Author: Akin Naphtal

According to John Tanui, Principal Secretary in Kenya’s State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy, technology-driven mining, supported by digital skills and local value addition, could become a key driver of Kenya’s economic transformation. Following the meeting held with Joseph Kitilit, Chief Executive Officer of National Mining Corporation (NMC), Tanui said this initiative is set to increase productivity geological mapping, data management, traceability, and connectivity across the value chain while attracting commercial investment. Kenya needs to shift from raw mineral extraction to processing, value addition and local manufacturing to retain more economic value and increase its export potential, Tanui…

Jean-François Fallacher, CEO of Eutelsat, a global leader in satellite communications, announced that the successful completion of the IRIS² programme’s First Rendez-Vous marks the transition from planning to execution for Europe’s sovereign multi-orbit connectivity infrastructure. The expanded constellation will run to 348 satellites: 330 in low Earth orbit from Eutelsat, 18 in MEO from SES. 66 of the LEO satellites are earmarked specifically for defence, security and emergency services, with launch planned from 2029. Separately, Eutelsat is extending its existing OneWeb network through 2034 with 229 additional satellites on top of the 440 already procured, a roughly €1 billion investment.…

SeerBit, a leading Pan-African payments company, has announced a partnership with PayPal, allowing merchants across its supported markets to accept payments directly from PayPal users at checkout. Following this new integration, customers shopping on seerBit-powered platforms can now choose PayPal alongside cards, bank transfers, and mobile money, while allowing merchants to manage all transactions in one place. This integration is expected to enhance buyer confidence, reduce cart abandonment, improve conversion rates, and make payment across borders more seamless. “African businesses have the talent and products to compete globally; the missing link has often been access to trusted, convenient payment options.…

Nvidia has announced partnerships with major global investment firms and financial institutions, including Apollo, Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Brookfield, and KKR, to establish independent financing platforms to mobilize more than $500 billion in third-party capital over time. The funding will support the expansion and development of AI infrastructure as demand for artificial intelligence continues to grow worldwide. With this new development, Nvidia and the AI industry have moved from an era in which companies bought chips and built data centers project by project to one in which AI factories can be financed as productive infrastructure. Now, AI is moving from…

Airtel Kenya has revised the completion timeline for its $150 million Nxtra data centre in Tatu City, moving the target launch from early 2027 to July 2027, Managing Director Djibril Tobe confirmed this week. Tobe said construction is progressing steadily on what is set to become East Africa’s largest data centre by capacity , roughly ten times the size of any facility currently operating in the region. Airtel broke ground on the project in September 2025, and the adjusted schedule reflects the scale of the build as it advances through subsequent phases. The facility is designed to deliver 44 megawatts…

Airtel Kenya’s mobile money subsidiary has launched Bizna Wallet, a dedicated business wallet designed to help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) manage their finances more efficiently. The new solution allows entrepreneurs to keep business and personal funds separate while still operating through a single Airtel Money account. The wallet is linked to an existing Airtel Money account and provides a clear platform for handling business transactions. Kenyan customers can register for the service using the USSD code *334# or via the My Airtel App. Once activated, users can begin receiving payments while maintaining a distinct separation between personal and…

Vertiv, a global leader in critical digital infrastructure, has announced plans to expand its manufacturing and testing operations across Ireland and the North West, driven by rising worldwide demand for solutions that support artificial intelligence, colocation and hyperscale data centres. The company will apply to Donegal County Council for an additional 7,000 square metres of space at its Letterkenny facility. The expansion is expected to create up to 300 new jobs in the region.The move builds on Vertiv’s established presence in Ireland and the North West, which already includes operations in Letterkenny, Burnfoot and Campsie (Derry), a Central Procurement Office…

Nigerian-founded mobility technology company Moove has raised $250 million in a Series C funding round, achieving a $2.1 billion valuation and securing unicorn status. The fresh capital will be used to build autonomous vehicle infrastructure, expand fleet ownership, construct robotics-focused “Nests” for charging and maintenance, and grow the company’s autonomous workforce from 150 to 500 by the end of the year. Moove also plans to enter additional global markets as it focuses on developing the operational backbone required for large-scale autonomous transportation rather than simply supplying vehicles. The round was led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital…

Botim, the UAE’s leading fintech platform, has partnered with Mastercard to introduce the Mastercard One Credential, a flexible payment solution that allows eligible Botim cardholders to manage multiple funding sources through a single card. The launch marks the first rollout of the solution in the UAE and across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EEMEA), underscoring both companies’ commitment to product innovation in digital payments. Mastercard One Credential enables users to link one payment product to multiple funding sources via a seamless digital interface. Eligible cardholders can switch between prepaid balances and credit funding without needing a separate card,…

Zayo is constructing more than 8,000 miles of new long-haul fibre across the United States in a collaboration with Nvidia, aimed at closing what the company calls a widening gap between surging AI compute demand and available network capacity. The expansion will deliver six new long-haul routes through emerging AI corridors, alongside overbuilds of existing infrastructure in ten high-demand markets. Zayo said the project is designed to connect AI factories, GPU clusters and hyperscaler deployments as they expand beyond traditional data centre hubs. Steve Smith, chief executive of Zayo, said the company had invested heavily in modelling where AI-driven demand…