Author: Elan

Africa’s fintech sector continues to grow at a rapid pace. A young, mobile-first population and evolving financial regulations are fueling the rise of digital financial services. From mobile money platforms in Kenya to payment processors in Nigeria and Zambia, fintechs are gaining traction. However, expansion across African markets presents legal, regulatory, and operational challenges that funding alone cannot address. Some investors are bridging this gap. Firms like Velex Investments are combining financial capital with legal and operational expertise to help fintechs scale efficiently and avoid costly setbacks. This model is proving essential as fintech companies aim to grow beyond their…

TechCabal, Africa’s leading technology publication, has released the inaugural Builders List, its annual index of the 50 most consequential individuals shaping the direction of the continent’s technology ecosystem. In an ecosystem often dominated by funding announcements and short-lived hype cycles, the TechCabal’s Builders List is built around substance. It is not a popularity contest or a vanity ranking. Instead, the list serves as a rigorous record of momentum, recognising individuals whose work in 2025 delivered measurable, verifiable impact, whether they are founders appearing in the headlines or operators working quietly behind the scenes. The Builders List spotlights both the highly…

Nigeria’s blockchain story in 2025 is not just about price charts, policy debates, or trading volumes. It is about people. Builders, operators and advocates who stayed the course through volatility and regulation in Africa’s most complex crypto markets and still found ways to create value. This year, as adoption deepened and infrastructure matured, the human layer of Nigeria’s blockchain ecosystem came into sharper focus. To understand who truly shaped the year, I spoke with founders, developers, investors, regulators, exchange operators and editors across the Nigerian Web3 space. Some were happy to go on record, while others preferred anonymity. What stood…

Calvin Wankhede / Android AuthorityThere are plenty of mixed opinions on AI’s potential benefits and harms, but I’ll admit I’ve been somewhat hooked on it from day one. I tend to dive deep into subjects with AI for short bursts that might last hours or on-and-off for a few days, and then drift away for weeks or more when life gets busy with things that are obviously more important. Slowly but surely, though, I realized I was doing less and less when it came to other personal interests. While my AI use never disrupted my real-life obligations or relationships, it…

Accra, 19th December; In a landmark moment for the global reparations movement, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana welcomed a special delegation of leading advocates and experts from across the African diaspora to align on a unified, intercontinental reparations agenda. The group, which comprises experts from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and the United States thanked President Mahama for his political leadership in championing the cause of reparations within the African continent. They also called on the President to encourage other African leaders to choose courage over comfort by aligning with civil society and affected communities across global Africa,…

Hassan Laaziri, CEO of CDG Invest Growth** For the best experience, download the free Africa Private Equity News app Android | iOS **CDG Invest Growth’s Capmezzanine III fund has exited Morocco-based Soludia Maghreb, a key player in the manufacturing of hemodialysis products – used to filter waste and excess fluid from the blood when kidneys fail. CDG sold its stake to Sothema, a Moroccan pharmaceutical company.Founded in 1998, Soludia Maghreb specialises in the manufacturing of hemodialysis concentrates and the distribution of pharmaceutical products and medical devices sourced from international laboratories.Since its December 2021 investment in Soludia Maghreb, CDG Invest Growth…

The Regional Stock Exchange (BRVM) marked its 29th anniversary on December 18, underscoring its role as a shared capital market for the eight member states of the West African Economic and Monetary Union. Created in 1996, the BRVM remains one of the few fully regional stock exchanges in the world, serving as a single marketplace for government and corporate financing across the bloc. Over nearly three decades, the exchange has become a core funding channel for WAEMU economies. Governments have relied on it to issue sovereign bonds to finance public spending, while companies have used equity and debt listings to…

In brief Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) announced she won’t seek reelection when her Senate term ends next year. Lummis was a central force behind major crypto efforts, including passage of the GENIUS Act and ongoing market structure bill talks. She has also been a particularly avid supporter of Bitcoin. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), one of the crypto industry’s most reliable and powerful allies on Capitol Hill, announced Friday that she will not seek reelection when her term expires next year.“Deciding not to run for reelection does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks…

From a subscriber’s perspective, making a phone call is a simple action. But after many years in the telecoms space, Ibikunle Peters understands just how critical calls are and the complex mechanics that make them possible. He explains why connectivity must be up and running at all times. “Imagine the whole of the MTN network goes down, and people can’t make calls. A lot of panic will ensue across the country,” he says. Peters has spent more than a decade as an IT and telecoms infrastructure expert working to ensure such panic does not occur. What he describes simply as…

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7523 (KB5072043) to the Dev and Beta Channels, based on version 25H2. The update introduces several Copilot-related additions to the taskbar, expands accessibility controls in Narrator, tweaks input and widgets, and delivers a long list of fixes. The same build is available in both channels for now, which also opens a temporary window for Dev Channel users to switch to Beta without reinstalling. The release follows Microsoft’s current Insider strategy: features are split between those rolling out gradually to systems with the “get the latest updates as they are available” toggle enabled,…