Author: Victor Olayiwola

Hannington Mambo had just finished presenting his vision to a room full of potential backers. He had laid out the technical framework, the capabilities, and the long-term roadmap for FasterDev—a platform he had built to strip away the complexities of software development. The ambition was undeniable. But the language was dense, the concepts abstract, and the investors seemed lost in the weeds of jargon. The meeting ended without a check. As Hannington gathered his belongings, one investor lingered, approaching him just outside the conference hall. While the rest of the room had seen a tangled web of technicalities, this one…

Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, has issued a clarion call for African nations to tap into their vast domestic financial resources—pension funds, insurance reserves, local savings, and diaspora remittances—to finance the continent’s industrial transformation and create sustainable employment. Speaking at the Emerging Markets Forum in Abuja, Cardoso painted a sobering picture of the current global capital landscape. “Capital has become selective and impatient,” he warned, stressing that the shifting international economic order demands a fundamental rethink of development strategy for emerging economies. His address comes at a time when African governments are grappling with tightening global financial conditions,…

Clydestone Ghana has filed a high-stakes lawsuit against Africa’s largest telecommunications operator, MTN Group, along with its Ghanaian subsidiary and MobileMoney Fintech Limited (MMFL), alleging that its proprietary intellectual property was unlawfully used to build MTN Mobile Money (MoMo)—now one of the continent’s most successful digital payment platforms. The company confirmed in a July 28 statement that it had formally commenced legal proceedings by filing a writ of summons and statement of claim at Ghana’s High Court on July 27. The Players Clydestone Ghana, part of the wider Clydestone group with offices in Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya, holds the distinction…

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme, has joined forces with pan-African tech firm Gebeya to unveil the CANEX Create-thon 2026—a high-energy competition designed to empower African creators to develop original music, video, and gaming projects. The initiative comes with a combined prize purse of US$50,000, backed by technical support, computing resources, and mentorship, all condensed into a four-day creation sprint. The competition is open to creators at every level—amateurs, emerging talents, and established professionals—across the African continent. Participants, whether individuals or teams, will develop working creative projects on Gebeya’s Dala Studio platform during the…

The African Export-Import Bank has successfully tapped international capital markets with a new U.S. dollar-denominated bond issuance, a move that its top treasury executive describes as a resounding vote of confidence from global investors in both the institution’s track record and the continent’s long-term economic promise. Chandi Mwenebungu, who steers the bank’s treasury operations as Managing Director of Treasury and Markets and Group Treasurer, characterized the offering as unmistakable market validation. “The enthusiastic reception tells us that the investment community remains firmly behind our mission and sees genuine value in Africa’s growth story,” he remarked. “Our core mandate remains unchanged—channeling…

For Phiwayinkhosi Mavuso, founder and CEO of Greenhill Estates PTY Ltd, farming is about more than just putting seeds in the ground. It’s about building an ecosystem—one where quality preservation, waste reduction, and market access are just as critical as cultivation itself. That philosophy has driven Mavuso to transform Greenhill Estates from a traditional farming operation into a modern, export-oriented agribusiness that serves Eswatini’s domestic market while positioning itself for international expansion. The company currently produces high-grade vegetables for local consumers, but its sights are firmly set on exporting fresh fruit, baby vegetables, and conventional produce that meet rigorous global…

Sundance Resources, the Australian mining giant, and its Cameroonian subsidiary Cam Iron have secured a major legal triumph—a USD 616 million arbitral award against the Republic of Cameroon—following a bitter, years-long battle over the rights to one of Central Africa’s most coveted iron ore deposits. The ruling, delivered by the ICC International Court of Arbitration after hearings in Paris back in January 2025, was formally communicated to Sundance on July 26. The company confirmed that the tribunal had found in its favor, upholding complaints that Cameroon had reneged on its obligations concerning the exploitation permit for the flagship Mbalam-Nabeba project.…

For Zimbabwean entrepreneur Tawanda Maruza, solar technology is far more than a clean alternative to an unreliable electricity grid—it is the baseline infrastructure needed to unlock local commerce and community resilience. Through his venture, Ex Africa Energy, Maruza is deploying affordable solar power systems across residential, commercial, and off-grid sectors in Zimbabwe. His strategy positions renewable installations not as luxury upgrades, but as high-return investments that allow small businesses to stay operational and essential public services to run without interruption. Key Pillars of the Ex Africa Energy Impact Model Unlocking Business Productivity: Powering small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to prevent…

In Mozambique’s rapidly evolving business ecosystem, technology adoption is moving from an operational luxury to a core requirement for survival. However, for many small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs), implementing digital tools without a clear strategy leads to wasted capital and security vulnerabilities. To solve this challenge, digital transformation consultant and cybersecurity specialist Matilde Mawelele Rungo founded RealityTech Advisory in 2024—a Mozambique-based consultancy designed to build practical, affordable, and sustainable technology roadmaps for businesses and startups. A Strategy-First Approach to Digital Innovation Rather than pushing high-cost international software suites, RealityTech Advisory focuses on alignment, accessibility, and organizational readiness: Tailored Digital Solutions: Designing custom,…

Combining senior corporate finance experience with digital innovation, French-based Ivorian executive Cephas Doudou is modernizing West Africa’s circular economy through his digital classifieds platform, Fizz Côte d’Ivoire. Launched in 2024, Fizz is a peer-to-peer marketplace engineered specifically to extend the life cycle of consumer goods, promote sustainability, and provide a secure, fraud-resistant environment for local buying and selling. How the Platform Works The marketplace addresses key pain points typical of informal online trade in West Africa: Seller Control: Sellers maintain full autonomy over their inventories—setting listing prices, uploading verified photos, and choosing whether to accept or reject incoming bids. Geolocation…