East Africa Energy Bet: Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote broke ground on a $16bn, 700,000-bpd refinery in Lamu, Kenya, with multiple heads of state attending—big on jobs and regional fuel self-sufficiency, but also raising questions since pre-construction studies aren’t publicly clear. Fuel Cost Pressure: South Africans brace for petrol above R30/litre next week and diesel at record highs as global oil and the rand bite households. Climate & Food Prices: El Niño-linked weather risk is expected to push up the cost of foods across regions, with eastern and southern Africa flagged as most vulnerable. Telecom Safety Alerts: Kenya’s regulator ordered mobile operators to deliver emergency bulk SMS to all active subscribers during El Niño preparedness, bypassing usual opt-in/out rules. Digital Commerce & Payments: Nigeria launched an 11-character digital alphanumeric postcode system to help businesses, emergency response and service delivery “find” locations; meanwhile, Safaricom and Pesapal rolled out next-gen M-Pesa POS payments in Kenya. Health & Consumer Impact: South Africa’s medical aid contributions are set to jump above the regulator’s 3.8% benchmark, squeezing households. Fintech & Banking: Airtel Money’s UK IPO starts with a £250 minimum application, while Nigeria’s BoI unveiled the MyBOI portal to speed up business lending. Cyber/Infrastructure Protection: OPSWAT and Redington signed a distribution deal to expand critical infrastructure security across Africa and nearby regions.