Author: Kaluka wanjala

When Josh Whale talks about electric mobility in Africa, he does not sound like a CEO pushing a trend. We had a chat with Josh Whale, Ampersand’s co-founder and CEO, to hear firsthand about the journey, challenges and innovations behind Africa’s electric mobility shift. Ampersand’s story formally starts in Rwanda in 2019 when the company launched its first commercial electric motorcycle. Behind that public debut were two years of intense R&D that began around 2017. Since then, the company has grown from a handful of prototypes to a fleet of roughly 8,000 active riders across East Africa, including more than…

Visa brought together founders, investors, corporate partners and industry leaders in Cape Town on 1 December for the fourth cohort of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator Demo Day. The showcase marked the end of a three-month program that supported 22 high-growth fintech startups working to scale digital commerce solutions across the continent. The startups represent 12 markets and operate across 31 countries. Women-led innovation featured strongly, with eight female founders in the group and most of the participating companies having women in leadership roles. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. With…

Airtel Money has announced that its customers can now make payments to I&M Bank merchants across the country. Through the partnership, Airtel Money users will enjoy a 50% guaranteed cashback in airtime on all Paybill transactions. They also gain access to a wider merchant network, faster payment experiences and more secure mobile money services. Airtel Money Kenya Managing Director Anne Kinuthia Otieno said the partnership reflects how important bank Paybills have become in Kenya’s payments ecosystem. She noted that more than ninety per cent of existing Paybills are linked to banks. Airtel Money aims to make it easier for customers…

Africa Tech Summit Nairobi has confirmed Fincra, the global payments solutions provider, as the Headline Supporter for its eighth edition set for February 11 and 12, 2026 at the Sarit Expo Centre.  The 2026 summit is expected to bring together more than 2,000 delegates and over 1,000 companies across four key tracks. These include the Africa Money and DeFi Summit, Africa AI and Digital Summit, Africa Climate Tech and Investment Summit and the Africa Startup Summit. The event will gather leaders, investors, founders, regulators, and enterprise executives to explore the trends shaping the continent’s digital economy. If you have a startup you…

KCB Bank Kenya and Visa have partnered to introduce a Tap to Phone payment solution that allows merchants to accept card payments using only an NFC-enabled Android smartphone. The launch is part of Kenya’s growing shift toward modern and flexible digital payments.  This guide breaks down everything merchants need to know before they sign up. How Tap to Phone Works Tap to Phone turns a merchant’s NFC-enabled Android smartphone into a payment acceptance device. Merchants do not have to use physical point-of-sale terminal and instead they open a dedicated app and allows customers to complete transactions by tapping their contactless…

Investing in Innovation Africa (i3) has announced three major healthtech partnerships during its third Access to Markets (A2M) event.  Each partnership focuses on improving access to essential health services and strengthening health systems in key markets across Africa. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. One of the headline collaborations is between MSD and MYDAWA. The two companies will work together to expand MYDAWA’s concierge health services with a strong emphasis on cervical cancer elimination efforts. The initiative will support at-home and in-clinic service options, online booking tools, and educational counselling for…

Ezeebit, a stablecoin and cryptocurrency payment infrastructure company regulated by South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), has raised $2.05 million in seed funding. The startup will use the funding to accelerate product development and expand merchant adoption across South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. Ezeebit has positioned itself as a bridge between decentralised finance and traditional financial rails. The platform allows merchants to accept cryptocurrency payments with instant stablecoin settlement and next-business-day fiat payouts. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. Since launch, Ezeebit says it has processed more than 30,000 transactions…

Ampersand Energy has announced a new partnership that brings the Wylex electric motorcycle onto its battery network across East Africa. The collaboration positions Ampersand as the first company in Africa to open its battery swapping infrastructure to third-party electric motorcycle manufacturers. Ampersand operates one of the fastest and most widely used battery swap networks in the region says the move will accelerate access to electric mobility by allowing more vehicle brands to plug into its system. Josh Whale, the CEO of Ampersand, said the partnership represents a major milestone for the continent’s electric transport sector. “We’ve created a top-tier energy…

Africa Data Centres’ Managing Director for the East Africa region, Dan Kwach, has officially announced his exit after a 19 year tenure that saw him shape the growth of the digital infrastructure landscape across the continent. In a statement shared on LinkedIn, Kwach reflected on nearly two decades spent building and expanding the organisation’s operations as it evolved into one of Africa’s most important data centre providers. Kwach highlighted the establishment of what he described as one of the richest digital ecosystems in the region, along with the successful onboarding of global cloud partners into Africa. He also expressed gratitude…

Absa Bank Kenya has introduced two new customer service innovations to strengthen its national presence and increase access to banking services. The new Branch on the Move and Absa Service Pod models represent the bank’s latest effort to deliver convenient, advisory focused and inclusive banking across Kenya. The launch comes as the bank continues a major network expansion drive that includes six new branches opened this year in Gilgil, Kawangware, Kisumu, Mtwapa, and Wajir. The expansion brings Absa’s total footprint to 91 branches and service centres. What the New Service Models Offer Branch on the Move The Branch on the…