• Only Seychelles, Mauritius, and South Africa rank in the global Top 50 for passport power.• Seychelles passport provides visa-free access to 156 destinations, the highest in Africa.• Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia hold the bottom spots in Africa, with the fewest visa-free destinations. The Henley Passport Index ranks the world’s passports by the number of places holders can visit without...

With a new international airport and plans for an aeronautics academy, Angola deepens ties with Ethiopia to strengthen air transport, support tourism, and drive economic diversification. Highlights: ● Angola and Ethiopia sign air transport cooperation deal in Luanda● Plans include local aviation training, airport–rail links, and revitalization of TAAG● The agreement supports AU’s...

Production declines at Sentinel mine offset gains at Kansanshi; company eyes rebound with new processing plant. Highlights: ● First Quantum’s Zambian copper output fell to 170,116 t in H1 2025, down 9% YoY from 188,800 t.● Sentinel mine posted a sharp 23% drop; Kansanshi rose 10% thanks to early ramp-up gains.● Despite setback, annual target of 360,000–420,000 t remains unchanged...

Rail weakness pushes freight to roads, intensifying pressure on the highway network. Highlights: ● SANRAL gets R7 billion loan from BRICS' New Development Bank to modernize N1, N2, and N3 routes.● Implementation stalled pending a sovereign guarantee amid toll revenue concerns and SANRAL debt.● Rail failures shift freight to roads, raising maintenance costs and threatening long-term...

The five-year deal allows Gambia to access liquidity without depleting foreign reserves or increasing debt. Highlights: ● Afreximbank to provide $75M in USD under a five-year currency swap agreement● Funds will finance rural-urban road links via the National Roads Authority● Oakwood Green Africa to offer technical support for bond-backed transaction The African Export-Import Bank...

The credit line, 50% guaranteed by the EU, will expand access to finance for women-led and climate-resilient agricultural businesses in East and Southern Africa. Highlights ● $10M loan from Swedfund to support MSMEs in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia● Targets women entrepreneurs and climate-resilient agricultural SMEs● Platcorp disbursed $306M in MSME loans in 2024,...

Tripoli pitches major investment plan to Washington, targeting energy, minerals, and telecoms in a bid to attract U.S. capital and stabilize the country. Highlights: ● Libya’s unity government unveiled a $70 billion investment portfolio to U.S. officials, spanning energy, infrastructure, and telecoms.● The plan was presented to Donald Trump’s Africa advisor, Massad Boulos, during...

• Russia-Togo military pact nears ratification; joint drills, training, intel, free medical aid included• Togo turns to Moscow amid northern jihadist surge as French-US influence fades in Sahel.• The deal may unsettle ECOWAS; Lomé stresses the importance of multipolar diplomacy, anchored by its deep-water port. Russia’s legislative committee approved a bill on July 22, to ratify a...

Zambia’s REA launched the $637,000 Lui Grid Extension Project on July 17 to connect 600 users in Western Province. The project highlights the cost gap with private solar mini-grids, which are cheaper and faster to deploy. Critics argue continued focus on public grid extensions may hinder more scalable off-grid solutions amid low rural access. Zambia's latest power grid...

Zijin Mining has offered $500M for Barrick’s Tongon gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire. Barrick is divesting the asset, with no official comment yet. The deal needs Ivorian government approval. Chinese firm Zijin Mining has reportedly submitted a $500 million offer to Canadian company Barrick Gold to acquire its Tongon gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire. Reuters reported the news...