Author: Smart Megwai

Nigerian streamer Carter Efe, Africa’s top Twitch creator with nearly 460,000 followers, learned his account was temporarily suspended for violating platform rules, with the ban reportedly lasting four months. The news hit right after his December 17 stream with Davido, which peaked at 83,000-88,000 concurrent viewers, a record for an…

WhatsApp is getting a new quiz feature for Channels. This update may seem small, but it will change how people use this part of the app. First, let’s clarify the difference between “Quiz” and “Poll.” Although they sound similar, they serve different purposes. This new feature will boost engagement, and…

In March 2024, people in Nigeria experienced a major disruption. One morning, banking apps wouldn’t open, emails would not deliver, and many lost internet access completely. The problem was a severe “multiple cable cut” off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire. It damaged the MainOne, WACS, ACE, and SAT-3 cables at…

The FIRS has confirmed that the National Identification Number (NIN) issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has now automatically become the Tax Identification Number (TIN) for individual Nigerians. If you scrolled past that update yesterday thinking it was just another routine bureaucratic tweet, you might want to scroll…

By 2030, Africa’s digital economy is projected to hit $1.5 Trillion. We know the numbers. We know the “Unicorns” that are supposed to get us there. But companies are just legal entities. They don’t dig trenches for fibre optic cables. They don’t negotiate treaties to kill the US Dollar in…

History is not written by those who try to play it safe. It is created by the unreasonable individuals who see a broken system and say, “I can fix that with an idea that seems unusual.” In [Part 1], we looked at four major companies building the infrastructure. In [Part…

So, Twitter (X) is currently debating whether Home Alone is the greatest Christmas movie of all time. (Spoiler: It is). But as I watched the McCallister mansion get rigged with paint cans and blowtorches for the tenth time, I realised something. This isn’t just a holiday movie about a kid…

We need to look beyond the headlines. Yes, Dangote Refinery is now selling petrol directly to consumers at lower prices (₦835-₦900). But if you see this as “cheaper fuel,” you may miss the larger picture. Aliko Dangote is applying a classic vertical integration strategy. This is similar to how Amazon…

For years, recruitment in African companies has followed a depressing ritual: HR posts a link on LinkedIn, they “pray” for good candidates, and then they sit alone in a room sorting through 5,000 irrelevant CVs. It is a solitary, exhausting, and often failing process. If you’ve ever tried to build…

In 2025, the average consumer across Africa felt the impact of inflation daily. Food prices soared in Kenya, medicine costs swung with Nigeria’s exchange rate, and housing in Addis Ababa became a luxury reserved for a few. Each of these price hikes is the result of a “broken link” in…

We need to have an honest conversation. Every time I go on X (Twitter) or LinkedIn, I see the same debate. Someone posts about moving to the US, and the comments section becomes highly contentious. One side screams “Japa!” (escaping), and the other side talks about “Brain Drain.” But if…

Ten years ago, if you asked an African tech founder about their biggest challenge, they wouldn’t say “market fit.” Instead, they would point to “infrastructure.” You can’t build a Netflix for Africa if data costs $10 a gigabyte. You can’t build an Amazon if the roads are bad. You can’t…

The South African Information Regulator is currently running a deep investigation into Truecaller, and the allegations are serious. It is not just about a data leak; it is about their entire business model. The investigation was triggered by a flood of complaints in mid-2025, but they didn’t come from regular…

If you look past the $82.7 billion headline that broke the internet on Friday, you’ll see the most ruthless corporate surgery in Hollywood history. Netflix didn’t just buy Warner Bros.; they walked into a burning house, grabbed the jewellery and the family photos, and left the furniture to burn. Here…

For years, the PoS (Point of Sale) business has been the “saviour” of the Nigerian streets. It’s how we get cash when the ATMs are empty (which is always), how we transfer “urgent 2k,” and how millions of young Nigerians found a way to survive the unemployment crisis. But as…

If you live in Lagos, Abuja, or Port Harcourt, you probably don’t think about “network” as a life-or-death issue. You think of it as an annoyance. If your data is slow, you can’t stream Netflix, or your transfer fails. It’s frustrating, but it’s not fatal. But for 23 million Nigerians,…

It’s a Tuesday afternoon, and you receive a call from someone claiming to be from your bank or an investment manager. They have just enough of your details to sound credible. They inform you of a problem with your account or present a “once-in-a-lifetime” investment opportunity that is about to…

If you have tried to order a Starlink kit in Lagos or Abuja recently, you likely hit a “Sold Out” wall. The satellite revolution that Elon Musk brought to Africa has been nothing short of transformative, but it has hit a ceiling: capacity. Enter Amazon LEO. Just weeks ago, on…

The “O-1 is for Geniuses” myth is one of the most costly misunderstandings in the African tech ecosystem right now. The truth many founders overlook is this: the O-1 visa isn’t just about leaving Nigeria; it’s about levelling up your company. If you are a founder, a senior engineer, or…

If you only read the headlines over the past few weeks, you might feel confused. On one hand, Jumia, the “Amazon of Africa”, just posted a stellar Q3 2025 report. Their revenue increased by 25% to $45.6 million, and they are receiving more orders. The dream of becoming the leading…