|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Business & Macro
- Jumia Reports Narrower Losses: African e-commerce giant Jumia posted a Q2 adjusted EBITDA loss of $13.6 million, down 17% YoY, while revenue rose 25% to $45.6 million.
- Kenya Eyes Industrial Stakes: The Kenyan government plans to invest $155 million to acquire equity in local manufacturing firms, aiming to boost industrial productivity.
Climate & Energy
- Côte d’Ivoire Solar Boost: Infinity Power signed agreements to develop 80 MW of solar PV capacity in Côte d’Ivoire.
- Sustainable Hospitality Backed: The African Go Green Fund granted a $17 million debt facility to Kasada for a sustainable hotel project in Abidjan.
Geopolitics & Policy
- UK-Zimbabwe Trade Reset: The UK is exploring a $1 billion deal pipeline across agriculture, finance, telecoms, energy, and critical minerals in Zimbabwe.
- Ghana Cabinet Shift: Following the death of Defense Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has been named acting defense minister.
Tech & Deals
- New Ethiopian Megaproject: The African Development Bank will lead efforts to raise $7.8 billion for a new airport in Ethiopia, with a projected 100 million passenger capacity.
- Chinese Retailers Impact South Africa: A local industry report links the presence of Shein and Temu in South Africa to 8,000 direct and indirect job losses between 2020–2024, with projections of quadrupled losses by 2030.
Conflict & Humanitarian Crisis
- Sudan’s Zamzam Massacre: Over 1,500 civilians were reportedly killed in April during a 72-hour assault by RSF forces on Sudan’s largest displacement camp in Zamzam, North Darfur. Witness accounts cite mass executions and abductions.
- El Fasher Faces Starvation: The UN warns of catastrophic hunger in El Fasher, Sudan, where residents are surviving on animal feed. Monthly household food costs have soared to $1,000, with aid unable to reach the city for over a year.
Regional Developments
- DR Congo Cabinet Includes Opposition: President Tshisekedi appointed opposition figures, including ex-PM Adolphe Muzito, in a reshuffle of the 53-member cabinet.
- Burundi Installs Controversial Cabinet: After disputed elections, Burundi swore in a new cabinet dominated by the ruling CNDD-FDD party. A Tutsi general criticized the appointment of a civilian woman as defense minister, citing ethnic quota concerns.
- Guinea-Bissau PM Replaced Ahead of Elections: President Umaro Sissoco Embaló appointed Braima Camara as PM ahead of November’s controversial elections.
- CAR Sets Election Date: The Central African Republic will hold presidential, parliamentary, and local elections on 28 December 2025, amid ongoing conflict and third-term concerns around President Faustin Touadéra.
Security & Extremism
- Lake Chad Youth at a Crossroads: Economic desperation is driving youth in the Lake Chad region toward jihadist groups or perilous exile, as joblessness persists across border areas.
- Surging Terrorism in the Sahel: UN officials warn of escalating terrorist threats in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, with devastating effects on women and girls, including high school dropout rates and gender-based violence.
Society & Culture
- Youth Resilience in DR Congo: Amid conflict, Promo Jeune Basket in Goma continues offering safe spaces for 900+ youths to play basketball, despite rebel threats and displacement.
- Liberian Women Protest Drug Crisis: Thousands led by women’s groups marched in Monrovia, demanding a drug emergency declaration, tougher sentencing, and special courts to combat the country’s escalating narcotics crisis.
Diplomacy & Innovation
- Turkey-Senegal Strengthen Defence Ties: President Erdogan met with Senegal PM Ousmane Sonko to deepen cooperation on security and expand Turkish defence exports in Africa.
- Senegal Signs Artemis Accords: Senegal became the fourth African country to join the US-led Artemis Accords, committing to peaceful cooperation in space exploration.
Notable Legal Development
- Zambian Court Authorizes State Funeral: A South African court ruled that Zambia may repatriate late ex-President Edgar Lungu’s body for a state funeral, despite family objections, concluding a heated legal dispute.
Sources: africacenter.org, semafor.com
