Africa

1. Criticism of DRC-US deal
2. DRC strikes AI agreement
3. Abuja disputes US claims
4. Zimbabwe’s election plans
5. South Africa’s record exports
6. Jumia downsizes

A new book analyzes Uganda’s controversial presidents.

South Africa criticizes DRC-US deal

South Africa’s mining minister criticized DR Congo for signing a critical minerals deal with the US, saying it threatened the sovereignty of African states by intensifying the scramble for Africa’s natural resources.

Speaking at the Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town, Gwede Mantashe instead urged African nations to “deepen collaboration” with each other. He told reporters that he clashed with his counterpart from DR Congo at a ministerial meeting a day earlier over the deal Kinshasa signed with Washington in December. Mantashe’s remarks came days after the US announced plans to create a trade zone for critical minerals — with price floors intended to stabilize markets — to counter China’s dominance of the sector.

In a separate address at the continent’s largest annual mining summit, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema called on African countries to build regional value chains around mining logistics. Such cooperation, according to analysts, could involve pooling mineral supplies for shared processing and developing cross-border infrastructure to expand downstream markets.

DR Congo inks AI deal with US firm

DR Congo signed a deal with a US investment company that will deliver AI-driven geological research to improve mapping of the country’s minerals. Under the five-year agreement, signed at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, Atlas Park will examine historical data on the country’s mineral deposits and carry out new geological surveys. The findings, which will be shared with DR Congo’s national geological service, will drive the company’s investment decisions. Atlas Park and Kinshasa did not disclose the value of the agreement.

“Nowhere in the world has more potential for exploration than the DRC,” Kai Han, Atlas Park’s CEO, told Semafor. “We want to make money by investing in exploration… and to do that effectively we need to create a better data environment.” The agreement is the latest in a number of deals agreed by DR Congo with US companies and Washington itself, as Kinshasa looks to benefit from its natural resources. Copper and cobalt — of which the central African country has rich deposits — are in particularly high demand because of their use in AI technologies and clean energy.

— Alexis

Nigeria counters Christian narrative

The Nigerian government is mounting an aggressive lobbying campaign in Washington as it faces an onslaught of criticism from the Trump administration over purported discrimination toward Christians.

Nigeria’s First Lady Remi Tinubu, an ordained Christian pastor, attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast hosted by US President Donald Trump last week as part of the effort. She also spoke to several conservative US media outlets and met members of Congress. Nigerian officials and their allies have emphasized Tinubu’s pastoral role as evidence that the government cannot credibly be accused of enabling religious persecution.

Last year, Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, accusing Abuja of failing to protect Christian communities amid escalating violence in the country’s restive northern regions. The US later launched missile strikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants in northwest Nigeria and deployed a team of troops to the country.

Semafor is proud to announce its first slate of speakers for the 2026 annual convening of Semafor World Economy, taking place April 13-17 in Washington, DC. These senior leaders from every major sector across the G‑20 are just some of the 400 top CEOs joining Semafor World Economy for five days of on-stage conversations and in-depth interviews on growth, geopolitics, and technology. See the initial lineup of speakers here.

Zimbabwe proposes election changes

Zimbabwe is moving to scrap direct presidential elections and extend term limits from five to seven years. The changes could keep President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 83, in office until 2030, two years beyond the end of his current — and constitutionally final — term. The draft legislation would hand the choice of head of state to parliament.

Given the ruling Zanu PF’s dominant majority, such moves would likely sharply reduce electoral competitiveness and consolidate the party’s control over presidential succession. The bill would allow MPs and senators to elect the president after general elections, or whenever a vacancy arises. Ministers have framed the changes as promoting stability and curbing “election mode toxicity,” but critics have called it a democratic setback.

South Africa’s record exports

The value of South Africa’s annual agricultural exports last year, a record, despite slowing sales to the US. The 10% rise in shipments from the previous year was attributed to higher volumes and prices, noted Bloomberg. Increased output of corn, citrus fruits, and wine helped drive exports, the chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa told the outlet. Trade with the US — which last year was still the country’s second-biggest bilateral trading partner after China — has come under strain because of Washington’s imposition of 30% tariffs in August. But Beijing signed a deal to import more South African fruit last year and the two countries are finalizing a duty-free export deal for Pretoria.

Jumia maintains growth momentum

African e-commerce company Jumia will close operations in Algeria this quarter as part of a cost-cutting strategy as it comes under mounting pressure from Chinese competitors Temu and Shein.

The planned closure comes after Jumia — which is headquartered in Nigeria — narrowed losses while growing revenue last year. It said the results were based on “a more stable macro environment and local currencies,” singling out Nigeria, where inflation has stabilized, for “standout performance.” Jumia, whose years-long pursuit of a leaner business saw it close shop in South Africa and Tunisia in 2024, expects to grow sales volumes by up to 32% this year, attaining positive cash flow in the fourth quarter.

Africa’s digital commerce scene faces increased competition from the entry of Temu and Shein. Both have upended local incumbents in South Africa, for example, even with Amazon already on the scene.

Business & Macro

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Airlines reported a 14% year-on-year rise in revenue to $4.4 billion in the six months to January.

🇧🇼 Botswana expects economic growth of 3.1% this year, after two consecutive years of contraction following a global downturn in the diamond market.

Climate & Energy

🇨🇬 French oil and gas firm Perenco completed the installation of a mobile offshore production unit in Congo Brazzaville, as part of a $200 million investment in the Kombi-Likalala-Libondo II field.

🇨🇲 🇬🇶 Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea signed an agreement to co-develop the Yoyo-Yolanda fields bordering both countries.

Geopolitics & Policy

🇲🇬 Madagascar’s ruling junta said the reception granted to its ousted President Andry Rajoelina by Eswatini’s monarch during a visit to the kingdom was “politically unacceptable.”

Tech & Deals

🇿🇦 South African private equity firm Harith General Partners is in talks to acquire FlySafair, the country’s largest airline by domestic passenger volume.

🌍 African startups raised $174 million in January, less than two-thirds of the total raised in the same month in 2025.🇳🇬 Nigerian internet data users spent $5.58 billion on data subscriptions last year, nearly three times the amount spent in 2024.

A new book by Mahmood Mamdani, an anthropologist and the father of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has drawn mixed reviews over its analysis of Uganda’s past and present leadership. Slow Poison offers a “neat inversion of heroes,” wrote historian Pratinav Anil, questioning Mamdani’s attempt at times “to rehabilitate” Idi Amin, who expelled around 80,000 South Asians from Uganda during his 1970s rule. Meanwhile political scientist Ken Opalo argued that the book benefits from the lack of “standard shallow moralizing about African leaders.” Bobi Wine, the Ugandan opposition leader who has been in hiding since a disputed election last month, called it an “insightful” book for its portrayal of Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for the last 40 years. “It exposes Museveni for who he is and the damage he has done to our country, despite having come with the promise to break away from the past,” he posted on X.