AFRICA ECONOMY UNDER PRESSURE

The most important story for Africa Edition is the region’s slowing growth outlook amid higher debt-service burdens, inflation pressures, and weaker development financing. The World Bank says sub-Saharan Africa is still projected to grow 4.1% in 2026, but rising food, fuel, and fertilizer costs, plus spillovers from Middle East conflict, are pushing inflation higher and squeezing vulnerable households. High public debt is crowding out spending on development, while tighter global financial conditions and trade uncertainty are limiting access to finance and export momentum. This makes the economic strain the defining cross-cutting issue for politics, development, and stability across the continent.