The World Bank has approved a $1.5 billion loan to South Africa aimed at overhauling critical infrastructure and accelerating the country’s shift to a low-carbon, sustainable economy, according to the National Treasury. The funding, announced on Monday, comes at a time when aging transport systems, port congestion, and persistent power outages have severely impacted key industries and slowed economic growth in Africa’s most industrialised nation.

“This agreement reinforces the strong and constructive collaboration between the World Bank and the government of South Africa,” the National Treasury said. “This partnership marks a significant step toward addressing South Africa’s pressing economic challenges of low growth and high unemployment.”

The loan is expected to relieve infrastructure bottlenecks, particularly in the freight and energy sectors, paving the way for inclusive economic growth and job creation. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his coalition government have committed to tackling corruption and the mismanagement that has plagued state institutions for decades. The government sees infrastructure reform as a pathway to not only economic recovery but also long-term sustainability.

While the Treasury did not provide detailed project breakdowns, it noted that the loan terms include a three-year grace period, which is more favorable than typical commercial financing and will help ease pressure from rising debt-service costs.

In line with its strategic focus, South Africa’s 2025–2026 national budget allocates over R1 trillion across the next three years toward critical infrastructure investment in transport, energy, water, and sanitation with the broader goal of expanding access to basic services and stimulating employment.

However, the country’s economic outlook remains cautious. The Finance Ministry recently revised its GDP growth forecast for 2025 down to 1.4% from a previous estimate of 1.9%, citing global headwinds, persistent logistics constraints, and rising borrowing costs. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stated that government debt is projected to stabilise at 77.4% of GDP by the 2025/26 fiscal year.

The World Bank’s support comes amid broader funding challenges, including a significant shortfall in HIV-related aid. Earlier this year, the dismantling of USAID by the Trump administration led to a loss of approximately $436 million in annual support for HIV treatment and prevention in South Africa, threatening healthcare programs and thousands of associated jobs.

Godongwana acknowledged that the government lacks the funds to fully bridge the gap created by the aid cut, which has put pressure on South Africa’s already strained healthcare system particularly in its efforts to support one of the world’s largest populations of people living with HIV.

The World Bank’s loan is expected to serve as a catalyst for economic reform, with hopes that improved infrastructure, especially in energy and logistics, will restore investor confidence and drive sustainable, long-term growth.

Ghana’s Parliament has approved a $2.8 billion debt relief deal with 25 creditor nations, including economic heavyweights such as China, France, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, marking a crucial step in the country’s ongoing efforts to recover from its most severe economic crisis in decades.

The approval, granted late Tuesday, is expected to unlock further disbursements under a $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme, which Ghana secured in May 2023. That bailout has since helped stabilise the nation’s economy, which had been reeling from inflation, currency depreciation, and debt distress. The IMF-backed deal also prompted a positive credit rating revision from Fitch.

“The terms of the debt treatment offer a debt service relief of $2.8 billion during the Fund-supported programme period (2023–2026),” a parliamentary report seen by Reuters confirmed. The debt restructuring applies to payments due between December 20, 2022, and December 31, 2026, which will now be capitalised and repaid between 2039 and 2043—giving Ghana over 15 years of breathing space on repayments.

Under the terms agreed with the Official Creditor Committee, interest rates on the restructured debt will range from 1% to 3%, depending on original contract terms. This arrangement provides the Ghanaian treasury with substantial savings, as the rates fall well below current market levels.

“The Committee noted that the debt restructuring was critical in supporting government to restore and sustain macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability,” the report concluded, with lawmakers unanimously recommending approval of the deal.

Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, defaulted on most of its external debt in December 2022. Since then, it has been actively engaged in negotiations to restore economic order and win back investor confidence. The memorandum of understanding with bilateral creditors, signed in January 2024, reflects broad international support for Ghana’s reform agenda.

While the parliamentary approval is a key milestone, Ghana is still negotiating with commercial creditors to complete the full debt restructuring process. The outcome of those talks will be crucial in determining the country’s long-term economic recovery trajectory.

With this debt relief, the West African nation takes a significant step toward restoring macroeconomic stability, improving debt sustainability, and creating fiscal space for growth, especially in critical sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and infrastructure.

Ukraine is ramping up its diplomatic and humanitarian presence across Africa in a bold strategy to counterbalance Russia’s long-standing influence on the continent. From opening new embassies to delivering food aid and offering military training, Kyiv is making a calculated push to build partnerships and reshape its image among African nations.

Mauritania, located on Africa’s western tip, has become one of the key stages for this effort. Ukraine recently opened an embassy in the capital, Nouakchott—one of eight new missions launched since Russia’s 2022 invasion. The embassy has already overseen food aid deliveries to Malian refugees at the Mbera camp, West Africa’s largest, which now houses over 250,000 people fleeing Russian-backed forces across the border.

“Ukraine is ready to continue training officers and representatives of the Mauritanian armed forces, to share the technologies and achievements that Ukraine has made,” said Maksym Subkh, Ukraine’s top envoy to Africa. While the Mauritanian government has not publicly commented on the training offer, Ukraine has made it clear that its involvement remains humanitarian in nature, denying any role in covert operations in the Sahel region.

Ukraine’s efforts include a strong humanitarian component, primarily through the EU- and U.S.-funded “Grain from Ukraine” initiative. Nearly 300,000 tonnes of food aid have been delivered across 12 African countries, benefiting over 8 million people. In Mauritania alone, three shipments totaling about 1,400 tonnes of split peas, vegetable oil, and wheat had arrived by the end of 2024, with distribution continuing into 2025. These efforts have been coordinated with the World Food Programme (WFP), which confirmed the aid had reached refugees in Mbera.

“Maintaining its role as one of the guarantors of the world’s food security, Ukraine can prevent Russia from using food supplies as political leverage,” said Roman Sereda, Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Nouakchott.

The push into Africa is not without challenges. Ukraine’s Africa strategy, while ambitious, is running on limited resources. Embassies are thinly staffed, often relying on volunteers and diplomatic goodwill from allies. In Mauritania, Viktor Bort, a 29-year-old Ukrainian diplomat, opened the mission solo in May 2024, focusing on building local relationships and coordinating humanitarian efforts. Despite operating without a full security detail at first, Bort quickly became recognized for his drive and diplomacy.

Beyond humanitarian efforts, Ukraine is also seeking to deepen economic and security cooperation. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine’s ambassador Vasyl Hamianin said both countries are exploring long-term agriculture and food security partnerships. The Congolese government welcomed Ukraine’s presence “in a spirit of openness and cooperation,” clarifying that it sees no reason to tie Kyiv’s outreach to its conflict with Moscow.

While African nations were initially hesitant to support Ukraine’s position at the United Nations, many are beginning to engage more openly with Kyiv. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a historic visit to South Africa in April, the first by a Ukrainian leader—seeking closer ties on energy, fertiliser, and trade. Still, some analysts argue Ukraine’s strategy lacks coherence. For instance, Kyiv has not yet appointed an ambassador to Ethiopia, a country central to diplomatic engagement with the African Union.

Despite setbacks, such as the downgrade of a planned Ukraine-Africa summit in Kyiv to a virtual format, Kyiv remains focused on strengthening its footprint. The country now has 18 embassies in Africa and plans to open two more, including one in Sudan, where Russia is accused of fuelling both sides of the country’s conflict.

Ukraine’s growing visibility in Africa is part of a wider push to draw historical parallels between its own fight for sovereignty and African countries’ struggles against colonialism. Subkh, the African envoy, said Ukraine is seeking to show that “its fight against Russia has parallels with their own efforts to overcome the legacy of European colonialism.”

While Kyiv cannot match Moscow’s extensive commercial and military networks which include 40 Russian embassies across Africa and new ones on the way it is slowly carving out its own space. Through strategic aid, diplomatic persistence, and efforts to align with African priorities, Ukraine is redefining its role on the continent, one mission at a time.

Fresh violence erupted in Kenya on Wednesday as thousands of citizens took to the streets to mark the one-year anniversary of the 2024 anti-tax protests, which ended in tragedy and ignited ongoing outrage over police brutality. At least 10 people were hospitalised with gunshot wounds during this year’s commemorative rallies, according to a hospital source and a report by Citizen Television.

The protests, held in Nairobi and several other towns across the country, were intended to honour the lives lost during last year’s demonstrations, where over 60 people died, many allegedly at the hands of security forces. The renewed unrest has brought attention once again to Kenya’s growing concerns over human rights violations, police violence, and lack of accountability.

It remains unclear who fired the shots that injured protestors on Wednesday. Kenyan police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga did not respond to requests for comment, while the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi confirmed it had received 11 patients with gunshot injuries.

The situation in the capital turned tense early in the day, with police deploying tear gas and water cannon to push back crowds attempting to reach the Central Business District the same area that saw the storming of parliament last year on June 25. Roads into the city center were barricaded, and the Communications Authority of Kenya ordered a halt to live broadcasts of the protests, drawing sharp criticism from rights groups and media watchdogs.

Isolated clashes were also reported in Mombasa, Kisii, Kitengela, Matuu, and Nyeri, suggesting the discontent has spread beyond the capital. Despite the heavy police presence, many protesters remained peaceful, including groups that laid wreaths outside parliament in memory of those who died during the 2024 unrest.

This year’s demonstrations were further fueled by the recent death of 31-year-old blogger and teacher, Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody earlier this month. His death has become a symbol of the struggle against police violence, triggering a wave of anger among young Kenyans. On Tuesday, six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder over Ojwang’s killing. All have pleaded not guilty.

“We are fighting for the rights of our fellow youths and Kenyans and the people who died since June 25… we want justice,” said protester Lumumba Harmony, speaking from the heart of the demonstrations in Nairobi.

The mass protests of June 25, 2024, where demonstrators breached barricades and entered parliament under a hail of gunfire marked the most serious crisis of President William Ruto’s administration and drew sharp rebukes from Kenya’s international partners.

Although Ruto later withdrew the controversial tax proposals that sparked last year’s unrest, public frustration remains high, particularly around state violence, unsolved disappearances, and a perceived lack of police reform. As Kenya continues to grapple with these deepening grievances, Wednesday’s scenes serve as a sobering reminder that the wounds of last year have yet to heal and the calls for justice are far from over.