Trade Finance for SMEs: AfDB and Family Bank signed a $10m (Sh1.297bn) trade finance facility to boost access to foreign currency for Kenyan SMEs and local firms across manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, renewables and commerce, with support for women-led businesses and a push to ease Africa’s trade finance gap. Mining Finance & Local Value: In Uganda, Equity Bank doubled down on artisanal and small-scale miners at the Mineral Wealth Conference, backing financial inclusion plus asset financing and safer, more productive mining—while Ecobank urged Uganda to move beyond exporting raw minerals into processing and manufacturing. Repair Markets Open Up: South Africa’s Competition Commission issued new guidelines on repair, service and maintenance aftermarkets, aiming to give consumers real choice and reduce barriers that keep independent repairers out. SME Growth via Smarter Payments & AI: Ghanaian SMEs are getting practical help to scale with AI, while South Africa’s Exten AI builds backend infrastructure for non-technical entrepreneurs—plus Binance launched “Binance Intelligence” to close the financial knowledge gap. Energy for Business Continuity: Eswatini’s sugar industry is positioned as an energy engine (107MW from bagasse) to cut blackouts and imports, and Kano’s solar-grid model is extending power hours for households and small businesses. Local Business Opportunities: Namibia launched an exporters’ guide with a target of N$100m export revenue from MSMEs by 2028, and Rundu in Namibia is pushing to become a regional trade and logistics hub. Policy & Cost Pressure: A South Africa business brief warns that price wars can trap SMEs into lower margins, while a separate piece highlights how “second bill” spending on private security reflects gaps in public services. Market Disruption Alert: A cancelled Sandton beauty fair left vendors and ticket holders stranded, raising questions about refunds and organiser payments.