SME Finance & Growth: Absa Bank and Unilever Kenya signed a Sh4bn working-capital financing programme using Absa’s Wezesha Stock Loan, targeting 38+ distributors plus retailers/stockists to boost stock availability and SME scale. Digital Payments Pain Point: Nigeria’s POS/ATM failures show how failed digital transactions can debit customers first, leaving small traders and households to absorb the disruption until reversals land. SME Credit Innovation: ANEXT Bank is leaning into embedded lending—getting closer to cross-border micro/SMEs through payments, collections, FX and cash-flow visibility before financing is needed. Local Business Survival: Albuquerque’s My Mom’s restaurant will close July 31, citing soaring food and supply costs—part of a wider small-business squeeze in the city. Policy for Easier Doing Business: India’s Centre extended Punjab’s Right to Business Act to Chandigarh, creating a digital single-window approvals system via a new enterprise facilitation bureau. Energy & Jobs Push: Malawi’s Press Corporation says it’s expanding into energy, agriculture and more, including a 50MW solar project aimed at easing electricity constraints that stall small businesses. Retail Expansion: Namibia’s Model plans a new Seagulls store in Walvis Bay as it accelerates growth, modernises its Mega Centre and builds a loyalty programme. AI for Operations: AI agents are moving beyond chat into workflow execution—handling follow-ups, scheduling and CRM updates to cut labor-heavy admin for small firms. Entrepreneurship Spotlight: Humboldt Made’s Buyer’s Tour connected emerging food/ag/tourism businesses with regional decision-makers to help brands break into new markets.