DR Congo suspended cobalt exports in early 2025 before moving to a quota system aimed at regulating global supply. The strategy mirrors OPEC’s early tactics as Kinshasa seeks to turn its dominant resource position into lasting market influence. In February 2025, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) suspended its cobalt exports in a bid to influence prices—and succeeded. A few...

Tharisa unveiled a $547 million underground expansion plan for its platinum mine to extend production beyond 2035. Global platinum prices have risen above $1,600 per ounce, their highest level in nearly 12 years, spurring new mining investments. Several major projects, including those by Valterra Platinum, Ivanhoe Mines, and Southern Palladium, are advancing across South...

1,500 schools now have high-speed internet, and two national data centres are in place. Phase II will add 2,500 schools, 100 smart classrooms, a national cloud, and teacher ICT training. The DigiTruck mobile classroom will train 5,000 youth, girls, and farmers in all 30 districts. On October 3, Rwanda announced the completion of the first phase of its ambitious Smart Education...

QatarEnergy bought a 27% interest in Egypt’s North Cleopatra offshore block from Shell, pending regulatory approval. Shell will retain 36% and remain operator, alongside Chevron (27%) and Tharwa Petroleum (10%). The acquisition supports QatarEnergy’s expansion in African and Mediterranean gas basins. QatarEnergy has announced the acquisition of a 27% stake in the offshore North...

Family Bank will hold an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting on October 27, 2025, to approve its listing on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The direct listing aims to boost share liquidity and enhance financial transparency without raising new capital. The move follows strong half-year results, with a 40% rise in net profit to 2.5 billion shillings. Family Bank, one of Kenya’s...

Côte d’Ivoire has begun preparing a national biodiversity financing plan to direct public and private funds toward environmental protection. The plan aims to mobilize about $5 billion between 2026 and 2030 to preserve forests, mangroves, and marine ecosystems. It will combine state budgets, private sector investment, and new tools such as green bonds and environmental...

Predictive Discovery will acquire Robex Resources in a deal valuing the combined entity at $1.5 billion. The merger aims to create one of Guinea’s largest gold producers with 400,000 ounces per year by 2029. Robex shareholders will own 49% of the new entity, while Predictive shareholders retain 51%. Australian miner Predictive Discovery and Canadian miner Robex Resources...

West Africa’s food demand is set to reach $480 billion by 2030, up from $126 billion in 2010. Intra-regional agricultural trade is valued at $10 billion annually, six times more than official estimates. 60% of West Africa’s agricultural exports, excluding cocoa and cashew, stay within the region. Food demand in West Africa will reach $480 billion by 2030,...

Uganda’s poverty rate declined from 30.1% in 2019/20 to 26.4% in 2023/24. Rural poverty remains higher at 30.2% compared with 19.8% in urban areas. The World Bank urges structural reforms to boost agricultural productivity and shift labor into more productive jobs. Uganda’s poverty rate fell to 26.4% in the 2023/24 fiscal year from 30.1% in 2019/20, the World Bank said in a...

Huawei will build a research and development (R&D) centre in Angola by 2027 to strengthen digital inclusion and accelerate growth in education, health and connectivity. Huawei plans to train 7,000 Angolan talents through partnerships with universities, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), connectivity and emerging technologies. Huawei has not defined the investment amount or...