Duplo, a business-to-business payment platform that makes it easier for African businesses of all sizes to pay each other, has raised $4.3 million in seed funding to launch new products and expand into new business verticals in Nigeria.

The seed funding round included Liquid2 Ventures, Soma Capital, Tribe Capital, Commerce Ventures, Basecamp Fund, and Y Combinator. Oui Capital also re-invested after participating in the previous round. Since going live in January 2022, Duplo has seen great traction with FMCG distributors...

Tecnotree, a Finnish global provider of digital transformation solutions for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and Digital Service Providers (DSPs), has announced the signing of a multi-million-dollar deal with MTN Nigeria, for the deployment of its 5G ready digital BSS solutions.

The operator is aiming towards providing cutting-edge digital services and they have chosen Tecnotree’s cloud-native BSS Suite 5 to drive this transformation journey. The deal involves establishing Catalogue-driven Order fulfilment using...

In celebration of International Literacy Day, and as part of its mission to promote greater collaboration within the data governance sector across the continent, Niyel and its partners have launched the Africa Data Governance Hub for citizens with a keen interest in digital rights, data governance and tech policy.

The Africa Data Governance Hub gives users access to the most diverse, transformative and inclusive knowledge hub in Africa. The open platform is a collation of resources and actors with a rich community of players consisting of activists...

KCB Bank Kenya and IFC have signed a partnership that will help catalyze the growth of climate finance in Kenya by increasing support for businesses addressing climate change.

IFC will extend a $150 million loan to KCB Bank Kenya to fund the growth of the bank's climate finance portfolio, with a specific focus on financing the development of energy efficiency projects, renewable energy, climate smart projects, and green buildings. Through the partnership, IFC will...

International digital remittance companies WorldRemit and Hello Paisa, has announced a partnership to provide cash pickup services throughout Zimbabwe. This partnership enables Zimbabweans to collect remittances in US dollars at over 120 Hello Paisa payout locations across Zimbabwe.

This partnership allows the Zimbabwean diaspora to effortlessly send money back home and provides their loved ones the ability to receive and withdraw the funds through an extended cash pickup network in both rural and peri-urban...

AngloGold Ashanti has announced the appointment of Gillian Doran as the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, effective 1 January 2023.

Doran joins from Rio Tinto Group, where she is currently Chief Financial Officer - Aluminium, based in Montreal. Rio Tinto Aluminium is a large scale global primary Aluminium business, vertically integrated producing Bauxite, Alumina and Aluminium across 29 assets in Australia, Canada, Brazil, Guinea, Iceland, New Zealand and Oman. Last year, this...

IAA, a global digital marketplace connecting vehicle buyers and sellers, announced it has expanded its service footprint of IAA Transport to include Mexico and Nigeria.

Introduced in 2021, IAA Transport has transformed and streamlined the vehicle transport process with a global branch-to-doorstep delivery solution. With this expansion, buyers in Mexico and Nigeria can now generate real-time quotes on any vehicle available for sale or any vehicle purchased by the buyer, both pre-payment and post-payment. The transaction...

COMESA in partnership with several stakeholders, among them the Alliance for Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) have launched the digital Regional Food Balance Sheet (RFBS).

The RFBS aims to accelerate the application of digital, remote sensing and advanced analytical technologies to provide forecasts for major food commodities in the East and Southern African region. This initiative will help the region to inform policy and business decisions on food security, agricultural trade and investment. Secretary General Chileshe Mpundu...

Network International has appointed of Dr Reda Helal as Group Managing Director, Processing Business – Africa and co-head of Group Processing. 

In his new role, Reda will be responsible for leading and growing a client-focused business unit serving financial institutions, fintechs and payment partners across all African geographies served by the Group. In a statement, the enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) saysReda is passionate about payments innovation, financial...

Google has announced 60 qualifiers for its Google for Startups Black Founders Fund (BFF) for African startups. The startups selected for the 2nd cohort will benefit from a total of  $4 million in funding and support to enable them to scale up their ongoing work.

There are 12 Kenyan startups on the list, while Nigeria has the highest number of beneficiaries with 23 startups. South Africa, Uganda, Botswana, Rwanda, Ghana, Ethiopia and Senegal are all represented as well. “Africa is a diverse continent with...

Individuals and businesses join the African Business Roundtable for numerous reasons, and the organization’s objectives have been carefully designed to serve them. Today the ABR represents companies of all sizes, and its members include businesses across every sector of the economy, chambers, business associations, and private sector organizations.

The African Business Roundtable’s key activities include trade and investment missions, economic summits, research, business information and communication, policy commission, advocacy functions, general meetings, trainings and...

Dr. Mohamed El Sahili is the Chief Executive Officer of Medland Hospital, Zambia. As a medical doctor and entrepreneur, Dr. Sahili also serves on the board of key economic international organizations like the African Business Roundtable, the American Chamber of Commerce, Zambia, Olympic Youth Development Center and the Africa CEO Forum. 

Please tell us about Medland Hospital and how you came to be its leader

From a young age, I always knew that I wanted to be a doctor. I envisioned making a difference in people’s lives by providing access to affordable, timely and quality health care. Today, the vision is a reality by Medland Hospital. Located in Lusaka...

Nixon Kanali is a Kenyan-based tech journalist, blogger and digital influencer. Since 2014 he has been running TechTrendsKE, a platform that highlights developments and trends in the tech space.  He is also the Tech editor at Africa Business Communities. Nick has been nominated in the 2022 Pulse Influencers Awards under the Tech Influencer of the year award category. To vote for him click here

Tell us a bit about yourself

Well, I wear many hats.  I am a tech journalist, blogger and digital influencer based in Kenya. My day-to-day activities involve writing, reporting and blogging on technology trends in Kenya and across Africa including startups, something I...

Unicaf is an online and blended learning higher education platform that is dedicated to making higher education of international standard accessible, by offering scholarship opportunities to professionals and young school leavers.

What are scholarship opportunities?

A scholarship could be defined as financial aid that relieves the burden of tuition fees and living costs that students and families have to pay to secure a place in secondary and tertiary education. Considering the rising costs of student expenses and debts, we could nowadays describe education...

The Africa Trade Expo (TATE) presents direct access to African buyers whose main aim is to source the latest products, establish partnerships, and conclude import/export deals. TATE is an ongoing virtual trade show for African businesses to network, collaborate, and enter into partnerships with international manufacturers and exporters. Present your new opportunities, network, build relationships and grow your business in African markets...

Future Foods is a virtual meeting place for importers, F&B managers, retail category buyers, owner-operators, agents, and distributors from across Africa’s diverse and booming market to come to conferences, to network, meet exhibitors, source products, new ingredients, retail shelf-ready products, and the latest processing, packaging, and logistics solutions. Future Foods connects attendees exhibitors across the...

The working world has changed drastically. Today, survey after survey shows workers want a hybrid work model. But what does the future workplace look like and how can organisations create a digital transformation journey that fits the new paradigm?

Marilyn Moodley, Country Leader for South Africa and WECA (West, East, Central Africa) at digital transformation specialist SoftwareONE, says the working landscape has changed forever. “While the idea of a digital workplace has...

In February 2022, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Government of the Republic of Congo inaugurated the African Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence, an initiative committed to researching digital technologies and applications.

The centre – the first of its kind on the continent – will facilitate education and skills development for the integration of new AI-driven solutions, promote economic growth, and reinforce continental ownership of digital tools and resources...

It's true that the only constant is change. And in our modern post-pandemic economy, the rate of change has accelerated and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Today, companies are beset with a multitude of challenges and changes in their operating environment. From dealing with supply chain disruptions to adapting to new ways of work, companies have their hands full. The question is no longer if companies should digitally transform; it's a matter of how quickly and in which areas that digital transformation would...

This week, thousands of delegates across the continent and beyond are gathered in Kigali, Rwanda for the African Green Revolution Forum, AGRF, an annual event bringing governments and partners together around food security and making safe, nutritious foods produced in a sustainable way available to all Africans.

At the event a report calling for urgent action to cushion Africa’s food systems from shocks was released. Dubbed, Accelerating African Food Systems Transformation”.  It emphasises the urgent need for inclusive, equitable...