Author: Staff Writer

Zeeh Africa, the only African startup among 30 global finalists of the VivaTech 2025 competition, has emerged winner of two awards – the Fintech/eCommerce category at the 2025 AfricaTech Awards, hosted by VivaTech in partnership with Deloitte and supported by Edouard Mendy and the Impact 2035 Award by OVHcloud, recognizing startups driving…

Some of Nigeria’s largest banks have been directly affected by a new directive from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that suspends dividend payouts, executive bonuses, and new foreign investments for lenders still operating under regulatory forbearance. In a circular issued on June 13, 2025, the apex bank ordered these…

Starting Wednesday, June 18, 2025, mobile subscribers across Nigeria will begin paying for USSD services directly from their airtime, marking a major policy shift in how telecom-based financial services are billed. The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) confirmed the transition to the End-User Billing (EUB) model in…

The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has officially launched the National Payment Stack (NPS), a major milestone that signals the beginning of a new era in the country’s financial services sector. Unveiled at a ceremony in Lagos, the NPS is designed to replace the long-serving NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) system…

Millions of South Africans who have long been overlooked by the traditional credit system are finally getting a chance to be seen—thanks to their mobile phones. In a bold collaboration, MTN, its data exchange platform Chenosis, and TransUnion Africa have rolled out a credit scoring solution that uses patterns in…

Visa has appointed Aminata Kane as Senior Vice President and Head of Western and Central Africa, effective September 4, 2025, signaling a major push to strengthen its footprint in a region teeming with digital potential but hampered by financial inclusion challenges. Based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Kane will oversee Visa’s…

Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, is now officially live in Guinea‑Bissau, marking its seventh launch in West Africa and its 23rd country across Africa. The rollout took place on June 18, 2025, following a provisional licence granted in December 2024 and full regulatory approval in April 2025 by Guinea‑Bissau’s National Regulatory Authority for Information…

A wave of protests is engulfing Nairobi and Mombasa after the June 8 death of 31-year-old blogger and teacher Albert Omondi Ojwang, whose body was found in police custody following his arrest for allegedly defaming Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat. Initial police claims of suicide have been contradicted by an independent autopsy revealing clear…

The Trump Organization has announced its bold entry into the U.S. wireless market with Trump Mobile, a phone service and branded device aimed squarely at conservative consumers. Launched on June 16, the venture includes a gold-colored smartphone priced at $499 and a signature monthly plan dubbed the “47 Plan,” priced…

Egyptian fintech startup Octane is accelerating its mission to modernize fleet and mobility payments across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a fresh $5.2 million funding round led by Shorooq Partners, Algebra Ventures, and SC Holding. Launched in 2022 by Amr Gamal and Ziad Eladawy, Octane has…

WhatsApp, the globally popular messaging platform, is about to take a bold new step in its evolution — and users will notice it in the Status section. This was announced in a recent post about a major revamp to its Updates tab. The app, used by over 1.5 billion people daily, is…

Egypt-based early-stage fintech investor, DisrupTech Ventures, has made a landmark entry into Sub-Saharan Africa with its investment in Winich Farms, a Nigerian agri-fintech startup revolutionizing market access and financial inclusion for smallholder farmers. Though the amount was not stated, this strategic move forms part of Winich’s pre-Series A round and…

WhatsApp has announced a major revamp to its Updates tab — the central hub for both Channels and Status — to make it easier for users to explore new content and discover businesses. Serving 1.5 billion users daily, the platform is rolling out three key features designed to help channel owners…

AI is becoming an essential ingredient of SaaS platforms. The nature of SaaS organizations requires them to be at the forefront of innovation. With AI, SaaS platforms are driving innovation and reshaping business operations, along with enhancing customer experiences. In fact, the Tech Jury survey shows that 35% of SaaS…

In a decisive step toward expanding its footprint in immigrant financial services, London-based fintech LemFi has acquired Pillar, a UK startup focused on credit access for newcomers. The deal is more than a standard acquisition—it’s a powerful alignment of mission and technology aimed at solving a long-standing problem for millions…

Once hailed as Africa’s first tech unicorn, Jumia is undergoing a major transformation to regain investor confidence, sharpen its market focus, and deliver sustainable profitability. Since its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in 2019, the e-commerce company has seen its market value plummet from over $1 billion to…

Africa’s bustling boda boda (motorcycle taxi) sector, which sustains the livelihoods of millions across Kenya, is embracing a transformative leap with the launch of Roam Electric’s Generation 2 Roam Air. This is not just an upgrade—it’s a bold reimagining of urban mobility built in close collaboration with the riders themselves.…

Moove, the Nigerian-born mobility fintech, is making waves in the global mobility scene. Founded in 2020 by Ladi Delano and Jide Odunsi, the startup has reimagined asset financing for ride-hailing drivers. Now, Moove is gearing up for its next major leap: a $300 million Series C funding round that could…

A landmark investment vehicle is launching this July in Mauritius with a clear purpose: to attract long-term capital into off-grid and distributed renewable energy solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa. Named Zafiri, the platform has already secured $300 million in its first phase—split evenly between senior and junior equity—from a coalition of development…

In early June 2025, Definely, the UK-based legal tech innovator, secured a $30 million Series B funding round, propelling its mission to infuse AI into legal drafting and contract review workflows. The round was led by growth investor Revaia, with participation from Alumni Ventures, Beacon Capital, Clio, and existing backers including Octopus…