Author: Elan

Making up US ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III says if former South African President Thabo Mbeki were involved in talks with the US, the recently escalated impasse between the two countries would already have been resolved. His statement isn’t likely to ease tensions. By Carien du Plessis in Johannesburg Former South African president Thabo Mbeki gestures during a special ceremonial sitting of the Constitutional Court, August 2024. © Alet Pretorius/Reuters Published on September 22, 2026 at 16:20 pm (GMT +1) Former South African president Thabo Mbeki was praised this week by US ambassador Brent Bozell as an example of a political…

Listen to this article Tokyo is redefining its engagement with Africa, transitioning from traditional aid-based approaches to strategic venture capital (VC) investments focused on long-term partnerships, innovation and capacity building. Several Japanese private companies are making Japan’s presence felt in Africa’s VC landscape, particularly in high-growth sectors such as fintech, climate tech and mobility. Growing demand for innovative, technology-driven solutions in Africa has drawn increasing interest from international investors. VC funding in Africa rose from over US$2 billion in 2019 to a peak of US$5.2 billion in 2022. Though investment declined to around US$3.6 billion in 2023, the continent’s start-up…

Abby BakareAfter more than a decade in medical aesthetics and more than 10,000 aesthetic procedures, Nigerian skincare expert Abby Bakare identified a problem beyond the treatment room: helping clients achieve results was only half the battle. The bigger challenge was helping them maintain those results at home.For years, Abby Bakare had watched people walk into her Abuja clinic with concerns ranging from acne and hyperpigmentation to premature ageing, uneven texture and other skin conditions. She had built her expertise around helping them address those concerns, using medical aesthetics and increasingly sophisticated treatment options.But there was a recurring problem.A patient could…

Alamein Africa Forum to bring together key political and business leaders – African Business Alamein Africa Forum to bring together key political and business leaders – African Business

After a decade focused on expanding women’s access to technology, She Code Africa is placing greater emphasis on what happens after women enter the industry: whether they can progress into leadership, build companies and products, access capital and participate in decisions shaping the continent’s digital economy. That shift dominated conversations at the She Code Africa Summit 2026 in Lagos, where the Pan-African nonprofit marked its 10th anniversary with discussions around women’s progression in technology, visibility, funding and ownership of Africa’s digital infrastructure. For founder and Executive Director Ada Nduka Oyom, the change reflects lessons the organisation has learnt since it…

Before now, the worst penalty a social media platform could hand down to a defaulting user was a permanent ban. Losing an account was simply factored in as the cost of doing business for those gaming the algorithm. That era just ended violently in the UK High Court. X is no longer satisfied with merely banishing fraudsters from its platform. It wants its money back, and it is willing to deploy its legal arsenal to get it. In a landmark civil suit filed at the Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, X Corp has aimed at crypto influencers…

Apple has included a scam prevention feature known as Impersonation Risk Detection in iOS 27, the company said, in order to guard against social engineering scams.Such scams involve the use of pressure tactics to lead users into disabling the security features on their phone, laptop, or online accounts.The feature looks for signs that a scam is underway by examining information relating to the device and the Apple Account, then passes on a risk level to the relevant app without sending the original data to that app. It is turned off by default and requires support from app developers.Apple states that…

Panel discussion at HealthCap Africa’s Private Markets & Healthcare Roundtable in Lagos, 9 September 2026. Image courtesy of HealthCap Africa. Nigeria’s healthcare sector needs investment, but attracting pension capital requires more than demonstrating demand for hospitals, diagnostics or medical services. Investors need credible revenue models, clear governance and structures that protect retirement savings. A recent HealthCap Africa roundtable in Lagos brought those requirements into focus. The Private Markets & Healthcare Roundtable, held on 9 September under the theme “Healthcare as an Asset Class”, brought together pension fund representatives, regulators, development finance institutions and healthcare businesses. According to HealthCap Africa, the…

Asogan Naidoo (left) and Tafuma MmolawaBy Asogan Naidoo, Head: Fund Services Operations, Investor Services at Standard Bank CIB and Tafuma Mmolawa, Business Development Manager, Investor Services at Standard Bank CIBRetirement funds exist to safeguard the long-term financial wellbeing of millions of members. As the retirement savings industry becomes increasingly complex, fund trustees and principal officers face growing expectations to demonstrate that retirement assets are managed responsibly, transparently and in accordance with regulatory requirements.At the centre of this responsibility is reporting.Financial statements and investment reports are not simply compliance documents. They are the primary means of communicating the financial health, investment…

Africa’s weak public markets are limiting the exit options available to venture-backed startups, forcing investors to rely heavily on acquisitions, private transactions and strategic consolidation to realise returns, investment experts have said. The challenge was highlighted at the Lagos Venture Finance Summit 2.0, where the investment experts examined the state of liquidity in Africa’s private markets. To them the limited number of startup listings should not be viewed solely as a venture-capital problem because the weakness extends to African capital markets more broadly. “This is not a VC issue. It is not a startup issue,” Michael Famoroti, head of research…