African markets and business updates

Senegal has once again emerged as the overall champion of the 14th edition of the ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament (TOLAC 14), concluding a thrilling three-day competition at the Serrekunda East Mini Football Stadium in The Gambia. In a fiercely contested final, the Senegalese team, fondly known as the Lions defeated Nigeria 3–2 to retain their title as West African champions. The victory secured Senegal the championship trophy, gold medals, and a grand prize of $10,000. Nigeria finished in second place with $6…

Progressing through his official engagements on La Digue, President of the Republic of Seychelles, Dr Patrick Herminie, made his fifth stop on the island with visits to the District Administration Office and the island’s library. At the District Administration Office, discussions focused on matters relating to community services and the daily needs of residents as the President continued his engagements with public institutions and stakeholders. Continuing his programme…

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Mohamed Ali Nafti. The meeting was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Chargé d'Affaires at the Tunisian embassy in Cairo Doha Al-Showeikh, and Director General of Bilateral Relations with Arab Countries at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Samir Mansar. The President welcomed Mr.…

The AfCFTA Secretariat and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) ( www.Afreximbank.com ) welcome the announcement by the Government of the Republic of Togo, under the leadership of H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of the Republic of Togo, regarding measures to facilitate visa-free entry for all nationals of African States holding valid passports, as announced by the Minister of Security on 18 May 2026. The announcement was made in Lomé on the sidelines of Biashara Afrika 2026…

Per the request from Uganda, Africa CDC ( ) is organizing a cross-border high level meeting from 22 to 23 May 2026 in Kampala, Uganda in collaboration with the Ministries of Health of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan. This meeting will strengthen regional preparedness, response coordination, and political alignment in addressing the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease outbreak. The meeting brings together Ministers of Health, senior government officials…

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group ( www.AfDB.org ) has approved €200 million in financing for the implementation of the “Cap Compétences 2030” programme, aimed at improving employment opportunities for young people and women. This results-based financing is designed to strengthen the relevance, quality, and diversity of vocational training through the digitalisation of services, the large-scale rollout of learning systems, and stronger labour market integration mechanisms.…

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) ( www.EnergyChamber.org ) has reinforced its strategic collaboration with the Republic of Congo’s national oil company, Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), following high-level engagements in Brazzaville focused on accelerating investment, expanding gas development and strengthening the country’s energy sector. Discussions centered on SNPC’s expanding footprint across the upstream, midstream and downstream value chain…

Practical training in photography, filmmaking, and journalism Access to Canon’s interactive virtual film school for aspiring storytellers Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) ( www.Canon-CNA.com ) has partnered with Makerere University in Uganda to deliver Canon Academy Photo & Video programmes, providing students with hands-on training in photography, filmmaking, and journalism. The initiative will provide hands-on training in photography, filmmaking, and journalism…

Africa’s rapidly expanding $65 billion fintech industry is under the spotlight in the latest special edition of Pan African Visions magazine ( ), released following the successful Africa Fintech Summit in Washington, DC, where Pan African Visions served as an official media partner. At a time when digital finance is reshaping economies, accelerating financial inclusion and redefining commerce across the continent, the May 2026 edition of Pan African Visions delivers an in-depth examination of the trends, companies…

It seems likely that most of the continent will leapfrog new debit and credit cards and go straight to digital payments.