• MTN is divesting its stakes in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry to Telecel.
• The telco giant will now shift more focus on rising markets Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire.
• With the exception of Cameroon, these three markets account for a combined 18.6% of the Group’s revenue.

South African tech heavyweight MTN has unveiled a key shift in its market strategy involving the divesture of its stakes in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry businesses to Telecel.

This move is poised to mark a strategic change in bolstering MTN’s presence in Africa in what is perceived as stronger markets within the West and Central …

• Foodtech startups are leading a movement that aims to enhance food security and transform African agriculture into a model of economic viability and sustainability.
• Nile, a business-to-business (B2B) marketplace seeks to modernise agricultural trade by enabling direct connections between farmers and buyers.
• Another entity, Sand to Green, employs advanced agroforestry practices and technology to transform arid desert lands into fertile agricultural zones.

In the face of a future where 140 million people in Africa confront acute food insecurity, the emergence of foodtech startups across the continent is starting a new phase in agricultural practices and food production.

Armed with innovative technologies and visionary approaches, these startups are leading a movement that aims to enhance food security and transform African agriculture into a model of economic viability and sustainability.

A trio of visionaries from Amazon, JP Morgan and Luno have established a digital insurance platform Nile, a business-to-business (B2B) marketplace that …

• Hormuud Telecom has launched the 5G network across Somalia, enhancing the speed of internet and communication.
• This marks a significant leap towards a digitally inclusive society with reliable internet connectivity in the country.
• A 5G networks is set to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and revolutionize public services such as healthcare and education.

Hormuud Telecom has unveiled its 5G network, marking a historic moment for its main market Somalia, which now enters into the elite group of African nations such as Kenya and Ethiopia that have embraced this cutting-edge technology.

Hormuud Telecom 5G signal is now present across 30 cities and towns, promising to revolutionize the speed of the internet and communication and transform Somalia’s digital economy.

Enhancing Communication with 5G Technology

The introduction of the 5G network by Hormuud Telecom signifies a monumental leap in improving internet connectivity’s speed and reliability across Somalia. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, along …

• Cyber security spending in Kenya is still low with half of state entities exposed to malicious attackers.
• Cyber Security Spending is projected to reach $8.4 billion in 2027.
• Banks will account for 85.6% of the financial services sector’s total spending on security products.

The increasing online threats to businesses across the region will see companies and government increase their cyber security spending to excess of $6.2 billion this year, new industry insights have shown.

Spending on security products and services in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), excluding Israel, will grow 10.3 per cent in 2024, reaching $6.2 billion, according to the latest Worldwide Security Spending Guide from International Data Corporation (IDC).

The firm’s newly released forecast indicates that this figure will reach $8.4 billion in 2027, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.0per cent over the 2023–2027 forecast period.  Security software will account for the majority of …

• Kenya’s National Security Council is currently scrutinizing cybersecurity threats posed by TikTok.
• Lawmakers are citing data privacy, cybersecurity threats, and TikTok’s potential as a primary conduit for misinformation in their push to restrict its use in government-issued devices.
• Already, TikTok is accused of cases of abuses in Kenya, including identity theft, proliferation of fraud, and spreading sexually explicit content.

Authorities in Kenya are at a cybersecurity crossroads, contemplating joining Somalia to become the second African nation to enforce TikTok ban on government-issued devices.

This move, revealed by Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki cites rising cybersecurity threats posed by social media platforms, notably TikTok, within the corridors of Kenya’s National Security Council (NSC).

The NSC’s concerns are not unfounded. Globally, TikTok, a video-sharing platform, faces heightened scrutiny over data privacy, cybersecurity threats, and its potential as a primary conduit for misinformation.

Already, countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, and the …

• At least eight West African States have been thrown into significant internet connectivity issues.
• Telcos say repairs could span from weeks to months, depending on the damage location
• The impact of such cable failures worsens as networks attempt to route around the damage, potentially reducing the capacity available to other countries.

Nearly a dozen West African states are currently experiencing internet outages occasioned by damage to multiple undersea telecommunication cables. Reports say that this has caused a widespread connectivity outage in parts of the continent, with operators and Internet monitoring groups cautioning that the situation might require several weeks or even months to resolve.

By the end of Friday, March 15th, at least eight countries across the continent had reported significant connectivity issues, although specific details regarding the cause of the undersea cable damages remained limited.

Global media reports indicated that the affected cable lines included critical continental arteries …