Joseph Manna, a Cameroonian national, has been named head of cocoa operations for Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) in Côted'Ivoiree. The appointment we confirmed personally on August 7 marks a significant first for an African within the global agribusiness giant. Effective in February, it places the 53-year-old at the helm of OFI's largest cocoa division, overseeing a sector that drives nearly a...

Côte d'Ivoire, ATU sign telecom access deal at SUTEL 2025 Partnership targets rural connectivity, best practice exchange Côte d'Ivoire ranks top three in African fiber infrastructure Côte d'Ivoire's National Agency for Universal Telecommunications and ICT Service (ANSUT) signed a memorandum of understanding with the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) on Thursday, August 28,...

Ford Motor plans to cut over 470 jobs at its Silverton and Struandale plants, approximately 9% of its South African workforce. Naamsa data show that imports surged 25% in early 2025, while sales of locally built vehicles fell 14%, putting pressure on local production. Ford says it will continue with its R15.8 bn Silverton upgrade and Ranger PHEV rollout, despite near-term...

Air Peace to begin Lagos MRO facility construction in September Embraer partnership aims to reduce offshore maintenance reliance Nigeria spends $2.5B yearly on foreign aircraft maintenance Nigeria's private airline Air Peace announced it will begin construction on a new maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in Lagos this September. The project, a partnership with...

Guinea-Bissau seeks telecom insights from Chad on fiber optics Ministers met August 27 in N'Djamena to discuss cooperation No formal telecom agreement signed between the two nations Guinea-Bissau is seeking to leverage Chad's experience in telecommunications, particularly in fiber optic deployment, to advance its own digital infrastructure. The subject was discussed during a...

Rhino's Volans-1X well is at target depth in PEL 85; results are expected within coming four to six weeks. Capricornus-1X flowed 11,000 bbl/day of 37° API crude, and Volans-1X sits 15 km northwest seeking a similar reservoir. Rhino operates the block with Azule, NAMCOR, and Korres; success could fast-track development and shape Namibia's oil future. The outcome of Rhino Resources...

Dangote Group signed a $2.5 billion deal with Ethiopia’s sovereign fund to build a fertilizer plant in Gode. The factory will produce 3 million tons a year, aiming to cut costly fertilizer imports. Gas supply remains uncertain, as nearby fields have seen little progress since the 1970s. Aliko Dangote is making another multibillion-dollar bet on Africa’s fertilizer market....

Transnet signed a deal with NERSA to build LNG infrastructure at Richards Bay, a $385 million project. The company’s debt stands at 130 billion rand ($7.15 billion), partly backed by state guarantees. The terminal is part of a wider $5.7 billion port modernization plan and key to South Africa’s gas-to-power program. South Africa’s Transnet National Ports Authority...

McKinsey confirms that 47% of Africa's STEM graduates are women, the highest globally. Women hold 23-30% of sub-Saharan tech roles, above the 28% world average. Fewer than 12 % lead African tech; funding gap persists for female founders. Nearly half of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) graduates (47%) in Africa are women, the highest proportion globally and...

Morocco exported 64,900 tons of onions in 2024/2025, nearly five times more than the previous year. Export revenues jumped to $238 million, up from $38 million a year earlier. West Africa remained the main buyer, while the UAE entered as a new market. Morocco shipped 64,900 tons of fresh onions to international markets in the 2024/2025 season, according to data from...