Digital Finance & Payments: Ericsson and FIS are teaming up to pre-integrate wallet-led payments and card-issuing tech with Ericsson’s fintech platform, aiming to cut the build-and-integrate burden for banks and fintechs—an approach that could speed up Africa’s next wave of mobile money services. Energy Cost Shock: South Africa’s Competition Commission says electricity, water and fuel costs are rising faster than inflation, while “rocket and feather” pricing concerns linger—adding pressure ahead of the Reserve Bank’s September meeting. Eskom Tariffs Under Fire: Eskom is seeking an 8.8% average tariff increase from April 2027, with critics warning it’s another above-inflation hit for households. Clean Cooking Finance: Carbon credit financing is emerging as a major bet for scaling clean cookstoves, with Africa securing $900m in new commitments—positioning carbon markets as a household-energy lever. SME Banking: Capitec’s SME push is gaining traction, growing its business client base to about 500,000 and building a R4bn SME lending book. Oil & Capital Markets: Nigeria’s Dangote refinery IPO is moving toward pricing and listing milestones, while CORAN urges Nigeria to secure commercially viable crude supplies for local refiners to avoid continued crude exports and import dependence. Investor Flows: Nigeria’s equities are watching FTSE Russell’s frontier index inclusion list and weights, which could shape foreign portfolio inflows from September 21. Policy & Compliance: Kenya warns foreigners that visa-free access doesn’t equal permission to work or trade, targeting misuse in retail and local commerce.