African markets and business updates

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) ( www.Afreximbank.com ) welcomes today’s launch of the Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA), an important milestone in strengthening Africa’s financial architecture and expanding the continent’s capacity to generate credible, independent analysis of African credit risk. Credit ratings play an important role in determining access to capital, influencing investor perceptions and shaping the cost at which governments, institutions and businesses can finance development.…

Ghana held a media launch for its first InvestGhana Summit, scheduled for November 16-17, to attract investment in manufacturing, agribusiness and other productive sectors. A new investment law has removed minimum capital requirements for most foreign investors and expanded the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority’s ...

As part of her newly launched virtual Mentorship and Leadership Platform, "Beyond Power; Leadership, Global Influence and Impact", Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation ( ), has published a new article titled " When You Win, Lose Fairly, or Lose Unfairly: The Leadership Choice That Defines You". In the article, she explores one of leadership's most overlooked qualities: the ability to remain humble in success and resilient in defeat. To read the full article and access the platform, visit: Drawing on her decades of global leadership experience, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.)…

By Ludovic Thanay, Senior Vice President of Sales, Webb Fontaine ( www.WebbFontaine.com/ ) Somewhere in Africa, a truck waits at a border while a declaration already in the system is retyped. The customs system behind it knows the cargo, the consignee and the duty paid. The system 50 meters away, across the line, does not know of it. What one knows about a consignment rarely follows it to the next. The real database still travels in a folder on the dashboard. This is Africa in 2026. In February 2025, the African Union adopted eight annexes to the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade, covering cross-border data transfers, digital identities, digital payments and emerging technologies.…

Kenya expects private investors to finance 61% of its $4.6 billion national irrigation plan. The government aims to increase irrigated farmland to more than 607,000 hectares by 2035. Irrigation currently covers just 21% of Kenya's estimated potential, despite the country's exposure to drought and ...

Senegal will send Energy and Petroleum Minister Dr. El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf and Senior Oil & Gas Advisor Aminata Ba to African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town from October 12–16. Their participation comes as Senegal opens new acreage, expands domestic energy infrastructure and positions its hydrocarbons sector for international investment. The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum has secured a Platinum Level Partnership at AEW 2026, providing a platform to present Senegal’s expanding upstream and energy investment opportunities. The delegation arrives as the government promotes 109 uncontracted oil and gas blocks following a comprehensive restructuring of the country’s exploration map.…

Congo raised CFA261.5 billion through Treasury bonds in the second quarter of 2026, up 30.08% from a year earlier. Short-term Treasury bill proceeds fell 47.08% to CFA184.35 billion, while bond sales accounted for nearly 59% of funds raised. Net claims on the government ...

Lithium Africa plans to start small-scale spodumene concentrate production at its Springbok project in the second half of 2027. South Africa produced 416,131 tons of lithium ore in 2023 and exported 409,643 tons, according to government figures. Springbok plans to use ...

India has stepped up naval cooperation with African countries to improve security along major trade routes. Kenya has emerged as a key partner through naval visits, military exchanges and closer operational coordination. The partnerships aim to address piracy, illicit trafficking and other threats ...

As African economies seek to deepen intra-African trade, accelerate industrialisation and attract investment, sub-sovereign governments are emerging as critical drivers of development. Against this backdrop, AfSNET 2026 in Cross River State will bring states, cities, investors and development partners together to turn local opportunities into bankable projects and build momentum towards IATF 2027.