Breaking News Today – Friday 27 March 2026

African Start-up News Headlines:

• Afreximbank officially launched its first Accelerator Programme aimed at African tech startups building solutions for intra-African trade under the AfCFTA yesterday. The programme will support up to 8 startups with mentorship, ecosystem access, and potential equity funding (up to ~$250,000 per startup). It targets innovations in digital trade, payments, logistics, and supply-chain tech.
• UK-based, business management software provider Klipboard, has acquired South African sales operations platform Skynamo. Skynamo’s (originally called Honey Bee) provides advanced reporting and automated tracking of sales activities for complex sales environments. “Joining Klipboard marks an exciting next chapter for Skynamo and our customers,” stated Sam Clarke, according to the announcement. “We’ve built a platform that unifies sales operations in industries where complexity is the norm. With Klipboard’s complementary solutions and global reach, we can extend that value even further.
• Moroccan electric mobility startup GoSwap, founded by Hamza Slimani, has raised its first funding round from Azur Innovation Fund, with plans to secure over USD 2 M. The Casablanca-based company is scaling its automated battery swapping network for electric scooters, and is already operating 20 swap stations across CashPlus stores and Petrom and Shell stations in the country.

Business News Today 

World Trade System Irrevocably Changed

The director-general of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday indicated that the global system the world once knew has changed irrevocably. Speaking at the beginning of the WTO’s four-day meeting in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, Okonjo-Iweala said the time has come to move forward, to reform, and above all to rethink the founding rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO. Okonjo-Iweala, said the multilateral system ‌has fundamentally changed and that countries must look to the future to consider how to reform the global trade system.

“The ​world order and multilateral system we used to ​know has irrevocably changed. We will not get ⁠it back …We must look to the future,” she told delegates at the opening of the ​14th WTO ministerial conference. “That means figuring out what worked well in the old order so we can keep it and build on it. It means figuring out what did not work well so we can repair it. And it also means identifying the gaps in the renewed order we are shaping so we can close them,” she said.

African Financial Sector Bets Big on AI and Digital Transformation

KPMG’s latest outlook shows African banking, capital markets, and insurance leaders entering 2026 with high confidence, prioritising AI integration, cybersecurity, regulatory resilience, and ESG. Digital transformation has become the top strategic priority, overtaking pure profitability concerns. Banks are investing in AI for efficiency, customer experience, and risk management amid fintech disruption. The report highlights strong appetite for technology-led modernisation despite geopolitical volatility. East African banks, in particular, are accelerating AI adoption to compete with fast-growing fintech players reshaping the regional financial landscape.

Creative Sector in Africa Holds $150 Billion Potential but Lacks Funding

A new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) – “Africa’s Next Growth Frontier”, has highlighted that Africa’s creative industries (film, music, fashion, design) holds up to $150 billion in untapped economic potential. However, chronic underfunding and limited access to finance continue to constrain growth in this vibrant industry. The sector offers significant job creation and export opportunities, particularly for youth and women entrepreneurs. Experts call for better policy support, blended finance mechanisms, and partnerships to unlock this high-growth area, which could diversify many African economies beyond traditional commodities

Breaking Business and Market News Shorts:  

• The South African Reserve Bank has held its key repo rate at 6.75% as expected yesterday, marking a second consecutive pause in rate adjustments, citing upside risks to the inflation outlook due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.. Policymakers noted that inflation had moved in a positive direction, matching the 3% inflation target in February, however high oil prices presented inflationary risks.
• South Africa’s PPI inflation eased for the second month to 1.8% in February 2026, marking the lowest level since July 2025, and compared favourably to 2.2% in the prior month. Costs declined further for coal and petroleum products (-8.9% vs -4.1% in January), largely on account of fuels such as petrol (12.8% vs -5.3%) and diesel (-12.4% vs -4.8%).
• Gold rose above $4,400 per ounce this morning, after a rapid slide in the previous session, as President Donald Trump pushed back his deadline for Iran to secure a deal to end the war. Trump pledged to refrain from targeting Iranian energy facilities until April 6, providing some relief to markets
• Platinum futures fell below $1,900 per ounce yesterday, their softest level since December 2025, as the Middle East conflict and broader metals weakness dragged on sentiment. A stronger US dollar and rising bond yields diminished the appeal of non-yielding assets, while inflation fears reinforced expectations of tighter monetary policy from major central banks.
• Bitcoin traded below the $70k level this morning to around the $68550 mark. decreasing 230 or -0.33% since the previous trading session. Looking back, over the last four weeks, Bitcoin has dropped by – 2.35%. Over the last 12 months, its price fell by 18.73%.

Markets by Numbers 

Currency markets indicate the US dollar softening slightly against major currencies today. The Greenback is trading against the Euro at 1.15440 while trading against the Pound at 1.33466. The Yen is currently trading at 159.59 to the dollar. The rand (ZAR), remains steady, just below the 17.00 mark against the US dollar, and is currently trading at R16.98 against the US dollar.

Commodities:  

• Gold futures are trading 1.46% higher this morning, and currently at around $4445.90 per ounce.  
• Copper prices are trending 1.2% higher today, with prices currently around $5.5201 per pound
• Silver futures are trending over 2.4% higher today, and currently trading at around $69.724 per ounce.
• Platinum futures are trending almost 1.2% higher this morning after a steep slide yesterday, and currently trading at $1862.30, While Palladium prices have surged by over 3%% this morning, and currently trading around $1401.50 per ounce.
• Brent crude oil prices are have dropped by around -0.7% today, with prices currently at $107.23, with WTI trading almost -1% lower at $93.65.
• Cocoa futures have gained around 1% this morning, with prices currently trading around $3164 per ton. 
• Coffee futures have slid by over -2.6% today, and currently trading at around $3.0765 per pound

Crypto Currencies: 

• Bitcoin prices are trending -0.3% lower this morning, and trading at around $68 564 per coin currently 
• Ether prices are down marginally today, and currently trading around $2057.59
• $Trumpcoin are currently trading lower at around $3.121

(All prices quoted at approximately 07H25 Central African Time) 

African General News Briefs:

• G7 Leaders’ Summit confusion – South Africa said on Thursday that it has been dis-invited from the gathering. The spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa, Vincent Magwenya, said they have learned that Paris has had to withdraw its invitation due to sustained pressure from the United States. However French officials on Thursday denied ​excluding South Africa from the list of invitees to the G7 leaders’ summit in June due to pressure from Washington, saying ‌Kenya had been invited instead ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s visit there later this year. French President Emmanuel Macron had personally asked Ramaphosa to take part in the G7 during the G20 summit in South Africa in November.
• South Sudan and Mauritius have both announced measures restricting electricity consumption due to the fuel crisis triggered by the US and Israel’s war in Iran, which is also affecting other countries across Africa. South Sudan has begun rationing electricity in the capital, Juba, while Mauritius has imposed restrictions to reduce wastage especially in high-power consumption areas.