Better late than never

Good afternoon, friends, and happy almost-weekend. Banque du Caire is back in our Headlines section this afternoon after its retail book closed with demand well above what’s on offer. Meanwhile, the investment fund industry has crossed the EGP 500 bn mark, with retail investors driving most of the growth.

In our Made in Egypt series: Egyptian homegrown brands set out to expand abroad this year and hit a wall, though it hasn’t stopped them. In Your Shoes paused its rollout during the regional instability and has since resumed, The Hair Addict has shifted its focus to digital, and Up-Fuse is still scouting European logistics hubs. We look at why the math is so hard from Cairo. We also put denim from three Egyptian brands to the test and came away pleasantly surprised.

Also on the docket today: the usual football recap, plus the fixtures worth clearing your evening for (and stocking snacks). We also read Jo Murray’s Dissection of a Murder, headed for the screen, and tell you whether it should be your next thriller.

But first, as usual, the news…