Author: Staff Writer

Balwin Properties, one of South Africa’s leading residential developers, is set to build over 16,000 affordable homes near Johannesburg with the backing of a ZAR 1 billion (approximately $58 million) investment from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The funding, issued as a local currency loan, will support the construction of…

TikTok has unveiled a new feature called Footnotes, designed to offer users the ability to add explanatory context to videos on the platform. The initiative, which is launching first in the United States before expanding globally, marks a notable shift toward user-driven transparency and aims to foster a more informed…

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by monopolizing key segments of the online advertising market, dealing a major development in the government’s ongoing push to rein in Big Tech’s dominance over digital infrastructure. In a decision handed down by Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S.…

Moniepoint Inc., one of Nigeria’s top fintech companies, has officially launched MonieWorld, a new digital platform aimed at simplifying remittances and financial services for the African diaspora in the UK. Moniepoint had earlier hinted on the launch some days ago. The service is operated through Moniepoint GB, the company’s UK-based…

Visa has deepened its commitment to Africa’s fintech ecosystem with new investments in two emerging digital payment startups — Konnect from Tunisia and PayTic from Morocco — following their successful completion of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator program. Both companies participated in a rigorous 12-week program designed to help early-stage…

For thousands of Nigerians, CBEX once seemed like a golden opportunity — a gateway to wealth in a struggling economy. Today, it’s a painful reminder of how quickly those promises can vanish. Behind the facade of technology and artificial intelligence, CBEX was a textbook Ponzi scheme that exploited hope, trust,…

Realme, one of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone brands, has officially unveiled the much-anticipated realme 14 Pro series, setting a new standard for mid-range smartphones. The new series includes the realme 14 Pro and realme 14 Pro+, each loaded with powerful hardware, innovative camera technology, and premium design — all at…

Space just got a lot more inclusive — and a little more inspiring. On April 14, 2025, Blue Origin launched its first-ever all-women space tourism flight, and it was nothing short of groundbreaking. The six-woman crew aboard the New Shepard rocket included familiar faces, accomplished professionals, and trailblazers from across…

Access Bank PLC, the banking arm of Nigeria’s Access Holdings PLC, has received final regulatory approvals to acquire 100% ownership of National Bank of Kenya (NBK). The move marks another strategic milestone in Access Bank’s aggressive pan-African expansion, further solidifying its footprint in East Africa’s dynamic banking sector. The acquisition…

Nigerian solar energy startup Arnergy has raised $18 million in Series B funding to accelerate its mission of providing affordable, clean, and reliable energy solutions in a country grappling with an increasingly unreliable grid and skyrocketing fuel prices. The new funding — comprising a $15 million Series B extension and…

Solape Akinpelu, the founder of Nigerian fintech platform HerVest, has emerged as the first-place winner of the 2025 Aurora Tech Award, a global competition that celebrates and supports the most promising female tech entrepreneurs from emerging markets. The prestigious event, held in Cairo, Egypt from April 11–13, brought together top…

Nigeria’s drive to empower its startup ecosystem and solve pressing social issues has received a major boost, thanks to a new $30.9 million partnership with Japan. The two countries recently signed a landmark agreement to fund the development of innovation hubs and provide long-term support for social impact-driven enterprises. The…

Somalia has officially welcomed Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service into the country, marking a major milestone for the nation’s digital infrastructure. The long-awaited move was announced on Sunday after the Somali government granted Starlink an operational license following more than two years of dialogue. “Starlink now in Somalia!” Musk…

Thousands of small businesses and agricultural cooperatives across sub-Saharan Africa are facing uncertainty after the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) slashed $51 million in funding previously earmarked for startups and small enterprises. The budget cut threatens to disrupt promising initiatives in countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Benin, and Burkina Faso, where…

Sweden has deepened its commitment to Africa’s innovation ecosystem with the launch of its largest innovation hub on the continent—right in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria. The initiative signals a new chapter in bilateral cooperation between Sweden and Nigeria, built on mutual interests in technology, sustainable development, trade, and education.…

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, has announced a record-breaking financial performance for the year ended December 31, 2024, with revenue exceeding $1.1 billion—the highest in the Corporation’s history. This milestone marks a defining moment in AFC’s mission to close Africa’s vast infrastructure gap by catalyzing…

Africa-focused digital bank, Umba, has raised a $5 million debt facility to accelerate its secured lending operations in Kenya, a strategic pivot that signals the company’s maturing financial model and long-term vision for inclusive digital banking in Africa. The funding, which comes exclusively from US-based Star Strong Capital, marks a…

WhatsApp is making quiet but meaningful strides in improving the way users experience audio and video calls. In its latest Android beta update (version 2.25.10.16), the platform is testing several new features that promise to make answering calls not just smoother—but also more private and interactive. One of the most…

Amazon is poised to make a significant leap in the satellite internet arena with the upcoming launch of its Project Kuiper satellites, aiming to establish a robust competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink network. This initiative underscores Amazon’s commitment to expanding global broadband access and intensifies the competition in the burgeoning field…

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, is strengthening its commitment to teen safety by extending its “Teen Accounts” protection framework beyond Instagram to now include Facebook and Messenger. This move reflects Meta’s ongoing effort to create safer digital spaces for young users across its entire platform ecosystem.…