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The Nissan logo is shown on a vehicle at the LA Auto show "AutoMobility LA" in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 20, 2025. Nissan Motor said on Friday it would sell its manufacturing assets in Rosslyn, South Africa, to the local arm of China's Chery Automobile for an undisclosed sum. Chery SA will buy the land, buildings and associated assets of Nissan's facilities in mid-2026 if conditions, including regulatory approvals, are met by then, the struggling Japanese automaker said in a statement. Production of the Navara pickup truck, the plant's only model, will end in May if the deal goes ahead, a Nissan spokesperson said. The model is made for the local market and exported to several countries, mainly in Africa. Advertisement · Scroll to continue The move is part of Nissan's ongoing turnaround plan under which it is closing or consolidating seven plants. The company declined to confirm the production capacity of the Rosslyn plant, which was set up more than 50 years ago. "External factors have had a well-known impact on the utilisation of the Rosslyn plant and its future viability within Nissan," Nissan Africa president Jordi Vila said in the statement. Nissan has been hard hit in South Africa since production of its high-volume NP200 half-ton pickup truck ended in 2023. It faces stiff competition from Toyota's Hilux, Ford's Ranger and Isuzu's D-Max pickup trucks, all ranked in the top 10 best-selling cars in the country. Chery SA, the South African arm of China's third-largest automaker by volume, declined to comment on the agreement. Most affected Nissan employees will be offered positions by Chery SA on similar terms and conditions to those they currently have, Nissan said in its statement. Nissan added it will continue to sell and service vehicles in South Africa, with several launches planned for the 2026 financial year, including the Tekton and Patrol models. The CEO of Chery South Africa had said in October that the company was considering using another manufacturer's facility, forming a joint venture or building its own greenfield site in South Africa.

Africa–UAE economic relations reached a defining moment with the official launch of the CRDB Bank Dubai Representative Office at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), marking the first time a Tanzanian bank has established a presence within one of the world’s most influential financial hubs. The milestone positions Tanzania, together with the East and Central Africa region, directly within the global capital ecosystem, using a home-grown African financial institution as the bridge between regional opportunity and international finance. The launch brought together senior leaders from international financial institutions, global investors, multinational corporates and development finance partners, reflecting growing global interest in Africa as the world’s next major growth frontier. The ceremony was officiated by Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, who delivered a keynote address on behalf of Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Speaking on behalf of the President, Minister Kombo commended CRDB Bank for advancing Tanzania’s national economic vision through a strong domestic institution capable of operating at global standards. He said the choice of Dubai was strategic, citing its role as a leading global capital hub and the strong regulatory framework of DIFC.  “The presence of a Tanzanian bank in Dubai will deepen economic, trade and investment relations between Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates, building on bilateral trade that has already reached approximately $2.5 billion annually, while strengthening Tanzania’s linkages with global markets,” Minister Kombo Said. Tanzania, with more than 60 million people, has sustained average GDP growth of 6–7 percent for over two decades, maintained single-digit inflation and preserved macroeconomic stability even during periods of global disruption. This stability has enabled Tanzania to evolve into a natural gateway economy, linking the Indian Ocean to landlocked markets across East and Central Africa. It is this gateway role that CRDB Bank has been built to serve. Founded 30 years ago, the Bank has grown alongside Tanzania’s economy and regional integration agenda. Today, the Group serves over six million customers across the region, with a balance sheet exceeding $9 billion. Its footprint in Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo mirrors the region’s most important trade, logistics and investment corridors. In his remarks, Abdulmajid Nsekela, Group CEO of CRDB Bank, said the expansion into Dubai represents the logical next step in a regional strategy rooted in Tanzania’s economic geography and Africa’s integration agenda. “CRDB Bank was built to finance Tanzania’s growth. As Tanzania became a gateway, the Bank became regional,” he said. “Dubai now allows us to complete the triangle—linking global capital, Tanzania, and East and Central Africa through one trusted African institution.” East and Central Africa together represent a market of nearly 400 million people, defined by rising intra-African trade, expanding infrastructure networks, vast mineral and energy resources, and one of the youngest labour forces in the world. Africa as a whole is home to 1.4 billion people, generates over $3.4 trillion in GDP, and is projected to account for a quarter of the global population by 2050. Despite this scale, access to long-term, structured capital remains a persistent constraint. The CRDB Bank Dubai Representative Office has been designed to address this gap by originating deals, structuring financing and mobilizing global capital for African projects that require both local understanding and international standards. “Africa does not lack opportunity,” Mr. Nsekela noted. “What it often lacks is a bridge between capital and execution. This office is that bridge.” By establishing a Tanzanian banking presence at DIFC, CRDB Bank is expected to deepen trade finance, cross-border investment structuring and syndicated financing between the Gulf and Africa, using Tanzania as the anchor and East and Central Africa as the growth hinterland. The office also strengthens Africa’s engagement with Islamic finance, a global market exceeding $4 trillion in assets. Neema Mori, Chairperson of the CRDB Bank Board of Directors, said the milestone reflects growing confidence in African institutions to operate at the highest global level. “This is a statement about governance, capability and trust,” she said. “CRDB Bank’s presence in Dubai demonstrates that African banks can anchor global partnerships while remaining firmly aligned with Africa’s development priorities.” Leadership from the Dubai Financial Services Authority welcomed CRDB Bank into the DIFC ecosystem, noting that an African bank with deep regional roots strengthens the Africa–Middle East financial corridor and improves the flow of long-term capital into emerging markets.

In 2020, as lockdowns rearranged daily life and the world looked for ways to stay productive, Foluke Oyeleye found herself pulled back to a conviction she had carried for years. It was not a new ambition or a sudden trend. It was a question that had followed her through boardrooms and corporate roles, through years of building and advising businesses: why were so many Nigerian stories of excellence still difficult to find, difficult to enjoy, and especially difficult for children to access? The moment sharpened after a conversation at home. Her husband listened as she spoke about the work she had done years earlier on Nigerian enterprise and manufacturing, and then he said something simple and final: ‘’you have been talking about this for so long. You have to do it’’. For Oyeleye, that sentence marked a shift from aspiration to accountability. From accountability to action. She stopped treating storytelling as a someday plan and started treating it as a company to build. Then she started building.  Origins that taught her to value culture as infrastructure Oyeleye is Nigerian, a Yoruba woman of Ijebu heritage, raised in Ibadan in South West Nigeria. She describes Nigeria as ‘a place that carries creativity and resilience in everyday life, where people develop an instinct to adapt and rebuild’. Deep resilience and optimism amongst the Nigerian persons, the ‘we will find a way' mindset. To Foluke this is the belief that solutions can be found even when conditions are imperfect, which would later shape how she approached entrepreneurship and publishing. She is also British, and she credits her early summers in England with widening her sense of what cultural preservation can look like when it is done with intention. From around the age of nine, she spent summer holidays  in West Byfleet, Surrey, visiting castles, old buildings, and historic sites in the United Kingdom. The experience left her with an early respect for continuity: the idea that history is not only remembered, but curated, preserved, and passed on to generations. Over time, these two inheritances converged into a clear belief. Culture and history are not decoration. They are infrastructure for identity, confidence, and ambition. Building the path from corporate discipline to publishing craft Oyeleye’s career began in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector during and after her National Youth Service Corps, working in procurement and contracts. The work demanded precision and accountability, and it exposed her to the operational realities that keep large industries moving. She later moved into finance, training as a stockbroker and investment banker in corporate finance. That transition added a different kind of education: how to evaluate businesses, how growth is financed, how governance protects value, and how strategy becomes measurable execution. In 2001, she joined six others to co-found Econet Wireless Nigeria Limited, now Airtel Nigeria. The experience became an early test of building at scale, in a sector where execution speed, regulatory realities, and market trust matter. It also strengthened her confidence that complex projects can be delivered when structure and discipline meet conviction. Alongside entrepreneurship and corporate leadership, she took on governance responsibilities. She serves as a non-executive director at NGX Limited , formerly the  Nigerian Stock Exchange , and at First Registrars and Investor Services Ltd. Those roles reflect a consistent theme in her journey: stewardship. Whether she is guiding strategy in a board setting or shaping stories for young readers, she approaches work as something that must be built to last. Her formal education mirrors that mix of rigor and range, with a BA from St Mary’s College at the University of Durham, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Why Tani Series exists As a child, Oyeleye loved reading about people who changed the world, but rarely saw Nigerians who looked like her in those pages. The absence did not weaken her love of books. It intensified it. She grew up hungry for stories that could show Nigerian excellence with depth and detail, not as slogans, and not as rare exceptions. During her Harvard MBA, she wrote a paper on Nigerian entrepreneur Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola in May 2006. That work later became the foundation for a Harvard Business School case study, reinforcing for her that contemporary Nigerian achievement could be documented in ways people would genuinely want to read, study, and share. Years later, the pandemic became the catalyst. In August 2020, she decided to write research driven stories for children, and to build an organisation that could carry the work beyond one title, one season, or one author. Tani Series was born out of that decision, with a clear mandate: preserve and spotlight Nigerian and African histories through children’s storytelling that is both truthful and joyful. The work behind the books Oyeleye did not approach publishing as a hobby. She treated it as company building. She began by setting up a proper publishing structure so the work could grow beyond a personal project. She sought expert guidance early rather than learning the industry through costly trial and error. Then came the most time consuming layer: research. Because many of the stories she wanted to tell are scattered across archives, oral histories, and fragmented records, she committed to deep study before writing a single narrative for children. Her editorial challenge was not only accuracy. It was translation: distilling full lives and legacies into concise storytelling for young readers without stripping away truth or complexity. She wrote and edited with discipline, then built a visual world around the stories by commissioning vibrant illustrations rooted in Nigerian identity while remaining globally accessible. The result became the I Am a Nigerian In collection, spanning Music, Literary Arts, and STEM. Oyeleye describes the books as research shaped into craft, designed to help children see possibility in real names and real achievements. A timeline of deliberate progress The foundations were laid in May 2006 with her Harvard research on Chief Adeola Odutola, later expanded into a case study. In August 2020, she committed to writing and began building the publishing structure while developing the first manuscripts. The year 2021 became a full build year, focused on research, writing, illustration direction, editing, and production. In February 2022, she published the first two titles, I Am a Nigerian In Music and I Am a Nigerian In Literary Arts. In May 2022, she released I Am a Nigerian In STEM. That same year, she made her first appearance at the Akada Children’s Book Festival, and she has remained present annually since, returning in 2024 to lead a children’s workshop and Co hosting in 2025. From 2023 to 2025, Tani Series sustained consistent school visits and reader engagements, and in 2025 she participated in a mentoring programme for children interested in STEM. The list also expanded in format and authorship. In October 2025, Tani Series released its first comic, Chuka and the Basketball Legends, the first in a series. In December 2025, the company released Sleepy Guppy Says Bedtime Must Wait, a bedtime picture book written by Adebola Rayo. Tani Series also widened its physical footprint. In October 2025, it appeared internationally at the Black British Book Festival in London. In November 2025, it showcased at the African Marketplace exhibition in Dubai. From a book collection to a publishing company A key pivot came in 2024, when Oyeleye made a strategic decision to grow T ani Series into a fully fledged children’s publishing company, not only a vehicle for her own writing. That choice signals a broader ambition: to build an institution that can carry multiple voices, genres, and subject areas, while keeping a consistent standard of research, craft, and cultural respect. She describes the vision with range. Tani Series remains committed to stories that preserve histories and spotlight excellence, but it also aims to publish stories that feel like childhood should: adventurous, funny, surprising, tender, and magical. In other words, books that teach without preaching, and inspire without flattening the world into slogans. Mindset and playbook: faith, integrity, and global standards Oyeleye’s approach to leadership is anchored in Christian faith, which she calls her compass for decision making and impact. That faith shows up in practical non-negotiables. She is deliberate about who she partners with, believing that proximity shapes standards. She refuses to cut corners, mislead, or take shortcuts, and she treats her word as an asset that must remain credible. She also holds two values together that are often separated in business: compassion and excellence. She wants high standards without losing humanity, and that principle is one reason her work includes a not for profit dimension. Through Karanta Kids, she is anchoring part of Tani Series ’ mission in widening educational and literacy access for children. For ambitious African founders and professionals, her lessons are direct. First, stamina is a competitive advantage on the continent, where infrastructure gaps and shifting systems can create friction. Second, the environment should not set the ceiling. Build with global benchmarks even when starting locally. Third, add your voice. Even if others are already building in a space, there is room for more excellence because perspective and execution are never identical. What comes next and why it matters In 2026, Tani Series plans to launch Karanta, a digital storytelling app under its not for profit arm, designed to make stories more accessible and affordable, including through corporate partnerships that support literacy as part of social responsibility. The company also plans to expand its catalogue with a new I Am a Nigerian In title, the first in an I Am an African In series, alongside more titles from additional authors. Oyeleye’s message is consistent across formats: invest in Africa’s future by investing in children and youth. Her work argues that literacy is not only education policy. It is nation building at the level of imagination. When children can see themselves in stories of excellence, they do not only learn history. They inherit permission to contribute to the future. And that may be the clearest definition of what Tani Series is building: a publishing house that treats African stories as assets worth preserving, and African children as readers worth preparing for the world. Discover Tani Series Learn More about Foluke Connect with Foluke

Abu Dhabi : President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, attended in Abu Dhabi today the signing ceremony of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and Nigeria. The agreement signals the start of a new chapter of increased trade and investment between the two nations. Sheikh Mohamed said the agreement is a landmark development in UAE-Nigeria relations, noting it reflects the UAE’s ongoing commitment to enhancing global trade relations with nations around the world, with the aim of unlocking new avenues for mutual economic advancement and broader development. President Tinubu emphasised the importance of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in creating new opportunities for economic and trade cooperation. He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to achieving its objectives in a way that advances the shared development priorities of both countries. The CEPA was signed by Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, and Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. The agreement will reduce tariffs and remove trade barriers, significantly boosting investment flows and creating opportunities in critical sectors such as technology, agriculture, precious metals, and energy. Additionally, the deal aims to enhance public and private sector cooperation, strengthen supply chains, and empower SMEs to expand their reach in global markets. The UAE-Nigeria CEPA is a vital addition to the UAE’s foreign trade strategy and marks a new chapter in the two countries’ longstanding economic collaboration. With bilateral non-oil trade totalling US$4.3 billion in 2024 – a 55.3 percent year-on-year increase compared to 2023 – the trade relationship continues to grow, reflecting a robust commitment to mutual economic success. In the first nine months of 2025, bilateral non-oil trade reached approximately US$3.1 billion, cementing the rapid growth seen in 2024. The UAE is committed to leveraging its strategic position as a global trade hub to foster deeper ties with Nigeria, one of the African continent’s largest and fastest-growing economies. As a central pillar of the UAE’s ambitious foreign trade agenda, the CEPA programme aims to boost non-oil foreign trade to US$1.1 trillion by 2031. In 2024, the initiative contributed to a record non-oil trade figure of US$810 billion, representing a 14 percent year-on-year increase. With 32 agreements finalised and 14 in force, the CEPA programme demonstrates the UAE's dedication to open, rules-based international trade, in order to drive economic growth, diversification, and new opportunities for businesses in high-growth markets worldwide.

On the evening of November 15, 2025, in Swansea, the room filled with spoken word, live performance, and stories that rarely get stage time. Olusola Ige watched the programme unfold with the quiet focus of someone who had imagined the moment long before it arrived. The inaugural Legacy Voice Experience drew an audience of about eighty people and put performers from underrepresented communities at the centre, by design. For Ige, this was not a one night showcase. It was proof that a platform can interrupt a pattern, especially for diaspora creatives he believes are stuck living shift to shift, working endlessly without building anything that belongs to them. Ige’s conviction starts with a simple idea: every voice and every talent needs room for nurturing and expression in order to fulfil purpose. He traces that belief back to childhood, when writing became less of a hobby and more of a way to make sense of the world. He grew up Nigerian, carrying the familiar mix of ambition and responsibility that shapes many young people who learn early that survival and excellence often sit side by side. When he speaks about faith today, it is not performative branding. It is a framework for decision making, the source of his insistence that creativity can be both spiritually grounded and commercially serious. Entrepreneurship arrived early. In January 2010, he built his first business in Nigeria, Edibles and More, a food condiments company that forced him to learn pricing, operations, customer expectations, and the reality that passion does not replace process. Four years later, he published an independent work and discovered what direct distribution can do for a creator who cannot wait for permission. That lesson stayed with him. It helped explain why, years later, he would spend time mapping workflows and modular plans for publishing long before he had the public spotlight to match the ambition. In 2018, he expanded into technology through Future World Technology, an end to end ICT business. He describes that period as a crash course in systems thinking: how to design repeatable delivery, how to reduce chaos, and how to build for scale rather than for applause. Those skills became the spine of his creative ventures. Tecknowlogy, incorporated in the UK in December 2023, sits at the intersection of faith, product design, and commerce. On LinkedIn, the company describes itself as a faith driven brand producing scripture infused accessories that turn everyday tools into reminders of spiritual identity, supported by an ecommerce platform and a developing digital devotional ecosystem. Mindful Ink followed, incorporated in October 2024 as an active UK company whose registered activities cover book publishing and video production. Public descriptions of Mindful Ink emphasise more than books: publishing, animation, and video production, built around storytelling that can educate and engage across age groups.  What matters about this timeline is not the number of ventures. It is the logic connecting them. Ige keeps returning to the same problem from different angles: creators often produce in isolation, then burn out, then start again. His response is to build infrastructure around creativity, so ideas can move from inspiration to output to distribution without relying on luck. He began formalising that approach in late 2022, when he started designing scalable publishing systems and planning multi title launches. In May 2024, he secured hybrid publishing partnerships, aiming to combine independent accessibility with broader reach. By October 2025, he had finalised a strategic roadmap for a twenty title push in 2026, complete with marketing funnels, resourcing plans, and distribution thinking. The Legacy Voice Experience is the most public expression of that strategy so far. Reporting on the Swansea launch framed it as part of a long term effort to tie creativity to community regeneration and inclusivity, positioning the city as a place where underrepresented voices can shape cultural identity rather than just perform inside it. Ige has described the initiative as “a movement to build cultural legacy and inspire pride of place.” And when he needed support to keep building, he tested the strength of his community in real time. A crowdfunding campaign for the project recorded twenty six supporters and closed as successfully funded in late December 2025. The amount raised was modest, but the signal was not. People will back a clear mission when they can see what it produces. Ige’s playbook is grounded in a few repeatable principles. He builds platforms, not moments. A book release, a product drop, an event, or a video can create attention, but a platform turns attention into continuity. He also designs systems before scale forces the issue. Many founders wait for traction, then scramble to organise. His approach reverses that order: map the workflow, standardise what can be standardised, then invite others in. He treats faith as an operating system. That shows up in the way Tecknowlogy frames its products and in the way he talks about purpose driven work as something that must still meet the market with excellence. Most importantly, he insists on ownership for underrepresented creatives, particularly in the diaspora. In his view, the cost of staying only a consumer of opportunity is a life of constant labour with little legacy to show for it. What comes next is an expansion of the same idea: more titles, more distribution, and more spaces where diaspora talent can meet visibility and structure at the same time. The twenty title publishing push planned for 2026 will test whether his systems can carry volume without losing quality, and whether community led cultural work can sustain itself beyond a strong debut. If Ige succeeds, his story will offer a reminder that creativity becomes power when it is paired with process, and that purpose travels further when it is built into something that can outlive its founder.  About Olusola Ige: Olusola Ige is a Nigeria born founder and creative director building faith inspired platforms that blend storytelling, commerce, and technology to empower underrepresented voices across Africa, the UK, and the diaspora. Through Mindful Ink, he is developing a publishing and creative production ecosystem designed to help creators move from raw talent to structured output, distribution, and ownership. Through Tecknowlogy, he explores how creativity, product, and digital systems can work together to strengthen purpose led work in modern markets. He is also the founder of The Legacy Voice Experience, a UK based platform created to amplify diaspora creatives through live experiences, community connection, and cultural storytelling. Olusola Ige website:   https://olusolaige.com/ Mindful Ink:   https://mindfulink.org/ Tecknowlogy : https://tecknowlogy.company/ Instagram :   https://www.instagram.com/honourable_ige/ LinkedIn :   https://uk.linkedin.com/in/olusola-ige-508968a3

David Muchacha, founder and managing director of David Willards Group In the years after his father died, a young David Muchacha watched his mother in Zimbabwe fight to keep the family afloat. That experience left him with a question that still drives him today: how does an ordinary family build security that survives the loss of its main provider? Today, he is founder and managing director of David Willards Group in Australia. What began in a Melbourne bedroom, has become a fast growing property advisory and wealth building firm with a growing team. Muchacha plans for expansion of offices in Dubai, Harare and Cape Town. The firm will continue to assist  everyday people;especially migrants, move from hard work without direction to structured wealth that can outlive them. The defining moment came in 2008 with the loss of his father. Bills still arrived. The family required food sustenance. Amidst that pressure he made a decision; his own children would never face the same fragility. In the year 2013, he left Zimbabwe for Australia in search of greener pastures and stability. Around him he saw nurses, tradespeople, students and young professionals working long hours yet building no real assets. They sent money home and paid rent, but there was no blueprint for ownership. By 2017,  that concern had become a significant study of property and wealth building. Muchcha immersed himself in finance, lending, portfolio design and tax, and figured out how intimidating the field looked from the outside. David Willards Group was his answer. In March 2021, he launched DWG from his apartment. No staff and no external investors, driven by a single intention. David Muchacha wanted to make property investment simple, accessible and genuinely life changing for people who had never been shown the ropes of the game. The early results were decisive. Within the first year DWG had assisted a first wave of clients begin their investment journeys, many of them first time investors and first generation wealth builders. That traction proved that combining education, clear strategy and disciplined execution could change outcomes at scale, thus the firm quickly grew beyond a solo advisory. By 2025, DWG had developed portfolio frameworks and international acquisition channels. The goal is not volume for its own sake. It is to give clients a practical way to define their goals, build portfolios that match those goals, use finance intelligently and create wealth they can one day pass on. Muchacha is deliberate about who sits at the centre of this work. He designs for families who were never given a blueprint, particularly migrants and Africans in the diaspora who arrive in new countries starting from zero. DWG pushes clients beyond the idea of simply buying a property. The focus is on building portfolios, understanding equity and using tax and finance structures wisely. Education is at the core. Through strategy calls, content and events, he is building the curriculum he wishes his own community had received earlier in life. Every African client who builds a portfolio through DWG challenges old narratives and signals that African investors are not outsiders in wealth conversations. David Muchacha turned personal loss into a precise problem to solve. He chose to build for people who look like him and treats education as core infrastructure rather than a marketing tactic. Above all, he insists that wealth and legacy must be built without compromising integrity. Alongside leading DWG, Muchacha is presently writing his book, ‘No Hero to Ride Behind’. A reflection on loss, leadership and entrepreneurship. The title captures a truth that runs through his story and his client base: no one is coming to rescue them. There is only the decision to become the person who changes the story for everyone who comes next. His voice is aimed at dreamers, migrants, underdogs and first generation strivers who feel the weight of being the first to make it. The message is firm but hopeful. You do not need a perfect start to build a powerful future. You need clarity, strategy and the courage to act. From a bedroom in Melbourne to a growing global wealth and property group, David Muchacha is proving that personal pain can be converted into disciplined purpose. For a new generation of African wealth builders, his work is a reminder that with the right guidance, ordinary people can design extraordinary financial futures. About David Willards Group David Willards Group  is an Australia-based real estate and property investment advisory firm focused on helping everyday investors build long-term, scalable property portfolios. Positioned as “Australia’s leading property investment advisors,” the group specialises in identifying high-yield properties with strong capital growth potential across both regional and metropolitan markets, then guiding clients to buy the right property at the right time.

In a world where image often arrives before words, few have mastered the language of refined style like Craig Chimtengo . The Zimbabwean designer and founder of Mr Rocca London  has become a defining force in modern menswear, marrying African authenticity with European precision from his base in London. In recent years, he has taken that vision home, expanding into Zimbabwe with the flourish of a couturier and the intent of a cultural strategist. Origins of a Vision Chimtengo’s journey began in Zimbabwe, nurtured by a fascination with structure, form, and the understated confidence of a sharp silhouette. Relocating to London sharpened his eye and standards; it also exposed a gap he recognized from back home: premium, well-crafted suits that reflect African ambition and global polish. “I realised early that how a man dresses shapes how he is received,” he reflects - an insight that became the seed for a brand built on discipline, fit, and message as much as fabric. Building Mr Rocca London Founded with a clear purpose to position African craftsmanship at the pinnacle of global luxury. Mr Rocca London  operates as a bespoke house for “aspirational individuals,” from professionals to public figures across Africa, Europe, and the diaspora. Chimtengo frames his label as proof that African creativity need not imitate to compete; it can innovate on its own terms. That ethos came into sharper public view in April 2024 , when Mr Rocca London staged a high-profile launch in Zimbabwe, an entrance covered by GQ South Africa  that signaled both commercial intent and cultural statement. From Setback to Signature Chimtengo does not airbrush the grind. In a candid appearance on The Invincible Minds Podcast with Collins Nyatanga , he recounts difficult years in London, periods of precarious work and immigration challenges before the brand’s breakthrough. The adversity, he says, clarified purpose: to build something “timeless” through precision and passion . The Work Behind the Work “Fit is king.”  Everything in Mr Rocca’s atelier bows to that principle. Each client is mapped through 26-plus measurements posture, shoulder line, balance, and drape so the suit belongs to the wearer, not the rack. It’s a precision-first philosophy that closes the gap ready-to-wear still ignores, serving big, tall, short, and slim with the same exacting standard. The result is a suit that travels across boardrooms, ceremonies, and stages without losing its line. As Mr Rocca London’s presence grows from London showrooms to Zimbabwe launches the brand’s message strengthens: African craftsmanship is not a niche, it’s a benchmark. A Quiet, Confident Mission At the core of Craig's work is representation . He is explicit that the brand’s purpose is to “elevate the perception of African excellence,” and that every garment carries “a message of pride and purpose.” The stance aligns with broader efforts to widen who gets to define “luxury” in London and beyond, an industry conversation that even as it celebrates progress, continues to interrogate access and representation. Mr Rocca answers with product and practice. About Craig Full Name: Craig Chimtengo Origin:  Zimbabwe Career Highlights:  Moved to UK, Founded Mr Rocca London, dressed Trevor Ncube, Featured in GQ South Africa, Opened branch in Zimbabwe Podcast: Building a luxury Tailoring Brand - Watch Here Follow Craig on IG: @mr_rocca Discover: https://mrrocca.co.uk/

Dec 22, 2025 image : Elumelu Foundation. Dr Awele Vivien Elumelu has been appointed Chair of the Board of Transcorp Hotels Plc, effective January 1, 2026, marking a significant governance transition at one of Nigeria’s most valuable hospitality companies. The appointment places a seasoned healthcare executive and long term investor at the helm of a business central to Nigeria’s premium hospitality landscape. Transcorp Hotels Plc is the hospitality subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc, a listed conglomerate with interests spanning power, energy, and services. Its flagship asset, the Transcorp Hilton Abuja, is widely regarded as Nigeria’s leading business hotel. The portfolio also includes Aura by Transcorp Hotels and the recently launched Transcorp Event Centre, a 5,000 seat facility that expands the group’s footprint in events and entertainment. Career Timeline • MBBS, University of Benin • Clinical practice in Nigeria and the United Kingdom • Founder, Avon Healthcare Limited • Chief Executive Officer, Avon Medical Practice • Executive education at Harvard Business School, IMD Switzerland, and the London School of Economics • Chair, Heirs Insurance Brokers • Founding Director, Heirs Holdings Limited. • Private Sector Champion for Immunization in Africa, Gavi. • Advisory Board Member, Yale Institute for Global Health. Quoted on the Nigerian Exchange as TRANSCOHOT, Transcorp Hotels Plc has recorded strong market performance, with its share price rising 34.1 percent year to date as of December 15, 2025. The company’s market capitalization stands above ₦1.59 trillion, reflecting sustained investor confidence and strong operating fundamentals. In 2025, it also received multiple national and international recognition, reinforcing its position within Africa’s hospitality sector. Dr Elumelu brings to the chairmanship a leadership profile shaped by healthcare delivery, corporate governance, and investment oversight. She is widely regarded as a composed and deliberate boardroom presence, known for careful analysis, attentive engagement, and measured decision making. Her leadership style emphasizes clarity, structure, and accountability, qualities increasingly critical in complex corporate environments. She holds a 5.1 percent equity stake in Transcorp Plc, valued at approximately ₦87 billion as of December 2025, positioning her as both board leader and significant long term investor in the group. Her appointment further consolidates the Elumelu family’s influence within Transcorp and the wider Nigerian corporate landscape. As Transcorp Hotels Plc continues to navigate expansion, capital market expectations, and brand stewardship, Dr Elumelu’s analytical approach and steady governance style are expected to shape board oversight in the next phase of the company’s development. Munashe Mutsva - Senior Business Editor

Olu Oyinsan likes to remind people that venture capital is not magic. It is conviction, repeated under uncertainty. That belief is not theoretical. It is written into one of the most talked about early stage wins in African tech: a modest $150,000 cheque that eventually turned into roughly $8 million, after the portfolio company, Nigeria’s Moniepoint, crossed the unicorn threshold. The detail that stays with you is how ordinary the decision sounded at the time. Oyinsan and his co founder, Francesco Andreoli, were not planning to “go big.” Their internal cap for the round was $150,000, but they initially intended to wire $100,000. Then, the night before the transfer, Andreoli looked again at the numbers and urged one last push: max it out. The extra $50,000 was not bravado. It was a final vote of confidence when the company was still scrappy and valued around $12.5 million. Years later, that split second choice would become a 55x outcome and a rare headline in a market where exits are scarce. What makes Oyinsan interesting is that his edge was never meant to be simply “picking winners.” He came up through institutions that train you to live inside the details. He began in commercial banking at Guaranty Trust Bank in Nigeria, then moved into consulting at Forrester, advising global technology companies on products and processes. Later, at Silicon Valley Bank, he worked closely with technology startups across sectors, helping them access debt, equity and mezzanine financing, an education in how venture stories are underwritten, stress tested, and funded in the real world. That global exposure sharpened something more valuable than spreadsheets: pattern recognition. It taught him how to spot potential where others only see risk, and how to support companies beyond the cheque. By 2017 he was back in Nigeria, stepping into an investing role at Ingressive Capital. Yet the corporate ladder was no longer the point. Alongside Andreoli, a business school classmate, he wanted to build the kind of early stage firm Africa needed, one willing to say yes early, when the obvious answer in many rooms was still no. Before Oui Capital, they had already tested the founder muscle together. Their earlier startup, WiFi Monkey, aimed to let neighbours share Wi Fi and split payments, a clever idea that ended abruptly after a cease and desist from a telecom giant. It was not the glossy Silicon Valley arc, but it was a formative one: a lesson in regulation, power, timing, and resilience, and a reminder that good ideas still need permission to operate. When they launched Oui Capital , Oyinsan’s approach to investing was shaped by humility about how often investors are wrong, and firmness about what he believes can be measured early. He describes the work as triangulating proxies: the market must be real, the solution must make sense, and the team must be capable of execution. He is equally clear that backing a company is only half the job. Early stage capital without early stage support is incomplete. That is why Oui leans heavily into mentorship, offering guidance without trying to control founders, and why its second fund was deliberately framed around the idea of mentors, not just money. Today, Oui Capital has grown into an early stage platform with a footprint across multiple African markets, backing startups across sectors including fintech, logistics, mobility and more, while positioning itself as a first call for founders at the earliest stages. ( Business Insider Africa ) For Oyinsan, the Moniepoint outcome is not a victory lap as much as a proof point: African venture can return capital, African companies can build scale, and early believers can be rewarded for disciplined conviction. For founders across Africa, his story carries a bracing lesson. The rooms that change your life rarely arrive with certainty. They arrive with imperfect information and a choice to commit anyway. Build businesses that are durable, know your competition cold, listen more than you perform, and choose investors who will stay close when things get hard, not only when headlines appear. In ecosystems still building their exit pathways, Oyinsan’s journey is a reminder that the future belongs to people who can hold conviction in loneliness, and still do the work. About Oui Capital Oui Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm backing bold & brilliant entrepreneurs building tech & tech-enabled companies that will transform Africa. We invest across the following themes: Digital Commerce (E-commerce & Mobility/ Logistics), Enterprise Software, Human Capital (HealthTech & EdTech) Fintech Let's build the future together, one entrepreneur at a time. Want to chat? Email hello@ouicapital.vc

From Lab Bench to Builder: Pamela Ncube’s Two-Track Bet on Women and Science a doctoral researcher on wildlife tuberculosis and the founder of N_Cube Consulting, Pamela Ncube is stitching rigorous science to a pragmatic support model for women-led startups. The timing, and the market need, are compelling. When the funding grants were not successful, Pamela Ncube didn’t give up on her journey. She learned to write better proposals and went on to win over 10 grants throughout her academic journey. Years later, as her name was called for the Fondation L’Oréal–UNESCO Sub-Saharan Africa Young Talents Award., the scientist turned founder describes the moment as proof that persistence compounds, first in academia, then in business. Ncube is a Zimbabwean based in South Africa, currently a PhD candidate at Stellenbosch University researching Mycobacterium bovis , a pathogen that causes animal tuberculosis, threatening wildlife & livestock, and the conservation economies that depend on them. In parallel, she leads N_Cube , a consulting venture mentoring women-led startups on strategy, brand presence, and execution. The bet is simple: evidence-based decision-making belongs in both science and small business, and Africa’s growth will reward founders who use it. Recognition  In December 2024, L’Oreal Foundation announced Ncube as a recipient in the L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents (Sub-Saharan Africa) programme, an annual cohort of 30 winners selected from nearly 800 applicants , with the 2024 ceremony hosted in Cotonou, Benin , marking the programme’s 15th anniversary . Her work centers on improving diagnostics to reduce unnecessary culling  and protect biodiversity. Her scientific footprint extends beyond announcements. In 2022 , Ncube co-authored a peer-reviewed review in Microorganisms  on latent tuberculosis in animals, mapping evidence gaps and host pathogen differences, useful context for designing better tests and policies. Building the Engine N_Cube Consulting, publicly introduced via its social channels, positions itself as a hands-on advisory for women founders: sharpening go to market strategy, clarifying brand, and stress testing operations. Rather than generic coaching, the pitch leans on research habits: define the problem, gather data, design the experiment, iterate. Partnerships aim to extend reach rather than add fixed cost. A collaboration with fashion house Martinet Couture , a Cape Town rooted label led by Martinet Ncube, signals how N_Cube Consulting intends to showcase female led creativity while building commercial pathways. (Martinet Couture traces its founding to the mid-2010s, and the brand itself confirms a 2016 origin.) The Hard Parts Science trains you to expect failure. Grant rejections, negative results, timelines that slip. Ncube frames these frictions as a training ground. “You fail more than you win” is not a posture, it is operating reality. The translation to venture building is clear: most early ideas are hypotheses, the skill is disciplined iteration, not bravado. There are trade offs. Dividing time between a PhD and a portfolio of founders invites capacity risk. The mitigation she cites: scope rigorously, publish on a cadence, and keep a small, high leverage partner network rather than a sprawling overhead. Playbook & Lessons Treat ideas like experiments.  Define the hypothesis, measurement, and cycle time before spending. Invest in diagnostics.  In the lab it prevents needless culling, in business it prevents costly misallocation. Build decision dashboards early. Use platform moments.  Awards, cohorts, and posters are not endpoints, they are distribution. Convert attention into partners and pilots. Normalize rejection.  Write the next proposal and ship the next iteration. Cadence compounds. What’s Next Ncube’s focus is measurable mobility for women founders across Africa and the diaspora. N_Cube Consulting will publish a simple annual scorecard, survival at 12 months, revenue bands, jobs created, export readiness, and follow-on capital so founders, partners, and investors can act on evidence. It will formalise a diaspora bridge with time-boxed sprints and operator mentors in London, Toronto, and Dubai, aimed at unlocking the next commercial milestone rather than vague networks. Done well, the compounding effect is local jobs, global standards, and a higher bar for what African firms deliver. About Pamela  Full Name : Pamela Ncube Origin : Zimbabwe Based: South African  Founder : @N_Cube Consulting  Website :   ncubeconsulting.wuaze.com   Facebook :   https://lnkd.in/daXZi-n6   LinkedIn :   https://lnkd.in/dj-Qi3XU   Instagram :   https://lnkd.in/dga372Dc

In a pageant world often measured by poise and presentation, Mmesoma Anosike is building a legacy that reads more like an impact report than a highlight reel. A 2025 Miss World Nigeria finalist, five time published author, speaker, and founder of the Mirabel Mmesoma Anosike Foundation, she treats the stage as a starting line. Her thesis is clear. Beauty is a channel. Purpose is the engine. And real outcomes are the goal. That philosophy is visible in her newest venture for children, an animated edutainment series on YouTube titled Stories With Mma, blending storytelling with values based learning for young viewers.  Anosike saw how many young people drift through classrooms without ever interrogating the why of their talent. Her answer was to build a model that connects learning to identity, values, and service. The foundation’s programming and toolkits are designed to help children name their strengths early, then apply them in simple projects that build confidence and agency. This is an attempt to move purpose from slogan to practice. Media coverage across Nigerian outlets has documented the foundation’s evolution, including the early roll out of a Purpose Discovery Workbook for Children and outreach in schools.          images: mmafoundation Anosike’s credibility is not only philanthropic. It is also cultural and media facing, and that matters when the audience is the next generation. Her Stories With Mma series uses 3D African characters and narrative arcs that center empathy, leadership, creativity, and character formation. A choice that positions African children not as peripheral consumers but as protagonists in their own learning journey. The Guardian’s reporting framed it as a pioneering approach to edutainment.  Her story carries useful lessons for founders, creatives, and operators who want impact tied to measurable progress. First, build a mission that can travel across formats. Anosike translates a single purpose about awakening identity into books, school programs, and now an animated series. The message is consistent while the medium evolves to meet the audience. Second, collapse the distance between brand and beneficiary. The choice to use familiar characters and accessible YouTube distribution lowers barriers and makes the user a co author of the experience, not a spectator. Third, move with documentation and public proof. Coverage in mainstream outlets and a clear product like the workbook turn intention into evidence and give partners something tangible to support. There is also a practical playbook for leaders building purpose centered organizations. Define the problem in language a child can understand. Design interventions that fit into everyday routines at home and school. Publish small wins often to keep community energy high. Tie every milestone to a tool that outlives the moment, whether a curriculum module, a video episode, or a workbook. Anosike’s method is not to wait for a national policy shift. It is to prototype at community level and scale what works through media and partnerships. The arc from a birthday act of service to a national conversation about purpose based education shows how compounding happens when execution is consistent. For the diaspora and the continent, the signal is affirming. Representation here is not decorative. It is functional. By anchoring young viewers in stories that look and sound like their lives, Stories With Mma places cultural relevance at the center of learning outcomes. By building a foundation that reaches into schools, the work links aspiration to practice. By standing on a national stage, Anosike uses visibility to pull attention toward education as identity formation, not only knowledge transfer. Asked what she most wants the audience to remember, Anosike often returns to a simple conviction. “ The richest lives are anchored in God given purpose and expressed in service.”  It is a perspective that gives her work moral clarity and gives young people hope. The crown may shine but the work carries the weight. In a crowded field of initiatives and causes, Mmesoma Anosike is doing something both old and new. She is teaching children to ask better questions about themselves and then giving them tools to live the answers. That is a platform worth watching and a blueprint worth borrowing.  Change-maker: Mmesoma     Full name : Mmesoma Anosike Origin : Nigeria Links: Instagram   |   LinkedIn

In a region where wellness has become both aspiration and industry, one name keeps surfacing in conversations about quality, character and access. Ishaq Kayiizi, a Ugandan born fitness expert based in Dubai, has steadily built himself into one of the most visible and trusted trainers in the Middle East. Media in the UAE have already profiled him as a leading African voice in the sector, recognising his rise from personal trainer to fitness entrepreneur with clients that include elite footballers and film stars.  His story does not begin in a luxury gym in Dubai Marina. It begins in Kampala, at home, with a problem to solve. When his father was bitten by a dog and needed basic physiotherapy to walk again, Kayiizi used what he knew from the gym to help him regain mobility. It was not a formal medical intervention. It was a son refusing to watch his father stay down. The results were good enough to awaken something deeper. If intentional movement could restore one man, what would happen if he took fitness seriously as a profession. That moment became his spark. Kayiizi moved to Dubai in 2018 to formalise what until then had been instinct. He added a diploma in sports and personal training to the bachelor’s degree he already held from Uganda, positioning himself not only as a capable coach but as a coach with standards. Dubai is intensely competitive for trainers, but the city rewards service, consistency and presentation. He found his way into respected spaces, working with Fitness First and Instabody, and today he runs the gym at JW Marriott Marina, a role that signals trust, experience and the ability to manage people, not just sessions. Then came the pandemic, and with it a shift in how people trained. Dubai opened earlier than many economies and became a stopover for athletes and celebrities who still needed to stay in shape. That window mattered. Kayiizi trained high profile names such as Jurrien Timber, then at Ajax, Issa Diop of Fulham and Bollywood actor Sonu Sood. Word of mouth followed. Demand rose faster than he could supply and he had to answer a business question that every service professional faces at scale. How do you continue to serve without lowering standards. His answer was to build a platform. Trainers on Demand was born in that context. It began as a way to redirect overflow clients to trusted freelance coaches who could deliver the same experience. In a market where several platforms now promise a trainer at your home or building gym, the Kayiizi version distinguishes itself in two ways. First, he insists on crediting and endorsing trainers himself, leveraging his personal reputation as quality control. Second, he created it to open doors for Africans in the Gulf who have talent but often lack visibility. In his own words, it was passion first, then opportunity for people with the same background. That focus on inclusion is not common in the sector and it gives the brand a social mission beyond body transformation.  The model is now expanding back to Uganda. Freelancers are already active there and construction has started on what will be the first dedicated fitness center under his vision, a place not only for members to train but for trainers to be taught modern health and wellness standards. The business is also building what was once called the fat to fit program into a system inside the Trainers on Demand app so that a client can order a personal trainer the way they order food. For a company that has already reached the finalists list for best innovative newcomer at the REPs UAE awards in 2025, that kind of product thinking strengthens its credibility. It shows this is not a personality led hustle. It is an emerging fitness infrastructure play. At the core is a very simple why. Kayiizi likes the art of training and he likes the benefits. That sounds modest but it explains the tone of his brand. He talks often about self love through fitness. The idea is that people train not only to build muscle or lose weight but to restore the way they see themselves. In a city that celebrates appearance, that is a powerful message. It is also what makes him attractive to founders, creatives and professionals who use discipline in the gym to mirror discipline in business. The wider impact is already visible. Kayiizi employs Africans through his company. He is creating a pipeline so that those who cannot relocate to the Gulf can still access work, learning and a market through his platform. For the diaspora this matters. Representation is no longer about one person succeeding abroad. It is about building systems that let others plug in. That is what he is quietly doing. There are clear lessons in his journey. First, be ready when a window opens. Dubai’s early reopening during the pandemic could have been just another season of bookings. He turned it into the origin of a scalable service. Second, reputation still beats advertising. Clients came because of how he carried himself and the standards he maintained, long before an app existed. Third, build for your people too. By designing Trainers on Demand to include African trainers and by extending the model to Kampala, he ensured that his rise feeds a community, not just a personal brand. For a sector that is growing fast in the Emirates and wider Gulf, and for a continent that is exporting more talent into wellness and sport, Ishaq Kayiizi is an important reference point. He shows that an African professional can enter a competitive market, set the tone, create a technology enabled service and be recognised by established industry bodies. The story started with a father learning to walk again. It is now about many more people learning to move better, work better and believe more in themselves. That is the kind of fitness narrative the region needs.