MIL Africa Engine

Source: APO

• Canon Academy has trained over 5,000 learners in the last 2 years through in-person workshops across 13 countries and virtual sessions in 7 countries.
• The new website is part of Canon’s World of Education initiative, reinforcing its commitment to accessible, high-impact creative learning across Africa.

Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) (www.Canon-CNA.com), a leader in imaging and innovation, has unveiled the new Canon Academy website (https://www.Academy.Canon-CNA.com), a dynamic digital learning platform designed to empower photographers and videographers across Africa. But this launch is more than just a website—it’s a testament to Canon’s unwavering commitment to education, community development, and creative growth across the continent.

At the heart of Canon’s approach lies its corporate philosophy of Kyosei: living and working together for the common good. Through its ever-expanding Canon World of Education, the brand has invested in building meaningful educational ecosystems that extend access to knowledge, unlock creative potential, and open up real opportunities for individuals and communities alike.

From Canon Miraisha to Canon Academy Juniors, and from the Canon Print Hub to Canon Academy Photo & Video, each initiative serves a single mission—to elevate local talent by providing world-class tools, training, and mentorship tailored to the African context.

Among these, Canon Academy has emerged as a cornerstone program, having trained over 5,000 learners in the last 2 years through hands-on workshops in more than 13 countries—a number that continues to grow as the Academy expands into new regions like Rwanda, and re-establishes its presence in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania in 2025.

However, as Canon listened closely to its learners, trainers, and communities, a clear insight emerged: physical workshops alone couldn’t scale fast enough to meet demand, especially in emerging creative regions and remote areas. The need for self-paced learning, consistent access, and a centralized digital experience gave birth to the vision for the new Canon Academy website.

A New Era of Learning for Every Creator

The Canon Academy website is an intuitive, content-rich platform crafted specifically for African creators—whether aspiring hobbyists or seasoned professionals. Designed with accessibility and interactivity at its core, the site enables users to learn, grow, and connect through:

• Photography Fundamentals: Lessons covering core concepts like ISO, shutter speed, and depth of field
• Genre-Specific Guides: Downloadable content for macro, portrait, street photography, and more
• Tips & Tricks: Real-world insights from Canon experts across Africa
• Lens Simulator: An interactive tool to explore gear impact before shooting
• Kit Hub: Product demos, kit-building tips, and accessory recommendations
• Crew Hub: A directory spotlighting certified Canon trainers and their creative journeys
• Workshop Portal: Centralized registration for both virtual and in-person learning experiences

The result is a hybrid education model—one that blends Canon’s in-ground reach with a scalable digital backbone, broadening access to knowledge and strengthening community engagement across borders.

More Than Skills: A Pathway to Purpose

“Canon Academy is more than a platform. It’s a pathway—for self-expression, for employment, and for transforming perspectives,” said Rashad Ghani, B2C Business Unit Director, Canon Central & North Africa. “Our goal is to nurture talent by making world-class education not only accessible but also relatable and relevant to every African creator, no matter where they are.”

By empowering individuals with knowledge and confidence, Canon isn’t just enhancing creative output—it’s contributing to economic resilience, youth development, and cultural storytelling across Africa.

Check out the Canon Academy website here: https://www.Academy.Canon-CNA.com

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).

Media enquiries, please contact:
Canon Central and North Africa
Mai Youssef
e. Mai.youssef@canon-me.com

APO Group – PR Agency
Rania ElRafie
e. Rania.ElRafie@apo-opa.com

About Canon Central and North Africa:
Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) (www.Canon-CNA.com) is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2016 was a strategic step that aimed to enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region – by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus. CCNA also demonstrates Canon’s commitment to operating closer to its customers and meeting their demands in the rapidly evolving African market.

Canon has been represented in the African continent for more than 15 years through distributors and partners that have successfully built a solid customer base in the region. CCNA ensures the provision of high quality, technologically advanced products that meet the requirements of Africa’s rapidly evolving marketplace. With over 100 employees, CCNA manages sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa.

Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei (https://apo-opa.co/4l7o947) – ‘living and working together for the common good’. CCNA pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its own environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon’s products, solutions and services. At Canon, we are pioneers, constantly redefining the world of imaging for the greater good. Through our technology and our spirit of innovation, we push the bounds of what is possible – helping us to see our world in ways we never have before. We help bring creativity to life, one image at a time. Because when we can see our world, we can transform it for the better.

For more information: www.Canon-CNA.com

Source: APO

Cybersecurity in Africa is entering a new phase. As organisations mature their defences and invest in security awareness training (SAT), a difficult-to-spot, but critical gap is emerging – not between tools and cyber threats, but between what leaders believe about their employees, and what they actually experience.

The KnowBe4 Africa Human Risk Management Report 2025 (http://apo-opa.co/4fhcmPo) provides a glimpse into this mismatch. The results show that many leaders are overestimating their employees’  preparedness, and underestimating the gaps in trust, training, and action.

Says Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa, “It’s not just that awareness alone isn’t enough – it’s that the level of employee’s awareness is being misunderstood by the organisational leaders responsible for it..”

The perception gap is growing, but measurable

While 50% of decision-makers in 2025 rate employee cyber threat-reporting confidence at 4 out of 5, in 2024, only 43% of employees said that they  felt confident recognising a threat, while one-third disagreed that their training was sufficient.

68% of decision-makers believe that SAT within their organisations is tailored by role. But only 33% of employees in 2024 felt that to be true – with 16% actively disagreeing.

The implications are serious, because a workforce that appears trained and aware on paper may in fact be uncertain, unsupported, and vulnerable.

“This discrepancy between perception and experience is exactly where human risk thrives,” says Collard. “If leaders don’t correct course, they’re building security strategies on false confidence.”

Why measuring awareness is no longer enough

One of the most frequently cited challenges in the report is deceptively simple: measuring if SAT  works. More than four in ten respondents said that they struggle to track whether their security awareness programmes translate into safer behaviours.

A key contributing factor, identified in the report,  is that many organisations still rely on one-size-fits-all SAT, often delivered only annually or biannually, without role-specific customisation or behavioural feedback loops.

While 68% say they offer role-based training, this claim is undermined by the fact that “lack of role alignment” remains one of the top challenges respondents report. The discrepancy is clearest in sectors like manufacturing and healthcare, where generic SAT is most common.

Size, it seems, also matters. Larger organisations are consistently less confident in employee readiness, train less frequently, and struggle more to measure outcomes..

Collard says: “Awareness without action is like an alarm that no one responds to. Organisations are investing in security awareness training, but without the structure, tailoring, and follow-through to translate that into secure behaviour.”

Beyond BYOD: The new blind spot is AI

One of the most urgent themes to emerge is the rapid rise of “shadow AI” use. With nearly half of all organisations still busy developing formal AI policies, yet up to 80% of employees using personal devices for work, the risk of unmonitored, unsanctioned AI usage is rising fast.

East Africa is leading the way with more proactive AI governance, while Southern Africa, despite topping training frequency, lags behind on AI policy implementation.

“Technology has moved faster than policy,” Collard explains. “And unless AI tools are properly governed, they become as much a risk vector as they are an asset.”

The road ahead: Action, alongside awareness

This report outlines five imperatives for African organisations:

1. Customise SAT by role and risk exposure.
2. Track what matters – not just participation, but behavioural outcomes.
3. Formalise reporting structures employees trust and understand.
4. Close the AI policy gap before misuse becomes systemic.
5. Contextualise strategies based on region and sector – because resilience is not one-size-fits-all.

“The human element is often spoken about, but rarely measured in ways that lead to action that acknowledges context. Our goal is to help organisations stop guessing and start structuring their defences around real, contextual insights,”says Collard.

“This is a moment to move from compliance-driven box-ticking to culture-driven resilience. We have the data. Now we need the will.

The full report is now available for download here: http://apo-opa.co/4fhcmPo.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of KnowBe4.

Contact details:
KnowBe4:
Anne Dolinschek
anned@knowbe4.com

Red Ribbon:
TJ Coenraad 
tayla@redribboncommunications.co.za

Source: APO

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As African countries scale up collaboration with international mining companies to meet surging demand for minerals, African Mining Week (AMW) 2025 will provide a strategic platform to highlight the role of global players in advancing the continent’s mineral production goals. 

Craig Miller, CEO of Valterra Platinum, and Vinay Somera, CEO of Isondo Precious Metals, will join discussions on South Africa’s Strategic Influence in the Global Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) Market, where the country maintains a dominant position, producing over 75% global platinum supplies. Valterra is expanding its operations to meet a refined output target of 3.4 million ounces in 2025, while Isondo is advancing efforts to use locally sourced PGMs in hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing. 

Marna Cloete, President and CEO of Ivanhoe Mines, and Godwin Beene, Country Manager of First Quantum Minerals, are also confirmed to participate on the Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships: Building Resilience in a Consolidating Industry panel discussion. Both companies are pursuing large-scale investments to increase copper production in Zambia, supporting the country’s ambition to produce 3 million tons annually by 2031. First Quantum is expanding its Kansanshi and Sentinel operations, and Ivanhoe continues development of its Kamoa-Kakula complex, considered one of the world’s most significant copper assets. 

The panel, The Future of Gold: Predicting Prices and Managing Market Volatility, will feature B2Gold Namibia’s Country Manager John Ross and Pensana CEO Tim George. B2Gold is currently expanding Namibia’s largest gold mine, the Otjikoto Mine, while Pensana is progressing Angola’s flagship Longonjo rare earths project, which is expected to supply 5% of the global demand for magnet metals used in electric vehicles and wind turbines. 

Darryll Castle, Director of Operations at TechMet Limited, will be present for discussions around the integration of digital technologies in mining operations. Meanwhile, Emma Townshend, Executive of Corporate Affairs at Implats and Board Member of Women in PGMs, will participate in a session focused on Women Pioneering Leadership in Africa’s Mining Industry, with emphasis on promoting sustainability and inclusivity. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

About African Mining Week:
African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Source: APO

Three-year-old Armane from rural Madagascar can now smile without shame, thanks to a life-changing cleft lip surgery provided by international charity Mercy Ships (www.MercyShips.org). 

For his mother, Roseline, the day of Armane’s birth was filled with both relief and fear. After a long and difficult labor in a remote rice field, she was handed her baby, but only after the birth attendants tried to hide his face.  

“I gave birth to many children, but none of them were like him,” Roseline said. “When I finally saw him, I kissed him and cried. I was worried. People in the village said he was cursed, not human.”  

In her village, no one had ever seen a cleft lip before. The condition, a birth defect that occurs when the lip doesn’t form fully in the womb, left Armane struggling to eat, speak, and be accepted.  

Globally, an estimated 4.1 million people live with orofacial clefts, contributing to more than 400,000 lost disability-adjustment life years (DALYs). According to a study published by the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (https://apo-opa.co/4lcuNpZ), most of the children affected live in low-and middle-income countries. 

In many high-income settings, babies with cleft lip are diagnosed before birth and receive corrective surgery within the first three months of life. But in low- income countries, access to safe, affordable surgery remains out of reach for thousands of families.  

Roseline tried everything she could: “I had to lie down on one side when I needed to breastfeed him because he could not suck on the cleft lip, he wouldn’t get any milk,” she said. “He was very weak; we had to give him vitamins, and he struggled to speak too.” 

Despite the stigma, Roseline and her husband never gave up hope. When she later encountered Mercy Ships volunteers and saw photos of other children with cleft lips, children who looked just like Armane, hope ignited. After a four-day journey to the Africa Mercy®, they reached the floating hospital ship docked in Toamasina. There, Armane would finally receive the free surgery that would transform his life.  

“This is a surgery that takes just one hour, but changes everything,” said American nurse Mollie Felder, who cared for Armane after his operation. “It’s not just about appearance, it’s about dignity, confidence, being seen.” 

At the hospital’s HOPE Center, a safe recovery space for patients and caregivers, Armane and his sister found a second family. “No one stared. Everyone was accepted,” said Denise Gorissen, a Dutch volunteer leading the center. “That environment of love helps healing begin before the surgery even starts.” 

Armane’s recovery was smooth. And when he returned to his village, the transformation left neighbors stunned.  

“Many people came to see him,” said Roseline. “They couldn’t believe it. They had thought this couldn’t be fixed.” When Armane’s father first saw him, he held him in his arms and kissed him. “My worry is gone from now on,” he said with relief.  

For Roseline and her husband, the surgery didn’t just restore their son’s face, it restored their hope. Once surrounded by shame and whispers, Armane is now surrounded by love, laughter, and a future full of promise.  

“I’m so happy, so happy,” says Roseline, her eyes shining. “My son will no longer be mocked. He will always be loved.” 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mercy Ships.

For more information about Mercy Ships, contact:  
international.media@mercyships.org 

ABOUT MERCY SHIPS:  
Mercy Ships operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and other healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. An international faith-based organization, Mercy Ships has focused entirely on partnering with nations in Africa for the past three decades. Working with in-country partners, Mercy Ships also provides training to local healthcare professionals and supports the construction of in-country medical infrastructure to leave a lasting impact.  

Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer professionals from over 60 countries serve on board the world’s two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to accelerate access to safe surgical and anesthetic care. Mercy Ships was founded in 1978 and has offices in 16 countries as well as an Africa Service Center in Dakar, Senegal. For more information, visit www.MercyShips.org and follow @MercyShips on social media.