Author: The Editorial Staff

The World Bank announced on March 16, 2026, the appointment of Djibrilla Issa as Division Director for five strategic countries in West Africa: Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and The Gambia. Based in Dakar, he will be responsible for overseeing a regional portfolio estimated at nearly $6 billion, aimed at supporting the economic and social transformation of these economies. This appointment comes at a time when West Africa is accelerating its efforts to strengthen inclusive growth, modernize its infrastructure, and attract more international investments. In his new role, Djibrilla Issa will be tasked with coordinating the operational and strategic engagement…

On the eve of the Monetary Policy Council meeting, there is almost unanimous consensus among analysts and investors: the key rate of Bank Al-Maghrib is expected to remain unchanged. In an international context marked by strong geopolitical uncertainties, caution now seems to be the preferred option for the central bank. According to a survey conducted...

Recently promoted as Director of Business Development & Marketing at SOAGA, Jocelyne GBAH embodies a generation of financial leaders committed to the concrete transformation of the West African ecosystem. A commercial engineer, certified in HEC Paris Finance & Business Strategy, certified in AMF France Financial Markets Regulation, graduate of ITB CFPB France, she also intervenes at ITB in training bank executives in banking, finance, and market professions. For over ten years, she has been working with a clear conviction: finance creates value only when it becomes understandable, accessible, and useful to the population. Far from an exclusively institutional approach, she…

Clean victory and political symbol. The candidate supported by La France insoumise (LFI) and allied with the French Communist Party (PCF), Bally Bagayoko, won a resounding victory on Sunday during the 2026 municipal elections in the city of Saint-Denis, in Seine-Saint-Denis. With approximately 50.8% of the votes, according to initial estimates provided by his entourage,...

The curve of the Senegalese eurobond “4.75% maturing in March 2028” published by Cbonds offers a very instructive reading of investors’ perception of risk over the past three months. Between December and mid-February, the bond was generally on an upward trajectory. For the markets, Senegal was then seen as a relatively credible African issuer, comparable...

On the occasion of March 8, International Women’s Rights Day, Aïssata LY WANE publishes “The Colors of Marriage,” a book of reflection and awareness dedicated to one of the oldest and most complex social institutions: marriage. Often idealized, marriage is nevertheless crossed by multiple, sometimes contradictory realities. Through this book, the author offers a lucid and deeply human exploration of married life. Far from simplistic discourses, she invites the reader to look at what really happens behind the doors of households: the joys, tensions, misunderstandings, but also the capacities for resilience and reconstruction. The book is based on a hundred…

Senegal honored the sensitive deadline of March 13, 2026 on its international debt by paying approximately 471 million dollars of principal and coupons to its creditors, thus avoiding any immediate risk of default. Finance Minister Cheikh Diba (pictured), at the forefront of the debt issue, managed to find a solution that was even more unexpected...

Caught in the turmoil of the debate on mining and industrial agreements reignited by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, cement manufacturers operating in Senegal have chosen to respond with numbers. In a joint statement released this Friday, they claim to have committed over 600 billion CFA francs in investments over the past five years and to...

In Mauritania, smartphones are subject to a 30% duty, while non-smartphones are taxed at 12%. However, this reform of mobile phone customs clearance, adopted as part of the 2026 finance law, has sparked strong opposition. In Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, traders protested on Wednesday, March 11 to denounce a measure they consider detrimental to their business....

Bissau, March 13, 2026. The private sector of Guinea Bissau is taking a decisive step in valorizing its agricultural resources. The Constituent General Assembly (AGC) and the first session of the Board of Directors of the Cashew Company of Guinea-Bissau (SOCA GB) SA were held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Bissau, formalizing the creation of the company and the appointment of its first directors. Supported by a financial contribution from the West African Development Bank (BOAD) amounting to 9.150 billion CFA francs, this initiative marks a desire for structural transformation. Beyond financing, the Bank demonstrates its commitment through a…

The announcement was made following the Council of Ministers meeting on March 12, 2026. The Burkinabe State now intends to manage its stakes in the banking sector through Yennenga Holding. Established by decree, this new state-owned anonymous company, whose statutes have already been adopted, will be responsible for holding the shares of the State and...

Dakar is set to become one of the focal points of the African energy debate next June. The organizing committee of the Africa Oil & Gas Expo (AFOGEX Dakar 2026) has announced that the next edition of the exhibition will be held from June 10 to 12, 2026 at the Abdou Diouf International Conference Center (CICAD) in Diamniadio. Under the theme “Senegal: oil and gas discoveries, opportunities and challenges”, this edition comes at a strategic time marked by Senegal’s entry into the circle of hydrocarbon producers and the industrial transformation ambitions driven by the Vision Senegal 2050. Leading up to…

The Ivorian cable company (Sicable), a member of the PRYSMIAN Group, the world leader in electrical cables, will pay its shareholders a gross total dividend of 1.022 billion CFA francs (1.840 million dollars) for the 2025 fiscal year, announced the leaders of this company based in Abidjan. This is the result of the proposed resolutions...

France and the Central African Republic are turning a new page. The French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, is making an official visit to Bangui on March 12 and 13, 2026, marking a strong signal of the warming relations between Paris and the Central African Republic. According to a diplomatic source, this...

Bange Sociedad de Valores, the first stock exchange company in Equatorial Guinea, and Harvest Asset Management signed a distribution agreement on March 11, 2026 in Malabo aimed at expanding access to investment solutions in the country. Thanks to this agreement, Equatorial Guinean investors, whether individuals or institutional, will now be able to access the full...

The Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) continues its push into financing green innovation in Africa. The impact investment fund of the Open Society Foundations announces a commitment of $7 million to the Africa Climate Venture Builder Fund, a $70 million vehicle dedicated to African climate startups. Created to support investments with high social and economic...

Since the first rains of American-Israeli bombs on Iran on February 28, 2026, the fears of African countries were centered around the increase in the price of Brent oil. On the twelfth day of this joint operation against the Islamic Republic, the price of a barrel of oil was around $92 after soaring to $115...

The Saham group strengthens its exposure to Teleperformance through a derivative financial contract (Equity swap) of 355 million euros, allowing it to track the performance of the stock without becoming a shareholder. At 64 years old, Moulay Hafid Elalamy is back in the spotlight of the kingdom’s economy. After signing the “deal of the century”...

French President Emmanuel Macron wishes to appoint Christophe Lecourtier, the current French ambassador to Morocco, as the head of the French Development Agency (AFD). The announcement was made on Tuesday, March 9 by the Elysée Palace. However, this nomination is subject to the approval of the relevant parliamentary committees and the opinion of the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life. At 63 years old, this former student of the ENA has a career combining diplomacy, economics, and the promotion of French attractiveness. Former CEO of Business France between 2017 and 2022, Christophe Lecourtier previously worked in the ministerial offices…

Mauritania has signed a strategic framework agreement worth one billion dollars with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a subsidiary of the Islamic Development Bank Group, in Jeddah. Concluded for the period 2026-2030, this partnership aims to support the economic and social development of the country. The agreement includes financing for key sectors of...

The National Institute of Biology and Health Surveillance (INBVS) in Pointe-Noire is now fully operational. Opened by President Denis Sassou N’Guesso, this facility built by MBTP, a company of the CODIMEX group, daily confirms the ambitions assigned to it: to modernize the Congolese healthcare system sustainably and make it a reference on the continent. Located in the 1st district of Emery-Patrice-Lumumba, the INBVS now demonstrates its daily utility. With its five interconnected laboratories covering molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, immunology, and emergency biology, the facility allows for locally conducting analyses that were previously sent abroad. This advancement significantly reduces diagnostic delays…

The escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East acts as a revealer of vulnerabilities in global financial markets. Rising oil prices, dollar volatility, and disruptions in supply chains are factors that could potentially affect listed companies, including those in markets relatively far from the theater of tension. At the Casablanca Stock Exchange, these developments...

The war in the Middle East, which fuels strong global geopolitical uncertainty and drives up energy prices, currently has only a limited direct impact on African insurers. This is the conclusion of a note published on March 6, 2026 by S&P Global Ratings, which highlights that indirect effects could strengthen if the conflict persists. According...

The insurance group AXA is taking a new step in its development on the African continent with the establishment of a regional organization called AXA Atlantic Africa. This new entity brings together five strategic markets: Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Gabon. Analysis. In a context marked by the intensification of global risks – climatic,...

Annabelle Buzingo represents a generation of women leaders who shape development financing with excellence, vision, and determination, and contribute to transforming African risk into sustainable opportunities. Her technical expertise, the rigor of her analysis, her determination to have a lasting impact are essential in the realization of major development projects in Africa. Since January 2019, Annabelle Buzingo has held the position of Senior Underwriter for Political and Credit Risks at ATIDI, the Insurance for Trade and Investment Development in Africa. In this role, she structures, analyzes, and underwrites complex transactions across multiple African markets. Her role is to secure strategic…

Moody’s Ratings, the international rating agency, raised Morocco’s sovereign rating outlook from “stable” to “positive” on Friday, while confirming the Ba1 rating for long-term debt in foreign and local currency. This decision reflects the growing confidence of the markets in the kingdom’s macroeconomic trajectory. In its analysis, Moody’s highlights a gradual improvement in the country’s...

Paris, March 3, 2026 – Jeune Afrique publishes the 27th edition of its exclusive ranking of the 500 largest African companies (excluding the financial sector). This new edition highlights a historic performance: never before had the combined revenue of African champions reached such a level. With $782.8 billion in cumulative revenues, the 2026 Top 500 records a 6.2% increase compared to the previous edition, erasing the decline observed in 2025 (-3.1%) and significantly surpassing the previous record set in 2022 ($759.6 billion). A momentum driven by growth and monetary stabilization This ranking covers the 2024 fiscal years (and up to…

Guinea is taking a new step in steering its development strategy. Gathered in plenary session on March 5, 2026 in Conakry, the National Transition Council (CNT) adopted the 2026-2040 Plan Law and the 2026-2030 Program Law related to the Sustainable and Responsible Socio-Economic Development Program “Simandou 2040”. With this adoption, Guinean authorities provide a legal...

GCR Ratings agency has announced the confirmation of Afreximbank’s international issuer ratings at A for long term and A2 for short term. The agency has also revised the outlook associated with these ratings from “Rating Watch Evolving” to “Stable”. At the same time, GCR Ratings has confirmed the international long-term rating of the bank’s $5...

Nairobi, Kenya—As Africa is poised to become the world’s fastest-growing aviation market, policymakers and industry leaders are focusing on a central challenge: how to translate the increasing demand into sustainable connectivity, competitiveness, and financial viability? This issue was at the heart of discussions at the Airlines, Capital, and Connectivity Forum held on February 25 and 26, 2026 in Nairobi by the African Development Bank Group, in partnership with the African Airlines Association (AFRAA). Despite strong demand fundamentals, the aviation sector in Africa still faces structural constraints, including high capital costs, fragmented regulatory regimes, infrastructure gaps, and limited access to long-term…