Author: Kevin Odero

For the first time, the total monthly cost of employing a tech product manager in Nairobi ($2,425) has overtaken that of a senior software engineer ($1,900), marking a 28% premium for product strategy over pure engineering execution in Kenya’s tech outsourcing market. Global tech retrenchment and new statutory costs (SHIF, Housing Levy) have pushed employers toward “calculator hiring”, prioritising force-multiplier product talent who de-risk investment over mass recruitment of coders, with demand strongest in fintech and commercial roles. Mombasa’s fibre-optic advantage offers cheaper engineering talent at 26–35% lower cost of living, while AI tools commoditise junior coding. Conversely, strategic product…

Equity Group’s record $581.6 million (KSh75.5 billion) net profit for fiscal year 2025 underscores success of diversification strategy as DRC, Uganda and Tanzania post triple-digit growth. Equity Group has delivered the most profitable year in Kenyan corporate history, with regional subsidiaries now accounting for nearly half of the lender’s banking profits, a landmark validation of its long-standing bet on pan-African expansion. The Nairobi-based financial services group reported a 55 per cent surge in profit after tax to KSh75.5 billion for the financial year ended December 2025, propelled by robust double-digit growth across its East African operations and a dramatic turnaround…

KCB Group, Equity Group, and Co-operative Bank consistently offer yields between 6-10%, supported by strong regional diversification and robust cash flow generation, though investors must monitor NPL trends and regulatory capital requirements. With its dominant market position and M-PESA-driven cash flows, Safaricom offers a reliable mid-to-high single-digit yield, making it a core holding for income investors prioritizing consistency over maximum returns. BAT Kenya and EABL provide attractive yields (up to 10%) backed by strong cash generation, but investors must factor in exposure to excise tax hikes and potential impacts on consumer demand. As we move into the second quarter of…

On 6 March 2026, the Court of Appeal in Nairobi issued a landmark decision on the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (2018) (Act). The Court held that sections 22 and 23 of the Act – which criminalised publication of certain forms of ‘false’ information – are unconstitutional. The Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE), backed by media and civil society groups including Article 19 East Africa, the Kenya Union of Journalists, and the Law Society of Kenya, argued that large portions of the Act violated fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, privacy, and fair trial protections. The Attorney General, the Speaker…

Africa’s largest lender posts R49.2 billion (about $3 billion) headline earnings, hikes dividend 12%, and signals confidence with new R450 billion ($26.3 billion) sustainability target. Standard Bank Group delivered a strong performance in 2025, blowing past the financial targets it set four years ago and rewarding shareholders with a double-digit dividend payout even as it resets its ambitions for the next cycle. The Johannesburg-based lender, Africa’s largest by assets, reported headline earnings of R49.2 billion ($3 billion) for the year ended December 2025, pushing return on equity (ROE) to 19.3 per cent, the top end of its 2025 target range…

At the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX), over 45 financial services prospectuses are under review, with major listings from Awash, Dashen, and Bank of Abyssinia imminent, offering investors exposure to Ethiopia’s most profitable and best-capitalised institutions. International investors can participate through licensed local brokers, subject to sectoral limits (notably 40% in banking). The broader liberalisation agenda, including FX reform and foreign bank entry, is creating a more accessible environment. The ESX has launched “Neway,” a mobile trading app, and prioritised dematerialised securities. With indices planned for mid-2026 and a growing roster of licensed intermediaries, the market is building the plumbing needed…

The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development’s decision to exit a 66-year investment in East Africa’s largest media house marks a watershed moment and places Tanzania’s first dollar billionaire Rostam Azizi at the heart of the region’s media future. On March 10, 2026, when the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) confirmed it would sell its entire 54.08 per cent stake in Nation Media Group (NMG) to a little-known investment vehicle called Taarifa Ltd, the East African business establishment reached for its corporate directories. Who, exactly, is Rostam Azizi, the man behind Taarifa Ltd? The answer leads to Rostam…

The U.S.-African Union Strategic Investment Working Group (SIWG) replaces traditional aid with private-sector-led investment, targeting Africa’s $68-$108 billion annual infrastructure gap through U.S. capital and innovative financing tools. The initiative directly challenges Beijing’s two-decade dominance in African infrastructure, leveraging U.S. financial leverage rather than physical infrastructure, a model that will be tested against China’s deeply entrenched road-and-rail presence. Priority sectors of transport, energy, digital infrastructure, and critical minerals offer entry points for U.S. private capital, with early movers positioned to benefit from regulatory harmonization under the AfCFTA. Early this year, a strategic shift in U.S.-Africa economic relations took place. The…

The U.S., through the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium and Glencore, has secured its first major foothold in DRC’s copper and cobalt mines, directly challenging China’s two-decade vice like grip on critical mineral wealth powering the global green revolution. While China built roads, railways and deep political ties through infrastructure-for-resource deals, the U.S. is betting on a different model, that is using government-backed financing and offtake agreements to secure critical minerals without taking on the risks of direct mine ownership. Kinshasa is expertly playing both sides, leveraging U.S. interest to squeeze better terms from China, while keeping Chinese investment flowing. The…

Africa’s export trade with Asian partners is gaining momentum, driven by competitive pricing and supply-chain reliability, as uncertainty over U.S. trade policy and the future of AGOA erodes confidence in the transatlantic corridor, the latest Standard Bank Africa Trade Barometer reveals. For the first time, a significant number of firms in Africa now view Asia, led by economic giant China, as their most critical trading partner, the latest Standard Bank Africa Trade Barometer shows. This shift is accelerated by the tariff-heavy policies of U.S. President Donald Trump administration and the uncertainly surrounding the short-term nature of the renewed U.S. trade…