Will H1 2026 cross the $1B mark? Funding hits $887M despite deal slump
This article was originally published on TechCabal Insights and was written by Joseph Oloyede, Analyst at TechCabal Insights. Four months into 2026, the startup funding data points to a market choosing quality over quantity. At TechCabal Insights, we compared January – April 2026 data with the same period in 2025, and the results are fascinating. The 2026 paradox: More money, fewer handshakes The first four months of 2026 have seen a total of $887 million raised, slightly outpacing the $803 million tracked during the same window last year. However, this capital is coming from far fewer deals. There were 173 as of this time in 2025, but 2026 has recorded only 84 transactions so far. Investors are moving away from small bets and concentrating their capital into much larger rounds, specifically within the $10M–$49M and $50M–$99M brackets. While we have not seen any Mega Deals (over $100M) so far in 2026, this shift is fueled by capital-intensive Energy and Fintech Debt deals. So far this year, in the first four months of 2026, we have tracked 105 deals. While 84 are disclosed, the remaining 21 we have tracked this year remain undisclosed. Can H1 2026 cross the $1 billion milestone? In H1 2025, Africa’s ecosystem raised $1.42 billion in total funding. With $887 million already in the bag and two months left in the half, the possibility of crossing the billion-dollar mark is high. If May and June deliver just $113 million, we hit the billion-dollar milestone. To beat last year’s performance, however, we will need a significant surge in late-stage rounds before July. Debt Financing is the Engine The data from January to April paints a clear picture of how companies are scaling. While equity remains vital, debt financing is driving the biggest numbers, especially in February when debt alone accounted for $235 million. February saw debt outpace equity by nearly double, confirming that Africa’s climatetech and fintech leaders are now mature enough to access large-scale credit. The March Leaderboard: Waste management shines March saw a healthy spread across sectors, with Sistema.bio leading the charge with a $53M raise in waste management, proving that investors are looking beyond just solar energy for high-impact opportunities. Fintech remained a heavy hitter in March with Taurex raising $40M, while Zeno and Starsight Energy kept the momentum in the energy sector. The April leaderboard: Egypt and energy Lead In April, fintech and energy reclaimed their spots at the top of the pyramid. Egypt’s MNT-Halan secured $41.3 million, closely followed by CrossBoundary Energy at $40 million. These sectors remain the safest harbors for large-scale capital as the market reaches a new level of maturity. The big question Will the H1 2026 funding totals surpass the $1.42 billion we saw last year? The race is on, and the data is shifting every day. You will find the definitive answer in our upcoming State of Tech in Africa H1 2026 report. We are currently open for strategic partnerships to bring this intelligence to the ecosystem.
Read MoreSamsung One UI 8.5 now available: What Galaxy users should know
Table of contents What is One UI 8.5? What is new in One UI 8.5 Which Samsung Galaxy phones are getting One UI 8.5 When will your phone get the update How to check for the One UI 8.5 update Samsung began rolling out One UI 8.5 on Wednesday, May 6, starting in South Korea. The update had been in beta testing since December 2025, going through 10 beta builds before Samsung made it available to everyone, making it the longest One UI beta cycle Samsung has run to date. The stable rollout started with the Galaxy S25 series and foldables, and the wider global wave kicks off on May 11, 2026, covering Europe, India, North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. If you own a Galaxy phone released in the last three to four years, One UI 8.5 is most likely coming to your device. This article breaks down what is actually new in the update, which phones are getting it, and when you can expect the notification to show up. What is One UI 8.5? One UI 8.5 is built on Android 16, the same Android version as One UI 8.0. This is not a new Android release. It is Samsung’s mid-cycle feature update, sitting between One UI 8.0 and the upcoming One UI 9, which is expected to launch later in 2026 with the Galaxy Z Fold 8. One UI 8.0 launched with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 in late 2025 and received mixed feedback for the little visual change c. One UI 8.5 is where Samsung addresses that. It brings a full visual redesign, a meaningful Galaxy AI upgrade, and new cross-platform sharing features. The update first shipped pre-installed on the Galaxy S26 series when it launched on March 11, 2026. Other Galaxy devices are now receiving it via the stable rollout that began on May 6. What is new in One UI 8.5 1. Galaxy AI Most of the new AI features in One UI 8.5 were exclusive to the Galaxy S26 series at launch. With this update, they now support the Galaxy S25, S24, and older devices. Call Screening: When an unknown number calls you, Bixby can pick up the call on your behalf, ask the caller who they are and why they are calling, and show you a live transcript on screen. You decide whether to join the call or ignore it. You can set it to screen unknown numbers automatically and review the transcript later. To turn it on: Phone app > Settings > Call screening. Agentic AI/Smarter Bixby: Bixby can now handle multi-step tasks that span multiple apps using plain language. You can say “find a recent photo of my dog and email it to Amara”, and it handles the full task. Bixby also keeps a conversation history, so you can pick up where you left off, and it understands loose phrasing instead of requiring exact commands. Creative Studio: A dedicated app now on your Apps screen (not buried inside Gallery) that lets you generate wallpapers, stickers, profile images, and greeting cards from a photo, sketch, or text prompt. It is an expanded version of the older Drawing Assist feature. Now Nudge: An AI layer that sits inside the Samsung Keyboard toolbar and surfaces suggestions based on what is on your screen. If you are chatting about dinner plans, it can suggest scheduling it directly. If someone shares a number, it can prompt you to save it. Note: Now Nudge only works if you use the Samsung Keyboard. It will not appear if you use Gboard. Audio Eraser (system-wide): Audio Eraser previously only worked on videos you had already recorded inside the Gallery app. It now works in real time across third-party apps, including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Netflix. A Voice Focus toggle and a strength slider sit in your Quick Panel. Photo Assist (text-prompt editing): You can now describe edits in plain language, and Galaxy AI applies them. Tell it to remove an object, change a colour, add something to a photo, or combine elements from two different images. It also lets you apply style filters to any photo, not just pictures of people or pets, and generates images continuously so you can compare and pick your favourite without saving every version. 2. Camera Document scanning: Point your camera at a document, and a scan button appears automatically. You can capture multiple pages into a single PDF, and the Remove tool automatically cleans up stray fingers, folded corners, and unwanted patterns. Dual recording: Tap the dual recording icon in Video mode to record from both the front and rear cameras simultaneously. Useful for reaction content or capturing yourself alongside whatever you are filming. Real-time Log video previews: If you shoot in Log format (the flat colour profile used in professional video editing), you can now apply a colour grade preview while you record. You see roughly how the final footage will look before you open an editor. Auto Motion Photos: When set to Auto, your camera only saves a motion photo if it detects movement in the scene. If nothing is moving, it saves a still image instead, saving storage space. 3. Design and interface New visual design (Ambient Design / Liquid Glass): Transparent blur effects, pill-shaped controls, floating navigation bars, and softer depth now appear across Settings, Dialer, Gallery, Calculator, Samsung Browser, Samsung Notes, and Samsung Messages. Search bars in most Samsung apps have also moved to the bottom of the screen for easier one-handed use. Customisable Quick Panel: You can now add, remove, move, resize, and reorient any tile or slider in the Quick Panel. Brightness and volume controls can switch between horizontal and vertical layouts. You have full control over what appears there. Lock screen updates: Wallpapers now auto-position to prevent the subject from overlapping the clock or widgets. New features include three additional clock styles, finer control over font weights, downloadable interactive wallpapers, and AI Weather Effects that
Read MoreSafaricom’s mobile data business is now bigger than voice calls
Safaricom’s mobile data business overtook voice calls for the first time, a milestone for Kenya’s biggest telecom operator as consumers shift spending from airtime and SMS toward streaming, social media, and mobile internet services. Mobile data accounted for 42.1% of the telco’s connectivity revenue in the year ended March 2026, edging past voice at 41.3%, according to Safaricom’s financial results released on Thursday. Data revenue rose 14.4% to KES 83.4 billion ($646 million), compared with a 1.3% increase in voice revenue to KES 81.8 billion ($634 million). The change reflects changing consumer habits in Kenya, as spending on streaming, mobile banking, social media, and online commerce grows faster than traditional calling. The results also show Safaricom is compensating for lower data prices with heavier internet usage, helping sustain growth as voice revenues flatten. Messaging revenue fell 11.8% to KES 11 billion ($85 million) during the year as users continued migrating to WhatsApp, Telegram, and other internet-based platforms. Customers consuming more than 1 GB of mobile data monthly rose 22.4% to 14.5 million, while average monthly usage per subscriber climbed 16.6% to 4.92 GB. “Messaging revenue declined by 11.8% YoY, driven by structural changes in customer behaviour as usage continues to migrate toward IP-based and over-the-top messaging platforms, in line with global industry trends,” Safaricom said in its financial statement. The company is counting on wider 4G and 5G coverage, alongside cheaper smartphones, to accelerate internet adoption further. Smartphones connected to Safaricom’s network rose 21.2% to 33.2 million during the year, while active 5G devices jumped 55.5% to 1.64 million. Safaricom also leaned on lower pricing to drive higher consumption. Average rates per megabyte declined 12.1% during the year as the company expanded promotions and targeted data offers. Increased usage more than compensated for lower pricing, helping mobile data emerge as one of Safaricom’s fastest-growing business lines alongside M-PESA. The figures underline pressure facing telecom operators across Africa to replace slowing voice revenues with higher-growth internet and digital services as younger consumers spend more time online. The transition is also intensifying competition between telecom operators and broadband providers chasing demand for mobile internet, home fibre, and digital financial services. Connectivity revenue remained Safaricom Kenya’s largest business at KES 197.9 billion ($1.53 billion), narrowly ahead of M-PESA’s KES 182.7 billion ($1.41 billion). Net income rose 24.7% to KES 119.1 billion ($922 million)
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What you need to know about the OnePlus Nord CE6 and CE6 Lite
Table of contents OnePlus Nord CE6 OnePlus Nord CE6 Lite Key differences between OnePlus Nord CE6 vs Nord CE6 Lite OnePlus launched two new phones today in India: the Nord CE6 and the Nord CE6 Lite. Both phones sit below the Nord 6 in terms of price and hardware, giving buyers more entry points into the Nord series. The CE6 targets buyers who want strong performance and a rugged build without paying flagship prices. The CE6 Lite goes after the budget end of the market, where OnePlus has had strong sales before. The launch was India-only. OnePlus has not announced a global rollout for either phone, so availability outside India is not confirmed as of this writing. OnePlus Nord CE6 Image source: OnePlus website The Nord CE6 is built around two things: a big battery and a tough body. It packs an 8,000 mAh battery that charges at 80W, paired with four separate IP ratings and MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability certification. That combination is unusual at this price point. 1. Display You get a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with a 1.5K resolution (2772 x 1272 pixels) and a 144Hz refresh rate. The panel peaks at 1,800 nits of brightness and uses 3,840 Hz PWM dimming, which is designed to reduce eye strain. The glass is Crystal Guard, OnePlus’s own hardened cover glass. 2. Performance Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 (4nm), clocked up to 2.5 GHz with an Adreno 810 GPU. OnePlus added a secondary chip, which it calls the “Touch Reflex” co-processor, which brings touch sampling up to 3,200 Hz. For gaming, the phone also includes a 6-axis gaming gyroscope and an X-axis linear motor for haptic feedback. It runs Android 16 out of the box with OxygenOS 16 on top. RAM and storage options: 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage There is no microSD card slot on the CE6. 3. Cameras The rear setup has two sensors: 50 MP main camera (OmniVision OV50D40, f/1.8, dual-axis OIS, 4K video at 30fps) 2 MP monochrome lens (f/2.4) The front camera is a 32 MP shooter (GalaxyCore GC32E2, f/2.0) with autofocus and 4K video support. OnePlus loads the phone with an AI photo suite that includes AI Perfect Shot, AI Eraser, AI Reflection Eraser, AI Detail Boost, AI Portrait Glow, AI Unblur, and AI Reframe. Both phones also support Gemini Live and Circle to Search. 4. Battery and charging The 8,000 mAh battery supports: 80W SUPERVOOC wired charging 27W wired reverse charging (so you can use the phone to charge other devices) There is no wireless charging on the CE6. Bypass charging is supported, which lets you game while the phone draws power directly from the charger, reducing heat on the battery. 5. Build and durability This is where the Nord CE6 stands out from most phones at its price. It carries four separate IP ratings: IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K. That means it handles dust, submersion, low-pressure water jets, and high-pressure steam jets. On top of that, it has MIL-STD-810H certification, a US military standard for resistance to temperature extremes, vibration, and drops. The phone weighs 215 g and measures 162.5 x 77.5 x 8.5 mm. Colour options are Fresh Blue, Lunar Pearl, and Pitch Black. 6. Price and availability India pricing: ₹29,999 (8 GB + 128 GB) — approximately $318 (₦434,070) ₹32,999 (8 GB + 256 GB) — approximately $350 (₦477,750) The CE6 goes on sale in India on May 8, 2026, at 12 PM IST, through Amazon.in, OnePlus.in, and select offline stores. No other markets have been announced. The dollar and naira figures are based on the exchange rates as of May 7, 2026: $1 = ₹94.22 and $1 = ₦1,365. Every OnePlus phone released in 2026, ranked OnePlus Nord CE6 Lite Image source: OnePlus website The Nord CE6 Lite is the more affordable option in this launch. It brings a large battery and a fast display at a lower price, with clear trade-offs on camera quality, screen type, and water resistance compared to the CE6. The “Lite” sub-tier is making a comeback after a two-year break. The last phone in this line, the Nord CE4 Lite, was the highest-selling Android phone in its price segment during Amazon India’s Great Indian Festival in 2024. 1. Display The CE6 Lite has a 6.72-inch LCD screen with FHD+ resolution (2400 x 1080) and an adaptive refresh rate that goes up to 144Hz. Peak brightness is rated at 1,000 nits. It is worth noting that the official spec sheet lists a “680 nits peak” figure in some places, which may reflect a typical-use figure versus the maximum under ideal conditions. Verify this on the OnePlus India product page before making a purchase decision. 2. Performance Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Apex (4nm), clocked up to 2.6 GHz with a Mali-G615 MC2 GPU. OnePlus claims an AnTuTu score above 1,030,000 for this chip. It runs Android 16 with OxygenOS 16 and comes with 5 years of software support. RAM and storage options: 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage Unlike the CE6, the Lite has a hybrid SIM tray that accepts a microSD card up to 2 TB. 3. Cameras Rear cameras: 50 MP main (OmniVision OV50D40, f/1.8, EIS but no OIS, 4K video at 30fps) 2 MP depth/monochrome lens (f/2.4) The front camera is an 8 MP shooter with 1080p video. The CE6 Lite has the same AI photo features as the CE6, including Gemini Live and Circle to Search. 4. Battery and charging The 7,000 mAh battery supports: 45W SUPERVOOC wired charging 10W wired reverse charging No wireless charging. Bypass charging is supported. 5. Build and durability The CE6 Lite weighs 208 g and measures 166 x 76 x 8.5 mm. It has an IP64 rating, which provides dust protection and resistance to water splashes but not full submersion. It also carries MIL-STD-810H certification. Colour options are Vivid Mint and
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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Zenith eyes Cameroon entry
In partnership with Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Wazzup. Naira Life Conference, Zikoko’s annual money-themed event, will gather over 2,000 attendees on August 22, in Lagos, for a day of unfiltered wealth strategies, personal financial management tips from speakers who live the talk, and high-level networking. If you haven’t secured a ticket to Naira Life, there’s still a chance. Get 15% off when you click this link. Let’s dive in. Get smarter about Francophone Africa—the startups, tech policies, and institutions building the pipelines for ecosystem growth. Subscribe to Francophone Weekly Zenith Bank plans Cameroon entry Yoco has a new CEO Paymenow, PayCurve merge Airtel Zambia to open 45 stores World Wide Web 3 Events Banking Nigerian lender Zenith Bank is coming to Central Africa Image Source: Tenor Zenith Bank, Nigeria’s second-largest commercial lender by assets, has plans to expand into the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) region, with Cameroon set to become its headquarters. Zenith Bank disclosed the move at the launch of its Côte d’Ivoire subsidiary last week. The Côte d’Ivoire entry marked its second expansion this year, entering Kenya in the same month, and kicked off its operations in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) region. The choice of Cameroon is not arbitrary. In 2025, Cameroon accounted for 46.5% of bank deposits in the CEMAC zone and remained the largest contributor to the region’s banking profits. Setting up there gives Zenith access to the deepest financial activity in the region and a position from which the lender can easily expand into neighbouring Central African markets. We still don’t know how Zenith plans to enter Cameroon: When banks want to enter a new territory, they either get a licence and establish a subsidiary or acquire an existing institution. While Zenith has not disclosed its entry plan into Cameroon, its Francophone Africa ambition was never hidden. In October 2025, after it acquired an Ivorian licence, the bank said it was going to expand to eight other Francophone African countries. That licence could allow Zenith to expand into all eight member states of the WAEMU, including Benin, Mali, and Togo, after the region unified a banking framework in 2023. Nigerian banks are becoming continental banks: Access Bank and United Bank for Africa (UBA), other Nigerian tier-1 lenders, are already active in Cameroon, and across several African markets, building networks that support trade. For banks like Zenith, expansion has become a growth strategy and a competitive necessity to claw market share away from home. 3i Africa Summit 2026 Doing business in African markets? Fincra’s financial infrastructure gives your business reliable payment rails across 20+ markets. Start here. companies South African fintech Yoco names a new CEO Carsten Höltkemeyer. Image Source: LinkedIn From June 1, Yoco will have a new person at the wheel. Carsten Höltkemeyer will be stepping into a new role as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the South African digital payments startup that helps small businesses accept digital payments through card machines and software. His appointment ends the nine-month period during which Yoco’s co-founders, Bradley Wattrus and Lungisa Matshoba, served as co-CEOs after founding executive Katlego Maphai exited the company in September 2025. Who is Yoco’s new CEO? Höltkemeyer comes from the world of European banking and embedded finance companies. Before joining Yoco, he served as CEO of Solaris, the Berlin-based embedded finance company, and before that led auxmoney, one of Europe’s largest digital lending platforms. He also held executive roles at Barclays Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland, with roots in audit at PwC, a pedigree that suggests Yoco is in capable hands. What happens to Yoco now? Yoco was launched in 2013 to make card machines accessible to small businesses and has since expanded into online payments and financial software, now carrying a valuation of around $700 million. Once Höltkemeyer settles in, Wattrus will move into a chief financial officer (CFO) role, while Matshoba will take up a chief product and technology officer (CPTO) position. The company says its next decade will focus heavily on AI and integrated software tools that help independent businesses compete more effectively. What this means: Bringing in someone with deep experience in regulated finance, payments, and scaling infrastructure suggests that Yoco sees itself entering a growth phase. The startup now wants to operate like a serious financial institution. PalmPay – Built for Ambition. Built for You. PalmPay is Built for Ambition. Built for Nigeria. Built for You. With over 35 million users and a 99.9% transaction success rate, PalmPay is making digital banking safer, simpler, and more reliable for everyday Nigerians. Download the app to learn more. companies South African fintechs Paymenow and PayCurve merge Image Source: Tenor Getting paid before payday sounds like a fix. For many workers, it quietly becomes a cycle they struggle to exit. Two South African fintechs are betting they can close that loop. Paymenow and PayCurve have merged to create what they describe as a full‑stack financial wellness platform, combining earned wage access (EWA) with debt‑intervention tools under a single brand. Paymenow, founded in 2019, lets employees tap a portion of their earned salaries ahead of payday, alongside savings and voucher products. PayCurve, launched in 2020, focuses on prevention. The fintech spots financially stressed workers early and routes them into debt‑repayment and coaching plans. The merged entity now says it reaches more than 750,000 employees across four markets, including South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, and Pakistan. State of play: EWA has grown quickly as an alternative to payday loans, especially in markets where short‑term credit is both expensive and pervasive. Paymenow says that 94% of its users reported improved quality of life, while three in four said they no longer rely on payday lenders. Its new play is to swap high‑interest borrowing for controlled access to wages already earned, and claim a wellness dividend. Between the lines: The model only works if early access does not harden into dependency or shrink take‑home pay at month‑end. This is where PayCurve’s
Read MoreVillage Capital backs two Ghanaian startups with $350,000 from latest fund
Village Capital, a global nonprofit that backs high-impact startups across emerging markets, has deployed $350,000 from its latest fund into two Ghanaian startups, marking the first investments from a vehicle designed to channel capital to early-stage African companies building essential services. The funding comes from the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility (AECF), a $4 million investment fund launched in July 2025 in partnership with the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. The facility targets startups addressing economic mobility and climate resilience through locally grounded solutions. The investment comes as funding from development finance institutions, which helped power much of Africa’s startup funding growth over the last decade, has started slowing across the continent. Deals like this show that investors are still willing to back early-stage startups building essential services in sectors like healthcare and logistics. Under the latest investment, the facility will invest $200,000 into Rivia Clinics, a tech-enabled primary healthcare startup, and a $150,000 investment into VDL Fulfilment, an e-commerce logistics platform, through a mix of convertible debt and performance-linked financing. “Rivia and VDL are strong examples of the businesses emerging across Ghana – founders building practical solutions to real, everyday challenges, from accessing quality healthcare to moving goods more efficiently,” said Heather Matranga, Managing Director of Venture and Investments at Village Capital. Rivia will use the funding to expand its clinic network, strengthen its sales efforts, and deepen its virtual care capabilities, while VDL will finance fleet expansion and warehouse infrastructure to improve fulfilment capacity. Village Capital noted that the funding works in partnership with locally-led Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs), local ecosystem groups that help startups with mentorship, funding access, business development, and investor readiness. These organisations are known for helping to identify promising startups that may be overlooked by traditional venture capital firms. When the AECF was initially set up, Village Capital selected five ESOs in Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania as venture partners, including Reach for Change, Africa Fintech Foundry, Fate Foundation, Anza Entrepreneurs, and Ennovate Ventures. For the Ghana investments, Reach for Change and Innovation Spark helped shape the investment pipeline, ensuring capital is aligned with the realities on the ground, according to the company. Since its founding in 2009, Village Capital said it has helped mobilise over $7 billion in investment capital to support about 1800 startups. The latest investments are expected to be the first in a planned series of deployments across Nigeria and Tanzania as the facility continues backing early-stage African startups.
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Nahla Gamil was once unsure of her future. She now heads a tech team.
The story of Nahla Gamil’s tech career cannot be told without her foundation: school. Though a citizen of Egypt, she was raised in Saudi Arabia and after graduating from high school there in 2013, she appeared set for a conventional path in engineering She moved to Qatar in 2013 to study Electrical Engineering at Qatar University, a public research institution, but she says the environment did not suit her. “I did not really like it over there,” she recalls. “So I transferred to Eastern Mediterranean University [EMU] in Cyprus, and this is where I continued the rest of my studies.” In 2015, when Gamil transferred to EMU to continue her studies, she chose to continue the Electrical Engineering program. She specialised in Power, but admits to feeling adrift regarding her long-term career aspirations. “People my age did not know what they wanted to be,” she says, reflecting on the period before she found her niche. Despite her uncertainty, she says she excelled academically and feared that if she entered the workforce immediately, she would never return for further study. “I always heard stories of people who start working, and it’s harder for them to continue their Master’s after they start working,” she says. She transitioned directly into a Master of Science (MSc) in Electrical Engineering at EMU in 2018. During her postgraduate studies, Gamil shifted her specialisation to Communication Engineering, a field she says she preferred over Power. To support herself, she says she worked from 2018 to 2020 as a research assistant, a role involving academic support and teaching, at EMU. She taught C and C++ programming language courses. That immersion in programming development created an initial bond with software, though she remained unsure of how to translate this into a career. “I wasn’t really sure where I wanted to go with that [degree],” Gamil says. COVID, tech, and clarity The global COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 redefined Gamil’s trajectory just as she finished her final academic papers in EMU. With the world on hold, a friend at Microsoft, the US tech giant, advised her that the tech industry was the least influenced by the health crisis. “No one knows how the world would go; however, the tech world is very strong, and it’s full of positions that you can actually [fill],” she says. That conversation got Gamil thinking. She decided to “see what was happening in the tech world,” since it was related to what she had taught as a research assistant. In 2020, she started searching for a job in project management even before her Master’s graduation. “In a month, I got two interviews—one in the company I’m working in now, and then another at a company that happens to be our partners right now,” she recalls. In September 2020, he landed a role as a Project Manager (PM), a professional responsible for leading a team to achieve project goals, at Bit68, a Cairo-headquartered software development company. Bit68 had just 12 employees and a PM team of two at the time, according to her. “I got hired one week after my graduation, and I had this agreement with my manager that I would work remotely until I came back to Egypt,” she says. During her three-month probation period, which ended in December 2020, Gamil felt an immediate connection to her work. “Something clicked with the place; with the position; with what I was actually doing,” she recalls. She relocated to Egypt, her home country, in March 2021 to begin on-site operations, and to bridge her technical gaps, she took some online courses. She says she completed a Product Management Tech Fellowship at Knowledge Officer in August 2021 and an Agile Fundamentals course via Udemy in November 2021 to understand Scrum and Kanban methodologies used in project management. She says she completed a Full Stack Web Development Diploma at Route, a technical training centre in Egypt, in September 2022. While she had no intention of becoming a developer, Gamil wanted to speak their language to better understand blockers. “I knew how to speak the client’s language perfectly fine,” she says. “ I understood what they were saying. I understood the business side. But I also wanted to speak the developer’s language. I wanted to be able to understand when they had a problem.” That expertise, according to Gamil, helped her progress from managing two people in 2021 to becoming the Head of Project Management in January 2022. By 2023, Gamil was promoted to Vice President (VP), while retaining her leadership of the PM team. In September 2025, she became an official partner at Bit68. Navigating early mistakes Nahla Gamil. Image source: TechCabal Gamil’s career started out as a sharp learning curve that began with her own initial misunderstanding of the profession. Early in her career, she fell into the trap of viewing the job as mere coordination, which led her to believe she had enough free time to sign up for animation and French courses. “I thought it was time to learn new languages and new things, because [project management was] very easy,” Gamil admits. She made the “rookie” mistake of treating project management as a purely administrative task of asking for updates and setting meeting invites. This personal experience helped Gamil identify a significant misconception in the industry: the confusion between a PM and a Project Coordinator (PC). She notes that many people think the job is simply about “telling the client, ‘we will be delivering the sprint by next Tuesday’,” but she argues that “a project can go down the hill, even if the developers are very good… if the project manager is not good.” For Gamil, the myth that a PM does not need technical or business depth is dangerous. She argues that a true PM must understand the “business objective of the client” and “speak the language of the developers” to ensure the product’s future viability, rather than just coordinating requests. A case for staying Reflecting on her six-year tenure at Bit68, Gamil
Read MoreNamibia-based firm to back early-stage Southern African startups with $10 million fund
Bellatrix Investment Managers, a Namibia-based alternative investment firm, has launched the Ndjaba Seed Fund, a $10 million venture capital vehicle to support early-stage startups across Southern Africa. Named after the Oshiwambo word for “elephant,” the Ndjaba Seed Fund, launched on Wednesday, will target a diversified portfolio of between 35 and 50 startups over a ten-year investment horizon. The fund will focus on sectors including fintech, agritech, healthtech, education, clean energy, e-commerce, and enterprise software. The fund’s launch comes at a time when early-stage funding remains one of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs in Southern Africa. According to TechCabal Insight’s State of Tech in Africa 2025 report, startups raising below $1 million attracted just 2% of total capital deployed on the continent in 2025. The challenge is more pronounced in Southern Africa, where most of the region’s $933 million in startup funding was concentrated in South Africa, leaving founders in Namibia and neighbouring markets with limited access to early-stage capital. Bellatrix said the fund aims to help close that gap while supporting startups with the potential to scale across the region. “Southern Africa has a strong pipeline of entrepreneurs with the potential to build impactful businesses. However, access to early-stage capital remains limited. The Ndjaba Seed Fund is designed to bridge this gap by providing both funding and the support needed to scale,” Managing Director Jesaya Hano-Oshike said. Founded in 2020 in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, Bellatrix Investment Managers focuses on financing startups and small businesses through investment vehicles spanning SME debt funding, seed-stage financing, and impact investment initiatives across Southern Africa. The firm described the Ndjaba Seed Fund as its first dedicated venture capital vehicle, but said that it has previously deployed more than $30 million in debt and concessional financing to over 500 businesses in the past five years. According to Bellatrix, startups at the pre-seed stage will typically receive between $25,000 and $100,000, while seed-stage companies can access between $100,000 and $350,000. In select cases, initial investments may reach $500,000, with additional capital reserved for follow-on funding in high-performing companies. While the fund primarily invests through equity, Hano-Oshike said the firm can also provide early-stage startups with flexible financing options, including convertible debt and Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFEs). The fund is being structured to raise $10 million and will deploy capital progressively as it builds its investment portfolio. Bellatrix said the measured approach is intended to establish a strong performance track record before launching larger venture capital funds. Beyond capital, the fund plans to provide operational support to portfolio companies through strategic guidance, governance support, mentorship, business model development, and access to investor and partnership networks. It would also leverage the Basecamp Business Incubator ecosystem, an innovation hub supporting Namibian startups through mentorship, training, and investment facilitation, to help startups improve investor readiness and market access. Hano-Oshike said the fund is already engaging founders through existing networks ahead of a formal application process expected to roll out alongside the launch.
Read MoreOver 13,000 Nigerian bank employees earn $526/month as salaries climb in 2025
Four of Nigeria’s biggest banks paid and hired more in 2025. Access Holdings, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Zenith Bank, and Wema Bank grew their workforce by 12.75% to 33,675 employees, while total wages and salaries rose 27.49% to ₦1.05 trillion ($769.09 million), an analysis of their audited financial statements shows. These banks collectively made ₦2.36 trillion ($1.73 billion) as profit for 2025. The data shows that workers in the mid-to-upper income bracket, with 13,790 employees, the largest group, earned at least ₦718,125 monthly ($526) or ₦8.62 million ($6,314) annually. Nigerian Bank Pay Explorer Select a bank, then enter a salary to see where you’d rank. Access UBA Zenith Wema Total Workforce – – 2025 Wage Bill – – Where would you fit? (Monthly ₦) Simulate Reported Salary Bands Insight: Select a bank to view insights. Source: 2025 Audited Financial Statements via TechCabal
Read MoreFincra expands Ghana presence with new payments licence approval
Fincra, a Nigerian payments infrastructure provider, has secured a Payment Service Provider Licence (Enhanced Category) from the Bank of Ghana, which will allow the company to connect to the country’s financial system and process local transactions. The licence allows Fincra to collect payments from customers in Ghana, process transactions locally, and receive money sent into the country in Ghanaian cedis, according to the company. The approval comes two months after Fincra obtained a Payment Service Provider licence in Canada. It also builds on CEO Wole Ayodele’s thesis that Africa’s next fintech phase will be defined less by optimism and more by infrastructure, including licenced and regulated rails that move money at scale. Ghana has now become another proof point of that strategy. Ghana has seen strong mobile money adoption, with the market processing GH¢1.912 trillion ($170 billion) in transactions in 2023. Informal cross-border trade between Ghana and its land neighbours was valued at GH¢7.4 billion ($661 million) in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). “Ghana’s digital economy is accelerating rapidly, but the infrastructure to support enterprise-scale payment aggregation and inbound transfers is still too fragmented,” said Ayodele. “Getting the green light from the Bank of Ghana means we can finally give our merchants a direct, high-speed rail into this market. Whether a business needs to collect mobile money locally, or a global platform needs to drop remittances directly into Ghanaian bank accounts, we are removing the friction,” he added. With the licence, merchants using Fincra’s platform can accept payments directly through local channels such as MTN MoMo, Telecel, AirtelTigo, and local bank transfers, according to the company. It also allows global remittance companies and payroll platforms to send money directly into Ghanaian bank accounts and mobile wallets The company added that the licence supports automated business-to-business (B2B) payments by allowing companies to create local collection accounts in cedis and automatically reconcile incoming payments. Through a single Application Programming Interface (API) integration, companies can use these capabilities without needing multiple local systems, Fincra added. Fincra joins a small group of Nigerian fintechs that have secured a similar licence in Ghana, including Flutterwave and Paystack, as competition shifts toward building localised payment infrastructure across African markets. Founded in 2021 by Ayodele and Gideon Orovwiroro, Fincra operates in over 20 markets in Africa and powers payment networks across Africa, Europe, and North America. As it continues to expand its regulatory footprint across key markets, the company is betting that the future of African fintech will be built on interoperable systems that make cross-border payments feel less fragmented.
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