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Intelligence for the New World Economy

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Intelligence for the New World Economy
Semafor World Economy

Semafor Africa

Airbnb faces familiar battle in Cape Town

Hotel-managed or listed units on short-term rental platforms show how deeply tourism has penetrated the city center’s housing market.
Cape Town central business district. Mike Hutchings/Reuters

A South African artist is changing the way viewers understand Picasso’s Guernica

Dumile Feni’s artwork is on display directly opposite Pablo Picasso’s famous anti-war painting.
African Guernica by Dumile Feni, just before it was installed at the Reina Sofía.African Guernica by Dumile Feni, just before it was installed at the Reina Sofía. museoreinasofia/Instagram.

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.
Yangtze Optics Africa Cable production facility in Durban.Rogan Ward/Reuters

US issues Nigeria travel warning over terrorism, kidnapping

The State Department wrote that some regions now carry its highest “do not travel” designation.
An Armoured Personnel Carrier stationed in Maiduguri, Borno State.Ahmed Kingimi/Reuters

FirstRand exits UK business after regulatory hit

South Africa’s largest bank by value said it will unwind its ownership of British challenger bank Aldermore.
London, UK.John Keeble/Getty Images

DRC raises $1.25B from debut sovereign eurobond

Kinshasa was able to sell a stronger credit story than expected after its critical minerals partnership with the US.
Kinshasa.Justin Makangara/Reuters

Afreximbank’s $800M answer to Fitch

The lender’s fundraising from Japan and China has taken on greater strategic weight after Fitch downgraded it last year.

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.

Lagos celebrates Afro-Brazilian legacy through carnival

Many formerly enslaved Africans who migrated back to Nigeria settled in Lagos, bringing new traditions to the city.

Ghana hands major gold mine to local operator

The move will be placing a major industrial asset in domestic hands for the first time in the country’s modern mining industry.

Zambia-Lobito rail link to cost up to $5 billion

Construction of the railway to connect Zambia’s copper mines with the Lobito port in Angola is set to begin this year, according to a new report.

Afreximbank unveils $10B support plan for Africa to ease Iran war impact

The move was announced hours before the US and Iran agreed a two-week ceasefire conditioned on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Dangote refinery increases exports amid Iran war supply shocks

Efforts to shore up fuel availability come as other African countries build up their refining capacity to safeguard against future disruptions.

Global shipping disruption rocks Kenyan economy

Losses to Kenya’s tea industry have amounted to roughly $8 million a week since March 1, a regional trade body said.

Somalia’s first offshore drilling project underway

Mogadishu hopes the project will unlock a major new income stream and make Somalia a regional energy player.

Shipping disruptions alter African fortunes

The disruptions to global shipping routes have taken a huge toll on Kenya’s economy, though other African nations stand to benefit from the upheaval.

South Africa mulls migration overhaul to boost economic growth

The rewrite seeks to attract so-called “designer migrants,” in order to address labor shortages in health care, engineering, and technology.

DR Congo strikes deal to accept US deportees

The agreements are part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.