• Angola’s BFA launches $239M IPO, largest in BODIVA history• Sale includes 4.46M shares, valuing bank at $801 million• IPO part of 2023–2026 privatization push to diversify economy Angolan bank Banco de Fomento Angola (BFA) began its local stock market listing process on Friday, September 5, as part of the country's 2023-2026 national privatization program (ProPriv). The...

• Lagos launches education needs assessment covering 1,238 public schools• Data-driven plan aims to improve learning outcomes, teacher support• 70% of Nigerian 10-year-olds face learning poverty, UNESCO/World Bank say The Lagos State government has launched the "Needs Assessment Project," a comprehensive operation covering 1,238 public primary schools, vocational centers, inclusive...

• Uganda, South Korea launch $4M rice seed project under K-Rice Belt• Tochi scheme to yield 13,000 tons of certified seeds yearly• Aims to cut imports; Uganda averaged 344,000 tons annually (2020–23) In Entebbe last Saturday, the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and its South Korean counterpart (MAFRA) launched the "Development of an African...

• Kenya partners with Visa to boost tourism via data, payments• Country saw 2.4M international visitors in 2024, up 15%• Sector forecast to hit $9.2B GDP contribution, 1.7M jobs in 2025 The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) announced last week that it has partnered with Visa to develop marketing campaigns, facilitate payment accessibility, and encourage both cross-border and domestic tourist...

• Altvest plans $210M raise to adopt bitcoin as treasury asset• Would be Africa’s first listed firm to bet treasury on crypto• Seeks cross-border listings; crypto use rising 52% in region South African company Altvest Capital Ltd., which is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, plans to raise $210 million to buy bitcoin and make it its main treasury asset, its founder and...

• Managem opens Senegal's third gold mine amid record prices• Boto mine to produce 5 tons/year, boosting national output• New projects signal gold boom; regulatory clarity remains key Moroccan company Managem has commissioned its first gold mine in Senegal. The announcement of its successful launch on Tuesday coincided with a new peak of over $3,500 an ounce for the yellow metal on...

• Afreximbank launches $1B trade firm to boost intra-African commerce• Intra-African trade rose 12.4% to $220.3B in 2024• IATF 2025 aims for $44B in deals, hosted in Algeria Afreximbank has launched the African Trade and Distribution Company with $1 billion in capital, an initiative designed to boost intra-African trade, support exports, and encourage local processing...

• Ghana eyes Saudi chocolate market with new trade partnerships• Saudi cocoa imports hit $702M in 2024, mostly chocolate• Ghana seeks to boost local processing, now just 0.5% of supply Ghana is stepping up efforts to expand its presence in Saudi Arabia's cocoa and chocolate market. As part of this push, Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company's UK subsidiary (GCMC UK) recently hosted Ali...

• World Bank cuts Gabon growth forecast to 2.4% for 2025–2027• Oil output, prices to drop; budget deficit may hit 5% of GDP• Diversification, reforms urged amid infrastructure and demand challenges The World Bank expects a slowdown in Gabon's economic growth over the 2025-2027 period. In its latest economic report, it forecasts an average annual growth rate of 2.4%, a decrease from the...

• DRC launches Copirap to streamline over 1,000 parafiscal levies• Reform aims to ease business climate, boost investment, competitiveness• Commission to freeze new levies, ensure funds serve priority services In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), more than 240 public bodies collect parafiscal taxes through over 1,000 different levies, a practice that burdens companies, weighs down...