The new phase introduces a single integration model to accelerate the launch of payment programmes across the region Mastercard and Scale are advancing their collaboration with the aim of simplifying card issuance for fintech companies and non-financial institutions (non-FIs) across Senegal, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This collaboration introduces a unified integration capability designed to help innovators bring virtual and physical card programmes to market more efficiently, reducing the complexity traditionally associated with launching issuing services. Across many African markets, organisations seeking to offer card-based payment solutions must coordinate with multiple stakeholders, including payment networks, BIN sponsors, and issuing…
Author: Montage Africa
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Mohamed Ali Nafti, Tunisian Foreign Minister, doubled down on Wednesday on his country’s voluntary returns policy. He said the country still supports the process of voluntary returns “as a mechanism for safekeeping irregular migrants on Tunisian land” rather than forced removals of Tunisian nationals suspected of crimes in Germany. Tunisia, a major North African has also been a stepping stone for migrants from other countries trying to reach Europe at risk of their lives. “We have done what we can, and have taken the responsibility that was forced on us,” Nafti said in reference to…
By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies The World Trade Organization’s 166 members opened a key ministerial conference in Cameroon’s capital on Thursday, sharply divided over the future of the institution as geopolitical tensions, protectionism and the fallout from the Middle East war cast a shadow over global trade. A Western diplomatic source described the mood ahead of the meeting as “tense”, reflecting wider fractures within the global trading system. WTO Director‑General Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala urged members to “launch the next chapter of the multilateral trading system”, criticising “the unilateralism we have been seeing” and a “collective failure” to address long‑standing frustrations.…
By Kehinde Ogunjobi, IWMI Country Representative for Ghana and West and Central Africa When people think about water insecurity in Africa, they often picture drought, failing rains, or dry riverbeds. They talk about infrastructure gaps, climate shocks and food insecurity. All of that matters. But one of the most important dimensions of the water crisis is still too often treated as secondary: gender. Across Africa, women and girls are disproportionately affected when water systems fail. In many communities, they are the ones who walk long distances to fetch water, manage household use, care for children and the sick, and keep…
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) says it will rule on Senegal’s appeal “as swiftly as possible” after they were stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title. Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January, but that scoreline was changed to a 3-0 victory to Morocco. Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest when hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty before eventually returning. Following an appeal by the Moroccan FA (FRMF), the Confederation of African Football (Caf) later ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, with the “result being recorded as 3-0 in favour”…
By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies Lansana Kouyaté, a former Guinean prime minister, has been tasked with re-establishing dialogue with Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso after their withdrawal from the regional bloc last year. West African states have appointed a new mediator to try to bridge the divide with three junta-led countries that quit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2025. Lansana Kouyaté, a former Guinean prime minister and ex-ECOWAS executive secretary, confirmed to AFP that he had been named “chief negotiator with the AES countries”. A fragmented region Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso—all ruled by…
On Saturday, 21 March 2026, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), joined by partners the Robben Island Museum, Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB), First National Bank (FNB), SANCCOB and the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, led a team of volunteers on a clean-up mission on Robben Island. Coinciding with Human Rights Day, this event is the second one in this partnership, which aims to clean up the Island and help protect it as an important National Heritage Site. Over 200 volunteers worked tirelessly on the day to collect many bags of litter. Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo…
Zimbabwe says that 15 of its nationals have been killed after being recruited to fight for Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine, with more than 60 still trapped on the frontlines. Information Minister Zhemu Soda said the Zimbabweans had been lured by shadowy agencies promising lucrative jobs abroad using “social media platforms as their primary hunting ground”. “It is a sophisticated scheme of deception, exploitation, and human trafficking that has already resulted in the loss of Zimbabwean lives,” he said. The Zimbabwe government says it is in talks with the Russian authorities to ensure the bodies are repatriated and…
By Rédaction Africanews with agencies Congolese rapper, Gims, was arrested on his arrival in Paris on Wednesday as part of an investigation into money laundering. Africa Intelligence is reporting that the singer, whose real name is Gandhi Djuna, was taken into custody at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport by the National Judicial Customs Service. It says Paris judges are investigating a complex money laundering network involving multiple shell companies set up in different countries. These firms were allegedly created to avoid French taxes, have issued fake invoices, laundered money from illegal activities, and concealed the origin of the funds. Five former…
By Rédaction Africanews with AFP Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during a press conference on Wednesday that his country’s mediation between Iran and the US “continues in cooperation with Pakistan and Turkey,” adding that the war should end “based on a win-win situation, not a zero-sum game.” He also offered to host any meetings related to de-escalating the US-Iran war. Egypt is ready to host any meetings related to de-escalating the ongoing war between the US, Israel and Iran, said Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Wednesday. Speaking during a press conference in Cairo, Abdelatty also warned that opportunities…