Changing the narrative on Africa.
Five years ago, instant payments in Africa were the preserve of a small elite population with fully fledged bank accounts linked to their phone numbers. The service enabled these people already inside the formal financial system to transact conveniently in select urban spots like supermarkets or hotels equipped with QR codes, credit card readers or specialised mobile-integrated platforms.
Africa’s public markets appear to be entering a new phase as more tech firms begin treating local exchanges as viable paths to raising capital while strong demand in Johannesburg and Casablanca promises a shift in liquidity, improved investor confidence, and a maturing pipeline of tech issuers on the continent.
Mineral resources are increasingly being leveraged as bargaining chips in diplomacy, conflict mediation, and security arrangements. Across Africa, the rise in resource-for-security exchanges is being used to secure allies and acquire military support.
Rising tariffs in the U.S. and supply-chain shocks are pushing global apparel buyers to diversify from manufacturing in Asia and look towards Africa They are reassessing sourcing strategies and industrial zones in Africa have become viable options for them. Kenya’s Vipingo SEZ pair infrastructure and financing with compliance-ready operations, turning pilot orders into repeat contracts and reshaping sourcing strategies.
More and more Zambians are finding their fortune not at the copper mines, but in the water. 27-year-old Sibongile Nthani is among those trying their hand at fish farming, benefitting from the experience of multinational Zambian players already in the market, and government support.
Vodacom’s recent partnership with Starlink signals a structural shift in Africa’s connectivity model, where telcos are increasingly at the centre of how satellite capacity is deployed, commercialised, and scaled across the continent. In November 2025, Vodacom Group signed an agreement with Starlink to integrate LEO satellite backhaul into its mobile network and to resell Starlink hardware and services to enterprise and SME clients across multiple African markets.
Accreditation was the buzzword during three days of robust discussions on upgrading and ensuring the quality of “Made in Africa” goods at the first International Accreditation Conference in Mombasa this month. Representatives from Kenya, Mauritius, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Botswana, the US, Bahrain, Germany and other countries attended the event.
Ethiopia and Kenya may become Africa’s first countries to repay Chinese loans in Beijing’s currency. It’s the latest in a wider de-dollarization trend that is sweeping across the continent
Ethiopia is opening its banking sector to foreign players for the first time in five decades, drawing swift interest from Kenya’s biggest lenders and regional heavyweights.
Zambia’s currency is enjoying its best run in nearly two years, buoyed by a surge in copper output and tighter monetary discipline.