• Tanzania is rapidly transforming into a digital economy, with significant growth in mobile money accounts and transaction values.
• Mobile money transactions increased by 25.2% to 1.1 trillion TZS in December 2024, with mobile money account subscriptions rising by 3.9% to 63.2 million.
• M-PESA leads the mobile money market in Tanzania with 24 million subscribers, followed by Mixx by Yas with 19 million users and Airtel Money with 11 million.

Tanzania is steadily transforming into a digital economy with mobile phone subscriptions and mobile money transactions becoming increasingly popular across value chains. The country has experienced significant increase both in number of new mobile money accounts and in the number and the value of transactions conducted annually. This is clear evidence of “a deeper financial inclusion and a rapidly expanding digital economy” says the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).

According to TCRA, mobile money transactions grew by 25.2 percent during the …

• Algeria has launched a $50Bn investment drive to revitalize its hydrocarbon sector, starting with a 2024 licensing round offering six onshore blocks to domestic and international investors.
• Backed by extensive seismic data and a transparent bidding process, the initiative aims to attract global energy players while aligning with sustainability trends.
• This marks the first step in Algeria’s five-year strategy to position itself as a key energy hub in North Africa.

Algeria, one of the key players in the global energy market, is embarking on an ambitious journey to inject $50 billion into its hydrocarbon sector over the next four years. This investment drive aims to rejuvenate the nation’s exploration and production activities, signaling a new era of energy innovation and international collaboration.

Central to this transformative initiative is Algeria’s 2024 licensing round, which has captured the attention of global energy stakeholders and positioned the country as a beacon for hydrocarbon …

• African women entrepreneurs face a staggering $42 billion financing gap.
• Unfortunately, banks have more stringent loan terms for women-owned businesses.
• To counter this, Women Creating Wealth (WCW) and Afrishela Fund are providing capital funding options for women in Africa.

Financial inclusion for women in Africa remains a challenge. According to a recent report by the African Development Bank (AfDB), women in Africa running various forms of businesses are facing a staggering $42 billion financing gap.

“Traditional banks often view women-led businesses as high-risk, making loans complicated to obtain and expensive,” AfDB notes in part. Consequently, banks place harder terms for women applying for loans.

“Many women need more business and financial skills to qualify for these loans,” notes AfDB, adding that women also face more stringent legal and regulatory hurdles that further limit the potential of women-owned enterprises.

The AfDB report was shared at a recent workshop held in Tanzania …

• So far, South Africa and Senegal are the only African countries to have agreed to a Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETP), with South Africa securing a deal for $8.5 billion, while Senegal secured one for $2.7 billion.
• How South Africa and Senegal intend to leverage these deals differ drastically, however, as do their power generation circumstances.
• Currently, coal continues to dominate South Africa’s energy portfolio, at over 80 per cent of the country’s power generation mix.

Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETP) have been introduced in recent years to provide financial support to developing nations as they transition away from fossil fuels. In 2021, during the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), South Africa became the first nation to sign such a deal. Senegal and the International Partners Group (IGP) signed a JETP in June 2023.

I have said before that the best way for Western countries, and …

• Digital solutions offer sustainable food security options for Africa.
• African governments must invest in agri-tech to boost productivity.
• Kenya’s Shamba Shape Up cited as a viable agri-tech solution. 

Agriculture digital solutions have the power to transform agri-food systems in emerging markets by bringing efficiency across all value chains.

“Technology, when applied to agriculture, results in higher income for farmers, increased output, and improved food security…these are among the benefits of utilizing digital tools in an agricultural setting,” said Prof. Mark Natoloi, in a recent research report that reviewed digital solutions for African farmers.

Governments could assist farmers and other agriculture stakeholders by deploying digital tools for important tasks, such as distributing subsidies to farmers or managing the inventories in storage facilities.

“When used as part of a national agricultural-transformation program, digital tools could help raise the incomes of smallholder farmers, increase crop output, and support food security,” reads the report …

• Africa stands at crossroads, balancing harnessing of its vast fossil fuel resources against a global call to embrace renewable energy.
• Across the continent, the deployment of renewable technologies is not happening as fast as needed to reach 2030 targets.
• Innovation and policy resets to drive renewable energy transition in Africa are needed in the face of new oil finds.

The drive to embrace green energy in African economies poses a challenging dilemma: invest in emerging technologies or stick with the tried-and-tested approach of tapping into lucrative oil and gas reserves. Consider Tanzania, for example. Late last year, the country reaffirmed its commitment to oil exploration by announcing plans to further collaborate with Saudi Arabia to bolster its nascent energy sector in the wake of massive gas find.

During a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2024, Tanzania Deputy Minister of Energy, Judith Kapinga, noted that the East African …