Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

Thirty innovative startups have been announced as finalists for the Latitude59 Kenya Pitch Competition, chosen from a competitive pool of 222 applications representing 27 countries. This selection marks a key milestone in the lead-up to one of Africa’s most dynamic startup showcases. About Latitude59 Latitude59 is the flagship tech and…

Startups across Africa can now apply for the latest edition of the New Venture Competition, hosted by Harvard Business School’s Africa Business Club, offering entrepreneurs the chance to win cash prizes of up to US$55,000, alongside exposure to investors and industry leaders. About the Competition The Africa Business Club, a…

Seedstars, a Swiss-based venture capital firm and ecosystem builder focused on emerging markets, has partnered with the SANAD Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) to introduce the SANAD Elevate Her Programme—a multi-phase initiative designed to accelerate female-led and 2X-aligned startups across the Middle East, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. About the Partners…

develoPPP Ventures, an entrepreneurial support program launched by Germany’s Federal Development Ministry (BMZ), has opened applications for its 10th cohort, offering post-revenue startups the chance to secure EUR 100,000 (US$115,000) in catalytic funding and technical support to scale. The initiative operates through a matching-funds model in partnership with DEG –…

Choice Hotels International, a leading American multinational hospitality company with nearly seven decades of industry experience, is set to make its debut on the African continent. The group announced plans to open three hotels in Kenya by 2026, marking its first footprint in Africa and signaling a major step in…

Prosus, the technology investment arm of Naspers, announced on Monday a 99% surge in adjusted core profit for the first half of its financial year, driven by robust performance across its digital services and e-commerce portfolio. The group’s adjusted EBITDA climbed to US$423 million, up from US$213 million in the…

BHP’s latest overture toward Anglo American underscores mounting pressure in a mining industry eager to secure scale and growth—particularly in copper, where global supply is tightening and demand is projected to surge as economies accelerate electrification. The approach comes just weeks before shareholders of Anglo American and Teck Resources are…

The Takealot Group has continued its steady march toward profitability, delivering a robust performance that positions it ahead of major international competitors, including Amazon. In its financial results for the six months ended 30 September 2025, parent company Naspers reported that Takealot achieved significant growth across key metrics. Naspers stated:…

Australia’s groundbreaking nationwide social media ban for minors is widening its scope. The restriction, which prohibits users under the age of 16 from accessing major social platforms, now includes Twitch—the popular livestreaming service. This addition follows the initial list of banned platforms: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and,…

Fusepay, a Seychelles-founded fintech startup focused on building payment solutions for frontier markets, has officially launched its digital payment platform to help businesses streamline financial operations and transition away from slow, paper-based processes. The launch follows Fusepay’s successful $350,000 pre-seed funding round in August, led by Hustle Fund, with participation…

The African Development Bank Group’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) has successfully secured new capital commitments totaling nearly €50 million from the governments of Germany and Italy. These commitments were formally announced at the Africa Pavilion during a side event held at COP30. The German government demonstrated a robust…

Growth Investment Partners (GIP) Zambia has announced its inaugural investment, marking a significant milestone in its mission to support local businesses. The investment will go to Boxpack Zambia, a leading family-owned manufacturer specializing in corrugated carton boxes and paper-based packaging solutions. About GIP Zambia GIP Zambia was established through a…

Move over, Google Assistant—there’s a new AI co-pilot for your drive. Starting today, Google is rolling out its Gemini AI assistant to Android Auto, giving drivers access to a more conversational and capable voice assistant designed to handle directions, messages, errands, and more. According to Guemmy Kim, Senior Director of…

After discontinuing its private messaging feature in 2019, YouTube is bringing back the functionality—at least for a select group of users. The platform has begun testing a new in-app messaging experience that allows users to share videos and chat directly within the YouTube mobile app. Participants in the test can:…

WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that brings back a familiar concept with a modern twist: short, temporary status updates similar to Instagram Notes. The Meta-owned messaging platform now allows users to share brief text updates that appear prominently for their contacts. What the Feature Offers The new “About”…

AI-powered search startup Perplexity has officially launched its Comet browser for Android, bringing its AI-centric browsing experience to mobile users. The move follows the browser’s initial debut on desktop in July, where it introduced advanced AI-driven search capabilities. Key Features on Android The Android version of Comet mirrors most of…

JSE-listed electrical, electronics, and technology group Reunert has announced that long-serving CEO Alan Dickson will step down from his role at the end of February 2026, marking the end of an era for the company. The announcement was made on Thursday alongside the release of Reunert’s annual financial results for…

Following what appears to have been a successful pilot program, OpenAI has announced the global rollout of group chats in ChatGPT. This feature will become available to all logged-in users across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans over the next few days. The company initially began testing collaborative chat functionality…

The Spanish Agency for Development Cooperation (AECID) has approved an investment of up to $10 million in the Novastar Ventures Africa People and Planet Fund III (NVIII), reinforcing its commitment to sustainable development and inclusive growth across the continent. Managed by Novastar Ventures, NVIII targets high-impact sectors that are critical…

Nigerian open-finance startup Zeeh Africa has reintroduced its Direct Debit feature as part of a broader push into payments infrastructure, aiming to solve one of the most persistent challenges in the country’s fast-growing digital lending sector: ensuring borrowers repay their loans. The relaunch comes against a backdrop of weakening loan…