Stablecoins could be key in PAPSS’ new blockchain platform for cross-border settlements
On June 26, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), the intra-African payment initiative, launched a new product for real-time cross-border settlements across Africa. The product, called the African Currency Marketplace, will enable businesses to settle transactions directly in African currencies without routing them through the US Dollar, the Euro, or any other foreign currency. Announced on the sidelines of the 2025 Afreximbank Annual Meeting, the African Currency Marketplace is built on the Bantu blockchain network that supports enterprise-level African payments and is overseen by Interstellar, a pan-African infrastructure company, to support up to 42 currencies. “We looked at how we could leverage blockchain technology to address Africa’s unique challenges,” said Ernest Mbenkum, Interstellar CEO, at the event. “We focused on using this infrastructure to develop the Bantu Blockchain. Through this platform, we were able to talk to various partners in the industry—commercial banks, central banks, and PAPSS—to see how we could begin to address the challenges that the continent faced.” The African Currency Marketplace will enable the direct exchange of local currencies, reducing costs and delays associated with routing through foreign currencies. It’s an attempt to address the payment fragmentation that continues to slow intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It also signals something more: it could lead to a massive stablecoin adoption across Africa. cNGN, the stablecoin pegged to the Nigerian Naira, is already live on the Bantu blockchain, with over ₦52 million ($33,800) transacted on the network since its launch. Compared to hard fiat currencies, stablecoins are easily sourced, provided solid, collateralised reserves back them. Their location-agnostic nature also means that the cost of sending stablecoins anywhere on the continent will incur the same low cost. cNGN is available on these protocols/Image Source: cNGN website Interstellar, which partners with PAPSS, is a core member of the cNGN project, making a stablecoin integration more viable. If cNGN integration is successful, it could spur more African countries to set up national initiatives to create stablecoins pegged to local currencies and debut them on the Bantu blockchain. This will not only accelerate stablecoin adoption but also improve liquidity and accessibility, particularly for less commonly used currencies in Africa. Fragmentation costs businesses and multinationals big money Africa’s 42 national currencies create a web of 861 unique intra-African payment corridors, each representing a direct currency pair through which cross-border payments can flow. In practice, however, most of these corridors are not directly accessible. When a business in Kenya wants to pay a supplier in Senegal, the Kenyan shilling must typically be converted first to US dollars, then from dollars to West African CFA francs. Each leg of this conversion introduces additional exchange rate spreads and fees, so the supplier ultimately receives less than the original value sent, sometimes significantly less, due to these cumulative costs and inefficiencies. This inefficiency is not trivial. Africa reportedly loses $5 billion annually to “leakages” and foreign currency dependency in intra-African payments. Aviation is one sector hit hard by Africa’s payment fragmentation. Airlines often can’t move their earnings out of certain countries because of currency restrictions and depreciation. In June, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that $1.8 billion in airline funds is stuck, with the majority of affected countries being in Africa. As Mike Ogbalu, PAPSS CEO, has often highlighted, these kinds of barriers show why better cross-border payment solutions are needed. 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
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“Our dream is zero paper”: Côte d’Ivoire’s digital transformation chief on the country’s tech ambitions
Côte d’Ivoire is driving one of Africa’s most ambitious digital transformations, aiming for a fully paperless government by 2030. Karen Diallo, Director of Digital Transformation in Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Digital Economy, is at the centre of one of West Africa’s most ambitious public sector modernisation programs, PARAE (Programme d’Appui à la Réforme de l’Administration de l’Etat) project. As the country wraps up its current digital strategy and drafts a new roadmap for 2026–2030, Diallo’s team is pushing to unify services, invest in AI, support startups, and—eventually—make paper government processes obsolete. TechCabal spoke to Diallo on the sidelines of the Cyber Africa Forum. In this conversation, she discusses Côte d’Ivoire’s priorities around artificial intelligence, the role of local startups in public procurement, and why the country is betting big on connectivity and digital identity infrastructure. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Can you walk us through some of the most transformative pillars of Côte d’Ivoire’s digital strategy? We’re currently closing out the 2021–2025 digital strategy, so we’re already drafting the next one for 2026–2030. But for this phase, three projects stand out. First is interoperability: we’re building a system that gives citizens unified access to all public services from a single platform. Second is the national digital ID. And third, we’ve launched an access gateway that lets people request any public document or information in one place. We’re also investing heavily in AI and digital governance. We released strategies for both earlier this year and are now calling for investment to implement them. And of course, rural connectivity is a major focus, ensuring people outside cities can access digital services. Tell us more about Côte d’Ivoire’s AI strategy. What’s the framework for it? It’s built on three pillars: inclusiveness, investment, and governance. Every AI-related project must align with at least one of these. We’ve identified health, education, and agriculture as priority sectors, though we acknowledge that AI will impact everything. Right now, we’re working closely with stakeholders in these sectors to define use cases that are both impactful and locally viable, culturally and infrastructurally. We’re also working to establish a national AI agency that will coordinate these efforts. You’ve mentioned support for startups. What’s Côte d’Ivoire doing to strengthen the startup ecosystem? This is the place to be if you’re a startup in West Africa. The ecosystem is booming. We’ve passed a new startup law to make it easier for early-stage companies to access government contracts. Startups typically don’t meet the eligibility criteria for public tenders, but we’re changing that through what we call a “levelisation” process, essentially granting certified startups access to public markets. We also launched a national innovation hub called IvorTech. It’s located in Abidjan’s Plateau district and supported directly by the President’s office. It acts as a resource center, whether you need funding, training, or basic information to launch. There’s also an on-site incubator, though it only started operations recently. How else is the government supporting startups financially or otherwise? Beyond direct funding, our support is structural and visibility-oriented. IvorTech helps startups develop business capabilities, connect with funding opportunities, and access critical networks. We even took 20 Ivorian startups to VivaTech in Paris to spotlight their work globally. We’ve also created CI20, a coalition of 20 leading local startups—sort of our own unicorn pipeline—to drive sector innovation in fintech, healthtech, and more. As someone working on public digital services, how are you approaching modernisation within the government itself? My job is to harmonise digital efforts across ministries in Côte d’Ivoire. Today, every department has its digital budget and projects, which creates silos and inefficiencies. Our role is to coordinate, prevent duplication, and ensure that funds, talent, and timelines are used effectively. We’re also focused on interoperability and digital identity as foundational layers to enable cross-ministerial data sharing and service delivery. Looking ahead to 2030, what’s your long-term vision? Zero paper. That’s the dream, digitising everything. To get there, we’re building out infrastructure like a national data center, as well as backend systems that allow seamless communication between government departments and digital IDs for citizens. All of this creates the foundation for fully paperless administration. What’s one common misconception about Côte d’Ivoire’s digital future that you disagree with? People say we won’t succeed in digitising our public services in Côte d’Ivoire because citizens are resistant to change. I don’t agree. It’s not resistance—it’s inertia. People are used to doing things a certain way. But with the right strategy and change management, we can overcome that reluctance. We just need to be patient and inclusive in how we roll things out. We’re working across the board, but I’m currently focused on education and health. Those are the two sectors I work most closely with at the moment. Anything else you’d like the global tech community to know? Yes. We’re inviting investors to come to Côte d’Ivoire and help us build the digital future. The opportunities are real, and the ecosystem is ready. Mark your calendars! Moonshot by TechCabal is back in Lagos on October 15–16! Join Africa’s top founders, creatives & tech leaders for 2 days of keynotes, mixers & future-forward ideas. Early bird tickets now 20% off—don’t snooze! moonshot.techcabal.com
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MTN Nigeria enters cloud race with completion of first phase of $235 million data centre
MTN Nigeria has completed the first phase of its $235 million Dabengwa Sifiso Data Centre, marking its official entry into commercial data hosting. The Tier III data centre facility is part of the telco’s broader push to strengthen cloud infrastructure. The newly completed Phase 1 features a 4.5MW IT load, spans three floors, houses 780 racks, and costs $100 million to build. When fully developed, the facility will reach 9MW capacity, with Phase 2—estimated at $135 million—targeting Tier IV certification, the highest global benchmark for uptime and redundancy. The project positions MTN at the forefront of Nigeria’s fast-growing data centre market, while also inserting the telecom giant into a competitive ecosystem long dominated by players such as MainOne (Equinix), Rack Centre, Digital Realty (via Medallion), and Open Access Data Centres (OADC). The Dabengwa Sifiso Data Centre, named in honour of MTN Group’s former CEO, is a strategic move. With over 50 data centres across Africa and the Middle East, MTN is capitalising on its pan-African infrastructure to meet surging demand for low-latency cloud computing, digital platforms, and enterprise-level IT services. Local cloud, local advantage MTN’s push comes as Nigeria continues to rely heavily on foreign hyperscalers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, leading to an estimated $350 million in annual capital flight for offshore data hosting, according to industry estimates. By offering in-country hosting, Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solutions priced in naira, and full compliance with regulations like the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) mandates, MTN is making a direct play to localise cloud spend and capture enterprise demand. “We are going to continue to expand the capacity we have in the data centre,” said Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, during a pre-launch briefing on June 30, 2025. “Part of that is the readiness for artificial intelligence and the processing power that AI needs and uses.” The Dabengwa Sifiso facility is carrier-agnostic, allowing clients to connect through any fibre provider, not just MTN’s network. This strategy is crucial in a market where vendor lock-in can deter large enterprises and governments. At the heart of MTN’s strategy is a push to democratise cloud access for startups and local developers. The MTN Cloud platform offers self-orchestration, mirroring what developers typically find on AWS or Google Cloud. Self-orchestration is the ability of a system, application, or service to automatically manage and coordinate its resources, workflows, and scaling without requiring external, manual intervention. This allows users to provision and manage resources autonomously, accelerating product development and reducing time-to-market. “I believe that we will be the first, or we are the first, to offer a self-orchestration data platform in Nigeria,” said Linda Saint-Okafor, chief Enterprise Business Officer, MTN Nigeria. A race for digital dominance Nigeria’s cloud market has expanded rapidly, with Equinix’s MainOne and Rack Centre setting high industry standards. OADC’s edge facilities and Medallion’s micro data centres have also gained ground in decentralised hosting. Yet MTN is banking on its telecom-grade resilience, deep capital investment, and the ability to integrate enterprise services across its existing infrastructure. At full scale, the centre’s modular design—featuring 96 prefabricated containers—can scale beyond 14MW, allowing for AI-ready workloads, 3D environmental monitoring, and advanced containment units. The facility includes 24/7 intelligent monitoring, PCI DSS readiness, and role-based access control, targeting high-compliance industries like finance, health, and national security. While competition may be stiff, MTN believes it has what it takes to snag meaningful market share. Mark your calendars! Moonshot by TechCabal is back in Lagos on October 15–16! Join Africa’s top founders, creatives & tech leaders for 2 days of keynotes, mixers & future-forward ideas. Early bird tickets now 20% off—don’t snooze! moonshot.techcabal.com
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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Riding a multimillion dollar Wave
In partnership with Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Welcome to H2. It’s six months until the end of 2025. Appraisals are around the corner. So is your will to finish the year strong. If you need great vibes to begin the new half, Instagram now lets you share Spotify songs—with sound—to your stories. Wave raises $137 million M-PESA’s market share declines six times in a row Starlink loses 11% of its subscribers in Kenya Pick n Pay sells its 51% stake in Pikwik World Wide Web 3 Opportunities Funding Wave raises $137 million to power African expansion Image Source: Wave The tide is turning in African fintech, and Wave is riding on the momentum. Wave just secured $137 million in debt funding to grow its mobile money services and expand its footprint across Africa. The funding will boost its capital, allowing it to double down on providing affordable financial access across the continent. Debt funding? Think of it like borrowing, as the name implies. Unlike equity, where startups give up a slice of their company, this funding means lenders trust Wave enough to hand them cash, knowing they will pay back. For Wave, it’s a vote of confidence in both its business model and its ability to grow sustainably—that’s quite the flex. This round was led by Rand Merchant Bank and a trust of global finance institutions, including British International Investment (BII), Finnfund, and Norfund. This signals sustained investor confidence in Wave’s low-cost, mobile-first approach—no surprise there as Wave has been the only African startup on Y Combinator’s top 50 earners list for two consecutive years (2023 & 2024). Wave’s been stacking wins. This fundraiser follows a busy few weeks. In June, Wave secured a licence to operate in Cameroon through a partnership with Commercial Bank Cameroon (CBC), its official entry into Central Africa. In September 2021. Wave reached a valuation of $1.7 billion after closing a $200 million Series A funding round—the largest Series A round ever recorded for an African startup. This made Wave Francophone Africa’s first unicorn. Save more on every NGN transaction with Fincra Stop overpaying for NGN payments. Fincra’s fees are more affordable than other payment platforms for collections & payouts. The bigger the transaction, the more you save. Create a free account in 3 minutes and start saving today. 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 Mobile money M-PESA’s market share drops for sixth straight quarter Image: M-Pesa Airtel Money is chipping away at M-PESA’s lead, but it’s still a long road ahead. According to new data from Kenya’s Communications Authority, Safaricom’s M-PESA market share dropped from 97% in Q4 2023 to 90.8% in Q1 2025. The new data means the fintechhasnow lost market share for six straight quarters. (Airtel Money’s market share has grown from 2.9% to about 9.1% in the last two years.) Why is M-PESA losing ground? Interoperability rules introduced in 2022 broke Safaricom’s long-standing hold on users, allowing cross-network transactions. Airtel seized the opening to attract new users with cheaper fees, airtime cashback offers, and agent partnerships with supermarket chains like Naivas. Airtel is still far behind, but its steady gains hint at a slow but steady closing of the gap. Safaricom isn’t ignoring M-PESA’s slide. In March, the company announced it’s investing over $309 million annually to rebuild M-PESA into a more resilient platform. While framed as future-proofing
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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Lesaka goes shopping
In partnership with Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Good morning! It’s the last day of the first half of 2025. How has the las six months been for you? Crushed goals? Took some Ls? Completely burnt out? Or Just survived? That counts too. There is still enough time to reflect on how you did in the first half and how you can do better in the second half. Or, as Twitter likes to say: it’s time to lock in (again). Lesaka to acquire Bank Zero for $56 million Eskom eyes Bitcoin mining to generate revenue Asset Chain launches blockchain trading platform with zero fees Cybercrime makes up 30% of reported crimes in parts of Africa World Wide Web 3 Opportunities Banking Lesaka to acquire Bank Zero for $56 million Lesaka technologies inc rings the nasdaq closing bell Lesaka Technologies will acquire South Africa’s zero-fee digital bank, Bank Zero. The deal includes a 12% equity stake for Bank Zero’s shareholders and up to $5 million in cash. Here’s why it matters: The acquisition, pending regulatory approval, gives Lesaka access to Bank Zero’s banking licence, modern digital infrastructure, and an opportunity to tap into new revenue streams. It will also help reduce its own debt of over $56 million. It’s a win-win for both parties. Lesaka moves from being a fintech to a fully licensed digital bank, gaining control of deposits and lowering funding costs. Bank Zero gets the scale and capital muscle to reach more customers, faster. By combining Lesaka’s wide distribution with Bank Zero’s tech and license, the merger unlocks new growth paths. This deal signals Lesaka’s evolution from a payments player to a full digital banking platform. More financial details are expected when Lesaka publishes its year-end results in September 2025. For competitors, the deal raises the stakes. Traditional banks now face a more agile, tech-driven rival with a banking licence. The integration of Bank Zero into Lesaka’s ecosystem signals a shift in how digital banking services could be delivered. It puts pressure on other digital banks like TymeBank, Happy Pay, and Kuda to deepen their offerings, rethink distribution if they want to keep pace in the market. The deal still awaits regulatory approval. If this deal passes regulatory approval and is successful, it just might set the tone for the next chapter of digital banking in South Africa. Save more on every NGN transaction with Fincra Stop overpaying for NGN payments. Fincra’s fees are more affordable than other payment platforms for collections & payouts. The bigger the transaction, the more you save. Create a free account in 3 minutes and start saving today. Companies Eskom eyes Bitcoin mining to generate revenue Eskom. Image: Google Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned power company, has said it wants to support Bitcoin mining and host large-scale computing projects like data centres to generate new revenu CEO Dan Marokane argues that as more businesses and households turn to solar and private suppliers, Eskom’s electricity demand will keep dropping. In 2024, usage fell by 3%, and Eskom expects that trend to continue for the next five years. In theory, lower demand could ease pressure on the grid and reduce load-shedding. But for Eskom, less demand also means less income—and that’s a crisis for a utility already sitting on R400 billion ($22.3 billion) in debtin debt. The company needs new, energy-hungry customers to replace what it’s losing. Bitcoin miners and data centres fit that profile. However, Eskom’s electricity is neither consistently affordable nor dependable. Unplanned breakdowns recently pushed outages past 15,000 megawatts (MW), the level Eskom warns would force 21 days of stage 2 load-shedding in winter. The utility has been relying on expensive diesel generators to keep power flowing. That’s not the kind of setup that attracts long-term investment from miners or tech companies. There’s logic in trying to monetise unused power. But Eskom is trying to pitch a premium service while barely meeting basic supply. Unless it stabilises its operations first, its ambitions in Bitcoin and tech are unlikely to go far. This isn’t a growth plan yet—it’s a survival tactic. And it still depends on Eskom doing the one thing it hasn’t managed: keeping the lights on. Drive your business forward with Doroki Whether you are a retail store, restaurant, pharmacy, supermarket, salon or spa, Doroki helps simplify your operations so you can focus on what matters most: your customers and your growth. Manage your business smarter, start here. Crypto Asset Chain launches blockchain trading platform with zero fees gochukwu Aronu, CEO and co-founder of Asset Chain/Image Source: StartupSouth Crypto trading in Nigeria is massive but mostly invisible. Every day, millions of dollars move hands through informal peer-to-peer platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. There are no protections, little oversight, and scams are common. But people keep using them because they work. Asset Chain, a Nigerian startup, is betting it can offer something better. It has launched its blockchain network, alongside a new decentralised trading platform that lets users convert stablecoins like USDT to cNGN with zero fees and instant settlement. Trades are automated, no middlemen are involved, and users keep control of their money. The platform is still invite-only, but Asset Chain is aiming big. It wants to hit ₦100 billion ($65 million) in trading volume in just two months. It also plans to expand beyond digital currencies. The company says users will eventually be able to buy and sell tokenised versions of real assets like property, farms, and bonds. That could be a big deal. Most crypto platforms and blockchain networks in Nigeria are foreign, which means value flows outward. Asset Chain is building local infrastructure that keeps value within the country. If it works, it could give Nigerians more control over how and where they invest. For a country where trust in institutions is low and access to traditional finance is limited, a reliable platform for trading and investing directly could be more than useful. It could change the game. Turn your hustle into an online business with
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Anambra builds AI model to track local government spending, identify ghost workers
Anambra State, Nigeria’s sixth richest state by GDP, is pushing to tackle systemic issues such as inflated budgets, payroll fraud, and inefficient service delivery using artificial intelligence. Behind the drive is the Anambra State ICT Agency, created in 2019 and responsible for driving digital innovation across the state. One of its flagship initiatives is SmartGov Suite, an AI-powered platform developed in-house by a team of local tech experts. According to Nonso Okoye, the Governor’s Special Assistant on Cybersecurity, who led the team of experts, the AI tool will be deployed across all the ministry departments in the state, beginning with the local governments. “We started with the local governments,” Nonso Okoye told TechCabal from his freshly painted office at the new Anambra State Government House. It was Thursday, June 27, 2025—the first day the state’s ICT agency officially resumed operations in the new building. Across Anambra, as in many parts of Nigeria, government processes remain largely manual and paper-based. In May, Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), revealed to TechCabal that less than 10% of government operations nationwide have been digitised. Anambra, however, is prioritising its 21 local governments due to their frontline role in delivering public services and directly impacting citizens’ day-to-day lives. “For example, in budgeting, the AI flagged a ₦2.1 billion unspent allocation in the education sector simply because it couldn’t find disbursement records,” Okoye said. “That’s the kind of clarity we’re building into the system.” The SmartGov Suite acts as a full-fledged assistant across public services. Users, including Anambra citizens, public officials, and civil servants, can ask the AI about payments, permits, or regulations, and it pulls relevant information from state systems. More importantly, it can cross-reference data across ministries to detect duplication, track project spending, and monitor vendor compliance. AI against corruption and waste The most immediate benefit of the AI tool is in payroll verification. By analysing National Identity Numbers (NINs), Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), and other unique identifiers, the AI model can detect when multiple employees are linked to a single account number—a common indicator of ghost workers. “We found instances where one account was used by seven different people,” Okoye said. “That’s the kind of insight manual processes simply can’t catch.” Beyond payroll, the system also tracks vendors and procurement. “We saw one vendor who was awarded five contracts in three weeks. The system flagged it for review,” he added. These kinds of red flags will make it increasingly difficult for procurement fraud to go unnoticed. Why AI investment by states matters Anambra’s investment in AI reflects a shift in how state governments think about technology governance in Nigeria. This proactive approach matters. Without early state-level experimentation and adoption, Nigeria risks falling behind in creating robust AI systems that reflect local contexts. “If we don’t lead ourselves, we’ll be led by imported systems,” Okoye said. “And we might not always like the outcomes.” The potential for AI adoption in government is enormous. States that begin investing in AI capacity today are better positioned to develop institutional expertise, train local talent, and enable broader digital transformation. For instance, the SmartGov platform is being built to eventually unify health, education, and civic data into a single, integrated ecosystem. “Right now, everyone is working in silos,” said Okoye. “We’re breaking that down by creating one platform that connects everything.” Navigating legal uncertainty One of the biggest challenges for AI adoption in government is the lack of clear regulation. As Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani is addressing this gap by leading the development of the country’s first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The strategy focuses on building local talent, funding AI research, and supporting indigenous startups, most notably by developing Africa’s first multilingual and multimodal large language model. The strategy also places strong emphasis on governance, ethical standards, and public accountability in the deployment of AI. Still, regulatory inconsistencies remain a concern. “Different states may soon create conflicting laws around AI,” Okoye cautioned. “One state might completely ban government agencies from using it, while another may fully embrace it.” He’s calling for the federal government to step in—not to stifle innovation but to work with states and experts to craft a uniform framework that addresses the risks that people face using AI. “We need a national task force that looks at risks, training methods, and ethical considerations before AI adoption gets too fragmented,” he said. Some of these risks are already evident. Poorly trained models can produce inaccurate results, especially if they rely on outdated or biased data. In high-stakes areas like healthcare or justice, these inaccuracies could have severe consequences. That’s why Anambra is also working on a new law to govern how AI is trained and deployed within its jurisdiction. Governor Soludo has set up a team to craft the regulatory framework for AI usage, which will be submitted to the state assembly to consider as a bill. The law, if enacted, will ensure the responsible treatment of the data fed to the SmartGov AI tool. Okoye says this is only the beginning. The AI behind SmartGov is being trained to enable conversational interfaces that allow citizens to speak directly with government virtual agents or even an AI-assisted governor model that could respond to queries via text, voice, or video. Mark your calendars! Moonshot by TechCabal is back in Lagos on October 15–16! Join Africa’s top founders, creatives & tech leaders for 2 days of keynotes, mixers & future-forward ideas. Early bird tickets now 20% off—don’t snooze! moonshot.techcabal.com
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The Silicon Valley playbook doesn’t work in Africa—Madica is proving why
Madica, which stands for Made-in-Africa, was launched in 2022 as an affiliate of global VC firm, Flourish Ventures, to invest in early-stage African founders, especially women, locally educated CEOs, and teams outside the “Big Four” hubs. In 2022, when I spoke to Emmanuel Adegboye, head of Madica, he explained that by deliberately seeking out startups from other countries, he hoped that Madica could show investors that investment in other African countries was secure. That journey has led the fund to invest $800,000 in four startups earlier this year and eight in total. Madica invests up to $200,000 for 5–10 % ownership of the startup it backs, but it is its intense founder support program, which mirrors an accelerator, that it’s mostly known for. Founders have to commit to mentor office hours, biweekly peer sessions, and four fully funded immersion trips over 12-18 months as part of their investment requirements. The program’s cheque, combined with its curriculum model, bridges a common gap between accelerators (small cheques, standardised content) and classic VC (cheques but little capacity-building). For this week’s Ask an Investor, I spoke to Akinyi Wavinya, who has led this intense founder support program thus far, to understand how their approach has fared since Madica began. This interview is edited for length and clarity. When Madica launched, it wanted to take an alternative approach to investing. The firm wasn’t focused on the “Big Four” markets and aimed to back under-represented founders. Has your definition of under-represented founders changed since then? I don’t believe our definition has changed. At Madica, under-represented means three or four things. First, it refers to market location, preferably outside the “Big Four” (Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa). It doesn’t mean we won’t invest in those markets, but we prefer to go beyond them because they’re already highly funded. Startups outside those regions often face greater challenges in raising capital. Second, it includes gender. At least one person at a leadership level must be female. That’s part of our definition. Third, we look at the sector. Even within Africa, a very small percentage of VC capital flows in, and most of it goes to fintech. So we see sectors outside fintech as under-represented too—they tend to have a harder time raising money. So, market, gender, and sector are our three key lenses, and that hasn’t changed since we launched. Akinyi Wavinya, Head of Portfolio Success, Madica Do you ever worry that, in trying to back under-represented founders, you might create your own kind of selection bias? With all things, we consider under-representation, that’s how we lead—but it doesn’t mean we exclude everything else. One of the things we’re trying to solve for is the fact that, in Africa, it takes more than capital for businesses to succeed. So even though we lead with certain criteria, we wouldn’t say no to a great business. A good business is a good business. What we don’t compromise on is that the founder must be African, building on the continent. Beyond that, everything is considered on a case-by-case basis. Take our current portfolio—we have companies from Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt. All “Big Four” markets. We invested in them not because they checked every under-representation box but because they met one or two key criteria: gender, sector, or both. We lead with our values, but we apply them flexibly, depending on the company. How do you think about supporting founders post-investment? One of the reasons we’re so hands-on with curriculum and community is that we know capital isn’t enough. This insight isn’t just from our experience at Madica—we’re still young—but also from Flourish Ventures, which incubated us. Based on that, we knew we had to design a program that offers deeper interventions and support to African founders. It’s great to give capital, but then what? How do I get introduced to the right investors? When should I start raising again? Are my milestones structured to make a strong case at the next raise? These are critical, especially at the pre-seed stage. That’s why our post-investment program lasts 18 months, which is quite long compared to most funds or venture studios. It takes time, and the level of intervention is crucial. What happens in those first few months post-investment can make or break your ability to raise more capital. We’ve built a robust support program focused on four strategic pillars: fundraising, growth, governance and founder well-being. All our interventions fall within these. That’s the structure guiding how we support founders after investment. How do you select mentors, and how successful has the mentorship program been? Honestly, I think mentorship is one of the strongest parts of our support program. The founders we started with—our first cohort—will finish the program by the end of this year. And we consistently hear from both these founders and newer ones that mentorship is the most valuable part of what we offer. What makes our approach unique is that our mentors are very high-touch. Each founder is assigned a lead mentor; this person is their strategic partner throughout the program. Founders in the early cohorts have had the same lead mentor from the beginning. For the newer cohort, we’ll switch lead mentors halfway through the program. That’s intentional; we want to offer a fresh perspective and broader insight. Beyond those structured one-on-ones, mentors are delivering, on average, 20 hours per month to founders. That’s quite intensive. Founders don’t have to go through Madica to access their mentors. There’s no bureaucratic “ask permission first” approach. They can flag, “Hey, I need an investor intro,” or “Can we work on my fundraising FAQs together?” We’ve built an environment of trust. That allows founders to reach out informally, without worrying about asking the wrong question or whether it’s the right time. And although we’re involved, we’ve intentionally made the mentorship experience organic and founder-driven. As for how we find mentors, it’s a mix. Some come through founder referrals. Others come from our networks at Madica and Flourish. We look for
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How a thyroid cancer diagnosis birthed Egypt’s leading e-pharmacy platform
When, in 2017, Doaa Aref was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, she soon found that her survival depended on regular access to medication—and that this access was far more complicated than it should be. “I was sitting in the oncology clinic waiting room when I [realised] that other patients were having the same problem,” Aref, 38, recalls. “We were all struggling to find our prescribed medications, often traveling from one pharmacy to another without success.” Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous nation with roughly 114 million people, has witnessed years of varying levels of medicine shortages as a result of sharp currency devaluations which began in 2016 and impacted both imports and local productions that rely heavily on imported raw materials. At its peak, nearly 1,000 types of medicines were in short supply in Egypt, but recent efforts have reduced this number to about 500. Nevertheless, supply problems persist, especially for some imported medicines and specialised drugs, leaving many patients of chronic illnesses struggling to find medicines. This frustration became the impetus for Chefaa, now Egypt’s leading e-pharmacy platform. What began as Aref’s personal effort to streamline her access to essential medicine is now a regional healthtech player digitising pharmacy operations and delivery systems across Egypt and beyond. Together with her co-founder, pediatric hematology-oncology specialist Dr. Rasha Rady, Aref launched Chefaa in 2018. The platform allows users to upload prescriptions or input drug names, then connects them to nearby pharmacies that have the medication in stock. Deliveries are dispatched based on the patient’s location, with Chefaa taking a commission starting at 5% on each transaction. The app also allows patients to schedule recurring medication deliveries, crucial for those with chronic illnesses who depend on timely doses. 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 Chefaa’s unique proposition Egypt has no shortage of pharmacies—90,000 are licensed nationwide. But as Rady, 42, explains, access to medicine isn’t guaranteed. “The issue isn’t the number of pharmacies—it’s the disparity in their stock levels,” she says. “Medication distribution is inconsistent, and local supply rarely aligns with demand in specific areas.” Chefaa tackles this by aggregating supply across thousands of pharmacies. “You shouldn’t have to search the streets when you have this many pharmacies,” Rady adds. “You need something that gives you the widest access, quickly, safely, and efficiently.” Aref invested her life savings – EGP 900,000 ($50,526 at the official exchange rate) – from a previous venture in drop-shipping to fund the app’s development and partnered with a software firm to build the platform. Shortly after, she joined the startup accelerator Flat6Labs, where Chefaa secured its first investor in exchange for 10% equity. At the time, Egypt’s market was saturated: “In 2018, there were 19 other medicine delivery apps,” Aref says. “Many closed down—either due to lack of funds or inadequate medical understanding. Now only three or four real competitors remain.” But she believes Egypt’s rapidly growing population can support multiple players. Building loyalty Aref and Rady saw early on that user retention would be key. So, they built out several free features to encourage repeat engagement. One of these is medication reminders, which help users develop a habit around the app. Another is “Ask Chefaa’s Pharmacist,” a 24/7 in-app chat with certified pharmacists for real-time questions—especially helpful in emergencies, where misinformation can be dangerous. Chefaa also runs a health blog with over 4.5 million monthly visitors. It
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Interswitch’s new TVC: Powering moments that matter
A Cinematic Tribute to Everyday African Life L–R: Paul Otu, Divisional Head, Design & User Experience, Interswitch; Yemisi Owonubi, Head, Masterbrand, Communications and CSR, Interswitch; Cherry Eromosele, Executive Vice President, Group Marketing and Communications, Interswitch; and Tomi Ogunlesi, Divisional Head, Brands, Communications & CSR, Interswitch, at the premiere of the new Interswitch Masterbrand TVC, held recently at the Interswitch Innovation Hub, Victoria Island, Lagos. Not all impact is loud and boisterous. Some of it happens quietly, steadily, almost invisibly but undeniably. That’s the story Interswitch chooses to tell in its new Masterbrand TVC, a cinematic tribute to everyday African life, and the role the brand plays in powering it. Premiered at an exclusive screening at the Interswitch Innovation Lab in Lagos, the new film is more than a commercial. It’s a reflection of culture and connection, a deeply human, emotionally rich expression of the brand’s connection to the people and communities it serves. A campaign that reframes Interswitch not just as a payments platform, but as an ever-present enabler of progress in markets, homes, hospitals, fuel stations, and schoolyards across the continent. A story rooted in reality, told with intention The film opens with a reflection on what money really means — not in its raw form, but in what it makes possible. As the voiceover shares: “We see money move swiftly, securely and intelligently, but by itself, money has no meaning. Until ingenuity turns it into solutions, compassion turns it into a gift, and curiosity turns it into innovation.” It’s this spirit of technology enabling human progress that drives the narrative forward. Rather than showcase features or functions, the TVC leans into the emotions of everyday life: the joy of a young lady who secured her first ever apartment; a shopping cart paid for seamlessly; a budding company hitting a major milestone, an electricity top-up just in time. It captures the rhythm of real African life, not romanticised, but respected. Told by Africans, for Africans In an era of AI-generated visuals and digital shortcuts, Interswitch made a deliberate creative decision: no artificial intelligence, no synthetic voices, no automation. The entire production was led by African creatives including directors, storytellers, and technicians who live the culture they portray. From concept to final cut, every frame was shaped by African hands and hearts, bringing real stories to life with depth, emotion, and authenticity. Because African stories deserve to be told by African voices, truly lived and felt. L–R: Paul Otu, Divisional Head Design & User Experience, Interswitch; Tomi Ogunlesi, Divisional Head, Brands, Communications and CSR; Yemisi Owonubi, Head, Masterbrand, Communications & CSR, Interswitch; Cherry Eromosele, Executive Vice President, Group Marketing and Communications, Interswitch; Cyril Nwaoha, Group Director, Growth and Development, DDB Nigeria (Casers Group); and Mike Dube, Managing Director, Acon Media, during the premiere of the new Interswitch Masterbrand TVC, held recently at the Interswitch Innovation Hub, Victoria Island, Lagos. More than transactions. It’s about traction. For over two decades, Interswitch has been more than a platform for processing payments, it has quietly enabled progress across Africa’s largest markets. The campaign captures this essence, that the real value of money isn’t in movement alone, but in momentum. In lighting homes, fuelling ambition, and unlocking opportunity. That’s the pulse of the campaign. Interswitch does not just move money, it keeps people moving. A campaign that lives beyond the screen This campaign marks a defining shift in how Interswitch shows up, not just as a fintech platform, but as a steady, unwavering partner in life’s most important moments. It’s about presence, not prominence. Consistency, not spectacle. Emotion, not excess. Dependability, not disruption. It’s a story about consistency and showing up when it counts. More than a brand message This campaign marks a defining moment in Interswitch’s brand evolution. It signals a shift, from being known as a fintech backbone to being felt as a key part of the human experience. It’s a story about dependability, dignity, and digital access, told with a perfect balance of humility and pride. While the technology remains seamless, the message is crystal clear: Interswitch isn’t just in the business of payments, it’s in the business of progress. Showing up quietly, every day, across Africa, and powering moments that matter.
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Left on read: What happens to your complaints on Bolt, inDrive, and Uber?
Oluwatobi Afolabi took an inDrive trip around Lagos in March 2025. The ride was tense. Her driver ignored directions, grumbled throughout, and dropped her off late. She gave him a two-star rating and moved on. The threats began a few hours later. The driver had seen her review, tracked her number, and shared it with other drivers, accusing her of working with government task forces. Soon, a deluge of calls and messages poured in, many of them abusive and threatening. Afolabi contacted inDrive. Their response? “Block the numbers,” and a vague confirmation that the driver’s account had been restricted. She was not informed if the company opened an investigation nor given any assurances he’d been removed from the app. There was no follow-up either, not even after she reached out to the company’s country manager on LinkedIn. For Afolabi, and a lot of users, this episode raised a concerning question: what do ride-hailing companies do with our complaints? Across Nigerian cities, ride-hailing services have become embedded in daily life, so much so that the local market is anticipated to generate revenue of $303.1 million in 2025, with an annual growth rate of 11.9%. As the industry expands, so do questions about the systems in place when rides go wrong. Users of these ride-hailing platforms like Uber, Bolt, and inDrive, go in with an assumption that if anything goes wrong, there is a system in place to provide support. The apps promise safety measures through support channels and in-app safety features, like ride tracking and emergency buttons. Yet, when something does go wrong, users often describe the resolution process as patchy, opaque, or non-existent. Ifeanyi Anah’s most recent inDrive ride in Lagos ended in chaos. The driver, upset over a fare dispute, raised his hand at her friend during an argument. When she filed a complaint through the app, she described their response as “the usual robotic: we’ll look into it.” The chat ended soon after. “If you leave the app for a few seconds they close the conversation because you have not answered on time,” she recalled. 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 In early 2025, in Ibadan, Esther* was verbally assaulted by an inDrive driver over the fare and ordered out of the car. She submitted a complaint within 24 hours, expecting to hear back. She never did. After completing over 700 rides in a year with Uber, Lagos-based driver Chijioke Ephraim says he was repeatedly blocked from taking trips without an explanation. He sent several complaints which were not responded to. “Even if I call [them], nothing will happen.” He had to leave the app altogether. Behind a ride-hailing complaint button Conversations with Bolt and inDrive reveal that each platform has its internal process designed to review and escalate such reports, but the process begins in the same way. Both companies state that their complaint system is built to respond quickly and thoroughly, depending on the severity of the issue. They claim the process is more intensive for high-risk complaints, which are flagged to specialised safety agents. In many cases, the reported party, usually the driver, is temporarily suspended from accepting trips. At the same time, the team investigates, including reaching out to both parties for statements, reviewing trip data, location history, and assessing prior reports. “We try to engage both parties and then resolve the issue,” Efetobore
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