More than 25 European and Asian-owned supertankers are shipping Iranian oil, data seen by Reuters shows, allowing Tehran to ramp up exports much faster than analysts had expected following the lifting of sanctions in January.

On Sunday, Iranian and Chinese officials signed an agreement for large-scale Chinese investments and trade commitments for the Iranian petroleum industry.

Only a few years ago, Africa was being dubbed "the next Asia," and multinationals watched with mounting interest as local economies boomed across the continent. Although a decline in global commodity demand has since ushered in a slowdown, Africa remains a promising long-term growth market.

Bright spots in economic diversification for sub-Sharan Africa were reported at the World Economic Forum on Africa.