The Collapse of the Sudanese Pound and Bankak Disruptions Hit Khartoum Markets

The situation in Khartoum’s markets points to severe stagnation that is disrupting buying and selling activity, amid declining purchasing power and rising prices of essential commodities. At the same time, recurring outages and disruptions affecting Bankak, the electronic money-transfer application operated by the Bank of Khartoum, are further complicating daily transactions.

A large segment of citizens and traders relies on electronic transfers, making any interruption to the service an immediate source of disruption to market activity.

According to a report published on Al Jazeera’s digital platforms, the market slowdown coincided with a decline in the value of the Sudanese pound against foreign currencies, with the US dollar exceeding 7,300 Sudanese pounds on the parallel market. Rising commodity costs have been reflected in markets, where prices have continued to change, increasing pressure on consumers.

Some commodities have recorded sharp price increases. The report stated that a 50-kilogram sack of sugar reached about 320,000 pounds, while a 25-kilogram sack of flour cost around 80,000 pounds, a sack of lentils 125,000 pounds, and a liter of cooking oil about 17,000 pounds.

Price increases have also extended to vegetables. The price of a kilogram of tomatoes rose from around 4,000 pounds to 14,000 pounds, while potatoes reached about 7,000 pounds per kilogram, prompting shoppers to reduce their purchases and look for cheaper alternatives.

In the same context, trader Nafisa Hussein said the economic conditions have directly affected market activity, noting that basic commodities have become expensive and consumers now shop around extensively before choosing the cheapest option.

She told Al Jazeera that the repeated disruption of the Bankak application represents an additional problem for traders, as some customers arrive at shops and select their purchases, only to abandon them when they are unable to complete the payment.