Each quarter, the Editorial Committee follows the firm's sectors and practice areas across sub-Saharan Africa. The quick diagnostic helps read a company's key balances from a few figures.
Timber, agribusiness, private equity, capital markets: the main trends of the quarter across sub-Saharan Africa.
16 items · updated 27 October 2026
The Council of Ministers approved the bill creating an agency to control forest products for export and import. The general specifications for concessions and permits now provide for their award by tender.
Fresh fruit bunch harvests rose by 82.2% and crude oil output by 25.1% compared with the first quarter. Year on year, the first half remains modest (+8.7% and +3.1%).
In Kuala Lumpur, the October contract traded at 4,340 ringgit per tonne in early October, and the December contract at 4,560. These prices are the benchmark for producers in the region.
The main-crop price falls from FCFA 2,800 to FCFA 1,200 per kilo. The Government cites world prices, forward sales and budget sustainability.
Equity market capitalisation reached a record level, up 50.3% since 1 January 2026. A favourable window to prepare an opening of capital.
The regulator cites El Niño, excessive rain, ageing farms and swollen shoot disease. The decline will weigh on West African supply.
Amounts rose by 65% year on year, but the number of deals fell by 16% to 211. Private equity and private debt grew, while venture capital declined.
Output expected in 2026 is about 3.1 million cubic metres, after a 23.7% fall in export revenue in 2025. ATIBT does not expect an improvement before mid-2027.
According to ITTO, the price rose from €420 to €450 between June and July, as Chinese buyers returned. Operating conditions in the Congo are described as the steadiest in the region.
The Nairobi summit, from 11 to 13 November 2026, will focus on portfolios of projects ready for financing. Domestic non-bank capital exceeds $2 trillion according to the Africa Finance Corporation.
The Government has set a repayment schedule for the VAT credits of timber manufacturers, estimated at about FCFA 20bn. The sector gains visibility on its cash position.
The 2026-2030 national plan targets the modernisation of value chains and irrigation. It sharpens regional competition for agricultural capital.
Nigeria succeeds Egypt at the head of the body. The AfCFTA remains the framework for thinking about an asset at the scale of a regional market.
The BEAC index fell in the first quarter of 2026, driven mainly by cocoa (−24.6%). It tracks twenty commodities, including forest products.
Exports are approaching 1.7 million tonnes and rubber is the second-largest agricultural export earner. Local processing remains the main challenge.
The annual forest royalty falls by 25% in 2026, and by 35% for certified operators. A temporary measure intended to restore the sector's margins.
Figures for the last financial year, in FCFA millions
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A tool to help read financial statements. Neither a rating nor investment advice. Insights written by the Editorial Committee of G.Mercury & Cie from public information, with sources cited on each item.
