Estelle Maussion

Côte d’Ivoire remains the world’s top producer of cocoa beans, but high prices have exposed the weakness of its model, as competition from more liberalised countries intensifies.

Since returning to power in early 2023, Brazilian President Lula da Silva has made Africa one of his priorities. While the state oil giant Petrobras is back in action, the private sector of the South American powerhouse has yet to be mobilised.

The second edition of our ranking – with a few surprises – confirms the dynamism of the continent’s municipalities. From Cairo to Casablanca via Cape Town, cities are innovating in infrastructure, transport and finance. The challenges, though, remain enormous.

Security fears haunt urban hubs in our exclusive 30-city attractiveness index.

China, Europe and the US are jostling for position in Angola – for its oil, and for the mega-project known as the Lobito Corridor. Yet the country, led since 2017 by João Lourenço, is still struggling to push through the reforms it needs to generate growth and jobs, argues activist and analyst Rafael Marques.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is damaging the global economy. Every African nation is affected, but some sectors may yet find a way to profit.

Diageo is set to finalise the sale of East African Breweries to Asahi in the second half of this year. Is $2.3bn overpriced for a brewer whose growth prospects are limited by its already dominant position? Analysts weigh in on the deal.

The Moroccan phosphate giant is moving to a ‘task force’ model to navigate global supply chain disruptions and ensure long-term cohesion across its increasingly diversified business.

With brewing remaining the undisputed engine of profitability, strategic retreats by select global players signal a structural shift towards hyper-local competition and sophisticated distribution networks.