Author: Samuel Suru

The B20 South Africa initiative has unveiled a major $100 million Digital Inclusion Fund, established with the goal of bolstering African entrepreneurs, widening digital availability, and fortifying the continent’s technology ecosystem. This financing vehicle is structured to close the digital gap by offering vital financial and technical resources to startups, small businesses, and innovators, with a primary focus on regions that are currently underserved.  Fund Structure and Support Mechanisms The Digital Inclusion Fund is one of the continent’s most substantial recent commitments to digital entrepreneurship. It will utilize a multi-pronged approach to foster sustainable growth: Financial Support: The core…

Egypt’s government entities are actively participating in early-stage startup investments, having backed at least seven disclosed seed-stage deals in 2025, significantly surpassing the combined efforts of both Kenya (zero direct investments) and Nigeria (one tentative investment). This striking divergence signals fundamentally different national philosophies regarding the state’s strategic role in fostering innovation and deploying capital, particularly crucial at a time when foreign Venture Capital (VC) inflows into Africa have dramatically slowed. The Egyptian approach is highly structured, involving a tiered system of coordinated intervention through multiple state entities. MSMEDA (Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Development Agency), supported by substantial World…

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – The African tech ecosystem celebrated a defining moment this week as Yemi Keri, co-founder of Rising Tide Africa, was awarded the prestigious Angel Investor of the Year award at the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit (AESIS). The accolade recognizes Keri’s relentless dedication to democratizing access to capital, her advocacy for gender-lens investing, and her pivotal role in nurturing early-stage ventures across the continent. The summit, organized annually by VC4A (Venture Capital for Africa) and ABAN (African Business Angel Network), serves as the premier gathering for the continent’s early-stage investor community. This year’s event brought together…

FCMB’s 2025 AgriTech Hackathon, a collaboration with the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank and HeaveVentures, successfully concluded, highlighting its commitment to fostering digital innovation and sustainability within Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.  Hackathon Winners and Focus The initiative was designed to strengthen agritech entrepreneurship by connecting emerging innovators with vital funding, mentorship, and market opportunities. The ultimate goal is to help build a globally competitive, technology-anchored agricultural sector that boosts productivity and food security. The competition featured seven startups presenting diverse solutions for improving production efficiency, market access, and sustainability. Rank Winner Sector Focus Prize 1st Place Qiqi Farms Undisclosed (Overall…

The EMERGING Valley 2025 summit, scheduled for November 26, 2025, at the thecamp campus in Aix-Marseille-Provence, is an international summit focused on strengthening the technology and investment bridges between Europe and Africa, with expanded integration from Asia and the Middle East. Marseille is positioned as a strategic digital hub for this intercontinental cooperation due to its exceptional connectivity via numerous submarine cables. The event is held under the High Patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron.  Core Strategic Pillars The 9th edition of the summit is structured around four main strategic themes for driving innovation and sustainable development across…

The Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) has announced a strategic colocation partnership with Wingu Africa, a leading carrier-neutral data center operator in East Africa, marking a significant step in the utility’s digital transformation. EEU has successfully deployed its essential infrastructure within Wingu Africa’s Tier III-certified facility in Addis Ababa. This collaboration aims to substantially enhance the reliability, security, and efficiency of EEU’s critical digital operations, which serve millions of customers across Ethiopia. The transition represents a major advancement for the EEU, as hosting its infrastructure in this secure, high-availability colocation environment directly strengthens the resilience of its digital services. As EEU…

Jumia, often referred to as the “Amazon of Africa,” recently announced a 7% reduction in its workforce (bringing the headcount down to about 2,010 employees) immediately following the release of a strong Q3 2025 report, which showed revenue increased by 25% to $45.6 million. This move is not a sign of financial failure but is a strategic pivot—the “AI Pivot”—designed to rewrite the traditional growth playbook. Jumia’s CEO, Francis Dufay, is executing a calculated surgery to replace manual, repetitive roles with AI-driven workflows, aiming to create a lean, profitable machine by 2027. The goal is to prove that in modern…

Youth Orientation for Development (YOD) UNESCO has unveiled Project D-100, a major digital empowerment initiative aimed at providing free, essential digital services to 100 schools and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across Africa. Led by YOD UNESCO President Ambassador Emmanuel Ejiogu, the program’s core goal is to bridge the digital divide by equipping underserved institutions with the critical tools necessary to successfully operate and thrive in the modern, interconnected global economy. Godwin Iheuwa, Head of Digital Development at YOD UNESCO and the project’s originator, conceived the initiative to directly address the significant lack of digital visibility and online resources faced…

Nigeria’s capital market is preparing to adopt a shortened settlement timeline, known as T+2, which is scheduled to take effect on November 28, 2025. This transition represents a significant shift from the current three-business-day cycle (T+3) to two business days, a move widely welcomed by the market community as a critical upgrade to enhance efficiency and competitiveness. The T+2 structure means that all payments for securities and the actual transfer of shares will be finalized precisely two business days after a trade is executed. Market operators and analysts stress that this change is essential for reducing settlement delays, significantly cutting…

Revibe, a Dubai-based marketplace specializing in refurbished electronics, has successfully secured $17 million in a Series A funding round led by Partech. The investment, drawn from Partech’s Africa II fund, underscores the Paris-headquartered VC’s continued aggressive deployment strategy across emerging markets. The round also saw participation from e& capital, Burda Principal Investments, and EQNX, alongside existing investors. This deal highlights a growing trend of “cross-border” African tech plays, which strategically combine the higher purchasing power of Gulf markets (like the UAE and Saudi Arabia) with the significant operational talent and scale offered by North African hubs such as Egypt. Revibe,…