Cross-border finance: Afriex says it has strengthened its global payments infrastructure via a new sponsor and settlement banking partnership with Global Innovations Bank, expanding regulatory support and access to Global USD Accounts as it processes over $600m annually. Local governance: SALGA Eastern Cape will hold a two-day Provincial Members Assembly (18–19 Aug) to review municipal performance, push investment-ready projects, and plan the transition after the 2026 local elections. Urban housing: South Africa and UN-Habitat inaugurated a new country office in Tshwane to deepen cooperation on housing, city planning and sustainable urban development across SADC. Public finance tech: BudgIT marks 15 years of civic-tech work to simplify public budgets and track spending, reaching millions and building tools for transparency. Women’s football: Nigeria’s NFF has sacked Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu and the technical crew after WAFCON and World Cup qualification failures. Health innovation: Researchers report a new malaria “chemovaccination” approach that pairs mosquito-delivered parasites with antimalarial drugs to build durable protection. Energy & cities: Uganda’s Kiteezi landfill rehabilitation nears completion after a deadly 2024 collapse, with UN-Habitat and Japan funding supporting the first phase.