Africa stands at a pivotal moment in its climate journey, with bold commitments outlined in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to drive resilience and emissions reduction. Yet, these ambitious blueprints remain hindered by a fundamental challenge—the lack of a unified, continent-wide system to track, measure, and report climate progress. Without reliable data infrastructure, African nations struggle to secure climate finance, monitor adaptation efforts, and translate policies and plans into measurable impact. The result? Underfunded, underreported, and under-implemented climate actions that leave the continent vulnerable to escalating climate threats. To bridge this gap, Africa must invest in a pan-African sustainability data system that enhances transparency, strengthens institutional capacity, and unlocks the full potential of NAPs and NDCs. Without it, climate ambitions will remain just that—ambitions.

The conventional approach positions African economic integration primarily as a political project requiring commercial participation. A more effective framework recognizes that integration represents a commercial opportunity requiring political facilitation. This recalibration places business imperatives at the center of implementation strategies while positioning governments as enablers rather than pilots.

African ports handle 90% of the continent’s trade, yet many remain inefficient due to outdated systems. While infrastructure investment is key, digitalization offers the greatest opportunity to transform African ports into globally competitive trade hubs. Research conducted by PwC reveals that a 25% improvement in port performance is likely to increase the GDP of a nation by 2%. Read this piece to explore how strategic digital investments can unlock Africa’s trade potential.

As Africa confronts a shifting aid landscape, the mobilization of local resources and expertise has become an imperative in shaping its own development path. In this context, African philanthropists are uniquely positioned to transform how development is conceived, funded, and implemented. To better understand this potential, Botho Emerging Markets Group and the Amahoro Coalition conducted research examining how High Net Worth Individual (HNWI) philanthropy can evolve from traditional giving practices to become a cornerstone of sustainable, African-led development.

Saudi Arabia's energy diplomacy has historically revolved around its substantial oil reserves, granting it significant influence in global energy dynamics. However, in recent years, the Kingdom has focused on diversifying its economy, with an emphasis on entering the mineral resource market. Building domestic processing and industrial value chains is a core element of this broader economic strategy. As Global South nations increasingly aim to develop their processing capacities and downstream supply chains, Saudi Arabia finds itself at a critical juncture to enhance its strategic autonomy, particularly in sectors crucial to the green energy transition.

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and the technological competition between the United States and China is increasingly shaping the geopolitical chessboard of the 21^st century. For countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, AI diplomacy is emerging as a cornerstone of their foreign policy, enabling them to transition from oil-dependent economies to diversified, technology-driven global players. Yet, this shared ambition is also sparking regional competition between the two Gulf nations, as each seeks to establish itself as the dominant AI hub in the Middle East. Trump’s victory in the recent U.S. presidential elections portends a more protectionist foreign policy, which could further complicate this regional rivalry by prompting both nations to recalibrate their AI strategies in the face of intensified U.S.-China tech competition.