Pension & SWF Mobilisation (Nigeria/AfDB): AfDB’s chief economist Kevin Urama says Nigeria can unlock development finance by scaling investment from pension funds and sovereign wealth assets, urging frameworks that let domestic institutions back productive sectors and crowd in foreign partners. Municipal Accountability (South Africa/AGSA): South Africa’s Auditor-General warns municipalities shouldn’t rely on certificates of debt as a substitute for real oversight, citing systemic failures in troubled councils like Kannaland and Knysna. Cocoa Finance Shift (Ghana): Ghana plans a Ghana Cocoa Board commercial paper programme to replace syndicated loans, using tranches and escrowed cocoa-sale proceeds to broaden the investor base to pensions and non-residents. Fiscal Delivery (South Africa): Treasury DG Duncan Pieterse says South Africa posted a third straight primary surplus and expects debt stabilisation with the primary surplus forecast to rise, supporting lower borrowing costs. Connectivity Push (Telkom/South Africa): Telkom adds 160,000+ homes to fibre, lifting connected homes to 817,540 and reinforcing broadband expansion. EV Infrastructure Funding (Spiro): Spiro raises $215m to scale battery-swapping and EV energy infrastructure across fast-growing African cities. Business Sentiment (South Africa): RMB/BER’s confidence index slips to 39 as Middle East tensions lift fuel costs and shift rate expectations toward possible hikes. Trade & SME Support (Equity/ITC): ITC and Equity sign an MoU to expand finance and trade expertise for coffee, leather and creative SMEs across East Africa, starting with Kenya. Child Protection (South Africa): Parliament flags low reporting and conviction rates in child sexual abuse cases, urging stronger community action.