Author: Akin Naphtal

MTN Digital Infrastructure, the parent company of Bayobab, has announced the appointment of its Chief Executive Officer, Mazen Mroué, to the Board of the Global Leaders’ Forum (GLF), a prestigious network of senior connectivity leaders shaping the future of digital infrastructure and telecommunications worldwide. The appointment, announced on Wednesday, highlights the increasing influence of African-led infrastructure companies in global industry conversations and underscores Bayobab’s commitment to driving inclusive, innovative, and responsible connectivity across the continent and beyond. The Global Leaders’ Forum brings together top executives from the telecommunications and digital infrastructure sectors to tackle key priorities around inclusivity, innovation, and…

MTN Group and its major subsidiary MTN South Africa have once again achieved the highest Level 1 contributor status under Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) for 2025, reinforcing the telecom giant’s long-standing commitment to transformation and inclusive growth in South Africa. This marks the sixth consecutive year for MTN Group and the seventh year in a row for MTN South Africa. The results are contained in the company’s annual B-BBEE compliance report, verified by an independent agency. “For MTN, long-term business success and societal progress are deeply interconnected,” said MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita. “Maintaining a Level 1…

Cellulant has appointed Anthony Hernandez, a seasoned fintech and banking operations leader with over 25 years of global experience, as its new Chief Operating Officer to strengthen execution and scalability as the firm expands across the continent. The appointment, announced on Wednesday, forms the latest addition to Cellulant’s refreshed leadership team. It follows the February 2026 hiring of Michael Muriuki as Chief Product and Technology Officer and the March 2026 appointment of Darren Makarem as Chief Financial Officer. Hernandez, who most recently served as Head of Customer Operations at Railsr (formerly Railsbank), a UK-based embedded finance platform, brings deep expertise…

 Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) has announced the acquisition of BMarko Structures LLC, a move aimed at strengthening its capabilities in delivering scalable infrastructure solutions amid the rapid growth of AI-driven data centers.  The U.S.-based BMarko, known for its custom-engineered structural fabrication expertise, will now be integrated into Vertiv’s Infrastructure Solutions business in North America. The company said the acquisition is expected to enhance supply chain capabilities, expand engineering and manufacturing capacity, and improve delivery speed and customization across its portfolio of prefabricated and converged infrastructure solutions. Vertiv noted that the increasing pace of AI data center deployments is placing significant pressure on infrastructure providers to deliver faster,…

Philips has appointed Marc-Antoine Zora as Chief Executive Officer for its Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) region, effective April 1, 2026, as the company accelerates its regional growth and innovation strategy. The health technology firm said the appointment positions Zora to spearhead expansion efforts, deepen cross-market collaboration, and drive the development of more sustainable, patient-centred healthcare systems at scale across the region. A 15-year veteran of Philips, Zora brings extensive regional expertise and a strong track record in leading transformation and growth initiatives across diverse markets. Since joining the company in 2011 as an international key account manager, he has…

Africa Data Centres has teamed up with South African fibre infrastructure provider Oni-Tel to deliver high-speed, low-latency fibre connectivity across its key campuses in Gauteng, as demand for robust digital infrastructure surges in the region. The partnership, announced on Monday, will see Oni-Tel provide its Infinity fibre interconnection platform to Africa Data Centres’ Midrand and Samrand facilities. This move aims to create a resilient, purpose-built network optimised for data centre interconnectivity, offering customers fast, high-capacity bandwidth and secure, carrier-grade performance. “Our partnership with Africa Data Centres enables us to deliver our premium fibre interconnection solution into some of the most…

MTN Group has awarded its Nigeria CEO, Karl Toriola, performance shares valued at approximately ₦463.7 million (about $335,000), as part of a broader strategy to retain and incentivise top leadership in its most important and challenging markets. The award was disclosed in a regulatory filing to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Tuesday. Toriola received 28,704 MTN Group shares valued at R5.5 million under the company’s 2010 Performance Share Plan (PSP). When combined with additional long-term incentive awards tied to MTN Nigeria’s local compensation structure, the total value rises significantly in naira terms. Nigeria remains one of MTN’s most critical operations.…

Global technology firm Zoho has announced plans to establish a data centre in the United Kingdom by the second quarter of 2026, reinforcing its commitment to data sovereignty and privacy compliance for its growing UK customer base. The new facility aims to offer clients complete in-country data hosting, meeting increasing demand for secure and locally regulated infrastructure, particularly among organisations in sensitive or regulated industries. The move comes on the heels of Zoho’s recent office opening in Milton Keynes, designed to strengthen its UK operations and deepen customer connections.The office will also drive recruitment and nurture local talent amid Zoho’s…

LemFi, the fast-growing fintech platform specialising in fair, simple, and accessible international money transfers for immigrants and cross-border communities, has announced the appointment of Nick Andrews as its new Director of Customer Service. The appointment comes at a critical phase of LemFi’s global and product expansion, as the company continues to scale rapidly with over one million customers worldwide. Nick Andrews brings extensive leadership experience from some of the UK’s most innovative companies, having held senior roles at digital bank Monzo and energy disruptor OVO Energy. Known for blending operational excellence with genuine customer empathy, Andrews has a strong track…

In a significant move aimed at deepening crypto adoption and financial inclusion across Africa, cryptocurrency exchange VALR has partnered with digital payments gateway Onafriq to allow users in 43 African markets to fund their accounts using mobile money directly. The integration connects popular mobile payment platforms such as M-PESA and MTN Mobile Money to VALR’s platform, giving users seamless access to global crypto markets and tokenised real-world assets using local currencies. According to the companies, the partnership addresses a critical gap by providing a direct on-ramp for millions of Africans who remain underserved by traditional banking systems. By leveraging Onafriq’s…