A stark warning from the World Bank has laid bare a growing crisis across Africa: economies are simply not expanding fast enough to create jobs for millions of young people entering the workforce each year. Speaking at the Spring Meetings held alongside the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Vice President Ndiamé Diop said the continent…
Standard Bank has provided an update on its data breach. Hackers have publicly released data stolen from Standard Bank, escalating what appears to be a serious cyber security breach and raising urgent concerns over customer privacy and the bank’s digital defences. The big-four bank this week provided an update on the data breach that it…
Standard Bank has acknowledged that client data stolen in a cyber incident first disclosed on 23 March 2026 “now appears to have been published” online, marking a significant escalation in what appears to be one of South Africa’s most serious financial services data breaches. The data involved includes client names, ID and company registration numbers,…
H.E. Ambassador Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, is leading the African Union delegation to the 2026 World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., where she is undertaking a series of high-level engagements to advance Africa’s development priorities and reinforce the strategic partnership between the African Union and the World…
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has issued a recall for ESR HaloLock wireless power banks sold in South Africa, citing a potential fire risk linked to overheating lithium-ion batteries. Image source: Freepik | The power bank shown is not a product of ESR HaloLock Wireless Power Banks The recall, initiated by supplier Waymeet Limited, applies…
Washington — The World Bank Group has supported new Country Partnership Frameworks (CPF) with Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger for the 2026-2031 period. These frameworks aim to stimulate job creation, especially for youth and women, by strengthening human capital, infrastructure, and agricultural productivity, while supporting targeted reforms and private sector development. Grounded in the…
Standard Bank has suffered a data breach. Standard Bank, Africa’s biggest bank by assets, has informed its business clients of a data breach that exposed their personal information. “We are writing to inform you of a recent incident that involved unauthorised access to certain data within the Standard Bank of South Africa’s environment,” says the…
Paymentology has become Bank Zero’s alliance partner. (Image source: 123RF) Global card issuer-processor Paymentology has partnered with Bank Zero, to deliver digital banking and financial services in South Africa. Based on a zero-fee banking model, Bank Zero launched to the public in August 2021. In June 2025, it was announced that fintech group Lesaka Technologies…
Kampala — The World Bank Board has approved a six-year urban development program to improve the management of cities and municipalities and expand access to climate-smart infrastructure, services, and jobs for urban residents and displaced populations in refugee-hosting areas. The Uganda Cities and Municipalities Infrastructure Development (UCMID) program will support 10 cities, 26 municipalities, and…
The World Bank Group, the African Development Bank, and The Rockefeller Foundation launched a new Mission 300 Private Sector Council to mobilize the billions in private investment needed to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030 while unlocking job creation across the continent. Fourteen leaders from diverse sectors will help drive strategies to crowd…
