- MTN is preparing to acquire a banking license once the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) allows fintechs and other non-banking entities access to its national payments system, according to a report by Business Times. Currently, South Africa’s second-largest mobile network operator provides limited…
- President William Ruto has unveiled plans to introduce taxation for Kenyan content creators, particularly those benefiting from monetization opportunities introduced earlier this year. Speaking during the KEPSA 20th Anniversary in Nairobi, Ruto underscored the importance of equitable taxation,…
- Tizeti, a Y Combinator-backed internet service provider operating in Nigeria, Togo, and Ivory Coast, is set to list on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), two years after first revealing its plans to go public. The company’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) will enable Tizeti to raise capital from a broader…
- The African Development Bank’s Board of Directors has approved a $30 million equity investment in the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) to support climate action projects across the African continent. According to a statement from the parties involved, the funds will be directed toward the…
- The Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Charles Odii, has raised concerns over the underutilization of a N615 million fund earmarked for small business owners. He also highlighted other overlooked benefits, such as a 20% logistics discount…
- Eyone, a Senegal-based digital health startup, has successfully raised $1 million in funding to scale its operations across West Africa. The funding round was spearheaded by Sonatel, a prominent telecommunications company in the region, through its investment arm, Véhicule d’Investissement et de…
- Every climate-focused venture capital firm operates on the belief that “if climate change doesn’t get us, our lack of innovation will.” Africa remains the most vulnerable continent to climate change, facing challenges such as heatwaves, heavy rains, floods, tropical cyclones, and prolonged droughts…
- South Africa’s Film and Publication Board (FPB) has formally challenged Apple, issuing a compliance notice over its alleged failure to pay required fees and register as a content distributor. During a recent Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications meeting, Acting FPB CEO Makhosazana…
- Moove, a Nigerian-born fintech startup, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving vehicle division, to manage fleets of autonomous vehicles in Phoenix, Arizona, and Miami, Florida. This collaboration showcases Moove’s innovative revenue-based vehicle financing…
- FNB Connect, the mobile network division of South Africa’s First National Bank (FNB), is making strides in the telecom industry. Here’s what’s happening: Currently, FNB Connect provides a basic fixed-wireless home internet service. However, CEO Sashin Sookroo has revealed plans to expand into…
- Microsoft has unveiled a new initiative aimed at fostering collaboration between startups and business executives, while simultaneously driving the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) through its Africa Transformation Office (ATO). This project also marks the commencement of Microsoft’s…
- African tech startups are on track to secure over $6 billion in funding by 2025, propelling transformative growth across vital sectors. With the continent’s digital economy projected to reach $180 billion soon, Africa’s startup ecosystem is emerging as a global tech powerhouse, fueled by record-…
- The Blockchain Africa Conference 2024 took place on November 20 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Tshwane, South Africa. Celebrating its 10th edition, the conference has become a flagship event for blockchain enthusiasts and professionals, drawing participants from across the globe.…
- Access Bank is pioneering a transformative payment infrastructure designed to revolutionize money transfers across the African continent. The new payment rail, dubbed Access Africa, aims to create unprecedented financial connectivity for individuals and businesses operating across multiple African…
- Mobile Money Rwanda Limited (MoMo Rwanda) has unveiled a groundbreaking virtual payment solution in collaboration with Mastercard and I&M Bank. The Virtual Card by MoMo marks a significant stride in digital financial services, enabling customers to engage in secure global e-commerce…
- MTN South Africa is pioneering an innovative approach to technological waste management by introducing biodegradable SIM cards. The telecommunications giant addresses a critical environmental challenge posed by traditional plastic SIM cards that typically accumulate in landfills. Annually,…
- AltSchool, the dynamic educational technology startup, is set to make its mark in Europe following successful participation in the SuperCharger Ventures accelerator programme. This strategic expansion represents a significant milestone for the company, which has already established a robust…
- According to a report by Africa: The Big Deall, November witnessed a remarkable achievement as 32 African startups collectively secured $180 million in funding, excluding exits. This milestone brings the total funding for 2024 to nearly $2 billion. The funding breakdown revealed $122 million (68%)…
- Enakl, a Moroccan-French mobility startup specializing in bus-sharing services, has successfully secured $1.4 million in a pre-seed funding round. The startup plans to utilize the funds to enhance its technology and expand its operations into additional cities across North Africa and the broader…
- Access Bank, one of Nigeria’s tier-1 commercial banks with operations in 22 countries, is developing a payment rail called Access Africa. This initiative aims to enable seamless money transfers across the continent through Access Bank accounts. “It’s our proprietary rail that connects Africa,” said…
- When Etisalat entered Nigeria’s telecom market in 2008, it brought a fresh perspective to a sector dominated by MTN Nigeria, Zain (now Airtel), and Globacom. Leveraging the young, untapped demographic, the UAE-based company partnered with Banky W to launch the famous “0809ja for Life” campaign,…
- Temu, the Chinese e-commerce platform, is making significant waves in Nigeria’s digital marketplace. Owned by PDD Holdings and founded by former Google employee Colin Huang, the platform has rapidly expanded its global footprint since its 2022 launch. With headquarters in Boston, Temu has…
- Raknida,a Nigerian art-tech platform is set to revolutionize how people experience art through an innovative streaming approach. Raknida, founded by Anthony and Afoma Ezeokoye, aims to make art as accessible as music, challenging traditional art consumption methods. The startup has secured a…
- Paystack, the Nigerian fintech platform owned by Stripe, has unveiled a groundbreaking payment integration with OPay, enabling merchants to accept payments directly from millions of OPay account holders. This strategic move represents a significant advancement in digital payment technologies in…
- In the competitive world of e-commerce, Seller Africa is making waves as a platform uniquely designed for African entrepreneurs. By providing a space where sellers can showcase authentic African products to a global audience, Seller Africa is not only driving economic growth but also redefining the…
- An African fintech that has built its success on a 30,000-strong team of direct salespeople is steadily expanding its profitability across sub-Saharan Africa. Now, M-KOPA, a pay-as-you-go asset financing platform serving 5 million underbanked Africans, is on the verge of reaching a major milestone…
- Bitmama has now joined the growing list of fintech companies pausing or suspending their card services. Back in September, Nigerian investment platform Rise announced the discontinuation of virtual card services on its platform, citing challenges like fluctuating exchange rates and issues with its…
- The Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has instructed Starlink to halt its operations in the country due to a failure to comply with local licensing requirements. CRAN revealed that the SpaceX subsidiary has been providing services in Namibia without obtaining the necessary…
- A hacker group known as “Waste” has successfully stolen $17 million from the Central Bank of Uganda. Initial investigations suggest that the attack may have been an inside job, involving compromised bank employees. However, the transfer of funds to accounts in Japan and the UK points to an…
- Solarbox,a Senegal-based startup operating at the crossroads of renewable energy and electric mobility, has secured $1 million in pre-seed funding. This investment is set to drive the development of its innovative solar-powered e-mobility solutions within Senegal and support its expansion into…
- Kenya’s parliament has introduced the Business Law (Amendment) Bill 2024, aimed at regulating business process outsourcing (BPO) and IT-enabled service (ITES) companies amidst increasing scrutiny over worker conditions. This move comes in the wake of a September 2024 court ruling that permitted BPO…
- Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has granted approval for Safaricom’s second money market product, Ziidi. This new offering, developed in collaboration with Standard Investment Bank, ALA Capital Limited, and Sanlam Investments East Africa Limited, aims to meet Kenya’s growing demand for…
- Before being acquired by Apple in 2011, Siri was a standalone app designed to revolutionise the way users interacted with their iOS devices. Under Apple’s leadership, Siri became a trailblazer in voice assistant technology, setting a standard that inspired competitors like Google Assistant and…
- Africa, covering 20% of Earth’s land area and home to over 2,000 languages, stands as the second most linguistically diverse continent. Yet, despite this rich diversity, the continent often lags behind in the global race to preserve, integrate, or promote its languages within modern services. Only…
- The CBE’s plan to implement card tokenisation by 2025 marks a major advancement in securing Egypt’s digital payment ecosystem. This innovative cybersecurity measure replaces sensitive card information with unique digital tokens during online transactions, effectively reducing fraud risks and…
- Access Bank is driving a groundbreaking economic initiative through its strategic acquisitions across Africa. These recent developments underscore the bank’s dedication to promoting financial inclusion, boosting cross-border trade, and fostering a more unified African economy. With a presence in…
- As the year comes to a close, it’s the ideal moment to acknowledge some of South Africa’s most impressive innovations. These groundbreaking tech startups were celebrated by Startup Club ZA on the evening of 26 November in Cape Town, where the winners of the South African Startup Awards were…
- Africa’s financial landscape is undergoing a seismic transformation, with embedded finance at the heart of this evolution. This innovation is driving financial inclusion, transforming e-commerce, and facilitating cross-border payments across the continent. The potential is immense, with the…
- TikTok has launched the second phase of its #SaferTogether online safety programme, collaborating with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Data Science Nigeria. The initiative aims to create a comprehensive digital safety network across Nigerian communities. First…
- Fɛlei Techcity is excited to partner with Nomadic Minds to host the Startup World Cup Regional Semi-Finals in Sierra Leone. This landmark event will bring top investors and industry leaders to the country, offering valuable networking and investment opportunities for Sierra Leone’s emerging startup…
- Nigeria’s Central Bank has increased its interest rate to 27.5% in its last meeting of the year, following a surge in inflation in October. The Monetary Policy Committee lifted the key interest rate by 25 basis points to tackle the growing inflationary challenges. The meeting was conducted in light…
- A new Bootcamp Series is set to give a major uplift to Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem in Southern Egypt. This initiative marks the launch of the Aswan Bootcamp Series by Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), designed to support tech startups and encourage…
- Breega, known for its five Europe-focused early-stage funds supporting startups like Alice&Bob, Moneybox, and Curve, has secured $52m for its new $75m African fund, with the final close expected by year-end. The firm has expanded its presence by opening offices in Lagos, Nigeria, and Cape Town…
- Roam, a Kenyan electric mobility company, is advancing efforts to make clean transportation more mainstream. With support from ENERGICA, a European Union-funded initiative, the company is establishing 10 new solar-powered Roam Hubs across Nairobi. These hubs will provide battery swaps, charging…
- WhatsApp has launched an exciting new feature: voice message transcripts! Now, instead of listening to every voice note, you can read a text version — perfect for noisy environments or when you prefer not to hit play. To enable it, go to Settings > Chats and toggle on the “Voice message…
- MTN is seeking partnerships with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite providers to extend its network coverage to Africa’s rural and remote regions. This is a significant step, particularly given that these regions frequently face challenges with limited or no broadband and fiber connectivity. LEO…
- A voice-controlled bank app, smart PoS, and AI-powered lending solution won $9,500 at the Payaza Hackathon 3.0, held from November 20 to 21, 2024. The event focused on AI-powered financial inclusion for MSMEs. Seven teams competed to impress judges with fintech solutions that used AI to support…
- Africa Global Logistics (AGL), formerly known as Bolloré Transport & Logistics, has launched its “Accelerate” program in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, aimed at supporting African startups in the logistics sector. Six startups were selected for the program’s inaugural cohort, including Lomé-based Eazy…
- UAC Nigeria has unveiled the 1879 Tech Hub, a groundbreaking initiative designed to drive digital innovation and integrate technology into the heart of African businesses. The hub, named after UAC’s founding year, reflects the company’s dedication to harnessing technology as a catalyst for growth…
- Ghana and The Gambia have forged a landmark telecommunications agreement to implement the ECOWAS Free Roaming initiative. The partnership, established through Ghana’s Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, Mobile Network Operators, and the National Communications Authority, aims to…
