News
Interview: Helen Zille's plan to save Johannesburg
5+ hour, 14+ min ago (1626+ words) Thu 2nd July 2026 The former mayor of Cape Town is running to lead the city of her birth. She tells David Capel about her plans to rescue a city in freefall. Johannesburg " once celebrated as Africa's economic powerhouse and the "City…...
Batteries, payments, health: Afreximbank's new playbook
2+ hour, 26+ min ago (771+ words) Thu 2nd July 2026 Moving Africa up minerals value chains, deepening a continental payments system and building medical research capacity are all priorities. Responding to a question about recent investments in electric-mobility firm Spiro and telecoms infrastructure group Liquid Telecom, Elombi traced…...
Lithium mining: a dilemma with no exit?
4+ hour, 35+ min ago (509+ words) Thu 2nd July 2026 The quest for clean energy is giving rise to a bitter irony, as Stephen Williams discovers in this important book. Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism is a meticulously researched book that tackles what is too often overlooked…...
The Silicon Valley of the sea: how African nations can capture their share of the superyacht economy
7+ hour, 14+ min ago (864+ words) Thu 2nd July 2026 As technology and sustainability become expected baselines, the industry's conversation is shifting toward the quality of human connection and the rare luxury of time As the global elite prepares to converge on the iconic Port Hercule this September,…...
Brand leaders unite to redefine Africa
7+ hour, 17+ min ago (429+ words) Thu 2nd July 2026 For too long, the African story was a commodity sold by outsiders. But the lion has found its voice. The campfire is no longer just in the village; it is on every smartphone, in every boardroom, and on…...
Why Africa's evolving opportunity is becoming central to global growth
1+ day, 8+ hour ago (601+ words) Wed 1st July 2026 As capital, trade and supply chains are reconfigured, Africa is becoming increasingly central to global economic strategy, writes Anne Aliker, Head of Corporate and Investment Banking Africa Regions, Standard Bank. This article was produced with the support of…...
Chinese investment powers $270m Spiro funding round
1+ week, 2+ hour ago (403+ words) Thu 25th June 2026 Chinese growth-stage fund New Trails Capital is among the backers of the electric vehicle and battery-swap station operator. Spiro, Africa's largest electric vehicle (EV) company, has announced the successful closing of a $270m equity funding round, including a $55m investment…...
Mombasa ocean meeting secures African gains
1+ week, 7+ hour ago (1150+ words) Thu 25th June 2026 The Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa focused global attention on the region's efforts to develop a sustainable marine and coastal economy. Mombasa became the centre of the ocean world last week, as the Kenyan city hosted the eleventh…...
Turning Debt into Power: Zambia, the Af DB and Africa's New Frontier in Development Finance
1+ week, 6+ day ago (460+ words) Fri 19th June 2026 The Zambian operation should also be read in the broader context of Mission 300, the joint initiative led by the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. It shows how…...
How unwieldy regulations contribute to informal sector resilience
2+ week, 3+ day ago (1196+ words) Mon 15th June 2026 Informal trade is a major income source for economies and keeps the wheels of commerce, often bogged down by unworkable regulations, working. On the Aflao border crossing between Ghana and Togo there is a formal customs station that…...