Spiro, Africa’s leading electric mobility company, and Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners (ESP), a pan-African firm specialising in entrepreneurship development, have launched the Women in E-Mobility programme in Rwanda, an initiative designed to help women become professional electric motorcycle riders, develop their own businesses and generate sustainable income.

The programme is already underway, with the first 50 women having started training October 2026. They form the first cohort of a pilot targeting 500 women in Rwanda, before a planned expansion to other African markets to reach 5,000 participants by 2030.

This initiative reflects Spiro’s ambition to ensure that the growth of electric mobility in Africa creates new opportunities for women. While motorcycles are a major source of employment in transport, delivery and logistics, women remain largely underrepresented in the sector. In Rwanda, women account for just 4% of transport workers, despite a 2025 study in Kigali finding that 47.7% of women surveyed would consider becoming motorcycle taxi drivers.

Off-grid solar is reaching more people than ever and increasingly powering more livelihoods, businesses, and essential services. According to the Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report 2026, released today by the World Bank Group’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and GOGLA, the global off-grid solar association, at the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo in Kigali, the number of people using solar home systems, water pumps, generators, lanterns and other off-grid solar products rose by 26% over the past two years, from 118 million to 149 million*.

The report finds that off-grid solar remains the least-cost solution for at least 398 million people without access to electricity and a strong complement to the grid, often serving communities beyond its reach. Reaching those populations by 2030 will require sustained public and private investment, supported by policies that improve affordability and expand access to financing.

Long considered a bridge to the grid, off-grid solar is now recognized as infrastructure. As energy prices rise, off-grid solar offers a secure, resilient and affordable source of power for households, farms, schools, health facilities, and small businesses, while complementing investments in grid expansion and mini-grids.

Kenya has become the first African country to join the Dengue Alliance, with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) becoming part of the global partnership dedicated to advancing dengue treatment research. The country’s entry into the Alliance was formally announced during its meeting held on 27 October in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Established in 2022, the Dengue Alliance brings together research institutions in dengue-endemic countries to accelerate the development of safe, effective, affordable, and accessible treatments for dengue. Its membership includes the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and research institutions from Brazil, Malaysia, India, and Thailand, with Kenya now joining the international collaboration.

‘Dengue is a growing public health concern in Africa, but its true burden remains underestimated due to underdiagnosis and underreporting. Through the Dengue Alliance, KEMRI will contribute African expertise and evidence to strengthen global efforts to advance dengue research, surveillance, diagnostics, and clinical management,’ said Dr Erick Muok, Acting Director of Research and Development at KEMRI.

This new membership will expand the geographic and scientific reach of the Alliance, creating new avenues for dengue research on much-needed treatments, and ensure patients from the African continent are prioritized in future studies.

SITA has agreed to acquire Flightscape, CAE Inc.’s airline operations software business, whose solutions help airlines plan flights, manage crews, control operations, coordinate ground activities and deliver in-flight services. The acquisition will help airlines make better operational decisions and coordinate recovery more effectively across the aviation ecosystem.

As aviation grows, so does the complexity of running it. By 2050, more than 10 billion people are expected to fly each year, while disruption continues to affect daily operations. Every flight depends on the different partners across the industry working together, yet each sees only part of what is happening.

“Airlines need to make the best possible use of their aircraft, crews and infrastructure while responding to increasingly complex operational challenges,” said David Lavorel, Chief Executive Officer, SITA. “With Flightscape, we will bring together our respective complementary capabilities to strengthen what we offer airlines and connect their operational decisions with insight from across the aviation ecosystem. That will help our customers anticipate disruption, recover more effectively and run more resilient operations.”