Latest report by the World Bank Group suggests that low oil prices have considerably reduced growth in commodity-exporting countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Nigeria and Angola etc. and have also slowed activity in non-oil sectors.
The report says that although South Africa is expected to be one of the main beneficiaries of low oil prices, growth is being held back by energy shortages, weak investor confidence amid policy uncertainty, and by the anticipated gradual tightening of monetary and fiscal policy. Growth in the region is forecast to slow to 4.2 percent, slower than previously expected.