Author: Elan

By Juan Fernando Herrera Ramos When semiconductor production and strategic technology platforms are discussed, the conversation is usually centered on the United States, Taiwan, Japan, and China. Yet the upstream foundation of these systems, the critical minerals embedded deep in African soils, is no less essential. As advanced chip manufacturing becomes embedded in tighter security-aligned networks among the United States, Taiwan and Japan, African exporters of cobalt, platinum group metals, lithium, graphite, and rare earths face a critical strategic choice: integrate into Western-aligned supply chains under evolving environmental, social, governance and traceability standards, deepen engagement with China’s processing ecosystem, or…

Why tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are rising again – African Business Why tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea are rising again – African Business

Hyperliquid (HYPE) may hit $150 by August, according to BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes.Key takeaways:CEX volume rotation and demand for macro-linked markets, including oil, are boosting HYPE’s bull case.A cup-and-handle setup is hinting at an initial breakout toward $50.CEX to DEX rotation can grow HYPE prices fivefoldIn a post published on Monday, Hayes said that if Hyperliquid keeps pulling derivatives volume away from centralized exchanges (CEX) and expands its product suite, HYPE could climb roughly fivefold from around $30.To make it happen, Hyperliquid’s 30-day annualized revenue run rate must rise to $1.40 billion by August from $843 million in March.CEX to…

For a fintech company like OPay that serves tens of millions of users and processes millions of transactions daily, the old, reactive model of customer service can no longer serve. Relying on traditional call centres, managing long queues, and executing manual complaint handling simply becomes too slow, too costly, and inherently challenging to scale. The future of customer service in the fintech sector has gone beyond just answering phone calls faster to preventing problems before they even happen. This paradigm shift is exactly where sophisticated product design, underlying technology, and advanced risk systems begin to play a significantly larger role…

Apple is testing iOS 26.4 with developers and public beta users, with the update introducing RCS end-to-end encryption testing, a security setting change that enables Stolen Device Protection by default, and a range of new features across Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Health. The third beta is currently available, according to Apple’s release notes.A public release is expected sometime in late March or early April, based on the historical release timing of comparable updates.Apple Music Gains New Features With iOS 26.4One of the main focuses of iOS 26.4 is the Apple Music app. The update adds a number of…

Nivesh Pather, principal at Norrsken22** For the best experience, download the free Africa Private Equity News app Android | iOS **South Africa-based Orca Fraud has raised $2.35 million in seed funding to advance its real-time transaction monitoring and fraud intelligence capabilities across Africa and other emerging markets.The round was led by returning investor Norrsken22, with participation from OneDayYes, Enza Capital, and CV VC Africa.Founded by Thalia Pillay and Carla Wilby, the company has grown to process over $5 billion in monthly transaction volume across more than 70 countries, working with major banks, telcos and payment providers across Africa. The duo…

By Standard BankWe are proud to announce that we have successfully supported a US-based consortium in the acquisition of South Africa-based Metrofile, a market leader in information governance and management.In addition to advising Metrofile on the transaction, Standard Bank acted as sole mandated lead arranger and underwriter, delivering an innovative and comprehensive financing solution that comprised an acquisition funding package for the acquirer, together with the issuance of a takeover regulation panel (TRP) guarantee for the full duration of the offer.This transaction highlights the bank’s speed and agility, demonstrated by the swift delivery of approved and executable funding solutions within…

Egypt’s rapid rise as one of Africa’s strongest startup ecosystems is offering a new policy blueprint for countries such as Nigeria, where startups remain vibrant but are struggling to attract larger investment. Startup data from 2025 shows Egyptian startups raised about $595 million, representing a 51 percent increase year-on-year, as a combination of government-backed funding, tax incentives and technology infrastructure strengthened investor confidence. Nigeria, by contrast, saw startup funding decline by about 17 percent to $343 milli Egypt’s rapid rise as one of Africa’s strongest startup ecosystems is offering a new policy blueprint for countries such as Nigeria, where startups…

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Zeno, an East African-based electric mobility startup, has raised $25 million in Series A funding to improve the production of Emara e-motorcycles and increase its battery-swap network across Kenya and Uganda.  The round was led by Congruent Ventures, which contributed 82% ($20.5 million), with participation from Active Impact and Lower-carbon Ventures. The remaining $4.5 million was a debt facility from Camber Road and Trifecta Capital. Founded in 2024 by Michael Spencer, Zeno builds the Emara electric motorbike and an app-controlled battery infrastructure swap network to reduce operating costs for East Africa’s bodaboda riders. According to Spencer, the aim of creating…