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Debt vs. Equity: Choosing the Right Financing Path for Scaling African Businesses
Scaling a business in Africa demands not just vision and grit, but also smart capital decisions. As the continent's startup ecosystem matures, founders face a pivotal choice: debt, which promises control but carries repayment pressures, or equity, which brings with it partners but dilutes ownership. Which direction is the best pathway? Over the past few
Exploration Activity Builds Across the Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is once again emerging as a major exploration zone for oil majors, supported by offshore discoveries and regulatory reforms. The renewed activity comes as energy demand remains resilient. Companies are under pressure to replace reserves, with Wood Mackenzie estimating that commercial stocks could be depleted within roughly 20 years at current
Can Technology Extend Mine Life?
Every mine progresses through distinct phases, exploration, development, ramp-up, steady-state production, maturity, and eventual closure. Each phase carries different risk profiles, capital constraints, and return expectations. Technology choices that make sense in one stage may be financially unjustified in another. During exploration and early development, the priority is geological certainty and capital discipline. Investments in
Do Risk Perceptions Still Limit Capital for Women and Youth Entrepreneurs?
Access to capital remains uneven for women and youth entrepreneurs across Africa, and perceptions of risk continue to play a central role. While the continent’s entrepreneurial base has expanded rapidly driven by population growth, urbanisation, and digital adoption many founders still struggle to secure financing beyond seed or micro scale. The issue is less about
SUV Demand and Car Model Discontinuations in South Africa
South Africa’s passenger vehicle market changed quickly in 2024 and early 2025. Manufacturers removed underperforming models and adjusted line-ups to match clear changes in buyer demand. Rising SUV preference, weaker sales in conventional segments, and the declining competitiveness of older platforms all played a role. In many cases, pricing pressure, higher operating costs, and widening
Breaking News Today – Wednesday 11 February 2026
Business News Today Amazon Seeks Publisher Alignment in AI Content Usage As AI tech companies look for legally safe sources of AI training data, Amazon is reportedly considering launching a marketplace where publishers can license their content directly to AI companies. Similarly, Microsoft recently what it calls a Publisher Content Marketplace (PCM), which it says
Early-Stage Risk and Late-Stage Capital in African Exploration
Early-stage oil, gas, and mineral exploration across Africa has not really received the capital and due diligence it deserves, despite sustained global demand for energy and raw materials and the hype that often surrounds African resources at the exploration stage. This is not because the geology is weak. Large parts of Africa’s basins and mineral
Reframing Africa's Mineral Wealth in 2026
Africa's mineral extraction landscape has been a longstanding cornerstone of the continent's economy, contributing significantly to GDP, exports, and employment. Africa hosts an estimated US$29.5 trillion in mine-site mineral value, representing about 20% of global mineral wealth, yet captures only a fraction of the economic value embedded in this endowment. However, according to a new
Libya’s Al-Sarir refinery restarts after major maintenance
Libya’s Al-Sarir refinery in the east of the country has returned to full production after completing an extensive maintenance programme, its operator Arabian Gulf Oil Company (Agoco) said. Agoco, a subsidiary of National Oil Corporation, said on Wednesday, February 4, that the work targeted the crude distillation unit, which sits at the heart of the
Namibia Withholds Approval for TotalEnergies Petrobras Deal on PEL104
Namibia has suspended recognition of TotalEnergies’ acquisition of a stake in the offshore exploration licence PEL104, citing the absence of a formal application and missing prior approval from the relevant authorities. TotalEnergies and Petrobras said they each acquired a 42.5% interest in the PEL104 licence, located in the Lüderitz Basin off Namibia’s southwest coast. The
Breaking News Today – Tuesday 10 February 2026
Business News Today AI Group Databricks Hits 65% Growth Rate Databricks, the Data and AI company, announced yesterday that it had crossed a $5.4 billion revenue run-rate, delivering more than a 65% year-on-year growth during its fourth quarter. Building on this momentum, Databricks said it would be completing investments in the company in excess of
Isuzu – Targets becoming Africa's Truck Manufacturing Hub
There is an Automotive success story coming out of the Eastern Cape with a dedicated team determined to drive further growth in Africa. Eight years ago, news of the pending closure of a major Automotive assembly plant in Port Elizabeth was devastating to the local community. GM was heading out of the country again and
Volkswagen Sets 2026 Timeline for New T-Roc in South Africa
Volkswagen Group Africa has confirmed when South Africans can expect the second-generation Volkswagen T-Roc to arrive, adding clarity to its medium-term product pipeline for the local market. The announcement follows earlier updates on the Polo GTI Edition 20 and the new Caravelle and helps frame how Volkswagen plans to evolve its crossover and SUV range
Are There Enough Alternative Financing Models for African Mining Firms?
African mining firms operate in a capital-intensive industry at a time when access to traditional financing has become more constrained. Commercial banks have tightened lending standards, export credit agencies have become more selective, and equity markets remain volatile. In response, alternative financing models have gained prominence across the continent. The key question is whether these
Vumatel Passes One Million Broadband Subscribers
Vumatel, owned by Maziv, has surpassed one million subscribers, making it South Africa’s largest fibre-to-the-home network operator. The fibre connection company’s latest milestone shows how quickly the technology is replacing legacy fixed-line broadband across the country. The one-million mark was reached roughly a decade after the company launched its first fibre project in Parkhurst, Johannesburg,
Navigating the Shifts in Modern Marketing: Insights from SAP's Dumisani Moyo
As marketers pivot to navigate a remarkably complex and shifting marketing landscape today, staying ahead means understanding how technological and strategic shifts impact how brands connect with audiences. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the proliferation of channels, AI advancements, and changing consumer behaviors, you're not alone. Modern Marketer distills key insights from a recent interview
WhatsApp Tests Close Friends Feature for Status Updates
WhatsApp is developing a new feature that gives users more control over who can see their Status updates. Similar to Instagram’s Close Friends option, the tool lets users share selected Status posts with a smaller, handpicked group of contacts rather than their entire list. The feature was first spotted in the WhatsApp beta for Android
Breaking News Today – Monday 9th February 2026
Business News Today Indian Regulations and Tax Reforms Supporting Tech Start-Ups The Indian government has updated its tech start-up framework, doubling the period for which deep tech companies are treated as startups to 20 years and raising the revenue threshold for startup-specific tax, grant, and regulatory benefits to about $33.12 million, from approximately $11.04 million previously. The
Epson launches Back-to-School campaign with Shakira
Epson, a global leader in sustainable technology solutions, has launched its Back-to-School campaign in South Africa, aimed at supporting creativity and learning for students in local communities. International superstar and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Shakira, joins the initiative, encouraging South African children to explore their imaginations and develop confidence through hands-on activities. The campaign offers South African families
(SPONSORED) Pulse Media Conference presents!
A hand-picked lineup of erudite leaders with Aki Anastasiou as Moderator, will present to an audience of savvy marketing, media and advertising at the first-ever Pulse Media Leadership Conference. Keynotes are Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus in discussion with Group MD at Park Advertising, Chris Botha: Author and marketing guru Seth Godin (live from New York