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Business School – Overcoming Business Scaling Challenges in Africa
Scaling a business anywhere globally is often one of the biggest challenges for startup businesses. in Africa this is compounded further by environment challenges not common elsewhere. In Africa it is rarely a straight line of product excellence meeting growing demand. Here markets are fragmented across dozens of countries with different currencies, regulations, infrastructure realities
Chery’s latest move shows how much South Africa’s car market has changed
Chery is putting more resources into Europe, opening a research and development centre in Britain as it continues to grow its business outside China. The centre will open at UTAC Millbrook in Bedfordshire later this year. Chery says its engineers will initially work on chassis, driver-assistance systems and vehicle tuning for British roads, with plans
Botswana Targets New Mining Investment Beyond Diamonds
Botswana is seeking to reduce its dependence on diamonds by attracting investment into copper, silver and critical minerals while requiring mining companies to create more value within the country. The government plans to increase non-diamond mineral exploration spending to 150 million pula by 2029 as it looks to develop a broader mining base. At the
Dunlop’s R1.7 billion investment could open more work for Ladysmith SMEs
Dunlop Tyres South Africa has completed a R1.7 billion investment in its uMnambithi manufacturing plant in KwaZulu-Natal, upgrading equipment and increasing the factory’s production capacity. For Ladysmith, the investment is about more than the number of tyres coming off the production line. The factory already supports a large workforce, but it also relies on businesses
Equinor Takes 17.4% Stake in Namibia’s PEL 90 Oil and Gas Block
Norwegian energy major Equinor has agreed to acquire a 17.4% interest in the PEL 90 oil exploration licence offshore Namibia, marking its first upstream entry into the country and its first move into a new oil-producing country since Argentina in 2017. The deal, announced on 18 August, was reached with a subsidiary of US oil
Breaking News Today – Thursday 20 August 2026
African Start-up News Headlines: Business News Today Ghana's Port Upgrades See Record Volumes in Units The Tema Port in Ghana has strengthened its position among West African competitors (notably Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire and Lomé in Togo) through strong container growth at its modern Terminal 3, with gains spilling over into total cargo, transshipment, and
MTN Nigeria’s latest dividend puts $41 million in government revenue
MTN Nigeria is set to pay shareholders ₦545.89 billion ($406.37 million) in dividends, with the Nigerian government due to collect about ₦54.59 billion ($40.64 million) from the payout. The dividend of ₦26 per share was approved by MTN Nigeria’s board in July, with payment scheduled for September 7. The government’s share comes through the 10%
Zambia Approves $971.5 Million in Energy Sector Investments
Zambia’s Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has approved licences, construction permits and licence inclusions linked to proposed investments worth about ZMW18.4 billion ($971.5 million) across the electricity, renewable energy and downstream petroleum sectors. The approvals, announced on 17 August 2026, cover 23 licences, 20 construction permits and licence inclusions. They include renewable-energy equipment manufacturing and supply,
South Africa's coal producers are benefiting from higher global energy prices
South Africa's coal miners are having a better run after a difficult few years. Coal prices have picked up as the conflict involving Iran puts pressure on global energy markets. At the same time, South African miners are moving more coal by rail. That combination is showing up in company results. Thungela Resources reported a
Kenya's higher electricity charges put more pressure on small businesses
Electricity is becoming another cost for Kenyan businesses to watch closely. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has added KSh4.70 per kWh to electricity charges for August. The adjustment includes a KSh3.51 fuel energy charge, a KSh1.1777 foreign exchange adjustment and a KSh0.015 water resource management levy. For a small business, the impact depends
Egypt tests 6GHz mobile spectrum in an African first
Egypt is testing whether the 6GHz band can help its mobile networks handle more traffic. The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Telecom Egypt and Huawei carried out the trial. The regulator says it is the first mobile trial of the band in Africa. The test used a 6GHz mobile base station. It reached speeds of
Nigerian Startup Truee Launches AI-Focused Business Information Platform
Nigerian startup Truee has launched a platform designed to help businesses organise their information in a format that AI tools can access when identifying or recommending companies. Founded this year by Adekola Adedokun, Truee allows businesses to create profiles containing their services, products, locations, contact details, portfolios and how they want their businesses described. The
How Uganda’s SMEs can register a business
Starting a business in Uganda can begin with something as simple as selling a product to a few customers. The paperwork often comes later. But as the business grows, being formally registered can become important. Bigger customers may ask for company documents. Banks may want to see formal business information when an owner applies for
Meta to Start Charging for WhatsApp Customer Service Messages in South Africa
Meta will start charging South African businesses for customer service replies sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform from 1 October, ending an exemption that has kept these messages free since November 2024. The company has not yet confirmed how much businesses will pay. Meta has said it will publish market-specific rates by 1 September, leaving
Tunisia’s Souha Bejaoui is building a climate-tech business while learning the startup game
Souha Bejaoui knew the corporate world before she started a company. She had spent more than 10 years working in risk, compliance and sustainable transformation. In 2024, she decided to take that experience into a different direction and co-founded ProVerdy with Rahma Abida and Hamza Bêjaoui. ProVerdy helps businesses measure their carbon emissions and keep
Sloom’s founder on building a mattress business from scratch
Rudo Kemp already knew the mattress business when he decided to start Sloom. He had worked in bed retail and later spent time at a foam factory. That experience showed him how mattresses moved through the industry, how companies made them and where customers struggled when choosing one. One problem stood out to Kemp. People
Are African Small-Scale Mining Startups Scalable?
Mining is a capital-intensive industry, but not every opportunity requires developing a large mine. Small-scale mining startups can enter the sector with more focused operations, targeting deposits and opportunities that may not attract major mining companies. For an investor, the interesting question is not whether a small mine costs less to develop. It is whether
Commonwealth Startup Fellowship Opens Applications to African Startups
African startups are being invited to apply for the 2026/2027 Commonwealth Startup Fellowship, a six-month programme focused on helping high-potential businesses strengthen their operations, attract investment and create jobs. The programme is delivered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in partnership with Imperial College London. It combines online learning with in-person programmes designed to give
ExxonMobil Awards $1.1 Billion in Contracts for Mozambique’s Rovuma LNG Project
ExxonMobil, on behalf of the Area 4 partners, has awarded about $1.1 billion in pre-investment contracts for Mozambique’s Rovuma LNG project, bringing key suppliers into the development ahead of a final investment decision expected in 2026. The contracts, awarded on 17 August, cover subsea production systems, large-bore valves and offshore line pipe for the first
No Free Lunch – JEM – Automating Workforce Management via WhatsApp
Host of No Free Lunch – Greg Stewart interviews Simon Ellis, the co-founder and CEO of JEM, an innovative AI driven South African Startup, following the company’s announcement of an $8.4 million Series A raise. Our conversation traces Simon’s path from accounting and corporate work in London to entrepreneurship, while also exploring how JEM became