News & Insights
Africa’s seed trade gains momentum through regional integration
Regional seed integration became more operational as the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) advanced mechanisms to reduce regulatory fragmentation. COMESA launched its Seed Information System and regional certification labels, bringing variety information and regulatory processes into a shared platform across 21 member states. The initiative […]
November 05 2026
Gene editing and AI accelerate Africa’s next crop breeding cycle
Crop breeding entered a faster technology cycle in Q3 as gene editing, artificial intelligence (AI) and hybrid seed systems moved towards practical deployment. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) secured long-term access to the genome-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9, while Nigeria broadened its biotechnology policy and Egypt and China advanced stress-tolerant crop research. […]
November 05 2026
South Africa opens ARC vaccine IP to private manufacturing
South Africa opened a new commercial route for public agricultural biotechnology in September when the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) approved conditional licensing of its foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine IP to qualifying private manufacturers. The ARC vaccine targets local FMD strains and requires a single annual administration, but current manufacturing capacity limits large-scale production. Under the […]
November 05 2026
Plant health rules become a passport to agricultural markets
Plant health regulation on the continent became more closely tied to agricultural market access during the quarter. South Africa prepared to implement a new Plant Health Act, expanding inspection, quarantine, pest reporting and enforcement powers. Zambia upgraded its Livingstone plant health laboratory to reduce testing times and costs for exporters. Benin strengthened capacity for variety […]
November 05 2026
Côte d’Ivoire builds research capacity around coffee and cocoa genetics
Côte d’Ivoire strengthened the scientific base of its coffee and cocoa industries in September by establishing the Institut du Café et du Cacao. The institute aims to bring together advanced technologies, specialist scientific expertise, and partnerships with national universities, regional centres of excellence and international organisations. It will build on an existing research station containing […]
November 05 2026
Namibia’s AI crop deal sharpens focus on procurement and data governance
Namibia’s cancellation of a US$2.4 million AI crop monitoring agreement with a US-based agriculture technology firm highlighted how agritech procurement increasingly depends on governance as much as technical capability. The proposed system would have combined satellite imagery, geospatial analytics and AI to map staple crops, forecast production, assess drought risk and develop a farmer database. […]
November 05 2026
Digital agriculture moves towards connected systems across Africa
Africa’s digital agriculture agenda shifted from standalone tools towards shared infrastructure during Q3. The African Union advanced implementation of its Digital Agriculture Strategy by working to harmonise national and regional systems, strengthen platform interoperability and data governance, and connect farmers to climate information, finance, markets and advisory services. The open sourcing of SoilHive, a global […]
November 05 2026
East Africa’s seed bill puts breeder and farmer rights in balance
East Africa’s seed market moved closer to a common rulebook in late August. However, the proposed Seed and Plant Varieties Bill exposed a defining tension over who stands to benefit from harmonisation. The Bill would establish a regional framework for variety evaluation, release, registration, certification, marketing and plant breeders’ rights, reducing the need for repeated […]
November 05 2026
African fruit breeders turn plant variety rights into market leverage
Plant variety protection became a commercial asset across African horticulture in the past quarter. Rwanda introduced penalties of up to approximately US$67,800 for fraudulent claims or exploitation of protected crop varieties. South Africa’s BigBucks Gala apple secured European Union (EU) protection after eight years of trials, while Morocco’s SweetCott mandarin obtained EU rights extending to […]
November 05 2026
Agritech capital moves closer to farmers and commercial scale
Africa’s agritech finance landscape is broadening beyond startup equity as capital increasingly flows towards platforms that integrate finance, infrastructure, services and market access that support investment in farmers and agricultural businesses. Nigeria’s AgriConnect Compact accelerated this shift, targeting approximately US$5 billion over five years from government, development partners and the private sector to expand access […]
November 05 2026
Other notable stories November 2026
Kenya opens East Africa to AI-enabled biological inputs Absolute, an Indian-based AI biosolutions company, launched its AI-enabled biological agriculture platform, INERA, in Kenya in September. Six products focused on biological nutrition and crop resilience entered commercial use through a local distribution partner, with Kenya positioned as a base for wider African expansion. The model combines […]
November 05 2026
Permission to Post Is Not Permission to Profit: The Legal Complexities Behind Influencer Photos
By Sanda Nyoka (Candidate Attorney) | Reviewed by Stephen Hollis (Partner) Introduction Hiring a photographer to capture an event or create content raises a deceptively simple question: who may use the photographs, the photographer, the subject or the client who paid? The answer depends on authorship, ownership and permission. This article explains the position under […]
October 23 2026
Famous Faces, Hidden Risks: Using Celebrity Images on Merchandise in South Africa
A photograph of a famous athlete on a t-shirt. A tote bag featuring a well-known actor. A coffee mug bearing the likeness of a popular influencer. Celebrity-driven merchandise has become increasingly commonplace, particularly in an era where online design tools, print-on-demand services and readily available images make it easy to create products featuring recognisable public […]
October 21 2026
Mozambique adopts new IP strategy with focus on AI and digital transformation
The Government of Mozambique adopted a new National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (PEPI) 2026-2035, replacing its previous intellectual property (IP) strategy. PEPI is intended to modernise Mozambique’s IP framework to address the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital economy and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). It is the country’s first comprehensive national […]
October 21 2026
Uganda set to launch new Copyright Management System
The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) are in the process of launching a new copyright management system. Once operational, the system is expected to modernise copyright administration, improve transparency and strengthen protection for creators and rights holders. It aims to create an environment in which creative works […]
October 21 2026
Egypt introduces virtual Appeal Committees for trade marks and industrial designs
The Egyptian Intellectual Property Authority (EGIPA) has introduced virtual Appeal Committees for trade mark and industrial design matters. The new system replaces traditional in-person appeal hearings with fully remote proceedings, enabling Appeal Committees to convene virtually. To facilitate these hearings, parties are required to lodge supporting evidence in both physical and electronic formats. Further, all […]
October 21 2026
Major counterfeit merchandise bust ahead of Springboks clash
Law enforcement authorities seized more than 1 700 counterfeit sports items valued at over R1.5 million in the Johannesburg CBD days before a highly anticipated Springboks versus New Zealand rugby match. The operation was conducted by a multi-disciplinary team including the South African Police Service’s National Counterfeit and Illicit Goods Unit, Gauteng Counterfeit and Illicit […]
October 21 2026
Zimbabwe launches Inter-Ministerial Committee on Intellectual Property
Zimbabwe has launched an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Intellectual Property (IMC-IP), marking a significant step towards coordinated IP policymaking in Zimbabwe. The Committee is intended to support the implementation of the country’s National IP Policy by modernising its IP system and creating a harmonised and coordinated national IP framework that is efficiently administered and enforced across […]
October 21 2026