Key Takeaways:

• The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reduced its external debt significantly from SDR 263 million in 2016 to SDR 69.3 million by 2019.
• A sharp reversal occurred in 2020, with debt surging by 327% within a single year, from SDR 69.3 million in 2019 to SDR 296.2 million.
• Over the decade from 2016 to 2025, the country’s debt increased by 580%, reaching SDR 1.79 billion by March 2025.
• From 2020 to 2025, the DRC has accumulated over SDR 1.49 billion in new debt.

• Gold hit its trough at $1,985/oz in February 2024, marking the low before an uninterrupted rally.
• After a spring consolidation, gold surged past $2,500/oz in September 2024 (peaking then at $2,546), signaling broadening investor demand.
• The metal first cracked the $3,000/oz threshold in March 2025 when it reached $3,026, underscoring accelerating momentum.
• That rally culminated in a new record of $3,323/oz in April 2025, a 67.5% gain from the February 2024 low.

• A staggering 96.3% of users access the internet via mobile devices, making smartphones the most important digital tools in the world today.
• While 82.7% of the global urban population is online, only 47.4% of the rural population has access. That’s a huge gap that reflects deep inequalities in infrastructure and digital opportunity.
• Spending 6 hours and 38 minutes online every day isn’t just scrolling time; it’s a shift in how humans live, learn, and earn. It’s equivalent to more than 100 full days online per year per person.
• Although mobile dominates, 61.5% of users still access the internet through computers, proving that traditional devices still matter for work, school, or content creation.
• While 70% of men use the internet, 65.7% of women do. This gap may seem small, but on a global scale, it represents millions of women without access to tools for learning, income, and visibility.
• With billions spending almost 7 hours daily online, the internet is where decisions are made, opinions are formed, and lives are influenced.

• Between 2020–2024 H1, 40.58% and 50.91% of deal volume went to consumer staples and consumer discretionary respectively, showing that everyday goods and lifestyle products are fast becoming investment magnets.
• The utilities sector deal volume exploded in recent years, jumping from 21.62% in 2016–2019 to 70.27% in 2020–2024 H1, an indication that basic infrastructure services like energy, water, and power are now central to investment strategies.
• 78.57% of all deal volume in the information technology sector happened in the most recent period, suggesting that digital solutions and tech platforms are increasingly being backed by private capital.
• The industrials sector also bounced back, with 46% of its deal volume coming in the 2020–2024 period.
• Energy sector investment dropped from 66.67% to 33.33%, and real estate recorded no new deals after 2015.
• Health care remained consistent across all three periods, securing exactly 33.33% of the deal volume each time, highlighting its stability, even if not standout growth.

• Nigeria’s currency has undergone 10 key shifts; from note introductions to redesigns and a digital launch.
• Between 1999 and 2005, four new notes; ₦100 to ₦1,000, were introduced in response to inflation.
• The ₦200, ₦500 & ₦1,000 notes, which dominate in circulation by value, were revamped with high-security features.
• In 2021, Nigeria launched the eNaira, making it the first African country with a Central Bank Digital Currency.

• Rashidi Yekini remains Nigeria’s all-time top scorer with 40 goals in 58 appearances — a record that has stood for over two decades.
• Victor Osimhen now ranks 2nd, overtaking Segun Odegbami by scoring 26 goals in just 40 matches.
• Segun Odegbami, now 3rd, recorded 23 goals in 46 appearances during his time with the national team.
• Among the top scorers, Osimhen has the best goals-per-game ratio, scoring 0.65 goals per game, compared to Yekini’s 0.69 and Odegbami’s 0.50.

Key Takeaways:

• South Africa’s outstanding debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) decreased from SDR 3.05 billion in March 2023 to SDR 762.8 million by March 2025.
• The debt level remained unchanged at SDR 3.05 billion through the first three quarters of 2023.
• Starting in December 2023, South Africa began making consistent quarterly repayments of SDR 381.4 million.
• This trend demonstrates steady progress in debt reduction and a strengthened commitment to fiscal discipline.
• The country is potentially on track for full repayment of its debt by the end of 2025.

Key Takeaways:

• Between 2016 and 2020, Kenya's debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) declined steadily by 59%, from SDR 609.8 million to SDR 249.9 million.
• This downward trend reversed dramatically after 2020, with public debt rising to SDR 3.02 billion by March 2025.
• The most significant annual increase occurred between 2020 and 2021, when debt jumped by 178%.
• The lowest recorded debt level during the study period was in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it fell to approximately SDR 250 million.
• Kenya’s IMF debt grew more than elevenfold (1,109%) from its 2020 low to its 2025 peak.

Key Takeaways:

• Soybeans topped the US' agricultural exports in 2024, followed by corn and beef.
• The top 10 agricultural commodities made up 56.6% of the total value of the US' agricultural exports.
• Plant-based exports (soybeans, corn, tree nuts, soybean meal, wheat) contributed over 34% of the total agricultural export value.
• The combined value of the top 10 exports exceeded $99.73 billion.
• Animal proteins (beef, pork, and poultry) together represented 13.9% of total US agricultural exports.

• Over 36% of candidates earned a Second Class Lower.
• One in every 27 candidates achieved a First Class Honours.
• More than 16% secured a Second Class Upper.
• 181 candidates were absent for the exam, roughly 2.5% of the total.
• 327 candidates earned a Conditional Pass, requiring further requirements for full qualification.

• The Netherlands led with 18.6% of South Africa’s citrus exports in 2023.
• The U.S. accounted for 5.8% of South Africa’s citrus exports, a small share compared to Europe and UAE.
• South African citrus exports to the U.S. in 2023 was valued at $141 million.
• Other markets, like the UK and UAE, played a larger role in South Africa’s citrus trade.
• Market diversity may reduce the impact of the trending U.S. tariff on South Africa’s overall citrus export.

• Djibouti’s inflation reached a peak in 2022, with 5.18%, the highest in the past decade.
• The lowest inflation rate occurred in 2015, with a negative value of -0.85%.
• From 2014 to 2023, Djibouti experienced fluctuating inflation, with increases in 2016, 2019, and 2022.
• Between 2022 and 2023, inflation decreased from 5.18% to 1.50%.
• The year 2018 saw the lowest inflation among positive rates, with a modest 0.15%.
• The overall trend shows periodic inflation spikes, particularly in 2016, 2019, and 2022, while other years maintained relatively stable or lower inflation.