African markets and business updates

Something remarkable is happening in Morocco's technology landscape. In 2024, Moroccan startups raised nearly $95 million in venture capital across 40 deals, almost tripling the $33 million recorded the year before. The Kingdom climbed to sixth place in Africa for startup funding and, for a brief period in mid-2025, entered the top four across the entire MENA region. For a country that barely registered on the continent's innovation radar a decade ago, this trajectory is striking.…

As war rages in the Middle East, and Iran blocks shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, global attention focused on the impact on oil and gas supplies. Brent oil prices briefly soared to as high as $120 a barrel on Monday, around double their pre-war level, before dipping back to $87 a barrel by Wednesday - still 20% above the price before the US-Israeli attacks began on 28 February. But the Gulf is not only important for oil and gas - the region is also key for global fertiliser supply. Iran itself…

Before 2008, global banks operated through expansive cross-border networks, tiering markets into core and peripheral exposures and managing trade flows accordingly, but in the wake of the global financial crisis, regulators reassessed the risks embedded in those balance sheets, capital requirements tightened, and international banks began concentrating their activities closer to home. In many so-called frontier markets…

Standard Bank Group reported headline earnings of R49.2bn for 2025, delivering a return on equity (ROE) of 19.3%, at the top end of the group's target range of 17% to 20%. The result reflects strong performance across the banking businesses, supported by solid balance sheet growth and robust expansion in fees and trading revenues. Credit impairment charges declined year on year as the macroeconomic environment improved, while cost management remained disciplined.…

Tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are nothing new. Between 1998 and 2000, the two countries fought a devastating war, sparked by disputes over the border town of Badme, that is estimated to have killed up to 100,000 people. While that war formally ended with the Algiers Agreement in December 2000, it was followed by almost two decades of a cold war: closed borders, frozen relations and deep mistrust on both sides. Upon coming to power in 2018…

Ghana's push to become an industrial hub in the West African sub-region has been given a fillip with the launch of a $40m pasta manufacturing plant by Olam Agri at Kpone, near Tema in the country's Greater Accra Region. The 60,000 capacity factory is expected to produce up to 40% of Ghana's pasta needs. Currently, that demand is met entirely by imports, with an estimated bill of $140m between 2021 and 2024, second only to Togo on the continent. Baibhav Biswas, Olam Agri's country head…

Nigeria, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the African Union Commission (AUC), and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat on Monday signed the hosting agreement for the 2027 Intra-African Trade Fair ( IATF 2027 ) to be hosted in Lagos. The signing ceremony took place at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Lagos. Held biennially…

The 18th Africa Energy Indaba, held from 3-5 March 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, concluded with strong participation from policymakers, ministers, investors, utilities and industry leaders from across Africa and beyond. Widely regarded as the continent's leading energy forum, the Indaba once again served as a platform for high-level dialogue, investment engagement and practical discussion about how to secure Africa's energy future.…

Nigeria has emerged as the epicentre of Africa's startup unicorn ecosystem. Despite strong competition from markets such as Kenya, Egypt and South Africa, Nigeria has produced more billion-dollar startups than any other country on the continent. Companies including Flutterwave, OPay, Interswitch, Moniepoint and Andela have helped position the country as Africa's most dynamic technology hub. This leadership has not occurred by chance. A combination of market scale, evolving regulation…

In the months following his re-election in 2024, US President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that trade wars were easy to win. Since his return to the White House, he has aggressively pursued tariffs, which he viewed not only as "the most beautiful word" but also as an all-purpose tool to reduce US trade and current-account deficits, boost inbound foreign direct investment, and revive the declining US manufacturing base. In so doing…