Author: The Editorial Staff

The social climate is tense at Senelec, where unionized workers have initiated a progressive action plan after the non-payment of the PRAB 2026, the annual overall performance bonus. Gathered within the Convergence syndicale des travailleurs de Senelec (CSTS), the trade union has approved a mobilization schedule including a public declaration on July 9, wearing red armbands starting from July 13, a press conference on the same day, and a general assembly scheduled for July 14 at the company’s headquarters. According to the unions, the PRAB is a social benefit historically linked to the achievement of a profitable result certified by…

By Loucéni Compaoré, Ouagadougou. Gathered on July 3, 2026 in Ouagadougou for the second ordinary session of the Council of Ministers of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), the Finance Ministers of the eight member states adopted a series of decisions aimed at consolidating the economic resilience of the Union, strengthening regional financial governance, and deepening community integration. In an international context marked by geopolitical tensions, slowing global trade, and financial uncertainties, the meeting confirmed the willingness of member states to preserve macroeconomic balances while accelerating structural reforms. Chaired by the Burkinabe Minister of Economy and Finance, Dr.…

Locéni Compaoré, Ouagadougou Burkina Faso under the leadership of Captain Ibrahim Traoré wants to take control of its trajectory. That of the return of the State in all spheres of the national economy. The mining sector, in particular, is not to be overlooked given its importance in the Burkinabe economy. As the country’s top export...

While Côte d’Ivoire has just obtained financial commitments well above expectations for its National Development Plan 2026-2030, another challenge is emerging: the ability to transform national priorities into bankable, exploitable, and attractive projects for private investors. It is in this dynamic that the project of the Artisans Village of Grand-Bassam, led by Africa Currency Network, with MOPAT Group as a strategic partner, fits. On July 8, 2026 in Abidjan, the State of Côte d’Ivoire, represented by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Handicrafts, signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Steering Committee for Public-Private Partnerships (CNP-PPP) and Africa Currency…

The Democratic Republic of Congo is reaching a milestone that its authorities present as historic: the upcoming opening of the Kinshasa Stock Exchange, set to become the country’s first stock exchange. Led by the Ministry of Finance and supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the project aims to provide the DRC with a market...

Before their quarter-final of the World Cup, scheduled for Thursday, July 9, France and Morocco present themselves with economically profiles that are incomparable in size, but with distinct trajectories. The first remains a large developed economy, with high income. The second operates on a much smaller scale, but with significantly faster growth. In nominal value, France’s GDP reached $3,000 billion in 2025, compared to $182.37 billion for Morocco. The French economy thus weighs approximately 18 times that of Morocco. The wealth per capita is also significantly different: $48,985.7 per person in France, compared to $4,672.5 in Morocco. France also has…

On Tuesday, July 7, the sports match between Argentina and Egypt has its counterpart in numbers. On paper, Buenos Aires plays in the top economic division: Argentina’s GDP reaches 683.1 billion dollars in 2025, compared to 365.25 billion for Egypt. But Cairo presents another argument, that of mass: 118.4 million inhabitants against 45.9 million for Argentina. In other words, a much larger domestic market, even though wealth per capita remains significantly in favor of the Argentines, with 14,898 dollars per person compared to 3,086 dollars on the Egyptian side. Argentina advances with assets of raw power: large-scale agriculture, livestock, gas,…

The Banking Commission of the West African Monetary Union (UMOA) has made public the disciplinary and pecuniary sanctions imposed during its 152nd session, held on March 17 and 18, 2026 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Five credit institutions located in four member states – Togo, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso – are singled out for serious breaches of prudential regulations and anti-money laundering measures. Two of them, ZEYNA in Niger and SOBCA in Burkina Faso, have simply lost their approval and are being liquidated. The offenses identified, according to the commission’s press release on July 3, mainly involve governance deficiencies, inadequate…

On the occasion of the launch of the second Social Bond of AFINHAB, formerly CRRH-UEMOA, Mrs. Astou DIOP SENE, General Manager of Finance Gestion et Intermédiation (FGI), discusses the challenges of this operation. This issuance of 40 billion FCFA marks a new step in the development of sustainable finance in the UEMOA. As the arranger of this issuance, alongside Société Générale Capital Securities West Africa, FGI provides its analysis of the market changes, the growing demands of investors, and the prospects opened by this new fundraising. Mrs. DIOP SENE, why is this AFINHAB operation structurally important for the regional market?…

Institutional drama in Senegal. In its decision n°6/C/2026 issued on July 9, 2026, the Constitutional Council declared the Constitutional Law n°18/2026 on constitutional revision, adopted by the National Assembly on June 29, to be contrary to the Constitution. Urgently seized by the President of the Republic, the Council sided with the executive by deeming the...

Dakar, July 10, 2026 – The National Bank for Economic Development (BNDE) announces the successful closure of its first issuance of Covered Certificate of Deposit 6.50% 2026-2028, an operation that marks a major step in diversifying its sources of refinancing and developing new instruments in the UEMOA monetary and financial market. With a total amount...

Mobile money is emerging as the main driver of financial inclusion in Gambia. According to the results of the independent survey FinScope Consumer The Gambia 2025, the country has made one of the most spectacular progressions on the continent in terms of access to formal financial services over six years. At the heart of this transformation is Wave, praised by authorities as one of the key players in this evolution. Gambia now has a formal financial inclusion rate of 82% in 2025, compared to only 19% in 2019, according to the FinScope Consumer The Gambia 2025 report. At the same…

At the end of their Ordinary General Meeting (AGM) on June 23, 2026, shareholders of the Moroccan company Dari Couspate, specialized in the production and commercialization of couscous and pasta, approved the distribution of a dividend of 41.772 million dirhams (4.594 million dollars) for the 2025 financial year, announced the leaders of this company based...

Casablanca, July 8, 2026. The insurance landscape in Morocco is undergoing one of its most significant restructurings in recent years. With the merger and absorption of Allianz Maroc by Sanlam Maroc, the new Sanlam-Allianz entity now holds nearly 14% market share, establishing itself among the top insurers in the Kingdom and reshuffling a sector historically...

Cape Town, July 8, 2026 – Over 140 business leaders, investors, public decision-makers, and African entrepreneurs will gather on July 9 and 10 in Cape Town for Africa Unlocked 2026, Standard Bank’s annual conference focusing on the continent’s economic outlook. Under the theme “Built in Africa: Amplifying Continental Growth”, this third edition aims to identify...

The BGFIBank Group takes a new step in strengthening its governance and compliance framework by announcing the renewal of the AML 30001 certification for BGFI Holding Corporation, BGFIBank Europe, and BGFIBank Cameroon, as well as the ISO 37001 certification obtained by BGFIBank Cameroon for anti-corruption management systems. Presented at a ceremony on Thursday, June 25,...

The West African Development Bank (BOAD) and the Common Reinsurance Company of the Member States of the Inter-African Insurance Markets Conference (CICA-RE) are taking a new step in consolidating the regional financial architecture. The two institutions signed a strategic partnership agreement on July 7, 2026 in Lomé, aimed at further integrating insurance and reinsurance mechanisms into the financing of development projects within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). The agreement was signed by Abdoulaye Daffé, Vice-President of BOAD, and Karim Diarassouba, General Manager of CICA-RE. It reflects the convergence between the strategic orientations of the Bank, through its…

The UMOA public securities secondary market experienced a sharp decline during the week of June 29 to July 3, 2026. According to UMOA-Titres, the traded volumes amounted to 79.506 billion FCFA, a decrease of 74% compared to the previous week. The number of transactions also decreased by 53%, to 47 operations, while the number of...

Following the recent structuring of the first green project financing bond in Côte d’Ivoire and the UEMOA region, aimed at financing a 66 MW solar power plant in Korhogo, Financial Afrik interviewed Yezdan Akcacakir, Head of Energy at the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), on the evolution of infrastructure financing models in Africa, the growing role...

By launching a competition for the design of its future headquarters at Casablanca Finance City, CIH Bank is taking a new step in its transformation. Beyond a simple real estate project, the bank is investing in a strategic asset to support its growth, strengthen its institutional image, and assert its position among the major financial...

Proparco announces the appointment of Emmanuelle Riedel Drouin as Deputy CEO. A member of the executive committee and director of the Financing department since 2022, she succeeds Djalal Khimdjee, and joins the general management of Proparco, alongside Françoise Lombard, CEO, and Jean-Baptiste Sabatié, Deputy CEO. A graduate of the University Paris-Dauphine and holder of an...

The World Bank has appointed Ivorian economist Sylvain Kakou as Senior Country Manager for Gabon, a position he officially assumed on July 1, 2026 in Libreville. In this role, he is tasked with overseeing the institution’s unified operations in the country, coordinating the actions of the group’s entities in the country. Prior to this appointment,...

At kick-off, the scoreboard clearly leans towards the Canadian side, as we await the first match of the round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026. With populations that are fairly close – 41.65 million inhabitants for Canada against 38.43 million for Morocco in 2025 – the gap in economic power remains considerable. The World Bank estimates the Canadian GDP at 2,507 billion dollars in 2025, compared to 182.37 billion for Morocco. In other words, the Canadian economy weighs nearly thirteen times that of the kingdom, even though both countries have comparable demographic reservoirs. The real gap becomes even…

Sanlam Morocco and Allianz Morocco shareholders have approved the merger-absorption project between the two companies, following the extraordinary general meetings held on July 2, 2026 in Casablanca. This decision, announced in a joint statement by the two insurers, marks a new step in their integration, with the aim of creating a strengthened player in the...

At first glance, the match appears unbalanced. Colombia operates in a different category in terms of size: its GDP reached 457.4 billion dollars in 2025, compared to 114.2 billion for Ghana. The income per capita tells the same hierarchy, with 8,561 dollars on the Colombian side compared to 3,257 dollars on the Ghanaian side. Even in terms of population, Bogota maintains the advantage, with 53.4 million inhabitants compared to 35.1 million. In the group photo of aggregates, Colombia remains the heaviest, richest, and largest power. But an economic match is not only won by volume: it also plays out in…

The Burkinabe group Coris Bank International has taken a new step in its project to establish itself in Cameroon by officially creating its local subsidiary, Coris Bank International Cameroon (CBI CM). According to information published this week by the local press, the new entity was created in the form of a joint-stock company with a...

In anticipation of the opening this Monday, July 6, of the General States of Insurance in Cotonou, we present the message from Mamadou G.K. Koné, President of the African National Insurance Companies Federation (FANAF). Every morning, millions of African families wake up without a real safety net. An accident, an illness, a drought, a flood can, in a few hours, destroy years of efforts and change a life. This reality is no longer acceptable. Africa represents nearly 19% of the world’s population, but less than 1% of insurance premiums issued worldwide. Behind this contrast lie millions of women, men, young…

By Ismael Sy, Casablanca There were seven vice-presidents around Chakib Alj in 2023. Only two have survived the “CGEMRESET” operation launched by the new President Mehdi Tazi. Only one name spans the two terms: Ghita Lahlou, the general manager of the École Centrale Casablanca, maintained for a third term. The CGEM Board has been renewed...

On July 1, 2026, Mauritania and ACWA Power signed agreements for the construction of the country’s first gas power plant. This project represents a major step in utilizing the national gas resources and modernizing the Mauritanian electrical system. The agreements were signed in the presence of Mohamed Ould Khaled, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Abdoulahi Ould Souleymane, Minister of Economy and Development, the Minister of Finance, Seyid Mouhamed Abou Neiyan, Chairman of the Board of ACWA Power, and the President of the Saudi Fund for Development. The project involves the construction of a 230 MW combined-cycle power plant in N’Diago,…

On the field, the match seems balanced between the 27th (Australia) and the 29th (Egypt) in the FIFA rankings. In national accounts, it is much less so. In terms of major aggregates, Australia operates in a different league than Egypt. The numbers. The World Bank shows, for Canberra, a gross domestic product of 1,800 billion dollars compared to 365.25 billion for Cairo. In other words, the Australian economy weighs nearly five times that of Egypt, even though the continent-country has only about 27.6 million inhabitants, compared to 118.4 million for the most populous country in the Arab world. The contrast…