Author: Akin Naphtal

Microsoft Africa’s Chief Technology and Solutions Officer, Ravi Bhat, engaged in an insightful conversation about the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on the continent. Speaking via Connecting Africa, he described GenAI as a “revolutionary technology,” Bhat likened its significance to that of the printing press in the 14th century and electricity in the 19th century. “What those did to the world is what generative AI is going to do going forward,” he remarked. Bhat highlighted the growing adoption of AI in African enterprises while addressing challenges such as limited access and the need for enhanced digital skills. He…

In a move poised to revolutionize internet connectivity across East Africa, the Kenya Internet Exchange Point (KIXP) has established a new Point of Presence (PoP) at the NBOX1 facility of iXAfrica Data Centers. This facility, the only hyper-scale data center in East and Central Africa, further solidifies its role as a cornerstone of the region’s burgeoning digital ecosystem. With East Africa’s population approaching 500 million and internet penetration exceeding 35%, the demand for fast, reliable, and affordable internet has reached unprecedented levels. The new partnership between KIXP and iXAfrica Data Centers aims to meet this demand while addressing critical challenges…

OpenAI has unveiled Sora, a groundbreaking text-to-video model, for ChatGPT Plus and Pro users. The tool marks a significant leap into multimodal AI, positioning OpenAI alongside competitors such as Meta, Google, and Stability AI, which are developing similar technologies Initially introduced in February 2023 during a research preview, Sora was exclusively accessible to safety testers. Now rebranded as Sora Turbo, the model allows subscribers to create videos up to 20 seconds long in 1080p resolution without incurring additional costs. Users can choose from widescreen, vertical, or square formats, generating content from scratch or blending existing assets. While the feature is…

TelCables Nigeria, a subsidiary of Angola Cables, has announced the establishment of a new point of presence (PoP) at the Lagos Rack Centre facility. This expansion is aimed at enhancing low-latency interconnectivity and cloud access across West Africa, reinforcing the region’s digital infrastructure. Fernando Fernandes, CEO of TelCables Nigeria and West Africa, highlighted the strategic importance of the move. “The new PoP at Rack Centre represents a crucial step towards strengthening the digital infrastructure of West Africa, providing faster, more reliable internet access to local enterprises, government institutions, and individuals by localising traffic,” he stated. The new facility leverages Angola…

Pan African Towers (PAT), a leading telecommunications infrastructure provider in Nigeria, has announced the appointment of Oladipo Badru as its acting CEO. Badru, previously the company’s Chief Financial Officer, assumed his new role in November 2024 following the resignation of Azeez Amida, who served as Managing Director and CEO for two and a half years. In a statement, PAT Chairman Adefolarin Ogunsanya acknowledged Amida’s contributions to the company’s growth. “We wish him well in his future endeavors. Badru will work closely with the executive management team to ensure continuity, and we are confident in his leadership and commitment to our…

A new report by Nextrade Group and Google has shed light on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for Africa. The study, titled AI Policy Blueprint for Africa, offers a detailed roadmap for harnessing AI to drive economic growth across the continent. The report emphasizes the importance of digital infrastructure, AI skills development, technological innovation, and responsible policies as pillars for success. The Role of Policy in Unlocking AI’s Potential The report underscores the critical role of strong government policies in fostering AI adoption. “The research reveals an important correlation: African countries with established, pro-digital policies have significantly higher…

Vertiv has announced the expansion of its liquid cooling product portfolio, unveiling two new CoolChip coolant distribution units (CDUs) designed to optimize thermal management in modern data centers. The new systems cater to high-density computing environments, emphasizing efficiency and modularity. The CoolChip CDU 2300kW, a liquid-to-liquid system, delivers a cooling capacity of 2.3 MW. This solution is tailored for hyperscalers and colocation providers aiming to implement large-scale liquid cooling for high-density deployments. According to Vertiv, the 2300kW model boasts the industry’s highest CDU capacity per square foot, allowing data center operators to minimize costs and physical footprint by requiring fewer…

Olumide Soyombo, co-founder of Bluechip Technologies, has shared his insights into the keys to tech startup success, the critical role of founder-market fit, and the evolving opportunities in Africa’s tech ecosystem Soyombo, one of the continent’s most recognized angel investors, has been instrumental in shaping the continent’s tech startup ecosystem since launching his investment journey in 2014. He has backed some of Nigeria’s most successful startups, including Paystack, PiggyVest, and TeamApt. His dedication to innovation also led to the founding of Voltron Capital, a fund addressing the gap in early-stage funding for African tech companies. Voltron targets startups in key…

Google has named Kabelo Makwane as its new country director for South Africa, with his tenure set to begin on January 6, 2025. Bringing over 20 years of experience in the technology sector, Makwane currently serves as the managing executive for cloud, hosting, and security at Vodacom Business. His distinguished career includes leadership roles such as managing director for the Africa Global Unit at Accenture Operations and several positions at Microsoft, including country managing director for Nigeria and public sector director in South Africa. Expressing his enthusiasm for the role, Makwane said, “I’m excited to join the team in South…

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has approved the highly anticipated $19 billion merger between Vodafone and Three, two of the country’s largest mobile network operators (MNOs). The decision comes with specific conditions designed to address competition and consumer concerns. Vodafone and Three, which together form half of the U.K.’s infrastructure-owning MNO alongside O2 and EE, announced their merger plans in June 2023. The proposal faced significant scrutiny, prompting the CMA to launch an in-depth investigation in January 2024 after an initial phase 1 probe. Following provisional findings in September that raised concerns about higher consumer prices, reduced services,…