African markets and business updates

Outstanding students in the Keren and Elaberet sub-zones of the Anseba Region who attained high scores in the national examinations were presented with awards on 1 September. Accordingly, Rora Junior and High School in Keren city recognized 10 outstanding students who scored 90 or above in the 2025/2026 eighth-grade national examination and 14 outstanding students who attained GPAs ranging from 3.0 to 4.0 in the national school-leaving examination. Mr. Habtom Tesfatsion, director of the school, said that over the past three years, the pass rate in the eighth-grade national examination increased from 40% to 70%, while that of the national school-leaving examination rose from 18.5% to 31.2%.…

Giving people with lived experience of drug use a stronger voice in addressing one of Seychelles’ most pressing social challenges took centre stage as President Dr Patrick Herminie joined government officials, health professionals and members of the community for the official launch of the Seychelles Association of People Who Used Drugs (SEYPwUD) at the Roche Caiman District Administration Office. The launch marks the establishment of a community-led organisation aimed at representing, supporting and empowering people who use or have previously used drugs, while ensuring that their lived experiences form part of the national conversation on drug-related issues.…

The 2025/2026 academic year cultural competition among schools in the Central Region concluded on 3 September, under the theme “Culture: Fostering Values and Identity.” The year-long cultural competition involved schools from the elementary to secondary levels and featured reading and calligraphy, general knowledge, photography and painting, innovation and creativity, debating, narration, short stories, poetry, dance, music and drama. At the concluding event held at Cinema Roma, Mr.…

The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has released $6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help communities in the Grand Sud region get ahead of expected severe dry conditions related to El Niño. Forecasts point to significantly below-average rainfall from November through February next year, threatening a deterioration in food security. The new funds will support anticipatory action now before conditions get worse and will help our partners to provide life-saving food, healthcare, nutrition assistance and clean water. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

Across West Africa, a small plastic pouch can carry a contradiction. For millions of people, it signifies affordable drinking water when reliable taps are unavailable. For cities and their infrastructure, it’s an additional single-use plastic entering an already strained waste management system. While so-called “water sachets” keep people hydrated every day, they also contribute to one of the region’s most visible forms of plastic pollution. Water sachets are heat-sealed polyethylene pouches that are filled with purified drinking water. These pouches respond to more than 845 million people across sub-Saharan Africa still lacking safely managed drinking water.…

Government is engaging with communities in the eastern and northern regions of Mauritius to gather their views and address concerns ahead of the implementation of the M4 Motorway project. In this context, the Minister of National Infrastructure, Mr Govindranath Gunness, chaired a consultation meeting yesterday at the Lady Sushil Ramgoolam Social Welfare Centre in Caroline, bringing together inhabitants of the region to discuss the proposed project. The Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Dr Avinash Ramtohul, and other personalities were also present.…

Outstanding sporting performances by secondary school students were recognised today at the inaugural National School Sports Award 2026, held at the Paul Octave Wiehe Auditorium in Réduit following the Intercollege Sports Competitions (ICSC) 2026. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Darmarajen Nagalingum; the Minister of Education and Human Resource, Dr Mahend Gungapersad; Junior Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Gilbert Tony Apollon; as well as rectors, educators, coaches, students and parents.…

Government is given the green light to borrow Euros207.75 million from Citi bank and other financial institutions to finance the design and building of the Jinja-Mbulambuti-Kamuli-Bukungu road and Jinja City roads. The motion seeking approval of the loan request was presented by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi on Thursday, 03 September 2026. He said that the 127km Jinja-Mbulambuti-Kamuli-Bukungu road forms a critical transport corridor linking Busoga to Lake Kyoga in Teso and provides an alternative route between Northern and Southern Uganda.…

The High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Heinrich Giovanni April, paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mrs Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, this morning, at her office in Port Louis. The meeting provided an opportunity for the Deputy Prime Minister and the newly appointed South African High Commissioner to discuss avenues for strengthening cooperation between Mauritius and South Africa, particularly in areas relating to women’s empowerment, entrepreneurship and family welfare.…

In areas affected by the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak, gaining the trust of communities remains essential. Rumours, fear of Ebola treatment centres and safe burial practices, as well as reluctance toward certain public health interventions, can delay alerts, patient care, contact tracing and case management. In Nyankunde, a health zone located 45km from Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this reality has been particularly evident. Of the 11 health areas, eight were affected by the outbreak. Safe and dignified burials, site decontamination and the use of body bags were at times met with resistance from affected communities.…