Author: Elan
Basic food prices continue to rise, pushing essential items beyond the reach of those relying on the R370 Social Relief of Distress grant. There is a growing gap between what low-income families can afford and what they need for proper nutrition. Maverick Citizen has been tracking the prices of 14 basic food items that a person can buy using the R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The food basket hovers above R400, making it unaffordable for those who rely on the grant as their only source of income. The cost of our basket – owing to price increases for…
In the corporate world, few rituals are as universally dreaded as the mandatory compliance training. It is often a passive, click-next-until-it’s-over exercise designed to generate a certificate rather than genuine behavioural change. But for Mustapha Salaudeen, a learning experience specialist and developer, the problem isn’t just that these tests are boring; it’s that they are fundamentally measuring the wrong thing. “You’re only testing their knowledge retention level; you’re not forcing them or pushing them to self-reflect,” Salaudeen told me in an interview. His solution is Listening Trivia, a new AI-powered assessment tool that ditches the traditional 0-to-100 scoring model in…
Nigerian fintech companies are primarily using artificial intelligence for fraud detection, customer service, and credit scoring, according to a new report by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The findings are presented in the CBN Fintech Report 2025, which is based on surveys, workshops, and roundtable sessions conducted with fintech operators and regulators across the country. The report shows that AI adoption in Nigeria’s fintech sector is no longer experimental, but focused on solving immediate operational and risk-related challenges. Fraud detection is the most widespread use of AI among Nigerian fintechs. The report says 87.5% of surveyed companies deploy AI tools to…
Mozilla is preparing a significant update for Firefox, giving users a simple way to disable every generative AI feature in the browser. The move acknowledges growing user frustration with AI features being added by default, often without clear opt-out options.The new controls will arrive with Firefox 148, scheduled to roll out on February 24, 2026. Users on Firefox Nightly builds may see the changes even earlier.A New Centralized AI Controls SectionWith Firefox 148, Mozilla is adding a dedicated AI controls section to the browser’s desktop settings. From this menu, users can: Block all generative AI features at once Enable only…
By Conrad Gallagher CEO, Food Concepts 360 In 2025, signs of a shift in the global hospitality conversation became difficult to ignore. While growth remains important, concepts that can weather economic uncertainty, respond to changing consumer behaviour, and remain culturally relevant have also become measures of success. Historically, African operators have had to build smarter, more resilient businesses, navigating currency volatility, supply constraints, and evolving consumer expectations. As global players search for models that balance growth with meaning, Africa offers a blueprint forged through experience rather than theory. The global hospitality sector is estimated to reach between 8 and 9…
Digital sovereignty or digital convenience? – African Business Digital sovereignty or digital convenience? – African Business
When Tanzania shut down the internet for five days during its October 29 election, Ndege Kereu’s mother was stranded with no cash and no way to reach her son, who was on the Kenyan side. Every attempt Kereu made to send her money through M-PESA or cross-border remittance apps was either too expensive or failed outright. The digital systems that support instant connectivity between families across borders had suddenly gone silent. “My mother got caught in the protests,” Kereu told TechCabal. “She had not been paid and had no money. After many calls, we finally reached her when she landed…
Airtel Africa, one of the largest telecommunication companies on the continent, expanded its fibre network to more than 81,500 kilometres as of December 2025, reinforcing its drive to improve connectivity across its 14 markets, according to the company’s latest financial report. The company added about 4,000 km of new fibre in the past nine months, pushing population coverage to 81.7%, up 0.6% percentage points from last year. The fibre rollout is part of an accelerated investment programme that saw Airtel Africa spend $603 million in capital expenditure, up 32.2% from the previous period. The company also deployed around 2,500 new…
Samsung Messages seems like any other texting app at first. Simple and even a little boring. But the app has a whole lot of features that can make reading, replying, and managing your text messages way more convenient. And no, I’m not talking about simply bookmarking messages or digging things out of the Trash folder. There’s so much more than that. From a simple pinch gesture that lets you modify the text size to quick responses that save time, and conversation categories that bring order to inbox chaos. Once you start using these features, Samsung Messages feels anything but boring.…
Wilfried Poyet, senior partner at Amethis** For the best experience, download the free Africa Private Equity News app Android | iOS **Retail Holding, a Moroccan group in the food and specialised retail sector, and Amethis MENA Fund II, announced the acquisition of the operations of the OCS Group in Morocco and Senegal. The Retail Holding-Amethis consortium succeeds investment funds Adenia and Proparco, shareholders of the OCS Group since 2021.Founded as a catering operator in 2009, OCS established itself within a decade as one of the two leading players in the Moroccan market, before diversifying its activities by integrating a comprehensive…