Fifteen oil, gas and power projects seeking more than US$16 billion in investment were presented at African Energy Week 2026 in Cape Town on October 12. The projects were showcased during a Deal Room session organised by investment advisory firm Premier Invest. Rene Awambeng, managing partner at Premier Invest, presented the portfolio to potential investors and financing partners. The proposals cover upstream exploration and production, midstream infrastructure, downstream facilities and gas-fired power generation.The projects have different financing requirements, ranging from early-stage
Singapore’s economy grew by 5.4 per cent year on year in the third quarter of 2026, according to advance estimates released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on October 14. Growth moderated from 5.9 per cent in the second quarter but exceeded the 5 per cent median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted basis, the economy expanded by 1.1 per cent, compared with 1.5 per cent in the previous quarter. Manufacturing grew by 7.5 per cent year on year, supported by output in electronics, precision engineering, transport engineering and
Ethiopia inaugurated its National Precious Metals Refinery on October 10, 2026, at the Bole Lemi Special Economic Zone in Addis Ababa. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the launch as the country expands its domestic mineral-processing capacity. The US$50 million facility is a joint venture between state-owned Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) and international partner Sam Precious Metals. It is designed to process more than 600 tonnes of precious metals annually at full capacity. The refinery will assay, refine and cast gold into export-ready bullion. It will also produce cast and m
The global economy is projected to grow by 3.1 per cent in 2026, according to the International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook. The forecast is slightly above July’s estimate of 3 per cent, although it remains below the 3.5 per cent growth recorded in 2025. Investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure has helped support the outlook, driving demand for advanced chips and related equipment. The IMF expects global growth to reach 3.4 per cent in 2027, but says the recovery remains uneven. Only 32 countries now account for 95 per cent of global growth, compared with
El-Sisi’s October tour advances cooperation in trade, technology and manufacturing Egypt signed 20 agreements and memoranda of understanding during President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s visits to South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia from October 6 to 11, as Cairo seeks to expand trade and attract investment from Asia. In South Korea, Egypt and Seoul upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership and agreed to launch negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The two sides signed 12 agreements and memoranda covering areas including shipbuilding, clean energy, p
India and the United Kingdom have agreed to exchange data annually to track how businesses use the tariff benefits under their Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The decision was announced following the 16th meeting of the India–UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) in New Delhi on October 12. The data exchange will begin one year after CETA entered into force on July 15, 2026. It will track how often businesses claim preferential tariffs and collect feedback on implementation, helping both governments identify obstacles and improve access for companies, particula
Vietnam’s automobile market grew by 31.1 per cent year on year in the first half of 2026, the fastest expansion among six major Southeast Asian markets, according to a report by PwC. The increase was supported by rising demand for electric vehicles and an 83 per cent jump in hybrid sales. Combined vehicle sales across Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore reached approximately 1.76 million units, up 11.1 per cent from the same period in 2025. Vietnam recorded the strongest growth, ahead of Indonesia at 15.9 per cent and Thailand at 15.1 per cent.
Singapore’s digital economy grew to S$144.1 billion in 2025, accounting for 19.3 % of the country’s GDP, according to the Singapore Digital Economy Report 2026 released by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) on October 5. The share rose from 18.8 % in 2024. The digital economy grew 5.6 % during the year, compared with 3.1 % growth in Singapore’s nominal GDP. Digitalisation outside the information and communications sector remained the larger contributor, generating S$97 billion in value added. The information and communications sector contributed S$47.1 billion. Enterp
The UK economy grew by 0.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, according to revised figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The increase was higher than the previous estimate of 0.4 per cent. The stronger performance was largely supported by the services sector, which expanded by 0.6 per cent during the quarter. Professional, scientific and technical activities were among the biggest contributors. Business investment also rose 1.8 per cent from the previous quarter and was 5.2 per cent higher than a year earlier. The revised figures cover the period from April t
The US economy grew at an annual rate of 2.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, according to a revised estimate from the Commerce Department. The figure was higher than the government’s earlier estimate of 1.5 per cent. Growth between April and June was supported by stronger consumer spending and business investment. Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 per cent of US economic activity, increased at an annual rate of 3.8 per cent. That compared with growth of just 0.7 per cent in the first quarter. Business investment excluding housing also increased sharply