Microsoft has appointed Vukani Mngxati as Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft South Africa, effective October 1, 2025. He takes over from Lillian Barnard, who now serves as Chief of Enterprise Partners for Microsoft Middle East and Africa. The leadership change comes as Microsoft accelerates its investment in South Africa. In March 2025, the company announced a ZAR 5.4 billion ($285 million)...

• DRC, Japan sign $2.6M food aid deal under KR2025 program• Thai rice assistance targets 28M facing acute food insecurity• Crisis worsened by conflict, displacement, inflation, and epidemics The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed an agreement with Japan on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, for the implementation of the KR2025 Food Assistance Program. The agreement provides $2.6...

• Reform aims to draw foreign investors, improve oversight• New surveys, exploration planned to revive falling output Gabon plans to split its hydrocarbons law into two separate codes for oil and gas as part of a legal overhaul aimed at attracting foreign investment, the petroleum ministry said this week. Petroleum and Gas Minister Sosthène Nguema announced the reform on the sidelines of...

• Eni to approve $7.2B Coral Norte gas project in Mozambique• Project targets 2028 output, adds 3.55M tons annual LNG capacity• Financing, regional instability remain key development challenges Italian multinational Eni is expected to take the Final Investment Decision (FID) for its Coral Norte gas project in Mozambique on Thursday, October 2, after months of anticipation, according...

• Beijing route pushed back as three of nine Dreamliners grounded• Carrier plans $500 mln raise after 2025 loss to expand fleet Nairobi and Beijing to 2026 due to continued aircraft maintenance delays, several media sources reported. The route was originally scheduled to begin this year. The persistent delays are a consequence of global supply chain challenges and production...

• Egypt, Greece sign studies for 3,000-MW GREGY power link• Project to export green energy via 950-km subsea cable• Part of EU-backed plan to connect Africa-Europe electricity grids Egypt and Greece advanced plans for a major green energy link on Monday, signing technical and economic studies for the GREGY interconnector project, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and...

• Tema-Mpakadan railway restart delayed by train breakdown on launch• Line part of Ghana’s $30B, 4,000-km rail expansion plan• Rail revival efforts struggle amid aging infrastructure, road congestion The planned commercial restart of the Tema-Mpakadan railway line was hit by a setback on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, when a passenger train failed to reach its destination on time due...

• Moody’s warns Nigeria’s rate cut to 27% could shrink banks’ net interest margins, raising concerns over profitability in the coming quarters.• Zenith, GTCO, UBA, and FBNH’s H1 2025 results show strong growth in interest income but lower profits due to impairments and weaker non-interest gains.• Sector profits fell 5–10% on average, despite 30–50% revenue growth; banks’...

In early July, Gabon’s President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema said the country would stop granting new scholarships for students to study in France, the United States or Canada from 2026. The move mirrors Nigeria’s June decision to suspend its Bilateral Education Agreement program — a reciprocal academic exchange scheme — for five years. Earlier in 2024, President Bola Tinubu’s...

• Renovations target overcrowded campuses, labs and libraries• Government also exploring online learning solutions The Beninese government approved contracts to rehabilitate several public university campuses during a Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday, September 24. The project, which will cost 7 billion CFA francs (nearly $12.5 million USD), aims to renovate severely degraded...