With double-digit interest rates that deterred investors and stifled economic progress, many African countries struggled for decades from high inflation rates and unstable economies.
However, efforts to reduce these excessive interest rates have been mostly successful in recent years. Given that the majority of African countries are now seen as developing, this is not unexpected.
The national interest rate is the rate of interest at which a country’s central bank lends money to commercial banks or other financial institutions.
It serves as a benchmark for other economic interest rates, including those on mortgages, business loans, and savings accounts.
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Central Banks loan with a Low Interest Rate
Central banks use this rate as a tool to control the money supply, inflation, and overall economic growth.
The desire for economic progress is one of the main factors for low interest rates in African nations.
Lower interest rates may promote borrowing for infrastructure and commercial expansion, which would boost the economy.
This can be especially important for developing nations hoping to boost indigenous entrepreneurship and draw in international investment.
Inflation control, attracting foreign investment, and debt sustainability are some additional factors that low interest rates have a positive impact on the African economy.
However, not all African nations have interest rates that are competitive with one another.
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Interest rates in Africa
Interest rates in Africa differ significantly from country to country as a result of differences in monetary policy, financial market development, and economic situations.
Interest rates in the continent of Africa can range from highly high to extremely low due to its diversity and countries’ different levels of development.
Below is a list of the African nations having the lowest interest rates.
The interest rates in each nation as of the final day of August are shown in the figures below.
The data platform Trading Economics, which provides its users with accurate information for 196 countries, including historical data and predictions for more than 20 million economic indicators, currency exchange rates, stock market indexes, government bond yields, and commodity prices, is the source of the list below.
Rank | Country | Interest rate | Global rank |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Cape Verde | 1% | 4th |
2. | Seychelles | 2% | 8th |
3. | Botswana | 2.65% | 12th |
4. | Algeria | 3% | 14th |
5. | Libya | 3% | 16th |
6. | Morocco | 3% | 18th |
7. | Mauritius | 4.5% | 36th |
8. | Benin | 5% | 39th |
9. | Burkina Faso | 5% | 40th |
10. | Cameroon | 5% | 41st |