Author: Elan

Listen to this article Tokyo is redefining its engagement with Africa, transitioning from traditional aid-based approaches to strategic venture capital (VC) investments focused on long-term partnerships, innovation and capacity building. Several Japanese private companies are making Japan’s presence felt in Africa’s VC landscape, particularly in high-growth sectors such as fintech, climate tech and mobility. Growing demand for innovative, technology-driven solutions in Africa has drawn increasing interest from international investors. VC funding in Africa rose from over US$2 billion in 2019 to a peak of US$5.2 billion in 2022. Though investment declined to around US$3.6 billion in 2023, the continent’s start-up…

EBID backs $390m of strategic projects across West Africa – African Business EBID backs $390m of strategic projects across West Africa – African Business

Luno, the UK-headquartered cryptocurrency firm that operates in four African countries, spent much of its first decade building a retail crypto exchange. Now, Ayotunde Alabi, chief executive officer and country manager for Luno Nigeria, says the company is pursuing a bigger ambition: selling digital asset infrastructure to banks, asset managers, fintechs, and large enterprises. Luno wants to give institutions the tools to offer digital assets to their own customers, issue stablecoins, and move money across borders, Alabi told TechCabal in an interview. “Luno would be the rail [on] which they [institutions] can come into the virtual asset space. For example,…

Agbara Nla: The Return has recorded the biggest first-day gross for any Nollywood title in preview history at the box office, taking in ₦70 million from 12,134 admissions, ahead of its official nationwide release. The preview screening placed the film at No. 1 for the period and gave it the biggest single-day preview gross ever recorded in West Africa. The film remakes Mike Bamiloye’s 1993 Christian classic Agbara Nla, also known in English as The Ultimate Power. The original premiered more than three decades ago and became a landmark of Nigerian Christian cinema, distributed primarily through home video at the…

October is just around the corner, which means it’s time for some new desktop wallpapers! Designed by the community for the community, they’re here to brighten your screens, and maybe spark some creativity along the way.Misty mornings, leaves shining in bright red, yellow, and orange hues, and spooky creatures making an appearance — October has a very special charm. So, how about some new desktop wallpapers to celebrate October’s beauty, and the upcoming Halloween season, of course? Well, we’ve got you covered.Just like it has been a monthly tradition here at Smashing Magazine for more than 15 years already, the…

Khaltsha Cycles is among the local enterprises participating in South Africa’s tourism economy. Image credit: South African Tourism. South Africa’s tourism recovery is gathering pace, but winning a contract does not guarantee that a small business has enough cash to deliver it. For many tourism SMEs, the period between contract award and eventual payment has become a major barrier to growth. South Africa welcomed 5,584,473 international tourists between January and June 2026, according to the Department of Tourism. That represented a 12.3% increase compared with the same period in 2025, supported by stronger arrivals from both African and overseas markets.…

Grant Howarth, principal at MetierPrivate equity firm Metier, along with several other investors, has reinvested in South African fibre and internet businesses Frogfoot and Vox. The firm backed the companies through its Metier Capital Growth Fund III (MCGF III).Frogfoot and Vox are separate privately held South African companies, but they have the same shareholders. Frogfoot builds and operates open-access fibre networks across South Africa, providing the infrastructure used to connect homes and businesses. Vox is an internet service provider serving businesses, public-sector customers and households, with services including connectivity, voice, data, cloud and cybersecurity.“Metier is proud to renew its commitment…

Photo: Thecondia Advertisement African startups just pulled in over USD 1 billion in the first half of 2026, according to data tracked by Condia. That’s real money flowing into the continent. But here’s what matters: not all investors are equal, and knowing who’s writing the biggest cheques and where they’re betting can help Ghana’s next generation of founders understand the playing field.A new analysis by Condia, a funding tracker, ranked the 8 most active investors across Africa during the first six months of 2026. The list reveals something interesting: the investors backing Africa’s startups right now are not all traditional…

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In brief California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Oct. 1 that his office served OpenAI with an investigative subpoena over cybersecurity incidents involving its AI models, including the Hugging Face hack. Bonta said developers that fail to stop their models from carrying out or enabling cyberattacks “can and should be held legally accountable.” The subpoena adds California to an Alabama subpoena, a 15-state attorney general coalition demand, and a reported FTC inquiry. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Thursday that his office served OpenAI with an investigative subpoena on Wednesday, seeking answers about cybersecurity incidents involving its AI models, according…