Eskom has delivered a message of optimism to South Africans ahead of the coming winter season, promising no load shedding for at least the next four months and warning that, even in a worst‑case scenario, rolling blackouts would be limited to brief, low‑level interruptions. At a pre‑winter media briefing on May 5, 2025, held at Megawatt […]

Tanzania’s financial landscape has undergone a dramatic shift with the recent implementation of new regulations that prohibit the use of foreign currencies, including the US dollar, for local transactions. These new rules, announced by the Bank of Tanzania and published in the Government Gazette on March 28, 2025, have set the stage for a significant […]

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has recently unveiled an ambitious $3 billion revolving credit line designed to facilitate easier access to fuel products for buyers across Africa and the Caribbean. This new initiative aims to tackle the continent’s longstanding reliance on imported fuels, offering a new avenue for sourcing petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and other […]

While South Africa’s gross domestic product edged up by 0.6 percent in 2024—the strongest annual gain since mid-2023—the numbers mask an uneven recovery and deep structural hurdles. A bumper agriculture season, livelier trade activity and a resilient finance sector provided the bulk of growth, but mining, manufacturing and parts of the energy complex lagged behind. […]

Zimbabwe is taking a bold step toward ensuring the sustainable management of its fisheries and aquaculture sector with the introduction of a new bill designed to streamline and regulate the country’s fishing industry. This move comes after years of criticism regarding the lack of a cohesive framework, which has contributed to overfishing and unsustainable practices, […]

In a decisive move to bolster the nation’s industrial base and promote local innovation, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has unveiled comprehensive strategies aimed at enhancing the visibility, acceptance, and competitiveness of Made-in-Nigeria products. The initiative, described as both timely and necessary, seeks to tackle head-on the persistent challenges that have […]

A Tit-for-Tat Trade Dispute Shakes Southern Africa Tanzania has ignited a regional economic standoff by imposing immediate bans on agricultural imports from South Africa and Malawi. The move, announced late Wednesday by Agriculture Minister Hussein Mohamed Bashe, is a direct retaliation against what Tanzania calls “hostile trade measures” imposed by its Southern African Development Community […]

South Africa’s Finance Ministry stunned markets and consumers alike on Thursday by announcing that it will not proceed with the planned increase in value-added tax (VAT) from May 1. The decision, delivered in a brief statement, follows intense political opposition within the governing coalition and mounting concerns about the measure’s social and economic impact. Finance […]

The International Monetary Fund has trimmed its 2025 growth forecast for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from 4.2 percent to 3.8 percent, warning that recent tariff escalations by the United States and ensuing retaliatory measures are clouding the region’s recovery. In its April World Economic Outlook, the Fund also lowered its global growth projection to 2.8 percent […]

Despite Nigeria’s recent policy overhauls, millions remain trapped in poverty and chronic hunger. Following its 2025 Article IV Staff Mission, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lauded Abuja’s steps to stabilize public finances and unify foreign‑exchange markets—but sounded a stark warning: these gains have yet to reach the most vulnerable, as poverty and food insecurity […]