Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

In a major consolidation within the Middle East’s beauty and wellness tech sector, the Egyptian lifestyle platform Glamera has officially acquired Bookr Group. The move marks a significant regional expansion, absorbing a prominent operator with a deep-seated presence in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. Bookr Group is widely recognized for…

Stella Vermögensverwaltungs, the dedicated investment arm of the Heinz Hermann Thiele Family Foundation and Julia Thiele-Schürhoff, has formally appointed the Swiss-based impact asset manager ResponsAbility Investments to oversee a landmark €200 million mandate. This bespoke investment program is designed to funnel long-term capital into impact-focused private equity funds across the…

Standard Bank has announced the successful financial close of a $250 million financing facility for Aradel Energy, a key player in Nigeria’s indigenous oil and gas sector. This significant capital injection is designed to fuel Aradel’s aggressive growth strategy and solidify its presence across the Nigerian energy value chain. The…

Ghanaian AI consultancy and data firm Aya Data has successfully raised $900,000 in a fresh seed funding round. This capital injection is designed to accelerate the commercial scaling of its proprietary AI products, AyaGrow and AyaSpeech, while expanding its technical team to meet the growing demand for localized artificial intelligence…

In a move that signals a deeper commitment to specialized logistics, Ata Fund III, managed by the South African private equity firm Ata Capital, has officially acquired Booksite Proprietary. This transaction marks the final deployment of capital for Fund III, closing out its investment cycle with a high-growth platform in…

In a significant show of confidence for investment in African frontier markets, XSML Capital has announced the final close of its African Rivers Fund IV (ARF IV). The fund reached a total of $142 million, notably surpassing its original “hard cap” of $135 million despite a globally tightened fundraising environment.…

The MENA-based EdTech giant Abwaab has announced the strategic acquisition of Apex Education, a premier startup specializing in elite college admissions consulting. This move marks a significant evolution for Abwaab, transitioning the platform from a supplemental learning tool into a comprehensive “end-to-end” educational partner that guides students from K-12 tutoring…

The Moroccan startup ecosystem has reached a new milestone as Yakeey announced a $15 million Series A funding round, the largest ever recorded for a startup at this stage in the Kingdom. A key highlight of the round is the strategic equity investment from Beltone Venture Capital, a subsidiary of…

The Moroccan mobility landscape is set for a digital overhaul as Enakl, a shared transport startup based in Casablanca, announced the successful close of a $2.3 million seed funding round. Completed in December 2025, this capital injection aims to scale the company’s “bus-sharing” operations and launch a sophisticated software suite…

Dangote Industries, the conglomerate owned by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, has appointed Ralph Mupita, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Group, to the board of its fertilizer subsidiary as the company prepares for a major expansion and a planned listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Mupita’s appointment was confirmed by…

Kenya’s Competition Authority (CAK) has opted not to conduct a full domestic review of Vodacom Group’s bid to increase its stake in Safaricom, instead deferring the assessment to regional competition watchdogs. The move comes as Vodacom advances a multi‑billion‑shilling plan to raise its shareholding in Kenya’s largest telecommunications operator from…

In a strategic move to consolidate its position in the African wealth management space, Trove Finance has officially acquired UCML Securities Limited. The acquisition represents a pivot from a partnership-heavy model to a vertically integrated brokerage, giving the fintech startup total control over its financial infrastructure. Following the deal, Trove…

The Nigerian tech and media landscapes have been jolted by a legal confrontation between two high-profile figures. On January 26, 2026, Ezra Olubi, the former CTO and co-founder of the fintech unicorn Paystack, initiated legal proceedings against renowned investigative journalist David Hundeyin following a series of inflammatory social media posts.…

Egyptian fintech leader NowPay has officially announced its expansion into the Saudi Arabian market through the launch of NowAccess. This strategic move is fueled by a substantial $20 million investment from the prominent consumer finance firm, Tas’heel, signaling a major shift in the regional employee wellness landscape. The expansion is…

Admaius Capital Partners, a leading pan‑African private equity firm, together with Dr. Sherif Bassiouny, Chairman of Parkville Pharmaceuticals, and Dr. Mahmoud Farrag, CEO of Parkville, has entered into definitive agreements to sell a majority stake in Parkville Pharmaceuticals to Adenia Partners. Upon completion, this transaction will mark the first exit…

Egyptian fintech company Valu has entered into a significant short‑term financing agreement worth up to EGP 3 billion (US$63.6 million) with the National Bank of Egypt (NBE), marking another major milestone in its expansion strategy. Founded in 2017, Valu has grown into one of the region’s leading lifestyle‑enabling fintech platforms,…

Alongside the release of iOS 26.2.1, Apple has rolled out a new update for older devices still operating on the legacy iOS 12 software, an impressive eight years after iOS 12 originally launched. The new update, iOS 12.5.8, is available for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6, meaning Apple is…

eYouth, the Egyptian‑founded regional edtech company and one of the Middle East and Africa’s leading digital learning platforms, has announced its official expansion into Iraq with the launch of eYouth Iraq. As part of this expansion, the company has introduced Iraq’s first Arabic‑language digital learning platform designed specifically to equip…

Kenyan solar energy provider Sun King has unveiled the HomePlus Max, a next‑generation solar home system engineered with advanced features and significantly upgraded battery technology. The launch underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy solutions for households and small businesses across emerging markets.…

BoxCommerce, a technology platform built to simplify and strengthen online selling for local businesses, has announced a major step forward in its mission to empower small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs). The company has partnered with Mastercard to launch a new prepaid payment solution that provides SMEs with fast, secure, and…