MTN’s decision to return R6 billion ($375 million) to shareholders underscores the strength of its African operations, even as the telecoms group continues to carry the financial and geopolitical cost of its long-running exposure to Iran, according to London-based market intelligence and news platform Allen Dreyfus.

MTN owns a 49pc stake in Irancell, a joint venture between South Africa’s MTN and an Iranian government-controlled consortium. But US sanctions, coupled with the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial, have trapped significant shareholder value in the volatile market, limiting MTN’s ability to exercise its exit option.

Dreyfus reports that the continent’s largest mobile operator has approved the share buyback after reporting a 21.3pc increase in adjusted half-year profit, with adjusted headline earnings per share rising to 793 cents from 654 cents.

Investors responded positively, pushing MTN’s share price 4.61pc higher to R201 as the buyback reinforced confidence in the group’s cash-generating capacity.

For MTN, however, the headline numbers conceal a more complicated picture according to Dereyfus.

Reported headline earnings per share fell 5.8pc after the group recognised a R3.9 billion non-cash impairment on its 49pc stake in Irancell, its Iranian associate. The impairment reflects the impact of hyperinflation and the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial.

Currency weakness elsewhere in MTN’s footprint also continued to weigh on performance, with foreign-exchange losses in South Sudan highlighting the broader risks of operating across volatile frontier markets.

But Iran remains the more difficult problem to resolve. MTN has been working to complete its withdrawal from the Middle East and focus its portfolio increasingly on Africa. Its exit from Iran, however, has been complicated by US sanctions, leaving approximately R880 million in dividends trapped in the country since 2018, according to Dreyfus.

That creates an unusual contrast in MTN’s capital allocation story – while the group is sufficiently confident in its African cash flows to commit R6 billion to buying back its own shares, a substantial pool of money generated by an overseas investment remains inaccessible.

“The distinction is important for investors assessing MTN’s longer-term strategy,” says Dreyfus.

“With more than 317 million subscribers across 19 markets, the group remains deeply exposed to the growth of Africa’s consumer economy, particularly through mobile data, digital services and financial technology. Its African operations provide the underlying growth story supporting shareholder returns.”

The Iran exposure, by contrast, represents a legacy investment whose strategic value has diminished as MTN has sought to simplify its portfolio and concentrate on markets where it can exercise greater operational and financial control.

“The buyback is a strong vote of confidence in MTN’s ability to generate cash from its core African operations, but it also highlights the unfinished business around Iran,” said Dreyfuss.

For investors, the next question may therefore be less about whether MTN can return capital and more about how quickly it can remove the remaining obstacles to a cleaner, Africa-focused balance sheet.

The R6 billion buyback signals that MTN can absorb the financial strain associated with its legacy exposures. Closing the Iran chapter, however, could give investors a clearer view of the African growth story the group increasingly wants to present.

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Africa’s aviation industry is preparing for another phase of growth, but the continent’s ability to translate rising passenger and cargo demand into sustainable expansion will increasingly depend on what happens on the ground.

That infrastructure challenge will take centre stage at the Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition in Nairobi next month, where airport operators, regulators, technology companies and ground-handling specialists will examine whether Africa’s airports have the capacity, funding models and technology needed to support the industry through 2035 and beyond.

The infrastructure session on September 10 will bring together representatives from ICAO, Kenya Airports Authority, Dakar Airport in Senegal, Swissport Kenya, SITA and the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority to examine the constraints facing the continent’s airport ecosystem.

At the heart of the discussion is a fundamental question: can Africa build airport capacity quickly enough to match its aviation ambitions without making infrastructure prohibitively expensive for airlines and passengers?

But the challenge extends beyond runways and terminal buildings. African airports face a combination of constrained capital, fragmented regulatory frameworks, lengthy approval processes and difficult decisions over airport charges. While operators need to recover billions of dollars invested in infrastructure, higher charges can increase airline operating costs and ultimately undermine the passenger and traffic growth needed to make the investments commercially viable.

Public-private partnerships are therefore expected to come under scrutiny as governments look for alternatives to relying exclusively on public financing for major airport projects.

The bigger question, however, is whether infrastructure expansion must always mean more concrete. Artificial intelligence, automation and data analytics could allow airports to extract additional capacity from existing infrastructure by identifying operational bottlenecks, improving passenger processing and making aircraft turnarounds more efficient.

For African airports facing capital constraints, that possibility could be particularly important. A terminal operating below its potential because of inefficient processes represents capacity that may be unlocked through technology without immediately requiring a new building. Similarly, better data sharing between airports, airlines, ground handlers and air navigation service providers could help identify congestion before it becomes a constraint on growth.

The airport infrastructure debate also increasingly extends onto the apron and into the airspace. Aircraft turnaround times can determine how efficiently scarce airport capacity is used, while shortages of skilled ground-handling personnel can create delays even where terminal and runway capacity exists.

Better airspace management offers another potential source of capacity. Improved coordination and more efficient flight paths could allow airports and airlines to handle more traffic without corresponding increases in physical infrastructure. This makes the infrastructure challenge a systems issue rather than simply a construction issue.

Africa is already developing major aviation hubs in markets including Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Morocco and South Africa. Their emergence is raising a broader strategic question over whether the continent can develop globally competitive airports that are also connected into a stronger continental network.

For individual countries, airport investment can be a matter of national prestige and economic development. But the larger opportunity lies in creating an interconnected African aviation system in which hubs complement rather than simply compete with each other.

That could become increasingly important as the African Continental Free Trade Area and expanding intra-African business links increase the need for efficient air connectivity.

The infrastructure session at Aviation Africa will therefore be looking beyond individual airport projects to the operating model needed for the next generation of African aviation.

The question is not simply who will build the next runway or terminal, but who will finance it, how efficiently it will operate, how technology can increase its capacity and whether regulation will allow the investment to generate sustainable returns.

The industry is effectively being asked to look towards 2035 and work backwards. If Africa is to capture the economic benefits of a growing aviation market, the infrastructure supporting that growth must develop at the same pace. For the continent’s airports, the runway to the future may therefore depend as much on finance, data, technology, regulation and coordination as it does on concrete and steel.

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The air cargo industry is moving into a more operational phase of digital transformation, with technology, data and global standards increasingly being applied to solve everyday challenges in cargo handling, security and delivery reliability.

That shift will be a central focus of the 2026 International Air Transport Association (IATA) Cargo Experts Conference (CEC), which will bring industry specialists together in Budapest, Hungary, on September 23–24 under the theme “From Expertise to Execution.”

Rather than focusing solely on emerging technologies or industry standards, the conference will examine how cargo operators can translate expertise into practical improvements across the supply chain.

“CEC brings cargo experts together to share what works, tackle common challenges, and take away tangible ideas they can apply in their own organizations,” says Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo.

The conference will examine three areas that increasingly determine the efficiency and resilience of modern air cargo operations: digital cargo, safety and security, and pharmaceutical and cargo operations.

The other significant area of focus will be the continued adoption of ONE Record, IATA’s framework for creating a common digital record of a shipment and enabling information to move more seamlessly between participants in the cargo chain.

The conference will look at how APIs, artificial intelligence and automation can move beyond experimentation and become part of routine cargo operations.

The emphasis will include cargo security, shipment visibility, data quality and interoperability — issues that are particularly important as cargo journeys involve multiple airlines, airports, handlers, customs agencies and logistics providers.

For African markets, where fragmented processes and paper-based documentation can still add friction to cross-border trade, greater interoperability could help reduce delays while improving the visibility of goods moving through regional and international supply chains.

The conference will also address the changing security environment facing air cargo, including the safe handling of dangerous goods and the growing challenge posed by undeclared lithium batteries.

As batteries become increasingly embedded in consumer electronics and other products moving through global supply chains, accurate shipment information and stronger risk assessment are becoming essential to aviation safety.

Better information can also help operators identify risks earlier and strengthen oversight across the cargo journey.

Pharma puts resilience under pressure

The third track will examine pharmaceutical and cargo operations, where the cost of operational failure can be particularly high.

Temperature-sensitive medicines and other pharmaceutical products require reliable ground handling, cold-chain management and compliance throughout their journey. IATA says smarter compliance and real-time data can strengthen resilience and improve the management of pharmaceutical shipments.

The broader message ahead of the conference is that the future of air cargo will not be determined simply by having better technology, but by how effectively operators integrate that technology into everyday processes.

The Budapest conference will therefore offer a window into how the global air cargo industry is attempting to turn digital standards and technological capabilities into measurable operational improvements.

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EDECS Group has secured a contract from DP World to redevelop seven operational yards covering 90,000 square metres at Dar es Salaam Port’s Terminal 1, with construction already under way as Tanzania moves to expand the capacity and efficiency of its principal maritime gateway.

The project will deliver new cargo and material-handling yards, gates and supporting utilities as part of the ongoing modernisation of the terminal operated by DP World Dar es Salaam.

The redevelopment is designed to strengthen cargo storage and handling capacity while preparing the terminal for more technology-enabled operations. The works include infrastructure to support advanced digital yard management systems, alongside upgrades aimed at improving operational efficiency and long-term resilience.

EDECS is also implementing a port-wide fire protection network covering the entire port, including areas beyond the original project scope. A port-wide high-mast lighting system is also being installed to improve safety, security and operational efficiency across the facilities.

The contract comes as Dar es Salaam Port continues to experience rising cargo volumes, having surpassed the 30-million-tonne annual throughput mark.

More than 90 per cent of Tanzania’s international maritime trade passes through the port, making it the country’s most important maritime gateway. Its significance extends well beyond Tanzania, with the port serving as a major gateway for seven landlocked countries in East and Central Africa.

The scale of the transformation is reflected in the performance of Terminal 1. The terminal handled a record 46,582 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in July 2026, up sharply from 13,779 TEUs in May 2024.

The growth in container volumes highlights both increasing demand for regional logistics capacity and the importance of continued investment in infrastructure capable of handling that demand.

For East and Central Africa’s landlocked economies, the performance of Dar es Salaam Port has implications beyond the movement of Tanzanian cargo. Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan depend on regional transport corridors linking their economies to international maritime trade.

Improvements in port capacity, cargo handling and digital systems can therefore help reduce bottlenecks and improve the reliability of supply chains serving businesses across the region.

The investment also supports Tanzania’s broader ambition under Vision 2050 to establish itself as a leading logistics and trade hub in Africa.

EDECS Group Chairman and Managing Director Eng. Hussein El Dessouky said the company was extending its partnership with DP World through a project of strategic importance to Tanzania and the region.

He said EDECS teams were progressing works across the project’s key operational areas, delivering infrastructure intended to support safer, smarter and more efficient port operations.

DP World Dar es Salaam CEO Martin Jacob said the modernisation of its terminal remained central to efforts to enhance trade connectivity and logistics efficiency across East and Central Africa, noting the speed of execution in the civil works.

The latest award builds on EDECS Group’s more than three decades of experience delivering marine, port and logistics infrastructure across the Middle East and Africa.

For Dar es Salaam, the redevelopment of the seven yards comes at a critical point in the port’s development. With cargo volumes rising and competition between regional trade corridors intensifying, the ability to expand capacity while improving efficiency will be central to maintaining the port’s role as one of East Africa’s most important gateways to global trade.

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The African Drone Forum (ADF) is taking Africa’s drone and autonomous aviation agenda into a more practical phase at the 2026 Aviation Africa Summit, building on the foundation laid by its debut partnership with the summit in Kigali last year.

ADF will return as strategic partner for the Drone and Autonomous Systems Programme at the 10th Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition, scheduled for September 9–10 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, with the 2026 programme placing greater emphasis on how Africa can safely and commercially scale its emerging low-altitude economy.

At Aviation Africa 2025 in Kigali, ADF curated the Drone and Advanced Air Mobility track for the first time, bringing drones, unmanned traffic management (UTM), beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations, regulation and advanced air mobility into the mainstream aviation conversation.

The Kigali summit brought together more than 2,100 delegates, including more than 30 Directors General of Civil Aviation, while ADF’s programme included Africa’s first public demonstration of a pilotless passenger eVTOL aircraft. The discussions also produced calls for regulatory sandboxes, BVLOS corridors, stronger UTM systems and greater harmonisation of regulatory approaches.

ADF’s second year at Aviation Africa therefore represents a move from making the case for drones to addressing the systems needed to make them work at scale.

Under the 2026 theme, “Advancing the Future of Autonomy in Africa,” the programme will examine how policy, investment, talent and infrastructure can unlock the continent’s low-altitude economy.

A major new feature is the inaugural African Drone Regulators Forum (ADRF), a closed-door session on the second day of the summit, bringing together officials responsible for drone regulation within African civil aviation authorities.

ADF explains that rather than another conventional conference panel, the regulators’ forum is designed as a working session where authorities can compare regulatory frameworks, identify common bottlenecks and explore practical approaches to issues such as BVLOS authorisation, UTM governance and training pathways.

This regulatory focus responds directly to one of the central lessons from Kigali where delegates agreed that Africa’s drone opportunity cannot be unlocked by technology alone.

The 2025 discussions highlighted the need for regulatory systems designed around actual missions such as healthcare delivery, agriculture, mining and inspection, while also calling for regulatory sandboxes, harmonised safety assessments and electronic conspicuity to support safer cross-border operations.

The 2026 programme broadens that implementation agenda further with an African Drone Security Forum, examining the growing intersection of drones, artificial intelligence and security.

The forum will look at civil-security cooperation, risk mitigation, detection and response, and responsible deployment of emerging technologies.

Five industry panels will meanwhile address workforce development, BVLOS operations and enabling infrastructure, drone data and AI, advanced air mobility and investment.

The emphasis on infrastructure is particularly important as African markets move beyond individual drone deployments towards integrated systems capable of supporting larger fleets and more complex operations.

ADF says the 2026 programme will therefore focus not simply on regulatory approval but on what comes afterwards, including corridor design, electronic conspicuity, remote identification, coordination with air navigation service providers and sustainable business models.

Nairobi also gives the conversation a practical setting. Kenya is emerging as one of Africa’s most active drone markets, with an operational BVLOS corridor, a live UTM procurement process and a large base of licensed drone training academies.

The programme will be complemented by an ADF Drone and Autonomous Systems Exhibition Pavilion, bringing together African and international companies working in drones, autonomous systems, data and supporting technologies.

While Kigali helped establish that drones and advanced air mobility belong in the continent’s aviation strategy; Nairobi is set to concentrate on the rules, infrastructure, skills, security and investment needed to turn that recognition into an operating ecosystem.

ADF’s return for a second consecutive year suggests that the agenda has moved from putting the technology on the aviation map to working out how Africa can integrate it safely, sustainably and commercially into its skies.

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Uganda is preparing a new five-year intervention to turn Karamoja’s livestock economy into a stronger engine of household incomes, regional trade and resilience, as government and development partners seek to move the sub-region beyond a cycle of insecurity, poverty and dependence on humanitarian support.

The proposed Integrated Livestock Development, Peacebuilding and Resilience Enhancement for Sustainable Livelihoods in Karamoja (ILPRE-Karamoja) will run from January 2027 to December 2031 under a partnership involving the Government of Uganda, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and development partners.

The programme comes as Uganda attempts to consolidate years of investment in Karamoja around fewer, higher-impact interventions that connect livestock production to peace, water, markets and land-use management.

Unveiled during a national consultative workshop in Kampala on Friday, the programme is built around five pillars: improving livestock productivity; sustainable cross-border management of grazing land and water; conflict prevention; stronger market systems; and improved land-use governance.

Livestock remains central to livelihoods in Karamoja, but its potential to generate sustained commercial income has been constrained by insecurity, weak infrastructure, limited market access, climate pressures and inadequate value addition.

Famous cattle auction markets Karamoja – PIC Courtesy of Kara-Tunga Tours

The new approach seeks to treat these constraints as interconnected rather than as separate development problems.

“Peace and social cohesion are prerequisites for communities to access markets, education, and health services,” the Karamoja Development Partners Group said, urging donors to move beyond conventional livestock interventions and support animal health, water infrastructure, rangeland management, value addition and market access.

Joselyn Bigirwa, Head of the IGAD Mission to Uganda, said ILPRE-Karamoja is intended to consolidate gains from the IGAD Drylands Strategy and the 14-year Karamoja Integrated Development Programme.

The programme will be implemented within Uganda’s existing national planning architecture, including the Karamoja Integrated Development Programme and the Fourth National Development Plan, with IGAD coordinating with Operation Wealth Creation, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For government, the bigger objective is to make economic transformation and security mutually reinforcing.

Dr Edith Namutebi Nsubuga, Head of the Peace and Security Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said durable security was critical to creating an environment in which development actors could concentrate on livelihoods and resilience.

She also acknowledged that previous interventions, despite attracting substantial investment, had produced outcomes that demanded better coordination, sharper prioritisation and stronger accountability.

That concern is particularly important given the scale of Uganda’s ambitions for the sub-region.

The Karamoja Regional Development Plan, approved by Cabinet in July 2025, is valued at UGX15.1 trillion and seeks to transform the region from a predominantly nomadic and agro-pastoral economy into a more settled and commercially viable economy by 2035.

Among the proposed flagship investments are Kidepo International Airport, an industrial park and cement plants in Moroto, meat and hides processing facilities in Kotido, and a Karamoja Peace and Technology University.

The plan also proposes expanded boarding facilities for primary and secondary education, subsidised tertiary education for Karimojong students and a dedicated water budget for the region.

The urgency is underlined by the region’s socioeconomic indicators. According to the 2023/24 National Household Survey, poverty in Karamoja stood at 74.2 percent, alongside persistent food insecurity and major infrastructure deficits.

ILPRE-Karamoja is consequently being positioned as a bridge between large-scale public investment and the productive capacity of communities themselves.

An example presented at the workshop was the Sustainable Business Development Initiative operated by AgroMax Uganda across 11 villages and 370 households in Nakapiripirit District.

The initiative demonstrated how community-owned agricultural enterprises can survive beyond donor-funded projects when communities have access to productive assets and the systems needed to maintain them.

Following the conclusion of NUSAF III, members used proceeds from agriculture to rehabilitate tractors and water infrastructure. Five years later, the enterprises remain operational, remunerate members, maintain their assets and attract new partnerships.

That experience offers an important lesson for the new Karamoja programme- long-term transformation will depend not only on how much money is invested, but on whether communities acquire productive assets, market access and institutions capable of sustaining them.

GFA – STRENGTHENING DROUGHT RESILIENCE OF PASTORALISTS IN THE KARAMOJA SUB-REGION, UGANDA

The proposed five-year programme therefore comes at a potentially important juncture for Karamoja. If its livestock, peacebuilding, climate resilience and market interventions are effectively coordinated, the region’s livestock economy could become a stronger platform for household incomes, value addition and cross-border commerce.

But officials at the consultation stressed that success will depend on disciplined implementation, community ownership and accountability—ensuring that the UGX15.1 trillion development ambition translates into productive capacity on the ground rather than another cycle of disconnected projects.

The test for the 2027–2031 programme will ultimately be whether livestock can move from being primarily a means of survival to becoming a commercially productive asset—and whether peace, infrastructure and markets can be built around that transformation.

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For Ugandan businesses, acquiring a vehicle or productive equipment is often less about whether the asset is needed than whether the business can absorb the upfront cost without starving its operations of working capital.

A new partnership between ICEA LION General Insurance, dfcu Bank and Double Q Company Limited is seeking to address that constraint by bringing asset financing, vehicle acquisition and insurance into a single proposition.

Launched at the Double Q showroom in Bugolobi on August 12, the partnership offers financing of up to 90pc for eligible commercial vehicles and equipment, while selected passenger and electric vehicles can qualify for financing of up to 100pc, subject to dfcu Bank’s assessment.

The business proposition is significant because it treats a financed vehicle not simply as a purchase, but as a productive asset whose ability to generate revenue must be protected.

For a logistics company, for instance, a truck is part of the revenue-generating infrastructure of the business. For a contractor, construction equipment is a production asset, while for a small enterprise a pickup can determine how efficiently it reaches customers and moves goods.

ICEA LION says that financing such assets without adequately protecting them leaves businesses exposed to a potentially costly interruption.

“The customer should not have to think about financing and insurance as two separate conversations,” said Anita Mugabekazi, Head of Sales at ICEA LION General Insurance. “Once they acquire the asset, they should have a solution that enables them to secure and protect it throughout its ownership.”

Ambrose Kibuuka, Chief Executive Officer of ICEA LION General Insurance, said the partnership reflects a broader shift towards treating asset acquisition and risk management as interconnected business decisions.

“Today is not simply about adding another vehicle financing product. It is about making it easier for Ugandans to acquire assets, protect those assets and use them to create value,” Kibuuka said.

The logic is particularly relevant in a financed-asset economy. A business that commits to monthly repayments remains liable for the financing even when an accident, theft or other insured event disrupts the asset’s ability to operate.

“A vehicle that is financed but not adequately protected represents an unmanaged risk,” Kibuuka said, arguing that insurance should be regarded as part of the investment rather than an afterthought.

For dfcu Bank, the financing side of the partnership is positioned as a way of helping businesses preserve working capital while acquiring assets capable of expanding their productive capacity.

Gloria Ssuna Namutebi, Head of Vehicle and Asset Finance at dfcu Bank, said asset finance should be viewed as a growth instrument rather than merely a credit product.

“Asset finance is not simply a loan product; it is a growth tool,” Namutebi said. “It allows a logistics company to add a truck, a contractor to acquire equipment or an entrepreneur to purchase a reliable vehicle without draining the cash needed to keep the business running.”

That distinction is important for small and growing enterprises, where available cash is often required simultaneously for salaries, inventory, supplier payments and other operating expenses.

The partnership therefore seeks to shift part of the cost of expansion from an upfront cash requirement into structured financing, allowing businesses to acquire productive assets while retaining liquidity for day-to-day operations.

It also introduces a green-mobility dimension. Selected electric and hybrid passenger vehicles are eligible for financing under the arrangement, potentially lowering the entry barrier for businesses and individuals considering newer vehicle technologies.

The assets covered include the GWM Tank 500, GWM P300 SX pickup, HAVAL H6 GT Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, SINOTRUK commercial trucks, XCMG construction and mining equipment and Heli electric forklifts.

For Double Q, the showroom component provides the physical asset pipeline, while dfcu supplies the financing and ICEA LION provides the risk protection.

That combination creates a three-part business proposition: access to capital, access to productive assets and protection of the investment.

The model also reflects a wider question facing Uganda’s businesses as they seek to expand: how to increase productive capacity without putting excessive pressure on working capital.

For an entrepreneur buying a truck, forklift, construction machine or business vehicle, the economic value lies not in owning the asset but in keeping it productive.

That makes the insurance component more than a compliance requirement. It becomes part of protecting the cash flow and debt-servicing capacity that the asset is expected to generate.

The partnership’s broader proposition is consequently that asset finance works best when acquisition, financing and risk protection are considered as one investment decision.

For businesses able to qualify, the result could be a lower upfront capital burden while giving them greater certainty that the asset underpinning their expansion remains protected.

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In a rare endorsement from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Ugandan engineering and energy services firm On Track Technical has been recognised as a model contractor after demonstrating the ability to deliver electricity distribution projects on schedule and within approved budgets.

The recognition came on Tuesday, August 4, when the company appeared before PAC to account for the execution of government contracts worth about UGX7 billion.

Instead of facing the usual scrutiny associated with parliamentary oversight hearings, On Track Technical’s directors received praise from committee members who described the company’s performance as an example of how public infrastructure contracts can be delivered efficiently.

The firm was represented by Director Bwengye Tadeo and Operations Manager Fredrick Tinka, who outlined the company’s track record in supporting Uganda’s electricity distribution expansion through civil engineering, construction, energy and facility management services.

Tinka told the committee that since its establishment in 2010, On Track Technical had built a reputation around professional project management, strong technical teams and financial discipline.

“Our ability to complete projects on time and within the contract sum is because at On Track we employ professionals and ensure that every department has the right people occupying the right positions for a specific task,” he said.

The company’s first major electricity distribution assignment came in 2011 when then electricity distributor Umeme Limited contracted it to refurbish the Masaka Central–Mitala Maria distribution line at a cost of UGX1.1 billion.

The company later executed another Umeme project to refurbish the Mutundwe–Lubowa integration feeder in Kampala valued at UGX465 million, followed by the Mubende–Kakumiro 33kV feeder project worth UGX615 million in 2014.

Its largest assignment came through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA), where On Track Technical was contracted to construct electricity networks in several districts under the Community and Government cost-sharing model.

The UGX5.1 billion project was completed within 19 months, meeting the contractual timelines and avoiding cost overruns.

The company told MPs that its approach is built around technical competence, close project supervision and ensuring that operations continue even when payment cycles from clients delay.

Tinka said the company maintains pre-approved financing facilities with several financial institutions to bridge cash flow gaps and prevent project interruptions.

“We have pre-approved facilities with several financial institutions to ensure we have access to finance as we wait for client disbursements,” he said.

This approach, he added, enables the company to maintain momentum on infrastructure projects while protecting delivery timelines.

PAC members, who routinely investigate delayed projects, inflated costs and poor contractor performance in government programmes, commended the company’s approach.

The committee described On Track Technical as one of the best-performing service providers in Uganda’s electricity distribution sector, citing its professionalism, quality workmanship and commitment to improving reliability of power networks.

The recognition comes as Uganda accelerates investment in electricity access and distribution infrastructure under efforts to expand industrialisation and economic growth.

Reliable electricity networks remain critical to supporting manufacturing, commercial activity and household access, making efficient execution of distribution projects a key component of national development plans.

For On Track Technical, the parliamentary recognition marks a shift in the public conversation around local contractors, demonstrating that domestic firms can successfully execute complex infrastructure assignments when supported by technical capacity, financial planning and effective management.

The company’s performance also highlights the growing role of Ugandan engineering firms in delivering critical infrastructure projects that underpin the country’s economic transformation agenda.

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Africa’s leading aviation industry bodies have urged governments across the continent to align their passenger information systems with global standards while warning against financing border security programmes through new charges on airlines and travellers.

In a joint statement released Thursday, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on African states to implement Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems in line with standards developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The industry groups argued that harmonised passenger data systems are essential for strengthening border security, combating cross-border crime and illegal immigration, while ensuring legitimate travellers move through airports more efficiently.

However, they cautioned that the systems should be introduced within clear legal and operational frameworks that protect passenger privacy and avoid imposing unnecessary costs on air transport.

“Passenger data plays an important role in keeping borders secure. However, these systems must be aligned around internationally recognised standards and funded correctly,” the three organisations said in a joint statement signed by AFRAA Secretary General Abdérahmane Berthé, AASA Chief Executive Officer Aaron Munetsi and IATA Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East Kamil Alawadhi.

The organisations outlined four principles they believe should guide implementation across Africa.

First, governments should establish clear legal frameworks that define what passenger data can be collected and identify a single authority responsible for managing API and PNR programmes.

Second, only information necessary for legitimate security purposes should be collected, with safeguards to protect personal data, prevent discrimination and ensure information is retained only for defined periods.

Third, passenger information should be used exclusively for border management, national security, law enforcement and the prevention of serious crime.

Finally, governments should adopt internationally harmonised standards for collecting, storing and transmitting passenger information to improve interoperability between countries and reduce compliance burdens on airlines.

The organisations also urged governments not to finance API and PNR systems by imposing additional fees on airlines or passengers.

They cited ICAO’s long-standing policy that border security is a government responsibility and should therefore be financed from public resources rather than recovered through aviation charges.

According to the industry bodies, transferring the cost of national security programmes to airlines would ultimately increase ticket prices, reduce the affordability of air travel and undermine efforts to improve connectivity across Africa.

Higher aviation costs, they warned, could also weaken tourism, trade and investment by making African destinations less competitive.

The call comes as many African countries continue to modernise border management systems and expand the use of digital passenger information to improve security while facilitating travel.

Although several countries have introduced API and PNR programmes, implementation across the continent is fragmented, creating different technical and regulatory requirements that airlines must navigate when operating international services.

The aviation industry believes greater harmonisation would simplify compliance for carriers while giving governments more accurate and timely passenger information to identify security risks before flights arrive.

The three organisations pledged continued collaboration with governments, regional institutions and international partners to support implementation of passenger information programmes that balance national security with operational efficiency.

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African airlines posted stronger air cargo demand in June despite operating with less available freight capacity, underscoring the resilience of the continent’s trade flows even as global supply chains remain under pressure.

New data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) shows that demand for air freight on African carriers rose 4.7pc year-on-year in June, while cargo capacity contracted by 7.1pc, pushing average cargo load factors to 48.1pc—higher than the global average of 46.9pc.

The figures suggest African airlines are making more efficient use of limited cargo space, even though the continent accounts for just 2.1pc of global air cargo traffic.

Globally, air cargo demand expanded by 8.5pc, outpacing a 4.4pc increase in capacity, as demand for high-value technology products and time-sensitive shipments continued to support the market. North American airlines led worldwide growth with a 13.1pc increase in demand. Europe recorded 6.9pc, Asia-Pacific 7.9pc, while Latin America and the Caribbean posted the weakest performance at 3.5pc. The Middle East grew 5.6pc, although IATA cautioned that the comparison was against a weak period last year caused by regional conflict.

“The global air cargo market continued to demonstrate resilience, with demand growing faster than capacity,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

He noted that while the outlook for the second half of 2026 remained positive, the industry continued to face risks from renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the possibility of fresh US tariff measures.

For Africa, the data paints a mixed picture. Although demand remains on an upward trajectory, shrinking cargo capacity could limit airlines’ ability to fully capitalise on growing trade opportunities unless additional freighter capacity and belly cargo space become available.

The continent nevertheless outperformed on utilisation, with its 48.1pc cargo load factor exceeding the global average, indicating that available cargo space is being filled more effectively than in many other regions.

Trade routes also reflected changing global commerce patterns. The Africa–Asia corridor extended its growth streak to 12 consecutive months, recording a modest 0.9pc increase in June. However, IATA said Gulf-linked trade lanes continued to experience disruptions arising from the conflict in the Middle East.

The strongest-performing trade route globally was Asia–North America, where cargo volumes jumped 14.7pc, followed by Europe–Asia at 7.1pc and Within Asia at 7.2pc.

IATA said global trade expanded by 5.2pc during the month, while manufacturing activity remained supportive despite weaker export orders, suggesting that cargo growth was being driven by specific high-value and time-critical shipments rather than broad-based expansion in world trade.

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