Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

A consortium of prominent investors, SPE Capital (via its SPE PEF III fund), Proparco, and Amethis (through its MENA Fund II), has announced a strategic investment in Delta Holdings, a leading Egypt-based manufacturer specializing in additives for the paint and coatings industry. The investment is aimed at accelerating Delta Holdings’…

South Africa’s online grocery landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, and Spar is making a bold move to catch up in the competitive on-demand delivery space. Once a late entrant in the digital grocery race, Spar is now leveraging its partnership with Uber Eats to expand its footprint and capture a…

Sanlam Collective Investments (SCI), a subsidiary of South Africa’s largest insurer, Sanlam Ltd, has been hit with a R10.6 million administrative penalty by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) for multiple breaches of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FIC Act). The fine follows a March 2024 inspection that uncovered significant…

Tantalizers Plc, once a household name in Nigeria’s quick-service restaurant industry, is showing early signs of recovery after years of financial distress. The company has significantly reduced its losses, reporting a tenfold improvement in the first half of 2025. Losses dropped to ₦25.8 million (approximately $17,642), compared to a staggering…

Wakanow, Africa’s leading online travel group, has acquired Nairabox, Nigeria’s prominent digital platform for event and cinema ticketing. This strategic acquisition marks a significant evolution in Wakanow’s business model, from facilitating travel bookings to becoming a central player in the broader experience economy, where travel, entertainment, and digital payments intersect.…

The FUNGUO Innovation Programme has significantly scaled up its support for Tanzania’s startup ecosystem, increasing its total catalytic funding to TZS 6.5 billion (approximately $2.65 million). This expansion underscores a deepening commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across the country. In its latest funding round, FUNGUO is backing 13 early-stage…

Absa Group is gearing up to launch its own mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), positioning itself as the final major South African bank to enter the increasingly competitive telecom space. This move follows in the footsteps of rivals such as Capitec, Standard Bank, FNB, and Nedbank, all of which have…

Norfund, the Norwegian investment fund for developing countries, has committed up to $6 million to support the acquisition of Langeberg Foods, one of South Africa’s leading canned fruit producers. The investment is part of a landmark farmer-led takeover of the business, aimed at securing local ownership, preserving jobs, and revitalizing…

South African entrepreneur Alexandria Procter, best known as the founder of student accommodation platform DigsConnect, is spearheading a new initiative to invest R25 million (approximately $1.4 million) into early-stage startups across the African continent. The initiative, named Pharos of Alexandria Ventures, aims to identify and support high-potential founders building impactful…

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced a proposed equity investment of $38 million in the Tanmiya Capital Ventures Fund II (TCV II), a private equity fund focused on supporting private sector growth in Egypt. TCV II is designed to catalyze investment in Egyptian businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises…

Global investment firm Actis has signed a share purchase agreement to divest its stake in Mi Vida Homes, a Kenyan real estate development company, through a management-led buyout. The transaction, which is pending regulatory approval, represents a significant milestone in the evolution of institutional residential development in Africa. Founded in…

Ghanaian digital banking startup Affinity Africa has officially crossed the 100,000 customer mark, a major milestone that underscores the company’s rapid and organic growth. According to Affinity, this achievement is largely driven by word-of-mouth referrals and strong customer advocacy, as more Ghanaians embrace the platform’s promise of simple, affordable, and…

Apple is significantly enhancing its Security Bounty program this November, offering some of the highest payouts in the industry to incentivize advanced cybersecurity research. The company has doubled its top reward from $1 million to $2 million for researchers who uncover exploit chains capable of achieving the same outcomes as…

Google Chrome is rolling out a new feature designed to help users manage notification fatigue more effectively. The browser will now be able to automatically revoke notification permissions from websites that users haven’t interacted with recently, cutting down on unnecessary alerts and improving overall user experience. This feature works similarly…

Rishi Sunak, who served as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister from 2022 to 2024, has taken on senior advisory roles at Microsoft and Anthropic, two of the most influential players in global technology and artificial intelligence. The appointments, disclosed by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), have sparked debate…

A federal jury in Marshall, Texas has ruled that Samsung Electronics must pay $445.5 million in damages to Collision Communications, a New Hampshire-based patent holder, for willfully infringing four patents related to 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi communications standards. The jury found that a wide range of Samsung products, including Galaxy…

Uganda has officially launched its first Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), marking a transformative moment in the country’s financial and industrial landscape. In partnership with Global Settlement Network (GSN) and Diacente Group, the government is rolling out a $5.5 billion tokenized economy, not as a tech experiment, but as a…

IHS Holding Limited, a global leader in shared telecommunications infrastructure, has finalized the sale of its Rwandan subsidiary, IHS Rwanda Limited, to Paradigm Tower Ventures for $274.5 million, concluding a strategic divestment first announced in May 2025. The transaction involves the full transfer of 100% of IHS Rwanda’s operations, which…

India-listed pharmaceutical company Natco Pharma has received shareholder approval to acquire a significant minority stake in Adcock Ingram, a leading South African healthcare firm. The move marks a major step forward in Natco’s international expansion strategy and signals a new chapter for Adcock Ingram, which is set to be delisted…

Pick n Pay is beginning to show tangible improvements across several key performance indicators as it continues its turnaround efforts aimed at restoring profitability. The retailer has endured a turbulent period marked by the collapse of its Ekuseni strategy, substantial financial losses, and a state of technical insolvency. In response,…