African markets and business updates

The President of the Republic of Seychelles, Dr Patrick Herminie, this morning received the Letters of Credence of H.E. Mrs Siv Cathrine Moe, Ambassador Designate of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Seychelles, during an official ceremony held at State House. President Herminie warmly welcomed Her Excellency Mrs Moe and congratulated her on her appointment as Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Seychelles. The President also passed on his sincere condolences and sympathy to the Ambassador on the passing of King Harald V.…

From 10 to 15 August 2026, a delegation of 12 Liberian legislators, including nine Representatives and three Senators, together with legislative support staff and UN Women Liberia participated in a South-South Peer Learning Mission to India. The mission formed part of the project “Women Legislators in Liberia: Promoting Voice, Leadership and Gender-Responsive Governance for Sustainable Development,” funded by the IBSA Fund through the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and implemented by UN Women Liberia in partnership with the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL).…

The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) ( ), a Shariah-based multilateral insurer and member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, has signed a Reinsurance Agreement with the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (EXIM Bank of Pakistan), marking another milestone in the partnership between the two institutions. Signed during ICIEC’s mission to Pakistan, the agreement will strengthen Pakistan EXIM’s risk-mitigation capacity and expand its ability to support Pakistani exporters through export credit insurance solutions.…

Two flagship FAO Somalia information systems - the FSNAU Early Warning - Early Action Dashboard and SWALIM Programme - took centre stage at the FAO Regional Office for Africa Resilience Community of Practice, offering a tested, replicable model for turning evidence into timely action. Across Africa, food security assessments, data systems and early warning mechanisms have attracted substantial investment. Yet one challenge endures: turning information into timely, coordinated and adequately financed action. The problem is rarely a shortage of data but the absence of a clear pathway that transforms evidence into decisions, and decisions into action.…

On August 31, from 2:20 pm for approximately 15 minutes, Mr. ONISHI Yohei, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with Dr. Mohamed Ali Al-GHOUJ, Minister of Health of Libya. At the outset, Parliamentary Vice-Minister ONISHI welcomed Minister Al-Ghouj's visit to Japan and the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation with Mr. Ueno, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, noting that these events further promote positive momentum in bilateral relations. He also highlighted Japan’s contributions in the health sector and expressed his view that there is potential to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries.…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has, in a meeting with the Chairperson of the Eskom Board on Thursday 27 August 2026, reaffirmed South Africa's energy reform path as imperative to achieve an affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity supply for all South Africans. The President reiterated government’s commitment to establish a fully independent Transmission System Operator (TSO) with ownership and control of transmission assets, to create a level playing field for competition and unlock investment in the electricity sector.…

The Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Angola to the Republic of Seychelles, His Excellency Mr Domingos de Almeida Da Silva Coelho, paid a courtesy call on the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Mr Ian Madeleine, on Monday, 31 August 2026, at Maison Quéau de Quinssy. Discussions were on the enforcement of the General Cooperation Agreement, with a view to unlocking its full potential and providing a framework for enhanced cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries and their peoples.…

On Monday, 31 August 2026, the Ambassador-designate of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Seychelles, Her Excellency Ms Siv Cathrine Moe, paid a courtesy call on the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Ambassador Ian Madeleine, at Maison Quéau de Quinssy, ahead of the presentation of her Letters of Credence. During the meeting, the two diplomats discussed a range of areas of mutual interest, including maritime security, which has been an important area of cooperation between Seychelles and Norway.…

In Zambia's rural communities, women have long known how to weave. What they were missing was everything that comes after: the markets, the training, and someone willing to walk the path with them. When Doris Phiri arrived at the Handloom and Textile Technology Association of Zambia (HATTAZ) as an intern, the organization was still finding its feet. It had been recently registered, was operating under the Cotton Association of Zambia, and was working with rural women who had weaving skills but little else. They had no access to machinery, no markets, and no business training. Doris had a passion for women's empowerment and community development.…

As Africa marks the 24th African Traditional Medicine Day on 31 August, leaders, researchers and traditional health practitioners are reflecting on a pivotal question: how can traditional medicine help accelerate universal health coverage across the continent? Under this year's theme, "Reflection on research and development efforts of traditional medicine towards achieving universal health coverage in the African Region," the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre and the WHO Regional Office for Africa convened a conversation exploring how evidence, innovation and community trust can help bring traditional medicine from research to reach.…