African markets and business updates

Across most of Africa, women remain a lot less likely than men to have a bank account, access to formal credit or savings.

Demand is strong on domestic aviation routes, but there is still significant scope to improve connectivity between African regions.

Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas and its strategic partner Navitas Petroleum are highlighting the scale of South Africa’s offshore oil and gas potential following an updated assessment of resources at Block 1 CBK, with the African Energy Chamber (AEC) ( ) supporting continued international investment in the country while calling for a regulatory environment that enables exploration and development to advance. Navitas and Eco estimate that Block 1 CBK, located offshore South Africa in the Orange Basin, contains more than 3.6 billion barrels of unrisked prospective oil resources alongside approximately 4.5 trillion cubic feet of prospective gas resources.…

The recent acquisition of Woodside Energy’s 70% interest in the Calypso gas project by bp marks the latest major move by an IOC to strengthen its position in the Caribbean’s expanding gas market. Subject to government approval, the transaction will give bp 100% ownership of Block TTDAA 14 by the end of 2026, reinforcing its long-term commitment to Trinidad and Tobago’s upstream sector. The deal comes as Trinidad and Tobago advances a wider pipeline of offshore gas developments. bp is progressing the Ginger gas project, comprising four subsea wells tied back to the existing Mahogany B platform, with start-up expected in 2027.…

The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation is of the view that the Department of Water and Sanitation’s (DWS) intervention in terms of Section 63 of the Water Services Act will not yield sustainable results if the underlying challenges within municipalities persist. The Committee received an update on the progress of DWS interventions. While notable progress has been made, the committee expressed concern that interventions must ultimately reach their natural conclusion, after which municipalities will be required to operate and maintain the completed projects without the necessary skills and capacity.…

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi attended a celebration marking Al Mawlid Al Nabawi (the birth of Prophet Muhammad) at Al Safwa Center for International Conferences at the Strategic Command Headquarters in the New Capital. The celebration was also attended by Speaker of the House of Representatives Counselor Hisham Badawi, Speaker of the Senate Counselor Essam El Din Farid, Prime Minister Dr. Moustafa Madbouly, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Dr. Hussein Eissa, His Eminence the Grand Imam Sheikh of Al Azhar Dr.…

For detainees at Wau Central Prison, access to basic healthcare is not only about treating illness; it is about preserving dignity, upholding rights and helping inmates prepare for life after serving their sentences. A medical outreach programme hosted by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) provided free consultations, medicines and health advice to approximately 120 detainees. Medical teams from Bangladesh and China serving with the UN Peacekeeping mission assessed and treated a range of health conditions. For 18-year-old Natasha*, the support offered immediate relief. “At night, I sometimes feel feverish, and the pain makes it difficult for me to sleep.…

Generative AI can be a powerful business knowledge service, saving considerable time for employees. Yet, concerns grow around AI accuracy and how it handles sensitive information. According to a 2025 KPMG survey ( ), only 46% of company workers trust AI, and that proportion is shrinking, especially since 56% say they are making more mistakes because of AI. Despite such growing doubts, the technology can be an exceptional information source and time-saver, especially for sensitive, technical, and contextual queries. A South African payroll platform developed these advantages, using AI to provide detailed and contextual information for customer employees and payroll teams.…

Ministers of health from Africa today endorsed the Africa Health Workforce Agenda 2026–2035, committing to plan, educate, employ and retain 3 million additional health workers by 2035 in a landmark effort to strengthen health systems and ensure more people across the continent have access to quality health services when and where they need them. Adopted by Ministers of Health during the Seventy-sixth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, the Agenda marks a decisive shift from simply training more health workers to strengthening health labour markets through better planning, education, employment and retention.…

When regulatory standards are aligned, goods move faster, businesses operate with greater certainty and markets become more integrated.