African markets and business updates

Seven months after breaking ground, the Government of Liberia has completed and officially turned over the Beh Town Public School in Dewoin District, Bomi County, providing the community with improved classrooms, more than 200 student chairs, whiteboards, and a better environment for teaching and learning. The new school is part of the Ministry of Education’s wider effort to ensure that more children can access and benefit from public education. Registration from Kindergarten through Grade 6 is now free, removing an important financial barrier for families.…

The Office of the President has today announced the appointment of the Board of Directors of the Seychelles International Mercantile Banking Company Limited (Nouvobanq), for a three-year period effective 15th September 2026. The Board will be chaired by Mr Conrad Benoiton, with Ms Jennifer Morel serving as Vice Chairperson.…

The Office of the President has today announced the appointment of Mrs Muriel Morgan as the new Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Licensing Authority (SLA), following the resignation of Ms Wendy Boniface. Mrs Morgan brings extensive experience in management, administration, strategic planning, marketing, communications and stakeholder engagement, gained across both the public and private sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Management and Marketing from Curtin University of Technology, obtained in 2009. Mrs Morgan began her professional career with Mauritius Commercial Bank (Seychelles), where she served as Marketing, PR and Communications Manager from 2010 to 2015.…

A seminar on eradicating harmful practices was organized for members of the committee overseeing efforts to eliminate harmful practices and protect the rights of children and women in Afabet. Mr. Mahmud Mohammed-Seid, head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare office in the sub-zone, commended the committee’s activities in administrative areas and schools, as well as its work with the National Union of Eritrean Women, religious leaders, and other institutions. He said that the seminar will contribute significantly to achieving better results. At the seminar, participants received an extensive briefing on harmful practices that adversely affect health and are prohibited by law.…

“We simply can’t turn our back on the people of Sudan when they need us most,” Director General of the UN migration agency ( IOM ) Amy Pope said on Monday . The entire humanitarian system could collapse within weeks if we don't act now." Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal civil conflict since 2023 between rival militaries and their backers. Some 8.6 million people remain internally displaced and 19.5 million people currently face crisis levels of food insecurity, which has been compounded by maritime disruptions and drought caused by the El Niño weather pattern.…

The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and the Government of the Republic of Guinea signed three loan agreements on Thursday, 10 September 2026, in Conakry, Guinea, totalling EUR 269.5 million to finance strategic projects in the health, transport and energy sectors.

African startups attracted $438m in funding in August, but one $250m deal accounted for more than half the total. The month highlights both the growing international appeal of African technology companies and the continuing depth problem in the continent's funding market.

A four-month vocational training program has been provided to 480 students in Barentu sub-zone. The training covered basic computer applications, first aid, beauty salon services, painting, drama, and cosmetics. Speaking at the closing ceremony on 10 September, Mr. Furtunato Mohammed-Saleh, head of the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students in Barentu sub-zone, noted that acquiring skills at a young age can have a significant influence on later life. He commended the students for the interest they demonstrated throughout the program. Noting that awareness and organization are key to success, Mr.…

Al-Dia’e Junior and Secondary School and Awate Elementary and Junior School have recognized outstanding students who achieved high marks in the national school leaving and eighth-grade national examinations for the 2025/2026 academic year. At the recognition ceremony held on 13 September at Al-Dia’e School in Akria sub-zone, Mr. Sahle Abraham, director of the school, said that 11 students scored above 90 points in the eighth-grade national examination and 17 students attained GPAs ranging from 3.0 to 4.0 in the national school leaving examination. Likewise, Awate Elementary and Junior School recognized outstanding students who scored above 90 points in the eighth-grade national examination.…

Summer performance above expectations: Emirates carried over 8.6 million passengers between July and August; arrivals into Dubai on Emirates in the second half of August alone was up 7% on the same period in 2025 Fleet and network: 104 aircraft retrofitted to date; Premium Economy now available on 137 aircraft. 18 aircraft delivered since January, with six more A350s arriving before year-end, Helsinki joining the network on 1 October Product investments: Launch this year of the industry’s first U-dream headrest for Economy Class and Premium Economy seats with privacy dividers, and new generation Emirates Lounge Pan-African momentum: South Africa, Egypt and Ghana rank among the markets where winter demand is already tracking ahead of last year, with new A350 deployments to Uganda and South Africa reinforcing Emirates' growing footprint across the continent Emirates ( www.Emirates.com ) has closed the summer season ahead of expectations and enters winter with strong booking momentum across a broadening range of markets, as the airline continues to invest in its fleet and industry-leading products, in its global network, and in offering customers greater booking flexibility and comprehensive travel cover. Between July and August, Emirates carried more than 8.6 million passengers, maintaining healthy seat load factors across its network. The airline is currently operating at around 93% of its pre-disruption capacity, with demand continuing to build as the winter travel season approaches. Bookings for winter, beginning in late October, are tracking positively despite a broader shift where customers are making travel decisions closer to departure. South Africa, Brazil, India, Portugal, Egypt, Ghana, Colombia, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are among the markets where demand is currently tracking ahead of last year, alongside Nepal through Emirates' partnership with flydubai. In Africa specifically, South Africa, Egypt and Ghana are leading this positive trend, reflecting sustained demand for Emirates' network and product investments across the continent. The UAE also remains a strong outbound market, while demand for premium travel on Emirates continues to grow. Strong summer demand Emirates services to and from West Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Africa all recorded seat load factors well above 75% during the summer, with particularly strong performance on routes to and from Indonesia, Côte d'Ivoire and across the UK. Côte d'Ivoire's strong summer performance underscores continued demand for Emirates across West Africa. Demand for Premium Economy grew across the network, with the Americas recording the strongest growth in demand for this cabin. Dubai also continued to attract strong inbound traffic. In late August alone, more than half a million customers arrived in Dubai on Emirates flights, up 7% on the same period last year. Travellers included residents returning ahead of the new school year, new residents relocating to Dubai to live and work, and visitors choosing the city for a late-summer break. Over the summer, customers had more reasons to choose Emirates. The airline boosted its flexibility proposition with one free date change anywhere across the network, and unlimited free date changes to Dubai. It also reduced refund fees on Dubai journeys and introduced Comprehensive Travel Cover, a first-of-its-kind policy which includes medical cover protecting against conflict and airspace disruption, backed by airline-managed accommodation, ground support and rebooking where needed. Fleet upgrades and product investments gather pace Since January 2026, the airline has welcomed 18 aircraft – 11 new A350s and seven Boeing 777 freighters – with another six A350s scheduled to arrive before the end of December. To date, 104 aircraft have completed Emirates' retrofit programme, including 53 Boeing 777s and 51 A380s. This brings the number of aircraft offering Premium Economy and Emirates' latest cabin products to 137. By the end of December, that number will have risen to 155 aircraft. This expanding product footprint gives customers significantly more opportunities to experience Emirates' latest cabins. Premium Economy is now available on services to 90 destinations, with another 6 destinations set to receive the product before the end of this year, including Paris, Delhi, Stockholm, and others. Connectivity is also being upgraded. Close to 50 Emirates aircraft are now fitted with Starlink, with installations progressing alongside the retrofit programme to bring high-speed inflight internet to more customers. This year, Emirates also launched the innovative U-dream headrests onboard its A350 Economy Class, the industry’s first Premium Economy seat with privacy dividers, and its next generation signature lounges – with new facilities already welcoming guests in Munich, Frankfurt and Manchester. More destinations, frequencies and connectivity Emirates' network will continue to expand heading into winter, with new destinations, additional frequencies and more of its latest aircraft deployed across key markets. Helsinki joins the Emirates network on 1 October, launching with the A350. The aircraft currently serves 30 destinations from Dubai, increasing to 36 by year-end. Emirates is also adding capacity on several routes to meet demand. Accra will receive three additional weekly services, while Tokyo Narita, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi will receive second daily services, and one of the airline's daily Delhi services will be upgraded to an A380. The additional Accra frequency reflects growing demand across West Africa and reinforces Emirates' commitment to strengthening connectivity to the region. The Emirates A350 will be deployed to Larnaca, Malta, Nairobi and Hamburg from late October, followed by Mauritius in November. Retrofitted Boeing 777s will be introduced to Stockholm in October and Frankfurt in November, extending Emirates' latest onboard products to more markets. Emirates is also strengthening its African footprint, with new A350 deployments to Uganda and South Africa this year, alongside an upcoming A380 introduction on the Paris route. Beyond its own network, Emirates' 168 codeshare, interline and intermodal partnerships give customers access to an additional 1,750 cities. On an average day, more than 13,000 Emirates customers connect to their destinations on services operated by partner airlines. The Emirates and flydubai partnership has become one of the defining features of the Dubai hub experience. Today, both carriers provide access to more than 214 unique destinations in over 100 countries, generating more than 4,600 connection opportunities through Dubai. Emirates customers can reach over 100 flydubai destinations, while flydubai passengers can access more than 140 Emirates destinations. Kathmandu, Zanzibar, Krabi and Belgrade rank among the most popular flydubai destinations for Emirates customers. Since the partnership launched in 2017, the two airlines have carried more than 28 million passengers across their integrated network. Alongside Emirates' Helsinki launch in a few weeks, flydubai added Chittagong in Bangladesh in April 2026, Benghazi in Libya in June, followed by Aleppo in Syria and Bangkok (Don Mueang Airport) in July. Further expansion in September includes Pokhara in Nepal. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Emirates Group.