African Markets - Factors to watch on Nov.2

NAIROBI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The following companyannouncements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currencymarket moves and political events may affect African markets onFriday. - - - - - GLOBAL MARKETS Asian shares jumped on Friday after a phone call between the U.S. and Chinese presidents raised hopes of a thaw in trade tensions, but gains were checked by signs of slowing global growth and a warning from tech giant Apple Inc on holiday sales. WORLD OIL PRICES Oil prices fell on Friday as surging output by the world's three largest producers outweighed supply concerns from the start of U.S. sanctions next week against Iran's petroleum exports. EMERGING MARKETS For the top emerging markets news, double click on AFRICA STOCKS For the latest news on African stocks, click on SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS South Africa's rand firmed on Thursday, recovering from a three-week low hit in the previous session, as investors dumped the dollar and jumped back into riskier assets. SOUTH AFRICA POLITICS South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has fired "with immediate effect" the suspended head of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Tom Moyane, his spokeswoman Khusela Diko said on Thursday. SOUTH AFRICA ECONOMY The South African Reserve Bank made changes in one of its main forecasting models earlier this year that should result in the model predicting less persistent inflation and fewer rate hikes after a spike in inflation. SOUTH AFRICA POLITICS South Africans overwhelmingly support changing the constitution to allow land to be expropriated without compensation, parliament said on Thursday, announcing the findings of a draft report that followed public hearings on the issue. SOUTH AFRICA ARMS South Africa's struggling state-owned arms firm Denel is "ripe" for joint venture partnerships, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday, but added Pretoria would want to retain control if any deal went ahead. SOUTH AFRICA MINING Gold Fields GFIJ.J said on Thursday the biggest workers union at its sole South African mine, South Deep, planned to strike over proposed job cuts, a move the bullion producer said would threaten output and could lead to even more layoffs. NIGERIA POLITICS Suspected members of the Islamist Boko Haram insurgency killed at least 15 people in an attack on a group of villages in northeast Nigeria late on Wednesday, residents told Reuters. NIGERIA OIL Nigeria's state oil firm NNPC said on Thursday that it had signed a crude-for-product deal with BP BP.L for the next six months to help meet the country's gasoline needs over the holidays and ahead of its general election early next year. NIGERIA BOURSE Nigerian stocks fell to a seven week low on Thursday after the bourse suspended six firms including Unity Bank UNITYBN.LG for failure to file audited accounts, amidst weak investor sentiment for equities. AFRICA CURRENCIES Kenya's shilling is forecast to hold steady against the dollar in the next week to Thursday, while Uganda's shilling will gain ground and Zambia's kwacha will hold steady, traders said. TANZANIA POLITICS Police arrested a Tanzanian opposition politician on Wednesday after he said scores of people were killed in clashes between security forces and pastoralists in the country's west, his party said. BOTSWANA STOCKS Botswana's stock exchange has suspended trading in the shares of food retailer Choppies Enterprises CHOPP.BT because the company missed a deadline to publish its financial results, the bourse operator said on Thursday. ZIMBABWE MINING Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Thursday that Australia's Invictus Energy IVZ.AX had found oil and gas deposits in the northern Muzarabani area of the country. For the latest precious metals report click on For the latest base metals report click on For the latest crude oil report click on