- May 26 2025
- BM
Why Kenya is selling part of its 34.9% stake in Safaricom
Kenya plans to offload an undisclosed portion of its 34.9% stake in Safaricom, the region’s most profitable company, as part of a privatisation push to raise $1.1 billion (KES149 billion) to plug a hole in public finances and avoid imposing new taxes amid a tough economy. The planned transaction, expected before the end of the 2025/26 fiscal year, would mark the government’s biggest divestiture in nearly two decades and a reversal of its previous reluctance to part with shares in the telecom giant. The sale could open doors to Africa-focused institutional investors or private equity funds, many actively scouting African telecoms assets for their stable cash flows and strong margins. “There is talk that if we could offload more of our ownership of Safaricom, where we are likely to get the Sh149 billion through privatisation in the 2025/26 financial year,” John Mbadi, Treasury Cabinet Secretary, told Business Daily. Safaricom, whose growth in recent years relied on its dominant mobile money platform M-Pesa and data services, posted an 11% rise in net profit to $540 million (KES 69.8 billion) in 2024, including returns from its Ethiopia subsidiary. It declared a total dividend of $0.009 (KES1.20) per share, delivering $130.5 million (KES16.8 billion) in earnings to the Kenyan government. Kenya last sold a 25% stake in Safaricom during its heavily oversubscribed 2008 IPO, raising $400.5 million (KES51.75 billion). The current stake is valued at $2.1 billion (KES280.5 billion) at the prevailing share price of $0.15 (KES19.9). While the Treasury has not revealed how to offload the stake, it could opt for a secondary public offering or an off-market block sale to private investors. Privatisation has long stalled in Kenya due to political meddling and bureaucratic inefficiencies. Since 2013, the Treasury’s attempts to divest from parastatals, including hotels, sugar companies, and airlines, have faltered, as losses and debts plague many of the firms targeted due to decades of mismanagement. With fewer financing options, rising debt repayments squeezing the budget, and a possible taxation revolt from Kenyans, the government has limited choices. The urgency behind the Safaricom stake sale is rooted in the country’s mounting debt costs. In the first eight months of the 2015/2016 financial year, Kenya spent $5.5 billion (KES 722 billion) on interest payments alone—more than half of the $10.8 billion (KES 1.4 trillion) it raised in tax revenue over the same period. Domestic debt was the biggest drain, consuming $4.3 billion (KES 565.8 billion), while $1.2 billion (KES 156.5 billion) went to external creditors. Currently, interest costs are on track to exceed $7.7 billion (KES 1 trillion) by year-end—a huge figure highlighting how much room debt repayments are taking up in the national budget. Kenya’s total public debt now stands at $88.5 billion (KES 11.4 trillion), up from $67.3 billion (KES 8.7 trillion) when President William Ruto took office less than three years ago. The rapid growth—$20.8 billion (KES 2.7 trillion) in under 36 months—has left the Treasury with few painless options. With tax revenues underperforming and little political appetite for more tax hikes, selling stakes in profitable state assets like Safaricom is now a fiscal necessity.
Read More- May 26 2025
- BM
TechCabal Daily – Twiga’s new glam
In partnership with Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Happy salary week! Sadly, it’s the beginning of lengthy, boring weekends for football lovers across the globe. Both the English Premier League and the Italian football league came to a close yesterday. With more football leagues closing next weekend, the beautiful game is officially on vacation until August. But hey, that just means you’ve got more time to chase your own big goals, find new interesting hobbies and, of course, catch up on our weekend columns. ICYMI: Discover how MyFoodAngels thrived in its first 1,000 days, and follow Chioma Wilson-Dike’s inspiring legal-tech journey in last week’s Digital Nomads. – Faith Twiga is restructuring: 300 jobs out, new holding company in South Africa’s new ICT policy could finally clear a path for Starlink Nigeria’s proposed blockchain policy whitepaper will encourage collaboration Egypt cuts benchmark rates for the second time in a row World Wide Web 3 Events E-commerce Twiga is restructuring: 300 jobs out, new holding company in Image Source: Twiga Foods Twiga Foods is in its reinvention era, and it’s not joking about it! Project Easter: Twiga Foods, one of Kenya’s most funded B2B e-commerce startups that connect farmers and vendors, is currently pivoting to an asset-light operation model to cut costs. The move which has been favored by VCs allows the company to scale faster by leveraging existing distributor networks instead of owning expensive infrastructure. Dubbed ‘Project Easter’ (because, rebirth?) Twiga Foods has created a new holding company—referred to internally as “newco,”—to oversee logistics, procurement, and technology across the company and its subsidiaries. Whether Newco has been formally registered and if it would function as a holding company is yet to be disclosed. Only a small central crew of about 10–12 people will transfer into the mysterious newco. The company also had a round of job cuts. In an internal document seen by TechCabal, Twiga had 300 job cuts, with the supply chain department taking the hardest hit—267 roles gone. The restructuring continues a round of layoffs in the company, as in October 2022, the company laid off 211 people from its sales team. As part of the restructuring, Twiga acquired controlling shares in three Local FMCG distributors, Jumra, Sojoar, and Raisons, In April 2025. The acquisitions gave Twiga access to eight distribution centers across Kenya’s Central, Coastal, and Western regions. So… why the drama? Twiga insists these changes are about sustainability and profitability, but the need for a new holding structure suggests its previous model wasn’t built to manage a multi-entity operation. Twiga’s bet is that a sleeker and more centralised business structure will unify its operations and attract investors. But the drive for efficiency goes beyond just corporate reorganization. Twiga is also rethinking its physical presence, considering relocating from its Tatu City logistics hub to more affordable, centrally located sites closer to Nairobi. Altogether, these moves reflect Twiga’s broader shift toward growth after years of grappling with the challenge of digitizing food distribution from rural producers to urban resellers across Kenya. Join Fincra for an Exclusive Side Event at Money20/20 Europe Fincra is co-hosting “Stablecoins & The Future of Payments” at Money20/20 Europe with Utila, Rail, Wirex & more. Join fintech leaders for insightful panels & networking. Limited spots – RSVP here. 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Read More- May 24 2025
- BM
How data obsession became MyFoodAngels’ secret sauce in the first 1,000 days
In Day 1–1000, we follow founders through the raw, unfiltered journey of company-building: the early scrambles, the quiet breakthroughs, the painful pivots, and the milestones that shape what a business becomes. This goes live on Saturdays by 2 PM WAT. The acrid sting of rotten tomatoes. The musty gutters running behind stalls. The sharp tang of fresh vegetables packed in raffia baskets. These smells—unmistakable and inescapable in Nigerian open-air markets—are etched in the memory of Olapeju Umah, co-founder of grocery delivery startup MyFoodAngels. An electrical-electronics engineer who never held a 9-to-5, Umah has spent the past decade iterating on one obsession: making good quality food cheaper and easier to access for the average Nigerian family. The idea took shape in 2014 when her family moved from the Lagos mainland to Ajah, a remote neighbourhood on the island. “The cost of food was insane,” she recalls. “I’ve always bought in bulk, so I just kept going to Mile 12 once a month.” That journey was a 1 hour 26 minutes commute (40.8 km) Those grocery runs soon became something more. Neighbours—mostly busy professionals—began asking her to pick up food staples for them for a fee. The informal service grew organically. By 2018, Umah formalised it as Mile12 Market Woman, a small team that delivered groceries from the mainland to homes and restaurants on the island. Then came COVID. Get the best African tech newsletters in your inbox Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Canton and Enderbury Islands Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos [Keeling] Islands Colombia Comoros Congo – Brazzaville Congo – Kinshasa Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d’Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Dronning Maud Land East Germany Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories French Southern and Antarctic Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong SAR China Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Johnston Island Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau SAR China Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Metropolitan France Mexico Micronesia Midway Islands Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar [Burma] Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles Neutral Zone New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea North Vietnam Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pacific Islands Trust Territory Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Panama Canal Zone Papua New Guinea Paraguay People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria São Tomé and Príncipe Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U.S. Minor Outlying Islands U.S. Miscellaneous Pacific Islands U.S. Virgin Islands Uganda Ukraine Union of Soviet Socialist Republics United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Unknown or Invalid Region Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Wake Island Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands ?> Gender Male Female Others TC Daily Events TC Scoop <!– Next Wave –> <!– Entering Tech –> Subscribe Day 1–100: Structure through chaos With lockdowns and market closures, demand surged. Umah’s pre-COVID groundwork gave her a head start, and the service quickly became a lifeline to households and restaurants. While orders surged, Umah observed a sharp decline in the food quality the team sourced in open markets. Profit margins she had once relied on were quickly eroded by Nigeria’s relentless food inflation, which has been a major driver of the country’s headline inflation. Like every founder, Umah faced the classic dilemma: pivot or perish. She chose the former. By 2021, the company had rebranded to MyFoodAngels, and they began sourcing food items directly from farmers, which was 15-20% cheaper than buying from open markets. “We had to start from scratch,” she tells me. The rebrand came with product confusion, organisational shuffles, and a fundamental shift in how customers and staff interacted with the company. Before the rebrand, the company had operated their entire operation on WhatsApp, handling both orders and transactions on the platform. However, with its growing user base, WhatsApp become unsustainable. As part of its rebrand, the company introduced a website and an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to help optimise orders and delivery. But technology doesn’t solve everything. The bigger challenge was behavioural. Customers, long accustomed to the intimacy and immediacy of ordering on WhatsApp, were now required to order on a website. The transition was anything but smooth. To onboard reluctant customers, MyFoodAngels staff manually created user profiles, migrated WhatsApp customers onto the web platform, and filled carts individually. The team also offered web-only discounts to incentivise customers to join. As customers began adopting the website for deliveries, the ERP system ran into some issues. “The ERP system wasn’t optimised. It kept pulling billing addresses instead of delivery addresses. That meant a customer in Ikeja would order delivery to Ikoyi—and we’d go to the wrong location.” Umah recounted. “It was chaotic, but we stayed the course.” As customers adopted the website
Read More- May 24 2025
- BM
Digital Nomads: Liverpool-based Chioma Wilson-Dike wants to simplify legalese across multiple countries
Chioma Wilson-Dike is a lawyer with vast experience in global compliance. In 2015, she kicked off her career at Aluko & Oluboyede, a Nigerian top-tier law firm, in corporate finance. But eight years later, it was a new test that would bring her the most clarity and set a course for the founder path that she’s on right now. After years of working in Nigeria, Wilson-Dike moved to the UK on a student visa in 2022 after a national security incident that shook her core, she said. The following year, she completed a master’s in project management at the University of Liverpool. She has since worked on legal compliance and labour regulation projects in Nigeria, Canada, and the UK. But it was one ‘yes’ that got her going. In 2023, she reached out to join a global sustainability project at Adidas, the sports apparel company—not for recognition, but to work on something meaningful. “I decided to reach out directly to the supervisor to say, hey, look, I’m interested,” she said. “At first, I didn’t get a response. I sent a follow-up, and I got selected.” The work turned out to be defining. At Adidas, she researched human rights, environmental, and modern slavery laws in more than 30 countries where the company operates. It involved scanning fragmented legal texts across various jurisdictions, often written in different languages, with no central access point. “That was the first time I said to myself—there has to be a better way to do this,” she said. The work was dense with no pay. But what she walked away with was more valuable than money: a firsthand look into the messy, inefficient world of global compliance. She saw the gaps, the delays, the legal blind spots. But instead of turning away, she began sketching a solution. Get the best African tech newsletters in your inbox Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Canton and Enderbury Islands Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos [Keeling] Islands Colombia Comoros Congo – Brazzaville Congo – Kinshasa Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d’Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Dronning Maud Land East Germany Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories French Southern and Antarctic Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong SAR China Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Johnston Island Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau SAR China Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Metropolitan France Mexico Micronesia Midway Islands Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar [Burma] Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles Neutral Zone New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea North Vietnam Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pacific Islands Trust Territory Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territories Panama Panama Canal Zone Papua New Guinea Paraguay People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria São Tomé and Príncipe Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U.S. Minor Outlying Islands U.S. Miscellaneous Pacific Islands U.S. Virgin Islands Uganda Ukraine Union of Soviet Socialist Republics United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Unknown or Invalid Region Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Wake Island Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands ?> Gender Male Female Others TC Daily Events TC Scoop <!– Next Wave –> <!– Entering Tech –> Subscribe From the walls of UNN to Liverpool Born and raised in Enugu, she had always aimed for law but began her undergraduate journey in philosophy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), in Eastern Nigeria. Eventually, she switched to the law faculty and graduated with a focus that took her to Aluko & Oyebode. In Lagos, Nigeria, she became fluent in the language of finance and mergers and acquisitions, but her heart wasn’t in it. She began helping startups structure operations, draft contracts, and pitch to investors. Then came the role at a Canadian gaming company. It felt like a step in the right direction—until it plateaued. A promise to relocate never materialised. And then, a national tragedy made the path crystal clear. In March 2022, after the bombing of an Abuja-Kaduna train, Wilson-Dike started applying to UK schools. It was not an easy decision. She had a toddler, a stable job, and a home. “That was the moment I told myself I really needed to leave Nigeria,” said Wilson-Dike. By September that year, she landed in Liverpool with her husband and child. What awaited her was both the promise of new beginnings and the brutal honesty of British life. Rent was due monthly. Agencies wanted up to a year’s worth in advance. Healthcare was a labyrinth of appointments and waiting lists. There were no shortcuts, no soft landings. Still, she managed to turn the quiet chaos of adjusting into a crucible for growth. Her work at Adidas had planted a seed, and now
Read More- May 24 2025
- BM
Twiga Foods creates holding company, cuts over 300 jobs in major restructuring push
Twiga Foods, one of Kenya’s most funded e-commerce startups, has created a new holding company, referred to internally as “newco”, as part of a broader restructuring effort that will consolidate its recent acquisitions and streamline operations. The move, which comes in the wake of Twiga’s takeover of three Kenyan FMCG distributors, led to job cuts affecting over 300 employees as the company pivots to an asset-light model to cut costs. While Twiga described the plan as “a routine corporate realignment,” an internal document reviewed by TechCabal suggested a more significant operational overhaul, including the transfer of a core team into the new entity and potential consolidation of key functions. The restructuring plan first surfaced in an internal document labelled Project Easter, first reported by Techish Kenya, a Kenyan tech media publication. The document outlined the formation of a newco to oversee logistics, procurement, and technology across Twiga and its subsidiaries. Though the company has not denied the document’s content, which TechCabal reviewed, it downplayed its importance, calling it part of “standard planning work” for a multi-entity business. Twiga declined to comment on whether the newco had been formally registered and whether it would function as a holding company or manage shared services. It also declined to disclose how much capital its key investors, Juven and Creadev, have injected into the company as part of the restructuring or whether the funding was structured as equity or another instrument. “The internal references to a ‘newco’ reflect strategic efforts to align the group structure with operational needs,” a Twiga spokesperson told TechCabal. However, the details of the internal document go deeper, including a proposal to move a small central team of 10–12 employees into the new entity and centralising shared services such as tech, procurement, supply chain, and finance, across all four businesses. Of Twiga’s 435 staff, 319 were marked as “leaving,” with the largest cuts hitting the supply chain department, where 267 roles were laid off. Just 83 office or distribution centre staff and 33 field staff were expected to remain. A note beside 18 retained employees indicated they are “likely to be fully transferred to Jump,” believed to be a codename for newco. This number could drop to 10–12. Twiga declined to disclose the number of employees laid off, but the document suggests more than 300 roles have been cut as part of the restructuring. Redundancies were possible as overlapping roles were merged. In an email to TechCabal, Twiga disputed the headcount figure as not indicative of the “final scope” but did not challenge the broader restructuring plan. “All workforce-related adjustments have been carried out in full compliance with our HR policies and Kenyan labour laws, and are equally guided by best-practice standards,” Twiga told TechCabal. The startup laid off 59 employees in August 2024. The consolidation could be seen as a move to improve operations since managing four separate companies creates inefficiencies, likely in logistics. A unified structure could make Twiga more attractive to investors, a pressing concern since its last major funding round, a $35 million convertible note in 2023. Twiga’s push for efficiency doesn’t stop at corporate restructuring since the firm is also reconsidering its physical footprint, including a potential move from its Tatu City logistics hub to cheaper, more centralised locations near Nairobi. The changes show Twiga’s broader pivot toward growth after years of struggling to digitise how food is distributed from producers in rural Kenya to resellers in local towns and cities. Twiga insists these changes are about sustainability and profitability, but the need for a new holding structure suggests its previous model wasn’t built to manage a multi-entity operation.
Read More- May 23 2025
- BM
MongoDB eyes Africa’s $100 billion digital opportunity, starting with Nigeria
MongoDB, a global database management systems provider, is officially entering the African market, starting with Nigeria, as it looks to tap into the continent’s projected $100 billion digital economy. This move is anchored by a strategic partnership with Tier 5 Technologies, a West African enterprise IT and cloud services provider, and marks MongoDB’s first physical presence on the continent. The company is betting on Nigeria’s fast-growing tech sector to serve as a launchpad for wider African expansion. Founded in 2007, MongoDB began as a NoSQL alternative to traditional relational databases, offering developers a more flexible and scalable way to manage unstructured data. Over time, it has evolved into a full-scale developer data platform used by over 52,000 customers in more than 100 countries, including major institutions like JP Morgan and Coinbase. Its flagship product, MongoDB Atlas, is a cloud-native database designed for modern applications across fintech, e-commerce, AI, and more. The choice of Nigeria as the company’s entry point into Africa is no coincidence. As the continent’s most populous country and a leading innovation hub, Nigeria boasts a $10 billion tech industry, a digitally progressive banking sector, and one of Africa’s largest developer communities. Despite economic challenges, the country continues to attract international investment and produce globally recognised startups. Tier 5 Technologies, which has offices in Lagos, Abuja, Kigali, Nairobi, and Accra, will serve as MongoDB’s primary implementation and support partner in West Africa. The firm works across key sectors including finance, telecommunications, and government. According to Tier 5’s Director of Sales, Afolabi Bolaji, the MongoDB partnership is strategic and future-focused. “This isn’t just a reseller deal,” Bolaji said at the official launch event in Lagos on Thursday. “We’ve made significant investments in MongoDB because we believe it will underpin the next generation of African innovation. Many of our customers—from nimble fintechs to established banks—already rely on it. Now, they’ll have access to enterprise-grade features, local support, and global expertise.” MongoDB’s product suite includes three core offerings: the open-source Community edition, the Enterprise edition (designed for large-scale deployments with enhanced security), and MongoDB Atlas, its fully managed cloud database available across AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. The Atlas product is especially relevant in Africa, where cloud adoption is rising, and traditional IT infrastructure remains a challenge. By delivering scalable, low-latency databases via the cloud, MongoDB aims to bypass infrastructure limitations and empower developers to build world-class applications—whether in Lagos or Nairobi. Mahmoud Thakeb, MongoDB’s Regional Head for Africa, described the expansion into Nigeria as a “crucial moment” for the company. “We’ve supported banks, startups, and telcos from afar, but we knew a deeper commitment was needed,” he said. “Nigeria has the scale, talent, and ambition that aligns with our mission. This isn’t just about selling a product—it’s about building an ecosystem.” Thakeb added that MongoDB’s goal is to democratise access to cutting-edge technology. “We’re not saying throw out SQL or legacy systems overnight. We’re saying developers in Africa should have the same tools and opportunities as developers in London or San Francisco.” MongoDB’s entry reflects a broader shift in how Africa is perceived by global technology leaders. No longer just a consumer market, the continent is being recognised as a source of innovation, technical talent, and enterprise demand. The company’s presence could help catalyse further investments in cloud infrastructure, data skills development, and digital transformation initiatives. With surging demand for solutions in fintech, logistics, AI, and edtech across the continent, MongoDB’s arrival is timely—and potentially transformative. By embedding itself in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and backing it with Tier 5’s regional reach, MongoDB is signaling a long-term commitment to Africa’s tech future. And if the bet pays off, the company won’t just gain market share, it could help define how Africa builds its digital economy from the ground up.
Read More- May 23 2025
- BM
South Africa introduces new ICT policy to push for Starlink’s entry
South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, has announced a new policy direction in an effort to modernise the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment regulation in the ICT sector, a move that could bring Starlink in the country. Currently, South Africa’s ICT licensing regulations require that at least 30% of a company’s ownership is held by historically disadvantaged South Africans. While this rule is designed to promote economic inclusion, it has proven to be a significant barrier for international tech companies like Elon Musk’s Starlink, which do not typically sell local shares or cede equity to meet these requirements. Published today, South Africa’s draft ICT policy, now open for public feedback, introduces the concept of equity equivalent investment programmes (EEIPs) as an alternative route for multinational companies. Under this system, instead of selling shares to local partners, companies can invest directly in initiatives that support South Africa’s digital transformation goals. These initiatives could include funding local enterprise development, supporting digital inclusion projects, providing skills training, building digital infrastructure, or investing in small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs). “Digital infrastructure and access to the internet open a world of opportunity — from applying for jobs and studying, to accessing government services or even starting a business,” Malatsi said. The policy is particularly significant for Starlink, which has previously cited South Africa’s local ownership requirements as a key reason for its absence in the market. Notably, negotiations to bring Starlink to South Africa did not progress during the much-anticipated Trump meeting, leaving its future in the country uncertain. With the new EEIP option, Starlink and similar companies could finally obtain the necessary licenses to operate, provided they invest in projects that benefit South Africa’s digital ecosystem. Once finalised, the policy will empower the Minister to direct the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to update its regulations and align them with the new approach. The public has 30 days from the date of publication in the Government Gazette to submit feedback on the draft policy.
Read More- May 23 2025
- BM
Not every day is policy work: Some days the ground is fertile to plant grass
It’s a 6am Saturday, and the rhythmic sound of rain on leaves is my invitation to stay tucked in bed. But today, I remember a promise: to fill the patchy gaps in my lawn with grass seed. Lawn care isn’t usually my thing; I was gently coerced into seeing the “issue” at all, and I can’t help but laugh at myself in several languages. Still, as I look at the rain-soaked earth, I realize this is the perfect time. The ground is wet, the conditions are right, and if ever there was a moment to plant, it’s now. As I step outside, seeds in hand, I’m dialed into a conference call with a European policymaker and an ambitious African startup founder. Suddenly, my early morning gardening becomes more than a chore, it becomes a living analogy for the journey of an entrepreneurial venture in Africa. The parallels are everywhere: the seed is the idea, the soil is the enabling environment, and the water is the financing that helps both seed and soil flourish. Every thriving lawn starts with a single seed, just as every successful business begins with an idea. In Africa, there’s no shortage of innovative thinkers, youthful energy, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit abound. But an idea alone, no matter how brilliant, is only the beginning, like a grass seed, it needs the right conditions to germinate and grow. Here’s where the analogy gets real. You can have the best seeds in the world, but if you scatter them on dry, compacted earth, they won’t take root. In the business world, the “soil” is the policy and regulatory environment, the infrastructure, the networks, and the support systems surrounding entrepreneurs. Too often, investment in Africa is laser-focused on the seed (the idea) without much thought to the land it’s meant to grow in. If the soil is rocky, full of barriers, or lacking nutrients, even the most promising business ventures will struggle. This is why creating an enabling environment is not just nice to have, it’s essential. Good policy is what breaks up the hard ground, removes the stones, and adds the nutrients that allow ideas to take root and flourish. Of course, even the best-prepared soil and the healthiest seed need water. In the world of entrepreneurship, this is capital grants, investments, and catalytic funding that nourish both the idea and the environment around it. But here’s the catch: too often, funding in Africa is rigid, risk-averse, and leaves little room for experimentation. Yet, experimentation is the very essence of growth. Seeds need to branch out, adapt, and sometimes fail before they yield fruit. Current investment trends in Africa often miss the mark. There’s a rush to back the next big idea, but little attention is paid to the activities that enrich the soil. This imbalance is a key reason for the high failure rate among African startups. Without fertile ground and regular watering, even the most promising seeds will wither. Enter UNDP timbuktoo Africa: Cultivating the Whole Ecosystem This is where timbuktoo Africa comes in, an initiative designed not just to scatter seeds, but to cultivate an entire farm. Think of timbuktoo as the gardener who understands that a healthy lawn requires more than just planting. It’s about preparing the land, nurturing the seedlings, and watering constantly to ensure a lush, thriving result. Unipods: Capacity Building for Seedlings. The journey starts in the Unipods, timbuktoo’s answer to nurturing the seed. Here, entrepreneurs receive training, mentorship, experimentation space, and the foundational skills needed to grow. It’s the equivalent of starting seeds in a greenhouse-protected, supported, and given every chance to sprout strong roots. Hubs: Creating Fertile Land. Next, the seedlings are transplanted into the hubs, incubators, and accelerators that provide a fertile environment for growth. These hubs are more than just co-working spaces; they’re vibrant communities where entrepreneurs receive business support, access to networks, and the policy guidance they need to navigate regulatory landscapes. It’s here that the soil is truly enriched and the roots deepen. Catalytic Funds: The Water That Sustains Growth. Watering is not a one-time event. The Catalytic Funds, through the timbuktoo Innovation Foundation, will ensure that the most promising business ventures continue to receive the financial nourishment they need. These groups of funds are designed to be flexible and risk-tolerant, supporting experimentation and allowing entrepreneurs to branch out, pivot, and find the path to value. Policy Impact Unit: Tending the Land for the Future. Finally, the Policy Impact Unit works tirelessly to ensure the soil remains fertile. By advocating for forward-thinking, responsive policies and working with governments to remove barriers, this unit ensures that the enabling environment keeps pace with the needs of innovators. It’s the ongoing care that keeps the lawn healthy season after season. When all these elements come together, seed, soil, and water, the result is a thriving ecosystem. Business ventures don’t just survive; they flourish, creating jobs, driving innovation, and contributing to Africa’s broader development. The impact goes beyond individual companies; it’s about building a foundation for sustainable growth across the continent. Imagine a lawn that was once patchy and brown, now lush and green. That’s the vision for Africa’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem: a landscape where ideas can take root, grow, and yield value for everyone. Some days are for policy, for planning, and waiting. But some days, the ground is just right, the rain has fallen, the soil is soft, and the seeds are ready. Today, Africa stands at that moment. With programs like timbuktoo, the continent has the tools to prepare the land, nurture the seeds, and water the shoots. What’s needed now is the collective will to plant, to tend, and to believe in the combined harvest to come. So, as I finish my morning planting, hands muddy and heart hopeful, I think about the innovative entrepreneurial endeavors across Africa. Each one is a seed with potential. With the right environment, the right support, and the right investment, there’s no limit to what can grow. Let’s
Read More- May 23 2025
- BM
Starlink’s South Africa future still uncertain after Ramaphosa–Trump–Musk talks
The operation of Starlink in South Africa remains unclear after Wednesday’s high-stakes meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump, who were joined by Elon Musk. The talks took place amid a backdrop of heightened tensions, with the agenda largely focused on accusations surrounding South Africa’s racial policies and land reform, leaving the status of any Starlink-related negotiations unclear. South Africa’s telecoms regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), told TechCabal that “Starlink has not yet applied for a licence” despite reports indicating a proposed workaround for local black ownership laws to facilitate Starlink’s operation in the country. While Starlink has already secured operations in 18 African countries—including South Africa’s immediate neighbors Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique — the continent’s largest economy continues to be left out. The exclusion stems from Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) regulations that require telecom providers to have 30% local ownership, as stated by ICASA. The ongoing dispute between Elon Musk and the South African government had escalated into a public spat with Musk, in a provocative social media post, claiming, “The government will not grant Starlink a to operate simply because I am not black.” South African officials quickly pushed back, clarifying that no formal application had been submitted for consideration. Local telecommunications giants, including Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, and Cell C, have strategically aligned with the regulatory status quo. Vodacom has explicitly backed ICASA’s position, stating that it “supports the enforcement of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws” and believes in “the importance of adhering to national regulations that promote inclusivity and redress historical inequalities. “I have been in ICASA meetings where some of our biggest broadcasters and telcos have said, ‘Why have we been ignored for years on the difficulties of operating in this regulatory climate?’ But as soon as Elon Musk jumps up and down, suddenly there are reports about the department considering changes to the law. This is not good for the country,” said Professor Justine Limpitlaw, an electronic communications law specialist. Regional regulatory perspectives on Starlink Across the region, South Africa’s hardline approach aligns with Namibia, where its regulator, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), ordered Starlink to cease operations in late 2024 and is currently reviewing its application. Lesotho, too, initially resisted Starlink due to concerns over Basotho ownership, a requirement in the country’s telecom sector, but later granted a 10-year licence. Botswana initially rejected Starlink’s application in early 2024 due to missing requirements and imposed high licensing fees—P5,600 (about $400) for applications, P386,000 (about $27,500) annually, plus 3% of revenue. After a year-long regulatory battle, direct intervention by President Mokgweetsi Masisi led to Starlink’s approval in May 2024. In contrast, Mozambique, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe have taken a more open stance. Mozambique was among the first African nations to adopt Starlink in 2022, citing its potential to transform the ICT sector. Eswatini – Granted Starlink a five-year licence in June 2023 after an application submitted in March 2023. The service launched in December 2023, making it the 8th African country with Starlink connectivity. The regulatory process was relatively straightforward, with the Eswatini Communications Commission determining that Starlink met all requirements. In Zimbabwe, POTRAZ (Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe) granted Starlink s worth $575,000 in 2024 in partnership with IMC Communications, sidestepping the issue of mandatory equity requirements through local collaboration. “Musk has, at times, been open to local ownership agreements, but in this case, the regulatory maneuvering appears to be more about political strategy than business flexibility,” Limiptilaw said. Despite the political theatre, any resolution remains bound by the current legal framework. “To cover the country with satellite service, you need an individual end. I don’t think ICASA has much regulatory wriggle room, that’s where the law is at the moment,” said Limpitlaw. Attempts have been made to address the regulatory standoff. ICASA introduced draft satellite regulations partly in response to the Starlink issue. “Even when the regulator brought out draft satellite licensing regulations, Starlink did not even attend the hearings,” Limpitlaw noted. South Africa’s Department of Communications has floated possible legal amendments that would replace the current 30% equity requirement with a broader BEE-equivalent model. “They had promised draft amendments by July,” said Limpitlaw. “But we are already halfway through May, and the bill has not materialised. And it is not something that the President, the Department, or ICASA can resolve on their own. This requires amending legislation. Commenting on South Africa’s need for Starlink, Anri van der Spuy, a digital policy expert and researcher, noted that, compared to some of its neighbours who have granted licences to Starlink, South Africa has relatively high connectivity levels already. 78% of the country’s population uses the Internet, according to Statista. “Digital divides here are largely not a supply-side challenge [the lack of infrastructure, which Starlink would address], but rather a demand-side challenge [inequalities],” said Spuy. Spuy noted that many of the 30% of our people who are not using the Internet live in rural areas, are women, are aged, or have low levels of income or education. While some areas in SA do need to be better connected, many of the unconnected are not using the Internet because of these and other inequalities, despite the infrastructure often being in place for them to use it. “As such, even if we had Starlink, many people would not adopt or benefit from it.” As Lesotho recently secured Starlink access to ease its 50% trade tariffs, all eyes are now on South Africa, where the high-level talks have yet to clarify the future of Starlink’s operations in South Africa
Read More- May 23 2025
- BM
How three Nigerian teens built AI-powered solution to protect forests
Nigeria is losing its forests at a staggering pace. Once home to about 20 million hectares of forest, the country has lost nearly 96% of its primary cover, according to Global Forest Watch. From 2001 to 2024, Nigeria lost 1.44 million hectares (Mha) of tree cover, equivalent to a 14% decrease since 2000, driven by logging, agriculture, and weak enforcement. Despite policies like the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) strategy adopted by the federal government aimed at reducing deforestation, and Nigeria’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, illegal logging continues especially in under-policed reserves across states like Edo, Cross River, Ogun, and Rivers. With no real-time monitoring tools or reliable forest patrols, most of it goes unnoticed. In the heart of this crisis, three 18-year-old teenagers from Port Harcourt—Lesley John Jumbo, Bright Sunday, and Blessed Pepple—are engineering what they hope will spark some change. Their invention, Reforest AI, is a low-cost forest-monitoring system that uses artificial intelligence, embedded systems, and IoT (Internet of Things) sensors to detect and deter illegal logging—even in areas without power or internet. L-R: Blessed Pepple, Bright Sunday, and Lesley John Jumbo are the co-inventors of Reforest AI, a tool which aims to monitor and deter logging activities in forests across Nigeria Their motivation wasn’t born in a lab or a climate conference. It began with a simple, hard-to-ignore question: why do we keep watching forests disappear without doing anything? Earlier this year, their innovation earned Top Honours at the 2025 Slingshot Challenge, a global competition hosted by the National Geographic Society and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Selected from more than 2,700 entries across 96 countries, the Nigerian team received a $10,000 grant to further develop and deploy their solution. From hackathon to hardware The trio first teamed up at a Technoville Nigeria hackathon in Port Harcourt, the rivers state capital. John Jumbo and Sunday were classmates; Pepple was John Jumbo’s neighbour. What united them, the team explains, was “this shared drive to build cool, meaningful stuff with tech.” The turning point came at another hackathon, hosted by Techrity in Port Harcourt, when their conversations turned to the forests around them. “We realised that if we just keep watching environmental damage happen without doing anything, we’re part of the problem,” the group explained. That event gave them the urgency to turn a vague worry into a real solution. Instead of launching awareness campaigns, they decided to build a tool that could address a specific aspect of the problem they’d pinpointed. Research drew their attention particularly to illegal logging as a silent but devastating contributor to climate change in Nigeria. Forests like the Cross River Reserve, once part of a vast West African canopy, now exist in fragmented national parks. The Niger Delta’s mangroves are shrinking fast, degraded by both chainsaws and crude oil. So they got to work. Each member brings a complementary skill to the group: John Jumbo, an embedded systems engineer, focuses on the software and leads outreach and storytelling around the project. Sunday, also an embedded systems engineer, handles all things electronics. Pepple, a designer, ensures everything looks great and works intuitively. In a bold move to demonstrate their commitment, they paused their education to build Reforest AI full-time. “Where we’re from, climate action isn’t really taken seriously, so trying to build a solution for a problem most people don’t even recognise felt almost impossible. But that just made us double down,” John Jumbo explains. “Formal education didn’t really play a big role in what we built,” the team notes. “Everything—from coding to hardware—we taught ourselves.” Their first fund came from local believers: family, mentors, and fellow builders who had seen their work. That early support helped them take the idea beyond prototype. Reforest AI: A smarter, scalable forest guard The initial idea for Reforest AI was to strap individual sensors to trees using accelerometers and gyroscopes to monitor changes in their angles—so if someone was trying to cut one down, they’d know. But they quickly realised the obvious problem. “If there are a billion trees, are we really going to deploy a billion devices?” John Jumbo says with a laugh. “Not scalable.” So they pivoted. Instead of monitoring individual trees, they created smart sensor towers that form a mesh network. These sleek, minimal towers act as smart nodes in a distributed network, using GPS to triangulate positions and cover large areas efficiently. The breakthrough came when they made the system AI-powered. They trained a sound recognition model that can detect chainsaws, axes—basically the audio signature of illegal logging activities. 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