Author: Akin Naphtal

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced a groundbreaking multi-year partnership today, launching an AI and cloud-based platform, NBA Inside the Game, set to transform fan engagement, game analysis, and broadcasting across the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League, and NBA Take-Two Media. As the NBA’s official cloud and AI partner, AWS will power a new era of digital innovation, leveraging its advanced AI infrastructure to process billions of data points into immersive insights and interactive experiences. The platform will integrate real-time analytics into live broadcasts, the NBA App, and NBA.com, starting with the…

Africmed International Hospital Ltd, a premier healthcare provider in The Gambia, has cemented its reputation as a leader in innovative medical care by securing prestigious accolades at the 2025 editions of Africa Digital Economy Awards (ADEA) and Digital Innovation Awards (DIA), InstinctWave-powered events. Renowned for its cutting-edge services and programs, Africmed blends top-tier medical expertise with advanced technology to deliver compassionate, high-quality care. Africmed bagged top honours at the 10th ADEA, solidifying its role as a trailblazer in blending technology with patient care. The institution was crowned Digital Health Provider of the Year, a prove to its groundbreaking use of…

Safaricom PLC, Africa’s leading telecommunications and fintech provider, has announced a transformative upgrade to its M-PESA platform, marking the most significant overhaul since 2015. James Maitai, Group Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO) at Safaricom, described the upgrade as a bold step into a “Fintech 2.0 era,” designed to enhance scalability, reliability, and innovation for millions of users across Africa. Launched in 2007 as a simple mobile money transfer service, M-PESA has grown into the continent’s largest fintech ecosystem, processing 4,500 transactions per second and serving over 35 million Kenyans, with millions more users across Africa. The platform now supports…

The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications (GCT) and the Digital Chamber of Ghana (DCG) have named Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah as their new Chief Executive Officer. With nearly two decades of leadership in Ghana’s telecommunications, digital, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors, Owusu-Ankomah brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of driving transformative change to her new role. Owusu-Ankomah’s career includes high-impact roles at major multinational organizations such as MTN Ghana, Tigo (Millicom Ghana), AirtelTigo (AT Ghana), and Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC (Diageo/Castel Group). Her work has significantly shaped Ghana’s telecom and digital landscape, from securing regulatory approvals for the…

Integrated Payment Services Limited (IPSL), the operator of PesaLink, has partnered with pan-African payments company Cellulant to revolutionize customer-to-business (C2B) payments for online services across Kenya. The strategic collaboration integrates Cellulant’s Tingg payment platform with PesaLink’s extensive network, connecting over 80 financial institutions, to enable seamless direct payments from consumers’ bank accounts to businesses. This partnership tackles persistent challenges in digital transactions, including payment delays, reconciliation errors, and limited payment options. By leveraging PesaLink’s robust infrastructure and Tingg’s innovative payment solutions, the initiative enhances Kenya’s digital economy, fostering connectivity among banks, fintechs, and merchants. Customers can now make transactions up…

Ooredoo Group, a leading international communications provider operating across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia, has announced a strategic partnership with Innovatix Systems LLC to deliver advanced cybersecurity services to its diverse markets. The collaboration aims to fortify digital defenses for millions of users amid the global surge in cyber threats, particularly in regions undergoing rapid digital transformation like Africa. The new cybersecurity offerings are already operational in Qatar, Tunisia, Kuwait, and the Maldives, with plans to extend coverage to all Ooredoo operating companies before the end of 2025. Available in Arabic, English, and French, these services ensure…

MTN South Africa, in collaboration with Ericsson, has achieved groundbreaking milestones in its core network modernization, marking global and African firsts in telecommunications innovation. The operator has become the first worldwide to implement an In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) on an Ericsson Packet Core Gateway (PCG) node with a collocated Packet Core Firewall, seamlessly handling 2.52 million active user sessions and 40 Gbps of data without interruption. Additionally, MTN South Africa is the first in Africa to execute an automated ISSU on a production PCG node, reinforcing its leadership in cloud-native infrastructure. The modernization, aligned with MTN Group’s Unified Cloud Acceleration…

Deutsche Telekom has unleashed a suite of innovative 5G enhancements across Germany, solidifying its position as the nation’s pioneering network operator. The upgrades, rolled out to deliver tangible benefits to everyday users, include advanced network slicing for specialized applications, RedCap technology for power-efficient devices, and optimized gaming features— all now accessible to more than 98% of the population through the company’s expansive 5G footprint. Abdurazak Mudesir, Chief Technology Officer at Telekom Deutschland GmbH, highlighted the company’s customer-centric vision in a recent blog post. “From the very beginning, we were driven by the idea of offering real added value for our…

NALA has officially expanded into Kenya through a strategic partnership with Equity Bank and payment utility PesaLink. This move aims to capitalize on Kenya’s robust remittance inflows, positioning NALA as a key player in East Africa’s highly competitive payments market.’ The collaboration bypasses the typically lengthy and complex licensing process for foreign entrants by leveraging PesaLink’s instant payment network and Equity Bank’s settlement infrastructure. Diaspora transfers will now be routed seamlessly, with recipients in Kenya receiving funds in real time to mobile wallets or bank accounts, eliminating the delays that have long frustrated users. “Every year, billions are lost to…

Equinix Inc. is exploring the establishment of a second data centre in Johor, a move that could inject billions of ringgit into the region’s economy. The announcement followed a meeting between Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Equinix representatives, during which the company reaffirmed its commitment to local talent development and economic growth. In a statement , Onn Hafiz revealed that Equinix expressed keen interest in expanding its footprint in Johor, building on its existing presence at Nusajaya Tech Park in Iskandar Puteri. The first data centre, launched with an initial US$40 million (RM188 million) investment, became operational…