South Africa Repatriation: Zimbabwe says it has helped nearly 21,300 citizens return from South Africa in just over five weeks, as xenophobic pressure and border movements keep disrupting livelihoods across the region. Climate Risk for Industry & Farming: UN agencies are appealing for over $200m to protect 8.8m people in 22 African countries from El Niño impacts, with Malawi listed among the most at-risk—raising urgency for resilient seeds, livestock protection and flood control. Malawi Independence & Cost of Living: Parliament’s July 7–31 meeting opens with stakeholders pushing lawmakers to tackle the cost of living, El Niño readiness and reintegration of returnees, alongside issues like CDF reforms and public university tuition hikes. Investment Climate Watch: A World Bank diagnostic shows Malawi’s investment slump—private investment averaging about 9% of GDP and net FDI down—fueling fears for jobs and growth. Telecoms & Competition: TNM’s proposed takeover of Open Connect Limited (OCL) draws mixed views as the competition regulator reviews whether it could affect consumer choice and prices. Digital Payments in the Region: BanffPay (Liberia) secured a Central Bank of Liberia PSP license to launch a unified pay-in/pay-out API, signaling faster cross-border fintech integration. Energy Infrastructure: ESCOM says it is replacing ageing wooden poles with prestressed concrete on key transmission lines, aiming for fewer outages and more reliable supply.