiaoyang, 2024. "Spillover effects of external economic shocks on African sovereign bonds," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    19. Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, 2019. "Exchange market pressure and primary commodity – exporting emerging markets," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(22), pages 2390-2412, May.
    20. Gabor, Daniela, 2021. "The Liquidity and Sustainability Facility for African Sovereign Bonds: a good ECA/PIMCO idea whose time has come?," SocArXiv erku6_v1, Center for Open Science.
    21. Gabor, Daniela, 2021. "The Liquidity and Sustainability Facility for African Sovereign Bonds: a good ECA/PIMCO idea whose time has come?," SocArXiv erku6, Center for Open Science.
    22. Florence Dafe & Annina Kaltenbrunner & Ingrid Harvold Kvangraven & Iván Weigandi, 2023. "Local Currency Bond Markets in Africa: Resilience and Subordination," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 54(5), pages 1031-1064, September.
    23. Daxin Dong, 2021. "The impact of financial openness on public debt in developing countries," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(5), pages 2261-2291, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dennis Essers & Hans J. Blommestein & Danny Cassimon & Perla Ibarlucea Flores, 2016. "Local Currency Bond Market Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Stock-Taking Exercise and Analysis of Key Drivers," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(5), pages 1167-1194, May.
    2. Danny Cassimon & Dennis Essers & Karel Verbeke, 2016. "The changing face of Rwanda's public debt," BeFinD Working Papers 0114, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    3. Fløgstad, Cathrin, 2017. "Domestic bond markets in emerging economies: Crowding in or crowding out?," Working Papers in Economics 15/17, University of Bergen, Department of Economics.
    4. Christian Senga & Danny Cassimon & Dennis Essers, 2018. "Sub-Saharan African Eurobond yields: What really matters beyond global factors?," Review of Development Finance Journal, Chartered Institute of Development Finance, vol. 8(1), pages 49-62.
    5. Kathrin Berensmann & Florence Dafe & Ulrich Volz, 2015. "Developing local currency bond markets for long-term development financing in Sub-Saharan Africa," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 31(3-4), pages 350-378.
    6. Jamel Boukhatem, 2021. "What drives local currency bond market development in Saudi Arabia: do macroeconomic and institutional factors matter?," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-18, December.
    7. Danny Cassimon & Dennis Essers & Karel Verbeke, 2015. "What to do after the clean slate? Post-relief public debt sustainability and management," BeFinD Working Papers 0103, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    8. Smaoui, Houcem & Grandes, Martin & Akindele, Akintoye, 2017. "The Determinants of Bond Market Development: Further Evidence from Emerging and Developed Countries," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 148-167.
    9. Olfa Berrich & Halim Dabbou & Mohamed Imen Gallali, 2022. "Over-the-counter market and corporate bond market development," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 47(2/3), pages 284-304.
    10. Laura Alfaro & Fabio Kanczuk, 2019. "Debt Redemption and Reserve Accumulation," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 67(2), pages 261-287, June.
    11. Mitchener, Kris & Trebesch, Christoph, 2021. "Sovereign Debt in the 21st Century: Looking Backward, Looking Forward," CEPR Discussion Papers 15935, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    12. Ogrokhina, Olena & Rodriguez, Cesar M., 2019. "The effect of inflation targeting and financial openness on currency composition of sovereign international debt," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 1-18.
    13. Ogrokhina, Olena & Rodriguez, Cesar M., 2018. "The role of inflation targeting in international debt denomination in developing countries," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 116-129.
    14. repec:nam:befdwp:3 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Al-Raeai, Arafat Mansoor & Zainol, Zairy & Abdul Rahim, Ahmad Khilmy, 2019. "The Influence of Macroeconomics Factors and Political Risk on the Sukuk Market Development in Selected GCC Countries: A Panel Data Analysis," Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, vol. 53(2), pages 199-211.
    16. Endo, Tadashi, 2022. "Endogenous market development for government securities in lower-income economies," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    17. Ricardo Sabbadini, 2017. "Overcoming the Original Sin: Gains from Local Currency External Debt," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2017_27, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    18. Kowalewski, Oskar & Pisany, Paweł, 2019. "What drove the growth of the corporate bond markets in Asia?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 365-380.
    19. Eswar S. Prasad, 2011. "Role reversal in global finance," Proceedings - Economic Policy Symposium - Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, pages 339-390.
    20. Levieuge, Grégory & Lucotte, Yannick & Pradines-Jobet, Florian, 2021. "The cost of banking crises: Does the policy framework matter?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    21. Amstad, Marlene & Packer, Frank & Shek, Jimmy, 2020. "Does sovereign risk in local and foreign currency differ?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    local currency bonds; long‐term finance; public debt; sub‐Saharan Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:87636. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: LSERO Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.