The MTN Group has launched its flagship MTN Skills Academy in Zambia aimed at addressing the digital skills gap in Africa. The Academy which was first introduced at MWC in Kigali is a free, online learning platform that will see MTN play its role to actively drive digital skills development…
Author: Oluwasegun Olukotun
The African Development Fund and Smart Africa Alliance have partnered to launch a $1.5 million project to streamline digital trade and e-commerce policies across 10 African countries. The Institutional Support for Digital Payments and e-Commerce Policies for Cross-Border Trade Project will evaluate policy gaps in the digital trade and e-commerce…
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has signed a $525,000 grant agreement with Africa Fintech Network (AFN) for the setup of the Africa Fintech Hub, an online portal that will serve as a one-stop shop for all fintech activities in Africa. The agreement was signed on 4 April 2023. The Africa…
Off-Grid energy company in Africa and Asia, Sun King, has acquired PayGo Energy, an innovator in pay-as-you-go technology for clean cooking. The company will take a technology-agnostic approach to developing products and services that allow families to transition from wood and charcoal cookstoves to safer, modern appliances that better protect…
Smile Identity has acquired Appruve, a Ghanaian-based fintech company that provides a digital identity verification and compliance solution for businesses and individuals. The deal is subject to regulatory approval as Smile has announced it is currently fulfilling regulatory requirements to finalise the transaction for the affiliated entities in Africa. The…
The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have signed a $350 million loan to finance the Bank’s support for private sector operations in Africa. The loan comes under the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance (EPSA) initiative, which is a component of Japan’s Official Development Assistance to Africa.…
Pan-African initiative for start-ups building the future of healthcare supply chains, Investing in Innovation Africa (i3), is calling for leading innovators to join its second cohort. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and sponsored by AmerisourceBergen, Merck Sharpe & Dohme (MSD), Microsoft and Chemonics, i3 is supporting the…
Pan-African neobank, Payday issuing global (USD, GBP & EUR) accounts to Africans, has announced its re-entry into Rwanda, following the official launch of SpaceX’s Starlink in the East African country. The re-entry into Rwanda marks a significant milestone in Payday’s Pan-African and global expansion plans, as well as its burgeoning…
Pan-African cryptocurrency exchange, Yellow Card has launched its new payments API which will enable businesses to on-and-off-ramp customers through Yellow Card’s crypto rails. Yellow Card allows businesses instant access to its collection and disbursement rails in 16 African countries as well as the ability to offer their customers local payment…
Apple has launched Apple Card savings account from Goldman Sachs, which offers a high-yield Annual Percentage Yield of 4.15 percent.. Users can set up and manage their Savings account directly from Apple Card in Wallet with no fees, no minimum deposits and no minimum balance requirements. Speaking on the new…
Opportunik, a private wealth fund giving Africans and Diasporans access to global investments has announced that it will launch its licensed fund on the 2nd of May 2023. Administered by Accuvise Administrators Limited, a registered fund administrator based in Mauritius, Opportunik Global Fund [OGF] will present a diverse mix of…
Andela, the global network for remote technical talent, has announced the launch of the Andela Rwanda Apprenticeship Program, a 12-week program that aims to introduce global organizations to the vast potential of up-and-coming Rwandese tech talent. The apprenticeship program offers companies the chance to build their team with graduate apprentices…
Automotive technology company, Autochek has acquired a majority stake in AutoTager, an Egyptian automotive technology company that makes it easier to find and buy cars, to deepen its presence in North Africa and support the company’s ongoing growth. AutoTager is a venture-backed startup that is removing the friction from the…
Visa has partnered with PayPal and Venmo to pilot Visa+, an innovative service that aims to help individuals move money quickly and securely between different person-to-person (P2P) digital payment apps. Visa+ will not require users to have a Visa card; instead, by setting up a personalized payment address linked to…
South African digital payment service provider, Peach Payments has secured $31 million from Apis Growth Fund II, a private equity fund managed by Apis Partners LLP. The completion of the investment is subject to the approval of the Competition Commission of South Africa and customary procedural and closing conditions. Peach Payments’…
Wema Bank has appointed Moruf Oseni as the substantive Managing Director/CEO following approval by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The Apex bank also approved the appointments of two others Wole Akinleye and Tunde Mabawonku as Deputy Managing Director and Executive Director respectively. Prior to the announcement of Moruf Oseni…
EthSwitch, Ethiopia’s national payment switch has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mastercard that will enable financial institutions across Ethiopia to boost the adoption and usage of digital payments. As part of the MoU, EthSwitch will leverage Mastercard Send, a payments platform that enables people and organizations to send…
Union Bank of Nigeria has teamed up with Choice International Group (CIG) Motors Limited to provide auto financing services to the Bank’s customers on the purchase of the GAC range of cars through its asset finance loan scheme. The deal will allow the bank’s customers to purchase brand new GAC…
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has announced an investment in a risk-sharing facility for the Bank of Africa Group (BOA) that will ease access to finance for smaller businesses, including those in fragile and conflict-affected countries and in the Sahel. This move was made to help the financial institution to…
Opera has launched a feature, Mods in Opera GX, which allows users to customize their browsers and make their online experiences as unique as their gaming setup, personalizing the entire browser from the keyboard sounds to how webpages look. As part of activities to launch the feature, Opera GX has…