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Good Morning, Chop Family!
We are in that no man's land territory - the gap between Christmas and New Year's. Many of you may be off work, still lounging in your Jammies and Wrappers, but don't get too comfortable, Monday the 5th, 2026, will be here sooner than you think!
š Trending Headlines
Israel recognizes Somaliland. Israel became the first country to officially recognise Somaliland as an independent state. They signed a mutual recognition declaration that has sparked celebrations in Hargeisa and sharp condemnation from Somalia and several Muslimāmajority states. | Did Nigeria have advance notice of the attack? Government officials claim that they did, and they actually gave the coordinates to the U.S. So, wait a minuteā¦ if Nigeria knew where the targets were, why couldnāt they strike on their own? š¤ |
MARKET MOVES
BUSINESS
Airtel Africa Share Price Moves Up
Airtel Africaās stock edged higher, outperforming broader markets and hitting a new 52-week high, signaling investor appetite even in light trading. Telecom, especially mobile money and data services, remains one of Africaās most durable value stories.
š Daily Chop take: When telcos flex like this, itās not just signal strength , itās a proxy for mobile finance, digital retail, and payment ecosystems still expanding across the continent. This sector is a must watch, the big dogs are defineitly eating, but the smaller ones can still get fed too.
FINANCE
š Fintech Reinvents Itself, Despite Slowdowns
Fintech on the continent isnāt just surviving ā itās shifting gears from volume play to value creation: merchant services, interoperable QR ecosystems, real-time rails, and AI risk engines are now the key battlegrounds. Regulatory facilitation in places like Ghana with unified QR codes shows payment infrastructure is maturing rapidly.
š Daily Chop take: Fintech fundamentals remain a long-game story ā not just wallets and wallets worth of VC headlines, but real infrastructure and inclusiveness that multinational banks used to take decades to build.
TECH
š Cybercrime Crackdown Hits the Continent
A massive **Interpol-led operation ā āOperation Sentinelā ā swept across 19 African countries, netting 574 arrests and recovering roughly $3 million tied to ransomware, digital extortion, and business email fraud schemes that cost victims more than $21 million. The cleanup included decrypting six ransomware strains and shutting down thousands of malicious links ā a serious win for law enforcement and business confidence.
š Daily Chop take: Cybercrime isnāt abstract anymore ā itās a boardroom risk that eats revenue and trust. This takedown shows cooperation is working, but the sophistication of attacks means companies and governments still have heavy lifting to do on digital defenses.
SMALL CHOP
Morocco is approaching the end of the group stage, with giants like Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast largely on course for the knockouts. Surprise results from lowerāranked sides have tightened several groups, turning the final round of matches into straight shootāouts for lastā16 places.
DISH OF THE DAY
  | We were in Somaliland to see what all the fuss was about, and we asked around for what was good to eat. They told us about Barlis Iskukaris - or Somali spiced rice. Sounded perfect to me. So we found a small restaurant, ordered a couple of bowls, and enjoyed ourselves. Barlis Iskukaris is a great medley of spices, onions, and other vegetables, simmered in meat broth, to a perfect completion. We enjoyed our meal and went on our happy way. |
Did You Know? Somaliland geologically, used to be joined to Yemen; the Gulf of Aden and only opened up around 18 million years ago, splitting the landmass.
Till next time,
Chop Team