News & Insights
Soft Serve, Al Dente
A judgment that needed a few more minutes on the boil Soft Coffee (Pty) Ltd v Nonnas Pasta (Pty) Ltd and Others (Case No. 088838/2025, High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria. Judgment delivered 22 June 2026 by Mooki J.) The recent decision in Soft Coffee v Nonnas Pasta is, in many respects, a […]
August 06 2026
South African patent ruling in favour of Astellas Pharma
On 13 July 2026, the South African patent court ruled in favour of Astellas Pharma, the Japan-headquartered pharmaceutical company represented by intellectual property law firm Adams & Adams (Russell Bagnall and Sophia Smallbones) against generic drugmaker Cipla thereby preventing them from selling their generic product, Urton. At the centre of the dispute was a formulation […]
August 05 2026
When is an Insured Entitled to Independent Legal Representation at the Insurer’s Expense? Lessons from a US Court.
In Fabyanske, Westra, Hart & Thomson, P.A. v. Western National Mutual Insurance Company, the Minnesota Court of Appeals held that where a liability insurer undertakes the defence of an insured subject to a reservation of rights, and the factual questions to be resolved in the underlying liability proceedings are the same facts upon which the […]
August 04 2026
Joining a Defendant After Death: Why It Doesn’t Save an Extinguished Claim
The Gauteng Division of the High Court, Pretoria, recently had to decide an issue in the judgment of Maoto N.O v Minister of Police (54912/2014) concerning the transmissibility of a non-patrimonial damages claim to a deceased estate in circumstances where the joinder of a party to the main proceedings post-dated the death of the deceased. […]
August 03 2026
Jersey’s New Individual Fee Under the Madrid Protocol
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has announced that, from 1 August 2026, the Bailiwick of Jersey will introduce an individual fee for designations under the Madrid Protocol. For businesses that use the Madrid System to secure international trade mark protection, the practical effect is that Jersey will now carry its own official fee and […]
July 31 2026
Property Insurance: Broadly Worded Water Exclusions Can Defeat Cover Regardless of How the Loss Is Framed
A United States court has held, in Express Jewelry Enterprises, Inc. v. National Fire Insurance Company of Hartford, No. 23-10615 (E.D. Mich. Aug. 7, 2025), that a broadly worded water exclusion – covering both flood and sewer or drain backup, and applying regardless of any other contributing cause – defeated a policyholder’s claim for storm-related […]
July 30 2026
Other notable stories July 2026
Togo’s drone deal opens a hardware innovation pathway Togo moved to build a domestic drone industry through a US$27.3 million partnership with Poland, supported by Cyber Defence Africa. The project aimed to develop local design, assembly and deployment capabilities across agriculture, logistics, industry and critical infrastructure monitoring. Beyond its technology value, the deal raised important […]
July 30 2026
Ghana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe sharpen telecoms competition
Africa’s mobile technology market gained a sharper regulatory edge in Q2 as telecoms authorities and operators advanced reforms around spectrum and next-generation connectivity. Ghana opened its 5G market to competition after ending an exclusive licence model, while Mozambique awarded 5G spectrum to Tmcel, Vodacom Mozambique and Movitel. Nigeria began reviewing its telecoms policy after 26 […]
July 30 2026
Egypt builds a fintech and cloud hub around AI-enabled banking
The North African powerhouse offered one of the clearest country case studies of how fintech, AI, telecoms and cloud services are beginning to reinforce one another. Klivvr launched an interactive AI-powered assistant for fintech users, making AI visible at the consumer financial services level. Mastercard deepened its partnership with CIB to support digital banking innovation, […]
July 30 2026
East Africa turns payments and roaming reform into digital corridors
East Africa became a compelling test case for regional digital integration during Q2, with policy coordination and connectivity reforms advancing in tandem. The East African Community progressed a regional mobile roaming framework to support cross-border connectivity, making telecoms integration a practical part of regional digital trade. Kenya and Rwanda also deepened digital economy ties, reinforcing […]
July 30 2026
Kenya, Cameroon and South Africa reshape smartphone-enabled payments
The consumer gateway into Africa’s digital economy became more dynamic during Q2 as device access, mobile onboarding and contactless payments converged. Kenya’s Finance Bill 2026 targeted smartphones through a proposed excise duty, raising affordability concerns for digital inclusion and handset distribution, while Cameroon blocked undeclared mobile devices, underscoring growing customs and compliance scrutiny. In South […]
July 30 2026
Africa’s satellite and subsea networks deepen broadband competition
Beneath the visible growth in mobile services, Africa’s broadband backbone became a strategic infrastructure priority in the second quarter of the year. Uganda approved Starlink after a prolonged regulatory process, opening another market to low-Earth-orbit satellite connectivity. Angola Cables and Uniti expanded connectivity, while a new subsea cable was launched to strengthen Europe-Africa links. South […]
July 30 2026
Rwanda, Nigeria and Egypt signal Africa’s fintech market maturity
Fintech momentum over the second quarter moved beyond payments adoption to increasingly reflect consolidation, investment activity and product innovation. Rwanda strengthened its position as a fintech hub, while in Nigeria, Cycleflow, C2FO, and IFC launched a supply chain finance platform for MSMEs; Moniepoint invested in university innovation hubs; and Paystack launched Index – a checkout […]
July 30 2026
East Africa and Tunisia push mobile money towards interoperability
Africa’s mobile money market entered a new integration phase during the second quarter, with payment rails becoming increasingly central to regional commerce and platform growth. Vodacom Tanzania partnered with Thunes to enable real-time international payments through M-Pesa, strengthening links between mobile wallets and cross-border remittances. MTN Rwanda’s earnings reinforced the commercial value of mobile money, […]
July 30 2026
AfCFTA digital trade pilots make governance a market-entry test
During the second quarter, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) digital trade agenda gained practical momentum as Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria moved to pilot a system aimed at supporting cross-border trade administration. Both Nigerian and Zimbabwean firms also explored AfCFTA channels to deepen digital trade, reinforcing the agreement’s growing relevance as a commercial platform […]
July 30 2026
Stablecoins push Africa's crypto market into regulatory mainstream
Crypto’s African story matured in the second quarter as stablecoins and virtual assets moved closer to the formal financial system through regulation and commercial adoption. African regulators advanced towards virtual asset oversight, while Kenya targeted crypto traders through disclosure requirements aimed at improving transparency in a fast-growing digital asset market. Tanzania approved its first stablecoin […]
July 30 2026
AI infrastructure becomes Africa's next strategic investment battleground
Africa’s AI race gained concrete foundations in Q2 2026, as national strategies began translating into data centres, policy frameworks and commercial deployment across priority digital markets. Nigeria opened West Africa’s first hyperscale-ready AI data centre in Lagos, while the Nigeria AI Scaling Hub added shared national computing infrastructure to help move AI projects from pilot […]
July 30 2026
A restraint of trade does not end when employment does: The enforceability of restraints post-retirement
In South Africa, a restraint of trade does not automatically fall away because employment has ended. If the restraint protects a legitimate business interest and is reasonable in duration, area and scope, it may be enforced regardless of whether the employee resigns, is dismissed, is retrenched or retires. In GNG Pine Products CC and Another […]
July 24 2026