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Enhanced connectivity, local content and targeted policies key to realising Africa’s e-commerce potential, GSM Association (GSMA) report affirms

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GSM Association

The report was launched on the sidelines of MWC Kigali, during an event hosted by African Business

KIGALI, Rwanda, October 24, 2023/APO Group/ — 

A report from GSMA Central Insights Unit, in collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Department for Business and Trade, has shown that while the sector is growing, e-commerce in Africa is underutilised and has tremendous space for growth. The report, titled “E-commerce in Africa: Unleashing the opportunity for MSMEs” was launched at the 2023 Mobile World Congress, in Kigali, Rwanda.

A report by the GSM Association (GSMA) and the UK’s Department for Business and Trade highlighted the impact of e-commerce on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to help them grow new markets, profitability and resilience. However, in Africa, online retail as a proportion of total retail sales remains much lower than in other regions around the world, indicating that the continent’s MSMEs are not fully leveraging the e-commerce opportunity for growth. The report was launched on the sidelines of MWC Kigali, during an event hosted by African Business.

Recent years have seen steady improvement in connectivity and an increase in the adoption of mobile technology by both businesses, including MSMEs, and consumers on the continent. However, in 2022, the report estimates that only 400 million of the 1.4 billion people in Africa used e-commerce services, indicating that there is a lot of room for the sector to grow.

The report, which is based on interviews with 1,500 MSMEs using e-commerce in Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, as well as interviews with experts in those countries in addition to others from Rwanda, Senegal, and Tanzania, aims to gain a better market understanding to help MSMEs better leverage the digital opportunity. It also aims to help donors and development partners to better design their interventions to support MSMEs in Africa.

“E-commerce adoption is growing, and market forecasts suggest that there will be almost 600 million online shoppers in Africa by 2027. Our objective was to understand pain points and opportunities through an MSME lens. We also wanted to highlight how MSMEs can be supported in adopting e-commerce as a key driver for operational efficiency and business growth,” explained Daniele Tricarico, Senior Director, Central Insights and M&E. Tricarico, who presented the findings of the report, highlighted some of the concerns relayed by the participants in the survey, such as the need for capital and training as well as logistical challenges and a lack of trust, which affect the uptake of ecommerce services.

E-commerce adoption is growing, and market forecasts suggest that there will be almost 600 million online shoppers in Africa by 2027

According to the report, some of the barriers to the growth of the sector include limited financial resources and digital skills; regulatory gaps; poor implementation of legislation; low uptake of digital payments; and challenging logistics and delivery. The use of e-commerce is also hampered by factors such as the limited penetration of smartphones, low digital literacy and the lack of confidence in the quality of goods that are purchased online.

In response to these challenges, the report makes a number of recommendations to help boost e-commerce on the continent. These include financial products and reskilling to help MSMEs to adopt e-commerce, better quality connectivity especially in rural areas and interventions to make smartphones more affordable. Others are reviews of policies and laws to offer better protection to consumers and clarity to businesses, a shift from cash on delivery to digital payments and more reliable and affordable delivery and transport systems to facilitate delivery of purchases to buyers. The report also shows how women, who are more likely to rely solely on social media to promote their businesses, can be further supported in building their e-commerce businesses through targeted interventions including upskilling.

Jamila Saidi, Head of Digital Commerce at the UK’s business and trade department said: “Africa continues to harness the power of technology and drive digital transformation, it will undoubtedly contribute to the advancement of e-commerce, cross-border trade, and digital entrepreneurship on a global scale. We’re excited to be partnering with the GSMA on this important research that sheds light on the e-commerce opportunities for female entrepreneurs and MSMEs on the continent as well as the challenges they face and how some of the key barriers can be addressed”.

Speaking in a fireside chat at the launch event, Philip Lucky, CIO of the Rwanda Development Board, said technology and services were at the heart of the country’s ambitious drive to reach upper middle income status by 2050. “Over the past two years, we have passed 19 laws to strengthen the regulatory environment, enabling, among other things, companies to set up here in any form they’d like,” he said of his country’s efforts to attract and retain investment.

The GSMA is an international organisation that unifies the mobile ecosystem to find, create, and deliver innovation that is the cornerstone of healthy business environments and societal transformation. The UK Department for Business and Trade promotes economic growth by encouraging and funding foreign trade and investment, as well as supporting free trade, economic security, and robust supply networks. It seeks to ensure both UK and global prosperity. It works with UK-based enterprises to secure their success in worldwide markets and entices foreign businesses to choose the UK as their go-to global partner. The GSMA and DBT partnership aims to assist businesses to take full advantage of the potential that mobile driven, digital trade presents.

Download the report: https://apo-opa.info/3Fvix1y

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Business.

Business

Aurionpro expands its multi-country transaction banking engagement with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB)

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Aurionpro

Aurionpro’s upgraded iCashpro platform for DTB delivers a unified digital experience across payments, trade, virtual accounts, and real-time reporting, enhancing straight-through processing, visibility, and control for both the bank and its corporate customers

MUMBAI, India, April 30, 2026/APO Group/ –Aurionpro Solutions Limited (www.AurionPro.com) (BSE: 532668 | NSE: AURIONPRO)a global leader in banking technology, announced the expansion and upgrade of its transaction banking engagement with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), to modernize and enhance the bank’s corporate transaction banking capabilities across multiple countries.

Download Document: https://apo-opa.co/4edHUaC

This multi-country transaction banking upgrade covering Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania aligns with DTB’s intent to enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and support growing transaction volumes as it expands its regional corporate banking footprint. DTB continues to focus on building a more agile, ‘digital-first’ banking experience, particularly around payments for its corporate customers across Africa, and is now well positioned to scale these capabilities. As part of its broader transformation agenda, the bank has been steadily investing in platforms that enhance scale, reliability, and service consistency across markets.

Through this partnership, we are proud to lead the next era of transformation in transaction banking, helping DTB enhance operational agility

Aurionpro’s upgraded iCashpro platform for DTB delivers a unified digital experience across payments, trade, virtual accounts, and real-time reporting, enhancing straight-through processing, visibility, and control for both the bank and its corporate customers. By enabling DTB to standardize and scale its transaction banking operations across countries, the platform ensures consistent service levels, stronger control, and improved efficiency. It also supports enhanced user experience, advanced security, and the flexibility to introduce new features as DTB expands its regional transaction banking footprint.

Murali Natarajan (https://apo-opa.co/48trPdk), Managing Director & CEO, DTB Kenya   commented: “We are delighted to strengthen and broaden our partnership with Aurionpro Solutions as part of DTB’s ongoing digital transformation journey across multiple markets. Our focus on innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centricity continues to guide our technology investments. This upgrade strengthens our transaction banking capabilities, enabling us to deliver greater value to our customers through robust digital channels and seamlessly integrated experiences.”

Ashish Rai, Group CEO, Aurionpro Solutions, commented: “We are pleased to deepen our multi-country engagement with Diamond Trust Bank and support the next phase of its transaction banking modernization. As DTB continues to scale across markets, platform resilience and consistency become paramount. Through this partnership, we are proud to lead the next era of transformation in transaction banking, helping DTB enhance operational agility, deliver superior experiences to corporate customers, and create long-term value across geographies.”

He added, “Aurionpro’s iCashpro lays a strong digital foundation for transaction & wholesale banks across the globe to grow their corporate and SME client portfolio today, while creating a clear roadmap for next- generation capabilities in AI-driven insights, advanced automation and API-led connectivity for businesses in Kenya and across Africa.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Aurionpro Solutions Ltd.

 

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Minerals Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joins African Mining Week (AMW) as South Africa Improves Sectorial Investment Climate

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Energy Capital

Minerals Council CEO to share insights on policy, infrastructure and investment trends shaping South Africa’s mining industry

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 30, 2026/APO Group/ –The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) conference will feature Mzila Mthenjane, CEO of the Minerals Council of South Africa, as a speaker. Scheduled for October 14 – 16, 2026 in Cape Town, the event will bring together global investors, policymakers and industry leaders, with Mthenjane’s participation highlighting the council’s commitment to engaging international stakeholders and promoting investment across South Africa’s mining sector.

His participation comes at a critical moment as the Minerals Council works closely with government on finalizing the Mineral Resources Development Bill 2025, a policy framework aimed at strengthening the country’s mining investment climate and the sector’s contribution to GDP. According to the council, the revised legislation will support new investment across the value chain as South Africa seeks to mobilize R2 trillion over the next five years to unlock its critical minerals potential.

The policy reforms come amid shifting production trends in the sector. In 2025, South Africa recorded declines in gold and platinum group metals output of 1.9% and 4.1%, respectively. The new regulatory framework is expected to strengthen public-private partnerships and stimulate investment, enabling South Africa to increase production and capitalize on strong global commodity prices. Increased private sector investments is crucial with South Africa seeking targeting to unlock an estimated R40 trillion in untapped iron ore potential as well as maintain its position as the world’s leading producer of chrome and manganese.

At AMW 2026, Mthenjane is expected to outline these trends, providing insights into how the council is contributing to addressing challenges disrupting the sector. Infrastructure and energy costs remain key concerns for industry players. To support the energy-intensive sector, South Africa approved a 35% reduction in electricity tariffs for major ferrochrome producers, helping stabilize an industry that has faced significant cost pressures after electricity prices surged by roughly 900% since 2008.

Logistics constraints are also a priority area for reform. South Africa’s economy is losing an estimated R1 billion per day due to inefficiencies across rail and port infrastructure. As a result, the government is considering measures supported by the Minerals Council to increase private sector participation in logistics. Planned reforms include rail modernization initiatives targeting 250 million tons of freight capacity by 2029, alongside port upgrades and private operator participation aimed at strengthening mineral exports and improving supply chain efficiency.

Beyond infrastructure and policy reforms, the Minerals Council is advocating for stronger exploration investment to support long-term industry growth.

At AMW, Mthenjane is expected to highlight these developments and outline the steps required to reinforce South Africa’s position in the global minerals supply chain. His insights will offer investors and stakeholders a timely perspective on opportunities within the country’s mining sector.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Seychelles Targets Energy Investment Push as Minister Jérémie Joins African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 as a Speaker

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African Energy Chamber

Seychelles energy minister will speak at AEW 2026, positioning her to highlight reforms, renewable projects and investment opportunities as the island nation advances its transition toward a diversified energy system

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 29, 2026/APO Group/ –Marie-May Jérémie, Minister of Environment, Climate, Energy and Natural Resources for Seychelles will participate as a speaker at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place from October 12–16 in Cape Town. Her participation underscores the country’s growing role in shaping Africa’s small-island energy transition agenda.

Minister Jérémie’s presence at AEW 2026 comes at a critical time as Seychelles accelerates efforts to reduce its heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels. The event provides a platform to attract investment, strengthen policy alignment and showcase bankable projects, positioning the country as a viable destination for private-sector participation in island energy systems.

Seychelles is demonstrating how policy reform and innovation can unlock investment in constrained environments

In May last year, international finance institution the World Bank approved the Renewable Energy Acceleration Program, a seven-year initiative aimed at modernizing the grid and increasing renewable energy penetration to 15% by 2030. The program focuses on unlocking private capital while strengthening transmission infrastructure to accommodate variable renewable energy sources.

Project development is gaining traction in the country, particularly in innovative technologies suited to Seychelles’ land constraints. The 5.8 MW Seysun Lagoon floating solar PV project, developed by independent renewable power producer Qair, is under construction and expected online in 2026.

Alongside renewables, Seychelles continues to pursue upstream opportunities to diversify its economy. The government approved new exploration entrants in 2025 and extended exiting petroleum agreements, while securing an infrastructure partnership with China. Multilateral estimates suggest over $800 million in investment will be required over the next 25 years.

Regulatory reform is central to this transition, with Seychelles introducing an independent power producer framework to open the market to private developers. Standardized power purchase agreements, grid access reforms and strengthened public-private partnership structures are being implemented to improve transparency, reduce risk and accelerate project bankability across solar, storage and emerging wind opportunities.

“Minister Jérémie’s participation highlights the strategic importance of island nations in Africa’s broader energy transition,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Seychelles is demonstrating how policy reform and innovation can unlock investment in constrained environments. Her insights will be critical to advancing dialogue on resilient, low-carbon energy systems across the continent.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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