1. In 2024, the mobile payment market in Africa reached $81 billion, with cyberattacks and fraud resulting in the loss of $5 billion, including $230 million in Kenya alone.
2. Vodafone, South Africa's largest mobile operator, will acquire a $2.1 billion stake in Safaricom, East Africa's largest telecommunications company, increasing its control to 54.9% and strengthening its financial inclusion efforts.
3. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation has committed to a $1 billion debt-for-food deal with Kenya and has sent a permanent representative to Nairobi. Kenya's debt has now soared to 68.8% of its GDP.
4. Gabon has partnered with Chinese companies such as Huawei to launch a connected school project, equipping each school with smart internet screens, secure collaboration platforms, and high-speed internet connections.
5. China Huaxin Cement's $100 million cement plant in Baraka, 215 kilometers south of Malawi's capital, has officially commenced production. The plant is expected to produce 800,000 tons of cement annually.
6. A Chinese AI company is recruiting Kenyan youths to perform data labeling, working 12-hour days to complete thousands of labels, earning $5.24 each. Kenya's unemployment rate is currently as high as 67%.
7. Visa has signed a cooperation agreement with the Central Bank and Monetary Authority of Syria to build the country's digital payment ecosystem.
8. Leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a peace agreement in Washington to end the hostilities that have claimed millions of lives. This move by the United States is aimed at the exploitation of rare earth resources in the region.
9. Students at the University of Sheikh Antaldiop in Senegal have rioted over scholarship issues, clashing with security forces.
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