🏦 Nigeria Shifts Stamp Duty Fees

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After the slowdown that usually comes with the end of the year, it’s good to be back in motion. A new year has a way of resetting priorities, sharpening focus, and forcing a quiet question many of us are already asking: what actually matters this time around? As 2026 begins, the pace of change hasn’t slowed, but how we choose to follow it can be more deliberate.

This year, we’re paying closer attention to the stories behind the headlines, not just what happened, but why it matters, who it affects, and what it signals for the months ahead. From how people consume content and protect their data, to how platforms evolve and regulations tighten, the details are becoming more important than the noise.

As we step into the first stretch of the year, consider this space a steady checkpoint. Not to overwhelm you with everything happening, but to help you make sense of it, connect the dots, and stay ahead without burning out. Here’s to a more focused, thoughtful, and well-informed 2026.

Let’s dive in.👇

Today’s Menu ☕️

🏦 Nigeria Moves Stamp Duty Cost to Bank Transfer Senders
🏦 FirstRand Becomes South Africa’s First R500bn Bank
💰Helios Exits Axxela in Sale to BlueCore Consortium
📺 DStv Retains Warner Bros Discovery Channels
🗼OADC Cleared to Acquire NTT Data Centres
💵 PSV Holdings to Exit JSE After 27-Year Run

🏦BANKING

Nigeria Moves Stamp Duty Cost to Bank Transfer Senders

Nigeria has changed how stamp duty on electronic bank transfers is applied, shifting the ₦50 charge from recipients to senders. Under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, effective January 1, 2026, anyone initiating an electronic transfer of ₦10,000 or more will pay the stamp duty, instead of the person receiving the funds.

The change does not introduce a new tax; it clarifies liability. Transfers below ₦10,000 remain exempt, as do salary payments and intra-bank transfers. Banks are also required to clearly disclose the stamp duty charge before a transaction is completed, separate from standard transfer fees.........….continue reading

🏦BANKING

FirstRand Becomes South Africa’s First R500bn Bank

FirstRand has become the first South African bank to surpass a R500 billion market capitalization, reaching about R510 billion in early January 2026. The milestone reflects strong investor confidence driven by solid financial performance and a series of strategic acquisitions, including HSBC South Africa and a R5 billion stake in AI-powered fintech Optasia. Under CEO Mary Vilakazi, FirstRand has maintained robust profitability, reporting a 20.2% return on equity and R41.8 billion in normalized earnings for the year ended June 2025........….continue reading

💰ACQUISITIONS

Helios Exits Axxela in Sale to BlueCore Consortium

Helios Investment Partners has completed the sale of its 75% stake in Nigerian gas infrastructure company Axxela to BlueCore, a new consortium focused on accelerating gas and power development across Nigeria and West Africa. Long-time minority shareholder Sojitz Corporation also exited fully after exercising its tag-along rights, marking a complete ownership transition.

BlueCore—backed by partners including Afrigaz Energie, North South Power Company, Levene Energy Development, and emPERSAND—aims to scale Axxela’s operations and support the region’s energy transition................….continue reading

📺MEDIA

DStv Retains Warner Bros Discovery Channels

DStv has secured a last-minute, multi-year agreement between parent company Groupe Canal+ and Warner Bros Discovery, ensuring that 12 popular channels remain on the DStv bouquet across Africa. The deal ends weeks of uncertainty for subscribers who had been warned the channels could be dropped after stalled negotiations.

Beyond renewing channels such as Discovery Channel, CNN International, Cartoon Network, and TLC, the agreement also expands collaboration to include HBO Max distribution in select markets..............….continue reading

 🗼DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE

OADC Cleared to Acquire NTT Data Centres

South Africa’s Competition Commission has approved Open Access Data Centres’ (OADC) acquisition of a portfolio of data centre facilities from NTT Data South Africa, subject to public-interest conditions. The deal allows OADC—controlled by the WIOCC Group—to significantly expand its national footprint.

The acquisition covers seven data centres across major South African cities, along with associated infrastructure, agreements, and the Parklands data centre property. Regulators found no material competition concerns but required OADC to implement a transaction benefiting historically disadvantaged persons..............…continue reading

💵DIVESTMENTS

PSV Holdings to Exit JSE After 27-Year Run

PSV Holdings Limited is set to delist from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange after nearly six years of financial distress, marking the end of a 27-year history. Founded in 1998 and listed in 2006, the industrial engineering group supplied steel, tools, and gas systems to sectors including mining, manufacturing, water, and healthcare across Southern Africa.

The company entered business rescue in 2020 as financial pressures mounted, with its main subsidiary, PSV Industrial, placed into final liquidation the same year. Persistent governance and reporting failures—including the inability to publish audited financial results for 2020 and 2021—led to the suspension of its shares and further loss of investor confidence...............…continue reading

OTHER STORIES

• Simplification Project Approved: JSE Targets Listing Revival………continue reading

• South Africa’s Transalloys collapses amid financial turmoil………continue reading

• FirstRand poised for growth through strategic stake in Optasia………continue reading

• Rand Merchant Bank closes landmark $285 million acquisition financing for BlueCore InfraCo………continue reading

• Clicks showcases its first smartphone and keyboard accessory at CES 2026………continue reading

• CES 2026: What to Expect From the World’s Biggest Tech Show………continue reading

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