Sovereign credit ratings are crucial to Sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA’s)financial landscape, yet debates continue over their accuracy, fairness, and impact. This paper makes both an analytical and empirical contribution to the debate. It examines the key factors behind SSA’s low ratings and estimates their relative impact, using the criteria of credit rating agencies (CRAs) and econometric techniques. It also reviews the concept of bias in sovereign ratings, highlighting challenges in its definition and measurement. The study argues for distinguishing between different approaches to assessing fairness in sovereign ratings, providing a new perspective on the accuracy of CRAs' assessments in reflecting SSA’s relative credit fundamentals. […]