Dangote signs US$1bn deal with Zimbabwe to build 2000km pipeline from Namibia

Stephen Grootes and Dr. Rutendo Hwindingwi, founding director of Tribe Africa advisory and author of Rumble in the Jungle Reloaded look at top business news around the continent.

Listen to the interview in the audio player below.

1. Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote has signed a landmark US$1 billion investment agreement with Zimbabwe, signaling a major boost for the country’s economic ambitions.

The project includes the construction of a fertiliser plant and a 2000km pipeline stretching from Namibia’s Walvis Bay, through Botswana to Bulawayo.

Dangote met President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare on Wednesday to sign the MoU, marking one of Zimbabwe’s most significant private-sector investments in years.

He hinted that the total value could exceed US$1 billion, particularly due to the pipeline.

2. Ghana will scrap value-added tax on mineral exploration and reconnaissance in a bid to revive stalled growth in its mining sector.

The 15% levy, introduced 25 years ago has long been criticised for raising upfront costs on high-risk early-stage mining activities such as drilling and assay work.

As Africa’s top gold producer intensifies reforms to stimulate new development, the tax removal is expected to rekindle investor interest in exploration.

3. Guinness Nigeria, now majority-owned by Singapore-based Tolaram, is expanding into northern states as it seeks to rebound from two years of losses driven largely by the naira’s devaluation. 

In an interview with The Africa Report, CEO Girish Sharma said the company has widened its distribution footprint beyond Abuja, something that did not happen under previous owner Diageo.

Since acquiring the business just over a year ago, Tolaram has focused on extending the progress made under Diageo while unlocking previously untapped markets.

4. Malawi’s mobile money ecosystem has surpassed 20 million subscriptions for the first time, signaling rapid growth in digital financial access. 

The Reserve Bank of Malawi’s Q2 2025 National Payments System Report shows registered users rising to 20.1 million from 17.6 million in just one quarter, a 13.95% surge.

While the milestone indicates deepening penetration in both rural and urban areas, concerns remain about whether actual usage is keeping pace with registration growth.

5. Google has acknowledged that its Maps platform displays the Western Sahara–Morocco border differently depending on the user’s location. 

Media reports last week highlighted that the dotted lines marking Western Sahara’s disputed territorial status do not appear for users in Morocco.

Following scrutiny amid renewed global attention after the UN Security Council backed Morocco’s autonomy plan, Google stated that the differing representations have always existed.

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