Kenya SME crackdown: President William Ruto ordered foreigners running small businesses to close from next week, saying Kenya wants investors who create jobs and production—not hawkers competing with locals—while enforcement is set to begin and a bill heads to parliament. Payments & trade finance: XTransfer secured in-principle approval for a UAE retail payment services licence, aiming to serve mainland clients and deepen regulated cross-border payments for trade into Africa. SME market access via quality: Togo’s Quality Boost (Q-Boost) helps micro, small and medium firms build ISO 9001-style quality systems to improve certification and market access. Clean energy for businesses: Uganda’s dfcu Bank and Sawa Energy launched a partnership to finance on-site solar PV and battery systems for SMEs via long-term pay-for-consumption or lease deals. Local retail pressure from Shein/Temu: A South Africa-focused report warns Chinese fast-fashion platforms are reshaping online clothing sales and contributing to lost manufacturing and retail jobs. Township business barriers (SA): South Africa’s Competition Commission flagged market and regulatory hurdles that keep smaller firms out of shopping malls, including exclusive landlord deals. AI skills for SMEs (Nigeria/SA): HP and UpSkill Universe will train about 55,000 SMEs for free through the AI Skills for Business Programme. Women’s microfinance in cocoa belt (Côte d’Ivoire): Village savings groups supported by Nestlé and the International Cocoa Initiative are helping women borrow, start small businesses and manage household shocks.