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Intelligence for the New World Economy

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Intelligence for the New World Economy
Semafor World Economy
Yinka Adegoke

Yinka Adegoke

Editor, Semafor Africa

Email Yinka@YinkaWrites

Yinka Adegoke is the Africa editor of Semafor. He was previously the Editor for Strategic Initiatives at Rest of World, and before that was the founding editor of Quartz Africa.

Zambia cancels digital rights summit over China Taiwan tension

The event, which was due to take place in Lusaka next week, was reportedly canceled following pressure from Chinese authorities.
A Taiwanese activist holds a flag displaying the face of King Mswati III of Eswatini, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally on the continent.A Taiwanese activist holds a flag displaying the face of King Mswati III of Eswatini, Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally on the continent. Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images.

New York African Film Festival opens with star-studded lineup

The 33rd edition of the event includes films by Hollywood star Idris Elba and Congolese music legend Fally Ipupa.
A still of the film ‘Promised Sky’ by Erige Sehiri to open the New York African Film Festival. Promised Sky/New York African Film Festival.

UAE’s OPEC exit could impact African oil producers

A looser OPEC could erode the oil-price floor underpinning the economies of top African producers Nigeria and Angola.
OPEC logo.Leonhard Foeger/File Photo/Reuters

Trump increasingly eyes critical minerals in trade policy strategy

Resource-rich African countries have a rare opportunity to benefit or miss out as Washington actively redesigns the rules of global mineral access.
Mine workers walk towards an entrance at Qala Swallows, South Africa.Oupa Nkosi/Reuters

US moves to normalize ties with Eritrea

The isolated Horn of Africa state is considered strategically important due to its Red Sea coastline.
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki.​​Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. Antonio Masiello/Getty Images.

The Iran war’s ‘lag effect’ on Africa’s economies

While the IMF only downgraded the continent’s economic growth by 30 basis points last week, a prolonged conflict could have much graver consequences.
Traders transact at the Mile 12 Market ahead of Muslims festival of sacrifice (Eid Al-Adha) on Ikorodu road in Lagos, Nigeria, June 4, 2025.Mile 12 Market in Lagos, Nigeria, June 4, 2025. Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters

Pope Leo XIV’s 11-day Africa tour

Africa is the fastest-growing part of the Catholic Church worldwide, accounting for nearly 300 million believers in 2024.

The cost of borrowing has skyrocketed for African nations

The average cost of external borrowing in Africa has nearly doubled in four years, according to a new report from ONE Data and The Rockefeller Foundation.

China’s state businesses are reshaping markets in Africa

Beijing’s state-owned enterprises have already captured markets on the continent, warns a report by the US government-backed Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

Africa begins to feel economic pain of Iran war

The World Bank has cut its 2026 estimate for growth in sub-Saharan Africa by 0.3 percentage points.

Sun King pledges to $150M to Ethiopia electrification

The Kenya-based firm, which already operates in 14 African countries, is the world’s largest off-grid solar company.

US-China rivalry in DR Congo escalates as Beijing signs new deal

Kinshasa and Beijing inked a new agreement covering geological data sharing, investment protections, and local processing.

Africa’s energy giants eye long-term gains on Iran war disruption

Angola, Mozambique, and Nigeria are among nations increasingly viewed by European and Asian buyers as lower-risk alternatives to disrupted supplies.

Supply chain shocks reinforce local production needs

Local production offers “resilience against shocks,” one pan-African industrial park developer told Semafor.

Africa’s push for a $40 smartphone and the lessons from China

The campaign led by Africa’s biggest mobile networks is one of the most consequential digital policy developments on the continent in years.

Republican bill calls for US to open financial system to Somaliland

Rep. John Rose’s bill won’t formally recognize the breakaway region but bringing it into the US financial system might be the next best thing.

Africa weighs Trump’s ‘commercial diplomacy’ versus sovereignty

Zambia is closely reviewing a multibillion-dollar deal that could grant the US access to key minerals in exchange for support and citizens’ health data.

Middle East crisis risks upending burgeoning Gulf-Africa ties

African governments have increasingly relied on Gulf nations — over Washington or Beijing — as sources of capital.