Author: Insider Editor

Paystack Inc., the Nigerian fintech owned by Stripe, is taking a bold step into banking with the acquisition of Ladder Microfinance Bank. The move gives the company greater control over the money flowing through its network after a decade focused primarily on payment processing. The newly rebranded Paystack Microfinance Bank (Paystack MFB) will start by lending to businesses before extending services to individual consumers. It will also offer banking-as-a-service (BaaS) solutions, enabling companies to build financial products on top of its platform. “After 10 years building payment infrastructure, we realized businesses needed more than just getting paid to grow,” Paystack…

Across Africa, a growing contradiction is becoming hard to ignore. Coding bootcamps are packed, digital skills programmes are expanding, and thousands of young people are graduating each year with certificates in software development, data analysis, and cloud computing. On paper, the continent is building the workforce it has long been told it needs. In reality, many of these newly trained professionals are struggling to find work. Over the past decade, governments, development partners, and tech companies have invested heavily in digital skills training, betting that talent would naturally translate into jobs. The promise was simple: equip young Africans with in-demand…

Econet Wireless has begun discussions with the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) on issuing a circular to shareholders as it moves closer to a voluntary delisting from the bourse. The talks follow the telco’s announcement two weeks ago that it was exploring an exit from the exchange, a step that would end years of public trading at what the company describes as a persistent valuation discount. Econet, which is controlled by billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, says the move is part of a broader restructuring aimed at unlocking long-term shareholder value. At the core of the decision is frustration over how the company…

Microsoft is preparing for a leadership change in Kenya, with Phyllis Migwi set to exit her role as country manager in February after three and a half years. Migwi announced her departure in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday, describing her time at the company as “enriching” and saying Microsoft is ready for a new phase of leadership. “The work we are doing in Kenya and the region is critical,” she wrote. “From strengthening government relations to empowering local businesses and communities, the ‘why’ behind our work has never been clearer. There is still so much potential to amplify this impact,…

When Patrick Okooboh set out to improve child health tracking in Nigeria, he stumbled onto a persistent problem: data gaps. Clinics collected health information, but it was scattered, inconsistent, and often inaccessible. For policymakers, health workers, and parents alike, that made it hard to see patterns, measure progress, or respond quickly to outbreaks. Okooboh knew better data could save lives. With a background in technology and a deep belief that reliable information should be a public good, he began building what he calls a “safety net” for child health data an integrated system that makes tracking, storing, and analysing crucial…

Nigeria’s recent overhaul of its tax framework is beginning to ripple through corporate boardrooms, and one of the clearest examples is the pause on a long-anticipated share sell-down by MTN in its Nigerian business. For years, the telecoms group has said it intends to reduce its stake in MTN Nigeria to deepen local ownership once the unit returned to financial stability. That moment has now arrived: MTN Nigeria has returned to profitability and resumed dividend payments. Yet, rather than moving ahead, the group is holding back, citing changes to Nigeria’s capital gains tax (CGT) regime. Speaking during the company’s Q3…

A Nigerian defence-technology startup Terra, has raised $11.75 million from U.S. investors in what is the largest funding round yet for Africa’s young defence-tech sector. The raise signals growing confidence in a model few African startups have attempted, building integrated defence systems that combine locally manufactured hardware with proprietary software. Founded in 2023 and formerly known as Terrahaptix, Terra designs and manufactures drones, autonomous ground systems, and sentry towers from its 15,000-square-foot facility in Abuja. These systems are used to secure critical infrastructure such as power plants and mining operations across Africa for both government and commercial clients. The funding…

2025 Zenith Tech Fair came alive as founders, innovators, creators, investors, and technology leaders converged for the grand finale of Zecathon 5.0, Zenith Bank’s flagship innovation challenge aimed at identifying and accelerating Africa’s most promising emerging talent. With Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in attendance, the event delivered a powerful display of ingenuity, resilience, and Africa’s growing capacity to build scalable, homegrown solutions. This year’s edition stood out not only for the strength of ideas on display but also for the depth of interest it attracted from across Africa’s innovation ecosystem. Thousands of applications poured in, showcasing solutions with strong…

Millions of South Africans are once again relying on SASSA’s social grant payments to navigate the country’s rising cost of living. With food prices, transport fares, and basic household expenses continuing to climb, these monthly payouts remain a crucial safety net, supporting more than 18 million beneficiaries and helping families stay fed while keeping children in school. In 2025, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) implemented major changes to its grant administration system to improve security and ensure that payments reach only eligible recipients. A key part of these reforms is a mandatory verification process requiring beneficiaries to confirm…

Flutterwave has focused on helping African businesses accept and move money across borders, largely by connecting card networks with local payment processors. With its acquisition of open-banking startup Mono, the company is taking a deeper step towards owning the financial data layer behind those payments. The all-stock deal, valued between $25 million and $40 million, marks a major consolidation play in Africa’s financial infrastructure. It comes at a time when the continent’s digital economy is gradually shifting away from traditional card payments toward bank-linked, account-to-account systems. Mono will continue to operate as an independent unit, with CEO Abdulhamid Hassan retaining…