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July 24, 2025

Anna Ochigbo Appointed Creative Director of Affluenz Magazine

Source: APO

Affluenz Magazine (www.TheAffluenz.com) has announced the appointment of Anna Ochigbo as its new Creative Director, marking a significant step in the evolution of the globally recognized publication as it deepens its editorial presence and expands its influence across luxury, leadership, and culture.

Ochigbo, who also serves as Executive Director at Dotmount Communications, the Washington DC based parent company of Affluenz, brings to the role a distinguished background in media strategy, creative leadership, and brand development. Her appointment follows the successful release of the magazine’s July and August 2025 issue, which pays tribute to the legacy of the founding father of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, while profiling some of Africa’s most influential cultural and business leaders.

In her new role, Ochigbo will direct the magazine’s overall visual and editorial identity. Her responsibilities include curating covers, guiding cross platform storytelling, and ensuring each edition reflects Affluenz’s core mission of showcasing global excellence, innovation, and influence.

Adedotun Olaoluwa, Founder and Executive Publisher of Affluenz Magazine, described her appointment as both timely and transformative.

Anna possesses a rare creative intuition and an unmatched ability to craft visual narratives that resonate globally. Her leadership comes at a crucial moment as we reimagine Affluenz for a more interconnected, sophisticated, and culturally dynamic audience, Olaoluwa said.

Beyond her achievements in luxury publishing, Ochigbo played a central role in coordinating Dotmount Communications’ flagship event, the Middle East Investors Expo held in 2024, which convened investors, policymakers, and innovators from across the Middle East and Africa. Under her leadership, the event received global media attention and positioned Dotmount as a trusted platform for strategic investment communications.

Ochigbo is also deeply committed to humanitarian work. She plays a leading role in supporting the Hoplites African Aid Foundation (HAAF), a vibrant nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting communities across Africa through a multifaceted approach that goes beyond traditional health interventions. Originally established in April 2021 as the Hoplites Sickle Cell Foundation, HAAF has since evolved into a broader movement championing sustainable healthcare access, inclusive education, and community development for underserved populations.

Her portfolio extends to international campaigns in culture, philanthropy, and executive branding, where she has earned recognition for fusing luxury aesthetics with meaningful, high impact content.

In a statement following her appointment, Ochigbo shared her excitement about shaping the creative future of the magazine.

Affluenz is more than a magazine. It is a celebration of legacy, innovation, and global identity. I am honored to lead its creative direction at a time when storytelling must be both beautiful and bold. We will not just reflect excellence, we will help define it, she said.

Her first issue as Creative Director is now on sale, featuring a curated selection of in depth profiles, essays, and visual stories that highlight global influence across business, diplomacy, culture, and philanthropy.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Affluenz (formerly Pleasures Magazine).

July 24, 2025

Qatar Reaffirms Its Rejection of Using Food, Starvation of Civilians as Weapon of War

Source: Government of Qatar

New York, July 24

The State of Qatar has reiterated its rejection of the use of food and the starvation of civilians as a weapon of war, calling on the international community to compel Israel to allow the safe, sustained, and unobstructed entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, to be distributed by international humanitarian organizations.

This came in a statement delivered by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani during the UN Security Council quarterly open debate on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question‌ (MEPQ), held at UN Headquarters in New York.

Her Excellency emphasized that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is beyond description, amid widespread famine, the collapse of infrastructure and the healthcare system, the spread of disease, and a death toll surpassing 58,000, including nearly 18,000 children.

She affirmed the State of Qatar strong condemnation of Israel ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and residential areas, stressing that the forced displacement of Palestinians in any form constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.

Her Excellency also stated that Qatar has made sincere efforts, in coordination with Egypt and the United States, to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. She noted that past diplomatic efforts had yielded tangible results through previously reached agreements, and that current mediation efforts are ongoing to bridge the gap between the parties and secure an urgent agreement.

She further condemned the statements made by Israel Minister of Justice regarding the annexation of the West Bank, describing them as a continuation of illegal settlement policies and a flagrant violation of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2334. She also denounced the approval of new settlement construction and the attacks carried out by settlers as part of an ongoing series of crimes against the unarmed Palestinian population. She called for urgent international action to protect civilians and to ensure accountability for those responsible.

Her Excellency conveyed Qatar condemnation of attempts by the Israeli occupation to alter the religious and historical status of holy sites, including the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli officials and settlers, the closure of the Jerusalem Fund, and the transfer of authority over Al Ibrahimi Mosque to a Jewish religious council.

She said Qatar warned of the risks of regional spillover due to the conflict and condemned Israel attacks on Syria, reaffirming its support for the Syrian Arab Republic sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, and the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people for stability and development.

She also reaffirmed the State of Qatar’s principled and unwavering support for Lebanon, its unity and territorial integrity, and called for the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from all Lebanese territory, urging all parties to uphold the ceasefire agreement.

Her Excellency expressed the State of Qatar welcome of the upcoming United Nations High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution to be co-chaired next week by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic. Qatar hopes the conference will yield tangible results and clear international commitments, serving as a foundational step toward full UN membership for the State of Palestine.

Her Excellency concluded by reaffirming Qatar principled and consistent stance in support of a just and sustainable solution to the Palestinian issue, based on international legitimacy and ensuring the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. She stressed that Qatar will spare no effort in facilitating and supporting efforts toward achieving this goal.

July 24, 2025

Government publishes changes to budget process

Source: Government of South Africa

Government publishes changes to budget process

As South Africa’s current budget process has not kept pace with the country’s evolving fiscal, institutional and political realities, government has published changes that will be implemented in the 2026 budget process.

The changes are aimed at clarifying trade-offs, reducing waste and prioritising high-impact programmes.

“A review of the budget process revealed a critical limitation of the process, including fragmented decision-making, poor policy-budget alignment, and weak consensus on trade-offs in the context of competing priorities and limited fiscal space,” National Treasury said on Wednesday.

The key actionable reforms to address challenges in the government process have been outlined in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) Technical Guidelines 2026 (https://www.treasury.gov.za/publications/guidelines/2026%20MTEF%20Guidelines.pdf).

The guidelines have been issued in terms of Section 27(3) of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), which provides that National Treasury must prescribe the format in which an annual budget must be prepared.

“The guidelines reaffirm government’s commitment to a more disciplined, transparent, and strategically aligned budget process that supports South Africa’s long-term fiscal objectives and national development priorities.

“Importantly, the guidelines outline the economic environment under which the 2026 MTEF is formulated, signals recommendations from the review that will be implemented, and incorporates lessons learned from the 2025 budget cycle. As a first step in the reform process, these guidelines and the accompanying budget calendar have been formally approved by Cabinet,” National Treasury explained.

The fiscal objectives, as set out in the 2025 Budget, are to stabilise debt-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio, achieve a primary surplus, expand infrastructure investment, and support the social wage. These objectives are set to continue into the 2026 Budget.

The principles for the 2026 MTEF include using Targeted and Responsible Savings (TARS) to create fiscal space for key priorities set out in the Medium-Term Development Plan.

Some of the initiatives that will be utilised for the identification of programmes to be included in the TARS process are:

Spending reviews
•    Previous work should be updated, where appropriate, to inform implementation;
•    Outcomes of new sectoral reviews, such as the Active Labour Market Policy (ALMP), and
•    The review of infrastructure conditional grants should be implemented.

New data driven approaches
•    Use of technology to eliminate double dipping in social grants and other programmes (e.g. community works programme);
•    Annual audit of ghost workers and payroll irregularities;
•    Updated proposals on public entity and departmental rationalisation;
•    Implement personnel expenditure review completed by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), and
•    Finalise extended review of public entities remuneration.

Treasury further said that detailed technical baseline analyses and institutional reviews will ensure that departments and public entities are appropriately aligned to the set mandates. – SAnews.gov.za

nosihle
Thu, 07/24/2025 – 09:31

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July 24, 2025

Dangote’s Game Changing Impact on African Energy

Source: APO

The historic commencement of operations at the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Refinery has redefined Africa’s refining ambitions, establishing a new epicenter for oil product supply across West Africa and beyond. As the continent’s largest single-train refinery – and one of the most technologically advanced globally – Dangote represents a turning point for African energy self-sufficiency, reducing import dependence and reshaping traditional trade flows within the Atlantic Basin.

Already, the refinery has begun exporting refined products, with early shipments pointing to a diversification of destinations – from regional African markets to Europe and Asia. These developments are ushering in a new era for crude and product flows, as well as domestic monetization strategies. The facility’s ability to process a slate of Nigerian and other light sweet crudes is having far-reaching implications not only for Nigeria’s upstream sector but for oil producers across the Gulf of Guinea, potentially prompting shifts in production plans, infrastructure investment and regional trade dynamics.

As Africa’s premier energy event returns to Cape Town, African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies will place a critical spotlight on West Africa’s evolving refining landscape with a dedicated workshop on the “The Dangote Refinery and its Impact on the African Refining Balance.” Hosted by the African Energy Chamber (AEC) and S&P Global Commodity Insights, the session will take place on Monday, September 29 from 11:30 to 12:30, drawing key industry stakeholders and policy leaders into a dynamic discussion on one of the most transformational projects in the continent’s oil and gas sector.

Beyond reshaping crude and product markets, the refinery is also impacting fuel quality and environmental standards in the region. Dangote’s state-of-the-art configuration allows it to produce Euro V standard fuels, a major step forward for countries long reliant on lower-quality imports. This creates new opportunities for West African governments to strengthen fuel specifications, improve urban air quality and reduce exposure to volatile global supply chains.

The workshop will also explore the broader impact of Dangote on Africa’s existing refining infrastructure. With aging, underutilized refineries scattered across the continent, the rise of a mega refinery capable of meeting domestic and regional demand poses significant questions for legacy plants. Will they modernize, reposition themselves to serve niche needs or shut down entirely in the face of more efficient competition? The discussion will address the strategic responses by national oil companies and private operators as they navigate this new refining era.

“AEW 2025 continues to serve as the continent’s definitive platform for energy dialogue, investment and innovation, with the Dangote workshop exemplifying the type of forward-looking conversations shaping the future of African energy. As West Africa’s refining ambitions begin to bear fruit – and as the continent seeks to capture more value across its energy value chain – the implications for energy security, trade and industrial development are profound,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.

To register for the workshop click here (https://apo-opa.co/4o5lfQ4).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

About African Energy Week:
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

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July 24, 2025

Angola Advances National Road Plan with €85M Support from Africa Finance Corporation (AFC)

Source: APO

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, has closed and disbursed €75 million of an €85 million sovereign facility to Government of Angola, through the Ministry of Finance, to support the construction of 186 priority bridges and critical upgrades to the national road network. The project, part of Angola’s National Development Plan (2023–2027), is aimed at reducing transportation costs, facilitating access to markets for agricultural producers, and creating approximately 900 direct jobs, while strengthening the resilience, efficiency, and inclusivity of Angola’s transport system.

Solely arranged and financed by AFC, the transaction marks a significant milestone in the €381.5 million financing package previously announced, with AFC serving as the mandated lead arranger on the commercial tranche, and the U.S. Export-Import Bank through the U.S. Private Export Funding Corporation leading the export credit agency tranche. Other key partners include Standard Chartered Bank as the coordinating and structuring bank; Conduril, a leading Portuguese civil engineering firm which is the main EPC contractor; and Acrow, a U.S. construction industry giant as the bridge supplier. This disbursement reinforces AFC’s commitment to working alongside African governments to deliver infrastructure that supports inclusive growth, regional connectivity, and economic transformation.

“We are proud to advance this catalytic investment that will connect underserved regions, enhance regional trade, and improve the quality of life for millions of Angolans,” said Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of Africa Finance Corporation. “This disbursement demonstrates AFC’s unique capacity to structure and fund impactful infrastructure projects that address critical national priorities and accelerate economic transformation,” he added.

The project is expected to significantly strengthen the resilience of Angola’s transport network to climate-related disruptions, reduce travel times, and lower logistics costs for communities, farmers, and businesses. It also supports regional integration by enhancing trade corridors and cross-border connectivity across Southern and Central Africa. With this transaction, AFC reaffirms its role as a trusted partner to African governments in delivering bankable infrastructure solutions that address the continent’s most urgent development challenges.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).

Media Enquiries:
Yewande Thorpe
Communications
Africa Finance Corporation
Mobile: +234 1 279 9654
Email: yewande.thorpe@africafc.org

About AFC:
AFC was established in 2007 to be the catalyst for pragmatic infrastructure and industrial investments across Africa. AFC’s approach combines specialist industry expertise with a focus on financial and technical advisory, project structuring, project development, and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs and drive sustainable economic growth.

Eighteen years on, AFC has developed a track record as the partner of choice in Africa for investing and delivering on instrumental, high-quality infrastructure assets that provide essential services in the core infrastructure sectors of power, natural resources, heavy industry, transport, and telecommunications. AFC has 45 member countries and has invested over US$15 billion in 36 African countries since its inception.

www.AfricaFC.org

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July 24, 2025

What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Todd Pezzuti, Associate Professor, Business School, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

From Lagos to Cape Town, Santiago to Seoul, people want to be cool. “Cool” is a word we hear everywhere – in music, in fashion, on social media. We use it to describe certain types of people.

But what exactly makes someone cool? Is it just about being popular or trendy? Or is there something deeper going on?

In a recent study I conducted with other marketing professors, we set out to answer a simple but surprisingly unexplored question. What are the personality traits and values that make someone seem cool – and do they differ across cultures?

We asked nearly 6,000 people from 12 countries to think of someone they personally knew who was “cool”, “not cool”, “good”, or “not good”. Then we asked them to describe that person’s traits and values using validated psychological measures. We used this data to examine how coolness differs from general likeability or morality.

The countries ranged from Australia to Turkey, the US to Germany, India to China, Nigeria to South Africa.

Our data showed that coolness is uniquely associated with the same six traits around the world: cool people tend to be extroverted, hedonistic, adventurous, open, powerful, and autonomous.

These findings help settle a long debate about what it means to be cool today.

A brief history of cool

Early writing on coolness described it as emotional restraint: being calm, composed and unbothered. This view, rooted in the metaphor of temperature and emotion, saw coolness as a sign of self-control and mastery.

Some of these scholars trace this form of cool to slavery and segregation, where emotional restraint was a survival strategy among enslaved Africans and their descendants, symbolising autonomy and dignity in the face of oppression. Others propose “cool” restraint existed long before slavery.

Regardless, jazz musicians in the 1940s first helped popularise this cool persona – relaxed, emotionally contained, and stylish – an image later embraced by youth and various countercultures. Corporations like Nike, Apple and MTV commercialised cool, turning a countercultural attitude into a more commercially friendly global aesthetic.

This is what makes someone cool

Our findings suggest that the meaning of cool has changed. It’s a way to identify and label people with a specific psychological profile.

Cool people are outgoing and social (extroverted). They seek pleasure and enjoyment (hedonistic). They take risks and try new things (adventurous). They are curious and open to new experiences (open). They have influence or charisma (powerful). And perhaps most of all, they do things their own way (autonomous).

This finding held remarkably steady across countries. Whether you’re in the US, South Korea, Spain or South Africa, people tend to think that cool individuals have this same “cool profile”.

We also found that even though coolness overlaps with being good or favourable, being cool and being good are not the same. Being kind, calm, traditional, secure and conscientious were more associated with being good than cool. Some “cool” traits were not necessarily good at all, like extroversion and hedonism.

What about South Africa and Nigeria?

One of the most fascinating aspects of our study was seeing how consistent the meaning of coolness was across cultures – even in countries with very different traditions and values.

In South Africa, participants viewed cool people as extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous – just like participants from Europe to Asia. In South Africa, however, coolness is especially distinct from being good. South Africa is one of the countries in which being hedonistic, powerful, adventurous and autonomous was much more cool than good.

Nigeria was the only country in which cool and uncool people were equally autonomous. So basically, individuality wasn’t seen as cool. That difference might reflect cultural values that place a greater emphasis on community, respect for elders, or collective identity. In places where tradition and hierarchy matter, doing your own thing might not be cool.

Social sciences, like all science, however, are not perfect. So, it’s reasonable to speculate that autonomy might still be cool in Nigeria, with the discrepancy resulting from methodological issues such as how the Nigerian participants interpreted and responded to the survey.

Nigeria was also unique because the distinction between cool and good wasn’t as notable as in other countries. So coolness was seen more as goodness than in the other countries.

Why does this matter?

The fact that so many cultures agree on what makes someone cool suggests that “coolness” may serve a shared social function. The traits that make people cool may make them more likely to try new things, innovate new styles and fashions, and influence others. These individuals often push boundaries and introduce new ideas – in fashion, art, politics, or technology. They inspire others and help shape what’s seen as modern, desirable, or forward-thinking.

Coolness, in this sense, might function as a kind of cultural status marker – a reward for being bold, open-minded and innovative. It’s not just about surface style. It’s about signalling that you’re ahead of the curve, and that others should pay attention.

So what can we learn from this?

For one, young people in South Africa, Nigeria, and around the world may have more in common than we often think. Despite vast cultural differences, they tend to admire the same traits. That opens up interesting possibilities for cross-cultural communication, collaboration and influence.

Second, if we want to connect with or inspire others – whether through education, branding, or leadership – it helps to understand what people see as cool. Coolness may not be a universal virtue, but it is a universal currency.

And finally, there’s something reassuring in all this: coolness is not about being famous or rich. It’s about how you live. Are you curious? Courageous? True to yourself? If so, chances are someone out there thinks you’re cool – no matter where you’re from.

– What makes a person cool? Global study has some answers
– https://theconversation.com/what-makes-a-person-cool-global-study-has-some-answers-261266

July 24, 2025

Who Will Bury You? Short stories from Zimbabwe about women who refuse to be easily defined

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gibson Ncube, Senior Lecturer, Stellenbosch University

Zimbabwe-born, Canada-based Chido Muchemwa’s debut short story collection, Who Will Bury You?, was published late in 2024 and immediately attracted the right kind of attention.

Here was an unexpected range of themes: queer identity, dislocation in the diaspora, the lingering complexities of family and cultural belonging. The 12 stories, set between Zimbabwe and Canada, trace moments of rupture and reconnection across time and geography. And they’re mostly about women. Women, selfhood, loss and love.

Gibson Ncube, who researches queer African fiction, unpacks why it’s such a good read.

What are some of the stories about?

The recurring questions in Who Will Bury You? are: who will remain when we are gone – who will understand us, who will grieve for us, and who will honour the truths we live by? These questions are animated through emotionally layered stories that centre the lives of Zimbabwean women and queer characters.

Written with subtlety and care, some of the stories draw on Zimbabwean folklore, allowing Muchemwa to bridge the mythical and the present-day. She demonstrates how ancestral narratives continue to shape how people experience love, loss and belonging.

House of Anansi Press

The title story introduces a Zimbabwean “church going woman” and her daughter, who is living in Canada and has embraced a lesbian identity. In Zimbabwe, same-sex relationships remain criminalised under laws inherited from colonial rule and reinforced by state-sponsored homophobia. Political leaders often frame queerness as un-African or morally deviant.

The story is told through alternating perspectives and offers a portrait of intergenerational estrangement, cultural friction, and love strained by silence. What one of the characters calls “things that might never feel sayable”. The theme of queerness recurs in several other stories like This Will Break My Mother’s Heart and If It Wasn’t for the Nights.

Muchemwa allows these stories to gather meaning through multiple vantage points. She seems to resist resolution in favour of complexity. The collection is a significant contribution to the small but growing body of Zimbabwean literature that openly addresses queerness.

What’s Muchemwa saying about queer African life?

One of Muchemwa’s most powerful acts in the book is to treat queer life not as peripheral, but as central to the cultural, emotional and political worlds her characters inhabit. Queer desire, intimacy and estrangement are not exceptional disruptions. They are ordinary realities that are woven into everyday life. In these stories, queerness is at once a site of tenderness, conflict and hope. The effects of religion and colonial morality continue to shape how love is expressed and denied.

The stories challenge the erasure of queer voices by positioning them at the heart of families and communities. Queer characters are neither idealised nor victimised. They are allowed to simply be joyful, ambivalent, flawed, and resilient.

Aside from identity, what are some of the other themes?

The book also grapples with questions of memory, history and myth. In Finding Mermaids, Muchemwa blends contemporary reportage with folklore. A journalist and her grieving mother investigate the disappearance of young girls in a rural Zimbabwean town who are suspected to have been captured by njuzu, water spirits.

Other stories, like Kariba Heights and The Captive River, explore the legacies of colonialism and the spiritual power of the Zambezi River. In these stories, Muchemwa is attentive to how land, history and belief have an impact on personal experiences.

Living away from home, in the diaspora, is also a theme. Zimbabwe’s collapsing economy and ongoing political instability have driven many to seek better lives abroad, looking for jobs or educational opportunities.

Characters in Toronto grapple with cultural dislocation. They long for home as they tackle the challenges of forging new forms of kinship abroad. The Toronto that Muchemwa renders is richly textured. It’s far from a generic western backdrop. It is portrayed as a space of possibility and tension in which characters remake themselves in the face of displacement.

Why is it a special book to you as a scholar?

Muchemwa’s prose is precise, controlled, and emotionally resonant. She writes with confidence, trusting the power of implication and delicate shifts in tone. The plots of the stories are simple. They are not driven by dramatic revelations. Rather, by accumulative emotional insight. Her characters often seem to border on the edge of decision or reconciliation. In fact, their silences are as revealing as their speech.

Throughout the collection, there’s a sense of hushed intensity. The question of who will be there – at the end, in crisis, in love – lingers and ties the stories together. Even as her characters move between countries, generations and identities, they remain tied by their desire for recognition and care.

Muchemwa’s debut contributes to a growing body of contemporary African writing that focuses on intimacy, friendship and queerness as legitimate and urgent narrative concerns. Who Will Bury You? offers a fresh take that avoids the clichés and stereotypes often associated with African literature – what Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has famously called the single story.

Rather than dwelling on recurrent tropes of suffering or political crisis, Muchemwa’s stories place a spotlight on private lives and emotional entanglements. They compel us to be attentive to the quiet yet consequential turmoil that takes place within families and intimate relationships.

The collection does not avoid the cultural and religious violences that have an impact on everyday life. But Muchemwa faces them through the perspective of those who survive, and remake, these constraints on their own terms.

Who Will Bury You? is a carefully crafted collection that demands close attention. It’s a book about women who refuse to be easily defined. With this collection, Muchemwa asserts herself as a compelling new voice in Zimbabwean and African literature. Her debut represents new African storytelling which continues to expand the narratives of African writers. It dares to centre the personal, the queer, and the emotionally complex.

– Who Will Bury You? Short stories from Zimbabwe about women who refuse to be easily defined
– https://theconversation.com/who-will-bury-you-short-stories-from-zimbabwe-about-women-who-refuse-to-be-easily-defined-261291

July 24, 2025

Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025: Africa24 Sport in full immersion

Source: APO

From July 5 to 26, 2025, the Kingdom of Morocco transformed the African continent into a dazzling stage for sport, hosting the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). The tournament brought together the 12 best national teams in a historic showcase of talent, unity, and competition.

https://apo-opa.co/3ILfdnA

Throughout the tournament, AFRICA24 Group deployed a groundbreaking coverage strategy via Africa24 Sport—the first and only African sports news and competition channel.

Relive an immersive and passionate experience — at the heart of Morocco

https://apo-opa.co/4omDml1

From the group stage to the electrifying final between Morocco and Nigeria, our correspondents and field reporters captured the daily triumphs of each of the 12 qualified teams. Immersed in the host country, Morocco emerged as the shining capital of African women’s football.

Our immersive reports from the CAN Villages brought audiences the electric atmosphere, popular fervor, and community initiatives shaping this edition of the tournament. From the field to the stands, from locker rooms to backstage, AFRICA24 gave viewers full access.

The Daily CAN News—available on replay—provided exclusive insights into each day of competition, highlighting the growing impact of women’s football across African societies and Morocco’s instrumental role in elevating the sport on the continent.

Experience WAFCON 2025 with AFRICA24, right from the heart of Morocco, the warm host nation, strategic sports actor, and a true driver of transformation for future generations.

Available on demand via https://Africa24TV.com/, on the myafrica24 app (Google Play)—Africa’s first HD streaming platform—and on Africa24 Sport, channel 96 of the Canal+ Afrique bouquet, the continent’s premier channel for sports news and competitions.

With AFRICA24 Group, Let’s Transform Africa Together!

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of AFRICA24 Group.

Contact:
Communications Department
AFRICA24 Group
Gaëlle Stella Oyono
onana@africa24tv.com
+237 694 90 99 88

https://Africa24TV.com/
AFRICA24 Sport Section (https://apo-opa.co/3ILfdnA)

Social media:
@ africa24sport

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July 24, 2025

President Boakai Declares Saturday, July 26, 2025, As 178 Independence Day

Source: APO

The President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., has by Proclamation declared Saturday, July 26, 2025 as Independence Day and is to be observed throughout the Republic as a National Holiday.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, the Proclamation calls on all citizens and foreign residents within the territorial confines of Liberia to observe the Day as such; the release further orders government offices and business houses closed during the observance from 6:00 ante meridian to 6:00 post meridian.

The Proclamation requests all citizens, in solemn cooperation with all Prelates, Priests, Deacons, Evangelists, Imams and Elders as well as other members of the Sacerdotal order, regardless of religious creed, to gather together in their respective places of worship in each city, town, village, home, especially in Monrovia, Montserrado County, on Sunday, July 20, 2025 and Friday, July 25, 2025, in observance of the day.

The Presidential proclamation also requests citizens of Liberia to offer thanks and praises to God for His blessings showered upon us in past and present times and beseech Him for His continuing goodness and beneficence towards all peoples and nations of the earth, especially, the people of the Republic of Liberia.

According to the Proclamation, it is in grateful recognition of the blessings and miraculous deliverances which the Almighty God has extended to us as a Nation and People, although we have been most unworthy of them, to give thanks, adoration and praise unto Him for saving the State and to commemorate the brave and timely Decision of our forbearers on July 26, 1847.

The Proclamation is in consonant with the “Patriotic and Culture Observances Law” title 26, Liberia Code of Law of 1956, which set aside the 26th day of July of each year as a National Holiday to be known as Independence Day and appropriately celebrated as such.

The Proclamation further recounted that after due deliberation on the future of the “ Settlement” facing colonial challenges and threats, the Founding Fathers did publish to the World that historic and immortal instrument known as the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, by which the Commonwealth of Liberia became, and was presented to the comity of nations, as a free, sovereign and independent State thereby warding off encroachment from any colonial power and becoming the first independent African Republic.

According to the proclamation, the official Festive Celebration in observance of the Day will be held at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion, Ashmun Street, Monrovia, Montserrado County; commencing at eleven o’ clock ante meridian; under the theme: “One People, One Destiny: healing the past, Building the Future”

“In His infinite goodness and mercy, God has blessed and prospered the work of the minds, hearts, and hands of all the people of the Republic of Liberia from July 1847 when this nation was declared a free, sovereign and independence state; and from thenceforth, through the years of our national existence, manifold and varied have been the experiences of the nation and its people, who through it all have been able to forge their way by dint of perseverance, devotion and courage.”, the Proclamation declares.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.

July 24, 2025

President hails BMW’s local production of plug-in hybrid as milestone for green mobility

Source: Government of South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has lauded BMW South Africa’s launch of the locally produced BMW X3 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) as a significant leap toward a low-carbon future and a boost for South Africa’s industrial and economic growth.

Speaking at BMW’s Rosslyn plant in Tshwane on Thursday, the President praised the milestone as a symbol of trust in the country, as well as a demonstration of BMW Group’s long-standing commitment to the South African market.

The President highlighted that this world-class facility was the first BMW plant to be built outside of Germany and has been at the centre of the group’s operations since 1973.

“A number of world-class vehicles are manufactured right here at this plant, including both ICE and hybrid models from the BMW X family. And now, we have reached another milestone with the production of the BMW X3 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

“The shift to green mobility and electrification in vehicle production is in line with commitments by countries to reduce emissions and support the transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient global economy. We are greatly encouraged by this milestone reached by the BMW Group,” the President said.

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President Ramaphosa said the Rosslyn plant remains a pillar of South Africa’s automotive sector, which contributes approximately 4.9% to the country’s GDP, sustains over 115 000 direct manufacturing jobs, and supports more than half a million jobs across its value chain.

BMW’s investment in local manufacturing comes at a time when South Africa is working to position itself as a globally competitive hub for future mobility.

“As the transition to battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen mobility gathers momentum, South Africa is perfectly positioned as a key global manufacturing base for the mobility of the future,” President Ramaphosa said.

He reaffirmed government’s commitment to enabling this shift, highlighting the recently released Electric Vehicle White Paper and an incentive programme under the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP).

These are aimed at creating a stable and predictable policy environment to attract investment, grow exports, and expand the local electric vehicle (EV) market.

“The production of the BMW X3 plug-in hybrid locally is a testament to the trust placed in our skills, our workers, our partnerships and our potential. Let us honour this achievement by staying the course, driving transformation, creating jobs and leading Africa’s industrial future,” he said.

President Ramaphosa also touched on the strategic opportunity presented by South Africa’s mineral wealth.

“The global shift to clean vehicles presents opportunities for the local component manufacturing sector, whose focus has been on ICE components. With our significant reserves of critical minerals, we must become a hub for processing and beneficiation.

“We are finalising targeted incentives for battery cell localisation, EV component manufacture, clean mobility research and design, and critical mineral beneficiation,” he said.

The President also acknowledged the changing global trade landscape – particularly the recent announcements on tariffs by the United States.

“The recent announcements on tariffs by the United States, an important market for our vehicle exports, further underscores the need to diversity our export base and accelerate domestic value creation,” he said.

Youth development

The President commended BMW’s commitment to youth development, including its training academy that produces 300 apprentices annually, its long-term support for the Youth Employment Service (YES), and its initiatives to develop young women leaders and black industrialists.

He also praised BMW’s investment in digital skills through its partnership with UNICEF and its Tshwane-based IT Hub, which employs more than 2 000 digital professionals.

“As a founding partner of the Youth Employment Service, BMW has supported over 3 500 youth, with placements across all provinces and in diverse sectors such as retail, IT, education and health.

“BMW’s roots may be in Bavaria, but its beating heart is South African. We are proud of your presence. We are greatly encouraged by your ongoing investment as we strive to build the low-carbon economies of the future,” the President said.

Looking ahead

Calling on BMW to continue its role as a flagship partner in the South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC), the President urged the company to deepen localisation, expand youth training, lead in EV battery development, and support township-based supplier development.

“As the Government of National Unity, we welcome the role you continue to play in supporting our drive for inclusive growth and job creation.

“BMW’s presence in the country is one of mutual interest and shared value. To the entire BMW team, you are building more than cars.

“You are building a legacy of excellence, inclusion and hope among South Africans. We look forward to continuing this partnership and supporting the next chapter of your journey,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za