Author: Kaluka wanjala

Safaricom’s HY26 results show that the company’s transformation into a TechCo, a technology-driven communications and digital services provider, is underway. Beyond mobile and M-PESA, Safaricom is quietly building a strong foundation around cloud, IoT and fiber connectivity. In the six months to September 2025, Fixed Service and IoT revenue grew 9.5% to reach KShs 9.77 billion. During the same period, IoT revenue alone rose 19.8% to KShs 571 million. The fiber business continues to expand rapidly. Safaricom now connects 355,000 homes via FTTH, up 35.1% year-on-year. The number of homes passed increased to 799,000 and enterprise fixed connections grew 16.7%…

For the first time in Safaricom’s history, mobile data has overtaken voice as the company’s main engine of connectivity growth. According to the HY26 financial results, mobile data revenue grew 13.4% year-on-year to reach KShs 40.32 billion, making up 20.8% of total service revenue. Voice revenue fell by 2.1% to KShs 39.72 billion. This is a reflection of the global trend of customers shifting toward data-driven communication through apps and streaming services. Data usage is still on the rise in Kenya. The average consumption per customer rose 20.6% YoY to 4.85GB per month. The number of smartphone users increased by…

Jumia’s annual Black Friday sale started a few days ago and will run till the end of November. Over the years, the e-commerce company has shaped the country’s digital retail landscape by connecting millions of buyers with thousands of local and international sellers. At the center of this push is Vinod Goel, the CEO of Jumia Kenya and Uganda. Under his leadership, Jumia continues to strengthen its logistics network, deepen its relationships with sellers and utilise technology to improve the online shopping experience. Speaking to TechArena, Vinod shared insights into how Jumia is preparing for its biggest campaign of the…

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and OpenAI have announced a $38 billion multi-year partnership that will see OpenAI run its advanced artificial intelligence workloads on Amazon’s cloud infrastructure.  AWS will thus provide OpenAI with access to Amazon EC2 UltraServers. These feature hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs and interestingly not AWS Trainium. These systems can scale to tens of millions of CPUs. This allows OpenAI to handle its expanding generative AI workloads efficiently and securely. The rollout of this infrastructure begins immediately and full capacity is expected by the end of 2026 and further expansion into 2027. According to OpenAI CEO…

Unaitas SACCO has announced a new partnership with Integrated Payment Services Limited (IPSL), the operator of Pesalink. This partnership seeks to deliver instant and affordable financial services to Unaitas members.  Unaitas became the first SACCO in Kenya to integrate with Pesalink. This allows its more than 400,000 members to make real-time payments directly from their accounts. Members can now access funds 24/7 through the Mo-Cash App or by dialing *493#. This removes the limits of traditional banking hours. According to IPSL CEO Gituku Kirika, this partnership goes beyond technology adoption. “Unaitas was a trailblazer, and that single move has changed…

TikTok has released its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for the second quarter of 2025. The report revealed that more than 592,000 videos were removed in Kenya between April and June this year. According to the report, 92.9 percent of the videos taken down in Kenya were removed before they were viewed. 96.3 percent of the videos were taken down within 24 hours of being posted. The company said this shows the growing impact of its automated systems, which rely on artificial intelligence and human moderation to detect content that violates its rules. Globally, TikTok removed over 189 million videos during…

MultiChoice Kenya has kicked off the festive season with major price cuts on its DStv and GOtv hardware. The company announced that the DStv Zapper decoder will now retail for KES 850, down from KES 1,199, while the GOtv decoder is now priced at KES 799, a reduction from KES 999. In addition, new subscribers will enjoy discounted installation accessories: the DStv Dish Kit now costs KES 1,650 (down from KES 2,000) and the GOtv Antenna drops to KES 700 from KES 1,000. These limited-time offers run until December 31, 2025, and are available through MultiChoice service centres, authorized dealers…

Africa Data Centres has entered into a strategic collaboration with Wingu Africa, a leading provider of carrier-neutral, Tier III-standard data centres in East Africa. The partnership is set to create one of the most extensive digital infrastructure networks on the continent, linking key East African markets with Africa Data Centres’ established presence across the rest of Africa. The collaboration connects Wingu Africa’s hubs in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Tanzania to Africa Data Centres’ growing network across South, West, and Central Africa. The unified platform will allow enterprises, service providers and cloud operators to scale seamlessly across borders while maintaining the highest…

KCB has signed an agreement to acquire a minority stake in Pesapal Limited.  The deal, announced on October 31 through a public notice approved by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), is subject to regulatory clearance from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and other customary conditions. In a statement, KCB said the investment will “set the stage for the development of innovative payment and related solutions for Kenya’s small and micro enterprises.” The move aligns with the bank’s ongoing strategy to expand its footprint in fintech and digital financial services. Pesapal provides online and in-store payment solutions. These include point-of-sale…

Absa has partnered with Huawei to launch a Private Cloud Solution. This move accelerates its transition into a digital-first, cloud-native bank.  The platform will enable Absa to offer personalised, data-driven banking experiences, while maintaining local data sovereignty and meeting regulatory requirements in its Pan-African markets. “This partnership reflects our ambition to lead with technology that delivers real impact,” said Charles Russon, Absa Group Executive for Africa Regions. “By building a secure, cloud-native foundation designed for Africa’s unique realities, we’re creating the ability to serve customers better with experiences that are faster, safer, and truly reflective of the communities we operate…