1. Cameroon will impose a 12.5% ad valorem excise tax on imported empty gas cylinders starting in 2026 to encourage the absorption of local production capacity. Currently, local annual production capacity is approximately 600,000 cylinders, while domestic demand is estimated at 450,000 to 500,000.
2. At the G20 summit, the UAE announced a $1 billion investment in artificial intelligence in Africa, primarily supporting African countries in areas such as education, agriculture, healthcare, digital identity, and climate adaptation. The UAE also signed digital infrastructure agreements with several African countries, including Egypt and Kenya. The UAE is already the fourth largest investor in Africa, with bilateral trade with Africa reaching $107 billion in 2024, a 28% increase year-on-year.
3. Somalia officially launched its fisheries information management system, aiming to generate accurate statistics to support sound policy decisions.
4. The main structure of the Kigali Financial and Commercial Plaza project in Rwanda, aided by China Railway Construction Corporation, was completed.
5. Since China restricted rare earth exports in April this year, the price of yttrium oxide has surged by 3500%, from $6 per kilogram to $220-320 per kilogram. South Africa is the only country with proven medium-term yttrium reserves available for development. The Stencampklar project in South Africa's Western Cape Province plans to produce 5,400 tons of concentrate annually. The separation plant, scheduled to begin operation in 2027, will separate 2,700 tons of oxides annually, including approximately 213 tons of yttrium oxide.
6. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority's drone division signed a memorandum of understanding for drone production with Shenzhen University of Information Technology. The Vice President of the Nigerian Air Force Technical Academy attended the signing ceremony.
7. The Nigerian Express Logistics Management Association stated that the current market size of Nigeria's logistics industry is approximately $60 billion, accounting for about 4.5% of GDP, with maritime transport accounting for about 80%.
8. The six African ports with the highest container handling efficiency are: Cape Town (South Africa), Cotonou (Benin), Cooha (South Africa), Dakar (Senegal), Damieta (Egypt), and Castle Ahmed (Liberia). 9. DHL plans to invest €300 million to expand its logistics operations in Africa, believing that Africa could become the world's second-largest trading region within four years. Currently, Africa's imports from China have surged by 56%, and exports by 26%. The continent still needs $170 billion annually for road and power transmission line construction.
10. Hassannein Hirej of Madagascar has invested $1.8 billion to transform Axian into an African telecommunications giant, encompassing mobile networks in Tanzania, fiber optic networks in Kenya, and markets such as Comoros and Senegal.
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