African Business English Edition – February 2026
Summary
"Africa's Electric Dreams" — African Business's February 2026 issue examines whether the continent's energy sector can deliver on its promise in a pivotal year. Carrefour enters Ethiopia through a partnership with Ethiopian-Saudi billionaire Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi's Midroc Investment Group, planning 30 stores by 2028. Namibia's Northern Graphite will restart the Okanjande mine to supply a USD 200 million battery anode plant in Saudi Arabia. The DRC special supplement covers solutions-shaping opportunities.
The Carrefour-Ethiopia deal is the biggest retail story: 13 existing stores will be rebranded by June 2026, with 17 more planned by 2028. The Northern Graphite-Obeikan deal supplies 50,000 tons per year of graphite concentrate to Saudi Arabia's battery anode plant. The energy cover story (P6) examines why solar dominates new connections while gas remains a priority. The special report "Africa in a Disordered World" (P26-P34) covers AGOA extension through the US House, South Africa as a US adversary, and whether "might is right" has returned. The technology focus covers Meta's 2Africa cable, Africa's data centre power race, and GSMA's Angela Wamola on bridging the digital divide.
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Content Guide
▸ Cover Story / Energy
P06 · Africa's Electric Dreams
The energy sector faces a pivotal year. Solar dominates new electricity connections, but hitting the gas remains a priority for the continent's leaders. The analysis covers the investment gap, policy barriers and the project pipeline.
P10 · Gulf Cements Dominance in African Renewables
Gulf state investors and developers are becoming the dominant players in African renewable energy projects, displacing traditional European developers.
P14 · Europe's Energy Shift From Russia to North Africa Proves Complicated
The EU's pivot to North African gas and hydrogen imports faces political, security and infrastructure hurdles.
▸ Business Intelligence
Carrefour to Enter Ethiopia With Ethiopian-Saudi Billionaire
Patrick Lasfargues, Carrefour International Partnership CEO, confirms 13 existing stores will be rebranded by end of June. By 2028, 17 additional stores will open. Ethiopia's 130-million-person market was previously closed to foreign retailers. Any international retailer considering African expansion should study Carrefour's franchise model and local-partner strategy.
Namibian Graphite Mine to Supply Saudi Arabia
Northern Graphite restarts the Okanjande mine to supply 50,000 tons per year of graphite concentrate to Al Obeikan Group's USD 200 million battery anode plant in Saudi Arabia. CEO Hugues Jacquemin notes the BAM plant needs 68 MW — roughly ten times the mine's requirement — making Saudi infrastructure essential.
▸ Special Report: Africa in a Disordered World
P26 · Senate Foreign Relations Chair: South Africa Is a US Adversary
The geopolitical tension between Washington and Pretoria escalates.
P27 · AGOA Extension Passes US House
The African Growth and Opportunity Act extension moves forward, providing hope for African exporters.
P28 · Opinion: Are We Seeing a Return of the Age of "Might Is Right"?
Geopolitical analysis of the shift from rules-based order to power-based competition and what it means for African nations.
P30 · Opinion: How Africa Is Moving to Production Sovereignty
The case for building local manufacturing capacity in critical sectors.
▸ Features / Technology Focus
P52 · Can Africa Capitalise on Meta's 2Africa Cable?
The subsea cable's capacity and landing stations create opportunities for last-mile connectivity providers.
P54 · Interview: Angela Wamola, GSMA
The head of sub-Saharan Africa on what it will take to bridge Africa's digital divide. The interview covers infrastructure investment, spectrum policy and mobile-money regulation.
P56 · Inside the Race to Fire Up Africa's Power-Hungry Data Centres
Data centre capacity is growing but electricity supply and cost remain barriers. The analysis includes pricing data from key markets.
P60 · Tampering Allegations Dog Nigeria's New Tax Laws
The legislative process behind Nigeria's tax reform faces credibility questions.
P62 · Abu Dhabi and Microsoft-Backed Project Aims to Map Africa
A technology partnership to create high-resolution mapping data for the continent.
P70 · AFCON: Chaotic Final Concludes a Successful Tournament in Morocco
The Africa Cup of Nations ended with controversy but demonstrated Morocco's event-hosting capability.
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Editor's Take
The Carrefour-Ethiopia story is the most business-significant piece in this issue — the franchising model, local-partner structure and 30-store target provide a template for any international retailer entering the world's last untapped consumer market. The Northern Graphite/Saudi Arabia battery story is equally important: it quantifies the infrastructure gap (68 MW for the plant versus 7 MW for the mine) that prevents Africa from capturing downstream processing value. The energy cover story is competent but does not break new ground. The Special Report on Africa in a Disordered World is intellectually ambitious but the multiple opinion pieces compete rather than complement. Best for retail investors tracking African consumer markets and critical-minerals analysts.
Strengths
• Carrefour-Ethiopia deal coverage with specific store targets (13 now, 30 by 2028)
• Northern Graphite-Saudi battery story quantifies Africa's processing infrastructure gap
• Angela Wamola interview provides GSMA's authoritative view on digital inclusion
Weaknesses
• Energy cover story repeats familiar narratives without new data
• Special report opinions compete rather than build a coherent argument
Verdict: Recommended — Buy for the Carrefour-Ethiopia analysis and the graphite-battery supply chain story.
