Africa’s Influencer Economy: The Real Numbers Behind the Brand Deals
UphivaBETAR
Africa’s creator economy is worth $3 billion and growing. But the brand deal economics reveal a structural gap — between platform hype and what creators actually take home.
Africa’s Social Commerce Economy: What Creators Earn, What Platforms Take, and Who Controls the Revenue Stack
Africa’s social commerce economy is growing fast. But TikTok takes a cut, brands set the rates, and creators are left with a fraction. An analysis of who controls the revenue stack.
Kenya Sells the Crown Jewel: What the Safaricom-Vodacom Deal Tells Us About Africa’s Fiscal Reckoning
Kenya has approved the sale of a 15% Safaricom stake to Vodacom for KES 204 billion ($1.5B). The real story: a debt-distressed government has monetised Africa’s most valuable fintech asset through a bilateral deal — not the capital markets Safaricom has been democratising.
CBN BVN Phone Lock: Nigeria’s Hardest Fintech Constraint — and the Inclusion Question Nobody Has Answered
The CBN’s once-per-lifetime BVN phone restriction closes a SIM-swap fraud window. For 68.59 million BVN holders who lose a SIM, change carriers, or upgrade, the circular does not say what happens.
Nigeria After FATF: Can Africa’s Biggest Fintech Market Now Set the Rules?
Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list in October 2025 unlocked a capital flow argument. The IMF estimates grey-listing cost ~7.6% of GDP in capital inflows. Now the CBN is pushing to become Africa’s fintech regulatory standard-setter.
Africa’s $66 Billion Beauty Economy: The Brand, Creator and Salon Revenue Structures That Power It
Africa’s beauty and personal care market is projected at $66.19 billion in 2024 — but multinationals capture most of the value. Here is who controls the market, where creators earn, and why the continent’s manufacturing gap persists.
Girls in STEM: Why a Decade of African Targets Failed — and What Three Countries Are Doing Differently
The AU’s CESA 2016–2025 decade closed without meeting its STEM gender parity goals. Rwanda, Ghana, and South Africa offer three distinct policy models producing measurable results — but without binding targets and adequate funding, Africa’s most replicable successes are not spreading fast enough.
Nigeria’s Crypto Market Just Got Rules — Without a New Law. Here’s What VASPs Must Do Now.
Nigeria processed $92.1 billion in cryptocurrency transactions. Its new VARA framework uses a tri-agency model instead of new legislation. Here’s what VASPs must do to comply.
Congo’s €8.7B Digital Bet: 30,000 Towers, an AI Academy, and a Race Against Its Own Infrastructure Gap
The DRC has unveiled Africa’s most ambitious National Digital Plan — €8.7B across five years targeting 30,000 telecom towers, a Congolese AI Academy with Huawei, and a National Interbank Payments Platform.
Nigeria’s NCC Proposes 14-Day Notice Before SIM Deactivation — and a New Database to Kill Recycled-Number Fraud
Nigeria’s NCC is building TIRMS, a cross-sector database to track churned and recycled SIM numbers. A proposed rule requires 14-day pre-deactivation notice and gives the CBN and SEC real-time access.
