In June 2024, a ransomware attack on South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service rendered patient records inaccessible, disrupted diagnostics and forced hospitals to cancel surgeries. The incident was a stark reminder that when essential services become digital, attacks on their underlying systems can quickly become disruptions to everyday life. It was not simply a cybersecurity…
Five35 Ventures has completed its first portfolio exit, generating a 3.5x multiple on its investment in Ghanaian agritech company Complete Farmer. The Africa-focused venture firm invested in Complete Farmer in April 2022 and exited in March 2026, producing an internal rate of return of 38% over about 4 years. Complete Farmer’s valuation increased from $6…
Wave Côte d’Ivoire has joined the PI-SPI instant payment network, developed by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO). The mobile money operator is now listed among the authorized participants as of September 30, 2026, after having been absent from the list on July 31, 2026. This integration marks a significant expansion of the…
Thousands of years ago, farmers in West Africa took a wild ancestor of rice and turned it into a crop of their own. But it was difficult to harvest and, over time, globally dominant Asian rice pushed it aside. Yet African rice survived in some of the region’s harshest growing conditions, coping with drought, deep…
Jani Ibrahim’s career has followed an unusual arc: engineer first, industrialist second, institution builder last, each stage quietly funding the next. In September, that arc reached West Africa, when he was elected President of the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FEWACCI). The election happened in Abidjan, at FEWACCI’s 11th Annual General…
Former Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong has identified the reason behind Nigeria’s topsy-turvy start to their AFCON 2027 qualifiers. The three-time African champions were in action twice last month, coming from behind to defeat Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, before falling to a 3-0 loss against Guinea-Bissau. The players, coach Eric Chelle,…
Nairobi — Billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote has called for faster industrialisation across Africa, saying the continent must create jobs and economic opportunities to absorb its growing young population. Speaking on the inaugural episode of BBC Africa Enterprise shortly after the groundbreaking of his planned refinery in Lamu, Kenya, Dangote said African countries must shift from…
Rotting food waste is causing up to 10 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions – five times more than the entire aviation sector, the UN’s environment agency warned this week. If overlooked, food waste represents a key driver of the climate crisis, according the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), but tools are already being…
Accra, Ghana — The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is supporting Ghana to strengthen its Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs), which coordinate information, expertise and resources during health emergencies. Over the past two years, Africa CDC has supported Ghana with equipment, communications and data infrastructure, operational systems and workforce development…
Suva, Fiji & Srinagar, India — Extreme heat is increasingly threatening pregnant women and newborn babies around the world, with almost all maternal health professionals surveyed across five continents saying they have cared for women or infants whose health was affected by high temperatures. The findings, released as climate ministers gathered in the Pacific ahead…
