EDINBURGH, Scotland, March 11, 2025/APO Group/ –The Scottish Africa Business Association (SABA) (www.AfricaScot.com), a membership organisation seeking to facilitate commercial success by connecting Scotland and Africa, and APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), the award-winning pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, are pleased to announce a partnership in terms of which APO Group will provide strategic communications support to SABA in its activities aimed at fostering business relations and facilitating trade between Scotland and the African continent.

Strategic partnerships between Africa and Scotland are opening new markets in several sectors. The latter’s expertise in renewable energy has seen Scottish businesses active (https://apo-opa.co/4iFLhG6) in 72 countries, including African nations such as Burundi, Cabo Verde, and Mozambique. Collaborations between Scottish universities and African institutions (https://apo-opa.co/4kHgnyU) focus on research, capacity building and knowledge exchange, and there is growing interest in technological collaborations, particularly in areas such as fintech, health tech and agritech.

Turning Scotland-Africa Connections into Commercial Success 

SABA was established in response to a need by both African and Scottish stakeholders for streamlined, secure engagement with potential trade and investment partners on the continent. It aims to help deliver tangible commercial outputs that benefit African countries and Scottish companies and institutions by making executing opportunities easier for both sides. With an in-depth understanding of African sectoral needs in the energy, agriculture, education, healthcare, fintech, and other industries, and insight into Scotland’s strengths and capabilities in these sectors, SABA works closely with members, African governments, and its partners and local network to help identify, research, and define specific opportunities and potential funding options.

“At SABA, we are committed to building meaningful connections that drive commercial success for Scotland and Africa. Our partnership with APO Group is a key step in amplifying our aims, ensuring that the opportunities we create reach the right audiences and have a lasting impact. With APO Group’s deep expertise in strategic communications across the continent, we can better support our members and businesses in Scotland, showcase Scotland’s strengths in key sectors, and increase trade and investment that benefits businesses on both sides. Together, we are strengthening Scotland-Africa partnerships and unlocking new opportunities for collaboration and growth,” said SABA Chief Executive Officer, Frazer Lang.

A Commitment to Advancing Excellence in Africa 

With a long-standing and accomplished track record of supporting global clients on the African continent, APO Group’s multilingual, multicultural team has extensive experience and expertise in navigating Africa’s complex media and business landscape. The collaboration with SABA aligns with the company’s vision of championing Africa’s narratives, amplifying Africa’s voices, and bridging Africa and the world.

Emphasising the two organisations’ mutual goal of promoting tangible business opportunities on the African continent, APO Group Founder and Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard (www.Pompigne-Mognard.com) said, “APO Group’s unrivalled network and ecosystem, strong media relationships, and strategic partnerships open doors to diverse markets across Africa. With a shared commitment to showcasing the continent’s innovation and opportunities for economic growth, and telling the many positive stories that exist, our 360-degree consultancy approach brings the best of APO Group to SABA. We look forward to working with SABA to increase Africa’s visibility in the global business landscape while strengthening Scotland’s position as a key player in African economic development.”

In addition to initiatives like the recently launched SABA Briefings (https://apo-opa.co/3FjOGMA), aimed at equipping Scottish businesses with the tools, information, and support to successfully enter and thrive in African markets, SABA offers a diverse range of Africa-focused events (https://apo-opa.co/3XEGwo8) and trade missions to increase trade, collaboration, and business opportunities between Scotland and African markets. APO Group will work with SABA to maximise these opportunities.

“At SABA, our mission is to make doing business in Africa easier and more effective for Scottish companies.  This partnership with APO Group will strengthen our ability to support our members as they navigate the opportunities across the continent.  By enhancing our reach and engagement through APO Group, we can better connect Scottish and African businesses in these key markets,” added Seona Shand, Chief Operating Officer at SABA.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 10, 2025/APO Group/ –Security researchers at Kaspersky (www.Kaspersky.co.in/) have revealed how cybercriminals used geofencing, compromised business accounts and coordinated bot networks to distribute malware disguised as DeepSeek AI software, generating over 1.2 million views on X.

Kaspersky’s Threat Research and AI Technology Research have jointly identified a sophisticated deception campaign exploiting the rapid growth and public interest surrounding DeepSeek AI — a popular generative AI chatbot — in order to distribute malware through fraudulent websites.

In their investigation, Kaspersky researchers revealed that cybercriminals established deceptive replicas of the official DeepSeek website, using domain names like “deepseek-pc-ai[.]com” and “deepseek-ai-soft[.]com.” A distinctive feature of this campaign was its use of geofencing technology, where malicious websites examine each visitor’s IP address and dynamically alter content presentation based on geographic location, enabling attackers to fine-tune their approach and reduce detection risks.

“This campaign demonstrates notable sophistication beyond typical social engineering attacks,” explained Vasily Kolesnikov, senior malware analyst at Kaspersky Threat Research. “Attackers exploited the current hype around generative AI technology, skillfully combining targeted geofencing, compromised business accounts and orchestrated bot amplification to reach a substantial audience while carefully evading cybersecurity defenses.”

According to Kaspersky’s analysis, the campaign’s primary distribution channel was the social media platform X. Attackers strategically compromised the social media account of a legitimate Australian company to widely disseminate fraudulent links. This single malicious post drew significant attention, reaching approximately 1.2 million impressions and generating hundreds of reposts. Researchers determined that these reposts largely originated from coordinated bot accounts — evident due to their similar naming conventions and profile characteristics — indicating a deliberate amplification of the malicious content.

Visitors lured to the fraudulent websites were directed to download a fabricated DeepSeek client application. Instead of the authentic software, these sites delivered malicious installers using the Inno Setup installation platform. Once executed, these compromised installers attempted to contact remote command-and-control servers to retrieve Base64-encoded PowerShell scripts. These scripts subsequently activated Windows’ built-in SSH service, reconfigured it with attacker-controlled keys and enabled full remote unauthorised access to compromised systems.

All malware payloads connected to this campaign are proactively identified and blocked by Kaspersky security products such as Trojan-Downloader.Win32.TookPS.* variants.

To remain secure, Kaspersky advises people to do the following:

• Check URLs meticulously. Fraudulent AI websites often use domain names that closely resemble legitimate services but contain subtle differences. Before downloading any AI software, verify that the website URL exactly matches the official domain with no additional words, hyphens or spelling variations.
• Use comprehensive security protection. Deploy a robust security solution like Kaspersky Premium on all devices to detect and block malicious installers and websites before they can compromise your system.
• Keep all software updated. Many security vulnerabilities exploited by malware can be addressed by installing the latest versions of your operating system and applications, particularly security software.

Read more on Securelist.com and Kaspersky Daily blog (https://apo-opa.co/4iDjGFt).

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 10, 2025/APO Group/ –Angola has set a target to become a key exporter of value-added critical minerals in the next 10 to 15 years. As the country pursues this goal, the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) – Africa’s premier mining event – will spotlight Angola’s growing potential as global critical minerals exporter.

Angola has identified 34 of the 54 critical minerals recognized by the European Union across its mineral-rich basins and is ramping up exploration, production and downstream projects to unlock its industry potential. The government is promoting investment across the critical mineral value chain as a strategy to advance economic diversification while unlocking greater revenue generation from the mining industry.

AMW serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy 2025 conference from October 1 -3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting  sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Across the country, various mining developments are taking off. In January 2025, UK-based Pensana secured funding from South Africa’s Absa Bank to accelerate the development of the Longonjo Rare Earth Project. The $325 million project is expected to supply 5% of the world’s high-grade rare earth carbonate, generate $6 billion in export revenue and contribute $1 billion in tax revenue to regional treasuries, helping Angola diversify its revenue generation.

Meanwhile, Chinese mining firm Shining Star is set to commence production this year at the 40-million-ton Mavoio-Tetelo copper project in northern Angola. The project is expected to produce 300,000 tons of copper per annum, significantly boosting Angola’s mining revenue. Australian firm Tyranna Resources – in partnership with China’s Sinomine – is advancing multiple lithium projects in Angola, with ongoing drilling activities identifying additional reserves and expediting mine development. These projects include the Namibe and Muvero lithium mines. Canada’s Ivanhoe Mines has also initiated a series of copper exploration projects in Angola’s Moxico and Cuando Cubango provinces, contributing to efforts to diversify the nation’s mining sector and revenue streams.

To increase value addition across the manganese sector, Angola is developing a $250 million manganese-to-silica processing facility in partnership with Chinese firm ST New Materials. The project is expected to be operational in 2025. The country is also spearheading projects to produce steel from iron mined in the Kasinga region.

As Angola seeks to attract new investors across the critical mineral value chain, AMW 2025 will bring together Angolan stakeholders and global investors to discuss partnerships and industry growth opportunities. AMW will host panel discussions, project showcases and exclusive networking opportunities, connecting international investors with Angola’s rapidly expanding critical minerals market.