Spaza Shop Support Fund Scrutiny (South Africa): Government will update on the rollout of the R500m Spaza Shop Support Fund after concerns over verification, ownership discrepancies, and whether controls are strong enough to stop misuse. Digital Payments Push (Africa): Mastercard and TeamApt (Moniepoint unit) expand digital payment acceptance across Africa, aiming to bring more MSMEs and informal traders onto secure, multi-channel rails. Crypto Tax Risk (Nigeria): New Nigeria Revenue Service rules add a 1.5% stamp duty on virtual asset transfers, with operators warning it could push users to foreign, unregulated platforms and weaken the local market. MSME Lending Focus (Nigeria): CIBN urges banks to deepen MSME lending as government securities yields decline, arguing banks must “go down the ladder” beyond large corporates. Local Sourcing for Construction (Eswatini): Eswatini plans procurement reforms requiring 80% of public construction materials to be sourced locally to build jobs and a domestic supply chain. Inflation Watch (South Africa): Economists expect a temporary slowdown in July consumer inflation, helped by lower fuel prices and a stronger rand. Kenya Insurance for Informal Workers: Insurers redesign products with flexible premiums and embedded/pay-as-you-go models to reach the informal sector. Kenya-Africa Trade Angle (AGOA): Commentary flags the “real Agoa risk” for apparel exporters: value is falling even as volumes rise, showing market access disruptions still bite. South Africa Film Incentives: Government agrees to revive a stalled film incentive programme after protests over delays and bureaucracy, with the key test now being implementation.