Vodacom Keeps Safaricom for Now. A Court Ruling Still Threatens Its Control
Vodacom retains control of Safaricom pending an appeal, but the court judgment has already triggered loan defaults and temporary waivers.
6 min read ↗
Business models, startups, small-business technology, digital commerce and the economics of work. Coverage is presented with analytical, pragmatic, numbers-aware and trade-off focused.
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Articles under this byline
Codan to Acquire US Eventide for A$244 Million
Australian technology group Codan has agreed to buy US mission-critical recording company Eventide through its Zetron subsidiary, in a deal valued at about A$244 million and expected to close in early 2027.
6 min read ↗
Canada's New Instant-Payment Rail Is Live. That Does Not Mean Every Bank Transfer Is Instant Yet.
Canada's Real-Time Rail is operational with eight initial participants, but major-bank onboarding and Interac settlement migrations continue through 2027. Projected savings and access are not yet realized benefits.
6 min read ↗
Crédit Agricole Proposes Banco BPM Merger to Create Italy's Third-Largest Bank
Crédit Agricole has proposed talks to merge its Italian business with Banco BPM, outlining a €1 billion extraordinary dividend and an approximately 45% stake—subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals.
7 min read ↗
AMD’s Record Quarter Puts Data-Center Growth at the Center of Its 2027 Test
AMD reported $13.377 billion in third-quarter revenue, up 45%, with data-center sales growing 97%; the next test is whether its $17 billion fourth-quarter guidance translates into sustained scale.
7 min read ↗
China Blocks SoftBank’s ABB Robotics Takeover, Leaving a $5.375 Billion Deal in Limbo
China has prohibited the acquisition of ABB’s Chinese robotics business under SoftBank’s $5.375 billion deal. The companies remain in dialogue, and the transaction has not been described as terminated.
7 min read ↗
The Bank of England’s 4% Decision: Why One Rate Hike May Not Set the Path
Economists expect the Bank of England to lift Bank Rate from 3.75% to 4.00% on 5 November. But the vote, new forecasts and debate over energy-driven second-round inflation may matter more than the quarter-point headline.
9 min read ↗
New Zealand’s Unemployment Rate Reaches 5.7%, Highest Since 2015
The September-quarter rate matched a level last seen in 2015. Employment barely changed, but participation, hours and the mix of jobs point to a broader cooling that complicates the Reserve Bank’s inflation fight.
8 min read ↗
Europe Grew Faster Than Forecast. Why Doesn't It Feel Easier?
Euro area output rose 0.4% in the third quarter, beating forecasts. The contrast between resilient GDP and households' energy bills is the economic story behind the headline.
8 min read ↗
ChatGPT Meets ServiceNow: The Real Test Is Permission to Act
OpenAI and ServiceNow are bringing enterprise actions into ChatGPT. The immediate integration is real, while promised security, voice and Codex features have different release timelines.
9 min read ↗
Why Britain's Meta Investigation Matters to Online Publishers
Britain's CMA is investigating proposed Meta business terms tied to publisher website content. Here is what the regulator is examining and what remains undecided.
7 min read ↗
The AI Spending Boom Has a New Test: Can the Returns Catch Up?
New funding reports and an upcoming AI IPO have sharpened the question behind the technology sell-off: who can finance the buildout, on what terms, and how soon can the investment produce durable returns?
10 min read ↗
How to Choose a Productivity App That Lasts
Choose productivity software by testing real workflows, adoption friction, accessibility, data portability and the full cost of staying or leaving.
7 min read ↗