FX Watch (Nigeria): The naira stayed steady at about ₦1,368.22/$ in the official market, while the parallel market held above ₦1,400, keeping a ₦45–₦57 gap that signals retail demand still outpacing supply. Consumer Affordability (South Africa): New vehicle sales hit a 12-year high in July, with passenger vehicles up 12.5% and total new sales up 11.9%, helped by easing petrol costs and a pause in interest rates. Retail & Pricing (Nigeria): Cooking gas prices fell as dealers cut depot wholesale rates to roughly N1,005–N1,050/kg, with retail prices in some cities now around N1,400/kg. Digital Infrastructure (Kenya): Airtel’s Nxtra data centre in Tatu City is now targeting completion in July 2027 for a major regional hosting push. Payments & Trade (Kenya): Stanbic Kenya launched direct RMB settlement via China’s CIPS to speed up and reduce costs for Kenya–China cross-border trade. Regulation & Consumer Protection (Nigeria): Nigeria’s tax rules for virtual assets require crypto and P2P users to use a TIN-first approach, pulling more traders into the formal tax system. Energy Oversight (Nigeria): NMDPRA rolled out a mobile app to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time at retail outlets. Market Signals (South Africa): Nedbank reported flat headline earnings for H1, but expects improvement in the second half as underlying momentum continues.