COMESA Push for Trade Deals: Zimbabwean business leaders are urging tangible outcomes from the October COMESA Summit in Harare, saying the country must move beyond hosting to secure market access, finance and partnerships for local firms. SME Bankability Focus: A Zimbabwean business commentary argues SMEs are often blocked not by lack of funding alone, but by weak “bankability” — missing records, compliance and operational readiness needed for supply contracts and exports. Canva x Paystack for Nigerian MSMEs: Canva Africa and Paystack launched the Paystack Small Business Bundle, giving eligible merchants six months of Canva Business to help them build brands and content while scaling digitally. WhatsApp Business API Costs Rise: Meta will end free customer support replies on WhatsApp Business Platform from 1 Oct 2026, moving enterprise API users to pay-per-message pricing—raising costs for customer service automation. Cybersecurity Warning for Nigeria’s Digital Economy: Nigeria’s digital growth is accelerating the need for stronger cybersecurity, with businesses and small firms increasingly exposed as more services go online. Gwanda Gets Closer Banking: FBC opened a service centre in Gwanda, adding banking, insurance and micro-financing plus an SA rand-denominated card for cross-border traders. Ghana 24-Hour Economy Reality Check: Ghana’s 24-hour economy won’t industrialise overnight; officials say bottlenecks in supply chains, agriculture and private capital must be fixed first. Botswana Tightens FMD Controls: Botswana is intensifying foot-and-mouth disease measures to protect livelihoods and livestock trade across borders, including keeping Namibia FMD-free. Women’s Enterprise Growth Beyond Grants (Kenya): Kenya’s women micro-entrepreneurs need connected support pathways—grants, training, loans and market access—so businesses can keep growing after initial help. Mobile Banking Growth Signal: A report projects the mobile banking market to reach $58.02T by 2031, with Africa among the fastest-growing regions, driven by app-based payments and embedded services. Energy Projects Need “Bankable” Prep (Nigeria): Energy stakeholders say Nigeria must shift from policy talk to project-level preparation to attract capital for the energy transition.