Author: Victor Olayiwola

BARCELONA, Spain, March 3, 2026 Cassava Technologies (www.CassavaTechnologies.com), a global technology leader of African heritage, has announced the launch of Cassava Autonomous Network, an agentic solution designed to significantly improve network performance across Africa. This solution is the first African-ready, autonomous network designed to self-optimise mobile Radio Access Networks (RAN) and built specifically for the unique complexities of Africa’s connectivity landscape. Powered by NVIDIA AI infrastructure, NVIDIA NIM microservices (https://apo-opa.co/407MEpV), and NVIDIA Network Configuration Blueprint, Cassava Autonomous Network offers policy-driven automation that replaces manual network adjustments with continuous, intelligent optimisations, reducing operational bottlenecks and increasing efficiency by up to 75%. Cassava…

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 3, 2026 VUKA Group (https://WeAreVUKA.com) announces a strategic partnership between the Standard Transfer Specification Association (STSA) and the DLMS User Association (DLMS UA) to advance secure, interoperable, and future-ready smart metering systems. The collaboration bridges legacy prepaid electricity meters with modern smart metering, aligning STS token technology with the widely adopted DLMS/COSEM data model. This enables utilities to modernize while protecting existing investments, ensuring secure data exchange and strengthened smart prepayment integration. The partnership supports seamless STS token integration with DLMS/COSEM protocols, coordinated roadmap development, and expansion across electricity, water, gas, and time metering applications. With STS recently reaffirmed by the International Electrotechnical Commission…

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 3, 2026 Verdant IMAP (“Verdant”) (www.Verdant-Cap.com) is pleased to announce that it has advised Polysmart Packaging Group (“Polysmart” or the “Company”), a leading integrated recycled food-grade and non-food-grade recycled plastic manufacturer, on the successful close of a USD 5 million strategic equity investment from an African-focused private equity investor. The transaction provides growth capital to optimise operations, enhance production efficiency, and support Polysmart’s expansion into one of Nigeria’s most advanced rPET processing platforms, further positioning Polysmart as a globally competitive circular economy platform serving both domestic and international markets. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Ogun…

KIGALI, Rwanda, March 3, 2026 Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) (www.AfricaBusinessHeroes.org), the flagship philanthropic initiative of Alibaba Philanthropy and the Jack Ma Foundation, has opened applications for its 8th edition, calling on African entrepreneurs who are building businesses defining the continent’s future. Launched under the theme “Defining Africa’s Future Today”, the 2026 edition reinforces ABH’s role as a founder-first platform supporting Africa-led solutions with the ambition, scale, and substance to drive lasting economic transformation. Across the continent, entrepreneurs are solving real problems with bold, innovative solutions—from climate-smart agriculture and digital finance to healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and emerging technologies. Africa’s Business Heroes…

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States of America, March 2, 2026 U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright will return to Powering Africa Summit (PAS), taking place in Washington, D.C. on 19-20 March 2026, where he will take part in a fireside chat focused on energy access and clean cooking. Having provided a keynote address and participated in a fireside chat at the 10th anniversary PAS 2025, Secretary Wright will again join policymakers and industry leaders at this year’s Summit to discuss US-Africa cooperation across energy infrastructure, critical minerals and investment strategies. Building on last year’s focus, ‘The Future of the US & Africa…

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, March 1, 2026 The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) (https://IsDBInstitute.org) is pleased to announce that it has been granted Patent No. 12,548,031 B2 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on 10 February 2026. This milestone marks the Institute’s second USPTO patent and its fifth patent overall, reinforcing its position as a leader in fintech innovation for economic development and Islamic finance. The patent protects an original method for achieving consensus in Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), such as blockchain networks. Named Proof-of-Use (PoU), this mechanism introduces a paradigm shift in how transactions are validated and secured. In a blockchain…

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 2, 2026 Vantage Capital (www.VantageCapital.co.za), Africa’s largest mezzanine debt fund manager, announced that it has made a R635m investment into Commercial Energy South Africa (“CESA”), a subsidiary of SolarAfrica Energy (“SolarAfrica”), a leading South African energy solutions provider, alongside co-investor, Greenpoint Capital. CESA holds commercial & industrial (“C&I”) solar and battery energy assets developed by SolarAfrica. The investment comprises a mezzanine facility which was used to exit Inspired Evolution from CESA, making SolarAfrica the 100% owner of CESA. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, SolarAfrica provides solar-PV, battery storage, energy trading, electricity wheeling…

BENGHAZI, Libya, February 27, 2026 Network International (Network) (https://www.Network.ae), a leading fintech company in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), has signed a processing agreement with Al Seraj Islamic Bank (SIB) to accelerate the bank’s digital transformation and support Libya’s transition toward secure, modern and inclusive financial services. This partnership forms part of a central pillar of SIB’s strategy to expand its footprint, grow market share, and reinforce its position as a leading institution in the Libyan banking sector. Under the agreement, Network International will deliver comprehensive end-to-end digital payment processing solutions to Al Seraj Islamic Bank, including Visa sponsorship,…

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, February 27, 2026 Verdant IMAP (www.Verdant-Cap.com) is pleased to announce that it has advised on the acquisition of a portfolio of South African data centre assets from NTT DATA, by Open Access Data Centres (OADC), a subsidiary of WIOCC Group. NTT operate global technology and digital infrastructure platforms, and the assets form part of their South African data centre operations. The transaction comprises seven data centre facilities, strategically located in key centres across South Africa, forming an important platform within South Africa’s digital infrastructure ecosystem. The assets support enterprise, wholesale, and cloud connectivity requirements and represent critical…

LONDON, United Kingdom, February 26, 2026 Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR, “Marriott”) (www.Marriott.com) announced an exceptional year of growth across Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) in 2025 with more than 230 organic signings representing over 31,000 rooms. Marriott also added 170 properties and nearly 24,000 rooms across EMEA last year, contributing to a 7.8% net rooms growth in the region. “2025 was another strong year for Marriott International in EMEA defined by strategic expansion and segment-wide momentum across the region,” said Satya Anand, President, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. “We continued to grow our portfolio with purpose…