AGP Executive Report

Energy Access: BLUETTI is pitching pay-as-you-go solar systems to African households and businesses, aiming to lower the upfront cost of reliable power. Consumer Goods: Unilever Nigeria reported nine-month revenue up 18% and net profit up 20%, though it said pressure on household incomes weighed on consumer demand in the third quarter. Product Safety: Nigeria’s NAFDAC uncovered an illegal herbal-products factory in Lagos, while Kenya’s KEBS seized banned beauty products in Mombasa. Retail Marketing: Kenyan business experts say AI-led campaigns depend on reliable customer data to personalise offers and drive sales. Household Budgets: Morocco plans to exempt monthly salaries below MAD 10,000 from income tax from 2027, a change the government says could lift take-home pay for many workers.

Consumer Protection: South Africa’s rising seafood demand—16.7 million consumers in 2025—has raised the risk of greenwashing, WWF warns. Complex supply chains make sustainability claims hard to verify, leaving shoppers vulnerable to misleading labels and premium prices. Beverages: Guinness Nigeria reported a 20.4% rise in nine-month revenue to ₦403.33bn and a 53.1% jump in profit to ₦40.69bn; its board approved an additional ₦7 interim dividend per share. Fuel Costs: Nigeria’s petrol supply fell 23% in September even as Dangote Refinery increased output. Deliveries dropped to 38.7 million litres a day as prices topped ₦1,400 in some cities. Retail and Jobs: Pick n Pay withdrew retrenchment consultations that had put about 22,000 store jobs at risk, after reaching an agreement with its main labour union. Mobile Services: MTN MoMo’s Western Cape taxi partnership will offer mobile money, prepaid services and new retail income opportunities to taxi operators and rank vendors.

Product Safety: Nigeria’s NAFDAC uncovered an illegal Lagos herbal-products factory, where unregistered remedies were made in unhygienic conditions and one carried a fake registration number. Food Delivery: Online meal orders account for just 1% of Nigerian spending on meals prepared outside the home, as tight budgets and delivery fees limit demand. Retail Offers: Hisense is marking 30 years in South Africa with R500 vouchers on selected purchases through November 2. Digital Payments: A survey including Kenyan consumers found 76% would consider stablecoins for everyday purchases, while 72% said they would favour retailers offering them alongside cash or cards. Alcohol Safety: Kenyan authorities seized more than 5,555 suspected counterfeit bottles and nearly 39,580 litres of illicit alcohol in Nairobi, warning shoppers to check excise stamps and packaging. Shopping Centres: South African retail leaders say malls need to offer social experiences, not just shopping, to give consumers a reason to visit.

Food Safety: Niger’s Bida council shut unlicensed ice cream facilities after inspectors found flies in production mixtures and products without labels, raising concerns about traceability and consumer health. Export Growth: South Africa’s temporary zero-tariff access to China is drawing exporters: customs declarations rose 199% year on year, with agricultural producers among those seeking new buyers. Business Financing: The African Development Bank approved €40 million for AFG Bank Cameroon to help businesses, especially SMEs, finance imports, expand manufacturing and reach export markets. Consumer Brands: Guinness Nigeria’s nine-month profit rose 53% to ₦40.69 billion, while revenue grew 20.4%; the brewer declared an interim dividend of ₦7 per share. Household Budgets: A sample ₦50,000 Nigerian market basket of staples cost about ₦17,298, but food prices vary sharply by state, making comparison shopping important.

Local Healthcare Products: Morocco’s GIGALAB has partnered with more than 60 pharmacy unions to promote locally made rapid diagnostic tests and train pharmacists in their safe use. Energy Distribution: Aliko Dangote says his group is building a pan-African petroleum network, including a $327 million stake in Kenya Pipeline Company, to improve fuel distribution. Food and Drink: Coca-Cola’s system generated $3.6 billion in value across COMESA in 2024 and supported more than 458,200 jobs. Consumer Spending: South African restaurant group Famous Brands reported lower operating profit and earnings as shoppers remained cautious, though it raised its interim dividend. Export Markets: South African cherry growers are preparing to enter China, with new market access and zero-tariff treatment for qualifying exports offering a route to diversify sales. Retail Investment: UK-backed MOBILIST plans to invest about $1.9 billion in Quickmart’s IPO, deepening international investment in Kenya’s supermarket sector.

Retail: The UK’s MOBILIST programme has invested $15 million for a roughly 13% stake in Kenya’s Quickmart, ahead of a proposed public listing that would offer half the supermarket chain’s shares. Household Costs: South African inflation edged up to 4.5% in September, driven by transport and fuel costs; petrol could rise by nearly R2 a litre in November. In Kenya, the central bank warns that dry weather, fuel and transport costs may push up prices for milk, flour, sugar and peas. Food & Cooking: Dangote Refinery trimmed its cooking-gas price to ₦1,025 per kilogram, though transport and retailer margins affect what households pay. Consumer Protection: Nigeria’s NCC launched a phone-checking tool via *315# and online, helping buyers verify devices before purchase and avoid counterfeit or non-compliant handsets. Local Manufacturing: Chery Group’s Omoda C4 will be built in South Africa, with plans to develop local suppliers and offer petrol, hybrid and electric versions. Affordable Mobility: Spiro has introduced its first 100 electric motorcycles in Ghana, saying battery swapping can cut riders’ daily operating costs by up to $2 versus petrol bikes.

FMCG Distribution: Africa’s consumer-goods market is projected to reach $1.047 trillion by 2033, but fragmented supply chains and reliance on informal retailers are leaving shelves empty and sales unmet. Kenya Dairy: New milk prices are due this month, but details remain unclear as farmers face high feed costs and consumers watch for changes at the checkout. Food Supply: Kenya loses an estimated KSh72 billion in food each year after harvest, with poor storage and transport adding to food insecurity and limiting access to fresh produce. Product Safety: NAFDAC says it destroyed ₦2.6 billion worth of fake products seized at Onne Port, underscoring the risks of counterfeit goods. Telecom Consumers: Nigerian subscribers told the NCC that data depletion and poor network service remain major complaints, alongside concerns about billing transparency and disruption notices.

Local Products: Algeria’s ANGEM agency plans to launch an online marketplace by year-end, giving entrepreneurs a direct route to consumers; it funded 22,000 projects in 2025. Food Supply: South African dairy farmers face rising costs and shrinking numbers, raising concerns for milk supplies while supermarket prices remain high. Consumer Safety: Nigeria’s NAFDAC destroyed ₦2.6 billion worth of fake and substandard products seized in Rivers State. Food Industry: Eskort has named Lactalis South Africa executive Herman Janse van Rensburg as its next group CEO, as the pork producer looks to grow its manufacturing, retail footprint and product range.

Food Safety: Kano officials sealed warehouses at Dawanau, West Africa’s largest grain market, over alleged use of banned chemicals on food staples. Medicine Controls: Tanzania plans to block insurance payments for medicines not registered by its regulator, tightening checks on products supplied through healthcare. Affordable Staples: Nigeria’s Halba Foods plans to sell rice in 500g and 1kg packs, aiming to make essentials more accessible and expand across West Africa. Local Nutrition: EHA Impact Ventures invested $50,000 in Kebbi-based Ma’Zaine Foods to expand production, including therapeutic food for children with severe malnutrition. Retail Technology: Pesapal and Drift Consult are bringing an integrated payments and management platform to retailers and hospitality businesses, with tools for inventory and sales tracking. Market Watch: Kenya’s Naivas, Quickmart and Carrefour together hold 60% of the retail market, while NAFDAC shut a suspected fake-alcohol factory in Aba.

Dangote IPO: The refinery says its share offer has drawn investors from 51 African countries and more than 90 countries worldwide. It closes October 27; eligible Nigerian students who buy at least 10 shares can apply for 10 more funded by the Aliko Dangote Foundation. Food Affordability: Nigeria spent $1.19 billion on food imports in six months, while a regional food-system analysis points to losses between farms and consumers from gaps in storage, processing and finance. Fuel Costs: Brent crude neared $110 a barrel, prompting warnings that higher petrol and diesel costs could feed into transport and the prices of food and other essentials. Consumer Protection: NAFDAC destroyed fake and substandard products worth ₦2.6 billion in Rivers State, while Lagos warned shops over expired and counterfeit goods. Online Retail: South Africa’s clothing retailers’ association says an outright ban on Shein and Temu would be too blunt; it favours closer scrutiny of how offshore platforms meet tax and import rules.

Product Safety: NAFDAC seized or destroyed more than ₦5.3bn in counterfeit and substandard goods in a week, including suspected fake drinks and medicines. Lagos consumer officials also warned shops selling expired or fake products they risk closure, and urged retailers to display prices clearly. Food and Farming: Nigeria spent $1.19bn on food imports in the first half of 2026, as stakeholders warned cheap imports could undermine local farmers. Imported food-price growth eased to 9.19% in September, but prices continued to rise. Agriculture Finance: FCMB and the European Investment Bank are providing €85m for Nigerian agricultural businesses, with at least 70% earmarked for cocoa and dairy supply chains. Retail and Direct Sales: Takealot’s delivery and warehousing services now support rivals including Woolworths, Mr Price and Pepkor, while a new South African wine-data partnership aims to direct shoppers to wineries’ online stores.

Food Production: Algeria’s “Made in Algeria” agri-food fair brings about 100 companies together to showcase local dairy, drinks, pasta, confectionery and other products. Import Reliance: Nigeria spent $1.19bn on food imports in the first half of 2026, up 11.4% year on year, highlighting the challenge of replacing foreign supplies with local production. Consumer Safety: NAFDAC destroyed counterfeit and substandard goods worth ₦2.6bn in Rivers State; South African authorities are also warning that unapproved weight-loss drugs are being sold by social media influencers and others. Retail: Shoprite’s sales rose 7.2% to R270.8bn in its latest financial year, while its Sixty60 delivery service grew 34.5%. Payments: Onafriq is shutting its Baxi agent-banking business in Nigeria, giving agents 30 days to withdraw funds, but says it will continue other payment services. Fuel Prices: Nigeria’s new petroleum-trading platform aims to improve price transparency, but regulators say it does not guarantee cheaper petrol or set a price cap.

Packaging & Trust: Seven-Up Bottling Company says new yellow caps on Pepsi and other drinks are an official packaging change, after consumers worried the bottles might be fake. Food Costs & Supply: Nigeria spent $1.19bn on food imports in the first half of 2026, up 11.4% year on year, while farmers say transport costs are keeping food prices high despite the harvest. In Kenya, El Niño-linked dry conditions have cut milk supplies, leaving supermarket shelves short and prices rising. Retail: Shoprite reported record annual sales of R270.8bn, with its Sixty60 delivery business growing 34.5%. Consumer Protection: Nigeria’s House of Representatives is seeking tougher food-safety laws to address unsafe food and chemical use. Phone traders, meanwhile, warn proposed registration fees could make affordable handsets more expensive and are seeking a pause.

Counterfeit Products: South African police seized more than 62,000 fake goods worth over R160m in Johannesburg, while a separate operation uncovered a suspected illegal Med-Lemon production site in Cape Town. Phone Checks: Nigeria’s NCC is verifying phones and other connected devices to block fake or cloned products; shoppers can dial *315# to check a phone before buying. Food Safety: A Malawi study found adulterants in 91% of raw milk samples tested, including added water and chemical neutralisers. Food Access: Uganda and Kenya have agreed to tackle trade barriers that delay produce at the border, risking spoilage and higher costs. In Nigeria, CAPPA is urging the government to make nutritious food affordable. Retail: Proudly SA plans to bring 1,000 branded spaza shops into a scheme to widen access to locally made goods, while Pick n Pay has launched a cosmetics range with products priced below R90.

Food Affordability: CAPPA urged Nigeria to put nutritious, safe and affordable food at the centre of food security, warning that post-harvest losses and supply-chain gaps leave many hungry. Product Safety: NAFDAC destroyed ₦2.6bn worth of seized fake and substandard goods in Rivers, including medicines, tomatoes and cookies. Retail Expansion: Malaysia launched a programme in Johannesburg to help its retailers and product brands reach South Africa and wider African markets. Everyday Essentials: Pick n Pay introduced its Real Cosmetics range, with products priced below R90, while Unicharm and Toyota Tsusho are investing Sh2bn in a sanitary-pad venture in Kenya. Household Costs: Nigeria’s inflation eased to 14.63% in September, but reports say lower inflation has yet to bring meaningful relief to consumers facing high living costs.

Food Security: A World Food Day manifesto says Africa spends $100 billion a year importing food despite vast farmland, calling for stronger local production and value chains as supply shocks raise input costs. Retail: Kenya’s Quickmart ended several founder- and insider-linked contracts ahead of its $231 million IPO, after disclosures showed hundreds of millions of shillings in payments to related firms. Product Safety: Kenya’s standards bureau warned that quality-mark permits for fruit drinks do not cover khat-infused beverages and said it had revoked permits in identified cases. Counterfeit Goods: The Lagos Trade Fair board backed NAFDAC’s crackdown after arrests linked to allegedly counterfeit products and the revalidation of expired drinks. Trade: UBA Tanzania launched PAPSS, enabling businesses to make cross-border payments in local currencies and reducing reliance on correspondent banks. Consumer Prices: Nigeria’s annual inflation eased to 14.63% in September, but food inflation edged up to 19.59%, offering limited relief at the grocery counter.