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Malcolm Libera ·20 May 2026 The rand weakened on Tuesday as investors kept an eye on developments in the Middle East following US President Donald Trump’s decision to pause a planned attack on Iran. The rand traded at 16.7575 against the dollar, down 1% from its previous close. Trump stated on Monday that he had …
Auditor-General and civil society organisations made submissions on Tuesday
ActionSA is deeply concerned and outraged by the continued failure of the Nkomazi Local Municipality to provide reliable access to clean water to the communities of Naas, Kamachekeza, and Enkanini.
The post ActionSA Condemns Continued Water Crisis in Naas, Kamachekeza and Enkanini appeared first on ActionSA.
The facility comes as SMEs account for more than 60% of economic activity in Zimbabwe and intra-African trade remains at […]
The post Ecobank Zimbabwe Has Secured $15M From Afreximbank appeared first on Impact Newswire.
May 2026 – The renowned Morgan State University Choir returns to South Africa in May 2026 for its second concert tour, following its memorable debut at the 2009 Ihlombe! South African Choral Festival. This highly anticipated visit features a series of collaborative performances with leading South African ensembles, celebrating cultural exchange and shared musical heritage. …
As the global community celebrates World Product Day, a profound shift is taking place across Africa's enterprise landscape. The Product Leadership Accelerator (PLA), www.AfricaPLA.com, an initiative of the Innovate Africa Foundation, is officially setting a new gold standard for how value is created and scaled, in Africa, by transforming African enterprises from traditional service providers into high-velocity, “product-led” engines of growth.
The PLA is bridging the gap between legacy business models and the modern Product Operating Model. This methodology, practiced by global companies like Apple, Netflix and Amazon, is now being localized, through the PLA, to ensure African enterprises and startups alike solve the continent's toughest challenges through relentless innovation and de-risked execution.
Building a Pan-African Product Management Talent Pipeline
The PLA is currently powering its 2026 Accelerator Program, a rigorous 12-week program featuring 48 product managers from 13 African countries, including Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya. In a significant move for gender equity in tech, the cohort maintains a female representation of about 54%, ensuring the future of African product leadership is as diverse as the markets it serves.
As the fellows tackle real-world problem statements across diverse industries during the 12 week accelerator program, they are mentored by an elite roster of practitioners who have built products at enterprises such as Interswitch, Netflix, Amazon, Microsoft, Paystack, and mPesa. They also receive strategic, high-level guidance from global product legends Marty Cagan and SVPG Partner Christian Idiodi.
“Building in Africa requires a distinct level of empathy, adaptability, and mastery of the product operating model," explains Nkem Nweke, Lead at the PLA. "We empower leaders and enterprises to harness tools like AI while offering them strategic product management advisory. Our goal is to support companies in adopting a product-led culture which drives sustainable economic growth. By mitigating risks before investing significant capital or public resources, we help both enterprises and startups create solutions that truly meet market and consumer needs."
Enterprise Transformation and Proven Outcomes
The impact of the PLA extends deep into the corporate sector through its specialized Product Management Advisory. Organizations reliant on technology spanning telecoms, FMCG, commerce, retail, finance, and government, are increasingly seeking to leverage the PLA's expertise to shift their product teams from traditional project-based approaches to outcome-driven product cultures that drive growth.
The effectiveness of the PLA's approach is best seen through its corporate partnerships. Afrinvest, a leading financial institution, serves as a primary example of how the PLA's advisory services drive immediate corporate value.
"The PLA didn't just upskill one individual; it has been a game-changer for our internal innovation culture, sparking a ripple effect of outcome-driven progress throughout our entire product department. "says Victor Ndukauba, Deputy MD, West Africa Afrinvest. “Seeing the speed at which our team can now identify and solve real consumer problems is why we've increased our participation this year.”
This sentiment is echoed by partners like Insight7, One Cluster and Agile Product Management, who view the PLA as the engine room for the continent's digital maturity.
Central to this transformation is integrating tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI), enabling product managers to achieve world-class standards, driving efficiency, and ensuring African businesses set the pace for global innovation.
De-Risking African-Built Solutions
For founders, the stakes have never been higher. "Our goal is to raise product leaders who are deeply versed in the mechanics of discovery and delivery, " notes Osa Awani, Head of Program at the PLA. "We see the shift happening in real-time as our fellows move from theoretical knowledge to building solutions that address market friction with surgical precision." When founders and Product Managers master the product operating model, they stop guessing; and with a commitment to solving real problems, African product leaders will not only compete globally they will lead."
Impact by the Numbers
A Future Defined by Innovation
Founded by Christian Idiodi, (partner at the globally renowned Silicon Valley Product Group), the PLA is rooted in the belief that the intersection of world-class tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and strategic product management is essential to mastering the craft of creating exceptional products for Africa; thereby unlocking Africa's economic potential. By offering cutting-edge tools, a robust network, and the innovative mindset of the world's most successful organizations, the PLA ensures Africa's challenges are addressed with future-ready, world-class solutions.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Product Leadership Accelerator (PLA).
About the Product Leadership Accelerator (PLA):
Beyond our flagship accelerator, the PLA serves as a strategic transformation partner for established organizations across the continent. We provide high-impact Executive Coaching to align leadership with modern product principles and deliver intensive In-House Team Training that rewires technical and product departments for high-velocity execution. Our Strategic Advisory services go deeper, working side-by-side with enterprises to dismantle legacy "feature factory" mindsets and implement a robust Product Operating Model. By embedding these world-class methodologies directly into corporate DNA, we empower African businesses to leverage technology—the leveling power of AI—and strategic product management advisory to drive measurable outcomes, sustainable innovation, and aggressive economic growth. Interested partners and enterprises can find additional details at www.AfricaPLA.com.
… WorkingMama Is Creating Space for Her to Finally Pour Back In. By Elize Fisher – Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, WorkingMama® Magazine The WorkingMama Wellness Edit arrives in Cape Town on 13 June 2026 as an intimate, medically-informed and editorially-curated wellness experience for professional women who are tired of being told to just breathe and …
Park Lines BMX Tournament set for the 2026 South African BMX Freestyle Championships Johannesburg, South Africa – The official 2026 South African BMX Freestyle Championships will take place at the highly anticipated Park Lines BMX Tournament on Saturday, 30 May at the SkyLab Skatepark in Johannesburg. The event is presented by LW Mag and Dragon Energy, in partnership with Garmin, Insta360, Monster Products, Fox, and Mongoose. …
Models suggest winter storms will become less frequent but more severe
Camping has changed plenty over the past 20 years. The old image of pitching a heavy canvas tent on rocky ground, fighting the wind, and sleeping on a thin mat has given way to better gear that makes the whole thing far more pleasant. One of the biggest shifts has been the rise of tents …
With nine uncapped players in the squad, the anticipation amongst the Springbok Women was palpable as they departed Cape Town for Nairobi, where they will defend their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup title, earlier on Wednesday. A halfway stop at Victoria Falls airport will add to the continental flavour for those participating in their first African …
Statement by Adrian Roos MP – DA Spokesperson on Home Affairs: The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the announcement by Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Leon Schreiber, of a strengthened and more secure system for people to make online bookings to visit a Home Affairs office at a specific time and date. The new online booking …
Statement by Michael Bagraim MP – DA Spokesperson on Employment and Labour: The DA has written to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour to request that the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Minister of Employment and Labour appear before Parliament to account for the non-functional UIF portal failures and to explain …
Statement by Karabo Khakhau MP – DA Deputy Spokesperson on Higher Education and Training: The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, demanding that he fire the Administrator of the Construction SETA, Oupa Nkoane. Yesterday, I, on behalf of the DA, opened a criminal case against the …
Statement by Lisa Schickerling MP – DA Spokesperson on Police: The DA will write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police to request that Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia appear before the committee to provide a full update on the status of the SAPS lifestyle audit process. This follows Cachalia’s failure to …
Column by New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr on behalf of the ICC: Becoming champions two years ago was an incredible achievement and it has given us belief as we look to do it again. Right now, I don’t know if our status as reigning champions means there’s greater pressure on us or not. It’s not really …
Anyone who has spent a long day at a campsite or out in the bush knows the moment when the sun gets too hot, the rain rolls in, or the wind picks up. Sitting in the open suddenly stops being fun. Pulling out chairs and trying to find shade under a tree gets old fast. …
20 May 2026 – The South African Football Association’s (SAFA) Coaching Education will be conducting a SAFA/ CAF B Coaching Course hosted by SAFA National on the dates mentioned below. The dates are: Phase I: 17 – 24 August 2026Phase II: 05 – 12 October 2026Phase III: 09 – 16 November 2026 Coaches who are
The post SAFA/ CAF B Coaching Course appeared first on South African Football Association.
There’s a moment that every car owner dreads. The car coughs, the dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree, and the mechanic comes back with a long face. The engine is gone. Or it might as well be. Repairing it would cost more than the car is worth. The next conversation always lands in the …
A new report by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) (www.AfricaCDC.org) and Team Europe demonstrates that investing in health research and development (R&D) could generate $668 billion in additional GDP across Africa over the next 20 years.
The report, Investing in Health R&D: Africa's Next Economic Growth Frontier (https://apo-opa.co/3Pttk4U), was launched at an official side event of the World Health Assembly in Geneva.
The analysis, developed under the AU-EU Health Partnership with leadership from Africa CDC, financial support from Belgium and Germany, and technical support from Global Health Ecosystems, Enabel, and GIZ, models the macroeconomic impact of increased African investment in health R&D across GDP growth, employment, private investment, trade balances and scientific capacity.
The findings show that if African countries achieve the African Union goal of investing 1% of GDP in research and development, with 15% allocated to health R&D:
The report positions health R&D not simply as a health expenditure, but as a strategic pillar of economic sovereignty, industrial development and regional competitiveness.
“Africa cannot continue importing the technologies that determine the health and economic future of its people,” said Dr Raji Tajudeen, Ag. Deputy Director General, Africa CDC. “This report shows that investing in African health R&D is not only a health priority – it is a pathway to economic sovereignty, industrial growth and resilience. If we do not own Africa's health, we do not own Africa's destiny.”
Annelies Verstichel, Belgian Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti, Permanent Representative to the African Union, IGAD and UNECA, said: “The future of health security, economic resilience and innovation will depend on stronger regional capabilities and trusted international partnerships. This report demonstrates the significant economic and societal returns that can be generated through long-term investment in African-led health research and innovation and provides an important evidence base for deeper AU-EU cooperation to support Africa-led research, manufacturing and innovation ecosystems.”
The report highlights several African success stories that demonstrate the continent's growing strength in health R&D and innovation. These include South Africa's Afrigen mRNA programme, Rwanda's partnership with BioNTech on vaccine manufacturing, Egypt's expansion of domestic pharmaceutical production and exports, and Kenya's growing clinical trials and research ecosystem.
The report further shows that investing in health R&D can help African economies build high-value manufacturing industries, reduce import dependency, strengthen health security, attract private investment, create skilled jobs, and retain scientific talent.
The findings were welcomed by the Hon. Dr Musenero Monica Masanza, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Uganda, who said: “Health R&D should be viewed as economic infrastructure. Countries that invest in innovation build more competitive economies, create higher-skilled jobs and retain more value domestically. Africa has the scientific talent and market opportunity – now we must match that with long-term investment.”
Africa carries 25% of the world's disease burden but captures only a fraction of the economic value created by global health innovation, the report notes, asserting that this is the moment to move from importing solutions to building them.
The report also warns of the cost of inaction. If African health R&D investment falls below current levels, the continent risks losing more than $1 trillion in GDP over the next two decades, while remaining dependent on external supply chains and imported technologies.
Alongside the economic modelling, the report highlights how blended finance structures are already attracting large-scale public and private investment into African health innovation systems, including Rwanda's BioNTech partnership, which has mobilised more than $500 million in combined financing.
The report argues that scaling African health R&D will require deeper coordination between governments, regional institutions, development finance institutions and international partners to build sustainable innovation and manufacturing ecosystems.
The report calls on African governments to commit to the African Union goal of investing 1% of GDP in research and development, with 15% allocated to health R&D, while using procurement, incentives and regulatory reform to actively build African health innovation markets.
It also positions Africa CDC and partners to develop a continental investment blueprint that aggregates investable opportunities, aligns governments and investors, and mobilises blended finance for clinical trials, manufacturing, translational research and shared innovation infrastructure.
The launch forms part of Africa CDC's broader agenda to advance health sovereignty and economic transformation through African-led innovation systems.
Africa-led. Africa-financed. Africa-delivered.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Media enquiries:
Africa CDC
Wilson Johwa
Senior Communications Officer, Directorate of Communication & Public Information
JohwaW@africacdc.org
Global Health Ecosystems
Harriet Bell
Director Strategy & Engagement
hbell@ghecosystems.org
+44 (0)7799658182
About Africa CDC:
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is the public health agency of the African Union. As an autonomous institution, Africa CDC supports AU Member States to strengthen health systems, improve disease surveillance, and enhance emergency preparedness and response. For more information, visit: http://www.AfricaCDC.org and follow Africa CDC on LinkedIn (https://apo-opa.co/4nCOqdA), X (https://apo-opa.co/4uqwp4W), Facebook (https://apo-opa.co/4fxYDWF), and YouTube (https://apo-opa.co/4tFlX8h).
About the AU-EU Health Partnership:
The AU-EU Health Partnership (https://apo-opa.co/49asNeJ) is a broad coalition from Africa and Europe working together to strengthen health systems, improve health security, and increase access to pharmaceuticals in Africa. Encompassing myriad projects and partners at the continental, regional, and country levels, the initiative is making critical contributions to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages (SDG 3). Health is also one of the pillars of the European Union's Global Gateway strategy, which aims to boost smart, clean and secure connections in digital, energy and transport sectors, and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world.
The partnership benefits from coordinated implementation and focuses on five interconnected themes:
Team Europe actors include the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, as well as EU Member States, including Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.
About DGD:
The Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD) looks after the various aspects of Belgian Development Cooperation. DGD falls under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2025. The DGD is integrated into the Federal Public Service (FPS) Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation which is organising and elaborating development cooperation in accordance with the legal and regulatory framework. More info (https://apo-opa.co/4dnA3GJ).
About BMZ:
About Global Health Ecosystems:
Global Health Ecosystems (GHE) is a not-for-profit accelerator and market shaping organisation helping countries and partners turn health priorities into investable opportunities. GHE works across strategy, financing, leadership and partnership design to support more sustainable, country-led approaches to global health. It bridges governments, funders, researchers and the private sector to mobilise investment, strengthen health innovation ecosystems and accelerate impact.
https://www.GlobalHealthEcosystems.org
About the Africa Union goal of investing 1% of GDP in research and development:
In 2007, the African Union called upon member states to invest at least 1% of GDP in research and development (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa 2018). Nearly two decades later, the continent's average sits at 0.45%, well below the global average of 1.7% (World Bank 2025).
Anyone who has owned a car for more than a few years knows the moment when something major breaks. The bill from the dealership lands on the table and the air leaves the room. Buying brand new parts at full retail prices makes the maths impossible on plenty of repair jobs. The smart move for …
OMODA & JAECOO recorded another strong global sales performance in April 2026, with combined sales reaching 69,892 vehicles. The result represents a 150% increase year-on-year and follows the brand’s March performance, when global monthly sales exceeded 60,000 units. April also marked a major milestone for the brand, with OMODA & JAECOO’s cumulative global sales officially …
Opinion Piece by Mzimasi Mabece, Head of Domestic Fixed Income at Melville Douglas: South Africa’s inflation outlook has shifted materially in recent months as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to feed through into global oil prices, fuel costs and broader inflation dynamics. According to Mzimasi Mabece, Head of Domestic Fixed Income at …
SailGP, the most exciting racing on water, is coming to Asia’s World City – announcing Hong Kong as the season-opening showcase in its provisional 2027 calendar. Taking flight on Victoria Harbour on January 23-24 2027, the Hong Kong Sail Grand Prix marks the sail racing championship’s most ambitious global expansion to date. Hong Kong joins …