Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

Africa’s largest onshore wind farm is being developed in Egypt, marking a significant milestone in the continent’s renewable energy landscape. This ambitious project, known as the Gulf of Suez Wind Farm, is expected to generate numerous job opportunities, bolster the country’s energy independence, and stimulate economic development. It aligns with…

The Kenyan government has issued a directive requiring all social media companies with platforms accessible in the country to establish physical offices within its borders. This mandate aims to enhance accountability and curb the spread of disinformation, online harassment, and incitement to violence. This move comes in response to growing…

Applications are now open for the Women Techsters Fellowship Programme, a free, one-year initiative designed to equip young girls and women with high-demand technology skills, enabling them to access a wide range of opportunities in the tech industry. The Women Techsters Fellowship Programme offers comprehensive training in several key areas,…

Egyptian fintech startup Raseedi has recently acquired its counterpart Kashat in an equity deal aimed at broadening its product offerings and introducing instant loans to its users. Raseedi, founded in 2018 by Ahmed Atalla and Samuel Samy, provides underbanked users with a dialer application that enables them to make cheaper…

Microsoft is renaming its primary chatbot for businesses as part of an intensified effort to encourage users to adopt the software maker’s closest competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The chatbot, originally introduced as Bing Chat Enterprise in 2023, will now be known as Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, the company announced on…

Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company, Blue Origin, successfully launched its new mega-rocket, New Glenn, into orbit for the first time on Thursday. The rocket lifted off at 2:03 a.m. ET on January 16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and crossed the official boundary into space a few minutes later. Shortly after, a…

South African travel-booking platform Conservio has successfully secured US$1 million in funding to expand its operations within the nature-based travel sector. Founded in 2020 by Lara Dendy Young and Justin Rijnberg, Conservio is committed to channeling revenue towards properties that celebrate natural surroundings, protect habitats, and inspire a deeper connection…

DOB Equity, a family-backed impact investment firm operating in East Africa, has announced a strategic shift in its investment approach, marked by its recent backing of Spouts International, a Ugandan company specializing in ceramic water filters. This move is spearheaded by the firm’s new CEO, Karen Serem Waithaka, who is…

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Technology, and Innovation, Bosun Tijani, has announced that the World Bank has committed $500 million to finance the country’s ambitious plan to extend its fibre optic infrastructure by 90,000km. This significant development comes just a day after the United States government approved a $2 million grant…

FARO, a pioneering South African startup, has successfully raised $6 million in funding to make fashion more affordable while addressing the significant issue of textile waste across Africa. This substantial investment round was spearheaded by JP Zammitt, President of Bloomberg, and saw participation from prominent venture capital firms such as…

Apple has officially joined the Ultra Accelerator Link Consortium, a group dedicated to developing next-generation technology to interconnect chips in AI data centers. The consortium is working on a standard called UALink, which aims to connect AI accelerator chips increasingly found in server farms. As of Tuesday, Apple has become…

Meta is set to reduce its workforce by approximately 5% through performance-based terminations, according to a report by Bloomberg on Tuesday. The company intends to hire new employees to fill the vacated roles, as stated by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an internal memo to staff. In the memo, Zuckerberg explained;…

Vodacom and Orange have announced a strategic partnership to extend mobile services to some of the most remote areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In a joint statement, the telecom giants unveiled their ambitious plan to deploy solar-powered base stations to enhance connectivity in the DRC, a country…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced on Tuesday that it has imposed sanctions on nine deposit money banks for failing to comply with its cash distribution guidelines. Each of these banks has been fined ₦150 million for not making naira notes available to customers via automated teller machines (ATMs)…

Techstars has unveiled a new accelerator program in Botswana, designed to support and scale startups within the region. This newly established Botswana accelerator will provide startups with essential resources, including mentorship, funding, and access to Techstars’ extensive international network. The presence of Techstars in Botswana is anticipated to drive economic…

Purple Elephant Ventures (PEV), a Nairobi-based venture studio, has successfully raised $4.5 million in seed financing, marking one of the largest tourism-tech funding rounds in African history. This significant investment will propel PEV’s mission to transform the continent’s tourism industry into a global leader in regenerative tourism. By developing cutting-edge…

The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation, Beyond Finance, and FosterImpact have collaboratively launched the Women Empowerment for Climate fund, with the ambitious goal of raising US$100 million. This fund is designed to empower women to effectively implement policies aimed at adapting to climate change. The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation is dedicated…

On Tuesday, OpenAI announced that Adebayo Ogunlesi, a senior managing director at BlackRock, is joining its board of directors. This move is part of the company’s ongoing transition towards a for-profit structure. Ogunlesi is a founding partner of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), an infrastructure investment firm acquired by BlackRock last…

Nigerian drivers for ride-hailing platforms such as Bolt and Uber are calling on the federal government to establish nationwide regulations to replace the unfavorable and varied state-level policies currently in place. These drivers, represented by the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), argue that state-imposed rules, including licensing…

Novastar Ventures has announced a $3.5 million investment in Sistema.bio, a Nairobi-based company revolutionizing renewable energy access for smallholder farmers. This funding is part of a $7.75 million internal round that Sistema.bio will utilize to expand its biogas technology and digital solutions across Africa. The investment is backed by Novastar’s…