Kenya is moving fast to claim a bigger role in Africa’s digital trade, targeting infrastructure gaps and payment hurdles through state and international alliances.
PawaPay landed a payment service provider licence from Mozambique’s central bank, clearing the way to sign up local businesses and process payments under direct regulatory oversight.
M-KOPA has signed up ten million customers and pushed revenue up 45 percent to $600 million in 2025, growing its pay-as-you-go model from solar into smartphones, digital loans, and electric mobility across Africa.
Vodacom is putting more than ZAR 500 million into Western Cape network upgrades, pushing 5G expansion, stronger backup power, and cheaper digital access for communities that have been left out.
Paratus Namibia has switched on Eutelsat's OneWeb low-Earth orbit satellite internet across the country, offering new data packages for homes and businesses.
Egypt's Thndr platform has crossed $19.6 billion in total trading, ramping up its presence on multiple exchanges and picking up new regulatory licenses.
Vodacom South Africa and SmartOps Fleet are rolling out a plan to put up to 55,000 vehicles—mostly electric—on e-hailing platforms, opening the door for 110,000 new driver slots.
Valu, Egypt’s fast-growing fintech, is moving into new markets and bringing Amazon on board as a direct investor after its listing on the Egyptian Exchange.
Foodics has handled $12 billion in GMV and now supports over 40,000 restaurant branches across the Middle East, fueled by recent acquisitions in the UK and Greece.
Fintech firms in the Middle East and North Africa pulled in $708 million in the first half of 2026, drawing more investment than any other sector and attracting startups from ten countries.
Finserve Africa is testing Emma, a new mobile wallet app in Kenya. Details on fees and features remain scarce for now.
Ke Nako Capital has deepened its role in South Africa’s digital infrastructure, co-investing in Vox, Frogfoot, and Hypa in a R14.4 billion deal. The move shows how private equity in the country is growing up.
Valu and Alshaya Group are teaming up to let shoppers at major international brands in Egypt split their payments, both online and in stores. The move aims to change how Egyptians shop and pay.
Africa’s digital boom is pushing data centres to expand fast. Operators must grow without wasting power or water.
Glovo has confirmed Reni Onafeko as its country managing director for Nigeria, locking in her leadership at the company’s fastest-growing market.
Mobily plans a 140 Tbps Red Sea subsea cable between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Bluebird Fiber and MOSAIC-5G also announce major network upgrades and private 5G projects.
NEOPAY, based in Dubai, is set to take a 65% stake in Noon payments. The deal aims to link online and in-store payments for merchants in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
eFinance Investment Group has signed a memorandum with Alibaba Cloud and Nuvexa to explore bringing advanced cloud services to Egypt, aiming for private sector growth and data control.
Eric Muriuki leaves NCBA to head Absa Group’s digital growth strategy from Johannesburg, as African digital banking faces major changes.
Airtel Money is set to launch a Mastercard virtual card in Kenya. The move will let users pay for international online shopping and digital subscriptions straight from their mobile wallet.
