Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

Logistics company FedEx has announced plans to launch a new ecommerce venture, “fdx”, later this year, in a direct challenge to retail giant Amazon. Detailed as an end-to-end online shopping platform, it aims to provide sellers with all the necessary tools, ranging from client acquisition to order processing and returns.…

Zebra CropBank, an agritech start-up based in Nigeria, has obtained significant funding to further its objective of improving the lives of small-scale farmers throughout Africa. The Catalyst Fund, a collection of investors dedicated to sustainable farming and rural prosperity, spearheaded the investment which will expedite Zebra CropBank’s growth and empower…

Envision investing your time, energy, and passion in farming, only to watch your crops succumb to the intense heat of the sun or get swept away in a violent flood. This has been the harsh reality for countless African farmers, who confront the capricious nature of climate change with sparse…

A groundbreaking collaboration between Mastercard and Illicocash, the fintech subsidiary of Rawbank, is offering access to e-commerce to millions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Their novel virtual card program allows consumers and businesses alike to transition into a digital future, setting the stage for financial inclusion and a…

Naspers Ltd., the most valuable company in Africa, is escalating its investments in its online retailer in South Africa to brace itself ahead of Amazon.com Inc.’s anticipated entry into the country’s rapidly expanding e-commerce sector. Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, the CEO of Nasper’s South African division stated, “We are pouring significantly more…

Pan-African venture capital firm, Norrsken22, has recently opened up applications for its eight-week Norrsken Accelerator program. Unlike traditional accelerators, this Stockholm-based initiative provides upfront funding of $125,000 and enabling interactions with unicorn mentors and leading investors. One of the unique facets of this program is its approach to equip successful…

The e-mobility startup, Mbay Mobility, is set on a bold venture to electrify taxi fleets in Dakar, Abidjan, and Accra in an effort to ease air pollution and overhaul urban transportation in West Africa. The initiative intends to deploy 33,000 electric taxis within the next decade, substituting traditional combustion-powered vehicles…

Dawa Mkononi, a B2B pharmaceutical firm based in Tanzania, has received funding to further its goal of increasing healthcare access throughout East Africa. The company’s financial backer’s include the Sanofi Global Health Unit Impact Fund, Pontem Ventures, Warioba Ventures, Villgro Africa, Axian Group, and several regional venture capitalists. The funding…

Germany-based software firm, SAP, has agreed to pay a penalty of nearly $100 million to settle bribery accusations made by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). SAP eventually conceded to a financial penalty of about $100 million for violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) due to bribery…

Former Vice President Al Gore will step down from the Apple board in February after serving for over two decades, the company recently announced. Gore and former Boeing CFO James Bell, both 75 years old, are retiring in line with Apple’s policy which disallows board members from being reelected at…

At the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show, Kia joined the growing list of automakers unveiling electric van concepts, reflective of the industry’s push towards sustainability and the rising demand amidst the boom in delivery services. Americans have increasingly become accustomed to getting more items delivered, stimulating a growing need for electric…

Sun King, earlier known as Greenlight Planet Inc, the largest provider of solar energy products for off-grid homes in Africa and Asia, has secured a loan worth $7 million from Lendable, a top financer of fintech companies in emerging and frontier markets. This collaboration will empower Sun King to expand…

Google unveiled a range of new tools designed to enhance retailers’ online shopping experiences and other operations. The tools leverage generative artificial intelligence technologies, Google’s cloud business disclosed in a Thursday press release. These new offerings include an AI-enabled chatbot that retailers can integrate on their websites or mobile applications.…

Apple recently announced that its most ambitious and risky new hardware product in recent years, the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, will be available for purchase in the United States starting February 2, with pre-orders kicking off on January 19. The Vision Pro headset, one of Apple’s most expensive products,…

The founders of Instagram, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, have decided to shut down their recent venture, Artifact, a news app, less than a year after its inauguration. As per the announcement on Medium, the app’s core news reading functionalities will remain until end of February, but commenting and posting…

Citigroup is set to lay off 20,000 employees over the next two years, according to CFO Mark Mason. This decision follows the company’s reporting of a net loss of $1.8 billion for Q4 2023, marking its worst quarter in a decade and a half. The bank recorded a considerable loss…

Showmax, a streaming platform owned by MultiChoice, has revealed its content lineup for the revamped “Showmax 2.0”. Set for launch in February, Showmax will boast 1,300 hours of original African content and introduce the continent’s first independent Premier League mobile streaming plan. The revamp aims to build on Showmax’s current…

Pixar, the animation studio owned by Disney, is set to experience layoffs this year. While some company sources suggest the layoffs might be as high as 20% of the staff, Pixar asserts that the actual figures are not yet determined and may be lower. The reductions in staff will encompass…

Amazon’s audiobook and podcast division, Audible, is set to cut about 5% of its workforce, following similar actions in Amazon’s Prime Video, MGM Studios, and Twitch units. Audible CEO, Bob Carrigan, explained in a memo that these layoffs were aimed at making the unit “leaner and more efficient” to continue…

Japanese cybersecurity firm, Trend Micro, has announced that it’s laying off 2% of its global workforce as part of its business transformation strategy. The company, which had a workforce of 7,582 employees as of June 2023, aims to align this decision with a focus on expanding their customer base through…