Author: The Editorial Staff

Ivory Coast confirms its status as the African leader in cashew nuts. According to the General Directorate of Customs, cashew nut exports reached 72,000 tons in 2024, an increase of 52% in one year and a volume more than five times higher than that of 2020. This dynamic reflects the strengthening of a national strategy focused on local processing, now a driver of value creation and revenue diversification. Between 2020 and 2024, the national production of processed cashew nuts increased from 103,103 tons to 344,000 tons, driven by the doubling of the number of factories, from 17 to more than…

Alongside the political speeches that punctuated the proceedings, the High-Level Segment in Kinshasa, held on November 14, 2025, was marked by three strategic round tables dedicated to flagship projects aimed at transforming the Great Lakes region. Mines, logistics, mobility, economic sovereignty: these corridors could reshape part of the regional economic landscape. Lobito: a corridor that...

Algeria is reaching a new milestone in its energy industrialization strategy. Sonatrach, the national company, has indeed signed a $437 million EPCC contract with Chinese Sinopec Guangzhou Engineering on November 17, 2025, for the construction of a heavy naphtha hydrotreating unit within the Arzew refinery. This project, covering an area of 5 hectares and to...

Kinshasa hosted, on November 14, 2025, a High-Level Segment that could mark a turning point in how the Great Lakes region conceives its stability. Organized on the sidelines of the 9th Summit of Heads of State of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), this meeting brought together more than 250 public officials,...

Yssouf Gbané from Ivory Coast has been appointed as the chairman of the board of directors of SUNU Bank Togo, succeeding Mohamed Bah, the group’s CEO. The banker was introduced on Wednesday, November 19 in Lomé. He takes on his role in a context marked by the implementation of a bank restructuring plan, which had caused a crisis in the sector. This plan aims to strengthen financial solidity, and includes the closure of certain branches, job transformations, and a reduction in staff for economic reasons. “After the difficult times following the initial actions of the restructuring plan initiated since last…

Congo has reached a new milestone in its strategy to valorize its energy resources. During a working visit to Pointe-Noire and Kouilou, President Denis Sassou N’Guesso inaugurated on November 17, 2025, the new associated gas processing complex of the Banga-Kayo field. Built by the Chinese company Wing Wah Exploration and Production in partnership with SNPC,...

Nigeria is experiencing a calm on the price front. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the overall inflation rate decreased to 16.05% in October 2025, down from 18.02% in September, continuing a downward trend that began in April. This is one of the most significant declines observed in recent months in the largest...

South Africa is putting nuclear power back at the center of its energy and industrial strategy. On Sunday, November 16 in Pretoria, Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced the revival of several programs that had long been stalled, stating that the country “will not lag behind” in the global competition around nuclear fuel and next-generation reactors....

The Cape Verdean Parliament approved, on November 14, 2025, the State budget for 2026, amounting to 95.7 billion escudos (approximately 870 million euros). Defended by Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, this budget aims to reconcile macroeconomic stability, social priorities, and maintaining a favorable investment environment. On the macroeconomic front, the executive projects a GDP...

TotalEnergies is facing a criminal complaint filed in France by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), accusing the company of “complicity in war crimes, torture, and forced disappearances” in the context of the Mozambique LNG project in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique. This action comes in the context of a prolonged conflict in...

International investments in Tunisia increased by 28.1% in the first nine months of 2025 compared to 2024, by 39.7% compared to 2023, and by 58.1% compared to 2022, according to official data published on Monday, November 17. The total volume of investment flows reached 2,588.7 million dinars, approximately $866 million USD, mainly driven by the dynamism of direct financial investments, as indicated by the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA). Portfolio investments, although up by 56.8%, remain modest at 52.7 million dinars, approximately $17.6 million USD, during the same period. Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) increased by 27.7%, reaching 2,536 million dinars,…

The collapse of an artisanal bridge on Saturday, November 15 at the Mulondo mining site in the Lualaba province, southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), continues to spark debate in the country two days after the tragedy. While authorities, including the provincial Minister of the Interior, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, mentioned a provisional death...

At the invitation of the President of the Bank, Mr. Ould Tah, more than fifty representatives from regional banks, stock exchanges, venture capital and private equity funds are taking part in the first structured meeting between the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group and the continent’s stock markets on November 18 and 19. This initiative marks...

The Senegal-Morocco Circle of Friendship and Fraternity (CESEMAF) held a decisive General Assembly on Saturday, November 15, 2025 in Dakar, resulting in the renewal of its governance and the adoption of a triennial action plan (2026-2028). Beyond the statutory exercise, the meeting marks a new stage in revitalizing the strategic axis linking Senegal and Morocco, two countries whose relationship is distinguished by its consistency, historical depth, and African scope. Opening the proceedings, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Senegal, Hassan Naciri, recalled the “almost millennial anchoring” of the ties between the two nations, based on an exceptional human,…

Six weeks before the end of the year, the verdict is clear: 2025 is emerging as one of the worst years for crypto crime. Since January, hackers and fraudsters have stolen $2.5 billion, $800 million more than in 2024, making it the third highest total in history. Even more troubling: losses are increasing while the...

Guinea-Bissau raised 8.08 billion CFA francs on the UMOA-Titres market in a mixed auction of BAT 336 days and OAT 3 years, fully served at the desired amount. Although the coverage is high (171%), indicating continued technical demand, the operation stands out for its limited rates, reflecting the perceived risk on the Guinea-Bissauan signature. The...

The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and AFG Holding SA have formalised a strategic partnership aimed at significantly accelerating private sector growth across the ECOWAS region. The agreement, signed on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, establishes a dedicated facility in the amount of EUR 50 million to support private enterprises through AFG Holding SA’s subsidiaries operating in the ECOWAS zone, namely AFG Bank CI SA and AFG Bank Guinea. During the signing ceremony, Dr George Agyekum Donkor, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of EBID, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable…

Startups fueling with debt. Fintech no longer a dream. Happiness lies in agriculture, food, and essential services. Young companies more attractive than fast-growing enterprises. Southern Africa attracts big investments. West Africa is active but undervalued. North Africa climbing the mountain. The market regains a stable pace The private equity market in Africa is entering its...

FINACTU announces a major advancement in the implementation of the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin, a central financial instrument dedicated to the protection of the planet’s largest carbon sink. After supporting the Development Bank of Central African States (BDEAC) in the strategic, legal, and operational structuring of the mechanism, the firm is now entering...

According to S&P Global Ratings, Ivorian banks appear as the main providers of liquidity to the Senegalese Treasury in the regional market, but their direct exposure remains “contained”. Official figures are clear: subscriptions from institutions based in Abidjan on Senegalese debt in local currency have tripled in one year, reaching 1,800 billion FCFA in September...

Featured in Financial Afrik issue 125. Besides their status as former heads of state or current presidents, what do Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, Faure Gnassingbé, Patrice Talon, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, Georges Weah, Alassane Ouattara, Alpha Condé, Ibrahim Traoré, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, and Brice Oligui Nguema have in common? They have all flown on Mahamadou Bonkoungou’s...

S&P Global Ratings upgraded Nigeria’s outlook from stable to positive on November 14, 2025, while confirming the sovereign rating at ‘B-/B’. The agency highlights the impact of reforms initiated since 2023: exchange rate liberalization, subsidy removal, increasing tax revenues, gradual rise in oil production, and the commissioning of the Dangote refinery. Growth is now expected...

S&P Global Ratings reaffirmed Rwanda’s sovereign rating at ‘B+/B’ on November 14, 2025, with a stable outlook. The agency applauds the resilience of a low-income economy driven by robust growth – averaging 7.3% over 2025-2028 – and a debt structure that is still largely concessional, with nearly 80% coming from bilateral and multilateral lenders. At...

S&P Global Ratings maintains Ivory Coast’s sovereign rating of ‘BB/B’ with a stable outlook, confirmed on November 14, 2025. President Alassane Ouattara’s re-election for a fourth term, in a context of weakened opposition, ensures continuity of economic policy focused on public investment, industrialization, and upgrading agricultural and extractive value chains. The country benefits from a...

S&P Global Ratings downgraded Senegal’s long-term foreign currency sovereign rating to ‘CCC+’ on November 14, 2025, from ‘B-‘ previously, while maintaining the local currency rating at ‘B-‘. The agency also placed the country under CreditWatch developing, reflecting a fragile situation and limited visibility on short-term refinancing capacity. With public debt at 119% of GDP at...

The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) published, on November 13, 2025, the updated list of institutions authorized to offer Instant Payment (PI) services to the public through the Instant Payment System (SPI). This publication marks a new step in the operationalization of the financial inclusion and modernization of payments strategy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). The PI-SPI network, designed to ensure real-time transmission of interbank retail payments, now includes more than 70 approved actors in the eight countries of the Union. These actors include both commercial banks, electronic money institutions, and microfinance institutions. The…

Bridge Bank Group Côte d’Ivoire (BBGCI) is preparing its listing on the Regional Stock Exchange (BRVM) of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). Contacted by Financial Afrik, Yerim Sow, founder of the bank, confirmed the information. The operation, currently being structured, comes at a time when we are witnessing strategic adjustments of banking...

The strength of the banking system largely relies on the level of capital required of credit institutions. In Africa, regulators are gradually increasing thresholds to strengthen financial resilience, attract institutional investors, and reduce systemic risk. A comparative analysis of the latest regulatory requirements shows significant variations between regions and countries, with levels expressed here in...

“This eurobond is a strategic gain in terms of financial management” Appointed in January 2025, Christian Yoka, Minister of Finance, Budget, and Public Portfolio of the Republic of Congo, has just successfully led the country’s first international market outing in twenty years. Congo has raised $670 million in a context where many African states still struggle to access it. Driven by restored macroeconomic trajectory and affirmed budget discipline, he details for Financial Afrik the logic behind this strategic operation and the prospects for cleaning up Congolese debt. Minister, it has been twenty years since Congo last entered the international financial…

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, November 7, 2025 — Rawbank, a leading bank in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been designated as the “Safest Bank in the DRC” by Global Finance Magazine in its 2025 edition of the World’s Safest Banks ranking. In this ranking, Rawbank also ranks 3rd among the safest banks in the African continent. Rawbank is currently the only financial institution in the country with an international rating. This distinction confirms the strength of Rawbank, the quality of its governance, and the trust of its clients and partners. An international recognition of Rawbank’s resilience and performance…