Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

The Pretoria High Court in Gauteng, South Africa, has ruled in favour of the directors of the State IT Agency (SITA) who were dismissed or removed in July 2023 by Mondli Gungubele, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies. The court order reinstates the directors and suspends the minister’s decision…

Telecom Egypt and Hungarian IT solutions provider, 4iG, have agreed to partner on the construction of a unique express subsea cable that will link Albania to Egypt. This plan follows an October 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two parties, establishing a joint venture for the subsea cable project.…

StarSat Africa, the Mozambique-based Starlink importer servicing South Africa, plans to slash prices for Starlink equipment by 13% to 20% by the end of February 2024. This price reduction follows SpaceX’s recent decision to offer bulk order discounts. The planned price cut is set to occur despite Starlink being banned…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has plans to reauthorize all active point-of-sale (POS) terminals nationwide, according to sources connected to TechCabal. This recertification will entail updating terminal identification numbers (TID) as well as collecting additional details such as Bank Verification Numbers and tax identification numbers from POS agents. Under…

The Tanzanian healthcare start-up, Medikea, has recently received financial backing from the Catalyst Fund, enabling it to further its goal of providing affordable healthcare services to vulnerable communities. This cash injection responds to the expanding healthcare requirements in Tanzania, fuelled by intensified health challenges across Africa due to climate change.…

Ghanaian B2B commerce platform, Boost, has teamed up with global payments technology firm, Mastercard, to offer digital payment wallets and embedded supply chain finance. This move aims to empower and expand small businesses in Africa’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. Boost, established in 2020, operates a B2B commerce platform designed…

French media company Canal+ and MultiChoice have come under scrutiny by the Takeover Regulation Panel for their open discussions regarding a potential acquisition. The panel acknowledged communications from both entities but clarified that it neither endorsed nor approved of the developments. The panel is maintaining ongoing conversations with the two…

World Innovation League (WIL), formerly known as NaijaHacks, has obtained $1.2 million in funding to provide technology training for black individuals around the globe. Uchi Uchibeke, the founder of Nigerian fintech Chimoney, established the non-profit in 2018. Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, a Canadian accelerator, spearheaded the funding round. In a…

Streaming service Spotify announced that it now has over 600 million monthly active users, as highlighted in its Q4 2023 earnings report. The company added 28 million users in the fourth quarter, representing its second largest quarterly gain in history. Currently, the service boasts 602 million users and more than…

Nigerian edtech platform, Klas, has secured $1 million in pre-seed funding in a round led by Ingressive Capital and featuring investment from Techstars, HoaQ Capital, and various angel investors. Klas, established in 2022 by Nathan Nwachuku and Lekan Adejumo, is a platform that allows users to create and sell ebooks,…

Financial services company Mastercard has completed the acquisition of a minority stake in the fintech business of mobile operator MTN Group. According to a statement from MTN, the company has signed definitive agreements with Mastercard for a minority investment which could amount to $200 million (R3.8 billion) into MTN Group…

MTN’s mobile money platform, MoMo, has partnered with banking technology company Jumo to launch Qwikloan, a short-term loan service targeting the South African market. According to MTN, Qwikloan allows MoMo users to secure short-term loans ranging from R250 to R10,000 on their mobile phones, based on their eligibility. The application…

MTN South Africa has joined forces with the Gauteng Provincial Community Police Board to aid community policing forums (CPFs) in their battle against infrastructure theft, battery theft, and vandalism at cellular towers. The pilot phase of this partnership initiated in Soweto, where a command centre, outfitted with laptops, printers, and…

Qualcomm, a leading global wireless technology firm, has opened applications for its Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Programme. The initiative offers startups business coaching, access to engineering consultations for product development, and guidance on intellectual property protection. Qualcomm is an American multinational listed on NASDAQ, manufacturing semiconductors, software, and wireless…

RightCard Payment Services Limited, a Nigerian fintech subsidiary of LemFi, has received clearance from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to relaunch its remittance services in Ghana. This comes after a temporary hold placed on its operations in November 2023. The BoG had previously suspended fintech subsidiary RightCard and other international…

Sanlam Limited, Africa’s largest insurer, plans to acquire a 100% stake in Assupol Holdings Limited for R6.5 billion through its fully-owned subsidiary, Sanlam Life Insurance Limited. Assupol, a 110-year-old life insurance company, is listed on the Cape Town Stock Exchange. This proposed transaction follows last year’s announcement that Budvest Proprietary…

Zambia’s government has plans to build 60 4G mobile towers, aiming to enhance internet connectivity in rural regions. This comes two months after the announcement of plans to create digital hubs for free internet access for citizens. The commitment to prioritize rural connectivity was emphasized by Felix Mutati, the Minister…

Snap, the developer behind Snapchat, is planning to lay off roughly 10% of its workforce, impacting an estimated 500-plus employees, according to an announcement on Monday. The decision was explained in an SEC filing as part of a restructuring strategy to maximize the company’s growth potential. While a significant proportion…

Innovative early-stage founders looking to solve some of the continent’s biggest challenges are being invited to apply for the second edition of Accelerate Africa. This programme, designed to equip startups with the right strategies and make them investment-ready, is a joint initiative of Future Africa and Prosper Africa, led by…

Following a triumphant inaugural edition, the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa (KAAIA) is now accepting applications, with a focus on tech-driven solutions to ensure zero hunger throughout the continent. The KAAIA, orchestrated by the Austrian Federal Chancellery in partnership with the Kofi Annan Foundation, invites entrepreneurial startups with…