DRC Budgets US$30mn for its Second Census
Kinshasa has mobilised US$30 million from the state budget for the census, while the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire pledged support for data collection equipment and knowledge exchange.
DTB Kenya Completes Burundi Divestiture, Subsidiary Profit Collapsed 56% in Final Year
Diamond Trust Bank Kenya has completed the sale of its entire 83.67% shareholding in Diamond Trust Bank Burundi S.A. to a consortium of primarily Burundian investors, closing a 16-year regional presence that began in 2009. The transaction, completed on 31 December 2025, followed regulatory approval from the Bank of the Republic of Burundi. DTB Burundi had contributed just KSh 50.6 million to group pre-tax profit in FY2024, down 56% year-on-year, as total assets contracted from KSh 5.9 billion to KSh 4.6 billion amid Burundi's 39% inflation environment.
Uganda Passes Law to Increase Magistrates’ Financial Jurisdiction
The reforms are meant to reduce case backlog in the High Court and positions chief magistrates as more central in handling commercial, land, family, and civil disputes that previously escalated to higher courts.BBB- to Default: S&P and Fitch Rate Five African Nations
S&P Global Ratings downgraded Senegal's local currency sovereign rating four notches to CCC+ on March 27, 2026, citing gross financing needs of 26% of GDP, a suspended IMF program, and government debt estimated at 131% of GDP. In the same 48-hour window, S&P affirmed Morocco at investment-grade BBB- and Ghana at B-, while Fitch affirmed Tanzania at B+ Stable. Mozambique's selective default local currency rating was also affirmed alongside a CCC+ foreign currency rating with Negative outlook. The five actions were shaped by the Middle East war, IMF program access, and commodity exposure.NCBA Posts Record KSh 23.4Bn profit as Nedbank Takeover Looms
NCBA Group PLC posted a record post-merger profit after tax of KSh 23.39 Bn for the full year ended 31 December 2025, up 7.0%, driven by a 27.7% surge in net interest income to KSh 44.08 Bn as funding costs collapsed. Total dividend rose 29.1% to KSh 7.10 per share, the highest since the 2019 CBA-NIC merger. Nedbank of South Africa has tabled a $855 million bid for 66% of NCBA, valued at 1.4 times book. CMA waiver secured February 2026. CBK approval expected Q3 2026, with deal closure targeted late 2026.Zamara Deal Enters EAC Probe as Amethis Seeks Minority Stake
The EAC Competition Authority has opened an inquiry into a proposed acquisition by Amethis Fund III S.C.A. SICAV-RAIF of a 39.5% stake in Zamara Holdings Limited,
DRC, Rwanda Agree to Fresh De-escalation Steps in Washington Talks
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have agreed to a new set of coordinated measures to ease tensions, following the latest talks in Washington, D.C.UAE’s ASSNTURE Expands Digital Securities Operations to Kenya
Gen Alpha are Already the Architects of Africa’s Digital Economy
By 2030, Africa will be home to one in every three Gen Alphas on the planet. Are you building something they actually want to live in, or are you just a FaceTime call they are about to decline?
Rockefeller Foundation Commits US$ 10Mn to Expand Electricity Access in Africa
The Rockefeller Foundation has pledged US$ 10 million to support efforts to expand electricity access in Africa under the Mission 300 initiative led by the World Bank and African Development Bank, which aims to connect 300 million people to power by 2030.East Africa Moves Closer to Customs Bond Overhaul
Leaders of the eight-member East African Community (EAC) will meet on March 7 for their 25th Ordinary Summit, with regional traders watching closely for the rollout of a long-awaited single regional customs bond.Kenya, Uganda Shield Fuel Supply as Middle East Conflict Lifts Global Oil Prices
The governments of Kenya and Uganda have separately moved to reassure their citizens that supply lines remain intact as the Middle Eastern conflict continues.
