Author: The Exchange

Eastern Africa’s export performance has been buoyed by increases in key commodity prices such as gold, coffee and tea at a time when Trump tariffs are reshaping global business. In the region, DRC leads the charge with its exports to the United States increasing by more than a billion between April and July 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Ethiopia and Kenya also posted large increases in exports to the US, with a rise of 95% and 22%, respectively. At a time when economies globally are on edge, smarting from the negative impact of U.S. President Donald Trump…

On electrification, Africa needs to be ambitious. Striving towards SDG7, African leaders and international partners have set out to connect 300 million people by 2030. Renewable costs are falling fast. Solar prices are down nearly 80% over the past decade, enabling faster, cheaper deployment of mini-grids and home systems in remote areas. More than 50% of new connections will come from decentralised renewables. These are essential for rural ‘last mile’ areas where grid extension is slow and expensive. Funding needs are high. While almost $50 billion has been pledged, total needs exceed $90 billion by 2030 to achieve universal energy access. Government…

Tullow Oil Plc completes sale of Kenya assets, which had 463 million barrels of 2C resources as of 31 December 2024, to local firm Gulf Energy Ltd. British firm has received $40 million, reflecting the entire proceeds of tranche A as set out in the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA). Tullow retains a no-cost back-in right for a 30% participation in potential future development phases. After 14 years exploring oil and gas resources in Kenya, British firm Tullow Oil has sealed its exit from the East African country, leaving the job of advancing extraction to a local company Gulf Energy…

Malawi’s Lazarus Chakwera: “It is only right that I concede defeat out of respect for your will as citizens and out of respect for the constitution.” Mutharika has managed to secure an estimated 66 per cent the votes cast compared to the incumbent’s just over 24 per cent. Chakwere: “It was clear that my rival Peter Mutharika has an insurmountable lead over me. In the days that remain, I want you to know that I am committed to a peaceful transfer of power.” President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi has accepted that former President Peter Mutharika defeated him during the election…

African Social Security Association has entered into alliance with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) to mobilize $1.17 trillion in national savings for infrastructure investment. Under a plan dubbed ‘Africa Saving for Growth’ program, the push will run under the auspices of the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI), part of the UN Global Compact. Program seeks to expand Africa’s capital-pools dataset, and increase allocation to infrastructure and private sector-led projects in Africa. A new program involving social security institutions across 15 countries in Africa seeks to mobilize up to unlock $1.17 trillion in national savings for critical infrastructure investments. The deal,…

Cassava Technologies projects to boost existing and potential customers to process AI workloads and data within national borders in alignment with local requirements and regulations. Cassava will begin in South Africa and later expand into Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria. This phased rollout is in line with Cassava’s expansions planned at its other data centre facilities across Africa. The two companies will integrate the context, languages, and cultural nuances of the region into these AI solutions. Tech heavyweights Cassava Technologies has announced a strategic collaboration with Accenture to scale Cassava’s sovereign AI capability across Africa. The deal will see Accenture…

M-PESA upgrade is expected to deliver scalability, resilience and AI-powered innovation that will see platform process 6,000 transactions per second from the current 4500 Tps. Transformation positions M-PESA to meet the growing demands of Africa’s digital economy while preparing for future opportunities. New-look platform embeds artificial intelligence to aid in fraud detection, enable self-healing, and power real-time monitoring. Tech giant Safaricom is set to undertake the most significant upgrade of its mobile financial services platform M-PESA, offering the fintech a new-look system that can process 6,000 transactions per second (Tps), up from the current 4,500 Tps. The planned upgrade on…

African Energy Week was born out of a need to bring the discussion about Africa’s energy future back to the continent. AEW was born out of a need to bring the discussion about Africa’s energy future back to the continent. For so long, we have seen major energy events discuss key topics about the continent in international locations. From Houston to Dubai to London. Five years may seem a short time in the lifespan of an industry, but in the African energy space, it has been nothing short of a revolution. At the heart of that transformation stands NJ Ayuk,…

Afreximbank and KCB Group announce tailored financing plans for manufactures, agro-processors, logistics, and value-addition firms planning to set up shop in Vipingo Special Economic Zone. From capital facilities, project finance, trade finance, project facilities, guarantees and advisory, lenders offer to ease business operations in new SEZ located at Kenya’s coast. Vipingo SEZ is a $3 billion industrial joint project between Centum Investment and Dubai-based Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP). Investors planning to establish their enterprises in the upcoming Vipingo Special Economic Zone (VSEZ) in Kenya’s coast have a reason to smile after lenders KCB Group and the African Export…

Uber Safari’s debut in Kenya builds on the taxi firm’s 2024 pilot in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, which, despite initial challenges, is paving the way for scalable digital tourism. For Kenya, where tourism contributes about 10% to GDP and employs over 1.1M people, Uber Safari represents an innovative fusion of technology and tradition, potentially streamlining access to one of Africa’s premier urban wildlife destinations. Across Africa, Uber Safari’s expansion could inspire similar innovations in Uganda’s Bwindi or Namibia’s Etosha, driving sustainable growth. Uber Technologies has unveiled a new offering, Uber Safari, a service that allows a group of holidaymakers…