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One Licence, Two Markets: Kenya and Rwanda Just Redrew East Africa’s Fintech Map
Kenya and Rwanda’s central banks have signed a landmark MOU to build a mutual recognition framework for payment service providers — the first concrete step in a five-year plan to integrate East Africa’s fragmented payments landscape.
AfDB Backs Saviu Ventures — Development Finance Enters Francophone Africa VC
The African Development Bank has backed Saviu Ventures — putting development finance directly into Francophone Africa’s VC ecosystem. Here’s what the partnership means for West African founders and investors.
Morocco’s ‘Digital X.0’ Law: North Africa’s Most Ambitious AI and Data Governance Framework Explained
Morocco’s Digital X.0 framework is North Africa’s most ambitious AI and data governance law. We break down what it covers, who it affects, and how it stacks up against global AI regulation frameworks.
Rwanda’s 1.5% Digital Services Tax Joins a Growing Continental Wave
Rwanda has introduced a 1.5% digital services tax targeting non-resident platform operators. It’s the latest in a growing continental wave of DST regimes — and a sign that Africa is moving fast on digital taxation.
Spiro’s $50M Debt Round Signals Africa’s Battery-Swap Model Has Reached Infrastructure Scale
Spiro has closed a $50M debt round — the largest single debt raise for an African e-mobility company. It signals that the battery-swap model has crossed from pilot to infrastructure scale.
Rwanda’s Twin-Track Digital Currency Bet: Cabinet Approves Crypto Law While CBDC Pilot Goes Live
Rwanda is running two digital currency tracks simultaneously: a new virtual assets law through cabinet and an active CBDC pilot by the National Bank of Rwanda. It’s the continent’s most ambitious dual-track digital currency strategy.
How M-Pesa Captured at Least 40% of Kenya’s Stock Exchange in Weeks
Safaricom launched Ziidi Trader, connecting M-Pesa directly to the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Within weeks, M-Pesa payments captured at least 40% of NSE transaction volume — a structural shift in Kenya’s capital markets.
Japan’s African Bet: How Tokyo Became the Continent’s Fastest-Growing Startup Investor
Japan recorded the sharpest increase of any investor geography in African tech in early 2026. Behind that data point is a deliberate strategic pivot — not aid, but venture capital with a distinctive industrial logic.
Ethiopia Mandates 1.5% Telecom Levy to Fund Rural Connectivity
Ethiopia has mandated a 1.5% telecom revenue levy to fund rural connectivity. The policy affects Ethio Telecom and Safaricom Ethiopia — and signals a new approach to financing digital inclusion in Africa’s second-most populous nation.
Africa’s Satellite Internet Price War Is Arriving — What It Means for SME Connectivity Costs
The satellite internet price war has arrived in Africa. Starlink, OneWeb, and regional players are competing — and the pressure on pricing is real. Here’s what it means for SME connectivity costs across the continent.
