News Digest | 1 July 2026 - Trendtype Africa and Middle East
South Africa, Woolworths opens new fulfilment centre. Nigeria, Nigerian Bottling Company commissions three new production lines. UAE, DP World breaks ground on new logistics centre. Kenya, High Court freezes Diageo sale of EABL stake. Ethiopia, Government launches national coffee strategy. Kenya, Agriculture and Food Authority launches digital horticulture traceability system
South Africa: Woolworths opens new fulfilment centreWoolworths has opened a new fulfilment centre in Wynberg, Cape Town, built specifically to handle online grocery orders. It’ll run same-day deliveries for the Woolies Dash service in the Southern Suburbs, with the aim of speeding up delivery and taking pressure off nearby stores. Nigeria: Nigerian Bottling Company commissions three new production linesNigerian Bottling Company is putting three new production lines into its Asejire plant in Oyo State and Challawa plant in Kano State, the first phase of a nationwide expansion planned for 2026. It’s part of the Coca-Cola System’s broader $1 billion, five-year push to grow manufacturing capacity. UAE: DP World breaks ground on new logistics centreDP World and Lintara Properties have broken ground on a 20,000 square metre logistics centre in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone, due to open in early 2027. The Grade A site will offer temperature-controlled storage and integrated supply chain services. Kenya: High Court freezes Diageo sale of EABL stakeA Kenyan court has frozen Diageo’s 340 billion shilling sale of its 65% stake in East African Breweries to Asahi Group. The Machakos High Court’s injunction blocks the Competition Authority of Kenya from signing off on the deal until it hears the case in full, after minority shareholders, distributors, and contractors filed petitions to stop it. Ethiopia: Government launches national coffee strategyEthiopia has a new national coffee strategy: double production, and get annual export earnings up to $6 billion by 2031. The plan calls for lifting yields from 900kg to 2,100kg per hectare within five years, using nine interventions, among them a tissue culture facility at the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre. Kenya: Agriculture and Food Authority launches digital horticulture traceability systemKenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority has launched a paperless export platform, the National Horticulture Traceability System, combining farm-to-market tracking, electronic licensing, and phytosanitary certification, meant to cut down on export interceptions and improve compliance. Zimbabwe: Department of Veterinary Services partners with BelAgroGenBelAgroGen and Zimbabwe’s Department of Veterinary Services are building a local veterinary vaccine industry together, backed by a $50 million, three-year project. It runs in three phases, moving from processing and repackaging to full domestic manufacturing, serving Zimbabwe and the broader SADC region. Nigeria: Paystack launches AI-driven checkout productPaystack is testing an AI-driven checkout tool called Paystack Index with a small group of users in Nigeria. Built with TSG Labs, it lets people buy things like airtime, data, and food through AI platforms directly, running on Paystack’s existing payment rails. Côte d’Ivoire: Sucrivoire shares surge 190% despite financial lossSucrivoire’s share price rose 190. 6% on the BRVM in 2026, despite a 7. 9 billion CFA franc net loss in 2025 and revenue that slipped from 87. 2 billion to 80. 6 billion CFA francs. The rally follows an 80 billion CFA franc expansion of the company’s capacity. Democratic Republic of Congo: Mining Fund for Future Generations signs agreement with ADEX PlatformADEX Platform has agreed to form a joint venture, ADEX RDC S. A. , with the DRC’s state-run Mining Fund for Future Generations. The goal is to process diamonds locally, with a new cutting and jewellery facility and a digital platform for selling straight to global buyers. Syria: Zain secures 20-year mobile network licenceZain has secured a 20-year licence to run a mobile network in Syria, taking a 75% stake alongside the country’s sovereign wealth fund. It will inherit MTN Syria’s infrastructure and equipment, following a survey of cell towers and technical sites across the country. Disclaimer:This content is provided for informational purposes only. View our fullDisclaimerfor details.