Author: Elan

The Pixel 11 Pro is a premium-priced device, coming in at a starting price of $1,100 for the base, non-XL model. But Google’s offering a freebie with its 11 Pro phones that can help take some of the sting out of that sticker price: six free months of Google AI Pro, a bonus that’d cost you almost $120 if you were to pay for it out of pocket. It’s not obvious how to get it, though. Here’s what Google AI Pro gets you, and how to claim your free six months on your Pixel 11 Pro. What is Google AI…

Container ship transporting cargo. Image courtesy of RSA Global Forwarding. Fuel prices have become one of the most visible symbols of pressure on businesses and consumers. For companies dependent on logistics, however, the effect extends far beyond what it costs to fill a vehicle. Fuel feeds into road transport, warehousing, distribution, shipping and ultimately the cost of moving goods through increasingly complex supply chains. When energy markets become volatile, those pressures can move quickly through freight networks and into the prices businesses pay. In South Africa, that pressure became particularly visible in September 2026. From 2 September, both grades of…

Thandiwe Maqetuka, managing partner of Grindstone Ventures (left), and Keet van Zyl, co-founder of Knife Capital** For the best experience, download the free Africa Private Equity News app Android | iOS **South Africa-based Grindstone Ventures has announced the launch of a R500 million ($30.92 million) venture fund to invest in high-growth, technology-enabled African businesses from Seed through Series A, targeting the transition from early commercial validation to institutional scale.Led by Thandiwe Maqetuka, Grindstone Ventures brings together her venture investment experience with the networks and expertise of Knife Capital and Thinkroom, which have partnered with her to establish the female-led, black-empowered…

Herve Tuyishime started his own business with a simple ambition: to build a better life for himself and his family. A few years later, that same ambition cost them their home.He had launched Paniel Meat Processing (PMP), a pork sausage venture based in Rwanda, with a bank loan. However, Tuyishime entered the industry with no experience, leaving him and his team to learn on the job. This led to costly mistakes that slowed the business down and made meeting the loan repayments a constant struggle.Eventually, the bank moved in to recover its money. The collateral Tuyishime had offered was his…

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Kenya has given licenced crypto exchanges and other virtual asset companies a formal legal right to challenge regulatory decisions, one of the most significant additions to the country’s finalised cryptocurrency regulations. Under the finalised Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Regulations, exchanges, wallet providers, token issuance platforms, stablecoin issuers, and other virtual asset firms can appeal licence refusals, suspensions, revocations, and other regulatory sanctions imposed by the relevant authorities. “A person aggrieved by any decision of the relevant regulatory authority under these Regulations may appeal against that decision in accordance with section 43 of the Act,” the National Treasury said in…

Musa Mishamo speaks so softly that you find yourself leaning across the table to catch the end of his sentences. He smiles often, answers questions briefly, and does not embellish. This is slightly inconvenient when you are interviewing a man whose ambitions stretch hundreds of kilometres above the earth. We meet on July 30 at the Somerset Westview Hotel in Nairobi’s Kilimani neighbourhood. Mishamo is the co-founder of Rada 360, a Tanzanian agritech company using satellite imagery and agricultural data to help farmers understand what is happening on their land. Mishamo was born near the shores of Lake Victoria, around…

Google has now launched a special Gemini app for Windows, coming on the back of its previous release for macOS, as the company has announced.The free app allows users to activate the AI assistant using the Alt + Space keyboard shortcut and thus means that Windows users need not depend on the browser version anymore.The company characterises the app as “lightweight and quiet” and states that it “does not slow down your PC”, with more features to be added in the future. The app can now be downloaded from Google’s website.What Google’s Gemini App for Windows Can DoThe Gemini app…

Rosanne Whalley, CEO of AHL Venture Partners** For the best experience, download the free Africa Private Equity News app Android | iOS **AHL Venture Partners has closed a $7 million debt facility for Watu, an asset-financing company operating across Africa and Latin America.The facility will support working capital and the continued growth of Watu’s portfolio across some of its African markets. This investment builds on a financing relationship between AHL and Watu dating back to 2022.Watu provides financing for motorcycles and three-wheelers through its mobility business, and for smartphones through Watu Simu, its connectivity business. It is also expanding electric…

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested a director of Orequest (Pvt) Ltd over allegations that a syndicate smuggled more than 720 tonnes of unbeneficiated lithium ore out of Zimbabwe using fraudulent export documents. Ning Yaokun, a Chinese national also known as Tony surrendered to authorities on 10 September and is expected to appear before the Harare Magistrates’ Court. He faces charges including contravening the Customs and Excise Act attempted smuggling and unlawful dealing according to ZACC. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn Yaokun joins several other suspects who are already on remand in connection with…