Energy & Industry: Dangote is set to break ground on a $16bn mega-refinery in Kenya at Lamu, targeting 700,000 barrels/day and promising jobs and local business opportunities, though a land-rights lawsuit and environmental objections remain in play. SME Skills & Enterprise Support: StuckInProfit and AFAZ launched a three-week virtual enterprise development programme starting in November, coaching participants across leadership, finance, entrepreneurship and virtual collaboration. Digital Infrastructure & Connectivity: NEC Africa won a $75,000 contract with Savannah Uganda to expand 4G connectivity in Kampala, while also responding to Uganda’s new data-hosting rules for encryption and security. Jobs Platform: Gauteng MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa launched Vul’Amathuba, a one-stop online platform linking residents to jobs, learnerships, internships and business support. Payments & Working Capital: Mastercard rolled out AI-powered B2B supplier payment analytics to help firms use accounts payable data more efficiently, with plans to extend to receivables. Trade & Market Access: ECA convened West African SMEs and business support organisations to activate rice value chains, aiming for new partnerships and stronger cross-border trade. Transport Safety for Logistics SMEs: South Africa’s National Truck Stop Framework will set standards for safer rest facilities to reduce fatigue and improve freight efficiency. Fintech Funding: Egypt’s Paymob raised $35m pre-Series C to scale payments for SME merchants across MENA. Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: GEC+Africa 2026 in Cape Town drew ~2,500 delegates to connect entrepreneurs with capital, markets and policy support. Local Livelihoods: Liberia revived the Lofa Women Weaving Center to turn local cloth into steady income for rural women, building on Japan-backed entrepreneurship support.