Africa: Brics Expands With Five New Members

January 2, 2023--The Brics group of countries has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The announcement on Monday coincided with Russia assuming the Brics chairmanship on 1 January.

Russian president Vladimir Putin said the inclusion of the five nations as full members of Brics-a group consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa-reflects the growing influence of the association, now comprising 10 countries.

South Africa: African Development Bank Country Focus Report highlights urgent need for economic transformation as GDP growth remains subdued

July 4, 2025-African Development Bank calls for strategic reforms to unlock South Africa's $3 trillion capital potential
South Africa's GDP growth declined to 0.6% in 2024 from 0.7% in 2023, underscoring the need for critical action and strategic reforms to unlock the country's vast capital resources and accelerate economic growth, the African Development Bank emphasized in its Country Focus report launched on Wednesday.

Africa's Trade Projected to Hit $1.5 Trillion in 2025

July 1, 2025--Trade is set to expand at an average of 5.1 per cent a year through 2026, before quickening to 5.4 per cent by 2028.

National stock exchange launched in Somalia

June 26, 2025-The National Securities Exchange of Somalia (NSES) held its formal launch on 19 June 2025, according to this report on Xinhua. A coalition of local investors and financial experts established the exchange and it will start by operating as a private, self-regulatory organization, according to a statement issued in Mogadishu. The Central Bank of Somalia has pledged full technical support with the aim of ensuring international best practices are followed.