News Digest | 6 July 2026 - Trendtype Africa and Middle East
South Africa, Pick n Pay adds Penny AI assistant to asap! app. South Africa, Cadbury rolls out R5 Dairy Milk 12g bar nationwide. Saudi Arabia, Almarai Q2 2026 revenue rises 11% to SAR5. 87 billion. Africa, Optasia launches its first merchant lending platform. Kenya, ProCharter launches four cargo corridors from Nairobi. Tunisia, CEPEX to run olive oil promotion mission in Senegal.
South Africa: Pick n Pay adds Penny AI assistant to asap! appPick n Pay has added an AI assistant, Penny, to its asap! delivery app from 6 July. Built on Google’s Gemini models, Penny builds baskets from voice notes, typed lists or photographed recipes, suggests meals from fridge photos, and substitutes items that are out of stock. South Africa: Cadbury rolls out R5 Dairy Milk 12g bar nationwideCadbury has taken its 12g Dairy Milk bar, priced at R5, national across South Africa. Introduced in Gauteng in 2025, the bar now sells through major wholesalers, spaza shops, community retailers and hawkers. The rollout targets traditional trade, which accounts for up to 80% of African FMCG sales. Saudi Arabia: Almarai Q2 2026 revenue rises 11% to SAR5. 87 billionDairy and food manufacturer Almarai posted Q2 2026 revenue of SAR5. 87 billion, up 11% year on year, and net profit of SAR635. 7 million. First-half revenue reached SAR12. 03 billion, 9% above H1 2025. Poultry and dairy led the growth, while bakery performance was stable. Africa: Optasia launches its first merchant lending platformAI-driven fintech firm Optasia has launched its first merchant lending platform, for rollout across its existing markets. Its interim update for the six months to 30 June reported revenue growth of 50-60%, with mobile financial services generating 72% of group revenue, led by Ghana, Pakistan and Indonesia. Kenya: ProCharter launches four cargo corridors from NairobiProCharter has opened four air cargo corridors linking Nairobi with Middle East and European hubs. The routes offer direct freighter flights and consolidation services, letting smaller exporters book space without a full charter. Target cargo includes flowers, fruit, vegetables and e-commerce shipments. Tunisia: CEPEX to run olive oil promotion mission in SenegalCEPEX will run a Tunisian olive oil promotion mission in Senegal from 8 to 10 July 2026. Funded by Germany’s BMZ and implemented by GIZ under the Support to the AfCFTA project, it arranges B2B meetings between Tunisian exporters and Senegalese importers and distributors. Africa: Diageo appoints John Musunga as Managing Director, AfricaDiageo has appointed John Musunga as Managing Director, Africa, from 1 July 2026. Musunga previously led its South, West and Central Africa business and was CEO of Guinness Nigeria. He relocates from London to Nairobi as Diageo prepares to sell its East African Breweries stake to Asahi. Kenya: KRA seizes 750 litres of ethanol in Thika distillery raidA multi-agency team led by tax authority the Kenya Revenue Authority raided an illegal alcohol operation in a Thika maisonette, arresting a businesswoman. Officers seized 750 litres of suspected ethanol, 170 cartons of bottled drinks, counterfeit excise stamps and a vehicle loaded with roughly 100 cartons. Nigeria: Nestlé pays premiums to farmers for regenerative practicesNestlé Nigeria has paid premiums to smallholder farmers in Kaduna and Nasarawa states who adopted regenerative practices during the 2025 season. The payments fall under the three-year STreFaS climate-smart grain project, run by TechnoServe Nigeria with AGRA support, covering minimum tillage, cover cropping, agroforestry and soil testing. Nigeria: NAFDAC warns against banned alcoholic energy drinks seized in GhanaFood and drug regulator NAFDAC has warned Nigerian importers and retailers against two banned alcoholic energy drinks, Bel Ice Vodka Energy Drink and Cody’s Vody Energy Mix, after Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority confiscated around 140 boxes in the Upper East Region. All batches are affected. Disclaimer:This content is provided for informational purposes only. View our fullDisclaimerfor details.