Author: Insider Editor

Egyptian e-commerce startup Fincart has raised $2.8 million in seed funding as it looks to accelerate expansion across Africa and the Middle East, betting that merchants need more than logistics software to run their businesses efficiently. The funding comes as the two-year-old startup evolves from a last-mile logistics platform into an AI-powered operating system that combines logistics management, embedded finance and business automation for online merchants. The seed round was co-led by pan-African venture capital firm Launch Africa and Antler MENAP, with participation from Yango Ventures, Five35 Ventures, Bluestream Capital, Hi2 Global, Kalahari Venture Labs and several other investors. The…

Millions of international tourists travel to Africa for safaris, luxury lodges and once-in-a-lifetime holiday experiences. But before much of the money they spend reaches the businesses delivering those experiences, a sizeable portion is lost to payment processing fees, foreign exchange costs and the complexities of moving money across borders. For many African tourism operators, attracting customers is only half the battle. Getting paid can be just as challenging and expensive. That is the problem TurnStay, a South African fintech startup, is trying to solve. The three-year-old company provides payment infrastructure that enables hotels, safari lodges, tour operators and villa agencies…

Nedbank has appointed former MTN Group Chief Information Officer Nikos Angelopoulos as its new Chief Information Officer (CIO), underscoring a growing trend of banks recruiting telecom executives to accelerate digital transformation and modernise their technology infrastructure. Angelopoulos will assume the role on September 1 after spending eight years at MTN Group, where he led technology strategy, cloud investments and digital infrastructure across the operator’s 16 markets, serving more than 300 million customers. His appointment comes at a time when banks are investing heavily in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cybersecurity, blurring the traditional boundaries between the banking and telecommunications industries.…

For decades, Telkom’s identity was built around fixed telephone lines and voice calls. Today, that era is fading into history. The South African telecommunications giant has reached a significant milestone in its digital transformation, with data now generating nearly two-thirds of its operating revenue—a clear sign that the company’s future is increasingly tied to broadband, fibre and enterprise technology rather than traditional voice services. In its trading update for the quarter ended June 30, Telkom said data contributed 62.4% of group operating revenue, highlighting how the business has evolved from a legacy telecom operator into one driven by digital connectivity.…

Nigeria’s plan to build one of Africa’s largest fibre-optic networks is moving into a critical phase. But before a single kilometre of cable is laid under the latest expansion programme, the company expected to deliver the project must first come into existence. The federal government is preparing to incorporate a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will oversee Project BRIDGE, the flagship initiative designed to expand Nigeria’s digital backbone by at least 90,000 kilometres over the next five years. The incorporation itself will not signal the start of construction. Instead, it marks the legal birth of the company that will coordinate…

Kenya has introduced new cryptocurrency regulations that give investigators stronger powers to seize digital assets linked to financial crimes, closing a longstanding gap in the country’s enforcement framework. Under the new rules, investigators can, with court approval, seize hardware wallets, seed phrases, electronic devices, and other tools used to access cryptocurrencies suspected to be connected to fraud, money laundering, corruption, or terrorism financing. While Kenyan authorities have long been able to trace suspicious cryptocurrency transactions, recovering the assets themselves has often proved difficult, particularly when they were stored in self-custodied wallets controlled solely by private keys. Existing laws, including the…

Bolt, has integrated its ride-hailing service with ChatGPT, allowing users to search for, compare, and book rides through the AI chatbot. The feature is now available across all Bolt markets, including eight African countries where the company operates in more than 90 cities. Through the integration, ChatGPT’s estimated 900 million weekly active users can check fare estimates, view available ride options, and request a ride before completing the booking in the Bolt app. The rollout reflects the growing role of generative AI in everyday decision-making, from planning trips to ordering services. According to Google’s Our Life with AI survey, conducted…

Quidax, the Nigerian crypto startup known for enabling users to buy and sell digital assets while providing liquidity to other fintechs, has expanded its business-to-business (B2B) operations across 21 payment corridors, including Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. The move strengthens the company’s push into stablecoin-powered payment and settlement infrastructure. The expansion comes as crypto companies increasingly shift their focus from retail trading to enterprise services, where revenues are generally more stable and predictable. That trend became more apparent on July 28 when Luno, the UK-based cryptocurrency company with operations across South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, announced it would lay off…

OPay has shortlisted 48 teams for the next stage of its National Innovation Challenge after attracting more than 2,200 entries from over 11,000 undergraduate students across Nigeria, reflecting growing interest in technology-led innovation among young Nigerians. The competition is part of the fintech’s expanded OPay Scholars Programme, a broader initiative that combines its ₦1.2 billion, 10-year scholarship scheme, innovation programmes and career development opportunities aimed at preparing students for Nigeria’s fast-growing digital economy. Applications for the challenge opened on 25 May and closed on 3 July, inviting students to develop technology-based solutions to real-world problems. Teams are competing for a…

Kuadra has raised fresh funding from Cairo-based Edafa Venture as it looks to bring artificial intelligence into one of the construction industry’s most paperwork-heavy processes. The undisclosed investment will fund the commercial launch of Kuadra’s AI platform, which is designed to help contractors automate procurement, analyse tender documents and manage projects more efficiently. The raise comes as construction firms increasingly adopt AI to improve productivity, reduce costs and speed up decision-making. Founded in 2025, Kuadra is tackling a problem that has long slowed the construction industry: the manual review of tender documents, technical specifications and procurement records. These processes often…