South Africa Inflation: Annual consumer inflation eased to 4.3% in July (from 5.0% in June) as food, municipal tariffs and fuel costs cooled, though households still feel pressure from electricity, water and other essentials. Nigeria Cement Probe: Nigeria’s FCCPC has summoned cement firms after preliminary findings suggest possible price manipulation, with cement now selling far higher than in Kenya and Tanzania despite surplus capacity. Nigeria Food Inflation: Even as headline inflation eased, food inflation jumped to 20.31% in July, showing why shoppers may not feel relief at the till. Digital Payments Trust: OPay says it’s investing heavily in compliance and real-time fraud controls to keep Nigeria’s fast-growing digital payments ecosystem safer. Cross-Border Commerce: Standard Bank and UnionPay expanded e-commerce acceptance across nine African markets, helping merchants reduce checkout friction and tap cross-border shoppers. Kenya Food Security: Kenya plans to import 25 million 90kg bags of maize to cover a projected shortfall and protect consumers from price spikes. AfCFTA Momentum (Somalia): Somalia completed parliamentary ratification and is moving toward AfCFTA implementation, focusing on rules of origin and trade barriers. Energy Pricing (South Africa): South Africa unveiled a revised electricity pricing policy aimed at forcing efficient supply and scrutinising municipalities and Eskom, with consumer protection built in. Regional Trade (Tanzania–DRC): Tanzania and DRC agreed to speed up transport and trade corridors to cut the time and cost of moving goods. Congo Connectivity: Airtel and Starlink launched satellite-to-phone service in DRC, extending coverage for remote consumers and businesses.