Youth Skills Gap: A Zimbabwe-focused piece argues youth unemployment stays high because graduates lack practical digital skills employers need, warning that certificates won’t protect workers as technology reshapes jobs. SME Tech Boost: South Africa’s Yoco rolls out an AI business agent and new tools to help independents manage sales, customers and daily operations amid cost pressure. Banking for Growth: Standard Bank targets a R250bn SME/business revenue pool by expanding from South Africa into Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Digital Payments Momentum: Mastercard says Nigerian SMEs are driving growth via digital payments and workforce investment, with most SMEs viewing online/mobile payments as critical. Local Industry Push: Isuzu SA doubles down on local manufacturing with supplier tooling and 250 locally sourced components for its new bakkie range. ESG in Practice: South African firms are urged to embed ESG into procurement and operations, not treat it as a one-off compliance task. City Action for Industry: Bulawayo council says it’s moving from “analysis paralysis” to implementation via a Bedcon-Cobris 2026 summit linking industry and research. SME Survival Risk: A study warns up to 80% of new South African businesses fail within five years, citing low insurance uptake and weak risk cover. Power Reliability Pressure: Gambia’s PROGRESS movement accuses government of failing to deliver reliable electricity despite major investments, blaming outages for lost income for small businesses.