Author: Akin Naphtal

Leah Nakazwe Kooma has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Zambia, effective April 1, 2026, as the company strengthens its leadership to accelerate digital infrastructure growth in the country. The announcement was made by Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, which said the appointment underscores its commitment to expanding connectivity and digital services across Zambia and the broader Southern African region. Kooma takes over from Mwendamo Mazaba, who served in an acting capacity and led the business through key initiatives, including the rollout of SME-focused digital portals and public Wi-Fi projects. ALSO READ: M-PESA SOARS IN ETHIOPIA AS SAFARICOM HITS…

Safaricom is recording rapid growth in Ethiopia, with its flagship mobile money platform M-PESA reaching 5.2 million active users, a 258.5 percent year-on-year increase in the quarter ended December 2025. The surge follows M-PESA’s integration with EthSwitch in October 2025, a move that has significantly expanded interoperability and accelerated adoption across the country’s digital payments ecosystem. According to Safaricom, the EthSwitch connection links M-PESA to more than 30 banks and digital wallets regulated by the National Bank of Ethiopia, enabling real-time wallet-to-bank and bank-to-wallet transfers, as well as interoperable merchant payments through EthQR. This has expanded acceptance of the platform to over 50,000 merchants nationwide. …

Bayobab, an MTN Group company, has reported consolidated external revenue of R5.6 billion (over $326m), underscoring a solid financial performance driven by strategic investments and operational efficiency. The company recorded an EBITDA growth of 38.8%, attributed to an improved revenue mix and a strong focus on cost optimisation. Its fibre business emerged as a key growth driver, delivering 41.2% growth in external revenue, supported by infrastructure contracts, new FibreCo revenue streams, and ongoing network expansion. However, revenue from communication platforms declined by 24.3%, largely due to reduced international and transit voice traffic. ALSO READ: ODC RAISES $45M TO POWER AI-NATIVE TELECOM INFRASTRUCTURE …

ORAN Development Corporation (ODC) has secured $45 million in a Series A funding round to accelerate deployment of its AI-native, open-architecture telecom platform designed to unify communication, sensing, and edge intelligence. The funding round brought together a global syndicate of major technology and telecom players, including NVIDIA, Cisco, Nokia, Booz Allen Hamilton, AT&T, MTN Group, and Telecom Italia, alongside Phoenix Venture Partners and affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management. The investment will support the rollout of ODC’s Odyssey RAN platform, an AI-native Radio Access Network (AI-RAN) system that aims to transform traditional telecom infrastructure into a distributed computing layer capable of powering…

Sanlam has appointed its Group Chief Technology and Information Officer, Theo Mabaso, as Group Chief AI Officer, marking a strategic shift to position artificial intelligence at the centre of its operations and long-term growth. The appointment places Mabaso on the Group Executive Committee (Exco), where he will drive AI as a key lever for competitiveness, operational efficiency, and organisational resilience across the Group. Sanlam said the move reflects its commitment to embedding AI across its businesses—from underwriting and claims processing to client engagement and financial advisory—while maintaining strong governance and ethical oversight. Although the Group has already recorded progress in…

Cincoze, a leading rugged edge computing brand, has unveiled the DX-1300, the latest addition to its high-performance DIAMOND product line. Designed as a powerful yet ultra-compact industrial computer, the DX-1300 delivers exceptional computing performance in environments with severely limited space. Building on the strong reputation of the DX series — already deployed in numerous large-scale industrial projects — the new DX-1300 combines high performance, rich I/O connectivity, and versatile expansion options. It is positioned as the ideal edge computing core for demanding applications such as high-end image processing, AI inference, multitasking data integration, real-time video analysis, smart inspection, and machine…

Nigeria and Finland have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on digitalisation and innovation, with a strong emphasis on strengthening cybersecurity cooperation amid rising cyber threats targeting Nigerian institutions. The agreement was formalised in Abuja on 23 March by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, and Finland’s Under-Secretary of State for International Trade, Jarno Syrjälä. According to a statement issued by Isime Esene, the MoU focuses on collaboration in digital governance, technology infrastructure, and cybersecurity, with the aim of driving economic growth and improving public service delivery. ALSO READ: AIRTEL AFRICA, SPACEX TAKE STARLINK MOBILE TO KENYA IN CONNECTIVITY PUSH    Describing…

Airtel Africa and SpaceX have successfully conducted trials of Starlink Mobile satellite-to-phone connectivity in Kenya, marking a significant step toward expanding mobile coverage across underserved regions. The milestone, announced on Tuesday, represents the first practical demonstration of satellite-to-mobile services within Airtel Africa’s footprint, which spans 14 markets and serves approximately 174 million subscribers. The development builds on a partnership agreement signed in December 2025, under which both companies committed to deploying Starlink Direct-to-Cell technology across Airtel Africa’s network. According to the companies, the Kenya trials were conducted in areas beyond the reach of Airtel’s terrestrial infrastructure. In these locations, Starlink…

A new operational model driven by software, automation, and artificial intelligence is emerging as a critical pathway for telecom operators seeking efficiency and growth, according to Sam Keys Toyer, Global Head of Portfolio for Network Managed Services at Ericsson. Speaking on the evolution of network management, Toyer explained that the company is shifting away from traditional approaches centred on spectrum and hardware upgrades, instead focusing on AI-led operations to manage increasingly complex network environments. Ericsson’s managed services business now spans mobile, fixed, cable, and IoT networks, often across multi-vendor ecosystems. The core proposition, Toyer noted, is to operate networks on…

Moniepoint, one of Africa’s fastest-growing financial technology companies, has announced the acquisition of Orda Africa, a restaurant management and point-of-sale platform, in a move that significantly expands its footprint in Nigeria’s food service sector and deepens its suite of business solutions for one of the continent’s most active economic segments. The acquisition brings Orda’s existing restaurant management capabilities under Moniepoint’s financial infrastructure, creating what the company describes as a one-stop platform for food service businesses to manage operations, access financing, and process payments — all from a single system. Speaking on the deal, Tosin Eniolorunda, Group Chief Executive Officer of…