GOOD MORNING CHOP FAMILY!
let’s start this week the right way. First of all if you are in a region that observes Daylight Savings Time, please make sure you adjust your clocks! We need all the time we can get, as it is THE most valuable commodity we have.
Get to Choppin’.
🌿 Proverb of the Day
"The hand that gives is always above the hand that receives…”
🧠 Brain Chop: Quick Quiz
Test your capital market chops before the opening bell:
According to fresh IMF data tracking African sovereign financing, by what percentage is bilateral foreign aid to Sub-Saharan Africa projected to drop this year, following an already sharp contraction in 2025?
A) 4%
B) 8%
C) 12%
D) 25%
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer and context!)
Election Madness
In Israel, BB Netanyahu failed to secure enough seats to form a government, his main opposition gained seats and the Arab parties also gained seats, henceforth stifling Netanyahu’s power hold.
Taking a note from Trumps playbook - Netanyahu has cried foul, claiming that the “Arabs” stole the election (these “Arabs” are Israeli citizens fyi).
Meanwhile in the good ol’ USA, the midterm elections are currently underway and when the dust settles, the headlines will say:
Trump Escapes Embarrassment, or Democrats Trounce Trump.
Either way, we are here for it!
You think African politics is fascinating? I think the U.S. takes the cake!
MARKET MOVES
BUSINESS
OPay’s $304 million IPO went from opening bell to full stop
Biggest story
OPay, the Nigerian-focused fintech firm, planned to go public on the NYSE, but its endeavor was abruptly halted.
As we detailed in our last edition, they planned to raise $304 million with an initial share offering of $19, which would in turn value the company at a cool $4billion.
Trading never properly started. OPay subsequently pulled the offering, citing an inquiry by an unnamed foreign regulator.
OPay is downplaying this mishap and says that it has nothing to do with its core operations. They vowed to resolve this matter in due time and expect to be back on the floor to ring the bell.
The bigger question: Will this incident make other African companies, or companies who operate in African skittish? Or will it make them dot their I’s and cross their T’s since they may attract more scrutiny?
FINANCE
Africa’s energy financing story just got a new player.
Afreximbank and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization have just established the Africa Energy Bank, assembling around $5 billion. The institution will finance energy projects originating from Africa, this will include oil exploration, production to refining and distribution.
Time is of the essence. Historical international lenders are more cautions about financing fossil-fuel projects, so African producers have to look for alternative sources of lending support.
This is what people are talking about: Africa needs reliable energy and industrial capacity, but it also needs to navigate the global transition to cleaner energy. The bank will have to prove it can finance projects that make economic sense, not simply write cheques.
🥪 Quick Bites: [AI Summary]
- A new rail ambition: Tanzania and Angola have agreed to explore linking their Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean transport corridors by rail through Zambia and the DRC. If it moves beyond the announcement stage, this could reshape regional freight connections. Reuters has the details.
- A new funding runway for African founders: Madica has secured another $6 million from Flourish Ventures, extending its program for three years and targeting 25–30 more early-stage African startups. The program focuses on founders and markets that traditional venture capital often overlooks. More on the investment
- Women building businesses, not waiting for permission: A new Guardian feature profiles four women entrepreneurs across Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and Malawi, from tire recycling to solar irrigation and large-scale school meals. A good reminder that innovation is happening well beyond the usual startup headlines. Meet the founders.
🌍 What Else Is Cooking? [AI Summary]
Aeronautical engineers in Toulouse completed full-scale wind-tunnel testing of biomimetic winglets patterned after the wing anatomy of the steppe eagle, cutting commercial cruise drag by 4.2%.
Geochemists in Iceland successfully demonstrated deep-well basalt mineralization, dissolving industrial carbon dioxide into pressurized groundwater and permanently turning it into solid stone within eight weeks.
💡 Brain Chop: The Reveal
Answer: C) 12%
According to the IMF’s African Department, bilateral aid to the region is projected to fall by another 12% in 2026, following steep contractions in 2025. This structural drop is driving African nations to replace foreign grants with commercial, asset-backed private capital and domestic market debt.
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