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39th Luanda International Fair gathers more than 1300 companies from 18 countries and focuses on internationalizing the Angola brand

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Luanda International Fair

Under the theme “Food Security and International Partnership: The Binomial of Economic Diversification,” FILDA also aims to give special focus to the areas of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and marine resources

LUANDA, Angola, July 22, 2024/APO Group/ — 

From July 23 to 28, the 39th Luanda International Fair (FILDA) (www.FILDA-Angola.co.ao) opens its doors in the Special Economic Zone of the Angolan capital with a focus on internationalization. Angola’s main business showcase is attracting more and more global markets and investors as the country invests in strategic infrastructure for global trade and industry, such as the Lobito Corridor and the Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport. More than 1300 companies from 18 countries have already confirmed their presence at the forum.

Luanda, July 22, 2024 – A few days before the opening of the 39th edition of FILDA, registration is still open for investors from all over the world to participate in one of Africa’s oldest and most important multisectoral fairs.

For six days, at least 1300 Angolan companies and 254 from 18 countries in Africa, Europe, America, and Asia will gauge the national market in industries and services from more than 30 sectors, particularly commerce and distribution, food and beverages, and extractive and manufacturing industries. Under the theme “Food Security and International Partnership: The Binomial of Economic Diversification,” FILDA also aims to give special focus to the areas of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and marine resources.

As the main showcase of Angola’s potential, FILDA will host the “Angola – Portugal” business forum, which will feature the presence of Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, as well as the “Macau and Portuguese-speaking Countries” event. The Industrial Association of Angola and the Portuguese Business Confederation will sign a memorandum during the international fair.

Join us, let’s do business, let’s formalize partnerships, strengthen our relationships, and create new investments and solutions for Angola

All participants will also be able to attend conferences on commercial and industrial activity licensing and on tourism, the most recent addition to the Angolan government’s strategy for economic diversification.

The participation of more than 1300 national and foreign companies from the private sector, as well as from the banking and insurance sectors and public institutions at FILDA, not only allows international investors to identify possible partnerships but also to learn about the Angolan government’s strategic plans for different sectors, in addition to regulations, laws, and public programs to encourage private investment.

Facilitating B2B contacts is particularly relevant at this current moment in the Angolan economy. Last year, the concession of the Lobito Corridor, a railway that crosses the country’s main productive areas and links the copper and cobalt mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to the Angolan port of Lobito on the Atlantic, positioned Angola again as a highly strategic logistics piece in international trade.

To strengthen this global position, this year also sees the operation of the new Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport in Luanda. In the coming years, this infrastructure could become the most important passenger and cargo hub in the region with intercontinental connections and the annual flow of millions of passengers and hundreds of thousands of tons of cargo.

In this context, Bruno Albernaz points out, “FILDA is clearly established as a highly relevant international business exchange where investors from all over the world can get to know the Angola brand.” According to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Grupo Arena, which organizes the event, “international entrepreneurs want to get to know the real Angola in a practical and simple way. They want to be informed about existing solutions and the technology we have. They want direct contact with partners and institutions to understand what they need to make possible investments profitable and generate new business areas. At FILDA, that’s exactly what we offer – a space that shows the country as it is, with its real potential and concrete opportunities where the hundreds of Angolan companies present showcase all their experience and capacity to establish solid and future partnerships,” indicates the responsible. “Join us, let’s do business, let’s formalize partnerships, strengthen our relationships, and create new investments and solutions for Angola,” he invites.

This year’s edition of FILDA is preparing to surpass all the numbers of last year, which received 75,000 visitors and gathered exhibitors from 10 countries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Luanda International Fair (FILDA).

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Afreximbank Posts Robust Q1 2026 Results with 25% Growth in Net Income and Improved Profitability

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May 22, 2026

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Afreximbank

The results demonstrate continued resilience, disciplined balance sheet management and strong deal execution despite a challenging global operating environment

The growth in net interest income and profitability demonstrates the strength of our operating model and the continued relevance of our mandate

CAIRO, Egypt, May 22, 2026/APO Group/ –African Export-Import Bank (“Afreximbank” or the “Bank”) (www.Afreximbank.com) and its subsidiaries (the “Group”) announced its results for the three months ended 31 March 2026. The results demonstrate continued resilience, disciplined balance sheet management and strong deal execution despite a challenging global operating environment.

 

The Group continued to expand its lending activities in Q1 2026, resulting in total credit exposure growing by 2% to reach a portfolio of US$42 billion, up from US$41 billion as of 31 December 2025. This performance reflects Afreximbank’s leading role as a Development Finance Institution (DFI) in financing trade and trade-enabling infrastructure, and its strategic contribution to economic resilience across Africa and the Caribbean.

Average loans and advances for Q1 2026 stood at US$32 billion, up 8% compared to the same period in the prior year, driving the recorded growth in interest income. The Group’s liquidity position remained strong, with cash and cash equivalents of US$5.6 billion, representing 14% of total assets, consistent with FY2025 and above the Bank’s strategic minimum.

Asset quality also remained strong, with the non-performing loan (NPL) ratio at 2.40%, broadly in line with 2.43% at FY2025 and below industry average.

Shareholders’ funds increased to US$8.6 billion at 31 March 2026, up from US$8.4 billion at FY2025, supported by internally generated capital of US$268.9 million and new equity investments received during the quarter, underscoring the Bank’s continued ability to mobilise capital from its shareholders in support of its growth and development mandate.

The Group delivered strong profitability during the quarter.  Notwithstanding declining benchmark rates, total interest income rose by 14% year-on-year to reach US$813.6 million, while net interest income increased by 24% to US$510.0 million, compared with US$411.2 million in the first quarter of 2025. The Group’s cost-to-income ratio remained contained at 19%, well within the Group’s strategic ceiling of 30%. As a result, Profit for the period increased to US$268.9 million, up from US$215.4 million in Q1 2025.

The Group continued to maintain a strong capital position, with a capital adequacy ratio of 23% as at 31 March 2026, in line with the Bank’s long-term capital management targets.

During the quarter, Afreximbank continued to demonstrate its counter-cyclical role in response to external shocks. In March 2026, the Bank launched a US$10 billion Gulf Crisis Response Programme to help member countries mitigate adverse spillover effects from the Gulf crisis. The facility is designed to support liquidity, stabilise trade and payments, and address supply-side disruptions, particularly in energy, tourism and aviation, fertilisers, food and other critical imports.

The Bank also continued to deploy targeted financing and advisory support to strengthen trade flows, industrial capacity and economic resilience across Africa and CARICOM. Regional integration received further momentum following South Africa’s ratification of the Bank’s Establishment Agreement in February 2026, bringing one of Africa’s largest and most diversified economies into the Bank’s membership and giving the Bank full continental coverage.

Highlights of the results for Afreximbank Group are shown below:

Financial Performance Metrics

Q1’2026

Q1’2025
Gross Income (US$ million)

874.1

784.9
Net Income (US$ million)

268.9

215.4
Return on average equity (ROAE)

13%

12%
Return on average assets (ROAA)

2.62%

2.38%
Cost-to-income ratio

19%

16%

 

Financial Position Metrics

Q1’2026

FY’2025
Total Assets (US$ billion)

41.7

42.3
Total Liabilities (US$ billion)

33.0

33.9
Shareholders’ Funds (US$ billion)

8.6

8.4
Non-performing loans ratio (NPL)

2.40%

2.43%
Cash/Total assets

14%

14%
Capital Adequacy ratio (Basel II)

23%

          23%

 

Mr. Denys Denya, Afreximbank’s Senior Executive Vice President, commented:

“Against a backdrop of continued global uncertainty, heightened geopolitical risks and tight financial conditions, the Group delivered a resilient first-quarter performance, underpinned by disciplined balance sheet management, sound asset quality and strong capital and liquidity buffers. The growth in net interest income and profitability demonstrates the strength of our operating model and the continued relevance of our mandate. Our swift launch of the US$10 billion Gulf Crisis Response Programme further underscores Afreximbank’s counter-cyclical role in supporting member countries during periods of disruption. We remain focused on stabilising trade flows, easing liquidity pressures and advancing the industrial and economic transformation of Africa and the Caribbean.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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Via Licensing Alliance Expands Voice Codec Program with New Licensee, New Licensors, Publishes Comprehensive Pool Rate Structure

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May 22, 2026

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Via Licensing Alliance

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 May 2026 – Via Licensing Alliance (Via) today announced continued momentum for its Voice Codec patent pool, including the addition of a new unnamed licensee and new licensors, NovaVoice Limited and Cordial IP, further growing the program’s patent stack and market penetration from its initial five, large global licensors.

The addition of the new licensee, unnamed at this time, reflects growing industry adoption of the collaborative licensing pathway Via’s Voice Codec program creates for accessing IP rights to critical voice technologies. This addition reflects a growing market uptake of advanced voice technologies, including EVS and IVAS, driven by rising demand as 5G and 5G-Advanced technologies are adopted worldwide.

Additionally, Via continues to prioritize transparency and has published its full rate structure for the Voice Codec pool, providing further clarity and predictability for implementers and to the broader market. For implementers, the full rate structure allows for complete visibility as they consider the appropriate royalty structure to choose from to meet their product level costs, evaluate future growth paths for their product lines, or plan their geographical expansion plan needs. This level of disclosure not only reduces uncertainty in licensing decisions but also enables more consistent benchmarking, reinforcing confidence in fair, market-aligned SEP licensing practices. The program’s royalty rates are listed on Via’s website at https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/voice-codec/#license-fees.

The addition of the new licensors indicates increased interest from patent holders in licensing their voice technology SEPs through highly efficient, aggregated licensing vehicles such as patent pools. Future growth in both the licensor list and the number of patents consolidated through the pool license will continue to enhance the value of the Voice Codec License for implementers. Via’s Voice Codec program licensors are listed here: https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/voice-codec/#licensors.

Via’s Voice Codec pool covers Enhanced Voice Services (EVS), which supports voice communications across more than one billion and growing active devices globally, as well as Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS), which will play a central role in next-generation voice and spatial audio applications.

“We are pleased to welcome these new entrants to our pool, which signal continued growth and momentum our Voice Codec program,” said Kevin Mack, President of Via Licensing Alliance. “This pool license offers strong value relative to other market options and represents the only collaborative licensing solution for EVS and IVAS technologies, making it a smart and efficient pathway for companies seeking to license critical voice capabilities.”

EVS remains a foundational technology for high-quality voice communications in 5G and 5G-Advanced networks, with adoption continuing to expand as 5G, 5G-Advanced and future network iterations reach global scale. As spatial audio and advanced voice technologies expand into 6G and a broader range of non-cellular devices, the importance of IVAS technologies is expected to increase, with Via’s pool offering an early and effective licensing pathway.

For more information about the Voice Codec patent pool, including information for prospective licensees, please visit https://www.via-la.com.

About Via Licensing Alliance:
Via Licensing Alliance is the collaborative licensing leader, dedicated to accelerating global technology adoption, fostering participation, and generating return on innovation with balanced licensing solutions for innovators and manufacturers of all sizes around the globe. Via has operated dozens of licensing programs for a variety of technologies. Via is an independently managed company owned by industry-leading participants with over 25 years of intellectual property licensing leadership. For more information about Via, please visit https://www.via-la.com.

 

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Joint statement welcoming the Republic of Togo’s announcement on Visa facilitation for African nationals

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2 days ago

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May 22, 2026

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Togo

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank commend the Government and people of the Republic of Togo for hosting Biashara Afrika 2026 and for their continued commitment to advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda

LOMÉ, Togo, May 21, 2026/APO Group/ –The AfCFTA Secretariat and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) welcome the announcement by the Government of the Republic of Togo, under the leadership of H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of the Republic of Togo, regarding measures to facilitate visa-free entry for all nationals of African States holding valid passports, as announced by the Minister of Security on 18 May 2026.

The announcement was made in Lomé on the sidelines of Biashara Afrika 2026, the continent’s premier trade and business platform, which has brought together policymakers, private sector leaders, investors, and stakeholders from across Africa to advance dialogue on intra-African trade, investment, and regional integration.

Throughout the engagements, participants underscored the importance of facilitating the movement of African citizens, entrepreneurs, and investors as an important enabler of intra-African trade and economic cooperation. Against this backdrop, the announcement reflects the growing continental momentum towards strengthening connectivity and deepening African integration.

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank, to which Togo is a State Party and a Member State, envision a continent where goods, services, capital, and people move more freely across borders in support of an integrated African market. Measures that facilitate mobility and connectivity continue to contribute towards advancing the broader mandate of both institutions; the attainment of the aspirations of Agenda 2063.

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank commend the Government and people of the Republic of Togo for hosting Biashara Afrika 2026 and for their continued commitment to advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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