Author: Elan

When Carl Wazen, Katlego Maphai, Lungisa Matshoba and Bradley Wattrus decided to start Yoco together around 2013, they did not have a polished business plan or a grand vision for building a payments company. They only had a problem they could not ignore. “We were all at this stage of our lives where we wanted to do something that had more meaning,” Wazen, Yoco’s chief business officer and co-founder, recalled. Wazen and Maphai met while working at the telecommunications consulting firm Delta Partners. Maphai and Matshoba had known each other since childhood and university, while Wattrus had worked with Maphai…

Andy Walker / Android AuthorityAdd Android Authority on Google: TL;DR Earlier this year, Android Auto’s cellular signal bars disappeared. Google is now rolling out a fix for the issue. The fix is not yet widely available. If you want to see how strong your cellular signal strength is while you’re driving, you can just look at the signal bar icon on Android Auto. Or, at least, that used to be the case before the icon disappeared earlier this year. While this bug has been a months-long frustration for many Android Auto users, there’s finally some light at the end of…

Amar Inamdar, managing director, KawiSafi VenturesKawiSafi Ventures, Acumen’s for-profit investment platform focused on accelerating Africa’s energy transition, has invested $2 million in Orb Energy to support the expansion of the company’s commercial and industrial (C&I) solar business across East Africa. The capital is ring-fenced for Orb’s Africa business and will support the company’s growing project pipeline in Kenya and the wider region. The investment will provide additional capital to support project delivery as Orb expands its African operations.“Orb has built a strong C&I solar business in Kenya at a time when businesses across the region are looking for more reliable…

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) will officially mark the 30-day countdown to the 2026 Local Government Elections on Sunday, 4 October 2026, with major campaign events in Durban and Volksrust, including the launch of the IFP eThekwini manifesto. IFP President Hon. Velenkosini Hlabisa will deliver the keynote address at the Durban event, outlining the party’s vision for responsive, accountable and people-centred local government and setting out practical solutions to the challenges facing communities. The launch will also provide the media with an opportunity to hear directly from IFP leadership on the party’s election priorities, campaign programme and vision for local…

Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, says the Tinubu administration has failed one of government’s most basic duties: protecting ordinary Nigerians from crushing economic hardship. In a statement by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said President Tinubu’s Independence Day address revealed how far his government has drifted from the people’s daily reality. The President spoke of prosperity while defending policies that have made fuel and basic necessities increasingly unaffordable, and dismissed subsidies as “addictive.” Atiku also challenged his claim that salaries and pensions have…

NEAR’s new US ETF is facing its first stress test days after launch as a $3.8 million ecosystem exploit hit the token.NEAR fell about 10% to $4.86 after NEAR Intents disclosed a security incident involving its Omni deposit-and-withdrawal infrastructure. The selloff came less than two days after Bitwise opened the token to US exchange-traded fund investors through its NEAR ETF, with the ticker NRR.The fund began trading on NYSE Arca on Sept. 29 and attracted $35.5 million of net inflows on its first day. By Sept. 30, cumulative inflows had risen to over $50 million, while total net assets reached…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has rolled out the free internet service for public secondary and public tertiary institution students. This is according to a joint statement released on October 1 by the NCC and ALTON, as seen by Technext.  The Zero Rated Data Access to Approved Educational Platforms and Content initiative seeks to reduce the cost of data for digital learning, increase the chance of online research and support studying via approved platforms. Part of its ambition is to promote equal access to online resources and communication…

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 version 26H2 is the last release of Windows 11 that will support PCs powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 850 processor.The company added the notice to the Windows 11 Home and Pro page on its lifecycle website, which now states that “Windows 11, version 26H2 is the last version that will support devices with Snapdragon 850 processors.”Snapdragon 850 devices remain eligible for the new release, which Microsoft started rolling out on September 29, 2026. Those PCs will not be offered version 27H2, the feature update planned for next year.Snapdragon 850 Support Timeline on Windows 11Qualcomm introduced…

deficit dilemma With IMF financing still out of reach, Kenya is seeking nearly $1bn from the World Bank and AfDB. The loans come with reforms and tighter fiscal conditions. A section of the skyline of the central business district of Nairobi, Kenya, on 15 July 2025. © REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya Published on October 01, 2026 at 14:30 pm (GMT +1) Kenya has opened talks with the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) for about $985m (KSh127.7bn) in fresh loans to plug its widening budget deficit, in the absence of a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) financing programme, which is…

European Investment Bank Brings More Than 40 African Venture Capital Fund Managers to Oxford for Fifth Africa Venture Finance Programme (IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank has completed the fifth Africa Venture Finance Programme at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, bringing together more than 40 African and Africa-focused venture capital fund managers from 14 countries. Held from 21 to 25 September 2026, the programme strengthens investors backing early- and growth-stage technology and technology-enabled companies across Africa through academic instruction, practical experience and confidential peer exchange. Following this year’s edition, AVFP’s alumni network includes more than 200 fund managers from 20…