Dutch banks were put under heavy strains early in the global downturn and have comparatively weak financial buffers to cope with new shocks. Falling house prices have increased the share of households with negative home equity to nearly 35% for home-owning households and 40% for mortgage...

The private sector and public authorities both need access to capital for investment, job creation and growth. For a number of reasons, explained in this book, Southern Africa suffers from disproportionately expensive capital and this is denying the region its full growth potential. This is a...