Kora, the payment infrastructure platform, has joined the International Air Transport Association’s IATA Financial Gateway (IFG), connecting global airlines to Africa’s payment ecosystem through a single, reliable infrastructure layer.

IATA Financial Gateway is the airline industry’s dedicated payment orchestration and management platform. IFG brings together global, regional and local payment partners to provide airlines with the right mix of payment options to maximise acceptance, reduce cost, and better serve customers in every market. Through this integration, airlines and travel agencies using IFG can now accept payments across Africa via Kora, including cards, bank transfers, mobile money, and local alternative payment methods, without having to build or manage multiple complex integrations independently.

Africa is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. The continent is expected to add more than 300 million new passengers by 2050. Yet global airlines have long faced a fundamental operational challenge when entering African markets: fragmented local payment rails, FX complexity, disconnected settlement systems, and the burden of managing multiple payment service provider relationships across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Egypt and South Africa. This partnership removes that friction. One connection through IFG gives airlines access to Kora’s full African payment infrastructure, with the settlement reliability and local compliance that enterprise operations require.

Dickson Nsofor, CEO of Kora, said, “Africa is not a market to figure out later. It is a growth opportunity that demands serious infrastructure today. Our partnership with IATA signals that the rails are ready. Global airlines no longer have to choose between expanding into Africa and managing payment complexity. With Kora inside IFG, they get both.”

IATA currently represents over 370 international airlines globally. With Kora now part of IFG, those airlines gain direct access to Africa’s payment stack across all markets where Kora operates.

IATA Financial Gateway (IFG) enables greater flexibility in travel payment processing for the world’s airlines and travel suppliers, helping them build a cost-effective travel payment strategy. Kora’s participation strengthens our ability to serve airlines operating in or expanding across African markets,” said Kamil Al-Awadhi, Regional Vice President, Africa and Middle East. 

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Moroccan proptech startup Agenz has raised USD 5 M in an oversubscribed seed round co-led by Breega, Attijariwafa Ventures, and Saviu Ventures.

Founded in 2021 by brothers Malik and Badr Belkeziz, Agenz operates an end-to-end real estate platform that combines property valuation tools, market analytics, software for real estate professionals, and a transaction marketplace for buyers.

The company aims to improve transparency and efficiency in Morocco’s property market, which has traditionally been fragmented and reliant on informal brokerage networks.

Since launching its transaction platform in 2023, Agenz has grown rapidly, recording more than 730,000 monthly visits by May 2026. The new funding will support team growth, technology development, product expansion, and future international expansion plans.

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Airtel Africa’s mobile money business processed nearly USD 200 B in transactions over the past year as the telecoms operator expands financial services across 14 African countries, putting it on track for a London listing that analysts say could value the unit at up to USD 10 B.

The company’s Sustainability Report 2026, published on Wednesday, showed that Airtel Money’s transaction value climbed 44% to approximately USD 196 B in the financial year to March 31, driven by microloans, international transfers and merchant payments. The customer base grew 21% to 54.1 million users.

Chief Executive Sunil Taldar said expanding access to financial services and connectivity remains central to the company’s strategy. “Across Africa, access to connectivity, financial services and digital education is increasingly essential to economic opportunity,” he said in the report.

The growth positions Airtel Money for an initial public offering scheduled for the second half of 2026. Analysts at CLSA estimate the unit could raise between USD 1.5 B and USD 2 B at a valuation of up to USD 10 B, a fourfold increase from 2021, making it one of the largest fintech listings on a European exchange in recent years.

The mobile money business now has an EBITDA margin of 50.8%, above the broader Airtel Africa margin of 49.3%, and contributes 20% of the group’s regional revenue. However, penetration remains at only 29% of Airtel Africa’s 184 million mobile subscribers, with significant room for growth in Nigeria, where only 2.7 million customers currently use the service.

Airtel Africa has also expanded its digital infrastructure, with mobile network coverage reaching 81.9% of the population, including 73.1% in rural areas. Smartphone penetration rose to 49.5%, while data customers grew to 84.2 million.

The company’s agent network, which supports financial inclusion and local entrepreneurship, expanded by 39% to 2.4 million agents. Women account for 44.1% of Airtel Money customers, the report showed.

Beyond financial services, the Airtel Africa Foundation connected 3,043 schools to free internet through a partnership with UNICEF, up from 2,176 the previous year. The company also converted more than 950 network sites from off-grid to on-grid power, cutting diesel consumption by 9.1 million litres.

Feature Image Credits: Developing Telecoms

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South African small businesses are shifting from a survival mindset to more deliberate, disciplined growth strategies as economic conditions slowly improve, though lingering global uncertainties keep their optimism in check, a report released on Thursday shows.

The latest SME Pulse Report by SME funding startup, Lula, found that entrepreneurs are moving beyond short-term crisis management and focusing on operational optimisation after years of navigating power cuts, high inflation and steep interest rates.

“The story of SMEs in 2026 is no longer one of pure survival, but not yet one of full recovery either,” Lula Chief Executive Trevor Gosling said. “What we’re seeing instead is measured optimism. Businesses are becoming more deliberate about where they deploy capital, which opportunities they pursue, and how they protect cash flow.”

The report points to improving affordability for small businesses over the past 12 months, with easing inflation and greater energy stability restoring some predictability after prolonged pressure.

Business confidence has also improved. The RMB/BER Business Confidence Index rose to 47 in the first quarter of 2026, the highest level in nearly five years, building on gains in late 2025. Inflation has moderated from previous highs, and the South African Reserve Bank has begun cutting interest rates, with the prime lending rate at 10.25% by May 2026.

However, the report cautions that conditions remain fragile. Escalating conflict in the Middle East has driven up global oil prices, threatening to push inflation back up and delay or reverse further interest rate relief. Gosling said the external environment has already shifted rapidly since the report’s data was compiled earlier this year.

“SMEs are operating in a market that can change very quickly and often without warning,” he said. “Businesses cannot afford to become complacent.”

The report also noted a shift in how SME owners view funding. Many still rely on personal savings or credit, but there are growing signs that business funding is being seen less as a last resort and more as a strategic tool for growth. Some businesses are now using finance proactively to secure stock ahead of demand or expand operations rather than waiting for cash flow pressure to build.

“The future of SME finance will not simply be about access to capital,” Gosling said. “It will increasingly be about helping businesses make smarter decisions and giving them the confidence to act at the right time.”

South Africa’s SME sector faces a financing gap estimated at more than ZAR 350 B (USD 18 B), according to the OECD. The Lula report suggests businesses that embrace funding as a growth enabler rather than an emergency measure are better positioned to scale.

The report is based on Lula’s internal affordability, funding and operating environment data, alongside broader SME sentiment research conducted with News24.

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Zipline’s rise in Africa began with the promise of delivering blood and vaccines to remote clinics faster than any road could manage. Nearly a decade later, new peer-reviewed research shows the drones are doing far more than restock medical fridges.

Drone delivery networks operated by Zipline in Africa are linked to lower child mortality, higher farmer incomes and stronger local economic activity, according to three new studies examining operations in Rwanda and Ghana.

In a set of findings released on Wednesday, the autonomous logistics company documented that the same infrastructure built to bypass broken supply chains is now generating measurable returns in farming productivity, child nutrition, and household wealth.

One study, published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, evaluated a programme in rural Rwanda that used drone-delivered, temperature-controlled pig semen combined with community training. The model increased farmers’ annual income by 17%, generating a 68% return on investment for smallholder pig producers, Zipline said.

Success rates for artificial insemination rose from 48.8% to 74.8% after drone logistics were introduced, the company reported, citing research data.

A separate study, focused on severe acute malnutrition, compared Zipline-served and non-served health facilities in Rwanda over five years. At sites where ready-to-use therapeutic food was delivered by drone, in‑hospital childhood deaths from severe malnutrition fell 22%, the findings show. Visits for severe anaemia in young children dropped 46%.

“The protocol for treating malnutrition has not changed. What changed was whether supplies were there when clinicians needed them,” said Pedro Kremer, Zipline’s head of impact and research. “That is the variable these studies are measuring.”

Another piece of evidence came from a third study examining Zipline’s GH3 distribution centre in northern Ghana. Researchers combined a household survey with satellite analysis of nighttime light intensity, a recognised proxy for local economic activity, and benchmarked the area against 82 comparable locations across the country.

It was found that households within two kilometres of the Zipline hub earned an additional USD 850.00 to USD 1.2 K per year. Liquid asset ownership fell about 27% with every additional 1.5 km from the hub, and improvements in drinking‑water access followed the same proximity pattern. Furthermore, nighttime light intensity near the hub was “significantly higher” than at the 82 comparable locations.

The results come as Zipline accelerates its buildout across the continent. In Nigeria, the company announced plans last month to grow from three distribution centres to 15 by 2028, potentially giving nearly 100 million people faster access to medical supplies. Rwanda is adding an urban delivery system, Platform 2, in Kigali, while Ghana, Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire continue to expand.

“This research shows what communities and governments across Africa have seen firsthand: when essential supplies reliably reach the people who need them, outcomes change,” said Caitlin Burton, Zipline’s chief executive for Africa and emerging markets.

However, an on-and-off debate over cost remains a sticky point. Ghana’s Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh told a press conference in Accra in December that an audit of Zipline’s contract revealed that only 12% of areas served qualified as “hard-to-reach” and only 4% of deliveries could be classified as emergencies.

The minister said the government owes Zipline GHC 174 M (USD 12.5 M) and has raised questions about whether high operational costs are justified.

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga called the contract a “drain on national resources” and argued the health service should have developed its own drone capacity. Opposition has also come from Parliament’s Health Committee chairman, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, who described Zipline as “a solution to a problem the country does not have” and said the real challenge is a shortage of voluntary blood donors, not transportation.

The company maintains that it runs one of the highest-impact, most cost-effective interventions ever studied, across multiple domains, including immunisations, maternal mortality, and nutrition. The Country Manager of Zipline Ghana, Daniel Kwaku Merki, pushed back against claims that the company’s drone delivery service is being misused to transport non-essential items, insisting that such non-medical deliveries are “extremely rare.”

Zipline’s CEO for Africa and emerging markets, said in Wednesday’s press release that the research shows measurable results across multiple sectors. “Zipline began by improving access to critical health supplies. Today, the same infrastructure is strengthening nutrition systems, agricultural productivity and local economies,” she said.

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Nearly all Egyptian consumers use artificial intelligence to help them shop, but only a fraction trust AI to complete a purchase on their behalf; a paradox that reveals a broader challenge facing the global payments industry as it rushes to build infrastructure for autonomous commerce.

A Visa study released Tuesday found that 91% of consumers in Egypt have used AI tools to assist with shopping, comparing prices, checking reviews and finding gift ideas. Fully 97% say the technology makes online shopping faster and easier. Yet when asked whether they would trust an AI agent to handle checkout, that figure collapsed to just 38%.

The findings, from the annual Stay Secure survey conducted by Wakefield Research, lay bare the gap between consumer appetite for AI-assisted discovery and their reluctance to cede control of the payment itself. The study surveyed 5,800 adults across 17 markets in Central Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

The trust gap is not unique to Egypt. In South Africa, only 23% of consumers would trust an AI agent to complete a purchase, according to the same study. In Kenya, that figure stood at 29%. Across the region, consumers are embracing AI for research, but they draw a firm line when money changes hands.

“Consumers see fraud protection as a shared responsibility, but they expect financial institutions, governments, and payment providers to take the lead,” said Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president for North Africa, the Levant and Pakistan.

The study also revealed a rapidly shifting e-commerce landscape. Eighty‑five percent of Egyptian consumers have purchased products directly through social media platforms. But as commerce migrates to new channels, fraud follows. Among consumers who reported experiencing a financial scam in the past 12 months, some 36% of respondents, nearly half said the incident occurred on social media, more than on any other platform.

In 2025 alone, Egyptian authorities said they thwarted financial fraud operations worth an estimated EGP 4 B (approximately USD 77 M), according to statements from the Central Bank of Egypt. Across the continent, an Interpol‑coordinated operation in early 2026 involving 16 African countries resulted in 651 arrests and exposed scams tied to over USD 45 M in losses.

The findings arrive as Visa, Mastercard, and other payments giants race to prepare financial institutions for agentic commerce – autonomous transactions executed by AI agents with minimal human involvement. Visa has already begun enrolling banks in its Agentic Ready programme, which enables institutions to process such payments.

But as the Egypt data makes clear, the infrastructure is arriving ahead of consumer trust. Asked who should bear primary responsibility for fraud protection while shopping online, nearly half of Egyptian consumers pointed to government authorities. Only 13% believed consumers themselves should be primarily responsible.

The path forward remains uncertain for payments companies. Consumers have demonstrated they will use AI to discover products and compare prices. Whether they will ever trust it to spend their money remains an open question.

Feature Image Credits: Consultancy-ME

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Nigerian insurtech startup Myka has raised an undisclosed pre-seed funding round from investors including Ventures Platform, TLcom, Shola Akinlade, co-founder of Paystack; Ridwan Olalere, founder of LemFi; and Olumide Soyombo, founder of Voltron Capital.

Founded in 2025 by serial tech entrepreneur Sim Shagaya, Muritala Ahmed, and Oluwadamilola Okenla, Myka is a licensed digital insurance broker that enables consumers and SMEs to discover, compare, and purchase insurance products from multiple providers in real time.

The startup aims to address Nigeria’s low insurance penetration by improving distribution through digital and offline channels that customers already use.

Working with leading underwriters and under the regulatory oversight of Nigeria’s National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Myka offers coverage across categories, including health, vehicles, mobile phones, homes, and businesses, with a mission to expand access to financial protection at scale.

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Nearly five years after its high-profile launch as Africa’s first central bank digital currency, Nigeria’s eNaira is being quietly repurposed. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has acknowledged in a new strategy document that adoption of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) has been slow, and is now repositioning it away from a consumer-facing payment tool toward a backend infrastructure for government disbursements and cross-border settlements.

The eNaira, launched in October 2021 to much fanfare, has struggled to gain traction. According to the CBN’s Payments System Vision (PSV) 2028 strategy, unveiled on June 1, the CBDC currently has “millions of wallets” but has processed only about NGN 22 B (USD 16 M) in transactions. This is a fraction of the nearly 1 quadrillion naira in total electronic payments processed in 2024, and well below the 300 million transactions the bank had envisioned for the digital currency by 2026.

In the PSV 2028 document, the CBN acknowledged that barriers to the eNaira’s success included “limited stakeholder engagement and buy-in” during its design and implementation. The bank conceded that adoption had been slow, with the CBDC offering little that existing bank apps, fintech wallets and mobile money platforms were not already providing more conveniently.

Rather than competing directly with these established platforms, the CBN now wants the eNaira to become part of the infrastructure that underpins Nigeria’s digital payments ecosystem. The strategy, which runs through 2028, places the CBDC alongside initiatives such as open banking, digital identity and cross-border payments frameworks.

The rethink comes amid a broader strategic shift at the CBN under Governor Olayemi Cardoso, who has prioritised stabilisation, trade facilitation and investor confidence.

The PSV 2028 framework, unveiled at a gathering of banking executives and fintech operators in Abuja on June 1, aims to position Nigeria among Africa’s leading payment ecosystems by promoting faster, safer digital transactions and strengthening cross-border payment systems under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The path forward for the e-naira will focus on government-to-person (G2P) payments, such as welfare disbursements and subsidies, as well as cross-border settlements. “Routing every government payment through the eNaira is where the plan argues with itself,” noted one analysis of the strategy, pointing to the tension between the CBDC’s past failures and its future ambitions.

The repositioning reflects a quiet admission that Africa’s first CBDC experiment, once hailed as a landmark step toward a cashless economy, has fallen short of its original promise. Now, the CBN is betting that a more utilitarian role can salvage the project.

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Tunisia’s state-backed ANAVA fund has invested USD 4 M in Qatar-based Rasmal Innovation Fund, strengthening ties between North African and Gulf investment ecosystems. Rasmal, which recently secured backing from the Qatar Investment Authority’s USD 1 B fund-of-funds program, focuses on early to growth-stage startups across MENA in fintech, SaaS, healthtech, and logistics.

The partnership aims to channel international capital into Tunisian startups. Rasmal partner Soumaya Ben Beya Dridje, a former ANAVA employee, brings local expertise to the fund, which has already invested in Tunisian water-tech company Aqua Development.

“This reflects our commitment to growing Tunisia’s tech ecosystem,” said ANAVA, which is supported by the World Bank, BII, and KfW.

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Circle Ventures, the investment arm of USDC stablecoin issuer Circle, has invested in the USD 20 M African Blockchain Fund run by CV VC (Crypto Valley Venture Capital), marking a pivotal bet on Africa’s growing stablecoin-driven digital asset ecosystem.

The Cayman-Islands–domiciled fund focuses on early-stage African startups using blockchain for fintech, payments, and data infrastructure. This shift towards infrastructure investment follows a wave of crypto exchange shutdowns across the continent, as capital now flows to startups tackling structural issues like currency volatility, cross-border payment friction, and financial exclusion.

Launched in 2022 by CV VC Africa Managing Partner Gideon Greaves, the African Blockchain Fund has previously backed ventures in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. Circle’s participation signals growing confidence from global players that Africa’s digital asset future will be built on stablecoin-powered utility rather than speculative trading.

This comes as stablecoins now account for 43% of all crypto transaction volume in sub-Saharan Africa, according to Chainalysis, with Nigerians receiving UD 24 B in stablecoins in 2024 alone; the second highest globally.

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Some customers write a bad review. Sometimes a brand fights back. And sometimes, the fight becomes headline news.

In an era where a single tweet, TikTok, or Facebook post can dent a brand’s reputation, some African companies have taken “defending their name” to extremes; dragging customers and critics to court, threatening multimillion-dollar suits, or even involving police.

From tomato paste makers and biscuit brands to beauty labels and smartphone giants, these five African companies turned what should have been minor customer complaints into full-blown legal battles, and in the process, showed just how thin the line is between defending reputation and torching it.

Here are real cases revealing the perilous line between protecting reputation and silencing dissent:

1. Erisco Foods vs. Chioma Okoli (Nigeria)

In September 2023, Chioma Okoli, a consumer in Lagos, posted a Facebook review claiming that Erisco’s Nagiko Tomato Mix tasted “too much sugar”.

What followed was a chain of legal actions. Erisco filed a petition, the Police arrested Okoli, and the matter turned into a full-blown court case.

Erisco’s CEO, Eric Umeofia, made some forceful statements:

“I am pursuing legal charges against her because I have a conscience. Is she right to falsely criticise my product, and people are supporting her?,” he fumed. “I have over 3000 people in my factory; indirectly, we are paying 20,000 people. I cannot allow this type of ‘syndicate’ to come and destroy my business.”

Okoli’s legal representation countered strongly. She has threatened to demand NGN 500 M (~USD 334 K at current rates) from Erisco for violation of her human rights, saying the company’s actions went far beyond what is reasonable.

The saga has become a lightning rod in Nigeria for debates about weaponising cybercrime laws to muzzle legitimate consumer criticism.

This case also highlighted the potential for the Cybercrime Act in Nigeria to be used in defamation or “misinformation” cases, raising concerns among consumer rights advocates, activists, and legal experts about the chilling effects on legitimate criticism.

2. Nuvita Biscuits vs. TikTok Reviewer (Kenya)

Back in 2018, Kenyan TikTokers and Facebook users began complaining that Nuvita’s biscuits were “shrinking” in size while prices rose.

When a popular content creator posted a sarcastic video showing a tiny biscuit in her palm, Nuvita hit back. They issued public denials, flagging takedown requests, and allegedly pressuring the influencer’s agency to silence her.

The dispute escalated into public rows, removal requests for ads, and reported attempts to pressure or discredit the critic, a classic example of a brand pushing back at a consumer’s public review and commentary.

Rather than quelling the backlash, Nuvita’s combative stance supercharged it, with memes, boycott hashtags, and coverage in Kenyan business outlets dissecting its PR blunder.

The incident became a textbook cautionary tale for Kenyan marketers on the dangers of escalating snarky reviews into corporate vendettas.

3. Van Deventer Inc vs. Sizwe Mdakane (South Africa)

In 2023, a South African law firm, Van Deventer Inc, attempted to use the courts to silence a former client, Sizwe Mdakane, after he posted a negative review of the firm’s service on Google Reviews.

Mdakane complained that the advice he received from junior practitioners at the firm was poor. The firm believed this criticism “implied it was unprofessional, dishonest and untrustworthy,” and sought a court order to force the removal of the post and restrain Mdakane from making further comments.

The Gauteng High Court rejected the application. Judge Stuart Wilson, in his ruling, stressed that what matters in defamation isn’t necessarily the intent of the critic, but how a “reasonable reader of ordinary intelligence” would interpret the statement. He found that Mdakane’s comments, while critical, did not meet the legal threshold for defamation that justifies gagging speech.

The judgment was hailed by legal commentators as a landmark win for consumer speech in South Africa.

4. Native Child Africa vs. Beauty Influencer (South Africa)

In 2021, South African haircare brand Native Child Africa sought an interdict (court injunction) against a local beauty influencer who had posted Instagram Stories calling its products unsafe.

The company argued the posts were false and defamatory; the court granted an interim interdict forcing the influencer to stop posting any further criticism pending full trial.

Consumer-rights groups criticised the move as “corporate censorship via lawfare,” warning it could chill honest product reviews.

The case underscored how South African defamation law can be used pre-emptively to muzzle critics, even before any full evidence hearing.

5. OPPO Kenya vs. AIfluence / Influencers

A more modern twist on review-based conflict is playing out in the influencer economy. In early 2025, OPPO Kenya sued the marketing agency AIfluence over a dispute triggered by content creators who claimed they were not paid for their work promoting OPPO’s Reno12 series campaign.

Influencers like Flaqo Raz publicly shared that they had created three months’ worth of content in only two weeks under pressure from OPPO and AIfluence, only for payments to be delayed or not delivered, even five months later.

OPPO Kenya insists it fulfilled its obligations to AIfluence, making an initial 50 % down payment, then the remaining 50% once work was complete, on 25 October 2024.

Still, with unpaid influencers complaining, OPPO filed suit alleging defamation and brand damage due to the agency’s failure.

The earlier mentioned Flaqo, put it plainly: “How you both have handled the influencer team is absolutely disappointing and downright shameful.”

OPPO insists it paid AIfluence in full and accused the agency of defamation for letting unpaid influencers tarnish its brand.

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Gregory Rockson, founder and chief executive of Ghanaian health technology firm mPharma, is stepping down after 11 years, the founder has revealed. He will transition to the role of Chairman of the board, while Chief Operating Officer Kwesi Arhin will be promoted to CEO, effective Sept. 1, 2025.

The leadership change at one of Africa’s most prominent healthtech startups follows a period of significant restructuring, including a major round of layoffs and a strategic shift toward operational efficiency and new markets.

Arhin, who joined mPharma in 2021 and most recently served as COO, will take the helm. His background in finance and global consulting is seen as aligning with the company’s renewed focus on a disciplined growth model.

The move is a common transition for venture-backed startups, where founders move to a strategic board role as the company matures.

The CEO change caps a volatile period for the company. In September 2023, mPharma laid off approximately 150 employees, which Rockson at the time linked to macroeconomic challenges and a severe devaluation of Nigeria’s currency.

Months later, in January 2024, the company secured USD 13.6 M in new funding from investors, including the Sanofi Global Health Unit Impact Fund.

That capital has supported a strategic pivot, including a recent push into Francophone Africa, where the company reported an annualised revenue run rate of USD 1.5 M within seven months.

Founded in 2014, mPharma manages a network of pharmacies and clinics to improve access to affordable medicine. It has raised over USD 65 M to date and operates in several African countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya.

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The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has announced its decision to revoke the licenses of 42 television stations. Citing a persistent failure to comply with regulatory requirements, the move signals a continued effort by the CA to enforce the provisions of the Kenya Information and Communications Act (Cap. 411).

The stations have been given a seven-day notice to cease operations, with all broadcast resources reverting to the Authority. It is not clear when the licences will be revoked, because the statement was issued on August 22, but gazetted on September 12. So far, most of the TV stations listed are still in operation.

The revocation, announced by CA Director-General David Mugonyi, is the latest in a series of actions aimed at sanitising the broadcasting sector. This follows a similar crackdown in 2024, when the Authority revoked the licenses of 75 TV and radio stations.

The current list of affected broadcasters includes well-known outlets such as Mount Kenya TV, owned by politician Purity Ngirici and her husband; NAI TV, owned by renown media personality Jimmi Gathu; Wananchi TV, owned by Wananchi Group, which also owns ISP Zuku; Fanaka TV, owned by politician and former cabinet secretary Moses Kuria, and Metropol TV, owned by the parent company that also owns credit reference bureau Metropol.

According to a statement from the CA, the reasons for the revocations are wide-ranging but centre on critical regulatory breaches. These include the failure to pay license fees, non-compliance with licensing conditions, and in some cases, a complete cessation of operations. The Authority maintains that these measures are essential to uphold broadcasting standards and ensure a fair and transparent media environment.

The directive has raised concerns about the future of many smaller and independent media houses. For the affected stations, the immediate implication is a total shutdown of their operations, rendering them unable to broadcast or provide any services. For Zuku in particular, this will curtail one of their critical value-add services.

While the affected stations have the option to appeal, the CA’s stance indicates that the path to reinstatement will be challenging. This action underscores the CA’s commitment to holding all broadcasters accountable, regardless of their size or reach.

Here is the full list of affected stations:

Apple Truth Television owned by Apple Truth Television Network Limited
Metropol TV owned by Comprehensive Business Media Limited
Corporate Media TV owned by Corporate Media Communications
DG TV owned by Dominion Generation Limited
Doxa TV owned by Doxa Television
Dunamis KTV owned by Dunamis Television Network Limited
Masai TV owned by Enaang Maa TV Limited
Ezra Christian TV owned by Ezra Christian TV Limited
Fanaka TV owned by Fanaka Television Limited
Faith Estate TV owned by Fort Hall College Limited
Talent TV owned by Gates Africa Education Trust
Champion TV owned by Heroes Communications Limited
ILM TV owned by ILM Media Limited
NAI TV owned by JimmiGathu Incorporated Limited
The Mirror Television owned by Jmax Media Services Limited
Ziwa TV owned by Jusga Wanjira Construction Limited
Kingdom Ambassadors TV owned by Kingdom Ambassadors Media Group
Limited
Uboro TV owned by Kirinyaga Multimedia College
Kokwo Television owned by Kokwo Radio International Limited
Bulsho TV owned by Lufman Company Limited
Manifestation TV owned by Manifestation TV Limited
Mount Kenya TV owned by Mount Kenya Media Limited
Limited Pillar TV owned by Mt. Kenya Blessings Company
Tourism and Wildlife TV (Safari Channel) owned by Next Options Limited

Ongatet owned by Ongatet Television Network
Mbugi TV owned by Outcom Media Limited
Safina Television owned by Safina T.V Limited
Shakaal Television owned by Shakaal Media Network Limited
Sugan TV owned by Sugan Media Group
Tama TV owned by Tama Media Group Limited
Sawa Television owned by Tano Entertainment Network
The Word Music TV owned by The Word Music Limited
Soko TV owned by Thirties Media Limited
Thjiwe TV owned by Thstone Television Limited
Tem TV owned by Triple Edge Media Limited
Ukweli TV Kenya owned by Ukweli Sounds and Video Limited
Value TV owned by Valutel Limited
Wananchi TV owned by Wananchi Television Network Limited
009 TV owned by 009 Television Limited
Ability TV owned by Ability Channel Limited
Ace TV owned by Ace Television Limited
Superflex Television owned by Admerline Construction Limited

Featured Image Courtesy: New Frame

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As the world accelerates toward cleaner energy and transport, Morocco is cementing its place on the global clean energy map with a landmark agreement to host Africa’s first battery gigafactory.

Backed by a USD 5.6 B investment from China’s Gotion High-Tech, the project is set to transform the North African kingdom into a major supplier of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage, a strategic leap for both Morocco and the continent.

The gigafactory will be located in Kenitra, northwest Morocco, an industrial hub already home to major carmakers. Construction is underway, with production expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026.

The plant’s first phase will deliver 20 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually, enough to power hundreds of thousands of EVs. At full capacity, the factory is designed to reach 100 GWh, placing Morocco among the world’s largest producers of advanced batteries.

A Mega-Project with Mega Impact

With a total projected cost of USD 6.5 B, the gigafactory ranks among the largest industrial projects ever launched in Africa. The initial phase alone involves USD 1.3 B in investment and is expected to create 17,000 direct and indirect jobs. Over the course of five development stages, the project is expected to employ more than 10,000 workers directly.

Unlike many assembly plants that depend on imported parts, the Kenitra facility plans to also produce cathodes and anodes, the critical components of lithium-ion batteries. This vertical integration reduces Morocco’s reliance on foreign supply chains and adds a layer of security and cost competitiveness that few other regions in Africa, or even Europe, can currently match.

“This is not just about production capacity,” said Khalid Qalam, Gotion’s Moroccan director, who confirmed that earthworks are complete and construction is set to accelerate. “It’s about building an entire value chain in Morocco that serves Europe, Africa, and beyond.”

Morocco at the Crossroads of the Energy Transition

For Morocco, the gigafactory is a strategic play. The country has spent the last decade diversifying beyond agriculture and textiles, and its automotive sector is already leading its exports, making it Africa’s leading car producer. In 2024, Morocco’s car industry posted record overseas sales of MAD 157 B (USD 15.7 B), cementing its place as the European Union’s top automotive supplier, surpassing China, Japan, and India.

With Europe preparing to ban new fossil fuel cars by 2035, demand for EV batteries is surging. Morocco is uniquely positioned to meet that demand. Around 85% of the gigafactory’s output will be exported to Europe, offering the bloc a reliable alternative to Asian supply routes that have dominated the sector.

The project also strengthens Morocco’s ties with global automakers already present in the country, including Renault and Stellantis, while opening opportunities to serve the fast-growing market for renewable energy storage in Africa and the Middle East.

Overall, the factory aligns with Morocco’s national strategy to retain skilled talent, foster innovation, and reduce economic dependence on traditional sectors. By pivoting toward high-tech industries, Morocco is securing its position in the future global economy.

China’s Strategic Play in Africa

The gigafactory underscores China’s deepening role in Africa’s industrial future. Gotion High-Tech, a leading battery producer, is spearheading the project, but it is not alone. Other Chinese companies, including BTR, CNGR, Hailiang, and Shinzoom, are investing heavily in Morocco’s battery and materials sector, setting up Morocco as a strategic hub for green technology in North Africa.

For Beijing, this is part of a larger strategy: pairing infrastructure and industrial investment to reshape global clean energy supply chains. Morocco’s location just across the Mediterranean from Europe makes it a natural bridgehead for China’s ambitions.

Meanwhile, China’s role in Morocco’s gigafactory is part of a wider push across Africa, where it has steadily expanded from railways and ports to energy and industrial projects in countries like Nigeria.

The implications extend far beyond Morocco. By hosting Africa’s first battery gigafactory, the country is setting a precedent for how the continent can move up the value chain from exporting raw minerals to manufacturing advanced clean technologies.

Ultimately, the Morocco-China partnership is more than an industrial deal. It is a symbol of a new era in which African nations are emerging as active players in the global energy transition. By anchoring the continent’s first battery gigafactory, Morocco has positioned itself as a bridge between Africa, Europe, and Asia in one of the century’s most strategic industries.

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The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has committed USD 10 M to the Novastar Ventures Africa People and Planet Fund III, managed by Novastar Ventures.

JICA is co-investing with British International Investment and other development finance institutions as well as financial and strategic investors in the private sector, including Japanese corporates.

The project will finance startups engaged in impactful businesses via investing in Novastar, a leader of the venture capital market and startup ecosystem in Africa. It aims to empower people through economic and social inclusion, promote sustainable and climate-positive economic activities, and thereby contribute to economic development and addressing social challenges in Africa.

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Renewable energy platform Odyssey Energy Solutions has secured a USD 7.5 M funding facility from British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution. The investment will accelerate the deployment of solar mini-grids across Nigeria, tackling a critical energy access challenge where 90 million people lack reliable electricity.

The funding supports Nigeria’s DARES program—a government initiative backed by the World Bank—aiming to provide power to 17.5 million Nigerians via 1,500 solar mini-grids and 1.5 million solar home systems. Odyssey’s digital platform streamlines project management, equipment financing, and real-time monitoring for developers and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

“BII’s support helps us offer flexible financing to scale clean energy access,” said Piyush Mathur, Odyssey Co-Founder.

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Swyft, a Cameroon-based logistics tech startup, has received a pre-seed investment from the University of Michigan International Investment Fund (IIF) to scale its B2B and B2C delivery services across Africa.

Founded in 2019, the IIF backs SMEs in emerging markets. Swyft, which specializes in first-to-last mile logistics, will use the funding to expand operations and enhance its tech platform.

“This partnership validates our mission to modernize African logistics,” said Franck Batchadji, Swyft’s CEO. The IIF praised Swyft’s potential to transform delivery services in Cameroon and beyond.

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Cape Town venture capital firm HAVAÍC has secured USD 25 M toward its USD 50 M African Innovation Fund 3, with major backing from financial services group Sanlam Multi-Manager. The fund targets 15 early-stage African tech startups with global potential, focusing on fintech, agritech and other high-growth sectors.

The investment marks Sanlam’s first significant move into South Africa’s VC space, joining existing backers Fireball Capital and the SA SME Fund. HAVAÍC has already deployed capital from the fund, including USD 1 M investments in SAPay (digitising taxi payments) and sports analytics platform Sportable. These join earlier 2025 investments in pan-African payments platform NjiaPay and livestock trading platform SwiftVEE.

The announcement follows several successful exits from HAVAÍC’s portfolio, most notably emergency response tech firm RapidDeploy’s acquisition by Motorola Solutions; one of South Africa’s largest tech exits. Another portfolio company, hearX Group, recently merged with hearing tech firm Eargo in a USD 100 M deal.

With its current portfolio already serving 22 million customers across 183 countries, HAVAÍC is positioning itself as a key player in Africa’s growing VC landscape. The firm plans to continue identifying and supporting African tech entrepreneurs building scalable solutions, with particular interest in businesses that can expand across multiple African markets and beyond. The remaining USD 25 M of the fund is expected to be raised in the coming months.

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As Netflix and Amazon Prime retreat from Nigeria’s original content scene, two of Nollywood’s biggest players, Inkblot Studios and Filmhouse Group, are betting that the time is finally right for a homegrown streaming service. Their joint venture, Kava, is set to launch in August 2025, promising a curated library of Nollywood films and series backed by scale, strategy, and a touch of realism.

At first glance, it’s an ambitious leap. Kava enters a streaming landscape littered with cautionary tales—iROKOtv chief among them—while global streamers pull back on African investments and creators increasingly pivot to YouTube in search of monetisation and autonomy.

But Kava’s founders insist they’ve learned from past failures. And rather than chase Netflix’s scale or Iroko’s first-mover status, they’re building for depth—with a model that leans on high-quality local content, diaspora appeal, and a sustainable, multi-platform ecosystem.

“We’re not just streaming films. We’re fueling careers and building an infrastructure for African storytelling,” says Kene Okwuosa, Kava’s co-CEO and head of Filmhouse Group.

Filmhouse boasts West Africa’s largest cinema chain and controls a vertically integrated studio-distribution network through FilmOne. Inkblot Studios, behind hits like The Set Up and Up North, was the first Nigerian production house to ink licensing deals with both Netflix and Amazon.

The platform launches with over 30 premium Nollywood titles and promises fresh drops weekly. Featured titles include Alakada Bad and Boujee, Owambe Thieves, What About Us, and House Job. Originals are in the pipeline, and Kava eventually plans to scale beyond Nigeria to tell stories across Africa.

But more than content, the founders say, Kava is a “digital infrastructure” project; a way to centralise Nollywood’s fractured monetisation channels, serve fans directly, and offer creators fairer economics than the ad-driven instability of YouTube or the bureaucratic lag of foreign licensing.

“When we deliver content at scale to audiences beyond ourselves, they’ll fall in love with the stories. They just don’t know it yet,” says Inkblot’s Chinaza Onuzo, who serves as Kava’s co-CEO.

Kava arrives at a transitional moment. Netflix and Prime Video have dialled back their local originals after a brief Nollywood shopping spree between 2020 and 2022. What’s hitting screens now, like Kemi Adetiba’s To Kill A Monkey, are the last remnants of that era. New commissions have slowed to a crawl.

This vacuum has driven creators to YouTube, where lighter, faster productions offer greater creative control and instant ad payouts. But the economics remain brutal. CPMs in Nigeria hover around USD 1.00, and a star actor might cost millions of naira, meaning millions of weekly views are required to break even, let alone profit.

Subscription platforms (SVODs) aren’t much better. iROKOtv, once hailed as the “Netflix of Africa,” spent over USD 100 M trying to crack the Nigerian market, only to retreat in 2023 and pivot to diaspora users in the U.S. and U.K. Its active user base peaked at under 200,000. Even its founder Jason Njoku now insists: “SVOD can’t work here.”

Fresh attempts at wooing the diaspora indicate a push for untapped opportunities, however. Roughly five million Nigerians live abroad, sending more than USD 20 B home every year. They’re already used to subscriptions and hungry for high-quality content that reflects their culture. Kava, along with other newcomer rivals, such as EbonlyLife ON Plus, is chasing that niche.

Kava’s leadership sees itself less as a Netflix clone and more of a niche but deeply committed hub for loyal fans. Product chief Damola Ademola compares the model to anime or horror streaming services like Shudder: “African movies can easily be just like that,” he told TechCabal.

Funding is in motion. A friends-and-family round has already closed, with institutional backing from TLG Capital and VestedWorld. More capital will be instrumental in expanding Kava’s footprint across Africa and into the U.K. and Europe. Yet even with funding, no one is pretending this will be easy.

Feature Image Credits: BusinessDayNG

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Egypt’s Elmenus, an online food discovery platform, has appointed Walid El-Saadany as its new chief executive officer, replacing founder Amir Allam after more than a decade leading the company.

The announcement marks a leadership handover at a time when the food-tech platform is planning to expand across more cities and invest in new digital infrastructure.

El-Saadany, who will also join the board of directors, is expected to guide the company through a new phase focused on scaling operations, integrating artificial intelligence, and building closer relationships with restaurant partners.

He takes over from Amir Allam, who founded Elmenus in 2011 with USD 5 K and a small team, and built it into one of the country’s best-known platforms for food discovery and delivery. Allam will remain on the board and stay involved in the company’s strategic direction.

Allam, reflecting on the transition, said he felt the timing was right to step back from day-to-day leadership. “What began with a laptop and two people has become a household brand that has impacted millions of users, created jobs for tens of thousands,” he said. “It is now the right time to pass the baton as the company enters a new phase.”

The company says Elmenus now reaches over 8.5 million users annually and works with more than 12,000 restaurants across four cities, with 1,000 of those currently offering online ordering. It has raised USD 30 M in funding from regional and global investors, including Careem and Global Ventures.

El-Saadany enters the role with nearly two decades of experience in tech, logistics, and venture-backed startups. He previously led Otlob through two key acquisitions, first by Foodpanda and later by Delivery Hero, which eventually rebranded the platform as Talabat. His background is seen as a key asset as Elmenus looks to strengthen its operational structure and broaden its market reach.

At Elmenus, he is expected to focus on expanding the platform’s presence beyond Cairo, Alexandria, and Giza into underserved cities and towns, where Elmenus plans to onboard more than 4,000 new restaurants in the coming period.

As part of the strategy, Elmenus plans to roll out AI-driven features aimed at improving restaurant discovery, delivery times, and offering more personalised recommendations to users. These changes are aimed at increasing efficiency while helping restaurant partners manage operations, pricing, and customer engagement more effectively.

Part of the company’s roadmap also includes investment in local talent development and workforce training, with initiatives that include upskilling riders and developers, as well as supporting small restaurant operators and women-led kitchens.

The leadership shift comes as Egypt’s food delivery and digital payments markets continue to grow, driven by rising smartphone adoption, fintech expansion, and increased demand for convenience and local service. Elmenus is positioning itself to benefit from those trends by enhancing both its consumer experience and its back-end tools for restaurants.

El-Saadany is expected to focus on execution and scale, with an eye toward long-term stability in a competitive and fast-moving market.

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