This Dubai-based digital nomad wants more Africans to travel for depth, not for show
Travelling as a digital nomad can be expensive. Yet it costs more when you are privileged to travel and not take advantage of the opportunity, a Dubai-based digital nomad told me over a weekend chat in September. “There is a lot more to see in the world when you let go of [proclivities] you are already used to,” he said. “When people travel, it’s for the show and glam; but when you travel to experience the really random things, that’s where the experience is.” *Ayodeji is a Nigerian senior software engineer at Miro, the Netherlands-based startup behind the popular online whiteboarding platform, who, this year, decided he wanted to be a digital nomad for the rest of his life. 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An avid gamer, he started programming in 2013 in his teens, hoping to build video games someday. By 2016, he was working remotely for US companies. He began his backend development career with US-based Oktium, a video calling app, before brief stints at Qwertee, an e-commerce platform, and Eze, a YC-backed B2B IT gadget procurement platform. In 2019, he joined a tech fellowship with Andela, the Nigerian unicorn, which he said “marked the beginning of his career.” “[Before Andela], I’d worked remotely all my life, so [Andela] taught me a lot about soft skills to thrive in the workplace,” said Ayodeji. “It was a 6-month programme where, as a team, we worked on a real project. That simulation really helped to launch my career, as I identified technical skills I needed to improve.” Ayodeji always had one goal: to work with global companies, and to do that, he knew he had to cut his teeth learning how to stay dynamically relevant in tech, and importantly, improving his leadership skills. “I’ve wanted to travel for a pretty long time,” said Ayodeji. “I wanted to move to places where I could avoid thinking about the basic things like electricity and internet; my fastest route to doing that was stacking up money.” After his Andela training, he resumed targeting foreign jobs; he joined Homevision, an ops tool for appraisers. In 2021, he led the tech team at Butter, a Copenhagen-based remote-first virtual collaboration platform that was acquired by Miro four years later. That role changed everything for him. A freelance visa and a way out Now based in Dubai, Ayodeji first travelled out of Nigeria in 2021 on the freelance visa, which allows professionals to live and work in the UAE without employer sponsorship. The visa is usually tied to a freelance permit from one of Dubai’s free zones, such as Dubai Internet City or Dubai Media City, and is open to professionals in fields like tech, media, design, and education. It gives holders the right to live in the country, open a bank account, and take on projects from multiple clients. In 2025, it remains one of the most popular options for remote workers, though new applications are temporarily paused while the UAE reviews its residency system. At the time, the freelance visa cost Ayodeji about $3,000 (excluding flight), and the process used to be a lot easier, according to him. But today, income benchmarks—about AED 15,000 ($4,000) per month for the green visa—and tightened travel restrictions have
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The anti-loan shark: How Hadi Finance is rebranding SME lending
Nigeria’s informal economy accounts for an estimated 58% of its GDP; however, businesses within the informal sector face challenges when it comes to accessing credit. Hadi Finance began with a simple goal: to be a bank for Nigeria’s informal small businesses. But its co-founder, Bidemi Adebayo, quickly learned that in a market where the word “loan” is synonymous with shame and destruction of livelihood, she wasn’t just selling credit. She was fighting a deep-seated stigma. Day 1: The pivot from products to capital Hadi Finance did not start as a lending company. Launched in 2022, its first incarnation was as a retail distributor. They operated a warehouse in Abuja, serving over a thousand customers and moving over $100,000 monthly in stock. Their theory was that a hub-based model bringing warehouses closer to markets would win. They were wrong. The brutal lesson came from the market’s extreme price sensitivity. “You are selling for like ₦3,000 and another guy is bringing it for ₦2,950,” Adebayo explains. Retailers would choose to take a cab to a cheaper supplier rather than accept the convenience of delivery for a higher price. “Nothing prepares you for it,” she says. Those first few months revealed the real problem wasn’t access to goods but access to cash flow. “We discovered that the main issue among retailers is how to access goods and credit to keep turning over as fast as possible.” They had stumbled from selling products to solving for capital, setting them on a new, far more complex path. The Hadi Finance team at an outreach. Source: Bidemi Adebayo Day 500: Battling distrust with the ‘human touch’ The pivot to lending thrust Hadi Finance into what Adebayo calls the “nightmare” of building a startup in Nigeria. The core challenge was no longer logistics, but trust. “There is a stigma to [being] a loan company in the market,” she says. Borrowers feared embarrassment, being locked up, or having their families called. “They feel that you’re a loan shark, they feel that ‘if I collect this money, it can destroy my business’” This deep-seated distrust meant Hadi Finance couldn’t rely on technology alone. The solution was the “human touch”. Their very first customer was Adebayo’s own mother, a retailer, who became their announcer among her network of fellow retailers. They reframed their approach into what Adebayo calls “a catalyst for growth.” This wasn’t just a marketing slogan; it dictated their entire operating model. “We want to have a human touch in all our processes. When a customer applies for a loan, field agents are dispatched within 12 hours. We are visiting your business, we’re looking at what’s the right financing for you.” This high-touch approach builds familiarity, a key ingredient for trust. This philosophy extends to when things go wrong. Unlike traditional lenders, their first response to a default isn’t intimidation. “We have our support agents visiting you and saying, ‘What is going on?’” Adebayo says. If a retailer is struggling to sell a commodity, Hadi’s team will try to help them find a better-priced supplier. “We are not here to cause chaos in your business.” This human-centered approach allows more businesses to trust them. Hadi Finance promises a 48-hour disbursement timeline for loan requests. To achieve this, the team built a frugal, speed-focused verification system that balances security with the retailer’s need for urgency. Field agents are assigned in clusters, and when a business within a specific cluster requests a loan, the field agents are dispatched to the business to verify its authenticity. This approach, giving fast loans and supporting SMEs after lending, has meant that many of Hadi Finance’s new customers are referrals. 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Read MoreNigeria’s EyeGuide uses LiDAR to help blind people navigate independently
In Lagos, where uneven sidewalks and chaotic traffic turn every commute into an obstacle course, getting around can test anyone’s will. For the roughly seven million Nigerians who are blind or visually impaired, it’s a daily fight against an environment that rarely considers them, and available assistive tools are either too costly or not built for their realities. For Charles Ayere, a Lagos-based developer who has watched a close friend of 12 years struggle to move independently, this reality hit home. Her frustration pushed him to build EyeGuide, a navigation app that uses the LiDAR sensor on iPhones to help blind users detect obstacles, sense human presence, and walk with more confidence. How EyeGuide was built Ayere did not set out to become a tech innovator. A Sociology graduate from Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), he stumbled into technology out of curiosity and began experimenting with projects in his final year. After graduating in 2018, he started his tech career and now works as CTO at an AI digital marketing platform and as a lead web developer for a fintech startup called Sofri in Lagos. The idea for EyeGuide came in early 2024, when he started exploring how existing technology could improve accessibility for the blind. Inspired by the sensors in cars that detect nearby objects, he asked himself: if cars can sense obstacles, why can’t blind people use something similar? After researching online, he discovered LiDAR, short for Light Detection and Ranging, and realised it could be the foundation for a more dependable, locally built navigation tool. When Ayere began building EyeGuide, his first prototypes used the iPhone’s dual or triple cameras through stereoscopic lens technology. But the results were inconsistent. “The camera-based system wasn’t reliable,” he said. “Sometimes it mistook a picture frame for a person or failed to detect glass doors. There were a lot of incorrect measurements.” Reliability, he learned, was non-negotiable. That was when he switched to LiDAR. Unlike cameras, LiDAR does not capture visual images. It emits tiny laser pulses that bounce off nearby objects and measure how long each pulse takes to return, creating a 3D map of the surroundings even in total darkness. The LiDAR sensor is built into iPhone Pro models like the iPhone 12 Pro as well as iPad Pro 2020 and later. EyeGuide processes everything locally on the device, keeping user data private and unrecorded. When users open the app, it scans their surroundings and gives voice prompts such as “turn left,” “turn right,” or “collision detected,” along with vibrations that intensify as obstacles get closer. It identifies objects and tells users how close they are in meters. The app can even detect human presence, helping users know when someone is nearby. Users can start or stop the app using the iPhone’s volume buttons, and it automatically pauses scanning when the phone is idle. Building with the blind, not for them From the beginning, Ayere knew he could not build EyeGuide alone. He worked closely with members of the blind community in Yaba, testing prototypes and adjusting everything from vibration strength to audio feedback based on their real-world experience. Their feedback, he said, continues to shape how the app works. In Lagos, Abiodun Joseph tried EyeGuide on his iPhone and said, “It was really fun trying it out. The vibration and alerts are good, but I think they shouldn’t be that intense.” He tested it by walking along his street and deliberately approaching walls and gutters. “It kept beeping and telling me I was close to an obstacle,” he said. Still, he was cautious about how it might behave in busier areas. “On a crowded road, the app might pick up too many things at once. If it can be made less reactive, that would help.” Ayere addressed differing preferences by making sensitivity settings adjustable. Users can fine-tune how close they want to be before the app issues warnings. “I’m always paying attention to feedback,” he said. “It’s a continuous process.” Expanding the vision Right now, EyeGuide works only on iOS, but Ayere plans to expand beyond Apple devices. He is currently refining the app’s features and testing prototypes of smart glasses that connect to EyeGuide via Bluetooth. The glasses use ultrasonic sensors, which are cheaper and more energy-efficient than LiDAR, to make the technology accessible to Android users while allowing them to keep their phones in their pockets. Bringing LiDAR directly to Android phones is not feasible, Ayere explained. Android devices vary widely in hardware, and integrating LiDAR sensors into glasses would drive costs too high. That is why he is focusing on ultrasonic sensors for the hardware. “If you are building for the masses, it has to be affordable,” he said. “That is why I am exploring small, efficient sensors that do not cost much.” That focus on cost reflects the reality of Nigeria’s assistive technology market, where prices leave many persons no option but to rely on manual alternatives. A WeWALK Smart Cane sells for around ₦752,000 in Nigeria, and even simpler imported versions cost about ₦90,000, well beyond the reach of most people. With a national minimum wage of ₦70,000 (about $48), that’s more than two months’ salary for the average worker. There are also no government subsidies for assistive products, leaving individuals to bear the cost. A mission beyond profit EyeGuide is currently free and will stay that way. “I do not want people paying for something that should be as available as water,” Ayere said. “Accessibility should not be a privilege.” The upcoming smart glasses will come at a cost, just enough to cover production. “They won’t be free, given the tech and manufacturing costs, but for me, it’s still a way to give back.” Users have requested features such as real-time currency detection and live location sharing so loved ones can track their movements. These are among the next upgrades he is exploring. He is also considering integrating AI tools to improve object detection, though that would require internet access, which he
Read MoreStartups On Our Radar: TC Battlefield edition
Startups On Our Radar spotlights African startups solving African challenges with innovation. In our previous edition, we featured seven game-changing startups pioneering payments, artificial intelligence, commerce, and mobility. Expect the next dispatch on October 10, 2025. In this week’s edition, we’re spotlighting the trailblazing startups that competed in the final round of TechCabal Battlefield at Moonshot 2025. Let’s dive into what made them stand out. Ulé Homes wants to loan you your rent (PropertyTech, Nigeria) In some parts of Nigeria, the dream of securing a home is often blocked by the demand for one or two years’ rent in advance. This practice may force people to deplete their savings or take on high-interest debt just to find a place to live. Founded by Omolade Akinwumi, Azeez Abdulyekeen, and Chisom Okorie, Ulé Homes is a financing company designed to make housing more affordable and flexible by breaking lump-sum rent payments into manageable monthly installments. Initially operating with a Google Form and an MVP website, the company is now developing a full-feature web app to automate and scale its processes. Applicants undergo a rigorous KYC (Know Your Customer) process where Ulé Homes assesses their financial viability by analysing bank statements and checking credit scores from Nigeria’s three main credit bureaus (CRC Credit Bureau, FirstCentral Credit Bureau, and CreditRegistry Nigeria) to get a complete picture of a person’s credit worthiness. Once approved, Ulé Homes pays the full rent amount directly to the landlord, a deliberate step to ensure the funds are used solely for housing. Before the funds are disbursed, the user authorises a direct debit mandate on their salary account, facilitated through integrations with fintech partners like Mono and Paystack. This system automatically deducts monthly repayments on a pre-agreed date, which is typically aligned with when the user receives their salary. These monthly payments are capped at no more than 30% of the borrower’s income. Ulé Homes generates revenue through a one-time 2.5% facilitation fee and a monthly interest rate. Ulé Homes has seven financial partners, including traditional banks and neobanks, and this has enabled the company to successfully lower its initial interest rates from 2.9% to as low as 1.7% per month. Why we’re watching: Ulé Homes differentiates itself by looking beyond the immediate problem of rent. Its most ambitious offering is a mortgage product, launched in August 2025, which allows customers to purchase homes with a payment plan at an annual interest rate of 9.75%. This product turns their monthly payments into an investment in their own property. Recognising that many Nigerians lack a formal credit history, Ulé Homes is developing a system where consistent and early repayments of rent financing through its platform will contribute positively to a user’s credit score. The startup is also pursuing a unique B2B2C strategy by partnering with corporations to offer its services as an employee benefit, tackling housing affordability at an organisational level. Since launching disbursements in August of last year, Ulé Homes has provided over ₦700 million ($479,455) in rent financing to more than 150 customers. The ultimate validation of its model came recently when Ulé Homes emerged as the winner of the highly competitive TechCabal Battlefield competition at Moonshot 2025. ResQ-X wants to be the all-in-one solution for drivers in Nigeria (Mobility, Nigeria) Founded by Nosa Okoroji, ResQ-X is a platform that combines on-demand fuel delivery, 24/7 roadside assistance, and fleet management into a single service. The startup aims to reduce downtime and safety concerns that drivers face when their cars break down. . Users can request help through a mobile app or hotline, select the service they are in need of, input their location, receive an instant and transparent price quote before help arrives, and track the live location of the dispatched responder. ResQ-X claims to have an average rescue time of 25 minutes from request to service completion. The startup operates on a diversified business model, generating revenue through margins on fuel delivery (₦80-₦120 [$0.055-$0.082] per litre), subscription plans ranging from $58 to $150 annually, pay-per-use services for non-subscribers who require rescue services, business to business (B2B) fleet management services, including API integration, and a 20% commission from towing partners. The company is currently operating exclusively in Lagos, with a network of 175 verified responders, and has rescued 752 people since its launch. ResQ-X says it has a monthly recurring revenue of $5,200. Why we’re watching: ResQ-X is carving out a unique space in the market by bundling services that are typically fragmented. While its direct competitors include traditional filling stations for fuel and a scattered network of independent mechanics for repairs, it stands out with its integrated, tech-enabled approach. ResQ-X offers a layer of trust and safety through features like live tracking and OTP verification. The startup plans to create a full-fledged auto marketplace, forge insurance partnerships for accident response, and build out EV charging infrastructure. It has forged partnerships with Dangote Refinery, Porsche Nigeria, Kia Nigeria, Fez Delivery, and Qoray Mobility. ResQ-X is currently raising a $1.5 million funding round to scale across Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt by 2026. Sporous Energy wants to refine how Africa consumes energy (Energy, Nigeria) Sporous Energy delivers reliable and affordable power through AI-enabled solar-powered community mini-grids. Co-founded by Oluwasomidotun Amujo and Omozue Gregory, the startup operates shared solar systems for residential estates and commercial clusters to solve the challenge of unreliable electricity. Customers pay for the electricity they consume on a pay-as-you-go basis (₦220 [$0.15] per unit) using smart meters integrated with Sporous’s AI-driven platform. This platform intelligently manages power by predicting usage, tracking consumption patterns, collecting community data to optimise distribution and demand, and predicting when energy credit will run out. Its AI-powered management platform has features that standalone solar installers cannot match. This allows the startup to compete head-on with the most common backup for energy in Nigeria: generators. Sporous Energy eliminates the hassle of getting fuel and maintaining generators. Why we’re watching: Sporous Energy stands out because it is offering a full-stack solution that directly addresses
Read MoreOpenAI brings ChatGPT’s cheapest plan to Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Go, a low-cost subscription plan designed to make its advanced AI tools more affordable and accessible to users globally. The new plan, though available in some select countries and priced at ₦7,000 ($4.71), offers a middle ground between the company’s free and premium ChatGPT tiers. According to OpenAI, the new plan gives users access to GPT-5, the company’s most advanced language model, along with several upgraded features. The plan’s features include image creation, uploading, and analysing larger files, and maintaining longer conversation memory. Subscribers to the new plan will also access advanced project and task customs. The selected countries span across Africa, Asia, North & Central America, and South America. The African selected countries include South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, and Egypt. In Asia, it includes India, Pakistan, and Malaysia. El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua are the selected countries in North & Central America The launch of ChatGPT Go marks a major shift in OpenAI’s strategy to reach more users globally, especially in emerging markets where the standard Plus or Pro subscriptions are considered expensive. The plan is priced lower than the existing plans, and according to OpenAI’s documentation, it costs about $5 per month in regions where it has rolled out. The plan was first launched in India in August at ₹399 (~US$4.60) per month, supporting local payment methods such as UPI, making it the company’s most affordable tier to date. Subsequently, OpenAI expanded availability to Indonesia at approximately Rp 75,000/month ($4.51). According to the company’s release notes, the ChatGPT Go tier is now available in 71 additional countries, bringing total coverage to 89 countries. Unlike the higher-end tiers, ChatGPT Go does not include API usage, which remains billed separately. The plan comes with certain limitations. Deep system integrations, advanced developer tools, and some legacy model options available under ChatGPT Plus and Pro are not included. Heavy users may also encounter usage limits depending on overall system capacity. The expansion of ChatGPT Go is seen as part of OpenAI’s broader effort to diversify its subscription model and attract its already large user base. The move introduces a middle-tier option between the free and premium versions, giving users a more affordable way to experience advanced AI capabilities without paying full price for top-tier access. It also underscores growing competition in the generative AI market. With Google, Anthropic, and other companies offering AI chat tools and subscription tiers at varying prices, OpenAI’s new plan helps it maintain its competitive edge, especially in price-sensitive regions. For OpenAI, the lower price point could serve as a gateway for millions of new users to experience GPT-5. It also provides the company with an opportunity to test new pricing structures and refine the product accessibility before global expansion.
Read MoreExclusive: Businessfront, parent company of Techpoint, lays off staff in restructuring move
Businessfront, the publishers of Techpoint Africa, Finance in Africa, Energy in Africa, and Intelpoint, has laid off an undisclosed number of employees across the group and individual publications, citing the need to ensure long-term sustainability and sharpen its strategic focus. In an emailed response to TechCabal, the company’s CEO, Múyìwá Mátùlúkò, confirmed the layoffs, noting that only a small number of roles were affected. “All our brands and emerging products, including Techpoint Africa, remain fully operational, and we continue to serve our audiences and clients without interruption,” Mátùlúkò said, declining to share the exact number of affected employees and how Businessfront would support them. Businessfront’s restructuring comes as African media businesses grapple with shrinking advertising revenues and shifting audience habits, as more readers turn to social media for news. National Media Group, once Kenya’s richest business, has laid off employees in recent years, while Standard Group has laid off 300 employees. A survey of 300 global media business leaders found that the harsh global economic climate and a downturn in the advertising market were major contributors to layoffs. Niche and trade publications, which serve smaller audiences, have been hit hardest. Shorter attention spans, declining referral traffic from Google Search and social platforms, and the rise of artificial intelligence have compounded the problem, eroding the visibility and monetisation potential of these small digital newsrooms. When revenues decline, layoffs are often the most critical measures media companies pull to stay afloat. In 2023, Big Cabal Media, the parent company of TechCabal and Zikoko, cut 19% of its workforce, despite growing revenue by 180% year-on-year in the first half of the year. The layoffs showed how rising income alone is no longer enough to offset the cost pressures facing digital publishers. Businessfront, which operates a free-to-read model, has likely struggled to sustain revenue amid declining ad spend. Introducing a paywall in a weak economy would not have been a solution either, as more established publications have taken down paywalls. BusinessDay, a national daily, recently took down its paywall to better understand reader behaviour. To survive the collapse of ad revenue, media businesses have increasingly turned to events and newsletters, building direct reader relationships and alternative revenue streams to offset declining traffic and traditional monetisation.
Read MoreFrom South Africa to Nigeria, here are the latest DStv subscription prices
Millions of households and sports enthusiasts across Africa depend on DStv for news, sports, and entertainment, making any update on its subscription models closely watched in Canal+’s takeover. As MultiChoice transitions to new ownership under French media giant Canal+, attention is turning to what this shift could mean for viewers in key markets like South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana, where DStv remains the dominant pay-TV service. In South Africa, MultiChoice raised prices in April 2025, with a second increase for some packages in May. Now it has cut prices for HD decoders, signalling a push to strengthen its hold on the market and fend off growing competition from streaming platforms like Netflix. As inflation continues to squeeze household budgets across Africa, many price-sensitive viewers have turned to cheaper streaming alternatives or pirated sites to access content, a trend that MultiChoice has been fighting against over the years. The trend has hit MultiChoice hard. In recent years, DStv has lost more than 2 million subscribers, highlighting the mounting pressure on the pay-TV giant to reassess its pricing strategy and adapt to shifting consumer preferences. Here’s a look at how DStv prices currently compare across Africa’s major markets. South Africa South Africa remains MultiChoice’s biggest and most reliable market, accounting for nearly 60% of the group’s subscription revenue in 2024. DStv continues to dominate pay-TV in the country, driven by strong demand for local content and live sports. While subscriber growth has slowed, the market’s stability has helped offset weaker performance in other regions, making it the financial backbone of MultiChoice’s African operations. Nigeria In Nigeria, MultiChoice remains the leading pay-TV provider with a roughly 60% market share, but its dominance is no longer as secure as it once was. Over the past two years, DStv and GOtv have lost around 1.4 million subscribers as rising inflation, fuel shortages, and repeated price hikes have made pay-TV harder to afford. Its most recent price hike was in March, due to high inflation and currency depreciation. With streaming platforms gaining ground and piracy eroding viewership, MultiChoice faces an uphill battle to stay ahead in one of Africa’s largest television markets. Ghana In Ghana, DStv remains a popular choice for TV viewers, offering packages tailored to various needs. However, the service has encountered difficulties with regulators, who in August 2025 requested that MultiChoice reduce prices by 30% due to economic pressures and the weakening cedi. MultiChoice pushed back, saying such cuts could affect service and jobs. The National Communications Authority has even warned that it could suspend the licence if the issue isn’t resolved, highlighting the delicate balance between keeping TV affordable and running the business. Uganda DStv has seen its subscriber base fall sharply, dropping from around 2.4 million in early 2023 to about 1.1 million by late 2024 in Uganda. Rising subscription costs, economic pressures, and competition from streaming platforms have all contributed to the decline. Kenya In Kenya, DStv subscribers started paying higher rates from August 1, after MultiChoice increased prices by between 4% and 7%, — the latest in a string of hikes over the past five years. The Premium package now costs KES 11,700 ($91), while the Compact Plus and Compact packages cost KES 7,300 ($57) and KES 4,200 ($33), respectively. At the same time, the company has cut prices on some of its mobile and digital plans, including Showmax’s entry-level mobile bundles, to keep budget-conscious viewers from leaving. The company has lost roughly 180,000 subscribers in Kenya.
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These new Google AI tools will help African content creators reach millions online
Numbers are the heartbeat of every creator’s career. Views, likes, and subscribers don’t just show popularity, but also reveal value. In the same way loyal customers are to a business, those numbers keep creators alive. Since the rise of TikTok’s For You Page, several changes have been made on social media. Feeds are curated for every user by a data-driven algorithm, delivering recommendations and higher virality potential for each content. Now, Google wants to help make those numbers count for more. The tech giant has rolled out three AI-powered tools — Video Reach Campaign (VRC), Video View Campaign (VVC), and Demand Gen — designed to help brands and creators get better results from their videos on YouTube. On paper, it’s another tech update. But in practice, it could reshape how African creators and brands work together. The gap between views and value Imagine a YouTuber somewhere in Lagos who just landed her first big brand deal. A crypto startup wants her to promote its new debit card. She makes the video, posts it, and the numbers start climbing. Views: great. Engagement: decent. But when the campaign ends, the brand looks at the analytics and frowns. Few clicks. Fewer conversions. That’s the problem Google says it wants to fix. At YouTube PluggedIn, a creator and brand event held in Lagos on October 9, 2025, Damilola Abodunrin, an Industry Manager at Google, explained to TechCabal how the new AI tools work: “Video Reach Campaign (VRC), Video View Campaign (VVC), and Demand Gen are AI solutions designed to help advertisers maximise their budgets and get better returns,” she said. “They do what humans can’t: manage multiple assets, campaigns, and touchpoints, because the touchpoints are growing every day.” In short, the AI looks at where people are watching, what they respond to, and which ad format delivers the most bang for the buck. Then it adjusts everything in real time. Algorithms as collaborators A few years ago, YouTube ads were mostly manual. Marketers had to guess which keywords to target or which demographics to chase. But AI has changed that completely. Now, Google’s system tests different versions of an ad, studies how people respond, and figures out which works best, all while the campaign is still running. It’s like having a data analyst, media buyer, and strategist rolled into one, working around the clock. For creators, that means their videos, especially brand collaborations, are more likely to be shown to the right audiences. For brands, it means fewer wasted ad dollars and higher chances of converting viewers into customers. The new formula of influence The timing of these tools couldn’t be better. Across Africa, the creator economy is booming, but unevenly. Thousands of people are building careers on YouTube, from cooking channels in Lagos to tech explainers in Nairobi, yet many struggle to monetise at the same level as creators elsewhere. Part of the reason is performance. Brands want proof that influencer campaigns work. Creators want to be valued for the audiences they’ve built. Google’s AI tools are trying to bridge that trust gap. Olumide Balogun, Google’s Director for West Africa, pointed to the 2023 IAB Creator Economy Study, which found that ads placed alongside creator content enjoy 1.2 times higher reach and consideration and 1.4 times higher loyalty than traditional ads. Making local creators visible For many African creators, visibility is the biggest hurdle. The internet might be global, but reach isn’t always equal. Videos made in English or about Western trends often get more traction than those in local languages or rooted in African culture. AI might start to change that. Because the new tools rely less on generic demographic data and more on user intent and behaviour, they can identify new audiences who might connect with a creator’s content — even across borders. A Ghanaian lifestyle vlogger could reach audiences in the Caribbean who share similar cultural tastes. A Kenyan comedian might find fans in the UK diaspora. Ify’s Kitchen presenting a pitch at the YouTube PluggedIn event. Image Source: TechCabal. “Ify Mogekwu,” the popular food creator behind Ify’s Kitchen, said after the PluggedIn event, “Now, we can actually compete with our contemporaries in more advanced countries because we have the tools to work with. I think the impact will be good overall.” For creators like her, these tools could break barriers of visibility and access, and not just about better ad performance.
Read MoreMultiChoice cuts DStv decoder prices by up to 40% as Canal+ seeks to win back viewers
MultiChoice, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Canal+, will revise its DStv decoder prices starting 1 November 2025, a major shift after years of declining subscriber numbers due to rising costs. Over the past two years, the company lost 2.8 million active TV subscribers across Africa, half from South Africa and the rest from other markets. In 2025 alone, DStv shed 1.2 million users in South Africa, an 8% drop from the previous year. The slump reflects a challenging pay-TV landscape shaped by higher subscription fees, changing viewer preferences, and growing competition from more than 560 streaming platforms now available across the continent. New decoder prices (South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya) South Africa Nigeria and Kenya While MultiChoice has not disclosed whether the new price cuts will apply across all its markets, any broad implementation could significantly impact key regions like Kenya and Nigeria, where DStv commands a large share of pay-TV households. Both markets have faced mounting pressure from cheaper streaming alternatives and rising living costs, so a price adjustment could either help the company regain lost ground or further expose its revenue to currency fluctuations and competitive pricing dynamics. If Multichoice slashes prices, in Nigeria and Kenya, using the similar 40% online and 30% retail price cuts, the following price will take effect. Nigeria Kenya What it means for subscribers MultiChoice’s decision to cut decoder prices lowers the entry barrier for customers who’ve been hesitant to join DStv. The more affordable hardware could attract new households and encourage existing users to upgrade their devices. Once those decoders are in homes, subscribers become eligible for a range of limited-time perks the company is rolling out. From November 7 to 9, all active DStv users will enjoy an Open Time Weekend, giving them access to Premium content at no extra cost. Meanwhile, DStv Premium customers will get two additional device streams until December, allowing up to four simultaneous views. These price adjustments and offerings mark Canal+’s first major strategic move as DStv’s new owner, making entry more affordable, rewarding loyalty, and rekindling interest in traditional satellite TV amidst growing streaming competition. MultiChoice’s deep decoder discounts show just how hard Canal+ is pushing to win back viewers. From November, South Africans will still pay the most for new DStv hardware, followed by Kenyans and Nigerians, but the cuts mark a clear attempt to make satellite TV affordable again after years of subscriber losses. It’s a move that could help DStv reconnect with middle-income households who’ve drifted to cheaper, on-demand options. Still, the timing says a lot about the shifting TV economy. With hundreds of streaming platforms now jostling for attention across Africa, lowering prices might spark a wider price war, one that gives viewers more choice, but forces pay-TV and streaming companies alike to fight harder for every household.
Read Morentel restuctures board ahead of January 2026 relaunch
NatCom Development and Investment Limited (trading as ntel), the company that acquired Nigeria’s national telecommunication company NITEL, has appointed a new board of directors as it prepares for a commercial relaunch in January 2026. The company is considering a fixed wireless home play as the market entry that might end up preceding an earlier roaming/MVNO play, according to one person with knowledge of the matter. The new board includes Adeleke Alex-Adedipe, Ayodeji Joshua Richards, Maryam Mutallab, Olaide Aremu, and Soji Maurice-Diya, who will serve as Managing Director/CEO. The directors will operate under the continued chairmanship of Gen. T.Y. Danjuma and the legacy director and minority shareholder, Tunde Ayeni. The board overhaul reflects ntel’s focus on reenergising its finances, optimising assets, and reestablishing itself as a key player in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector. Under its new leadership, ntel is implementing a turnaround strategy focused on cash-flow stability, asset monetisation, and a return to commercial service. The company said it is currently “monetising its nationwide portfolio of telecommunications and real estate assets” as part of efforts to diversify revenue streams and strengthen liquidity ahead of its relaunch. In a joint statement, the board described the transition as coming at a “defining moment” in ntel’s recovery journey. “It is a rare privilege to steward ntel at such a defining moment. We are energised by the opportunities ahead and look forward to working closely with management to unlock greater value from our infrastructure and shape a future-focused, sustainable business,” the board said. “Our goal is clear: to position ntel as a robust, investor-friendly enterprise that delivers on Nigeria’s digital aspirations.” The new board members bring a blend of legal, financial, and operational expertise critical to ntel’s revival. Alex-Adedipe, Managing Partner at Duale, Ovia & Alex-Adedipe, brings nearly two decades of experience in telecom and M&A law. Richards, a former GTBank Gambia Managing Director, strengthens the company’s financial governance capacity. Mutallab, founder of Noble Hall Leadership Academy for Girls, adds entrepreneurial and community engagement insight. Aremu, Group CFO of Ancestral Holdings, brings deep expertise in corporate finance and internal controls. Maurice-Diya said the board’s composition “aligns the skills we need with the tasks ahead,” emphasising that strong governance will be key to restoring investor confidence and achieving ntel’s goal of becoming a sustainable, growth-oriented telecom brand in Nigeria’s digital economy.
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