Author: The Editorial Staff

Tokyo, August 19, 2025 – On the sidelines of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9), the African Trade and Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI), in partnership with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI), organized a high-level meeting focused on increasing Japanese investments in Africa. Under the theme “Stimulating Japanese private sector investments in Africa”, the event brought together senior government officials, financing institutions, and major Japanese companies to explore concrete strategies for mobilizing sustainable capital to the continent. Discussions highlighted Japan’s growing interest in high value-added African sectors such as infrastructure, energy,…

At the end of June 2025, Cameroon recorded an estimated inflation rate of 4.1% according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS). This rate is down 1.6 percentage points on an annual basis. The body responsible for statistics management in Cameroon notes, however, that this rate is still above the 3% tolerance threshold...

Egypt recorded a historic primary surplus of 629 billion EGP (12.6 billion USD), representing 3.6% of GDP, an increase of 80% compared to the 2023/2024 fiscal year, which stood at 350 billion EGP (7 billion USD). This was revealed in a statement published on August 16, 2025 by the presidency, which also announced a meeting between President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and Finance Minister Ahmed Kajouk to review the preliminary budget indicators for the 2024/2025 fiscal year. This performance was achieved despite a significant decrease in revenues from the Suez Canal, with revenues dropping by 60% compared…

In a video posted on social media on Sunday, August 17, Marguerite Gnakadé, former Minister of Defense under Faure Gnassingbé, spoke out, among other things, calling for the resignation of the man she had married to, Ernest, the elder brother of Faure. “Remaining silent in the face of the abuses I witnessed when I was...

Bamako, Mali | August 15, 2025: The Malian Solidarity Bank (BMS S.A.), a leading bank in Mali, has partnered with SATGURU Travel to launch an innovative solution for travelers: the co-branded BARAKA GIM-Mastercard prepaid cards BMS/SATGURU, named SATGURU Traveler CLASSIC and SATGURU Traveler PLATINUM respectively. These cards represent a major milestone for financial services in the region, offering travelers in Mali and beyond a secure, seamless, and accessible way to make payments with ease. This collaboration brings together the expertise of Mastercard, GIM-UEMOA, BMS S.A., and SATGURU Travel to meet the evolving needs of today’s constantly moving consumers. The co-branded…

In the context of bringing the Société nationale de raffinage (Sonara) refinery back into operation by 2027, on August 13, 2025, the board of directors of this state-owned company adopted the Plan for Acceleration of Restructuring and Rehabilitation Measures for the resumption of refining within 24 months (PARRAS 24). The final communiqué of this meeting...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is financing the construction of a 60 MW solar power plant in Sakaï 2, in the south of Bangui, with an amount of 50 billion CFA francs (90 million USD). The construction works of what will be the country’s second solar field were launched by the President of the Central...

The South African telecommunications operator MTN revealed on August 14, 2025, the opening of an investigation by the Department of Justice (DoJ) into its activities through its participation in Irancell as well as those of its former subsidiary in Afghanistan. This investigation likely follows accusations from the Turkish operator Turkcell, which brought a corruption case...

Kenyan bank KCB Group has indicated that it has managed to retain some of its clientele after the sale of the National Bank of Kenya (NBK) to Nigeria’s Access Bank. The acquisition, announced on June 2 and valued at approximately USD 100 million, transferred ownership of NBK to Access Bank, marking a major milestone in...

The Bank Misr has received official approval from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) to transform its subsidiary Misr Digital Innovation (MDI) into OneBank, the country’s first fully digital bank. Founded in 2020, MDI’s mission was to drive fintech innovation and prepare for the launch of the first digital bank. OneBank, scheduled to open in...

In its fight against climate change, Togo will benefit from a financing of 22.5 million euros (approximately 14.7 billion CFA francs) granted by Luxembourg, with the support of the European Union, as part of the Support Program for the Fight against Climate Change and Biodiversity Protection (PALCC+). The agreement to this effect was signed on August 12, 2025 in Lomé by the Minister of Environment, Katari Foli-Bazi, and a Luxembourgish delegation. According to both parties, this marks the continuation and expansion of efforts already initiated by the PALCC launched in 2017. This first phase, with 10.6 million euros from the…

Uganda’s clearly stated ambition is to establish itself as a major player in the production and export of gold. The inauguration, on Saturday, August 16, of the Wagagai gold mining project by President Yoweri Museveni is in line with this perspective. This is the first large-scale mine covering nine square kilometers in the Busia district....

Aramco, a global energy and chemical giant, has signed an $11 billion lease and leaseback contract with an international consortium of investors led by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a subsidiary of BlackRock, around its Jafurah gas infrastructure. Located in eastern Saudi Arabia, Jafurah is the largest non-associated gas field in the Kingdom, with estimated reserves of 229 trillion standard cubic feet and 75 billion barrels equivalent. This project is at the heart of Aramco’s plan to increase its gas production capacity by 60% between 2021 and 2030 to meet growing demand. As part of the deal, a new entity, Jafurah…

The main economic indicators of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) showed an increase in June 2025 compared to the previous month, according to data from the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) based in Dakar. These data indeed indicate that commercial activities continued to grow, with a 5.8% increase in June...

The Cadyst Group announced, in a press release published on its website, that it has definitively acquired two subsidiaries of the Somdia Group on August 6, 2025. These are the Grand Moulin du Cameroun (SGMC), based in Douala, and the Grand Moulin du Phare (SGMP), an industrial unit present in Congo since 2020, located within...

The South African group MTN published half-year results on Monday, August 18 marked by a significant improvement in profitability and an upward revision of its growth prospects. After a 2024 year marred by the volatility of African currencies, the group is once again experiencing strong growth momentum, driven by its data and digital financial services...

In Nigeria, insurance companies have a twelve-month deadline, until July 2026, to comply with the new minimum capital thresholds introduced by the recent sector reform law, enacted in early August by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), responsible for overseeing the implementation of these provisions, has announced the creation of an 11-member...

The Senegalese economy grew by 12.1% in the first quarter of 2025, driven by the start of hydrocarbon production. However, the execution report for the second quarter reveals the limitations of a budget still under strong structural constraints. Indeed, as of June 30, budget revenues reached 2,226.3 billion CFA francs (3.95 billion USD), nearly half...

Afriland First Bank is taking a new step in its commitment to education in Cameroon by launching the B-First program, an initiative that places academic excellence at the heart of its corporate social responsibility. In a context marked by persistent challenges in access to quality education, the bank aims not only to reward the best students, but also to sustainably improve learning conditions. Through this program, Afriland First Bank aims to award the fifty best secondary schools in the country based on results in the Baccalaureate and GCE A-level exams, honoring the top students in each class. In parallel, an…

The rainy season has settled well in the Senegal River basin, and significant rainfall has been recorded in early August in the Senegal River valley. These rains, combined with uncontrolled tributary inputs, have led to a rise in water levels in Bakel and Matam, where alert levels are likely to be reached in the coming days. We remind you that when the alert level is reached, river overflow may occur, especially in the event of new rainy episodes in the area. This Sunday, August 17 at 12:00: – In Bakel, the level is at 9.12m on the scale with a…

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) initiated, on August 13, 2025 in Antananarivo, Madagascar, a thorough examination of the modalities for creating a Dialogue Forum with the United States. This first edition of the SADC-United States Dialogue Forum marks a decisive step in a process initiated in February 2022, aiming to provide bilateral relations with...

To strengthen its financial autonomy and accelerate the transformation of its economy, the Democratic Republic of Congo has just equipped itself with a new instrument called “Strategic Investment Fund (FIS-RDC)”. This mechanism, approved on August 15, 2025 by the Council of Ministers, aims to mobilize innovative financing and channel resources towards priority projects in support...

Barrick Mining announced on August 11, 2025 a gold revenue of $4.79 billion in the first half, up 13.5% year-on-year, despite the suspension of its activities at the Loulo-Gounkoto mine in Mali since January. However, the Canadian company sold 1.52 million ounces of gold during the period, a decrease of 18% compared to 2024, directly...

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) received a high-level delegation from the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) on August 14, led by Vice Governor Ammar Khalaf. Welcomed by his Egyptian counterpart Tarek ElKholy, the main objective of this mission was to strengthen the exchange of expertise in central banking operations. Bilateral discussions focused on institutional...

The US Department of the Treasury announced on August 12, 2025, sanctions against entities involved in violence and illegal mining exploitation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. All assets and interests held by the designated individuals, located in the United States or under American control, are now blocked. The assets and interests of individuals targeted...

Nedbank announced on Thursday, August 14, the acquisition of South African fintech iKhokha for 1.65 billion rand (USD 87.5 million) in an all-cash transaction, subject to regulatory approval and expected in the coming months. Founded in 2012 in Durban by Matt Putman, Ramsay Daly, and Clive Putman, iKhokha develops mobile payment solutions and business management...

Growth still lackluster, persistent inflationary pressures, prolonged effects of recent global shocks, and very limited fiscal space for governments: this is the bleak picture of persistent challenges in the 45 sub-Saharan African countries presented by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest report published in April on regional economic outlooks. To discuss this, Financial Afrik had an exclusive interview with Amadou Sy, Director of Studies in the IMF’s Africa Department. The economist discusses, among other things, the available policy tools for public decision-makers, and possible ways to promote inclusive and sustainable growth on the continent.

The Monetary Policy Council of the Central Bank of Mauritania (BCM), meeting on August 15, 2025 under the chairmanship of Mohamed-Lemine Dhehby, Governor of the BCM, decided to lower the key rate to 6%, setting the lending facility rate at 6.5% and the deposit rate at 2%. This decision comes in a context of marked disinflation: the year-on-year inflation rate dropped from 3.0% in July 2024 to 1.3% in July 2025. In these conditions, maintaining the previous level of rates would have led to an increasing gap between nominal and real rates, reinforcing the restrictive nature of monetary policy. With…

The sector report of the Communications Authority of Kenya indicates that the total number of mobile subscriptions has exceeded 74.9 million, surpassing the country’s population and bringing mobile penetration to 143%. Among these subscriptions, 42.3 million are smartphones, while 32.6 million are basic phones. This shift highlights an increasingly technophile consumer base, relying on mobile connections for a variety of services, from communications to digital finance. Domestic communication activities have experienced strong growth, with voice traffic reaching 28.8 billion minutes, up from 27.4 billion in the previous quarter. In parallel, SMS traffic has slightly increased, reaching 14.3 billion. These figures…

Libreville, August 15, 2025 – The BGFIBank Group announced the appointment of Mr. Rhinesse Katsou as Deputy General Manager of BGFI Holding Corporation SA. This decision, made during the Board of Directors meeting on August 14, 2025, comes in a context marked by the departure of Henri-Claude Oyima, CEO of the Group, recently called to join the government. The appointment of Rhinesse Katsou illustrates the Group’s desire to ensure a smooth transition and maintain its growth momentum. With a solid experience and in-depth knowledge of operations, he will be tasked with supporting the management in the implementation of the 2026-2030…