Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

Gaia Renewables 1, a company listed on the Cape Town Stock Exchange, has made a significant announcement regarding its expansion in the renewable energy sector. The firm has successfully acquired stakes in three renewable energy plants, marking a strategic move to enhance its portfolio in sustainable energy. The acquisition, which…

Maju Kuruvilla, who previously held the position of CEO at the controversial one-click checkout startup Bolt, has made a notable return to the entrepreneurial scene. After stepping down from his role at Bolt last year, Maju Kuruvilla is now embarking on a new venture that aims to tackle a different…

Startup Club ZA, in partnership with The South African Future Trust, is excited to unveil The Big Pitch 2025—an exceptional opportunity tailored for bold and innovative startups eager to take their vision to new heights. This initiative represents South Africa’s first-ever startup pitch competition, boasting an impressive prize pool of…

Elon Musk’s Starlink has rapidly ascended to become Kenya’s seventh-largest internet service provider (ISP), surpassing established local competitors such as Dimension Data and Liquid Telecommunications Kenya in just six months after entering the country’s top ten ISPs. As of the latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Starlink…

South African digital bank TymeBank has reported a significant increase in its deposits, reaching nearly R7 billion (approximately $385 million) just three months after achieving unicorn status. This information was disclosed in the interim financial results released by its majority shareholder, African Rainbow Capital (ARC). The Johannesburg-listed investment firm, which…

Fawry, Egypt’s leading fintech company, has entered into a strategic agreement with Contact Financial Holding, the country’s foremost non-banking financial services provider, to enhance their partnership by integrating Contact’s Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) service into Fawry’s extensive payment network. This network encompasses over 370,000 point-of-sale (POS) terminals and includes…

IHS Towers (IHS), recognized as the world’s fourth-largest independent communications infrastructure provider, has reported a reduction in its losses for 2024, narrowing them to $1.64 billion compared to $1.98 billion in 2023. While this reduction indicates a slight improvement, the overall performance of the company remains concerning, as it marks…

Google is making headlines with its largest acquisition ever. The company’s parent organization, Alphabet, is set to acquire Wiz, a cloud security startup, for $32 billion in an all-cash transaction, which has now been officially confirmed. Initially, reports suggested that the deal was valued at $33 billion, which includes an…

Nigerian food procurement startup Vendease is undergoing a significant restructuring of its compensation system as it grapples with financial challenges and aims for profitability. The company, which is backed by Y Combinator, recently laid off approximately 44% of its workforce, equating to around 120 employees, in January. In response to…

Blueroomcare, a Nigerian mental health platform that offers insurance-covered therapy, has announced a strategic partnership with EHA Clinics to provide in-person therapy sessions in Abuja and Lagos. This collaboration aims to enhance accessibility to mental healthcare in Nigeria by bridging the gap between virtual and physical mental health services, thereby…

Standard Bank, the largest bank in Africa by assets, has announced a strategic partnership with Zeda Limited for its inaugural bond issuance following Zeda’s listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Zeda Limited, recognized as Southern Africa’s leading integrated mobility solutions provider, was unbundled from the Barloworld Group in 2022…

The Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group is in the process of finalizing the termination of its franchise agreement with Pick n Pay in Namibia, with plans to rebrand all its Pick n Pay stores in the country by July 2025. This decision marks the end of a 27-year partnership with…

Israeli fintech unicorn Rapyd has successfully completed the acquisition of European fintech company PayU from Dutch investment firm Prosus for approximately $610 million. The deal, which was signed on Thursday, was finalized after Rapyd raised $500 million, primarily through equity, with a smaller portion sourced from debt. Following this funding…

Leta, a Nairobi-based logistics software-as-a-service startup, developed an AI-powered platform designed to optimize delivery routes, track shipments in real-time, streamline payments, and provide businesses with valuable shipping insights. The company has successfully raised $5 million in seed funding to scale its innovative solution, which aims to help businesses transport goods…

Safaricom M-PESA has entered into a strategic partnership with LakiPay Financial Technologies to enhance the digital payments ecosystem and promote financial inclusion in Ethiopia. The groundbreaking agreement was signed yesterday by Habtamu Tadesse, the founder and CEO of LakiPay, and Elsa Muzzolini, the CEO of Safaricom M-PESA Mobile Financial Services.…

Pan African connectivity provider WIOCC has partnered with carrier-neutral data center provider iColo to accelerate the growth of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Kenya. This strategic collaboration aims to enhance the digital infrastructure, improve interconnectivity, and unlock new market opportunities for ISPs, thereby contributing to the rapid expansion of Kenya’s…

Mastercard is enhancing its partnership with Paymentology, a cutting-edge global issuer processor, to streamline card issuance for fintech companies operating in South Africa. This collaboration aims to provide fintechs with the necessary expertise, infrastructure, and rapid go-to-market capabilities to navigate the complexities associated with card issuance, thereby unlocking new opportunities…

The Nigerian Government has officially announced its ambitious plans to deploy 90,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable, with the project set to commence in the final quarter of 2025. This initiative follows a substantial funding boost of $700 million from various development partners, including the World Bank, the African Development…

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, has made a significant move by acquiring Hotshot, a startup specializing in AI-powered video generation tools similar to OpenAI’s Sora. The announcement was made by Aakash Sastry, the CEO and co-founder of Hotshot, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday. In his…

Senegalese e-health startup Eyone has emerged as the winner of the latest edition of Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) competition, securing a substantial prize of US$300,000. This prestigious competition is a philanthropic initiative backed by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy, aimed at recognizing and uplifting African entrepreneurs who are…