Africa’s AI revolution takes centre stage
Top of mind: Happy Monday! In the famous, paraphrased words of philosopher Shawn Corey Carter, professionally known as Jay Z – “If you’re having web problems, I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems, but AI ain’t one.” Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the latest technology to rake in billion-dollar investments from big tech companies. And […]
The incredible story behind Africa’s latest acquisition
Top of mind: Happy Sunday! We’re back with our Day One series spotlighting emerging founders and startups. To kick this off, I spoke to Paul Damalie, the founder and CEO of Appruve about a significant acquisition announcement that broke the headlines and made waves in the ecosystem this week. We had a conversation about the moments that led […]
Netflix is in ♥️ with South Africa
Top of mind: Happy Sunday! We found out this week that Netflix likes Africa but loves South Africa more – and with good reason. SA’s done the work. And, in other news – Kenya’s taking on Starlink by expanding connectivity to its rural areas, and one of Africa’s enduring startups makes a grand exit from Uganda. […]
Africa’s crypto startups face extinction
Africa’s crypto startups face extinction The short: Crypto startups in Africa are biting the dust. Falling stars: In 2021, 24.5 million people held crypto assets in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt – skyrocketing Africa’s ranking in peer-to-peer services globally. However, an unending series of shake-ups fueled by FTX’s collapse has rocked Africa’s crypto industry, making investors […]
Is Africa joining the TikTok ban party?
Is Africa joining the TikTok ban party? The short: African regulators are side-eyeing the TikTok ban party. The West doesn’t rate TikTok: TikTok is home to 1.534 billion users, with 1 billion unique monthly active users – it is the fifth largest social media app in the world and a pain-in-the-behind competitor to Instagram and Snap. But […]
Côte d’Ivoire’s new startup act
Top of mind: Happy Sunday! This week, Côte d’Ivoire joined a growing list of African countries to develop new regulations for its startup ecosystem. And in other news, Nigeria’s Nestcoin stages a comeback and Kenya clamps down on rogue apps. 3 big things – Côte d’Ivoire’s new rules– Nestcoin’s comeback– Kenya’s coming for rogue apps […]
Africa’s super app era
Top of mind: Happy Sunday! Super apps, lawsuits and Africa’s logistical issues. Let’s get to it. 3 big things – Africa’s super apps– Meta gets sued– Fixing logistics Africa’s super app goldrush The short: Super apps in Africa are on the rise. The dream: China’s WeChat set the pace with the emergence of super apps – racking up […]
Silicon Valley Bank fails, Africa shakes
Top of mind: Happy Sunday! Silicon Valley bank’s collapse continues to dominate the news cycle. With more attention on the impact of SVB’s demise on US startups, we’re still uncovering the impact on its client base in Africa. Let’s get to it. 3 big things – SVB’s Africa run– Safaricom is in trouble– Africa’s AI […]
Nigeria’s CBN breaks open the banks
Top of mind: Happy Sunday! Fantastic news from Nigeria this week! The Central Bank launched open banking, set to change the landscape of Nigeria’s fintech industry. Say what you want about the CBN, but this is a big deal. Elon’s Starlink is losing cool points, and we need to talk about Africa’s equality problem. It’s […]
How tech almost powered Nigeria’s elections
Top of Mind: Happy Sunday! It’s still election season in Nigeria, so we’d be digging into how good intentions don’t always lead to great outcomes. Case in point – Nigeria’s Electoral Commission promised tech-powered elections and bungled it. Sheesh. In fascinating news, Egypt is becoming a startup god, and Tanzania just signed a massive deal with […]
