Central Africa
Lawyers and consultants flock to Brazzaville in search of infrastructure projects

The New Guard
Kenya, Senegal, Morocco

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

KenyaNicholas Koros, money without borders

SenegalMary Fall, Aissata Tall Sall's omnipresent photographer

MoroccoNisrine Iouzzi takes the lead on "Dakhla-Atlantique"

Central Africa
FATF-affiliated action group holds out hope for more World Bank aid

The World Bank's $4m aid package used to run GABAC, an anti-money laundering action group in Central Africa, will expire this year.

Burkina Faso
Meridiam still optimistic over new Ouagadougou airport

After cooling its heels for the best part of a year, the French investment fund hopes Burkina Faso State will sign its concession contract for the future Ouagadougou-Donsin airport.

DRC
Kinshasa calls on India to relaunch Grand Katende power station

Congolese authorities are trying to get the construction of the 64 MW Grand Katende hydroelectric power station, on hold since the Kamuina Nsapu insurrection in 2016, back on track.

Spotlight | Sudan
Biden, Macron and Johnson cosy up to sanctions-free Khartoum

Newly freed from the US sanctions that locked it out of the world's financial markets, Khartoum is set to make its international comeback. The next six months will see France, the UK, and the US jostle to become Sudan's leading partner, especially when it comes to debt restructuring.

Congo, Gabon
BGFI boss Henri-Claude Oyima's 'club' format a mixed success

After successfully setting up banking pools in Libreville and Brazzaville to help their governments settle their debt with suppliers, the BGFI chief executive is facing management issues within the bank syndicate he set up in Congo.

West Africa
G20 debt moratorium ushers in golden age for sovereign advisor

By making the extension of its moratorium on sovereign debt in October conditional on beneficiary countries treating all their lenders with parity, the G20 has opened up fresh opportunities for advisory banks and law firms.

In Focus | Africa, Russia
Russia's BPC group aims to tighten its grip on African banks' e-money systems

As mobile payment continues to develop rapidly in Africa, one of the groups best positioned to take advantage of the boom is a little known company operating out of Switzerland, Dubai and Russia. BPC Banking Technologies is one of the pearls of Russian technology like anti-virus producer Kaspersky and, although it is officially private, it has the backing of Russia's leading state-owned bank.

Africa
Sovereign debt: Paris manoeuvres to involve Beijing in "new deal" with African states

While continuing to lobby for an extension to the G20 moratorium on sovereign debt, the Elysée is preparing to hold a summit in Paris in May on investment in Africa to which several dozen African heads of state will be invited.

Africa
Meridiam prepares its new fund for Africa

Meridiam is putting together its next fund for Africa, which has to be approved by the financial markets authority (AMF) by the end of the year.

Mozambique
Is Cabo Delgado-South Africa pipeline now a pipe dream?

Pretoria initially turned to Mozambique in its search for gas for its domestic market. But a planned pipeline between the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado and Gauteng in South Africa will likely never see the light of day.

Central Africa
CEMAC seeks $3.3bn to finance infrastructure projects

The six members of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) are planning a round table in November to raise funds for the construction of roads and electricity plants.