Botswana Holds Interest Rate Steady Amid Rising Inflation

Botswana’s central bank has maintained its monetary policy rate at 1.90% for the third consecutive meeting, the bank announced on Thursday says CNBCAfrica. Inflation rose to 2.5% in January, up from 1.7% in December, but remains below the Bank of Botswana’s preferred range of 3% to 6% in the medium term. The country’s economy, heavily reliant on diamond exports, faced a contraction last year due to weakened global demand for the precious stone.