Author: Victor Olayiwola

While trade discussions surrounding the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) typically focus on industrial tariffs, rules of origin, and raw commodities, the agreement’s legal framework contains a powerful, often overlooked asset: a ready-to-use operating system for the African film and creative economy. Read together, the treaty’s three services-era protocols create an integrated legal architecture capable of turning cross-border media production into a major economic export. The Legal OS for African Cinema Trade in Services Protocol: Protects cross-border movement for creative workers and provides mutual recognition of qualifications. A Kenyan director, Nigerian producer, and Ivorian cinematographer can operate seamlessly on…

South Africa’s small and medium enterprise sector faces persistent hurdles in securing capital, adopting digital infrastructure, and expanding market reach. To address these structural bottlenecks, Moneyweb is hosting an interactive virtual panel featuring industry leaders from global payment technology and local entrepreneurship. Moderated by Nokukhanya Mntambo, the panel includes Gabriel Swanepoel, Mastercard’s Africa Division President, alongside Morongwe Mokone, co-founder of homeware brand Mo’s Crib. The session will focus on concrete strategies for small businesses to capitalize on the continent’s accelerating digital economy. Key discussion themes include: Capital Access & Financial Identity: Overcoming lending barriers by building verifiable financial records and…

In response to South Africa’s escalating youth joblessness—with nearly 4.8 million young individuals currently out of work—specialist financier Business Partners Limited has introduced a R150 million SME Youth Jobs Fund. Supported in part by the South African government via the Small Enterprise Finance Agency’s 21.6% equity stake, the fund targets established small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to lower the financial friction of hiring young workers aged 18 to 35. Key Program Specifications & Capital Terms Feature Details Total Facility Pool R150 million targeting ~220 SMEs Projected Impact Creation of nearly 1,000 formal youth positions Funding Size per SME R250,000 to…

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has selected eight physical-product ventures focused on social and environmental impact across Africa to compete for spots in its 2026 ISHOW global cohort. Chosen following technical reviews and product design evaluations, the finalists represent key sectors including agritech, healthcare, clean energy, and waste management. Three winning ventures from the African regional track will secure equity-free seed grants, engineering consulting, and inclusion in ASME’s international network of experts. 2026 ASME ISHOW African Finalist Roster Venture Base Country Core Innovation & Target Impact AISHA USA / Africa Low-cost hardware running an AI voice assistant for…

 For decades, Silicon Valley has stood as the global epicentre of technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and venture capital—a place where companies are born, industries are disrupted, and the world’s brightest talent converges to build the future. Increasingly, that talent includes Africans. Thousands of African engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and executives now work across Silicon Valley and the broader U.S. innovation ecosystem. They are helping build artificial intelligence platforms, cloud infrastructure, semiconductor technologies, healthcare innovations, and financial systems that serve billions of people worldwide. Yet Africa continues to engage much of this community primarily through the language of one-way remittances. That conversation…

In a fireside chat hosted ahead of AFSIC – Investing in Africa 2026, two fund managers—Farmties Capital and Anza—sat down to unpack what it truly takes to be investor-ready in today’s market. Both firms converged on the same three questions every fund manager should ask before seeking capital: What are LPs actually looking for? What does investor-readiness demand beyond a good thesis? Where is the market heading? The LP Mood: From Frontier Bet to Risk-Adjusted Strategy Both firms agree that LP appetite for Africa hasn’t disappeared—it has matured. The days of allocating on narrative alone are over. What has replaced…

Nicky Newton-King, former Chief Executive Officer of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), has opened up about her journey to the top of Africa’s largest stock exchange, reflecting on the privilege of leadership, the mentors who supported her, and the responsibility leaders bear to create enabling environments for others—particularly women. Building Muscle Before the Top Job Speaking about her ascent, Newton-King noted that she had spent many years at the JSE, earning her stripes alongside a strong executive team long before she assumed the CEO role. She described herself as “very lucky” to have had an extraordinary opportunity to explore the…

The London Commercial Court has handed down a landmark judgment in the long-running dispute between Soprim Construction and the Republic of Djibouti, granting a final charging order over approximately $41 million held in an account linked to the Doraleh Container Terminal (DCT)—a significant step toward satisfying the African state’s outstanding $100 million obligation to the construction firm. Mr Justice Picken delivered the ruling on July 28, marking the latest chapter in a saga that has spanned more than a decade. Background of the Dispute The dispute traces back to Soprim’s work as a sub-contractor in building the DCT, a strategically…

African football administrators have reaffirmed their unwavering support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, following his decision to abandon a controversial proposal to raise $4.2 billion by selling a minority stake in a new commercial rights body. While regional confederations in Europe, Asia, and North America have recently declared a loss of confidence in Infantino’s leadership, the 54-member African bloc remains his most vital base of political power heading into the next FIFA presidential election. The Collapse of the FIFA World Cup “Sale” The controversy centred on a project known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE)—a proposed $20 billion subsidiary designed…

Hannington Mambo had just finished presenting his vision to a room full of potential backers. He had laid out the technical framework, the capabilities, and the long-term roadmap for FasterDev—a platform he had built to strip away the complexities of software development. The ambition was undeniable. But the language was dense, the concepts abstract, and the investors seemed lost in the weeds of jargon. The meeting ended without a check. As Hannington gathered his belongings, one investor lingered, approaching him just outside the conference hall. While the rest of the room had seen a tangled web of technicalities, this one…