South Africa delays AI policy to 2027 after citation scandal forces rethink
South Africa’s long-awaited national artificial intelligence (AI) policy has been delayed to January 2027 after the government withdrew an earlier draft over fabricated academic references. The setback has triggered renewed scrutiny over how generative AI is being used in policymaking and exposed weaknesses in government oversight. A delegation from the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, led by Communications Minister Solly Malatsi, briefed parliament on Tuesday morning about new efforts to rebuild confidence in the country’s AI governance agenda after what officials described as a major credibility crisis. The delay reinforces the tension facing African governments racing to regulate AI while still building institutional capacity to understand and govern it. South Africa had hoped to position itself as a continental leader in AI regulation and innovation, but the collapse of its first draft policy has exposed risks around overreliance on generative AI, weak internal oversight, and the challenge of crafting credible rules for a fast-moving technology that is already reshaping business and public services. The original draft policy, approved by Cabinet in March and gazetted in April for public comment, was withdrawn weeks after reports revealed that several references cited in the document appeared to be fictitious or attributed to journals that had never published the work in question. Addressing MPs, Malatsi acknowledged that the department had failed to detect the problems before the media exposed the scandal. “The department had not picked up that there were issues with the references in the draft policy document before the events were exposed in news reports,” he said. The minister revealed that two officials had been suspended over the embarrassing dent on South Africa’s efforts to be a continental leader in policing AI. “It was then that we got the responses to protect the integrity of the policy development process and, obviously, the stain that it has caused not just on the department but also on the government’s overall process of formulating and finalising policy,” Malatsi added. The minister said the department would tighten internal controls and implement responsible AI-use measures to avoid a repeat of the incident. On May 14, the government appointed an independent AI review panel that will rebuild the withdrawn document and recommend revisions before it is resubmitted to Cabinet later this year. The panel will be chaired by Prof. Benjamin Rosman of the Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand. It includes experts in AI research, law, governance, and digital policy, among them Prof Vukosi Marivate, Prof Alison Gillwald, Bowman’s partner Heather Irvine, Dr Tshepo Feela, cybersecurity expert Jabu Mtsweni, and cyber lawyer Lufuno Tshikalange. With the revised framework only expected to be opened for public comment in January 2027, South Africa remains without a formal national AI policy even as businesses and government institutions rapidly adopt AI-powered systems. The delay now places mounting pressure on Malatsi to steer policymakers toward regulating a technology evolving far faster than government processes can keep pace with.
Read MoreiOS 26.5 is out: Everything iPhone users need to know
Table of contents What is new in iOS 26.5 What is not in iOS 26.5 Which iPhones are getting iOS 26.5 Apple Intelligence: A separate gate Where it is available How to update to iOS 26.5 Apple released iOS 26.5 on May 11, 2026, exactly 48 days after iOS 26.4 debuted. The update is not a massive overhaul, but it brings three things Apple officially highlighted: end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging (in beta), a new Suggested Places section in Apple Maps, and a customisable Pride Luminance wallpaper. Alongside those, there are more than 50 security fixes and a handful of smaller quality-of-life changes across the system. This guide covers everything: what’s new, which iPhones support it, and which features are available across different regions. What is new in iOS 26.5 1. End-to-End Encrypted RCS Messaging (Beta) This is the biggest change in iOS 26.5. When you send a message to someone on Android, it usually goes as an RCS message (if both carriers support it) or plain SMS. Either way, the conversation has not been encrypted end-to-end until now. With iOS 26.5, Apple has added end-to-end encryption to RCS conversations. The feature is built on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol, developed with Google and the GSMA. When it is active, you will see a lock icon and the word “Encrypted” at the top of the conversation thread. A few things to keep in mind: It is still labelled as beta. Both your carrier and the Android user’s carrier must support it. If only one side has a supported carrier, the conversation falls back to unencrypted RCS or plain SMS, with no warning beyond the absence of that lock icon. The Android user needs the latest version of Google Messages. The toggle is on by default once you update. You can check yours under Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging. Carrier support is patchy right now. Here is where things stand: United States: 23 carriers are supported, including AT&T, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless, Boost Mobile, Cricket, Mint Mobile, and Xfinity Mobile. Canada: 12 carriers, including Bell, Rogers, Telus, Fido, Freedom Mobile, and Koodo. United Kingdom: Three, BT, and EE. O2 and Vodafone UK are not on the list. Continental Europe: Around 15 carriers across 9 countries, covering parts of Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia, and Spain. No French, Italian, or Dutch carrier is listed. Vodafone does not appear anywhere in Europe on this list. Asia-Pacific: Only three carriers are listed so far: au and SoftBank in Japan, and Singtel in Singapore. NTT DOCOMO and Rakuten Mobile are absent. Australia, South Korea, India, China, and Southeast Asia are not included. Africa: Zero. No African carrier appears on Apple’s encrypted RCS support page. MTN, Airtel, Globacom, 9mobile, Safaricom, Vodacom, Orange Africa, and other African operators are absent from the list. Apple’s Africa carrier page was last updated April 1, 2026, about six weeks before iOS 26.5 launched, and the other regional pages were refreshed on launch day. That gap is worth noting. The absence is solid as a snapshot of what Apple is publicly committing to today, but it may not reflect what carriers are quietly testing in the background. The practical takeaway for most users outside the US and Canada: the encrypted RCS toggle will appear in your settings, but the feature will not actually activate unless your carrier is on the list. For private cross-platform messaging, Signal and WhatsApp remain reliable options. 2. Suggested places in Apple Maps When you tap the search bar in Apple Maps, you will now see two recommended locations appear above your recent searches. These are pulled from what is trending nearby and your own recent search activity. The recommendations refresh over time and shift to reflect wherever you have been searching. This feature is available globally. There is no opt-out for the location-based personalisation that drives these suggestions. One important distinction: Suggested Places and Apple Maps ads are two separate things. Apple has confirmed that ads will eventually appear within Maps search results, clearly labelled as “Ad,” with placement auctioned by keyword. But those ads are not live yet. Apple announced in its March 24, 2026, Newsroom post that Maps ads would be “available to businesses in the United States and Canada starting this summer.” As of now, the ads have not appeared. The Suggested Places feature itself is the live, global addition in iOS 26.5. 3. Pride Luminance Wallpaper iOS 26.5 ships with a new animated wallpaper called Pride Luminance. It dynamically refracts a spectrum of colours as you tilt, lock, or unlock your iPhone. It is part of Apple’s 2026 Pride collection and comes with 11 preset colour combinations inspired by Pride flag variants, including the Progress flag (light and rich versions), Transgender, and Lesbian, among others, labelled with Roman numerals I through XI. There is also a 12th option called “Custom” that lets you build your own palette of up to 12 colours. A matching Pride Luminance watch face was added to watchOS 26.5 at the same time. To get it: Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper > Pride collection > Pride Luminance. 4. Magic accessories auto-pair over USB-C If you own a Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, or Magic Trackpad, iOS 26.5 makes pairing much less annoying. Plug the accessory into your iPhone or iPad using a USB-C cable, and the device will establish a persistent Bluetooth pairing that stays active after you unplug the cable. You will not need to manually pair it through Settings every time. This mirrors how the same accessories have always worked with a Mac. 5. App Store: Monthly billing with a 12-month commitment Apple has added a new subscription billing option for developers. It lets them offer a plan where you pay monthly but commit to 12 months upfront, similar to how mobile phone contracts work. The monthly price must fall between the standard annual price and 1.5 times that annual price. You can cancel at any time, but you
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Airtel, Globacom resume airtime lending after court blocks FCCPC rules
Airtel and Globacom, two of Nigeria’s leading telcos, have resumed airtime lending after the country’s consumer protection regulator suspended enforcement of controversial digital lending rules that had temporarily disrupted the market. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said in a public notice on May 22 that it had suspended enforcement of its Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations (DEON Regulations) 2025, following an interim order issued by the Federal High Court in Lagos. The court order, issued by Justice A.L. Allagoa on April 15, restrained the FCCPC from implementing the rules after a lawsuit filed by Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN). The restoration reopens access to services such as “Borrow Me Credit” by Globacom and airtime advances that millions of subscribers rely on for emergency communication needs. “As we speak, the services in question are already active on Airtel and Glo,” Ayo Stuffman, chairman of WASPAN, told TechCabal on Monday. “On MTN, I can speak that we are confident of the resumption of services given the recent developments from the FCCPC.” TechCabal independently confirmed that Globacom and Airtel have relisted airtime lending services on their platforms. Airtime credit listed on both Globacom and Airtel. Image source: TechCabal. The dispute over the new lending rules began after the FCCPC broadened the scope of its DEON Regulations to include telecom airtime and data credit services, classifying them as digital lending. Under the rules, telecom operators offering deferred-payment airtime or data services would be treated as lenders and required to comply with registration, disclosure, and consumer protection obligations. The move triggered a standoff between telecom operators, regulators, and value-added service providers. WASPAN argued in court that airtime credit should not be classified as a conventional loan because it operates as a telecom value-added service already regulated under the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) framework. “What WASPAN has advocated for through the courts is that the DEON Regulations shouldn’t apply to airtime credit, which can’t really be classified as a loan in the actual sense,” Stuffman said. The regulatory clash forced operators, including MTN, Airtel, and Globacom, to suspend airtime credit services in April to avoid potential sanctions under the FCCPC framework. The disruption froze a market estimated to process hundreds of billions of naira annually and affected millions of low-income users who depend on small airtime advances, according to WASPAN. The DEON Regulations were first introduced in July 2025 to curb abusive practices by digital loan apps, including harassment, public shaming of debtors, and opaque lending terms. However, the regulations adopted a broad definition of lending that extended beyond cash loans to include airtime credit, deferred-payment data bundles, and buy-now-pay-later services. Under the rules, companies offering digital credit services could face penalties of up to ₦100 million ($72,886) or 1% of annual turnover for non-compliance. Industry stakeholders argued that applying the same framework designed for loan apps to telecom services risks creating unnecessary regulatory overlap and operational disruption. At a press briefing in April, the NCC executive vice chairman, Aminu Maida, maintained that airtime credit falls under telecom value-added services governed by the Communications Act, not consumer lending. Despite the temporary suspension, uncertainty remains over the long-term regulatory treatment of airtime credit services. The FCCPC said it plans to challenge the court order, while operators are expected to push for a harmonised framework between the consumer protection and telecom regulators. “The Commission has also given its solicitors firm instructions to challenge the Order and the competence of the suit,” FCCPC said in its notice. For now, however, the restoration of the services will come as relief to millions of Nigerians who rely on airtime advances during emergencies or temporary cash shortages. “Our members trust that the rule of law supersedes at the end of the day despite the revenue loss over six weeks,” Stuffman said.
Read MoreLaunch Africa’s playbook for managing one of Africa’s biggest VC portfolios
At large venture capital firms, staff are typically split between two functions: the investment team and the platform team. While both teams interact often, they work separately, and only rarely do employees switch teams. The investment team sources and selects the startups the firm backs, then manages those stakes over time, while the platform team helps the portfolio companies hire staff and introduce them to customers and partners, among other things. That difference makes a switch rare for smaller firms, but for a VC firm like Launch Africa, which has built a portfolio of over 170 companies across 20 African countries in six years, that scale creates a problem most funds never face: how do you manage 170 companies across different sectors and countries? One of its answers was to split the work into two: a platform and operations team that drives value across the whole portfolio at scale, and a portfolio management team that goes company by company into the numbers, the projections, and the runway. Another was to transfer Jeffery Akemu, an associate for almost two years, from the platform team to the investment management team earlier this year. His switch comes as Launch Africa seeks to cash in on bets made through its 2020 first fund by securing startup exits and returning capital to investors, while simultaneously deploying its second fund and raising a third. The firm’s first fund, which invested in 133 companies, makes it one of the highest-volume seed investors Africa has produced. In our conversation, Akemu explains how Launch Africa’s model assigns each team member startups to manage by geography and sector expertise and how it classifies its portfolio companies, and what separates platform support from portfolio management at a fund this size. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Launch Africa describes its model as high-volume but still hands-on. How do you actually support founders in depth, and where does the model force you to make trade-offs? The backbone of our portfolio management at Launch Africa Ventures is the coverage model. Each team member is allocated as the asset manager for 10 to 15 companies most of the time. Those team members are the go-to for those companies in terms of reporting, value-added support, and strategic insights. The coverage model ties to a couple of things: your geography, where you are based, what you have done before, and whether you have expertise in that sector. For example, if you used to work in insurance, you will find that more insurance companies are assigned to you. I am based in Nigeria, so I get more Nigerian companies within our portfolio as part of my coverage. That is the micro level. On the macro level, it works through the platform and operations team in collaboration with portfolio management. We look at, on a portfolio scale, what partnerships exist and what gaps the portfolio companies need filled. Over time, we have been able to build a suite of credits that we offer to our portfolio companies, amounting to about $1.5 million. No single company can use all of those credits, because some of them compete. If you are building on AWS, you cannot simultaneously build on Azure. What we try to do is get the broad base of partnerships available to our companies, cutting across sales and marketing, design, cloud computing, how to adopt AI, and internal operations. We also host workshops for our portfolio companies twice a month on different topics, based on the needs of our portfolio. In the past two weeks, we held one around the benchmarks investors are looking at in 2026 and how our companies can best position themselves for that. We have one coming up next week on startup legal essentials, basically what to look out for in your contracting and how to ensure your intellectual property is more defensible. Companies can come to us and tell us they want to upskill in a particular area, and we put together a workshop for them and the rest of the portfolio. Primarily, we try to add value through four pillars: access to networks, access to partnerships, access to talent, and access to upskilling. Under the network pillar, we help our companies access enterprise relationships. We have built relationships with some of the leading banks and telcos on the continent, and we try to match portfolio companies to be either suppliers to them or customers of them. One we have been working on is a tier-one bank out of Southern Africa, where we are in the early stages of two companies working with them. We have done something similar in East Africa, and we have banking relationships in Nigeria, though, in transparency, a commercial one has not yet been unlocked there through us. We have also worked with MTN in the past. We also look for areas of synergy within our own portfolio. As part of our approach to late-stage secondary transactions, we have relationships with the Flutterwaves, the Andelas, and the Mooves, and we see how our earlier-stage companies can collaborate with those later-stage companies in ways that are significant for both sides. You recently switched from platform and support to portfolio management. Why did it happen, how did it happen, and how has it been? Some of it is an evolution in how I see the next steps of my career, and some of it is based on the expertise I bring to the firm. By training, I am an economics and finance major, and somewhere along the journey, I started becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder. I am still taking my second-stage exams. I have always been interested in the inner workings of companies. Platform and operations are mostly focused on driving value at scale—getting companies the right partnerships, advisors, onward investments, and suppliers. Portfolio management is more intricate, working one-on-one with companies on their strategy, their projections, and how it all makes sense. Given my background, I found myself drawn more to the numbers.
Read MoreSpotify wants more Nigerians paying for music, not higher subscription prices
Spotify, the global music streaming giant, said Nigerian artists’ streaming earnings will grow not because subscription prices rise, but because more Nigerians pay for music. Subscription prices in Nigeria remain significantly lower than in other African markets. Spotify Premium currently costs about ₦1,600 ($1.16) in Nigeria, compared to $4.29 in South Africa, $2.07 in Ghana, and $3.23 in Kenya. “We cannot just say, let us try to meet our benchmark and multiply and increase unreasonably,” Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa Managing Director, told TechCabal in an interview on April 14. “We need to take into consideration people’s reality.” Streaming accounted for 69.6% of global recorded music revenues in 2025, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the global body for the recording industry. In 2025, Nigerian artists earned roughly ₦1.98 for every stream on Spotify, according to figures from the global streaming platform’s annual Loud & Clear report. “That is the reality now, but it will evolve with volume, with the growth of the market,” Muhutu-Remy said. “If the revenue per user is at that level, then it is going to be less,” Spotify Africa’s lead said. “For us, that is the most important thing, really building that habit and making it a daily thing for Nigerians and Africans to stream music. To use platforms like ours.” Spotify currently operates in 184 markets with 761 million active users and nearly 300 million subscribers. While Spotify does not disclose country-specific figures, it said subscriptions on the continent are growing. “You can infer how they are growing through the loud and clear numbers. That revenue comes from our subscription revenue, or from our revenue overall, but largely subscription,” she said. Nigerian artists’ earnings grew by 140% between 2023 and 2025, according to Spotify. In South Africa, it grew by 28% year-on-year. Currently, local listeners remain commercially important beyond raw subscription prices, as they help drive the global success of Nigerian music. “Just because Spotify costs less in Nigeria does not mean a Nigerian fan is less valuable,” Muhutu-Remy said. “Because it takes a Nigerian to take Nigerian music out of Nigeria. So that person streaming in Nigeria may only be paying a dollar, but they have got ten family members in Canada, in the US, who are paying double digits.” Nearly 74% of the R504 million ($30.69 million) generated by South African artists on Spotify in 2025 came from listeners outside the country, making the rest of the world South African music’s biggest market on the streaming platform. In Nigeria, local consumption of artists on Spotify is up by 170%. This impacted artists’ payout in 2025. While artist payout grew by 140% in three years, it rose by 3.45% between 2024 and 2025. Rather than raising prices in markets facing economic pressure, the company said it is investing in local pricing, telco partnerships, payment integrations, and alternative payment methods to increase paid subscriptions across Africa. In 2023, Spotify partnered with telco giant Orange to offer music for free on its platform when they subscribe to an Orange mobile offer in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and Mali. “By diversifying the partners we work with, by making payment accessible, by being sensitive to affordability, and by putting forward a product that really brings value in people’s lives, this is what will build the business and the ecosystem as a whole,” she said. According to Muhutu-Remy, the assumption that African consumers are unwilling to pay for digital subscriptions despite rising economic pressure is flawed. “You will be glad to know that generally, in Africa, the willingness to pay is there,” she said. “It is a cliché to say the opposite.” For Spotify, Nigeria represents one of the company’s biggest long-term bets on the continent: a market where cultural influence is already established, but where subscription economics are still developing. “Nigeria is a superpower from a cultural perspective,” Muhutu-Remy said. “It has the foundation to be a commercial superpower because the right conditions are there.”
Read MoreSouth Africa’s bPOWERd expands into Nigeria with solar battery rental hubs
bPOWERd, a South African clean energy startup, has expanded into Nigeria, launching a solar battery rental service in Lagos, targeting homes and small businesses hit by rising fuel and electricity costs. The startup is launching the service across seven sites in Lagos in partnership with Mobil service stations, which will serve as battery swapping and charging hubs at their fuel and vehicle services retail outlets. bPOWERd’s entry comes as Nigeria’s solar energy market expands amid unstable electricity supply and rising energy costs. According to the Africa Solar Outlook 2026 report, solar accounts for 1.5% of Nigeria’s overall energy mix. bPOWERd positions itself in this growing market by offering portable solar-charged batteries that users can rent daily. “Small businesses sit at the centre of everyday economic activity, yet many continue to operate against the backdrop of unstable and expensive power,” said Jonathan Lule, Managing Director at bPOWERd. “At a time of continued grid instability, bPOWERd is helping households and small and medium-sized enterprises access dependable pay-per-use power they can rely on.” To access the service, the company noted that users complete a know-your-customer (KYC) verification process, which requires submitting their National Identification Number (NIN) and then pay a refundable ₦15,000 ($10.96) deposit before receiving a battery. Speaking at the launch event in Lagos on Thursday, May 21, Lule said the refundable deposit system was designed to encourage responsible usage and ensure batteries are returned in good condition. The startup noted that it offers two battery options. A 300- and 1000-watt-hour (Wh) battery, which it said rents for ₦1,500 ($1.10) and ₦3,000 ($2.19) respectively. bPOWERd said the batteries can power LED lights, fans, televisions and charge devices. The batteries have socket ports where users can plug in extension boxes. Once drained, users can return the batteries to charging stations where they are recharged before being rented out again. “Our focus is on delivering diversified energy solutions that are affordable, resilient, and adaptable to how people live and work,” said Oluwole Ogidan, Head of bp Global West Africa. “Beyond expanding access to reliable power, this rollout also supports the growth of a local green workforce through on-site sales roles and partnerships with Nigerian solar technicians.” Originally launched in South Africa in 2025, bPOWERd said it facilitated 125,000 rentals within its first 12 months of operation.s.
Read MoreHere are the phones getting the Android 17 update
Table of contents What is Android 17, and when is it coming? When is the stable release? All the phones getting the Android 17 update What you should do now Things to keep in mind about Android 17 Android 17, codenamed Cinnamon Bun, has reached platform stability. Google Pixel devices are getting it first, with a stable release expected this summer. Samsung’s One UI 9 beta is already live for the Galaxy S26 series, and Motorola, OnePlus, Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and Honor are all running early Android 17 builds on at least one flagship device. Only Google, Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, OPPO, Xiaomi, and Honor have officially confirmed devices so far. This article breaks down what each brand has confirmed, what is expected, and which phones will not get the update. What is Android 17, and when is it coming? Android 17 is Google’s new major annual Android release. It comes with a range of new platform features that will benefit all Android phones once their manufacturers roll them out. Key features confirmed for Android 17 include: App Bubbles: You can open any app in a floating window on top of whatever you are already doing Lock-screen widgets in a new Hub mode Redesigned Desktop Mode with better window snapping Material 3 Expressive design system rolling out across the platform Live Updates, a new notification template for real-time events like food delivery or ride tracking Session-based precise location button, giving you more control over when apps access your exact location System-level Contacts Picker with field-level consent, so you control exactly which contact details an app can see APK Signature Scheme v3.2 with quantum-resistant encryption RAW14 image format and Photo Picker grid customisation for camera apps Memory limits to shut down apps that are leaking RAM in the background The headline AI features, including Gemini Intelligence, Rambler, Create My Widget, Pause Point, and intelligent Autofill, require at least 12 GB of RAM and Gemini Nano v3. This limits the full AI experience to the Pixel 10 series, the upcoming Pixel 11, and flagships like the Galaxy S26. Older phones or mid-range devices that get Android 17 will receive the platform, but not these AI features. When is the stable release? Google has not named a specific date. The only official statement from Google, from a May 12, 2026, blog post by Patrick Shehane, the Director of Engineering for Android Camera, Video & Audio at Google, is that Android 17 will roll out to Pixel devices first this summer. Android 17 reached Platform Stability with Beta 3 on March 26, 2026, and Beta 4, the last scheduled beta, shipped April 16, 2026. Based on the Android 16 cadence, which went stable on June 10, 2025, Android Authority, BGR, and 9to5Google expect the stable Android 17 release in June 2026. That is a press projection, not a Google commitment. Google is also running a quarterly release (QPR) model alongside the main release. QPR1 Beta 1 shipped on April 23, 2026, QPR1 Beta 2 on May 6, 2026, and QPR1 Beta 3 during Google I/O on May 19, 2026. QPR1 stable is expected around September 2026, with QPR2 in Q4 2026 and QPR3 in early 2027. Here are the phones getting the Android 17 update 1. Google Pixel Google has officially confirmed Android 17 for every Tensor-powered Pixel device. The Android 17 beta has been available for Pixel phones since February 14, 2026. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro get Android 17 as their final major OS update, with support ending in October 2026. The Pixel 8 and later devices are on Google’s 7-year support window. One important caveat: Gemini Intelligence requires at least 12 GB of RAM and Gemini Nano v3. This means every eligible Pixel, except the Pixel 10 series, will get the base Android 17 platform but will miss the headline AI features. 2. Samsung Galaxy (One UI 9) Samsung officially launched the One UI 9 beta on May 13, 2026, for the Galaxy S26 series in the US, UK, Germany, South Korea, India (from May 26), and Poland. Samsung’s own newsroom states: “the full experience of One UI 9 will be introduced with upcoming Galaxy flagship devices later this year.” The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 are widely reported to launch with stable One UI 9 at Galaxy Unpacked in London on July 22, 2026. If your Galaxy is on the “Will NOT get Android 17″ row, One UI 8.5 is your final major update. 3. OnePlus (OxygenOS 17) OnePlus opened Android 17 Beta 2 for the OnePlus 15 on March 25, 2026, with Beta 3 following in April. These early builds still show “OxygenOS 16″ in About phone because they are developer-targeted Android 17 ports, not a finished OxygenOS 17 release. The full OxygenOS 17 stable is widely expected to launch in early Q4 2026, starting with the OnePlus 15. 4. Xiaomi / Redmi / POCO (HyperOS 3.3 / HyperOS 4) Xiaomi officially launched the Android 17 Developer Preview on HyperOS 3.3 on April 30, 2026, but only for the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Ultra, the Leica Leitzphone, and the Xiaomi 15T Pro in global variants. Then, Xiaomi skipped HyperOS 3.2 entirely. The bulk of Android 17 for Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO devices will come later as HyperOS 4, expected from late Q4 2026 into 2027. 5. Motorola (Hello UI / Android 17) Motorola was the first non-Google brand to open an Android 17 beta, launching on February 25, 2026, eleven days after Google’s Beta 1 was released on February 14. The beta now covers mid-range and flagship Motorola devices across the US, India, Europe, Latin America, and Brazil. The stable Android 17 rollout from Motorola is expected in Q3 2026. 6. OPPO (ColorOS 17) OPPO officially launched Android 17 Beta 2 for the OPPO Find X9 Pro on March 25, 2026, the same day OnePlus launched it for the OnePlus 15. The two brands share engineering under the parent company BBK/Oplus. Stable ColorOS 17 is
Read MoreSamsung One UI 8 vs 8.5 vs 9: What Galaxy users should know
Table of contents Quick comparison: Samsung One UI 8 vs 8.5 vs 9 One UI 8 One UI 8.5 One UI 9 What this means for your Galaxy Samsung has released three versions of One UI in about 10 months. If you own a Galaxy phone and are trying to make sense of what changed, what update your phone currently has, and what is coming next, this guide breaks it all down. One UI 8 started rolling out in September 2025 and is now installed on hundreds of millions of Galaxy devices. One UI 8.5 first arrived on the Galaxy S26 series earlier in 2026 and began rolling out to older Galaxy phones on May 6, 2026. It is the biggest visual and AI upgrade Samsung has shipped in years. One UI 9 is still in beta as of May 2026. Here is how all three compare. Quick comparison: Samsung One UI 8 vs 8.5 vs 9 Use the table below to see the key differences at a glance, then scroll down for the full breakdown of each version. One UI 8 When it launched One UI 8 is built on Android 16. The Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 were the first devices to ship with it, announced at Galaxy Unpacked in Brooklyn, New York, on July 9, 2025, and on sale from July 25. Samsung then began the broader rollout to existing Galaxy devices on September 15, 2025. The global rollout kicked off three days later on September 18, 2025, covering markets including the US, UK, Germany, and India. The A56 and A36 received the update in Kenya and Nigeria from September 29 to 30, 2025. What phones have One UI 8 As of May 23, 2026, the One UI 8 rollout is essentially complete. Every eligible Samsung Galaxy phone has received it. The full list of supported devices includes: Galaxy S series Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, S25 Edge, S25 FE Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra, S24 FE Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra, S23 FE Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra Galaxy S21 FE Galaxy Z series (foldables) Z Fold7, Z Flip7, Z Flip7 FE Z Fold6, Z Flip6 Z Fold5, Z Flip5 Z Fold4, Z Flip4 (this is their final major OS update) The Galaxy A series (key models for the Nigerian market) A73 5G, A56 5G, A55 5G, A54 5G, A53 5G A36 5G, A35 5G, A34 5G, A33 5G A26 5G, A25 5G, A17 5G, A17, A16 5G, A16, A15 5G A07, A06 5G, A06 Galaxy Tab series Tab S11, Tab S11 Ultra Tab S10+, Tab S10 Ultra, Tab S10 FE, Tab S10 FE+, Tab S10 Lite Tab S9, S9+, S9 Ultra, S9 FE, S9 FE+ Tab S8, S8+, S8 Ultra Tab S6 Lite (2024), Tab A9, A9+, A11, A11+ Galaxy M / F / XCover series M56, M55, M54, M34, M16 F56, F55, F34, F16 XCover6 Pro, XCover7, XCover7 Pro, Tab Active5 Pro What One UI 8 added One UI 8 was a refinement update rather than a full visual overhaul. The biggest additions included: Now Brief and Now Bar upgrades: personalised daily updates covering traffic, reminders, and Galaxy Watch health stats. Now Bar has also gained support for more third-party apps and appeared on the Z Flip’s cover screen. Galaxy AI for large screens: drag-and-drop of AI-generated content into Multi Window, plus Drawing Assist and Writing Assist on foldables and tablets. Gemini Live on FlexWindow: voice-driven Gemini access directly from the Z Flip’s cover screen. Audio Eraser expanded: single-tap noise removal is now available in video apps, Voice Recorder, and Samsung Notes. Portrait Studio for pets: AI-generated studio photos for dogs, cats, and birds. Adaptive lock-screen clock: a new clock that wraps around faces in the wallpaper, with adjustable size and colour. Call Captions and Interpreter: live captions for noisy environments and a typing-based translation tool. Knox KEEP security and Post-Quantum Cryptography on Secure Wi-Fi. One UI 8.5 When it launched One UI 8.5 is built on Android 16 QPR2, which is a quarterly update to Android 16 rather than a brand-new Android version. Despite sharing the same Android base as One UI 8, this version carries the biggest visible changes Samsung has shipped in years. It first launched on February 25, 2026, at Galaxy Unpacked in San Francisco, where Samsung announced the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra. All three phones came with One UI 8.5 pre-installed. They went on sale on March 11, 2026. Samsung began the stable rollout for older devices in South Korea on May 6, 2026. The global wave followed on May 11, covering Europe, India, North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and more. A wider expansion to the A-series and older flagships continued from May 18 to 22. What phones have One UI 8.5 As of May 23, 2026, here is where the rollout stands: Already received the stable update Galaxy S26, S26+, S26 Ultra (pre-installed at launch, March 11, 2026) Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, S25 Edge, S25 FE Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra, S24 FE Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra, S23 FE Galaxy Z Fold7, Z Flip7, Z Flip7 FE, Galaxy Z TriFold Galaxy Z Fold6, Z Flip6 Galaxy Z Fold5, Z Flip5 Galaxy Tab S11, Tab S11 Ultra, Tab S10 FE, Tab S10 FE+ Galaxy A56 5G and Galaxy A36 5G Confirmed eligible and rolling out soon Galaxy S22, S22+, S22 Ultra (rollout confirmed from May 26, 2026; this is their final major update) Tab S10+, Tab S10 Ultra, Tab S10 Lite, Tab S9 series, Tab S8 series Galaxy A57, A55, A54, A53, A37, A35, A34, A26, A25, A24, A17, A16, A15, A07, A06 Galaxy M56, M55, M54, M34, M16; Galaxy F-series Galaxy XCover 6 Pro, XCover 7, XCover 7 Pro, Tab Active5/5 Pro Not eligible Galaxy S21 series (non-FE), Galaxy Note 20 series Galaxy A devices older than 2023 What One UI 8.5 added One UI 8.5 is the update that makes your Galaxy look and feel meaningfully different. The changes
Read MoreDigital Nomads: Africans from 30 countries could spend $871 million more to enter the US
Consider a Botswana-based tech consultant who travels to the United States once a year for a client meeting. She holds a B1/B2 visa, the standard route for short-term business travel. However, Botswana now sits on Washington’s visa bond list, placing a critical condition on her next visa application: before her visa is approved, she must deposit up to $15,000 with the US government. The money is refundable, eventually, but it sits frozen for the duration of her stay, earning nothing, while she still sorts visa fees, flight, and accommodation costs. That financial burden is now spreading across the continent. On April 2, the US expanded its visa bond policy. Six more African countries—Mauritius, Lesotho, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Tunisia—were added to the United States’ visa bond programme, joining 24 other African nations whose citizens must now pay thousands of dollars upfront before entering the US for short-term travel. The visa bond requirement now applies to 50 countries globally, 30 of them in Africa, according to the US State Department. That means 60% of the nationalities subject to the US visa bond policy are African. The policy affects travellers applying for B1/B2 visas, the category used for business trips, tourism, conferences, medical visits, and family travel. Under the rule, applicants from the affected countries are required to post a refundable bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 after their visa interview and before receiving approval. For travellers from most of the 30 affected African countries, the restrictions compound further. B-class visas, consisting of B1, B2, and B1/B2 visas, are now issued as single-entry permits valid for as little as three months. Each new trip means a fresh application, a fresh interview, and potentially a fresh bond deposit. The Single-Entry Constraint How long is a US B1/B2 visa actually valid? For the vast majority of African nations, it’s just 3 months and a single trip. Search or filter below to see the disparities. All 30 Countries 120 Months (4) 3-Month (24) Exceptions (2) The TechCabal Takeaway The Travel Tax on Innovation. While US policymakers tout global connectivity, the administrative reality for African builders is highly restrictive. Out of 30 countries analyzed, 24—including massive tech ecosystems like Nigeria and Senegal—are subjected to a 3-month, single-entry visa. This means founders seeking to attend accelerators, pitch investors, or build global partnerships must constantly reapply and face massive backlog wait times for every single trip after the 3-month validity. Only four countries (Lesotho, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Tunisia) enjoy the 120-month (10-year) multiple-entry privilege. Even exceptional 24-month approvals for Ethiopian travellers require a high-level sign-off from the VO DAS (Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services). Source: Data from the US Department of State Built by TechCabal Validity ${d.v} Entries ${d.e}
Read MoreBranch confirms layoffs in Kenya and Nigeria despite profitable year
Branch International, a San Francisco-headquartered fintech offering digital banking and lending services, has laid off an undisclosed number of employees in Kenya and Nigeria in what it described as “the difficult decision to reduce headcount across some of our markets.” Several sources familiar with the matter, including affected employees, confirmed the layoffs to TechCabal. An internal email seen by TechCabal outlined the severance terms offered to affected employees. The job cuts highlight a broader shift across African fintech, where startups are prioritising leaner operations and profitability over aggressive expansion, even as funding conditions improve. Branch said both its Kenya and Nigeria businesses remained profitable last year, while the group posted roughly $30 million in global profit for 2025. Branch informed affected employees during a global all-hands meeting on April 17 before sending termination notices that took effect immediately. “Your last day of employment will be today, April 17, 2026,” part of the email read. “This was not a decision driven by financial distress,” Branch told TechCabal in an emailed response on Tuesday. ”Both our Nigeria and Kenya markets were profitable last year, and Branch International declared a global profit of approximately $30 million for the 2025 financial year.” The company added that its operations in Kenya and Nigeria remained financially strong, with “significant cash on hand” and no debt across its African entities. One source familiar with the matter said employees received termination notices shortly after the company-wide meeting and quickly lost access to their work emails and internal systems. Several affected staff described the layoffs as unexpected. “We were aware of the company-wide meeting, but nobody expected people would be laid off,” a former employee told TechCabal on Thursday. Some employees said Branch had internally discussed possible fundraising plans in recent months, but they did not anticipate job cuts would follow, according to a former employee who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly. Branch said the job cuts were not connected to fundraising or debt financing activity. “We are not actively fundraising equity as we are profitable in every market, summing to over $30M last year,” the company said. The company declined to disclose how many employees were affected or which teams were impacted. A Kenya-based employee told TechCabal it was difficult to determine the full scale of the layoffs because many staff had been working remotely in recent weeks, making the cuts less visible than they would have been in a physical office environment. Several affected employees have also remained largely silent on platforms such as LinkedIn, where laid-off tech workers often publicly signal availability for new roles. “Generous” severance packages According to the internal email seen by TechCabal, affected employees will receive at least four months of compensation, including salary, notice pay, and unused leave days. The company also said employee health insurance coverage would remain active through the end of 2026. “Employees impacted by this decision were provided with extremely generous severance packages, and we are grateful for their contributions to Branch,” the company told TechCabal. Branch has raised $274.3 million across 11 funding rounds, according to Crunchbase data. Its largest disclosed raise was a $170 million round in 2019 backed by investors including Foundation Capital and Visa. The company last raised funding in 2022 through an undisclosed debt financing round. Founded in 2015, Branch became one of Africa’s biggest app-based lenders, serving more than 13 million customers across Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and India, and issuing over 54 million loans worth more than $1.8 billion, according to company data. In 2022, Branch expanded beyond digital lending in Kenya by acquiring a majority stake in Century Microfinance Bank, becoming one of the country’s first digital lenders to enter deposit-taking microfinance banking.
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