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Network International and Magnati merge to create the leading fintech across the Middle East & Africa

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Network International

Network International (www.Network.ae), a leading fintech company across the Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Magnati, a leading payment solution provider in the UAE, today announced the completion of their strategic merger under the ownership of a Brookfield-led consortium.

The combined platform of Network International and Magnati will empower local merchants to thrive in one of the world’s most dynamic fintech regions

The merged entity will operate under the name Network International LLC.  With an expanded suite of solutions, ranging from digital payments and data-driven insights to SME lending and advanced fraud prevention, the merged entity is well-placed to drive innovation, scale, and financial inclusion across the region. The company will continue to collaborate with governments to accelerate digital transformation and expand access to financial services throughout MEA.

Hadi Badri, Chairman of the Board, Network International, said, “This merger creates a UAE homegrown fintech champion for the Middle East and Africa region with attractive opportunities for growth and innovation. The combined platform of Network International and Magnati will empower local merchants to thrive in one of the world’s most dynamic fintech regions.”

Murat Cagri Suzer, Group CEO of Network International, said, “By uniting two leaders with deep regional expertise and capabilities, we are creating a fintech platform with the scale, technology, and talent to shape the future of digital commerce across the region. Together, we bring even greater value to our clients and partners through diverse product offerings, faster innovation, enhanced data and insights, and a stronger geographic footprint.”

The integration of both businesses will take place in a phased manner, and their brands will continue to co-exist for the time being.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Network International.

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Sancorp Group Joins African Energy Week (AEW) as Platinum Partner, Deepening Its African Energy Footprint

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African Energy Chamber

The trading group brings vertical integration, investment and upstream services to AEW 2026, with operations spanning Nigeria, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Angola

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 20, 2026/APO Group/ –Sancorp Group, the Dubai-headquartered energy and commodities trading group with active operations across sub-Saharan Africa, will participate as a Platinum Partner at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town from October 12-16. The partnership, AEW’s highest tier, reflects the growing commercial engagement between Gulf-based energy groups and African markets.

 




 

Sancorp operates across the full energy value chain, from crude oil and refined product trading through upstream asset participation and oilfield services. Its trading counterparties include Trafigura, Mercuria, Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Dangote Fertilizers, Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR), PETROCI, the Tema Oil Refinery and Ghana’s Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST). To date, Sancorp has structured over $2 billion in oil and gas investments across the continent.

The group’s vast commercial network makes its presence at AEW a prime opportunity for operators, refineries and traders looking to build or expand supply relationships in West Africa. The Ivory Coast is Sancorp’s largest and most active market, with projected annual flows exceeding $600 million across refined products, crude, LPG and fertilizer deliveries into SIR and PETROCI.

Sancorp is built around relationships and execution in markets where both of those things are hard to get right

In July 2026, the group delivered more than 36,000 tons of gasoil into SIR’s Abidjan terminal. Sancorp also holds a government-certified license to import and distribute fertilizers in the country, supplying 500,000 bags of urea and NPK annually through the Ministry of Agriculture.

In Ghana, Sancorp supplied more than 300,000 tons of gasoil and gasoline in 2024, while in Nigeria its subsidiary SCP Energy maintains NIPEX-certified upstream service capabilities and is a certified export trading counterparty to the Dangote Refinery. The group is also expanding into Angola, where it is registered with Sonangol and in advanced discussions on minority interests in two deepwater production blocks and an equity stake in one of the country’s planned grassroots refineries.

For AEW 2026 attendees, Sancorp’s model represents the kind of Gulf-to-Africa commercial bridge that is becoming more prominent across the continent’s energy trading landscape: structured finance, physical trading capacity and on-the-ground presence across multiple West African markets, all housed within a single group. The Platinum Partnership gives Sancorp visibility across the full AEW program as it looks to scale its trading book and deepen its upstream and refining positions.

“Sancorp is built around relationships and execution in markets where both of those things are hard to get right,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “This is a group that is actively trading, investing and building upstream positions across West Africa, and their presence at the event creates real opportunities for the operators and governments in the room.”

As a Platinum Partner at AEW 2026, Sancorp is expected to engage operators, refineries, NOCs and investors on trading partnerships, upstream investment and supply-chain development across West and Southern Africa.

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

 




 

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China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd. (CCXI) affirms Afreximbank’s AAA/Stable rating for second consecutive year

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Afreximbank

The CCXI affirmation follows S&P Global Ratings’ assignment earlier this year of ‘BBB+’ long-term and ‘A-2’ short-term issuer credit ratings to Afreximbank, with a Stable outlook

CAIRO, Egypt, August 21, 2026/APO Group/ –China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd. (CCXI) has affirmed African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) AAA issuer credit rating with a Stable outlook for the second consecutive year, underscoring the Bank’s financial strength and strategic importance.

In its 2026 Credit Rating Report for the Bank, released in Beijing on 30 July, CCXI said it expects the Bank’s credit rating to remain stable in the next 12 to 18 months.

 




 
 

CCXI’s affirmation of our AAA rating for a second consecutive year is a strong endorsement of Afreximbank’s financial strength

The report affirmed Afreximbank’s “advantages, including high strategic positioning, sound risk management system, flexible business development, strong profitability, prudent liquidity management and a very high coverage ratio of current assets to short-term debts,” saying that these strengths “strongly supported the overall credit strength of the Bank”.

Commenting on the rating, Mr. Chandi Mwenebungu, Managing Director, Treasury & Markets and Treasurer said:

“CCXI’s affirmation of our AAA rating for a second consecutive year is a strong endorsement of Afreximbank’s financial strength, disciplined risk management and enduring relevance to Africa and Global Africa. It demonstrates our ability to deliver on our mandate, support our member states through periods of uncertainty and mobilise capital from the breadth and depth of diverse funding pools across local and global markets, while maintaining the financial resilience and institutional strength expected of a leading multilateral development bank.”

The rating also reinforces Afreximbank’s access to diversified funding sources, particularly in China, while enhancing the Bank’s growing footprint, profile and market presence in one of the world’s largest and most important capital markets. In 2025, the Bank issued its inaugural RMB2.2 billion Panda bond, becoming the first African multilateral development institution to access the Panda bond market, and subsequently became a direct participant in China’s Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), further strengthening its role in facilitating China-Africa trade and investment flows and partnerships.

The CCXI affirmation follows S&P Global Ratings’ assignment earlier this year of ‘BBB+’ long-term and ‘A-2’ short-term issuer credit ratings to Afreximbank, with a Stable outlook. Afreximbank also holds investment-grade ratings from GCR (A), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Moody’s (Baa2).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

 




 

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African Development Bank Group launches up to USD 5.1 billion response plan to offset energy and fertilizer shocks in African countries

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African Development Bank

The Global Energy And Fertilizer Crisis Response Framework (GEFCRF), approved on 1 September 2026, enables the Bank Group to deliver timely, targeted support to address the immediate needs stemming from the crisis and to strengthen African member countries against future shocks

ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire, September 8, 2026/APO Group/ –The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved a new framework to mitigate the impact of the global energy and fertilizer crisis on African countries.

The Global Energy And Fertilizer Crisis Response Framework (GEFCRF), approved on 1 September 2026, enables the Bank Group to deliver timely, targeted support to address the immediate needs stemming from the crisis and to strengthen African member countries against future shocks.

 




  

Building on successful experiences from the Bank’s COVID-19 Response Facility and the African Emergency Food Production Facility, the framework is designed to provide immediate relief while laying foundations for stronger, more self-reliant and resilient African economies

The framework will be financed through an additional USD 4.1 billion in African Development Bank lending and up to USD 960 million from the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional lending arm.  The additional resources will increase the Bank’s 2026 lending target to approximately USD 12.7 billion, enabling the Bank Group to provide timely and targeted support to countries affected by the crisis while strengthening resilience to future shocks.

When fertilizer becomes too expensive or difficult to find, farmers use less and harvests can suffer

The response is temporary and valid for one year from the Board’s approval date, after which it will be reviewed before extending. The GEFCRF will be demand-driven, with support tailored to address the specific vulnerability levels with an appropriate financial and policy response.

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East continues to pose a significant external shock to African economies, reflected in rising global prices for energy, food, fertilizers and other commodities on which many African countries remain heavily dependent and import massively.

Disruptions to global trade routes and logistics, including key maritime corridors, are compounding these pressures by increasing transport costs, delaying deliveries, and amplifying supply chain fragility.

The GEFCRF will work across four main pillars to:

  • Stabilise macroeconomic conditions: Provide rapid counter-cyclical financing, short-term buffers, and coordinated fiscal, monetary, and debt policy responses during shocks.
  • Secure critical food, energy and fertilizer supply systems: Use emergency and trade finance to protect food, energy, and fertilizer supplies, while supporting vulnerable populations in particular vulnerable women and stabilising markets.
  • Protect essential spending and vulnerable households: Safeguard priority public expenditures and deploy targeted social protection to cushion vulnerable groups in particular women and youth, reduce reliance on broad subsidies and prevent deepening of fragility.
  • Sustain reforms for medium to long-term resilience building: Policy space preserved for medium-term reforms that reduce dependence on volatile external energy, food and fertilizer markets, establish foundations for diversified supply chains and regional solutions and enhance fiscal resilience and crisis-response readiness.

“This framework is about listening and responding to the urgent needs of African countries, helping them protect households and vulnerable populations, keep food, fertilizer and energy systems functioning, and preserve hard-won development gains while building greater resilience for the future,” said Abdul Kamara, Acting Vice President for Country and Regional Operations, “A crisis response must do more than cushion the shock. It must make countries stronger. That is exactly what this framework aims to achieve.”

“The Bank’s new Global Energy and Fertilizer Crisis Response Framework gives us a way to respond to the pressures African farmers are facing as the conflict in the Middle East disrupts global trade,” noted Martin Fregene, Officer in Charge Vice President for the Agriculture, Human and Social Development.

“When fertilizer becomes too expensive or difficult to find, farmers use less and harvests can suffer. Access to finance is part of the solution, helping businesses keep fertilizer moving to farmers, while we work to build stronger fertilizer markets and more local supply in Africa, “he added.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

 




 

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