Author: Elan

Laurene Aigrain, managing director of Cygnum Capital** For the best experience, download the free Africa Private Equity News app Android | iOS **DEG, the German development finance institution, has committed a €30 million loan to the Africa Go Green Fund (AGG), managed by Cygnum Capital. AGG targets the scale-up of commercially viable climate solutions that reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency. Although Africa’s climate investment needs are significant, many businesses operating in areas such as energy efficiency, clean cooking, electric mobility, green buildings, and distributed energy solutions remain underserved by traditional lenders. These sectors often require tailored financing structures that…

Africa will need to deploy at least $120 million annually in pre-seed capital to repair a weakening startup pipeline and secure the long-term health of its innovation ecosystem, according to an analysis by Grégoire de Padirac, chief executive of Digital Africa. Despite being the first and most critical layer of venture financing, pre-seed funding remains marginal in Africa, accounting for just 1.5 percent of total capital invested in 2025, far below the four percent to six percent typical in more mature markets such as the United States, de Padirac said. The imbalance, he warned, threatens the flow of viable startups…

African Growth and Opportunity Act extension passes US House – African Business African Growth and Opportunity Act extension passes US House – African Business

NFT Paris was supposed to be the kind of week people plan their year around.You book the ticket, you text the group chat, you lock in the flights before prices jump, you tell yourself the hotel bill is “work”, you start quietly hoping the market gives you a reason to feel optimistic again.Then, with about a month to go, the organisers pulled the plug.On the official site, NFT Paris and RWA Paris 2026 are now marked as cancelled. The statement is blunt, almost tired. “The market collapse hit us hard,” the team wrote, adding that after “drastic cost cuts” and…

MTN Group’s long-discussed plan to reduce its shareholding in MTN Nigeria is no longer on an immediate timeline. While the Nigerian unit has returned to profitability and resumed dividend payments,  shifting tax dynamics have complicated the path to a public sell-down. Speaking during the company’s Q3 2025 earnings call in November, MTN Group president and CEO Ralph Mupita suggested that recent changes to Nigeria’s capital gains tax (CGT) regime have made a near-term reduction in the Group’s stake commercially unattractive. As a result, plans to dilute ownership in favour of local investors are effectively on pause. “That has been complicated…

Are you thinking about buying a new external SSD? We all seem to be constantly in need of more storage, but I’d caution against heading straight for a pre-built external SSD. Pre-built external SSDs come with tradeoffs Admittedly, your typical external SSD offers a lot of convenience. A plug-and-play, “it just works” experience is typical. If that’s all you want, then carry on. However, there are drawbacks you may not be aware of. Let’s consider a popular choice for external drives: the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD. It’s rugged and relatively affordable. What’s not to like, right? Related 5 Reasons I’ve…

** For the best experience, download the free Africa Private Equity News app Android | iOS **Impact Fund Denmark has announced a $15 million commitment to the Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund. The fund deploys hybrid and mezzanine capital into African financial institutions that drive financial inclusion, specifically those serving entrepreneurs and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprisesVCHF has a mandate to invest on a pan-African basis, with a footprint that currently includes Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.“An investment like this addresses a specific and significant issue in many developing countries, namely the lack of…

Shumei Lam Interview with Shumei LamFOUNDER and MANAGING DIRECTOR, POULTRY EAST AFRICA LTD Lives in: Singapore/Rwanda In most of the world, chicken is one of the more affordable protein options. However, when Singaporean Shumei Lam first visited Rwanda in 2011, it was considered a luxury that most Rwandans could only afford on special occasions. The primary reason was the absence of commercial chicken farms – a market gap that she would eventually step in to fill. Lam, who had a background in marketing and advertising, travelled to the country on a business trip with her late father, Larry Lam. He…

Bitcoin (BTC) faces a “do-or-die” price point if 2026 becomes a classic bear market year.Key points:Bitcoin four-year price cycles and bear markets remain relevant, the latest power law analysis says.2026 may see a BTC price support showdown with $65,000 as the key level.History demands price “catching up” to power-law targets.Bitcoin bear markets to stay aroundNew analysis by Jurrien Timmer, director of global macro at Fidelity Investments, flags $65,000 as the next key BTC price battleground.After hugging its power law trendline for much of the current bull market, BTC/USD could now be due for a retest of a lower support line…

A quiet crisis is growing across social media. It is driven by generative artificial intelligence and fueled by bad actors who know exactly how to exploit its weakest points. At the centre of the storm is Grok, the chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI. Marketed as “unfiltered” and more permissive than its rivals, Grok has become a tool of choice for users creating non-consensual deepfake pornography, or NCDP. The process is disturbingly simple. A normal photo is uploaded. The AI is prompted to “undress” the subject. The result is a sexualized image created without consent. The victim could be a…