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October 2026 Edition — Resilience Is Not Enough
InAfrika Magazine October 2026: Growth forecasts improve, but the region must turn trade, tourism and climate policy into lasting competitiveness.
Profits recover. Borrowing grows. Industrial strategy faces its next test.
FROM THE EDITOR
This digital edition brings together six reported stories from March 2026, examining what changed, why it matters for African businesses and households, and which questions remain open. Photographs are original website assets or clearly identified archive images; they are not presented as images of events they did not depict.
S&P Global Ratings expected African governments to raise roughly US$155 billion in long-term commercial debt in 2026, about 10% more than the previous year. Debt refinancing can support fiscal stability, but heavy sovereign issuance also raises questions about borrowing costs and competition with private-sector credit.
MTN Group reported a strong 2025 result on 16 March, exceeding 300 million customers and announcing a 45% rise in its dividend and a share buyback programme worth up to R6 billion. Its improving cash flow puts network investment and digital financial services in sharper focus.
Statistics South Africa reported that GDP increased 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, after 0.3% in the preceding quarter. Annual growth was 1.1%. The result offered a positive signal, although investment, jobs, electricity and logistics remain central to the longer-term outlook.
Absa reported headline earnings growth of around 12% to approximately R24.8 billion and outlined a more ambitious African expansion strategy. Its focus on corporate banking, cross-border payments and trade finance illustrates the opportunity for banks that can make regional commerce less cumbersome.
Great Wall Motor was reported to be considering local manufacturing or assembly options in South Africa. No firm plant commitment was established in the March report. For industrial policy, the key questions are supplier participation, energy reliability and export competitiveness.
The Dangote refinery offered jet fuel and low-sulphur gasoil for March loading, according to trade reporting. A tender is not a completed export, but the offers signalled the refinery’s interest in regional and international markets, and could reshape fuel procurement if shipments become consistent.
Edited by InAfrika Newsroom. Figures are reported as they appeared during March 2026, not as current October prices or forecasts. Use the linked sources to review methods and later updates. Editorial enquiries: news@inafrika.co.tz.
InAfrika Providence Limited · Dar es Salaam, Tanzania · www.inafrika.co.tz
