SME Finance & Cashflow: South Africa’s construction SMEs say delayed payments and limited working-capital finance are choking delivery in the R1tn infrastructure boom, with tender-to-mobilisation funding gaps deciding who wins and who stalls. SME Confidence Under Pressure: Business Partners’ SME Confidence Index shows a shift from growth to survival as fuel costs bite—confidence in the economy fell to 63% and confidence in own growth to 77%. Banking Regulation for Digital Credit: Kenya’s CBK chief Kamau Thugge opened the East African Banking School conference, pushing risk-based credit pricing and stronger data analytics to expand credit without damaging asset quality. Payments & Market Access: Nigeria’s microfinance lender Entourage says it has supported 300,000+ small businesses across 31 states, highlighting how tailored products can overcome collateral and paperwork barriers. Competition & Market Structure: South Africa’s Competition Commission recommended conditional approval for Harith’s bid to acquire FlySafair’s owner, aiming to protect domestic aviation competition. Trade & Export Push: South Africa’s AllFashion Sourcing Cape Town returns (14–16 July) to connect manufacturers and buyers across Africa’s fashion value chain. Local Business Security: A spaza shop owner in Bonteheuwel was shot dead, with community leaders alleging extortion fears. Tech for African Businesses: Johannesburg AI firm Allsight AI pitches enterprise-grade, multilingual customer engagement built for local languages and channels. Energy/Climate Monitoring: DuxNet launched Wi‑Fi 6 access points for South African SMBs, while methane analyzers demand rises on emissions compliance.