Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

Canal+ has revealed its non-binding indicative offer to acquire the pay-TV powerhouse, MultiChoice in South Africa, with an approximate value of R31.7 billion. Thursday saw Canal+ release a statement indicating its proposal to purchase all outstanding ordinary shares of MultiChoice, conditional on the necessary regulatory approvals. Canal+ offered R105 per…

The Westerwelle Young Founders Programme is now accepting applications, presenting remarkable young entrepreneurs from developing and emerging nations with six months of business mentorship and the opportunity to attend the Young Founder Conference in Berlin. The Westerwelle Foundation for International Understanding promotes cooperation between budding entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and decision-makers…

ALX, a renowned provider of technology skills training, aims to educate 750,000 African youths this year, with a goal of 10% of this figure based in South Africa. Since 2021, the training and career accelerator has provided digital skills instruction to over 85,000 students, with 85% of its graduates successfully…

Today, Google has announced that its new cloud region in South Africa is now operational. This development comes a year after the tech behemoth chose Johannesburg as its inaugural site on the African continent. Cloud regions facilitate users in deploying cloud resources from particular geographic locations or nearer to the…

AfriLabs, an organization that supports innovation hubs, has unveiled the AfriLabs Connect Deal Room (ACDR) to tackle the critical challenges of identifying investible startups in Africa and facilitating their funding. As a networked organization dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa, AfriLabs brings together tech hubs, startups, investors and…

Ivorian online used car marketplace, Auto24, has expanded its presence in sub-Saharan Africa with the acquisition of Tanzanian online classifieds platform, Kupatana. The acquisition adds to Auto24’s growth in Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa in 2023, following its introduction in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire a year earlier. Launched in 2022…

Bolt has introduced its services in Harare, Zimbabwe. This is a unique venture that won’t see Bolt earn any commission from drivers for at least six months, mirroring the company’s same no-commission approach launched in Zambia. In places like Kenya, however, Bolt implements a standard 18% commission and no longer…

Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) has teamed up with independent power producer Sola Group to secure a R2.8 billion debt and equity package. According to a statement, the funds will be allocated to Sola Group’s 150MW multi-offtake solar PV project based near Virginia in the Free State. This project is among…

Block, the financial technology firm behind subsidiaries such as Square, Cash App, and Afterpay, is laying off workers amid ongoing turbulence within the tech industry. As relayed in an internal memo by CEO Jack Dorsey, first obtained by Business Insider, this decision springs from the company’s growth surpassing that of…

Despite experiencing significant growth in 2023, PayPal is set to lay off nine percent of its workforce, impacting approximately 2,500 employees, according to a letter from CEO Alex Chriss. The announcement comes a year after a significant reduction of more than 2,000 jobs to manage costs. The tech industry has…

Edura, an Egyptian ed-tech startup established in 2021, has successfully garnered an undisclosed pre-seed funding. The aim of the funding is to enhance the platform’s features, develop research and innovation, and expand operations. Edura serves as an interactive platform connecting students and teachers for either live or recorded lessons. The…

Injini, a non-profit company dedicated to improving educational outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Mastercard Foundation have once again opened applications for their joint EdTech Fellowship in South Africa. Selected companies will receive funding and other forms of support. Since its establishment in 2017, Injini, a member of the UVU Africa…

Village Capital and Standard Chartered Bank have collaborated to launch a pilot financing facility, in a critical effort to close the gender funding gap in Africa’s entrepreneurial environment. This project focuses on early-stage, impact-oriented startups led by women, with the goal of delivering essential catalytic capital to catalyze their business…

OfferZen, the South African developer hiring marketplace, has obtained $4.3 million in funding from Invenfin and AI Capital. This follows a strategic shift in their business model and a leadership transition. Established in 2015, OfferZen links job-seeking developers with tech firms, with over 2,000 companies using its platform. The company…

Senegalese startup, ProXalys, has raised $500,000 in a funding round to expand its market reach and enhance its main product, ProBoutik, an invoice-lending management tool. The funding round is split into three segments, with 216 Capital contributing the majority at $300,000. Haskè Ventures and Digital Africa also participated via the…

Visa, a global leader in digital payments, has announced that its Africa Fintech Accelerator program is now open for applications for its second batch. This announcement was made during Fintech Day, which convened various members of Morocco’s fintech community to explore ways to enhance the nation’s digital payments and financial…

The Central Bank of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Nigerian Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF) and the Association of Mobile Money and Banking Agents of Nigeria (AMMBAN), is working on a feature for PoS terminals to identify potential fraudulent transactions. This feature will require specific Know Your Customer (KYC) details before…

Despite Netflix’s recent $5 billion deal with WWE for exclusive rights to events like Raw, Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) shows will continue to be available on SuperSport, MultiChoice has confirmed. Netflix’s ten-year agreement includes certain international rights to other WWE properties. Starting from January 2025, Netflix will broadcast the show in…

MTN Group, dedicated to driving digital solutions for the progress of Africa, has pledged to invest $215 million in infrastructure in Benin over the next three years, as well as building a state-of-the-art office for its subsidiary MTN Benin. The commitment was made during an MTN Group leadership visit to…

The 2Africa subsea cable could significantly enhance South Africa’s internet connectivity and stimulate significant economic growth once it is completed later this year, according to David Eurin, CEO of Liquid Dataport. Part of Cassava Technologies, Liquid Dataport is a wholesale division of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, which aims to connect Africa…