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Global Mercy™ Begins Local Healthcare Training, Following Historic Week of Events in Dakar

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Global Mercy

A prestigious award for founder Don Stephens and blessing of the Global Mercy™ add to the launch of a packed training schedule designed to increase healthcare capacity in Africa

DAKAR, Senegal, June 6, 2022/APO Group/ — 

In the midst of celebrations around the arrival of the Global Mercy™ to Senegal, training has already begun by the crew of the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, currently docked in Dakar for its first African mission. In June, more than 260 Senegalese healthcare professionals will receive training on board this brand-new hospital ship, through a variety of courses, including Surgical Skills, SAFE Anesthesia, Nursing Skills, and more.  These first of many training sessions will address topics impacting delivery of safe surgical care.  

During the week, Don Stephens, Founder of Mercy Ships, received the Commander of the Ordre national du Lion du Sénégal. Veteran surgeon Dr. Gary Parker, Africa Mercy® Chief Medical Officer, received the Officer of the Ordre national du Lion du Sénégal at the Presidential Palace. The Order of the Lion is reserved for only the most distinguished civil or military service.

Lindsay McCurley, Medical Capacity Building Program Partner, oversees the practice time during the Neonatal Resuscitation Course

Ceremonies throughout the past week commemorated more than 30 years of service in Africa and were concluded with a special ceremony of naming and blessing for the Global Mercy, attended by key members of Mercy Ships, governmental dignitaries, and partners including WHO Africa, Johnson & Johnson, and Smile Train.

At the Ceremony of Blessing, Dr. Diop, Secretary General of Senegal, said “It’s my pleasure to be here on behalf of the President to help my country, (which is) facing huge surgical needs as you know. We are very honored and proud to host the Global Mercy for the first time in Africa. Access to surgery is very limited and expensive. On one hand, hospitals are not well equipped. On the other, our medical staff are not well trained. Mercy Ships comes as a gift.”

Gert van de Weerdhof, Mercy Ships Chief Executive Officer, stated, “This is a holy moment. After many years of planning, preparation, and partnership, the Global Mercy officially becomes part of the Mercy Ships fleet, doubling opportunities for safe and free surgery to take place, transforming lives not only of the patients but their families and communities.”

He went on to say “We aim to provide approximately 5,000 training hours during this first visit of the Global Mercy, incorporating areas of the hospital we could never usually use for training in a field service, creating an impactful experience for our participants.  We look forward to returning in 2023 to Dakar to continue our support and see surgical capacity strengthened.”

After many years of planning, preparation, and partnership, the Global Mercy officially becomes part of the Mercy Ships fleet

Last week H.E. President of Senegal Macky Sall inaugurated the world’s largest private floating hospital and committed to accelerate access to surgical, obstetric, and anesthetic care for the nations of Africa.  Representatives from Cameroon, the Union of Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal gathered on board the Global Mercy to approve a strategic road map to improve surgical care for African nations by 2030, where an estimated 93% of sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to safe surgery.

Photo Credit Ruben Plomp

Global humanitarian organization Mercy Ships and its partners in Africa used this opportunity to come together in an unprecedented and strategic effort to improve access to safer surgery across the continent through a series of milestone events, including the agreement of the Dakar Declaration, a plan to accelerate access to surgical, obstetric, and anesthetic care across Africa, which H.E. President Macky Sall will now take forward to the rest of the African Union.

The new hospital ship, the Global Mercy™, is 174 meters long, 28.6 meters wide and has space for 200 patients, six operating rooms, a laboratory, general outpatient clinics, dental, and eye clinics. The hospital decks cover a total area of 7,000 square meters and contain the latest training facilities. When in full service, the ship will be able to accommodate up to 950 people when docked, including crewmembers and volunteers from all over the world and serve collaboratively with the Africa Mercy, in operation since 2007.

Over the next 50 years of the Global Mercy’s lifespan, it’s expected that more than 150,000 lives will be transformed through surgery alone, with each transformation representing a person with a name, a face, a story, a family, and a purpose. Thousands of African medical professionals will receive training and mentoring with the goal of multiplied impact within their own communities.

Following the four-week training period in Dakar, the ship will complete final equipping in the Canary Islands for the remainder of 2022 and plans to return to Dakar in 2023 for the crew’s first surgical field service. The Africa Mercy will remain in Senegal until the end of the year, continuing to provide surgeries and bringing hope and healing to many.

Recordings of the ceremonies include:

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mercy Ships.

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Global advertising spend surges 11.9% to $1.34trn this year despite consumer caution

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3 hours ago

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October 8, 2026

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WARC

Social media is expected to record the strongest growth up 21.3% to $394.6bn
VOD (15.1%), retail media (14.3%), search (14.2%) and digital OOH (13.7%) are all set for double-digit increases
Technology and electronics (20.7%), travel and transport (19.3%) and automotive (17.8%) to be fastest growing product categories
Ad spend growth in 2027 expected to moderate (8.4%) to $1.46trn

WARC Media Global Ad Spend Forecast Q3 2026 update

8 October 2026 – Global ad spend is forecast to grow 11.9% to $1.34trn in 2026, according to the latest data from WARC Media. This comes on the back of strong 10.0% growth in 2024 and 2025.

 




 
 

Advertising investment continues to grow despite consumer pressure and geopolitical uncertainty, fueled by significant corporate AI investment and major events including the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and US mid-term elections. While the economy has remained resilient to date, further escalations of global tensions pose potential downside risks.

Suzy Young, Head of WARC Media Data, says: “These are unusual times for advertising. Investment is accelerating even as many consumers face cost-of-living pressures and become more cautious with spending. This apparent contradiction reflects an increasingly uneven economy, where growth – particularly from the AI boom – is benefiting some companies, sectors and consumers more than others.”

Performance priority

Social media, search and retail media are three of the biggest channels for ad investment. Altogether they are expected to account for 66.4% of total global ad spend in 2026, rising to 70.0% in 2028.

Social media is set to register the strongest growth in ad spend this year, up 21.3% to $394.6bn, and is on course to exceed $500bn in 2028. Video on-demand (15.1% to $48.4bn), retail media (14.3% to $202.1bn), search (14.2% to $295.7bn) and digital OOH (13.7% to $21.7bn) will also see double-digit increases this year. Performance channels, which can adapt quickly to changing conditions, continue to benefit as uncertainty becomes the new norm.

Technology and electronics is forecast to be the fastest growing product category this year, rising 20.7% compared with 2025, followed by travel and transport (19.3%) and automotive (17.8%). Social media is expected to account for 40.2% of all tech and electronics spend in 2026.

2027 and 2028 ad spend outlook

Ad spend growth is expected to moderate in 2027, rising 8.4% to $1.46trn, reflecting tougher comparables and a normalisation from the exceptionally strong growth seen in recent years.

In 2028, ad spend will increase by a further 7.9% to $1.57trn – putting the market on course to be 2.3 times larger than it was a decade ago in 2019.

New AI destinations emerge

AI is driving advertising growth from multiple angles. New tech businesses are investing to acquire customers and build brands, while established companies spend heavily to compete in an increasingly crowded market. Simultaneously, AI tools are enhancing targeting, asset creation, and campaign optimisation – boosting ROI and fueling further investment.

AI is also opening new destinations for advertising. As generative search and AI assistants become gateways to product discovery and purchasing, ad dollars will follow – fundamentally reshaping where consumers encounter brands and where advertisers invest.

AI fuels ad triopoly

Alphabet, Amazon and Meta are set to take a combined market share of 59.7% of global ad spend (excluding China) this year – equivalent to $659.6bn. This is predicted to rise to 61.5%, or $804.1bn, in 2028.

Ad spend signals opportunity

Ad spend per capita vries dramatically across global markets. Developed economies like the US ($1395 per capita forecast for 2026), UK ($935), Austria ($850), and Switzerland ($825) show significantly higher advertising intensity, while China ($170), Brazil ($110), and India ($13) combine lower per-capita spending with massive consumer populations – highlighting substantial growth potential as these emerging markets mature.

WARC Media subscribers can read WARC’s global ad spend Q3 2026 update report in full.
 




 

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Investors Back Platinum Credit Uganda: First Tranche Subscribed Nearly 2.5 Times

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October 8, 2026

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The tranche is the first issuance under a UGX 70 billion Medium Term Note programme approved by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA)

KAMPALA, Uganda, October 7, 2026/APO Group/ –Platinum Credit Uganda this week listed its Medium Term Notes on the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE), after investors bid for almost two and a half times the amount on offer in the first tranche.

 




  

Download document: https://apo-opa.co/4rUcD15

Ugandan investors have given Platinum Uganda a strong vote of confidence

The first tranche of the private placement, with a base quantum of UGX 20 billion with a greenshoe option of UGX 10 billion, closed at a subscription rate of 246%, with investors applying for more than UGX 49 billion. Given the strong demand, Platinum Credit exercised the greenshoe option, and UGX 30 billion of notes was accepted. The tranche is the first issuance under a UGX 70 billion Medium Term Note programme approved by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA). The programme also includes a greenshoe option of UGX 30 billion, which takes the full programme to UGX 100 billion.

Investors could choose between three-, five- and eight-year notes, with interest paid quarterly. The notes were issued on 30 September 2026.

The company plans to use the new funding to grow its lending to the individuals and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) it already serves. At the end of 2025, Platinum Credit Uganda had over 30,000 active clients across Uganda. In the same year, small and medium businesses received more than UGX 71 billion in loans, helping them keep their cash flow steady and their operations running. In 2026, the company aims to put a further UGX 10 billion into Ugandan small businesses, prioritising those led by women and young people, and to expand its lending to smallholder dairy farmers.

Albert Abaasa, Managing Director of Platinum Credit Uganda, said: “We invited bids for UGX 20 billion and investors offered us nearly UGX 50 billion, which allowed us to exercise our greenshoe option and raise UGX 30 billion. That is a clear sign of trust in how we run this business and in where we are taking it. These funds will help us reach more customers across Uganda, and listing on the USE gives investors an opportunity to back a business that is expanding access to finance.”

Brett Sievwright, Chief Executive Officer of Platcorp Group, said: “Ugandan investors have given Platinum Uganda a strong vote of confidence. Raising long-term funding locally, in shillings, means the business can lend in the same currency its customers trade in. The strength of demand shows clear investor confidence in Platinum Uganda’s growth story. We thank the Capital Markets Authority, the Uganda Securities Exchange and our partners for their work in bringing these notes to market.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Platcorp Group.

 

 




 

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All Roads Lead to Namibia: The 7th Canada-Africa Business Conference Returns to Windhoek, 2–4 February 2027

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7 hours ago

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October 8, 2026

By

Ateau Zola

The Conference is anticipated to be the largest event the Chamber has convened on the African continent in its 33-year history

TORONTO, Canada, October 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business (www.CanadaAfrica.ca) is pleased to announce that the 7th Canada-Africa Business Conference will take place in Windhoek, Namibia, from 2–4 February 2027, under the headline sponsorship of B2Gold. The program opens with a site visit to B2Gold’s Otjikoto operations on 2–3 February, followed by a full conference day on Thursday, 4 February — in the days immediately preceding the Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town. The Conference is anticipated to be the largest event the Chamber has convened on the African continent in its 33-year history.

 




  

During Africa Accelerating 2026, held in Toronto, a point was made that echoed throughout the program: all roads lead to Namibia for the next Canada-Africa Business Conference. “We are so delighted to be returning to Windhoek, and to be doing so with partners who continue to demonstrate what Canada-Africa collaboration can achieve,” said Garreth Bloor, President of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.

“Last year we welcomed over 50 Canadian company representatives among the hundreds of delegates – we’ve now doubled capacity for the next event, based on demand,” explained Bloor during the Africa Accelerating conference underway in Toronto this year.

Otjikoto has shown what is possible when a Canadian company and a Namibian community build together over the long term, in a country that is a gateway to the African continent

In remarks to the previous Canada-Africa Business Conference in Windhoek, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Mark Carney, recognized the Chamber “for convening leaders from across Canada and Africa” — commending its role in advancing investment, trade and partnership, and in connecting businesses and institutions to drive practical collaboration and shared growth.

“B2Gold is proud to support the Chamber’s largest event on African soil in its 33-year history, and proud that it is taking place in Namibia,” said John Roos, Managing Director of B2Gold Namibia. “Otjikoto has shown what is possible when a Canadian company and a Namibian community build together over the long term, in a country that is a gateway to the African continent. Welcoming business leaders to the mining operations, and to the investments in other sectors that have grown up around them, alongside the launch of the B2Gold Foundation in Windhoek, is our way of inviting others to see that partnership for themselves — and to consider what they might build here.”

Africa Accelerating, the Chamber’s flagship conference taking place in Canada this week, also featured a keynote address by Neil Reeder, Vice President, Government Relations at B2Gold, underscoring how vital B2Gold’s work is as a model for Canada-Africa trade and investment — and for deeper engagement between Canada and African markets.

Individuals who wish to find out more may visit the conference page here (https://apo-opa.co/4zjUsEH).

Registrants who wish to indicate their interest in joining the event may do so here (https://apo-opa.co/4hwRBlL).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.

 




 

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