South Africa’s manganese exporters may face growing margin pressure as Exxaro reveals that road transport costs 37% more than rail, with nearly half of Tshipi Borwa mine’s export volumes still transported by truck. EBC Financial Group says expanding port capacity alone will not improve profitability unless rail access increases, lowering inland logistics costs and strengthening export competitiveness.
Author: AfricaBusiness.com
Refreshi Helps South Africans Save R12.5 Million While Rescuing 200,000 Meals from Landfill in One Year
South African food-tech startup Refreshi has helped consumers save R12.5 million on groceries while rescuing 200,000 surplus meals from landfill in its first year. The company’s Grocery Savings Impact Report highlights rapid nationwide expansion, significant environmental benefits, and growing adoption of its circular economy marketplace, which connects consumers with discounted surplus food from supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries, and cafés across South Africa.
In a World Remade by Force, Africa Must Bet on UN Tax Rules
As UN negotiations on a global Convention on International Tax Cooperation resume, economist Léonce Ndikumana argues that Africa must push for fairer international tax rules to curb illicit financial flows, reduce capital flight, strengthen tax transparency, and secure sustainable revenue. The article explores how global conflicts, debt pressures, and outdated tax systems undermine Africa’s economic resilience, while outlining key reforms that could reshape international taxation and support long-term development.
Embassies Business Fair & Conference 2026 to Connect African Businesses with Global Buyers, Investors and Trade Opportunities
The Embassies Business Fair & Conference 2026 returns to Pretoria on 8–9 September, bringing together embassies, investors, buyers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs to accelerate international trade and investment. With a strong focus on AfCFTA, market access, business matchmaking and export opportunities, the event aims to help African businesses expand into regional and global markets through practical economic diplomacy.
Africa Becomes Global iGaming Fraud Hotspot as AI-Driven Identity Fraud Surges, Sumsub Report Finds
Africa has recorded the world’s highest iGaming fraud rate, according to Sumsub’s 2026 iGaming Fraud Report. The study reveals that AI-powered identity fraud, stolen credentials and suspicious transactions are rising rapidly across the continent, with operators facing growing pressure to strengthen KYC, AML and fraud prevention systems as Africa’s online gaming market expands.
Low-carbon energy is now critical infrastructure for Africa’s digital future
Africa’s digital transformation depends on reliable, low-carbon energy infrastructure. As demand for connectivity, AI, fintech, e-health and digital services grows, renewable energy solutions are essential to support resilient telecom networks, expand inclusion and accelerate sustainable economic growth across the continent.
South Africa has too many ways to pay and not enough ways for consumers to understand them. Will these make Cards extinct?
South Africa’s payments landscape is evolving rapidly, with digital wallets, PayShap, QR codes, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), and instant bank transfers expanding consumer choice. However, widespread adoption remains constrained by limited consumer education, trust, and operational complexity for merchants. This article explores why payment cards continue to dominate despite the rise of alternative payment methods and explains what the industry must do to drive meaningful digital payment adoption.
School farms boost food security in Kenya’s drylands
School farms are improving food security, nutrition and education in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands by combining climate-smart agriculture with school feeding programmes. A pilot initiative led by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) and partners is increasing school enrolment, diversifying children’s diets and creating new income opportunities for women farmers. The project demonstrates how regenerative agriculture and community partnerships can strengthen resilience to climate change while supporting sustainable food systems across Kenya’s drylands.
Africa Didn’t Cause This Energy Crisis. But It Often Pays the Highest Price
Africa continues to face the harshest consequences of global energy disruptions despite playing little role in causing them. In this opinion piece, Ben Ouattara, Head of Africa at Puma Energy, examines how higher fuel import costs, shipping disruptions, inflation and supply chain pressures are impacting African economies. He argues that strengthening energy resilience through diversified supply, strategic infrastructure, flexible policies and regional cooperation is essential to protecting economic growth from future global energy shocks.
The risk of AI tunnel vision in IT efficiency
The risk of AI tunnel vision in IT efficiency explores why focusing solely on AI’s energy consumption overlooks the much larger challenge of improving efficiency across the entire IT estate. As data centre power demand rises in South Africa, organisations must adopt an end-to-end approach that optimises infrastructure, cooling, software, workloads, and data management. The article argues that sustainable IT efficiency is achieved by designing energy efficiency into every layer of traditional and AI infrastructure, enabling greater resilience, lower costs, and scalable digital transformation.