Breaking News Today – Tuesday 14 October 2025

Business News Today

Kenya Joins African Crypto Leader States

Kenya has boosted its crypto adoption pathway, and established itself as a crypto friendly state, after passing a bill to regulate digital assets like cryptocurrencies, a senior parliamentarian announced yesterday. The country is looking to boost investments into the sector by creating clear rules and guide rails for the emerging industry. The East African state is now one of only six African nations to have clear crypto regulations in place and joins South Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius, Botswana and Ghana as African Crypto adoption leaders. Legislators enacted the Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill last week, said Kuria Kimani, the chairman of the finance committee in the national assembly, seeking to address worries over the lack of clear regulations to govern the sector.The move now only awaits the signature of President William Ruto to sign it into law.

SpaceX – Last Super Heavy Flight a Success

The largest flying craft ever, SpaceX’s Starship was successfully launched from Texas late yesterday and landed it in the Indian Ocean. This was the last flight of the current Starship before the company begins test-launching a new version of the giant rocket outfitted with more features for potential moon and Mars missions. Starship, which includes the Starship upper stage stacked atop its Super Heavy booster, launched at 6:23 p.m. CT (2323 GMT) from SpaceX’s Starbase facilities. After sending the Starship stage to space, Super Heavy returned for a soft water landing in the Gulf of Mexico 7 minutes after liftoff, testing a landing engine configuration.

Starship also deployed a batch of mock Starlink satellites, briefly re-lighting its engines in space and testing new heat shield tiles during its blazing hot return from space before splashing down west of Australia. Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said on X, that the mission was “another major step toward landing Americans on the Moon’s south pole.”

Broadcom Partners with Open AI to Develop “own” Chips

OpenAI announced yesterday that it is working with chipmaker Broadcom to design its own unique AI computer proccessor chips.There was no disclose as to the financial terms of the deal but said they will start deploying the new racks of customised “AI accelerators” late in 2026. This is the latest major tech deal between OpenAI, and manufacturers of the tech such as proccessor chips and data centres required to support and power AI developments. In recent weeks Open AI has announced partnerships with chipmakers Nvidia and AMD that will supply the AI major, with specialised chips for running its AI systems. OpenAI has also concluded supply deals with Oracle, CoreWeave and other companies developing the data centres.

A key aspect of the deals are reliant on circular financing, in which the companies are both investing in OpenAI and supplying the world’s most valuable startup with technology. This has added to recent opinion in markets that there is a potential of an AI market bubble growing. Despite high numbers of users and subscribers to Open AI (estimates are around 800 million currently) OpenAI is yet to turn a profit.

Citrus Exports Hit Record High in South Africa’s 2025 Season

South Africa’s citrus industry celebrated a bumper 2025 season, exporting over 200 million cartons—a 24% rise from 2024—driven by strong yields and improved logistics. Mandarins topped growth at nearly 30% (over 50 million cartons), with lemons up 19% (exceeding 40 million for the first time) and oranges advancing 26%. Despite U.S. tariff risks under President Trump, Transnet Port Terminals reported 19% volume gains, with Durban Multipurpose up 131.6% and Ngqura 35%. Investments of R3.4 billion in equipment, plus R4 billion ongoing, enhanced efficiency. The Citrus Growers’ Association attributes success to compliance with global standards and eyes 260 million cartons by 2032 via Vision 260

Breaking News Shorts:  .

• Senegal’s international bonds fell on Monday after Moody’s cut its credit rating, warning that it was now less certain that the West African nation would be able to avoid restructuring its debt. Senegal is trying to resolve a misreporting case with the IMF to secure a new support programme, after revealing last year it had more than 11 billion dollars of previously undisclosed debt.
• Salesforce announced their latest version of its AI agent platform – Agentforce 360 as the company looks to lure enterprises to its AI software in an increasingly crowded market. The customer relations software giant unveiled the new platform, ahead of its annual conference that kicks off today.
• Goldman Sachs has agreed to acquire Industry Ventures, a 25-year-old, San Francisco-based investment firm with $7 billion in assets under management. the deal highlights the growing importance of secondary markets and buyouts as traditional venture exits remain sluggish.
• Gold prices hit another record high of $4,160 per ounce this morning, with investors ramping up safe-haven buying amid US-China trade tensions and increased bets of US interest rate cuts. Market anxiety also lingered over the prolonged US government shutdown, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said is beginning to affect the economy
• Silver jumped over 1% to above $53 per ounce today, hitting fresh record highs as a historic short squeeze and tightening liquidity in London drove traders to scramble for physical supply globally. Lease rates in London soared more than 30% on Friday, pushing rollover costs for short positions to unsustainable levels. 

Markets by Numbers 

Currency markets today indicate the US dollar softer, with the Euro trading against the US dollar at 1.15918 while the Pound is trading at 1.33518 to the US dollar. The Yen is currently trading at 151.84 to the dollar. The rand (ZAR) is currently at R17.34 to the US dollar.

Commodities:  

• Gold futures prices have surged by over 1% again this morning, hitting a new record high, and are currently trading around $4169.53 per ounce.  
• Copper prices have softened slightly today after spiking yesterday, with prices currently at $5.0527
• Silver futures prices have hit several new highs today, climbing over 1.6% this morning and is up over 24% this past month with the precious metal currently trading around $53.80
• Platinum futures continue to trade upwards today, and are currently trading at $1686.10, While Palladium prices have softened today, and are currently at $1543.50
• Brent crude oil prices are trending lower this morning, and currently at $63.29 with WTI trading lower at $59.48
• Cocoa futures continue lower, and are currently trading around $5822.00 per ton. 
• Coffee futures are over 3% higher today, and are currently at $385.20

Crypto Currencies: 

• Bitcoin prices are trending over -1.5% lower today and currently trading at $113444 
• Ether prices have fallen by over 3% today and are currently trading around the $4121.033 mark
• $Trumpcoin is trending upwards today, and currently trading around $6.34

(All prices quoted at approximately 07H10 Central African Time) 

Other Headline News in Africa Today

Nigerian University Lecturers on Strike

Public universities in Nigeria will begin their new academic year sans lecturers who have begun a two-week strike over pay and funding.The industrial action comes just a few weeks after universities resumed the new academic year. Leader of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (Asuu), Professor Chris Piwuna, described the decision as “inevitable” due to what he said was government failures. In a statement released by the Nigerian government, they confirmed that striking lecturers can expect not to be paid under the country’s “No Work, No Pay” labour law. The statement said the government had made a comprehensive offer to the union addressing key issues such as working conditions, institutional governance and staff welfare.The government added that it was still awaiting ASUU’s official response.