Anglo American’s handling of the De Beers sale has angered Botswana, which owns 15% of the diamond producer, because the government believes that it hasn’t been properly consulted, sources say. Anglo is selling De Beers as part of a restructuring plan after the company fended off a takeover approach from BHP last year. Botswana is weighing options including buying Anglo’s stake in the gems giant.

South Africa is edging closer to leaving a global financial watchdog’s so-called gray list in October, with a team of assessors scheduled to visit this month. The Financial Action Task Force has already determined that South African authorities had met “all or almost all of the actions” required to leave the list and the visiting team will decide if implementation can be sustained, FATF President Elisa de Anda Madrazo said in an interview. Africa’s biggest economy joined the dirty-money list in February 2023. 

Angola delayed a plan to sell eurobonds this year, citing market volatility that’s undermined investor confidence. Authorities held a global roadshow, which had indicated favorable conditions for a sale in April or May, but geopolitical risk and falling oil prices prompted a rethink. The southwest African nation that produced an average of 1 million barrels a day of oil in June has been hurt by lower crude prices. Separately, Angola’s state-owned carrier TAAG will acquire Boeing 787-10 aircraft and spare engines under a $297 million financing deal approved by the US Export-Import Bank.

An oil platform off the coast of Angola. Photographer: Marcel Mochet/AFP/Getty Images

A US consortium involving ex-special forces personnel is seeking to acquire Chemaf Resources, a copper and cobalt producer that’s become a symbol of the growing competition for mineral deals between the US and China in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country is an important part of US plans to loosen China’s grip over critical-minerals supply chains.