African startups raised $705 million in the first three months of 2026, a 26.5% increase on the same period last year, according to new analysis. The sum covers 59 deals in 14 countries, African Business reported, pointing to data compiled by Condia and TechCabal Insights. Egypt was in pole position, ...
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Heineken sells DR Congo unit in BralimaHeineken sells DR Congo unit in Bralima
Heineken completed its withdrawal from DR Congo, ending more than a century of operations in the country after a turbulent two-year period marked by conflict that severed supply routes and raised security costs. The Dutch brewer’s exit unfolded in two steps. Last year, Heineken offloaded its Bukavu brewery in eastern ...
South Africa, Nigeria enter cybercrime global rankingSouth Africa, Nigeria enter cybercrime global ranking
South Africa and Nigeria ranked among the top 20 countries worldwide where cybercrime complaints were filed last year, research by the US FBI found. Global cybercrime losses surged to a record $20.8 billion in 2025, a 26% increase from 2024, with more than 1 million complaints filed. While sub-Saharan Africa’s ...
Rising oil prices weaken South Africa’s randRising oil prices weaken South Africa’s rand
Oil prices surged above $100 a barrel ahead of a US shipping blockade on Iranian ports after weekend peace talks between the US and Iran collapsed, threatening to pile pressure on several African currencies that have depreciated as a result of the crisis. South Africa’s rand weakened and was nearly ...
Data centers under fire test Gulf sovereign AI ambitionsData centers under fire test Gulf sovereign AI ambitions
Winston Ma’s view At the Future Investment Initiative summit in Miami in late March, geopolitics and technology investing collided in a single, blunt warning, when US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff said the region faced a “risk premium” from the threat of infrastructure such as data centers being “blown up.” To ...
Rising US wholesale prices likely to hit consumersRising US wholesale prices likely to hit consumers
Economists warned that US wholesale prices could rise rapidly, suggesting further pain for consumers down the line. The projected rise in the producer price index at an annualized 4.6% in March, up from 3.4% in February, would come after March’s consumer price inflation was already the highest rate in two ...
Chinese EV exports jump 124% amid energy crunchChinese EV exports jump 124% amid energy crunch
Chinese EV exports jumped by 124% in the first quarter of the year, and analysts forecast that the war in the Middle East could further boost their fortunes as gasoline prices soar globally. While much of East Asia has been roiled by higher oil prices, China’s rollout of green energy ...
Controlling Hormuz seemed improbable. Turns out, it’s profitableControlling Hormuz seemed improbable. Turns out, it’s profitable
Wael’s view In March 2012, Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi gathered a small number of journalists in Doha to deliver what he intended as reassurance. Iran was threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz. “If you believe Hormuz will be closed,” he told the group, myself included, “I will sell ...
Vietnam breaks ground on first high-speed railVietnam breaks ground on first high-speed rail
Workers broke ground on Vietnam’s first high-speed rail line. The route will link the capital to industrial hubs in the east at over 200 mph. Southeast Asia has seen a proliferation of high-speed rail, mostly China-financed, but projects in Indonesia and Laos are expensive and behind schedule. The Vietnamese line ...
Donald Trump says the US will ‘blockade’ HormuzDonald Trump says the US will ‘blockade’ Hormuz
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Washington would “blockade” the Strait of Hormuz after US and Iranian negotiators failed to reach a deal during marathon talks in Pakistan over the weekend. Trump’s announcement, suggesting the US would police ships that have paid Iran a toll to transit the waterway, ...