Author: Elan

baggage blues Long-running disputes over lost bags, stranded travellers and unheeded fines culminate in the strongest regulatory ultimatum Morocco’s flag carrier has faced in Africa. By Nicholas Norbrook Managing Editor of The Africa Report Royal Air Maroc is in the crosshairs of Nigeria’s civil aviation authority. © Urbanandsport / NurPhoto via AFP Published on July 24, 2026 at 14:55 pm (GMT +1) Nigeria’s civil aviation regulator has threatened to stop Royal Air Maroc from operating in the country, escalating a long-running dispute over delayed luggage, compensation and the airline’s treatment of Nigerian passengers.

Listen to this article Tokyo is redefining its engagement with Africa, transitioning from traditional aid-based approaches to strategic venture capital (VC) investments focused on long-term partnerships, innovation and capacity building. Several Japanese private companies are making Japan’s presence felt in Africa’s VC landscape, particularly in high-growth sectors such as fintech, climate tech and mobility. Growing demand for innovative, technology-driven solutions in Africa has drawn increasing interest from international investors. VC funding in Africa rose from over US$2 billion in 2019 to a peak of US$5.2 billion in 2022. Though investment declined to around US$3.6 billion in 2023, the continent’s start-up…

A Senegalese village chief holds up the fonio grain. Photo by Richard NybergFonio – a gluten-free grain with many nutritional benefits – has been cultivated as a subsistence crop in West Africa for thousands of years. It is drought-resistant, can grow without the support of fertiliser and restores organic matter in fallow soil. Despite the crop’s long history in the region, it is not fully commercialised.Thanks to fonio’s nutritional profile, demand has been growing in regions such as the US and Europe.One advocate for fonio’s potential is Timi Oke, co-founder and CEO of AgroEknor, a Nigerian company exporting dried hibiscus…

Ebola deaths pass 1,000 in DRC – African Business Ebola deaths pass 1,000 in DRC – African Business

Daya, a Nigerian startup building stablecoin-powered payment infrastructure for African businesses, has launched tokenised stocks for users to buy and sell digital versions of US stocks on the blockchain.  It joins several other Nigerian and Africa-focused fintechs, such as NectarFi, Luno, Blockchain.com, and Roqqu, that have launched or are preparing to launch similar products. Tokenised stocks are becoming a dime a dozen in Nigeria’s crypto sector as startups race to broaden the use of blockchain beyond digital currencies and into traditional finance. For companies that built their businesses around stablecoins and cryptocurrency trading, tokenised equities offer a new revenue stream while…

WayaWaya, the Kenyan company building AI-powered financial services for banks and merchants, has appointed former Chase Bank Kenya executive Raj Singh as a non-executive director and board adviser.  The appointment comes as the startup intends to deepen relationships with financial institutions and merchants while expanding into new African and international markets. Singh will advise WayaWaya’s board and executive team on strategy, governance and commercial growth, the company said in a Thursday statement.  WayaWaya joins a growing list of African fintechs recruiting experienced banking executives as they scale into regulated financial services. In July, Nigerian fintech unicorn Moniepoint appointed former Branch…

Reddit and several major publishers are reevaluating the amount of access they offer Google as search referral traffic declines following the rollout of AI Overviews, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal cited by TechSpot.The companies considering restrictions include Reddit, USA Today, Reuters, Politico, The Economist, and People Inc. The concern is that Google’s AI features are providing answers directly to users without redirecting traffic to the original sources.Following the report, Reddit’s shares dropped as much as 5.8% in premarket trading.Reddit Weighs Blocking Google’s AI Use of Its PostsReddit has discussed the possibility of blocking Google from using…

Photo credit: Road sign indicating directions to Nyimba and Lusaka, with a rural landscape. Photo by McLean K via Pexels. By Francis Tembo Zambia is one of the youngest countries in the world. About two-thirds of its population is under the age of 25. For years, this young population has been described as a demographic dividend: an opportunity for a large and productive workforce to drive economic growth. But a young population does not automatically become an economic advantage. It only becomes one when young people have the skills, opportunities and freedom to participate meaningfully in the economy. The window…

Anusha Naidu, SAVCA CEO** For the best experience, download the free Africa Private Equity News app Android | iOS **South Africa’s venture capital ecosystem is beginning to close one of the most important gaps in its growth story: exits.Two new studies by the SA SME Fund, Endeavor South Africa and SAVCA provide compelling evidence that local venture capital can deliver both meaningful investor returns and broader economic impact. Together, they show that South African venture-backed scale-ups are generating successful exits, while the asset class itself is producing realised returns broadly consistent with more mature international venture capital markets.The broader South…

Africa’s startup ecosystem maintained a resilient funding momentum in the first half of 2026, even as investors became increasingly selective in deploying capital.Data analyzed by the Nairametrics Research team revealed that a total of 241 startups raised $1.58 billion between January and June 2026, with the top 10 startups alone securing $948 million, representing 60.09% of all disclosed funding during the period.The figures also reveal that 19 startups did not disclose the amount of their funding rounds, suggesting that the continent’s total capital inflow could be higher than what is reported.Notably, South African fintech Pay@, with an acquisition value of…