Author: Samuel Suru

Angola has quietly achieved a remarkable milestone, establishing itself as the strongest startup ecosystem in Central Africa and ranking first in the region ahead of countries like Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025. This success is particularly notable because it occurred without the massive venture capital funding rounds or the “unicorn” media hype prevalent in other African tech hubs. The key to the Angolan founders’ achievement is a pragmatic philosophy: they prioritize solving fundamental, unglamorous problems using sustainable, profitable business models. This foundational approach guides the country’s leading companies. Instead of…

As anticipation builds for the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 tournament, TECNO has unveiled an exciting nationwide contest dubbed the #MyPowerMoment Challenge. This initiative is designed to highlight and celebrate the indomitable spirit, creativity, and resilience of Nigerians, offering participants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The challenge is running for one week, from November 28 to December 5, 2025, and invites content creators, dedicated football supporters, and everyday Nigerians to share their most impactful personal stories for a chance to secure the grand prize: an all-expenses-paid trip to Morocco to witness the AFCON 2025 finals in person. This contest is…

Orange Sierra Leone, the mobile market leader with 51% market share and 3.04 million subscribers, has significantly scaled its network infrastructure by inaugurating a new backup datacenter in the southern city of Bo. This strategic investment of €23 million ($26.7 million) creates an identical replica of its main datacenter in Freetown, designed to function as a crucial disaster-recovery hub. Enhancing Network Resilience and Availability The primary purpose of the new facility, inaugurated on November 29, is to prevent emergencies, outages, or natural disasters—such as the landslides and recurrent flooding that often affect Freetown—from disrupting digital services across the country. Strategic…

Nairobi has been named the third most attractive city in Africa in the second edition of a new urban index, marking a notable rise despite recent socio-political tensions. The report, which evaluated 30 African cities, highlighted several key drivers for Nairobi’s improved standing: its ambition to position itself as a continental tech hub, ongoing major infrastructure and mobility projects, and sustained attractiveness to investors.  Ranking Methodology and Context The index assesses African metropolises using a mix of objective economic indicators and resident perceptions. Data points analyzed include Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows between 2020 and 2023 and surveys of over…

South African biotech startup Immobazyme has successfully secured an additional R25 million ($1.45 million) in growth funding, which doubles its total capital raised to date to R50 million (approximately $2.9 million). This significant investment is a direct response to the mounting pressure on Africa’s pharmaceutical sector to localize supply chains and reduce its heavy reliance on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The round was led by the University Technology Fund (UTF II), with participation from returning investor University of Stellenbosch Enterprises (USE) and new strategic backer Fireball Capital.  Precision Fermentation for Biologics Founded in 2019 as a spin-off from Stellenbosch…

South African agritech pioneer SwiftVEE has successfully closed a Series A funding round, raising R173 million ($10.1 million). The capital is specifically earmarked to support the company’s strategic expansion into financial services, integrating Fintech, Insurance, and data products directly into its core marketplace. The round was co-led by African venture capital firm HAVAÍC and private equity firm Exeo Capital.  Strategic Investors for Embedded Finance The investor composition strongly emphasizes the company’s shift toward embedded finance. The round saw participation from existing investors, including fund managers Mike Kirsten and Carlo Dickson, and private investment vehicle Zire Africa. Most notably, Iain Williamson,…

NjiaPay, a South Africa-based spin-out startup, is rapidly gaining traction by simplifying how businesses across Africa manage the complexity of their digital transactions. The startup, which emerged from the communications app Talk360 in December 2024, operates a unique payments management platform. According to CEO Jonatan Allback, NjiaPay’s core value lies in owning the complexity for the client, providing a single solution that sits above traditional Payment Service Providers (PSPs). Funding, Model, and Traction NjiaPay closed an oversubscribed US$1.3 million pre-seed funding round in January 2025, led by HAVAIC, with participation from Renew Capital and various African and European angel investors.…

Zazu, a pan-African digital financial operating system tailored exclusively for entrepreneurs and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), has successfully closed a $1 million pre-seed funding round. The capital was secured from a mix of leading African and European investors, including Plug and Play Ventures, and several influential angel investors and founders from firms like Launch Africa Ventures and Solarisbank. This investment will accelerate Zazu’s rollout in its initial markets, South Africa and Morocco, positioning the company for a broader pan-African expansion scheduled for 2026. Financial OS for the ‘Missing Middle’ Founded by former Solarisbank executives, Zazu is building a “Mercury-style”…

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has been named Nigeria’s Best SME Focused Bank for 2025 by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). This significant recognition was presented at the 60th Annual Bankers Dinner in Lagos on November 28, 2025. The award highlights FCMB’s strong role in supporting small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the country. The bank’s leadership in this critical sector is underscored by its impressive contribution: FCMB holds a 24% share of the banking industry’s total ₦1.8 trillion SME disbursement for 2024, showcasing its substantial commitment to financing Nigerian entrepreneurs and driving economic growth.

Lipaworld is a Pan-African borderless financial platform founded in 2023 by Jonathan Katende and Victor Bagu, both immigrants who experienced the high cost and difficulty of moving money across borders. The platform is designed for individuals and businesses in emerging markets, especially immigrants, freelancers, and small businesses, enabling them to earn, spend, and send money seamlessly. The company uses a mobile app and business dashboard to offer a comprehensive solution that combines stablecoin rails with a curated merchant network. Key features include a self-custodial stablecoin wallet, a virtual USD bank account for receiving international payments, yield generation capabilities, and stablecoin-linked…