Trending
- African energy: Opportunities and challenges presented by Russia’s investments
- Africa’s smart farming push—a revolution or a mirage?
- BRICS summit in Brazil to focus on global governance reform
- Dedollarization: BRICS take on Trump and mighty dollar
- Trump’s second term: A rare opportunity for real African energy independence
- ‘Perfect storm’ in South Sudan demands urgent action – UN
- Kenya’s green gold rush that clean energy investors can’t ignore
- Mining diplomacy: Will the US exploit DRC’s critical minerals?
Tech & Business
- Availability of mobile phones, internet increasing agriculture digitization.
- Smallholder farmers still lag in adapting digital solutions in farming.
- Policymakers urged to prioritize digitalization interventions for smallholder farmers.
Across Africa, a new era of agriculture is unfolding, driven by the rise of farming AI (artificial intelligence)—a powerful tool that promises to revolutionize food production and meet the demands of a growing population. Increasingly, farming Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ‘future present’ of agriculture development as rising number of smallholder farmers in Africa adopt various digital solutions to increase productivity.
In a recent research that looked into rural farmers’ experiences and attitudes toward digital tools and services in Africa, the findings show that the trend is less than promising, comparatively speaking.
“We like to look at how the adoption and application of digital services, and digital solutions directly and/or indirectly to agricultural processes and how farmers are fairing, if at all,” explains …
- Laser-powered Taara Lightbridge, an firm owned by Google, is competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink to advance access to internet services in Africa.
- Taara is targeting some 860 million people in Africa who currently go without reliable internet access.
- Taara Lightbridge offers affordable, high-speed internet that rivals satellite broadband solutions.
As Elon Musk’s satellite internet services firm Starlink grows its footprint in Africa, rival Google’s Taara Lightbridge has stepped in for a share of the growing number of consumers in the vast continent.
Taara Lightbridge is the brainchild of Alphabet, the parent company of tech giant Google and is envisioned to become “a standalone company,” as it takes on Starlink “in the race to connect underserved regions with high-speed internet.”
Taara Lightbridge uses Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) technology to beam high-speed internet through light over long distances, unlike satellite broadband that Elon Musk’s Starlink uses.
The move into Africa’s …
- At AIM Congress 2025, PAL-V will be showcasing the PAL-V Liberty, the world’s first FlyDrive vehicle.
- This vehicle combines the convenience of traditional driving with the freedom of flying, presenting a practical vision for the future of mobility.
- “We are bringing the future of mobility to reality—creating seamless, efficient, and flexible transportation,” said Robert Dingemanse, Founder and CEO of PAL-V.
AIM Congress 2025, in its 14th edition, will highlight the latest global innovations in the mobility sector under the Future Cities Portfolio, bringing together industry leaders, investors, and policymakers to explore the future of advanced transportation.
Among this year’s most prominent participants is PAL-V, showcasing the PAL-V Liberty, the world’s first FlyDrive vehicle. This revolutionary vehicle combines the convenience of traditional driving with the freedom of flying, presenting a practical vision for the future of mobility.
As transportation systems face increasing challenges, such as traffic congestion and intercity travel …
- The AI World Championship, which will take place Jan 30 to Feb 2, 2025, is tailored to be a defining moment for the AI community, a global platform for breakthroughs.
- The contest will challenge and advance the multiple frontiers, creativity, expertise, and innovation presented by AI across 14 thematic focus areas.
- The grand finals set to be hosted live on April 8, 2025, at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi during AIM Congress 2025.
Tech enthusiasts, developers, AI specialists, investors, and government representatives have a chance to showcase cutting-edge developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the maiden AI World Championship in Abu Dhabi city early next year.
Organized by the AIM Congress 2025, the inaugural AI World Championship is tailored as an international competition that will challenge and advance the multiple frontiers and opportunities presented by AI.
Taking place over the course of four days, from January 30 to February 2, …
- Fintech Raenest will be the key sponsor of the seventh edition of Africa Tech Summit Nairobi in February 2025.
- The a B2B Summit, expo, and awards forum projects to attract over 2,000 industry leaders, corporates, investors, and global delegates.
- Conference will feature four key track themes: Africa Money & DeFi, Africa Climate Tech & Investment, Africa Startup, and the Africa Mobile & App segments.
For the second year in a row, Nigerian fintech heavyweight Raenest is set to headline the Africa Tech Summit 2025 edition, reaffirming the company’s commitment to fostering growth, and collaboration in Africa.
According to the organizers, Raenest will be the key sponsor of the seventh edition of Africa Tech Summit Nairobi, which is set to be held on February 12th and 13th, 2025, at the Sarit Expo Centre.
“We are thrilled to continue as the headline sponsor of Africa Tech Summit Nairobi. This platform is pivotal …
- This initiative focuses on training developers to become certified in NVIDIA’s technologies, creating talent knowledgeable in AI, data science, and GPU processing.
- By nurturing a workforce skilled in AI and advanced tech, this alliance will drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth.
- Young developers will gain job opportunities and contribute to solutions in healthcare, finance, and agriculture.
Africa’s youth population, one of the fastest-growing in the world, presents both a challenge and an opportunity.
With millions of young Africans entering the job market each year, the continent faces a pressing need to generate work opportunities to check a worsening joblessness crisis.
However, in this era of digital transformation, the gig economy has emerged as a beacon of hope for Africa’s young workforce.
Two tech firms, Gebeya Inc. and NVIDIA, are rising to the occasion by launching an ambitious program to train 50,000 African developers, signaling strong intent to bridge …
- A new alliance between fintechs Network International and Ant International is set to stir up the digital finance ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East.
- Deal will see banks, fintechs, and telcos across the MEA gain access to a cutting-edge digital wallet suite.
- With Alipay+ Wallet Tech, Network aims to offer businesses enhanced experience in digital payments.
The push to enhance financial inclusion and digital wallet offerings in Africa has received a shot in the arm with Network International and Ant International announcing a strategic partnership aimed at revolutionizing mobile wallet technology.
Through this collaboration, banks, fintechs, and telecommunications companies across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region will gain access to cutting-edge digital wallet solutions, bolstering financial inclusion and the digital transformation landscape.
The partnership agreement, signed at a ceremony attended by H.E. Jamal Abdulla AlSuwaidi, the UAE Ambassador to Singapore, marks a new chapter for digital payment expansion …
- Financing by Venture Capital Firms (VC) is the leading source for injecting capital into startups, accounting for 29 percent of the deals.
- Findings show that venture debt is becoming a crucial funding tool, especially for climate tech startups with limited access to traditional equity financing.
- The survey notes that to support this growth, investments in digital and energy infrastructure are essential.
Kenya is emerging as a leader in sourcing capital for its agricultural technology and food startups across the African continent. A large portion of capital for African startups still comes from foreign countries, with approximately 60 per cent, coming from international sources, primarily the United States and the United Kingdom.
On the continent, however, most investors are concentrated in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, where innovation and funding activity are most prominent. Large-scale investments in solar energy solutions and precision agriculture partly drive Kenya’s dominance in the sector.
Read …
- Vantage Capital invested $71 million in Camusat to fund the expansion of its telecom infrastructure division, AktivCo, and refinance debt.
- Camusat aims to drive sustainable telecom growth by partnering with major mobile network operators in Africa, focusing on decarbonization and low-carbon infrastructure.
- The partnership supports Camusat’s strategic expansion in emerging markets, while Vantage Capital’s investment emphasizes environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
Fund manager Vantage Capital has finalized a $71.5 million (€66 million) mezzanine investment in Camusat Holding S.A.S, a key player in the telecommunications infrastructure industry in Africa and across the world.
This investment is set to fuel the expansion of AktivCo, Camusat’s Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) division, and refinance existing debt. The deal, which is part of a larger $87.7 million (€81 million) financing package, was conducted in consortium with Eurazeo, a European-based investment firm.
Powering Africa’s telecommunications infrastructure
Camusat has established itself as a key partner for mobile network …
