African Markets - Factors to watch on Oct 15

Oct 15 (Reuters) - The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Friday.

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EVENTS

* Nigeria September inflation data expectede. Headline rate rose to 13.7 percent in August from 13.0 percent in July.

* Zimbabwe September inflation data. Annual inflation slowed to 3.6 percent in August from 4.1 percent in July

* Botswana September inflation data. Rate slowed to 6.7 percent in August from 7.0 percent in July.

* Namibia September ifnlation data.

* Regular Mauritius Treasury bill auction.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Investors took profits on gains in stocks and commodities this week while buying back the U.S. dollar on Friday, but kept the currency close to a 10-month low ahead of a speech by the head of the Federal Reserve. [ID:nSGE69E04F]

SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS

South Africa's rand rose again to its highest in nearly three years on Thursday as the U.S. dollar took a battering globally, while stocks stumbled for the first session in five on concern recent gains may be overdone. [ID:nLDE69D1ZY]

AFRICAN MARKETS

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AFRICA CURRENCIES

Ghana's cedi and Nigeria's naira are likely to ease slightly next week, while Kenya's shilling should strengthen due to the start of regular year-end dollar inflows. [ID:nLDE69C1NB]

NIGERIA OIL, ENERGY

Nigerian Oil Minister Deziani Allison-Madueke said on Thursday a planned licensing round of marginal oil blocks and the passage of wide-ranging legislation to overhaul the energy sector will take place this year. [ID:nLDE69D0TZ]

Foreign utilities and engineering firms could invest billions of dollars in the privatisation of Nigeria's power sector if it comes good on pledges to build a strong regulatory framework, executives said on Thursday. [ID:nLDE69D1JL]

NIGERIA MARKETS

Nigeria's rescued banks lead stock market gainers after the central bank says several of them are expected to announce negotiations with potential suitors in the coming weeks. [nLDE69D1GQ]

KENYA MARKETS

Kenya's Standard Chartered Bank (SCBK.NR) said on Friday its 2.5 billion shilling ($31 million) rights issue had a subscription rate of 161 percent. [ID:nLDE69E032]

The weighted average yield on the Kenya's 182-day Treasury bill inched up to 2.111 percent from 2.093 percent, the central bank said on Thursday. [ID:nLDE69D1NM]

KENYA SUGAR

Kenya's government has given the go-ahead for the privatisation of state-owned sugar factories once their debt is restructured and if parliament approves, a statement from the president's office said on Thursday. [ID:nLDE69D1V3]

KENYA TOURISM

Kenyan tourist arrivals are up this year as visitors from prosperous emerging markets make up for weak European arrivals, but a potential airline strike could throw a spanner in the works, tourism minister said on Thursday. [ID:nLDE69D1GP]

GHANA MARKETS

IBRD prices 30 million cedi 2013 bond. [ID:nLDE69D1B3]

Shares in bank Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI.GH) and Ghana Oil Company (GOIL.GH) fell, dragging the Ghana all-share index down .GSEGH 106.37 points, or 1.55 percent, to 6,756.37 for its second straight session loss. [ID:nLDE69D22A]

MAURITIUS INFLATION

The annual inflation rate in Mauritius MUCPIY=ECI is expected to rise to around 2.8 percent in 2010 from 2.5 percent a year earlier, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said on Friday. [ID:nLDE69E053]

ZAMBIA MINING

Zambia aims to double the contribution of mining to gross domestic product by 2015 by attracting greater investment in the sector, the president of the southern African nation said on Thursday. [ID:nLDE69D1K3]

SOUTH SUDAN

North Sudanese leaders said on Thursday it was now impossible to hold a referendum on the future of the country's disputed Abyei region on time and that the poll could be delayed or settled without a vote. [ID:nLDE69D1AY]

Oil-producing south Sudan fears the north may be preparing foR war ahead of a referendum on southern independence, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said on Thursday. [ID:nN14126488]

IVORY COAST POLITICS

Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo is the most popular candidate in elections set for Oct. 31, with 46 percent of voters intending to vote for him in the first round, according to a TNS Sofres opinion poll. [ID:nLDE69D2FS]

SIERRA LEONE TAX

Sierra Leone hopes new low-tax industrial zones will boost local processing of its resources, raising the value of exports and creating jobs, the West African country's Minister of Trade and Industry said on Thursday. [ID:nLDE69D1T1]

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COMMODITIES

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