The Markets

The 23rd Edition of the Connected Banking Summit – Innovation & Excellence Awards 2025 brought together the region’s banking powerhouses, fintech innovators, regulators, and digital transformers to shape the future of a digitally inclusive Ethiopia. Keynote Highlights Mohammed Thoufiq (VP Strategic Partnerships, ICSA) opened with “Innovating Financial Services for a Digitally Inclusive Ethiopia”, setting the perfect tone for innovation and empowerment. Mihret Teshome (Summit Presenter) energized the audience, reminding us that digitization and inclusion are…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Solar continues to grow at a steady rate in Africa and now represents 20+ GWp of installed capacity across all segments. And this milestone will be outdated very soon, as over 10 GWp are currently at various stages of construction all over the continent. Whereas new solar installations are slowing down in some parts of the globe, African solar continues to grow and even accelerates it growth. In its…

LAGOS (Capital Markets in Africa) – Following the passage of the Insurance Bill by the Senate (in December 2024) and subsequent approval by the House of Representatives (in March 2025), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially signed the long-anticipated Insurance Bill into law. The presidential assent on Tuesday, 5 August 2025, now transforms the bill into the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act, 2025 (NIIRA 2025)—a landmark legislation providing a comprehensive legal framework for the Nigerian…

Capital Markets in Africa (LONDON): African Investments has released its Q2 2025 Deal Book to its global investor network, highlighting 65 high-quality investment opportunities spanning the African continent. First launched in 2023 in partnership with AFSIC – Investing in Africa, the Deal Book series was developed to consolidate top opportunities showcased on the African Investments Dashboard into an accessible format for institutional and private investors. Initially introduced as an annual edition distributed at the AFSIC…

LONDON, Capital Markets in Africa –  With the Israel-Iran conflict intensifying, there’s wariness at the start of the week as dangerous geopolitics stay front of mind. However, stronger data from China, indicating growing consumer confidence is helping to provide some optimism. There are worries that the attacks from Iran and Israel could ignite a wider conflict, destabilising the Middle East and affecting oil supplies. BP and Shell are among the gainers in early trade, off…

The majority (87%) of Africans living and working in the UK have been turned down for a mortgage because of circumstances relating to the fact that they are a foreign national, according to research of 500 UK-based African diaspora by specialist lender Afin Bank.  The research found the main reasons African borrowers were refused a mortgage included:  Almost half (48%) said they were turned down because of their visa status Two out of five (41%)…