• Senegal raised CFA450 billion ($796 million) in its third public bond issue of 2025, one day after Moody’s downgraded its sovereign rating from B3 to Caa1.• The government says investor demand exceeded 150% of the target, reflecting confidence in the country’s credit despite budget pressures.• Senegal has mobilized nearly CFA3,000 billion ($5.3 billion) this year on regional financial...

• CMOC, the world’s largest cobalt producer, received a 6,500-ton export quota from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) valid until the end of 2025.• The quota follows the lifting of a national export ban imposed in February 2025 amid a cobalt price slump.• Cobalt prices have more than doubled since the embargo began, reaching $42,725 per ton on October 12. The world’s top...

• Canal+ now holds 94.39% of MultiChoice, triggering a full takeover.• The French group plans a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) after delisting MultiChoice.• The $2 billion acquisition marks a major consolidation in Africa’s pay-TV market. Canal+ has secured near-total control of South Africa’s MultiChoice Group, completing a takeover that reshapes...

• The BARA+ project, funded by Italy’s Interior Ministry and run by AVSI Foundation, aims to train 450 young Ivorians and support 60 new enterprises.• The $multi-year program targets four key migration hubs — Abidjan, Bouaké, Daloa, and Korhogo.• The initiative seeks to offer employment alternatives to irregular migration by combining training, entrepreneurship, and...

• Ghana’s new National Communications Authority (NCA) board, led by Mavis Araba Ampaa, has made the deployment of 5G a national priority.• The Next-Gen InfraCo (NGIC), which holds an exclusive 10-year 5G license, must launch commercial service by Q4 2025, or face a license review.• Ghana’s digital economy could add 40 billion cedis ($3.27 billion) by 2029, according to GSMA, while...

• Patrick Herminie wins the presidency with 52.7% of the vote, defeating incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan.• Herminie pledges to stabilize the economy, lower living costs, and restore public trust within his first 100 days.• The election took place amid slowing GDP growth (2.9% in 2024) and economic dependence on tourism, according to the IMF. Opposition leader Patrick Herminie won the Seychelles...

• Airtel DRC joins national digital training, offers free internet• Program targets 250,000 youths with key digital skills training• Aims to reduce data costs, tackle high youth unemployment Airtel DRC announced on Saturday, Oct. 11, that it has joined the National Digital Training Program, a partnership launched last September between the government and U.S. technology firms Cisco and...

• Niger establishes National Cybersecurity Center to boost digital security• CNAC to implement national strategy amid rising cyber threats• Digital growth, cyberattacks surge; awareness and skills remain key gaps The Nigerien government has approved the establishment of a National Cybersecurity Center (CNAC) to strengthen the country’s digital security. Two draft decrees, one creating...

• Konoom gains Chad's first local payment institution license• License allows mobile payments, not deposits or credit• Move boosts competition, supports digital finance expansion in Chad Konoom Mobile Money, a digital financial services provider co-founded by Abakar Mahamat Adoum Fortey and Brahim Moussa Hassane, has secured a payment institution license in Chad. The license, announced on...

Even as several countries announce initial trade under the AfCFTA regime, the core issue of truly implementing the African free trade area is taking center stage. Amid global trade tensions and the redefinition of supply chains, the African market is still struggling to find its rhythm. Ethiopia announced its first commercial shipments under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) late...