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Follow the Dough
Good Morning, Chop Family!
Monday, Monday, so good to meā¦ Wake up and attack the week, and show it who is boss. Donāt fall into the Monday blues. Set a winning tone and get after it! Get some coffee first, thoughā¦
š Trending Headlines
A mad gunman attacked a Jewish Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia. At least 15 people are confirmed dead and more than 30 injured. The gunman was killed at the scene, and his son was critically wounded. | 6 Peacekeepers are confirmed dead in Sudan in a brazen drone attack. Eight other peacekeepers were wounded in the strike. All the victims are Bangladeshi nationals, serving in the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). |
MARKET MOVES
BUSINESS
Airport rendering
š²š¦ AfDB Backs Moroccoās Airport Expansion
The African Development Bank just approved a ā¬270 million (~$316 m) loan to modernise and expand Moroccoās airport infrastructure ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, nearly doubling passenger capacity.
With 18 million visitors in 2025 and counting, Moroccoās tourism machine is crushing it, and the new cash is about turning gates and lounges into economic hot spots.
We canāt wait to see how the Northern African nation receives visitors from all over the world for the 2030 World Cup. The country is beautiful, and its infrastructure is catching up fast and is on par with āfirst-worldā standards.
šŖš¬ Afreximabank Breaks Ground
Egyptās new capital city, which is slated to cost over $50 billion dollars š, will be the new home for Afreximbanks new headquarters as well as a Centre for African Trade.
The mixed-use complex will house office space, a digital trade gateway, SME and innovation hubs, a 750-seater conference centre, an aparthotel, exhibition space, and a LEEDātargeted, 250āmillionādollar green campus.
Egypt is a good example of how African nations can emerge and stand out as world class international hubs.
Sub Saharan nations should take note and create similar enviroments.
While Rwanda and Ethiopia are trying (and a few others), they still lack the cashet of most international cities.
FINANCE
Fintech company Black Swan wins MEST award. The Mauritius-based financial company was awarded the first place prise and $50,000 dollars in seed money.
The companyās goal is to make financial transactions more accessible and efficient for Africans.
āAfricaās financial system cannot see the true creditworthiness of millions of consumers and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) because their data is fragmented, informal, and invisible to traditional lenders,ā said Derick Kazimoto, co-founder and CEO of Black Swan.
The fintech scene in Africa is active and very robust. We would also argue that the ecosystem is crowded and sometimes confusing.
With so many fintechs competing for the same consumers and essentially offering the same services, we are just wating for the creme de la creme to rise to the top.
TECH
Starlink is bringing connectivity to rural areas
šæš¦ South Africa Eases Satellite Internet Rules
In a notable policy shift, South Africa loosened affirmative action requirements for foreign satellite internet firms like Starlink, opening the door to faster broadband in rural and underserved areas.
The change responds to criticisms from Elon Musk (Starlink founder), who claimed South Africaās policies were racist against whites. He also posted on X that the current South African administration has more racist policies than under the Apartheid regime of the past.
He also posted that his Starlink services will lift more people out of poverty than all NGOS combined in Africa. Do you agree:ā
āStarlink is providing Internet connectivity to schools and hospitals in Africa that had nothing or very expensive and bad connectivity before.
This will do more to lift people out of poverty than all the NGOs combined,ā Elon Musk.
SMALL CHOP
Tyla in India
Tyla Slays in Mumbai
You know that we love Tyla, and who doesnāt? But we didnt realize that she was popular in India too. The sultry, sexy, South African artist performed in front of over 60,000 adoring fans at the Indian Sneaker Festival last week.
African performers and musicians are true global players, and they are just scratching the surface. The rhythms, style, and creativity are setting them apart on the international stage, and we are here for it!
DISH OF THE DAY
 Pani Puri  Famous street vendor | Pani PuriSince we were in Mumbai watching Tylas everymove, we were lured to the famous street food scene in India. We were aware of all the memes and videos of the dirty street food vendors, but we put on our courage cap and went all in! We found some Pani Puri and ordered a big batch. Pani Puri is a crispy, hollow fried ball that is filled with spiced potatoes, chickpeas, onions, and then dunked in a spicy, tangy water mix. They were so good, and we didnāt even get sick! |
Did You Know? Africa has the youngest population on earth, with a median age of 19.7 years ā younger than TikTok itself.
Till next time,
Chop Team