Oct 23 (Reuters) - The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect African markets on Friday.

Asian shares nudged higher on Friday on the back of upbeat earnings reports from the United States and Asia while the dollar resumed a broad slide after a Fed official indicated U.S. interest rates would remain low.
Japan's Nikkei index rose 0.6 percent as exporters like Sony Corp gained, helped by optimism about the global economy and on a weaker yen.
Bullish earnings in the United States from 3M Co, AT&T Inc and McDonald's Corp helped push the Dow Jones up 1.3 percent on Thursday and the upbeat mood spread to Asia.

South Africa's rand reversed earlier sharp losses against the dollar on Thursday, which were partly triggered by a report -- later denied by the government -- that it planned to freeze the currency.
Blue-chip stocks ended slightly up, clocking a new 13-month high on the back of firmer commodities and a stronger Dow.
Some of the rand's recovery came after the central bank decided to leave interest rates unchanged as expected by markets, a move which should uphold its high-yield appeal.

Nigeria's all-share index climbed 0.23 percent to 22,589 points in thin trading on Thursday due to the absence of several brokers attending a yearly conference.
Cadbury Nigeria has extended its 22.2 billion naira ($149.38 million) rights offer by a week to now close on Oct. 30, the company said on Thursday.
On Friday, central bank governor Lamido Sanusi is due to address the Nigerian Economic Summit Group in Lagos on bank regulation and risk management in the current financial climate.

Nigeria sold 60.94 billion naira ($410 million) in 20-year, 10-year and 3-year sovereign bonds at its 10th debt auction of the year, officials said on Thursday.
Nigeria sold 19.44 billion naira of the 20-year paper, 10 billion naira of the 10-year instrument and 31.50 billion naira of the 3-year bond at an action on Wednesday.

A source close to OPEC president Angola told Reuters on Thursday that OPEC could raise oil output in December if crude oil prices top $100 per barrel in coming months.
The comments echoed those of OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri earlier on Thursday, and signalled that the group could raise output at a meeting in Luanda on Dec. 22 if oil prices continue to rise.

The kwanza will remain firm against the dollar for the rest of this year and next on the back of rising oil prices, exports and a loan from the International Monetary Fund, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday.
The poll of 9 analysts, taken this week, saw the kwanza trading at 85 to the dollar for the next 14 months, in line with Wednesday's levels.

Chinese engineers have started work on a $500 million road linking Congo Republic's coastal oil hub of Pointe-Noire, also site of a new potash project, to the capital Brazzaville some 600 km (375 miles) away.

President Mamadou Tandja's ruling MNSD party has won 21 of the 25 seats announced so far after this week's parliamentary election, preliminary results showed on Thursday.
Tuesday's poll was largely boycotted by opposition parties and led to West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS suspending the uranium mining country, where Tandja has already extended his powers, prolonged his stint in charge and scrapped term limits.

Ivory Coast coffee production will fall sharply this year as growers stung by low farmgate prices last season turn to more lucrative crops or abandon their plantations entirely, farmers and exporters said on Thursday.
The gloomy outlook adds to the West African nation's other agricultural woes, including dramatic declines in cocoa output, that have put the conflict-scarred country's main economic engine at risk after years of underinvestment.

The NSE 20-share Index was up 18.89 points to settle at 3049.99 on Thursday. The broader All Share Index edged up 0.23 points to close at 66.97.
The yield on Kenya's 91-day Treasury bill rose to 7.264 percent at Thursday's auction from 7.248 percent at the previous sale, the Central Bank of Kenya said on Thursday.

Kenyan flower exports may drop 14 percent to 80,000 tonnes this year due to drought and a depressed world market, the chief executive of the Kenya Flower Council said.

The Mount Sugar Estates Company's (TMSE) shares dropped 18.7 percent following heavy speculation ahead of Thursday's share offer in a planned merger with Harel Freres (HFL), traders said.

Burundi tea export earnings rose 11 percent to $12.4 million in the first nine months of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008, boosted by a drop in output regionally, a tea board official said on Thursday.

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Keywords: MARKETS AFRICA FACTORS/

(Compiled by Nairobi newsroom)

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