Osiriz estimates Sub-Saharan Africa rice imports rose 13.7% in 2025 Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal account for 35% of regional imports Ample supply, India exports and high stocks keep global prices pressured Sub-Saharan Africa’s rice market remains active, according to the latest report from the Observatory of International Rice Statistics (Osiriz). In a mid-January publication,...

Transnet signed an MoU with Port of Antwerp-Bruges International and APEC The partnership targets port performance, digitalization, and regional corridors The deal comes as South Africa seeks to fix long-standing logistics bottlenecks South Africa’s state-owned logistics group Transnet signed a memorandum of understanding last week with Port of Antwerp-Bruges International (PoABI) and...

Passenger traffic fell 5% in 2025, but load factors and unit performance improved Capacity was reduced faster than traffic, lifting seat occupancy to 76.1% Transport revenue held steady at 1.6 billion dinars despite a smaller offer Tunisian national carrier Tunisair carried 2.49 million passengers in 2025, down 5% from a year earlier. Beyond the decline in traffic, data published by the...

Urban employment reached 53.7% in WAEMU in early 2025 Most jobs remain informal, low-paid, and insecure Youth and women are the most exposed to precarious work In a report published in June 2025, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) said the urban employment rate in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) stood at 53.7% in the first quarter. The rate is measured as...

Faso Code X will open in February 2026 with a focus on advanced digital skills Training will cover AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and infrastructure automation The project relies on international technical and academic partnerships Roland Achille Sow, president of the special consular delegation of the Burkina Faso Chamber of Commerce, met on Jan. 23 with the minister for Digital...

Spot silver rose to $109 an ounce on January 26, after crossing $100 Prices jumped 147% in 2025, far outpacing gold Morocco stands out in Africa as a key beneficiary of the rally After breaking through the $100-an-ounce threshold last Friday, spot silver climbed to a new all-time high of $109 an ounce on January 26. The rally comes in the wake of gold, which hit a fresh...

President Mahama announced plans for a national cyber and electronic warfare hub The center is expected to be located in Tamale, in northern Ghana The project aligns with broader military modernization efforts Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama announced on Jan. 23 plans to establish the country’s first national cyber and electronic warfare center. The initiative is part of efforts...

The IEA sees geothermal energy gaining attention as a stable, low-carbon source New technologies could allow geothermal to meet up to 15% of demand growth by 2050 Kenya stands out, with geothermal already supplying about 43% of its electricity As global electricity demand accelerates, attention is shifting toward energy sources capable of producing power around the clock. The International...

Morocco’s ONHYM signed an offshore exploration agreement with Murphy Oil The Gharb Deep Offshore area covers 10 permits and nearly 17,000 km² The deal follows a non-commercial offshore result in Côte d’Ivoire Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and Murphy Morocco Oil Co., Ltd. signed an energy agreement on Jan. 22, covering an offshore area of interest along...

IOC bought about 2 million barrels of Angolan crude for March delivery The purchase is part of a wider 7 million-barrel buying program India’s imports of Russian oil fell sharply in December 2025 India’s state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has included Angolan crude in its recent oil purchases, according to international media reports on January 23. Angola is among the suppliers...