Author: The Editorial Staff

The year 2024 confirms the transformation of the global insurance landscape. According to GlobalData, the 20 largest listed insurers in the world recorded an average growth of 6.8% in their earned premiums, driven by a favorable interest rate environment, strong stock market gains, and a strong investment momentum in digital transformation and vertical integration. Here...

The State of Ivory Coast, through its Public Treasury, strengthened its budget by 296.999 billion CFA francs (535 million dollars) on July 8, 2025, through a simultaneous issuance of Treasury assimilable bonds (BAT) with a maturity of 364 days and Treasury assimilable bonds (OAT) of 3, 3 years (with a current coupon rate of 4.01%),...

Global Credit Ratings (GCR) has confirmed and upgraded several ratings of Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB), both internationally and nationally, acknowledging a significant improvement in its capital structure, risk management framework, and credibility with its shareholders. GCR also maintains a stable outlook on all ratings, reflecting strong prospects for the pan-African bank dedicated to affordable...

On Monday, July 7, 2025, the Federation of African National Insurance Companies (FANAF) opened its international seminar on the digitalization of insurance operations in the CIMA zone in Saly, Senegal. This high-level meeting, organized under the leadership of the Training Commission chaired by Mrs. Évelyne Fassinou, brings together a hundred participants from about ten African countries. Institutional actors, insurers, reinsurers, insurtechs, brokers, IT experts, and specialized lawyers gathered for three days of discussions on an issue that has become central to the sector: mastering the new requirements of Regulation 01/CIMA/PCMA/CE/2024, which came into effect last January. This fundamental text redefines…

Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire, a subsidiary of the multinational of the same name, will allocate on August 18, 2025, for the 2024 financial year, a total gross dividend of 16.457 billion CFA francs (29.623 million dollars) to its shareholders, announced the leaders of this company based in Abidjan. With 20,070,400 shares making up the company’s share...

BGFI Bank Côte d’Ivoire and SAAR Assurances Côte d’Ivoire have just concluded a strategic partnership, sealed on July 4, 2025 in Abidjan, for the launch of two new high value-added bancassurance products: “Job Loss Guarantee – Joker Employment” and “Unpaid Rent Guarantee – Joker Landlord”. This joint initiative aims to meet the growing financial protection needs of households and investors in an economic context marked by job insecurity and rental uncertainty. The “Job Loss Guarantee – Joker Employment” is a first in the Ivorian market. It covers loan installments in case of involuntary job loss of the policyholder, while also…

Dubai is preparing to host a decisive Congress in 2025 for the future of the global postal service. Among the major figures in the running, Isaac Gnamba-Yao, Director General of the Post of Côte d’Ivoire and current President of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Board of Directors, stands out with a clear ambition: to give a new impetus to the UPU around the values of solidarity, fairness, and innovation. With over 26 years of experience in the postal, financial, telecommunications, and digital sectors, Isaac Gnamba-Yao is not just seeking a position: he embodies a vision. That of a strengthened UPU,…

Africa Specialty Risks (ASR), a pan-African provider of insurance and reinsurance solutions, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Nairobi International Financial Centre Authority (NIFCA) to support a $2 billion risk reduction initiative aimed at enhancing Kenya’s attractiveness to international investors. This partnership is part of a broader effort to position Nairobi as a...

The African Continental Free Trade Area (ZLECAf) is taking a decisive step towards operationalizing its ambitions. For the first time since its implementation, one of its key tools, the Adjustment Fund Credit Fund, has just granted a $10 million loan to Telecel Global Services Ltd, a subsidiary of the Telecel group based in Mauritius. This...

In a press release issued on July 7, 2025, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that, with the Cameroonian authorities, it has reached an agreement at the staff level on the eighth reviews of the programs under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), as well as on the third review...

Sabodala Gold Operations (SGO), the Senegalese subsidiary of Canadian group Endeavour Mining, invested 313 billion CFA francs ($521.7 million) in Senegal in 2024, representing 92% of its annual turnover, according to its general manager, Abdoul Aziz Sy. During the presentation of the group’s 2024 CSR report, Mr. Sy specified that local purchases (payments to national...

The Algerian insurance market generated a total volume of premiums of 56.9 billion Algerian dinars (approximately 439 million dollars) in the first quarter of 2025, marking an annual increase of 13.3%, according to data published by the National Insurance Council (CNA). This figure includes international acceptances as well as retakaful operations. The sector continues to...

Accra, Ghana – July 7, 2025 – The Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Investment and Development Bank (BIDC) has approved a $120 million financing facility for Engineers & Planners Limited (E&P), a leading local mining and construction company in Ghana, for the acquisition of the Black Volta gold mine. This transaction marks a significant step towards the creation of the first fully indigenous Ghanaian mining company, 100% locally owned, in line with global standards for local participation and sustainable resource development. This agreement, which began approximately 18 months ago, was formalized at a signing ceremony attended by senior government…

International oil companies BP and Shell have signed cooperation agreements with the National Oil Corporation (NOC) of Libya to conduct joint studies on the potential for oil and gas exploration and production in several oil fields, NOC announced in a statement on Monday, July 7th. The agreement with BP includes conducting technical studies to assess...

Deon Geyser, appointed CEO of Liquid Networks, a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, last February, announced his resignation after 4 months of service. Causing a shockwave in the African telecommunications sector. This decision comes as the company faces major financial difficulties and increased pressure from its creditors. In this role, Deon Geyser, former CEO of Liquid...

According to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the naira, the national currency, recorded a slight appreciation of 0.23 this Monday on the main foreign exchange markets (the exchange rate on Friday, July 4 was at 1,528.56 NGN/USD and this Monday, July 7: 1,528.33 NGN/USD), following the gradual resumption of international use of...

A new strategic turning point is looming for the African film industry with the alliance between the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and EbonyLife Media. This collaboration aims to create a pan-African investment vehicle dedicated to the audiovisual sector, with the ambition of structuring financing and amplifying the production of African...

to the Medium-Term Economic and Budgetary Programming Document 2026-2028 currently being examined by Parliament, in 2024, Cameroon’s wage bill reached 1,522.8 billion CFA francs (2.7 billion USD). This is 32.3 billion CFA francs (nearly 58 million USD) more than the 1,490.5 billion CFA francs (2.6 billion USD) initially planned for the period under review, and an increase of 12.2% compared to the 1,357 billion CFA francs (2.4 billion USD) in 2023. The salaries of public servants in 2024 accounted for 38.6% of annual tax revenues, a rate higher than the tolerance threshold (35%) in the Central African Economic and Monetary…

United Bank for Africa (UBA) has officially filed a lawsuit to challenge the controversial sale of 60% stake in the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), a transaction worth 100 billion naira (67 million USD). The bank denounces an “illegal, opaque and detrimental transaction to its interests and...

At the end of the first quarter of 2025, the profit of Bernabé Côte d’Ivoire, specializing in the distribution of hardware products, recorded a 121% increase compared to the same period in the 2024 fiscal year, announced the leaders of this company based in Abidjan. This profit increased from -76,180 million CFA francs (-137,125 dollars)...

Guinea has reached a strategic milestone in the construction of its industrial future with the official inauguration of Preparatory Classes for Grandes Écoles (CPGE) in Sebhory, in the sub-prefecture of Mitty, prefecture of Dalaba, in the heart of Fouta Djallon. The ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation,...

In a record-breaking deal for the healthcare sector in Egypt, investment bank EFG Hermes led a $190 million investment in Alameda Healthcare, the country’s leading private healthcare group. This major transaction was carried out on behalf of pan-African fund Development Partners International (DPI) and a consortium of international investors. The operation, primarily structured as a...

On Monday, July 7, 2025, a new international training session organized by the Federation of African National Insurance Companies (FANAF) opened in Saly, Senegal. The meeting is themed: “Digitalization of insurance operations in the CIMA zone – understanding and mastering the new regulatory framework for successful implementation.” Chaired by Évelyne Fassinou, President of the Training...

Out of the 282.2 billion XAF (around 505 million USD) raised on the public securities market of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) from January to March 2025, the Cameroonian public treasury used 169.5 billion XAF (303 million USD) to repay old loans that had come due. This represents 60% of the funds mobilized....

Old Mutual Ltd has promoted Prabashini Moodley to the position of CEO of its new Life & Savings division, effective August 1, 2025. She reports directly to the group’s CEO, Jurie Strydom. The division comprises four units, namely Personal Finance, Wealth Management, Corporate, and Mass & Foundation Cluster, excluding banking activities, which will be directly...

After three years of suspension, Nigerian banks are gradually resuming international transactions on debit cards denominated in Naira. United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Wema Bank have recently announced the reactivation of this service, marking a significant step in the liberalization of foreign exchange operations in Nigeria. In separate statements, the two institutions confirmed that...

Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc has successfully raised 148 billion naira ($99 million) in a rights issue, achieving a subscription rate of 122%. This operation is in line with the new recapitalization requirements imposed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to strengthen the country’s banking sector. Launched to comply with the new regulatory directive from...

M2T, a payment institution of the BCP Group, is launching its “CHAABI PAYMENT” offer dedicated to the acceptance and acquisition of multichannel payments, as part of its new status as a merchant acquirer. With nearly 25 years of experience in payment services and relying on a vast network of proximity through the Tasshilat and Chaabi Cash brands, M2T is taking a new step with the launch of “CHAABI PAYMENT”, a simple, accessible, and secure payment solution. Designed for professionals (local merchants, craftsmen, liberal professions, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large companies), the offer allows for the acceptance of payments by…

With the launch of the NSIA Benin compartment as part of the Keur Samba program, the BOAD Securitization management company signs a historic first on the Beninese market – and confirms its leading role in transforming financing models within the UEMOA. BOAD Securitization has just structured the very first securitization operation ever carried out on...

The issue is causing a stir in African diplomatic and sports circles and beyond. In a commercial transmitted to the official broadcasters of the 2024 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, taking place in Morocco from July 5 to 26, 2025, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) shows a map of the Kingdom without Western Sahara,...