Author: Josephine King

Ask what happens to a promising early-stage business in Eswatini once founder savings run out, and the honest answer is “not much, formally.” There is no domestic venture capital market structure. Regional PE and VC deal-tracking databases record fewer than five disclosed VC or angel transactions closing nationwide across 2024–2026—a volume low enough that calling Eswatini’s venture ecosystem “emerging” overstates the case.  A useful independent check on the same picture: the investor directory on Innovation Bridge, the South African government-backed investor-matching portal , lists 153 investors naming South Africa as a country of investment interest and 33 naming Namibia—against just…

Egypt’s recent run of mergers and acquisitions is not simply a story of deal volume picking up. It is a story about what buyers are paying with and what that choice reveals about who controls capital and, in one major cluster of deals, about a regulator that closed off any other path to market entry. That cluster starts with a licensing freeze, formalized across three FRA decisions. Decision No. 184 of 2024 first suspended new company licenses for microfinance and consumer finance through traditional channels, effective Oct. 11, 2024; Resolution No. 237 of 2025 extended it another year, with the…

Burundi has built the machinery of a securities market faster than it has changed the incentives of the people who would need to trade on it. It has a regulator, an exchange, automatic listing rules for government debt, a mergers-and-acquisitions framework, and one active vehicle raising money from retail and diaspora investors. What it has not produced is a market in which ownership regularly changes hands. The gap is not accidental. Burundi’s central bank treats government bonds as high-quality liquid assets under its Basel-aligned Liquidity Coverage Ratio framework, adopted in 2018 and reassessed in March 2025. That designation lets commercial…

Comoros receives a disproportionate amount of capital, given its size. In 2024, just remittances from the diaspora amounted to almost one-fifth of GDP, according to the IMF’s 2025 Article IV Consultation staff report (IMF Country Report No. 26/47, 2026 Feb). Adding development grants and gross external inflows more than overwhelms what one would typically expect from an economy worth $1.44 billion. What it does not have is a mechanism to transform most of this capital into a large, scaleable private investment. No stock exchange, no corporate bond market, and no vehicle for a domestic PE or venture fund. Perhaps, then,…

Women’s World Banking is recruiting graduate student interns for its Fall 2026 cohort, working within the Women’s World Banking Institute — the organisation’s research and learning arm, which generates evidence-based insights and policy recommendations on women’s financial inclusion. With more than four decades of experience working alongside financial institutions, policymakers, investors and development partners, the organisation offers a close-up view of how research and advocacy translate into gender-focused financial products and policy. Available Positions Research Intern – Women’s World Banking Institute Supports qualitative and quantitative research on women’s financial inclusion, including literature reviews, data analysis and report preparation. Policy Advocacy…

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is accepting proposals for a US$200,000 Research Priority Program grant focused on measuring the return on investment of internships, apprenticeships, and workforce development programs in the water and wastewater utility sector. The project sits at the intersection of workforce economics and utility management and is open to researchers, academic institutions, and organizations with human-resources or organizational-performance expertise, not only water-sector specialists. The Opportunity Project Title Return on Investment for Internships, Apprenticeships, and Development Programs (Research Priority Program Project 5414) Funder The Water Research Foundation (WRF) Funding Available: US$200,000 Application deadline: 14 September 2026, 3:00 p.m.…

The E4Impact Foundation is recruiting for its I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Project, an internship and job-placement pathway designed to bridge the gap between education and employment. The program pairs participants with industry partners for structured, work-based learning and is built on partnerships with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions alongside private-sector companies—positioning it as much for vocational and technical candidates as for university graduates. The Programme Organization: E4Impact Foundation Programme I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Project — Internship and Job Placement Pathway Focus Bridging the gap between education and employment by connecting young talent with industry partners through structured, work-based learning experiences What Participants Gain…

The Greater Washington Partnership is recruiting an Economic Growth Intern to support delivery of its Region Rising strategic priorities. The role sits inside the partnership’s economic growth team and covers research, stakeholder engagement, and entrepreneurship programming—useful exposure for anyone tracking how a major regional business alliance convenes public and private leaders to drive economic strategy, procurement reform, and innovation ecosystem building. The Role Position Economic Growth Intern – Greater Washington Partnership Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid — in-office presence expected Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) Compensation: US$20.00 per hour Hours Typically 20–30 hours per week Duration: Fall 2026, expected start late August…

BRAC USA is recruiting an Individual Philanthropy Intern to support its donor engagement and fundraising operations in New York. The role sits inside BRAC’s Individual Philanthropy team and offers a working view of how a major development organization converts donor relationships into sustained funding—relevant grounding for anyone tracking how philanthropic and development capital is raised and stewarded, not just deployed. The Role Position Individual Philanthropy Intern – BRAC USA Location New York, USA (Hybrid — minimum one day per week in the NYC office) Compensation: US$17.00 per hour, part-time, up to 15 hours per week Duration: Approximately 15 weeks, expected…

Goldman Sachs has opened recruiting for its 2027 intake of internships and full-time graduate programs, spanning investment banking, FICC & equities, asset management, wealth management, global investment research, engineering, risk, and operations. For readers building careers in or around African capital markets, the relevant detail is regional: the EMEA pathway (which includes African applicants) sits alongside the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and India tracks, and several programs are structured specifically around advanced-degree and early-career candidates rather than only final-year undergraduates. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis in most regions, and roles close once filled—early submission matters more than the nominal deadline…