UphivaBETAR, Author at BETAR

South Africa draft national AI policy 2026 — 60-day public consultation for business

Policy & Regulation

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7 minute read

South Africa’s Draft National AI Policy: What the 60-Day Consultation Means for Business

UphivaBETAR
March 12, 2026

South Africa’s draft National AI Policy is open for consultation. What’s in it, what’s missing, and what does the 60-day window mean for businesses operating in the continent’s most advanced AI market?

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4 minute read

Aga Khan Exits Nation Media Group After 66 Years — Tanzanian Billionaire Rostam Azizi Takes Control

UphivaBETAR
March 12, 2026

After 66 years, the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development is exiting Nation Media Group. Tanzanian billionaire Rostam Azizi is taking control of Africa’s largest independent media house. The era of Aga Khan stewardship is ending.

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Africa book publishing economy - Selar, OkadaBooks, Cassava Republic Press digital print economics

Creative Economy

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6 minute read

Africa’s Book Economy: Who Is Making Money, and How

UphivaBETAR
March 11, 2026

Africa’s book publishing industry generates $7 billion a year — yet imports nearly $600M more than it exports. A platform collapse, a 16% tax, and a commerce tool paying out billions reveal where the real economics lie.

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Breadfast Cairo quick commerce $50M Pre-Series C investor coalition

Business

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4 minute read

Breadfast Raises $50M Pre-Series C: Mubadala, IFC, SBI, Olayan, and YC Back Cairo Quick Commerce on IPO Track

UphivaBETAR
March 11, 2026

Breadfast’s $50M Pre-Series C assembled an unprecedented investor coalition — Gulf sovereign wealth, multilateral DFIs, Japanese institutional capital, and YC. The cap table sends a clear signal about Egypt’s market position.

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Aga Khan exits Nation Media Group after 66 years, Rostam Azizi takes control

Business

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4 minute read

Aga Khan Exits Nation Media Group After 66 Years: Rostam Azizi Takes Control in $9.5M Deal

UphivaBETAR
March 11, 2026

The Aga Khan Fund has sold its 54% controlling stake in Nation Media Group — East Africa’s largest publisher — to Tanzanian billionaire Rostam Azizi. We break down the deal terms, Azizi’s background, and what it means for African media.

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Showmax closure Canal+ Netflix Africa streaming war 2026

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6 minute read

Africa’s Streaming War Is Over. Netflix Won.

UphivaBETAR
March 11, 2026

Canal+ has shut down Showmax after $309 million in losses. Netflix won Africa’s streaming war — not by outspending the competition, but by locking up the continent’s dominant distribution infrastructure.

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MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita acquisition strategy African fintech 2026

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4 minute read

MTN’s $2B War Chest: The Acquisition Strategy That Could Reshape African Fintech

UphivaBETAR
March 11, 2026

MTN Group enters 2026 with $2B in cash and CEO Ralph Mupita’s stated intent to transform from telco to platform — what that means for African fintech’s competitive landscape.

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Africa tech M&A consolidation wave 2025-2026 fintech acquisitions super-conglomerates

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4 minute read

Africa’s Tech Consolidation Wave: 67 Acquisitions, Super-Conglomerates, and the End of Blitzscaling

UphivaBETAR
March 11, 2026

African tech recorded a record 67 M&A deals in 2025 — a 72% surge. From Flutterwave-Mono to Moniepoint-Sumac, the continent’s largest fintechs are buying capabilities rather than building them.

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NjiaPay and Orca Fraud founders — Cape Town fintech double raise 2026

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4 minute read

Cape Town Fintech Double: NjiaPay and Orca Fraud Raise $4.45M on the Same Day

UphivaBETAR
March 11, 2026

NjiaPay ($2.1M, Newion) and Orca Fraud ($2.35M, Norrsken22) both close Cape Town seed rounds on March 9 — two complementary B2B fintech infrastructure plays targeting African payment reliability.

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Ethiopia telecom revenue levy 1.5 percent ECA rural digital connectivity fund 2026

5 minute read

Ethiopia’s 1.5% Telecom Revenue Levy: How the Rural Connectivity Fund Works

UphivaBETAR
March 11, 2026

Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers approved a 1.5% annual levy on gross telecom revenue on March 10, 2026, creating a dedicated fund for rural digital connectivity. The levy will be administered…

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UphivaBETAR

South Africa’s Draft National AI Policy: What the 60-Day Consultation Means for Business

Aga Khan Exits Nation Media Group After 66 Years — Tanzanian Billionaire Rostam Azizi Takes Control

Africa’s Book Economy: Who Is Making Money, and How

Breadfast Raises $50M Pre-Series C: Mubadala, IFC, SBI, Olayan, and YC Back Cairo Quick Commerce on IPO Track

Aga Khan Exits Nation Media Group After 66 Years: Rostam Azizi Takes Control in $9.5M Deal

Africa’s Streaming War Is Over. Netflix Won.

MTN’s $2B War Chest: The Acquisition Strategy That Could Reshape African Fintech

Africa’s Tech Consolidation Wave: 67 Acquisitions, Super-Conglomerates, and the End of Blitzscaling

Cape Town Fintech Double: NjiaPay and Orca Fraud Raise $4.45M on the Same Day

Ethiopia’s 1.5% Telecom Revenue Levy: How the Rural Connectivity Fund Works

MTN War Chest Q2 2026: 90 Days In, the Acquisition Pipeline Has Changed

Nigeria Bank M&A Wave 2026: Who Acquires the Recapitalisation Failures and at What Price?

Nigeria Bank M&A Wave: Who Acquires the Recapitalisation Failures — and at What Price?

COMESA Clears Vodacom’s Safaricom Stake: What 55% Ownership Means for East Africa’s Telecoms Map

Airtel-Starlink Direct-to-Cell in Kenya: The End of the Coverage Excuse

Nigeria BRIDGE Fibre Rollout: How the World Bank’s Pay-for-Results Architecture Is Funding Africa’s Biggest Broadband Project

Nigeria BRIDGE Fibre Rollout: How the World Bank’s Pay-for-Results Architecture Is Funding Africa’s Biggest Broadband Project

GITEX Africa 2026 Day 2: STAR Summit — AI, Cybersecurity and Fintech Take Centre Stage

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MTN War Chest Q2 2026: 90 Days In, the Acquisition Pipeline Has Changed

Nigeria Bank M&A Wave 2026: Who Acquires the Recapitalisation Failures and at What Price?

Nigeria Bank M&A Wave: Who Acquires the Recapitalisation Failures — and at What Price?

COMESA Clears Vodacom’s Safaricom Stake: What 55% Ownership Means for East Africa’s Telecoms Map