Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

Dan Marokane, the new CEO of Eskom, is set to take up his duties 30 days earlier than previously announced, starting on 1 March 2024. Eskom Board Chairman, Mteto Nyati, officially welcomed Marokane and expressed confidence in his leadership abilities and the potential for a successful turnaround at Eskom. Nyati…

Egypt-based Paymob, a leading financial services enabler in the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan (MENAP), has been granted a Payment Service Provider (PSP) license by the Central Bank of Oman (CBO). Thus, making it the first international fintech firm to receive full licensing in Oman. Founded in 2015, Paymob…

Rwanda has set a goal to ensure all of its residents have smartphone access within the next three years as a part of the Device Financing project under the Connect Rwanda blueprint. In 2023, the government, in partnership with telecom companies, initiated a gadget financing scheme. This program permits residents…

Fintech company Ukheshe International has acquired digital payments firm EFT Corporation (EFTCorp) in its entirety from parent entity Loita Transaction Services. This move comes on the heels of Ukheshe’s 2022 acquisition of Masterpass in South Africa and its 2023 funding agreement with Development Partners International. According to a statement, this…

Digital home goods retailer Wayfair is planning to lay off 13% of its global workforce as a part of its restructuring effort to reduce management layers, cut costs, and streamline its operations after over-hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company announced it will be laying off about 1,650 employees, mainly…

Amazon has confirmed the laying off of approximately 30 employees within its Buy with Prime component, which accounts for less than 5% of the division’s staff. The Buy with Prime unit, which has been broadening its scope since its inception in April 2022, enables online shops to present Prime shipping…

John Felton, Amazon’s top logistics executive, is set to take the reins as the Chief Financial Officer of Amazon’s AWS cloud computing division, as confirmed by Amazon on Thursday. In a blog post, Amazon’s worldwide retail chief, Doug Herrington, revealed that Udit Madan, Amazon’s Vice President of Transportation, would be…

Elon Musk’s social network, X, is introducing a feature for audio and video calls from within the app to its Android client. According to a post by an X engineer working on the project, this feature will be accessible once the Android users perform an app update. In August 2023,…

After receiving a capital commitment of $30 million from EIB Global, an affiliate of the European Investment Bank, Seedstars Africa is poised to receive an additional investment of $10.5 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB). This new injection of funds, part of the Seedstars Africa Ventures I fund, will…

Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited (GhIPSS) has partnered with Visa, enabling GhIPSS to process domestic transactions in Ghanaian Cedi using Visa cards issued in Ghana. This collaboration aligns with the Bank of Ghana’s guidelines for domestic card transaction processing. By partnering with GhIPSS, Visa will leverage GhIPSS’ standing…

Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, in a memo to employees, warned of more layoffs this year. This comes after the company laid off over 1,000 workers across several divisions last week, in addition to cutting 100 jobs at YouTube. According to Pichai’s memo, the company will need to make “tough choices”…

The Top Employers Institute has named Vodacom Group as the top employer in Africa, with Vodacom South Africa and Vodacom Mozambique also receiving the prestigious certification and top-ranking. The institute annually recognizes organizations that prioritize their employees through superior Human Resource (HR) policies. The programme’s certification process involves assessing HR…

Startups and businesses operating in the realm of the blue economy have been invited to apply for the second edition of BlueInvest Africa. The event will showcase 30 projects to a panel of investors on July 3-4 in Kenya. Launched by the European Commission in 2022, BlueInvest Africa aims to…

Convergence Partners, a private equity firm, has purchased Datacentrix, a South African company specializing in IT network management and data center operations. The firm anticipates an increase in demand for such services across Africa. This acquisition, the largest by the firm so far, marks the sixth in the last year…

Starting today, sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the U.S. will be suspended once more, following Apple’s failed bid to pause the sales ban during its appeal against an ITC ruling. The ruling found that the blood oxygen feature in Apple’s watches infringed upon…

Sheryl Sandberg, who served as COO and a member of Meta’s board for over a decade, is stepping down from the board, marking the end of her official roles in the company. After departing as COO, she remained on the board to aid in a smooth transition. In a Facebook…

Iyin Aboyeji, founder of VC firm Future Africa, and general partner Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani, are set to launch Accelerate Africa, an accelerator supported by a $750,000 USAID grant. With both founders having experienced significant startup successes, they aim to foster the next wave of global businesses from Africa. Aboyeji has…

Egyptian fintech company Zeal has raised $4 million in a funding round led by Raed Ventures and Cur8 Capital to expand its AI-powered customer engagement solutions across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This funding follows Zeal’s recent penetration into the UK market, signaling the company’s ambitious plans for growth.…

Egyptian logistics startup Bosta has secured an undisclosed investment from pan-African group and investment firm, Axian Group, setting the stage for further expansion. This follows Bosta’s successful foray into Saudi Arabia’s market and the appointment of former DHL Express CEO, Ken Allen, to its board in 2023. Bosta, created by…

Ezdehar investment fund has invested $10 million into Yodawy, a leading health-tech platform in Egypt. This significant investment, powered by Ezdehar’s Mid-Cap Fund II, resonates with the firm’s mission to bolster prospective startups. Established in 2018, Yodawy has made a name for itself with its comprehensive healthcare platform. It offers…