Côte d’Ivoire’s rubber industry reaches new record, but value addition remains the next challenge

Côte d’Ivoire’s natural rubber industry reached a new production record in 2025, reinforcing the country’s position as Africa’s leading producer and one of the world’s largest suppliers.

The country produced 1.85 million tonnes of natural rubber in 2025, up 9.9% from the previous year, according to fig...

Critical minerals give SADC a chance to turn resource wealth into industrial power

Southern Africa is facing a strategic opportunity to turn its vast critical-mineral resources into a foundation for industrial growth, but doing so will require the region to move beyond the export of raw materials.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has placed critical-mineral beneficiation at the centre of its industrial...

Robust International secures $20 million to expand cashew processing in Côte d’Ivoire

Singapore-based agribusiness group Robust International has secured a $20 million debt facility to expand its cashew processing operations in Côte d’Ivoire, less than a year after opening its first processing plant in the country.

The financing was arranged by Symbiotics, with a payment default guarantee of up to $23 million...

WAEMU: Four states raise CFA 174.5 billion amid strong investor demand

The governments of Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Benin and Senegal raised a combined CFA 174.5 billion ($299 million) on the West African regional government securities market between Aug. 10 and Aug. 14, 2026.

The four auctions attracted bids worth CFA 332.65 billion, more than twice the initial funding requirement of CFA 160 billion, re...

Olam Agri acquires ASAF, expanding rubber processing capacity in Côte d’Ivoire

Olam Agri has completed the acquisition of Asia Africa Rubber Industry S.A. (ASAF), a move that will add 176,000 metric tonnes to the company’s annual natural rubber processing capacity in Côte d’Ivoire.

The acquisition, completed through Olam Agri subsidiary Panasia International FZCO, is expected to nearly double Olam...

Genser Energy secures €456 million to expand its energy investments in West Africa

US-based energy company Genser Energy has secured €456 million, equivalent to about CFA 299 billion, to accelerate the development of its energy infrastructure across West Africa.

The financing, secured from RMB, Absa and Standard Bank, will support the company’s regional expansion and the completion of several ongoing energy...

China pushes for wider use of the yuan in Africa

China is stepping up efforts to expand the use of the yuan in Africa as trade and financial ties deepen, giving African companies and governments more options to settle transactions directly in the Chinese currency rather than relying on the U.S. dollar. China-Africa trade reached a record $348 billion in 2025, up nearly 18% from the previous ye...

Climate: ECOWAS turns to regional carbon market to address $294 billion financing gap

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is stepping up efforts to establish a regional carbon market platform as the region faces an estimated $294 billion in climate financing needs.

Representatives from member states, regional and international institutions, development partners and technical experts met in Abuja for a t...

Côte d’Ivoire confirms its position as the world’s leading raw cashew producer

Côte d’Ivoire has maintained its position as the world’s leading producer and exporter of raw cashew nuts, underscoring the growing importance of the crop to the country’s economy.

Ivory Coast’s cashew production exceeded 1.5 million metric tons in 2025, accounting for more than 25% of global output, accordi...

Côte d’Ivoire opens new GIABA regional centre in Abidjan to strengthen fight against financial crime

Côte d’Ivoire has opened a new regional information centre of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), strengthening the region’s capacity to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other forms of financial crime.

Economy, Finance and Budget Minister Adama Coulibaly p...

Jumia secures $25 million IFC investment to expand Africa’s digital commerce

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group, is investing $25 million in equity in Jumia Technologies AG to support the expansion of digital commerce infrastructure across Africa.

The investment, announced on Aug. 12, is part of a broader $50 million equity financing round for Jumia. The fu...

Côte d’Ivoire approves 735 MW in new power projects to strengthen electricity supply

Côte d’Ivoire has approved three public-private partnership agreements that will add around 735 megawatts of electricity generation capacity to the national grid, as the country seeks to keep pace with rising power demand and support economic growth.

The agreements were approved by the Council of Ministers on Aug. 5, 2026, an...