South Africa has been excluded from the World Bank’s global map of economies with a national AI strategy, a direct consequence of the collapse of the country’s draft AI policy in April. The exclusion appears in World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence, the Bank’s flagship annual publication, released on Tuesday. A note…
Israelis in the West Bank are still subject to Israel’s civilian law and enjoy widespread freedom of movement, while Palestinians are subject to Israel’s military occupation and military courts, and are tightly restricted by road closures and checkpoints – a system described by some prominent human rights groups as “apartheid”. Israel has rejected that label…
Every few years, something arrives to threaten Capitec. It never does. Standard Bank tried. FNB tried. Discovery Bank attracted 2.5 million clients. GoTyme, the digital bank that rebranded from TymeBank in April, has signed up more than 12 million customers faster than almost anyone expected. None has materially altered Capitec’s trajectory. Capitec carries a JSE…
Zenith Bank Plc has been named Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank for the second consecutive year at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026, reinforcing its position as one of the continent’s leading financial institutions. The awards which were presented in London recognises the bank’s strong financial performance, digital innovation, customer service and contribution…
The BRVM (Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières) has seen notable activity this week, with two key stocks demonstrating significant upward price movements. Sucrivoire Côte d’Ivoire (SCRC) led the charge, recording an impressive +18.61% gain over the last 7 days, closing at XOF 3920. This substantial movement positions SCRC as a top performer within the regional…
The Managing Director of GCB Bank PLC, Farihan Alhassan, has called for a shift in Africa’s economic development strategy, arguing that the continent’s financing challenges are less about capital scarcity and more about building the right risk structures to attract investment at scale. He made the remarks during the African Banking, Finance and Economic Leadership…
Helios Towers operates one of Africa’s independent telecommunications tower platforms. Standard Bank, Africa’s largest bank by assets and market capitalisation, has partnered with Helios Towers to provide a $29 million (R479 million) Social Documentary Credit Facility. According to the financial services company, this transaction marks Standard Bank’s first Documentary Credit Facility structured in a Sustainable…
Bridge Bank Group Côte d’Ivoire launched an initial public offering on the BRVM, offering 10 million shares at 6,750 CFA francs each in one of the regional exchange’s largest listings in recent years. The sale represents 20% of the bank’s capital and is expected to raise 67.5 billion CFA francs, or about $118 million. The…
Libreville — The World Bank Group (WBG) has appointed Mr. Sylvain Kakou as Country Manager for the Republic of Gabon. This appointment reflects the WBG’s commitment to strengthening country-level leadership and enhancing the development impact of its programs. In his new role, Mr. Kakou will work to strengthen partnerships with the government, private sector, civil…
The World Bank has abandoned its target of directing 45 percent of its financing to projects that help tackle climate change, prompting warnings that poorer countries – especially in Africa – could receive less support to adapt to a warming world. The bank’s five-year Climate Change Action Plan expired on Tuesday. Last year it put…
