Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

KawiSafi Ventures, a leading for-profit impact investment fund focused on accelerating access to off-grid solar energy in East Africa, has officially announced the promotion of Angela Muraguri to the role of Associate Director. Muraguri brings over eleven years of extensive experience in investment and development across sub-Saharan Africa. Since joining…

The Dutch development finance institution FMO has announced a proposed $35 million first-loss equity investment in the AGRI3 Fund, a blended finance initiative aimed at transforming food and agriculture systems in emerging markets. The fund is jointly advised by Fount and Cardano, and was originally launched in 2020 with the…

MOPO, a UK-based technology company dedicated to sustainable energy access, has secured a £5 million investment from Norfund, the Norwegian development finance institution. This strategic funding marks another major endorsement of MOPO’s innovative solar-powered battery rental model, which has already attracted support from Octopus Energy and British International Investment (BII).…

For over a decade, Dolby Vision has stood as a benchmark in high dynamic range (HDR) technology, shaping the visual experience on TVs and displays worldwide. At IFA 2025 in Berlin, Dolby Laboratories announced the next evolution of its acclaimed imaging technology: Dolby Vision 2. This major upgrade pushes visual…

In a move aimed at enhancing user safety, OpenAI has announced several new features for ChatGPT, including parental controls and improved moderation for sensitive topics. The announcement follows a recent wrongful death lawsuit filed against the company. Within the next month, OpenAI plans to release new parental controls that will…

The potential R23 billion takeover of Barloworld by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Zahid Group has moved a step closer to completion. A significant hurdle related to potential violations of U.S. trade laws has been addressed, providing a positive path forward for the deal. The consortium, named Newco, consists…

216 Capital has announced a strategic investment in Addvocate.AI, a Franco-Tunisian startup pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to optimize sales performance. This partnership marks a significant milestone for Addvocate.AI as it accelerates its mission to redefine how sales teams operate in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Addvocate.AI was founded…

Intella, the leading provider of dialectal Arabic speech intelligence, has announced the successful close of a $12.5 million oversubscribed Series A funding round, marking a major milestone in its mission to revolutionize AI for the Arabic-speaking world. The round was led by Prosus Ventures, with participation from 500 Global, Wa’ed…

An Egyptian fintech startup, Munify, has successfully raised $3 million in seed funding to expand its cross-border neobank, which is specifically designed to serve the Egyptian diaspora. Founded by Khalid Ashmawy, a former Microsoft and Uber engineer and co-founder of the proptech company Huspy, Munify has created a solution to…

Justyol, a Morocco-based cross-border e-commerce platform, has successfully raised $1 million in funding and inventory financing to accelerate its growth across North Africa and the broader MENA region. The funding round includes $400,000 in equity investment from an angel investor and $600,000 in inventory financing from Turkey’s Danis Group, a…

South African short-term insurer Santam is taking a major step toward international expansion with the launch of a new UK-based operation. The company has received in-principle approval to establish Santam Syndicate 1918 at Lloyd’s of London, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious insurance and reinsurance marketplaces. This strategic…

South Africa’s leading online retailer, Takealot, has officially relaunched its business-to-business (B2B) platform, Takealot for Business, aimed at streamlining procurement for companies of all sizes, from startups and SMMEs to large corporations. The platform is designed to address the everyday operational challenges faced by South African businesses, including tight cash…

Bidvest Group is in the process of selling off its financial services assets, with the most significant deal being the sale of Bidvest Bank to Nigeria’s Access Bank for R2.8 billion (approximately $159 million US Dollars). This transaction is expected to be finalized within the next three months. A Strategic…

Capitec Bank Holdings has become the most valuable bank in Africa, a significant milestone that occurred just one month after the appointment of its new CEO, Graham Lee. This achievement marks a new era for the bank, which has now surpassed its rival, FirstRand. Capitec’s remarkable growth is underpinned by…

Vodacom South Africa has announced that it is the first company in Africa to begin testing a new and advanced 5G technology. This innovative “dual-band massive multiple input, multiple output” (Mimo) radio has been deployed at a test site in Cape Town, promising to deliver ultra-fast wireless download speeds to…

Blue Label Telecoms, Cell C’s largest shareholder, has announced a significant restructuring of the mobile operator ahead of a potential listing on the JSE in 2026. This move, which is still subject to market conditions and regulatory approval, is designed to optimize Cell C’s capital structure and balance sheet, setting…

Nedbank, one of South Africa’s largest banks, has officially entered the mobile telecommunications space, becoming the latest non-telecom brand to launch a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). Branded as Nedbank Connect, the service is powered by MTN South Africa’s established mobile infrastructure and is exclusively available to Nedbank clients with…

Djibouti Telecom is set to expand the Djibouti Africa Regional Express 1 (DARE1) subsea cable, extending its reach from East Africa all the way down to South Africa. This project represents a strategic move for Djibouti to evolve from a regional Red Sea gateway into a central, pan-African telecommunications hub.…

Safaricom is collaborating with Meta, through its infrastructure affiliate Edge Network Services, to construct Kenya’s first-ever subsea internet cable. The project, named Daraja (Swahili for “bridge”), aims to strengthen Kenya’s digital infrastructure and reduce its reliance on external providers, making the country more resilient to regional internet outages. With an…

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), one of Nigeria’s leading financial services groups, has injected ₦365.85 billion ($236 million) into its primary banking subsidiary, Guaranty Trust Bank Limited (GTBank). This significant capital injection was executed through a rights issue of nearly 7 billion ordinary shares to GTCO, as detailed in…