Breaking News Today – Thursday 4 September 2025

Business & Tech News 

Ghana’s Economy – Gaining Positive Momentum

Ghana’s annual inflation rate in August, slowed for the eighth consecutive month, reaching its lowest level since October 2021, the central statistics service announced yesterday. Consumer inflation fell to 11.5% year on year compared to an inflation rate of 12.1% in July. Government statistician Alhassan Iddrisu told a press conference that both food and non-food prices eased last month. However, food prices remain the largest driver of inflation, he added. “The steady drop in inflation is reassuring, but the monthly swings we are seeing remind us that we need to keep watch on inflation,” he told reporters. The local cedi GHS= currency is up over 20% against the dollar so far this year. 

Ghana’s annual cocoa auction resulted in a significant producer price increase of 62.6% to GHS 20,700 per tonne, effective August 7, 2025, compared to the GHS 12,870 per tonne for the 2023/2024 season. Ghana’s central bank slashed its key interest rate by 300 basis points to 25% in July, the largest cut in its history, showing its confidence in a progressive slowdown in prices.

India Announce Sweeping Pro-active Tax Cuts on Goods 

India’s 56th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, yesterday approved the most significant overhaul of the GST structure since its launch eight years ago. According to The Economic Times, the new rate structure will take effect on September 22, with the exception of tobacco products, which will be subject to separate conditions. The GST Council, unanimously approved sweeping rate cuts on a wide range of everyday goods and some services, aiming to make them more affordable and stimulate consumption. The revised structure transitions to a two-slab system of 5% and 18%, effectively eliminating the 12% and 28% slabs. The reform is expected to contribute 20–30 basis points to GDP growth, helping to offset the economic impact of the recently imposed 50% US tariffs.

Anglo Completes Platinum Divorce

The de-merger of Anglo from all platinum mining will reach its conclusion shortly with Anglo’s remaining 19% stake in Valterra Platinum to be sold off, and will now be offered to institutional shareholders, according to a financial notice issued by the group yesterday. Anglo said that “As part of the plan to unlock the significant value inherent in Anglo American’s portfolio and accelerate strategic delivery, the demerger of Valterra Platinum was completed at the end of May 2025”. Following the demerger Anglo American retained a 19.9% shareholding with the intention of completing the full separation over time. 

As part of this process Valterra Platinum was listed on the London Stock Exchange under the International Secondary Listing category of the Financial Conduct Authority in addition to its existing primary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Valterra shares are up over 59% year-to-date with platinum prices hitting all-time highs this year. This is the last remaining interest the mining group holds in any platinum mining with the group stating that this was part of a strategic simplification to focus on copper, iron ore, and fertilisers.

Breaking News Shorts: 

• South Africa pharmaceutical group, Aspen Pharmacare, declared a full-year loss after tax of 1.1 billion rand (ZAR)- around $62 million. Aspen released its full year financials, with a 79% plunge in profits yesterday, citing the impact of a material contractual manufacturing dispute and asset impairments of 4.1 billion rand.
• CoreWeave, the cloud computing tech group, has reached an agreement to acquire OpenPipe, the two-year-old startup that helps enterprises develop customised AI agents with reinforcement learning, the companies announced yesterday.
• US President Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision that found many of his sweeping tariffs were imposed illegally. He lodged a petition filed late yesterday, that asked the court to quickly intervene for a ruling that the president has the power to impose such import taxes on foreign nations.
• French AI startup Mistral AI is finalizing a €2 billion investment at a post-money valuation of $14 billion, reports Bloomberg, positioning the company as one of Europe’s most valuable tech startups. 
• Silver slipped 1% to around $40.7 per ounce today, easing from 14-year highs, as investors locked in profits ahead of key US labor market releases. Precious metals have rallied in recent weeks as traders increased bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts.

Markets by Numbers 

Currency markets today indicate the US Dollar is currently trading stronger against the Euro at 1.16518 and against the Pound at 1.34281. The Yen is currently trading at 148.22 to the dollar. The rand (ZAR) is currently at R17.71 to the US dollar.

Commodities:  

• Gold futures prices are trending -0,8% lower this morning, after hitting new high records yesterday, and are currently trading around $3530.29 per ounce.  
• Copper prices are trading softer today, with prices currently at $4.4985
• Silver futures prices are almost -1% lower today, and is currently trading at $40.830
• Platinum futures are trading around -0.8% lower this morning, and are currently trading at $1423.80 While Palladium prices are trading lower this morning and currently at $1138.00
• Brent crude oil prices are currently trading lower, and currently at $67.16, with WTI trading at $63.45 
• Cocoa futures are trending 0.7% higher this morning, and are currently at $7475.00 per ton. 
• Coffee futures are marginally higher today, and currently at $385.25

Crypto Currencies: 

• Bitcoin prices are currently trending lower today and currently at $110887 
• Ether prices are currently trending softer today and at $4380.60
• $Trumpcoin is currently trading around $8.29

(All prices quoted at approximately 07H30 Central African Time) 

Other Headline News in Africa Today

DRC Peace Agreement Update

Qatar, United States, Togo and the African Union Commission participated in the second joint oversight committee meeting for the peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, the U.S. State Department said in a joint statement released yesterday.”Committee members acknowledged slowness in implementation of some elements of the Agreement,” according to the statement. “The DRC and Rwanda committed to a technical level, intelligence and military channel for direct exchange of information in advance of the next JSCM meeting in Doha.” While the peace agreement has been implemented, there have been ongoing reports that on the ground there is still much to do to create ongoing peace. 

Recent reports highlight ongoing peace treaty violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as fighting continues between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Congolese forces, despite a US-mediated peace deal signed in June 2025. M23 has continued to commit atrocities and abduction, while allied Wazalendo groups, supported by the Congolese army, are also implicated in abuses. The situation is exacerbated by continued sexual violence, forced displacement, and a lack of accountability for past and present crimes, suggesting a breakdown of the latest peace process.