Author: Dominique Mabika

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced the granting of a $1.75 billion syndicated trade finance facility in favor of Sonangol, the Angolan national oil company, according to a statement released on January 28, 2026. Established in partnership with several financial institutions, this financing aims to cover the company’s operating and investment expenses. The operation is expected to enable Sonangol to strengthen its trade structures linked to exports, secure its operational and investment activities, and contribute to Afreximbank’s goal of increasing Africa’s share in global trade, particularly through the export of strategic raw materials. As part of this operation, Afreximbank played…

‎The President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, presided over a cabinet meeting on Thursday, January 29, during which several major decisions for public life were made. Among these are the dissolution of political parties and formations as well as the adoption of a new national development framework called “RELANCE Plan”. ‎According to the government spokesperson, Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo, these decisions are part of the authorities’ desire to strengthen national unity and sustainably improve the living conditions of the Burkinabe population.‎‎Under the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Mobility, the cabinet adopted a decree dissolving political parties and formations in Burkina…

The Insurance and Social Welfare Supervisory Authority (ACAPS) of Morocco and the Banking and Financial Supervisory Commission (CSBF) of Madagascar signed an agreement on January 27, 2026, to formalize and strengthen their cooperation in the supervision of insurance and reinsurance activities. According to the two institutions, this agreement reflects their shared commitment to deepen their institutional relations and promote coordinated supervision, based on regular dialogue, exchange of expertise, and a better understanding of the regulatory frameworks and practices of each authority. As part of this partnership, ACAPS and CSBF plan to establish cooperation mechanisms to address shared challenges in the…

The non-life insurance company Assurances Maghrebia ended the 2025 financial year on a positive note, driven by sustained growth in its activity and key financial indicators. At the end of the year, the turnover stood at 300.6 million Tunisian dinars (approximately 105 million dollars), compared to 272 million dinars (nearly 95 million dollars) in 2024, representing an annual growth of 10.5%. This performance slightly exceeds budget forecasts, with an achievement rate of 100.9%. According to the company, this positive development is based on the strong performance of all its main business lines. In detail, the Fire and Miscellaneous Risks, Health,…

The AXIAN Group, a pan-African player in telecommunications, financial services, energy, real estate, digibank, and fintech, announced the official launch on Wednesday, January 28 in Madagascar of VIA Assurance, its new Life and Non-Life insurance company, integrated into the AXIAN Financial Services division. This launch follows the obtaining of official approval as a Life and...

The Moroccan start-up Enakl, specialized in sustainable urban mobility solutions, finalized a $2.3 million Seed round in December 2025. This operation comes after an initial $1.4 million pre-Seed funding round closed at the end of 2024, bringing the total amount of funds raised by the company to $3.7 million since its creation. This new funding round aims to support the growth of the start-up. The capital will notably be used to strengthen the sales teams, deploy the first version of Enakl’s SaaS platform for transport operators and large accounts, as well as test new ridepooling fleet models, in a progressive…

The Tanzanian Ministry of Health has announced the launch of the first phase of the national Universal Health Insurance (UHI) program, targeting vulnerable groups as a priority. According to an official statement released for this purpose, the program launched on January 26, 2026 aims to provide essential services to over 1.45 million vulnerable people, including...

Hassan Allam Holding, a major Egyptian player in the engineering, construction, investment, and development sectors, has obtained a $25 million financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This funding aims to modernize the equipment and machinery of its subsidiary Hassan Allam Construction and strengthen its operational capacities in the local market. Approved last December and currently in the disbursement phase, the project supports the company’s growth while reducing the carbon footprint of its activities, thanks to the adoption of electric equipment to replace diesel machines. According to the EBRD, this financing provides dual added value: it offers…

Guinea Insurance Plc has submitted a request for approval and listing to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) for a capital increase project through rights issue, totaling 5.8 billion nairas (around $4 million). This initiative is aimed at strengthening its capital base to meet the increased regulatory requirements of the insurance sector in Nigeria. According to...

Briter Intelligence, a research and data analysis company, released its “Africa Investment Report 2025” on January 20, 2026, providing an in-depth analysis of venture capital funding, sector dynamics, and investor behavior across the continent. In 2025, the total funding reported for African companies amounted to $3.8 billion, a 32% increase from the previous year, with...

Wave, a player in financial inclusion in Africa, officially launched its virtual payment card integrated into the Wave application on Friday, January 23 in Dakar. Developed in partnership with Visa and Ecobank Senegal, this new solution aims to expand access to digital payments and strengthen financial inclusion in Senegal, as well as across the African continent.

Wave, a player in financial inclusion in Africa, officially launched on Friday, January 23 in Dakar its virtual payment card integrated into the Wave application, in partnership with Visa and Ecobank Senegal. This initiative is part of the common ambition of the three partners to democratize access to digital payments and strengthen financial inclusion in...

The Tunisian Insurance and Reinsurance Company (STAR) closed the year 2025 on a generally positive note, marked by an increase in its commercial activity. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, the public insurer recorded issued premiums of 483.985 million dinars (approximately 160 million dollars), up 12.2% compared to the same period in...

The insurance sector in Uganda is expected to maintain its growth momentum in 2026, driven by increased public awareness and strengthened policyholder confidence, according to the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA). In the first nine months of 2025, the sector’s total revenue increased by 13% to around 1,570 billion UGX (approximately $454 million), compared to 1,390...

The National Social Security Fund (CNAS) announced on Wednesday, January 21, the official launch of an electronic card dedicated to access to medication for the poor and those without social coverage. This initiative represents a step forward in strengthening the social protection system in Algeria. This card is aimed at a specific category of citizens:...

The Italian energy group Eni announced on Thursday, January 22, the signing of an agreement with SOCAR, the national oil company of the Republic of Azerbaijan, for the sale of a 10% stake in the offshore Baleine project off the coast of Ivory Coast. This operation is part of Eni’s upstream portfolio optimization strategy, aiming...

Attijari Bank has released its activity indicators for the year 2025, showing a generally moderate increase in its main aggregates. According to data released on January 21, the Net Banking Income (NBI) of the bank amounted to 709.5 million Tunisian dinars (234 million dollars), marking a slight increase of 0.2% compared to the end of...

Algeria is moving towards a significant expansion of its agricultural insurance system to include natural disasters related to climate change. The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries announced that work is underway to adapt and modernize existing insurance products, with the aim of providing more comprehensive coverage against increasing climate risks. This announcement was...

The Egyptian Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation announced that Egypt has mobilized $9.5 billion in concessional financing from bilateral and multilateral partners for the period 2023-2026. These resources are part of the National Structural Reform Program, aimed at strengthening macroeconomic stability, enhancing market competitiveness, and improving the business environment, according to a...

El Amana Takaful has officially announced the change of its commercial name. Since January 1, 2026, the company operates under the name “Al Baraka Assurances”. This decision, made following its General Assembly held on November 28, 2025, is part of its strategic integration within the Al Baraka Group, which has become the majority shareholder of...

Algeria’s national insurance market maintained solid growth momentum over the first nine months of 2025. According to data released by the Conseil national des assurances (CNA), total sector output reached 142.9 billion Algerian dinars between January and September 2025 (approximately USD 1.06 billion), marking a 7.3% increase compared with the same period in 2024. The...

Remittances sent home by Egyptians living abroad recorded a sharp acceleration in 2025, reaffirming their central role in financing the national economy. According to a statement released on Monday, January 5, by the Central Bank of Egypt, these financial inflows increased by 42.5% over the first eleven months of the year, reaching approximately $37.5 billion,...

In the DRC, $58 million USD were paid out in compensations to victims in 2024, compared to $2 million USD in 2018, according to data released on December 27, 2025 by the Insurance Regulatory and Control Authority (ARCA). According to the 2023-2024 report on the state of the insurance market, compensations only amounted to $2 million in 2018. In 2024, out of a volume of $377 million in premiums and contracts subscribed, $58 million were actually paid out to victims, “evidence that the compensation mechanism is now working,” said Alain Kaninda Ngalula, CEO of ARCA. This progress, he also explained,…

under the auspices of the National Payment Committee (CMN), the Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions of Senegal (APBEF), and the Interbank Payment Group (GIM-UMOA), the first edition of the National Payment Salon was held on December 10 and 11 in Dakar. Under the theme: “Digital payments and financial inclusion: Issue of monetary sovereignty in West Africa”, this meeting brought together banks, fintechs, payment operators, regulators, public institutions, and the general public. Several actors also showcased their solutions at the stands. On this occasion, Financial Afrik met with the exhibitors to better understand their activities and gather their impressions.

With more than 53% of the population now covered, compared to only 10% ten years ago, and more than 70% of women among the insured, mainly in rural areas, Senegal continues to progress towards universal health coverage. The country aims to reach 75% coverage by 2029 to ensure equitable access to care across the entire...

The first edition of the National Electronic Payment Fair opened on Wednesday, December 5 in Dakar, under the theme: “Digital Payments and Financial Inclusion: A Challenge for Monetary Sovereignty in West Africa.” Organized jointly by the National Electronic Payment Committee (CMN), the Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions of Senegal (APBEF) and the Interbank...

The Moroccan leader in insurance continues its ascent. Under the leadership of Boubker Jaï, Chairman and CEO of the Group, Wafa Assurance has reported a consolidated revenue of 10.919 billion dirhams — equivalent to $1.2 billion — for the first nine months of 2025, an increase of 7.6%. This symbolic milestone confirms the Group’s growth,...

Caarama Assurance, a subsidiary of CAAR and a player in personal insurance in Algeria, continues its technological shift. Its general manager, Mounir Ghernouti, announced on December 2 in Algiers that online claims declaration will be fully operational and accessible to all policyholders from 2026. “This digital solution was designed to offer simplicity, speed, and transparency...

A decision explained by strong growth and a significant decrease in inflation The Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), meeting on December 3, 2025, decided to maintain the current direction of its monetary policy. The main key interest rate at which the central bank refinances banking institutions remains at 3.25%, while the marginal lending facility interest rate remains at 5.25%, a level in effect since June 16, 2025. The reserve requirement ratio applicable to banks in the Union is also maintained at 3%. These decisions are based on the analysis of recent economic conditions:…

The Agency for the Development and Supervision of Small and Medium Enterprises (ADEPME) launched a workshop for media professionals on Tuesday, November 18th in Dakar. This meeting aims to present the institution, its 2025-2029 strategy, its missions, and the impact results recorded in recent years. Discussions focused on several areas: raising awareness about the challenges...