Dangote Refinery IPO Frenzy: Nigeria’s retail investors piled into Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals’ “people’s IPO,” with huge early demand and a public offer priced at N525 per share, while Dangote signals he may release more shares to widen ownership. Retail Finance Push: South Africa’s FNB boosted eWallet Cash Advance and launched FNB Connect Prepaid Advance, offering short-term credit and airtime/data access for cash-strapped customers. Consumer Credit for MSMEs: Sidian Bank and Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) signed an MoU to expand affordable, personalised credit and business support for manufacturing and value-add MSMEs. Oil-Price Pressure Watch: Dangote warned Nigeria’s petrol challenge may shift from price to availability as Middle East disruptions tighten supply chains. Inflation Update: Nigeria’s headline inflation eased to 15.39% in August, with food inflation at 19.57%, a sign of slowing price pressure. Energy Access Investment: All On invested $5m in PowerGen to scale mini-grids in underserved Nigerian communities, targeting 6,000 connections and up to 9MW generation. Tourism Spend Plan: Nigeria backed a 100-Day Tourism Calendar to centralise festivals and experiences and drive spending across aviation, hospitality, retail and tech. Animal Welfare Debate: Cape Town’s draft animal bylaw faces criticism for tackling the wrong drivers of the animal welfare crisis. Digital Services Expansion: Apple expanded iCloud+ in over 100 countries to include Apple Arcade, Apple TV and Apple Music stations. Aviation Connectivity: Kuwait Airways and Emirates agreed to expand their partnership into reciprocal codeshare, widening destination options via Dubai. Regional Governance Stress: IGAD warned of financial and institutional strain that could limit its ability to respond to Horn of Africa crises.