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This article was originally published on TechCabal Insights and was written by Joseph Oloyede, Analyst at TechCabal Insights. Four months into 2026, the startup funding data points to a market choosing quality over quantity. At TechCabal Insights, we compared January – April 2026 data with the same period in 2025, and the results are fascinating. The 2026 paradox: More money, fewer handshakes The first four months of 2026 have seen a total of $887 million raised, slightly outpacing the $803 million tracked during the same window last year. However, this capital is coming from far fewer deals. There were 173 as of this time in 2025, but 2026 has recorded only 84 transactions so far. Investors are moving away from small bets and concentrating their capital into much larger rounds, specifically within the $10M–$49M and $50M–$99M brackets. While we have not seen any Mega Deals (over $100M) so far in 2026, this shift is fueled by capital-intensive Energy and Fintech Debt deals. So far this year, in the first four months of 2026, we have tracked 105 deals. While 84 are disclosed, the remaining 21 we have tracked this year remain undisclosed. Can H1 2026 cross the $1 billion milestone? In H1 2025, Africa’s ecosystem raised $1.42 billion in total funding. With $887 million already in the bag and two months left in the half, the possibility of crossing the billion-dollar mark is high. If May and June deliver just $113 million, we hit the billion-dollar milestone. To beat last year’s performance, however, we will need a significant surge in late-stage rounds before July. Debt Financing is the Engine The data from January to April paints a clear picture of how companies are scaling. While equity remains vital, debt financing is driving the biggest numbers, especially in February when debt alone accounted for $235 million. February saw debt outpace equity by nearly double, confirming that Africa’s climatetech and fintech leaders are now mature enough to access large-scale credit. The March Leaderboard: Waste management shines March saw a healthy spread across sectors, with Sistema.bio leading the charge with a $53M raise in waste management, proving that investors are looking beyond just solar energy for high-impact opportunities. Fintech remained a heavy hitter in March with Taurex raising $40M, while Zeno and Starsight Energy kept the momentum in the energy sector. The April leaderboard: Egypt and energy Lead In April, fintech and energy reclaimed their spots at the top of the pyramid. Egypt’s MNT-Halan secured $41.3 million, closely followed by CrossBoundary Energy at $40 million. These sectors remain the safest harbors for large-scale capital as the market reaches a new level of maturity. The big question Will the H1 2026 funding totals surpass the $1.42 billion we saw last year? The race is on, and the data is shifting every day. You will find the definitive answer in our upcoming State of Tech in Africa H1 2026 report. We are currently open for strategic partnerships to bring this intelligence to the ecosystem.
Read MoreTable of contents What is One UI 8.5? What is new in One UI 8.5 Which Samsung Galaxy phones are getting One UI 8.5 When will your phone get the update How to check for the One UI 8.5 update Samsung began rolling out One UI 8.5 on Wednesday, May 6, starting in South Korea. The update had been in beta testing since December 2025, going through 10 beta builds before Samsung made it available to everyone, making it the longest One UI beta cycle Samsung has run to date. The stable rollout started with the Galaxy S25 series and foldables, and the wider global wave kicks off on May 11, 2026, covering Europe, India, North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. If you own a Galaxy phone released in the last three to four years, One UI 8.5 is most likely coming to your device. This article breaks down what is actually new in the update, which phones are getting it, and when you can expect the notification to show up. What is One UI 8.5? One UI 8.5 is built on Android 16, the same Android version as One UI 8.0. This is not a new Android release. It is Samsung’s mid-cycle feature update, sitting between One UI 8.0 and the upcoming One UI 9, which is expected to launch later in 2026 with the Galaxy Z Fold 8. One UI 8.0 launched with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 in late 2025 and received mixed feedback for the little visual change c. One UI 8.5 is where Samsung addresses that. It brings a full visual redesign, a meaningful Galaxy AI upgrade, and new cross-platform sharing features. The update first shipped pre-installed on the Galaxy S26 series when it launched on March 11, 2026. Other Galaxy devices are now receiving it via the stable rollout that began on May 6. What is new in One UI 8.5 1. Galaxy AI Most of the new AI features in One UI 8.5 were exclusive to the Galaxy S26 series at launch. With this update, they now support the Galaxy S25, S24, and older devices. Call Screening: When an unknown number calls you, Bixby can pick up the call on your behalf, ask the caller who they are and why they are calling, and show you a live transcript on screen. You decide whether to join the call or ignore it. You can set it to screen unknown numbers automatically and review the transcript later. To turn it on: Phone app > Settings > Call screening. Agentic AI/Smarter Bixby: Bixby can now handle multi-step tasks that span multiple apps using plain language. You can say “find a recent photo of my dog and email it to Amara”, and it handles the full task. Bixby also keeps a conversation history, so you can pick up where you left off, and it understands loose phrasing instead of requiring exact commands. Creative Studio: A dedicated app now on your Apps screen (not buried inside Gallery) that lets you generate wallpapers, stickers, profile images, and greeting cards from a photo, sketch, or text prompt. It is an expanded version of the older Drawing Assist feature. Now Nudge: An AI layer that sits inside the Samsung Keyboard toolbar and surfaces suggestions based on what is on your screen. If you are chatting about dinner plans, it can suggest scheduling it directly. If someone shares a number, it can prompt you to save it. Note: Now Nudge only works if you use the Samsung Keyboard. It will not appear if you use Gboard. Audio Eraser (system-wide): Audio Eraser previously only worked on videos you had already recorded inside the Gallery app. It now works in real time across third-party apps, including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Netflix. A Voice Focus toggle and a strength slider sit in your Quick Panel. Photo Assist (text-prompt editing): You can now describe edits in plain language, and Galaxy AI applies them. Tell it to remove an object, change a colour, add something to a photo, or combine elements from two different images. It also lets you apply style filters to any photo, not just pictures of people or pets, and generates images continuously so you can compare and pick your favourite without saving every version. 2. Camera Document scanning: Point your camera at a document, and a scan button appears automatically. You can capture multiple pages into a single PDF, and the Remove tool automatically cleans up stray fingers, folded corners, and unwanted patterns. Dual recording: Tap the dual recording icon in Video mode to record from both the front and rear cameras simultaneously. Useful for reaction content or capturing yourself alongside whatever you are filming. Real-time Log video previews: If you shoot in Log format (the flat colour profile used in professional video editing), you can now apply a colour grade preview while you record. You see roughly how the final footage will look before you open an editor. Auto Motion Photos: When set to Auto, your camera only saves a motion photo if it detects movement in the scene. If nothing is moving, it saves a still image instead, saving storage space. 3. Design and interface New visual design (Ambient Design / Liquid Glass): Transparent blur effects, pill-shaped controls, floating navigation bars, and softer depth now appear across Settings, Dialer, Gallery, Calculator, Samsung Browser, Samsung Notes, and Samsung Messages. Search bars in most Samsung apps have also moved to the bottom of the screen for easier one-handed use. Customisable Quick Panel: You can now add, remove, move, resize, and reorient any tile or slider in the Quick Panel. Brightness and volume controls can switch between horizontal and vertical layouts. You have full control over what appears there. Lock screen updates: Wallpapers now auto-position to prevent the subject from overlapping the clock or widgets. New features include three additional clock styles, finer control over font weights, downloadable interactive wallpapers, and AI Weather Effects that
Read MoreSafaricom’s mobile data business overtook voice calls for the first time, a milestone for Kenya’s biggest telecom operator as consumers shift spending from airtime and SMS toward streaming, social media, and mobile internet services. Mobile data accounted for 42.1% of the telco’s connectivity revenue in the year ended March 2026, edging past voice at 41.3%, according to Safaricom’s financial results released on Thursday. Data revenue rose 14.4% to KES 83.4 billion ($646 million), compared with a 1.3% increase in voice revenue to KES 81.8 billion ($634 million). The change reflects changing consumer habits in Kenya, as spending on streaming, mobile banking, social media, and online commerce grows faster than traditional calling. The results also show Safaricom is compensating for lower data prices with heavier internet usage, helping sustain growth as voice revenues flatten. Messaging revenue fell 11.8% to KES 11 billion ($85 million) during the year as users continued migrating to WhatsApp, Telegram, and other internet-based platforms. Customers consuming more than 1 GB of mobile data monthly rose 22.4% to 14.5 million, while average monthly usage per subscriber climbed 16.6% to 4.92 GB. “Messaging revenue declined by 11.8% YoY, driven by structural changes in customer behaviour as usage continues to migrate toward IP-based and over-the-top messaging platforms, in line with global industry trends,” Safaricom said in its financial statement. The company is counting on wider 4G and 5G coverage, alongside cheaper smartphones, to accelerate internet adoption further. Smartphones connected to Safaricom’s network rose 21.2% to 33.2 million during the year, while active 5G devices jumped 55.5% to 1.64 million. Safaricom also leaned on lower pricing to drive higher consumption. Average rates per megabyte declined 12.1% during the year as the company expanded promotions and targeted data offers. Increased usage more than compensated for lower pricing, helping mobile data emerge as one of Safaricom’s fastest-growing business lines alongside M-PESA. The figures underline pressure facing telecom operators across Africa to replace slowing voice revenues with higher-growth internet and digital services as younger consumers spend more time online. The transition is also intensifying competition between telecom operators and broadband providers chasing demand for mobile internet, home fibre, and digital financial services. Connectivity revenue remained Safaricom Kenya’s largest business at KES 197.9 billion ($1.53 billion), narrowly ahead of M-PESA’s KES 182.7 billion ($1.41 billion). Net income rose 24.7% to KES 119.1 billion ($922 million)
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