Business
🇿🇦 Canal+ Completes MultiChoice Takeover
French broadcaster Canal+ has finalized its acquisition of South Africa’s MultiChoice, securing over 94% of shares. MultiChoice will be delisted from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), though Canal+ has pledged a secondary inward listing to maintain South African investor access. The merger creates one of Africa’s largest pay-TV and streaming groups, with more than 40 million subscribers across 70 countries.
🇨🇩 Congo Tightens Grip on Cobalt Exports
The Democratic Republic of Congo announced it will revoke cobalt export quotas from companies failing to meet production targets or breaching environmental and tax rules. As the world’s top cobalt supplier, the move is expected to impact global supply chains for electric vehicle batteries and could reshape pricing dynamics.
Tech
🇿🇦 Aspen Pharmacare Wins Approval for Mounjaro
South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare has secured regulatory clearance to market Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Eli Lilly’s diabetes and weight-loss drug. The approval positions Aspen to compete in a rapidly expanding therapeutic market, with global demand for weight-loss treatments projected to exceed $100 billion by 2030.
🇺🇬 Uganda Pilots Digital Currency
Uganda has launched a pilot of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), a digital shilling backed by treasury bonds. The initiative, developed with international partners, aims to expand financial inclusion for millions of unbanked citizens and attract investment into tokenized assets across agriculture, mining, and energy.
Human Rights
🇳🇬 Humanitarian Concerns Amid Energy Expansion
While Nigeria celebrated the opening of the $400 million Otakikpo Onshore Crude Export Terminal, rights groups have urged authorities to ensure that local communities benefit from revenues and are shielded from environmental risks. Civil society organizations stress that resource development must not deepen inequality or displace vulnerable populations.
🇸🇨 Seychelles Election and Democratic Transition
The peaceful transfer of power in Seychelles, where Patrick Herminie defeated incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan, has been hailed as a positive step for democratic governance in Africa. Observers, however, have called for vigilance to ensure press freedoms and minority rights are protected during the transition.
Geopolitics
🇸🇨 Opposition Victory Reshapes Indian Ocean Politics
Patrick Herminie’s win in Seychelles with 52.7% of the vote signals a shift in the island nation’s foreign policy outlook. Analysts expect his administration to reassess ties with foreign investors, particularly in tourism and infrastructure, while maintaining strong relations with regional partners in the African Union and Indian Ocean Commission.
🇨🇩 Resource Nationalism on the Rise
The DRC’s cobalt quota crackdown is seen as part of a broader trend of resource nationalism across Africa, as governments seek greater control over strategic minerals critical to the global energy transition.
Security
🇳🇬 Energy Infrastructure and Security Risks
Nigeria’s new crude export terminal is expected to boost revenues but also raises security concerns in the Niger Delta, where militant groups have historically targeted oil infrastructure. Authorities have pledged enhanced protection measures to safeguard the facility and surrounding communities.
Regional Stability and Ceasefire Monitoring
Across the continent, governments are closely watching developments in the Middle East ceasefire process, with African Union officials stressing the importance of conflict de-escalation to prevent spillover effects on Red Sea and Horn of Africa security.
Outlook
Africa’s week reflects a continent balancing economic ambition, technological innovation, democratic change, and security challenges. From media consolidation in South Africa to digital finance in Uganda, and from resource nationalism in Congo to political transition in Seychelles, these developments underscore Africa’s growing role in shaping global markets and geopolitics.
