African markets and business updates

The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness celebrated the official opening of the new Ravensmead Community Day Centre (CDC) on 2 October 2026, marking a major milestone in strengthening primary healthcare and improving access to essential health services for the growing Ravensmead community. The new facility replaces the existing clinic, which could no longer adequately meet the healthcare needs of the community. Strategically located in the Ravensmead area, the modern facility is designed to improve accessibility, patient flow, and the overall healthcare experience for an estimated 6 800 patients accessing care monthly.…

Liberia will showcase its 2026 Offshore Direct Negotiation Licensing Round at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town. Organized by Energy Capital & Power (ECP) in partnership with the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA), the investment-focused campaign will present 29 offshore blocks, over 80,000 km² of seismic data, and a growing pipeline of corporate interest to international investors during Africa’s largest energy event. The LPRA’s formal presentation follows months of preparation led by Director General Marilyn T. Logan, including an August 19 investor day in Houston and the August 28 opening of prequalification.…

HubPharm Africa of Nigeria, led by its Co-Founder and CEO, Mrs. Tope Kareem, emerged as the winner of the US$30,000 grand prize. Gaynako of Senegal, led by Pape Natango Mbaye, and My Opinion of Côte d’Ivoire, founded and led by Steve Bah Blesson, emerged as the first and second runners-up, receiving US$20,000 and US$15,000, respectively. Other finalists were Baykart from The Gambia and Afrikan Coders from Cabo Verde. The ceremony also featured the launch of the ECOWAS Private Sector Development Academy and the ECOWAS Startup Networks.…

Lesotho has been named 2nd Runner-Up for the Cybersecurity Excellence Award during the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) 125th Anniversary Week and Awards Ceremony in London, United Kingdom. The award was received by the Minister of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Nthati Moorosi, who represented Lesotho at the celebrations from September 28 to 30, 2026. The recognition reflects Lesotho’s progress in strengthening cybersecurity through initiatives such as LesCom, as well as the development of national digital and Artificial Intelligence policy frameworks. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of Lesotho.

The United Nations today allocated US$160 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support life-saving assistance in 12 of the world’s most underfunded humanitarian crises across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. This allocation is part of a wider push to reach 87 million people facing the most severe humanitarian needs this year. “We have 87 million people to reach, and no time to waste. Today’s new funding will help us get aid to people who might otherwise be left behind,” said Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.…

The Senior Ebola Coordinator, Julien Harneis, says that he is deeply concerned following the burning yesterday of an Ebola transit centre in the province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . The eight-bed centre in the Kigonze displacement site in the town of Bunia was operated by the international NGO International Medical Corps and supported by more than 50 staff, many of whom themselves are displaced. Harneis stressed that losing a transit or treatment centre sets the Ebola response back. Capacity is lost, investments are wiped out, and teams have to start again. Most importantly, people lose access to the care they urgently need.…

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has welcomed news that humanitarians can continue to use the Adré border crossing between Chad and Sudan . “Thanks to the authorities in both countries,” he said in a social media post today. “This action saves lives.” Fletcher described Adré as “a vital lifeline for people in Darfur.” OCHA says that in the first eight months of this year, more than 1,300 trucks carrying over 50,000 metric tonnes of aid moved through the crossing into Sudan.…

Last week, the Ministry of Education participated in a series of strategic engagements on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, using the global platform to advance Liberia’s education priorities, strengthen partnerships, share the country’s reform experience, and explore opportunities for additional support to the sector.…

Tim O’Hanlon, Senior Adviser at Panoro Energy and one of the African upstream industry’s most experienced executives, will receive the Mohammed S. Barkindo Lifetime Achievement Award at the African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 Conference and Exhibition. O’Hanlon is recognized for his decades-long commitment to Africa’s energy sector and his work in advancing some of the continent’s most impactful projects. Over a career spanning more than four decades, O’Hanlon has worked across almost the entire continent, helping open frontier basins, negotiate licenses, build companies and establish relationships between investors and African governments.…

The Ministry of Education has concluded a two-day stakeholder consultation on the development of Liberia’s Education Management Information System (EMIS) Policy, held September 28–29, 2026, in Monrovia, with support from the African Union through AU-IPED and development partners. The consultation brought together the Ministry’s Senior Management Team, education authorities, development partners, and technical stakeholders to strengthen Liberia’s approach to the collection, management, security, sharing, quality, and use of education data. Opening the consultation, Deputy Minister for Planning, Research and Development, Hon.…