Zimbabwe Trade Access: China’s zero-tariff policy (from May 1) is being pitched as a boost for Zimbabwean manufacturers, with women-led firms getting a spotlight as the Zimbabwe Women in Manufacturing (ZWIM) association launches in Harare. East Africa SME Finance & Trade: ITC and Equity Group signed an MoU to expand access to finance and trade expertise for coffee, leather and creative businesses, starting with a Kenya pilot through Dec 2026 before rolling out across East Africa. South Africa Connectivity Push: Telkom/Openserve added 160,000+ homes to fibre, lifting connected homes to 817,540 and aiming to support households, small businesses and government with faster broadband. Nigeria Digital Inclusion Plan: The CBN unveiled Payments System Vision 2028, targeting 95% financial inclusion by 2028 and adding 50 million more Nigerians to digital payments, with fraud prevention using AI. SME Lending Scale-Up: Zedvance says it disbursed N120bn in 2025 and plans to triple disbursements, aiming for about N1tn by 2027 to ease credit gaps for SMEs. Cross-border Business Ease: Ivory Coast and Cameroon moved toward a visa-free era, cutting travel friction for business and tourism between Abidjan and Yaoundé. Meta Subscriptions for SA SMBs: Meta rolled out paid tiers for WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, keeping core apps free but adding premium features that could change how South African small businesses market and sell. Regional Risk Watch: Mozambique says five citizens were killed in South Africa’s xenophobic attacks, while South African police confirm two deaths—highlighting ongoing business and safety risks around migration tensions.