Author: Kaluka wanjala

TLcom Capital has made a fresh addition to its $5 million pre-seed portfolio, TAPSI (TIDE Africa Pre Seed Investments), by participating in the $2 million seed round of South African travel payments platform TurnStay. The deal marks TAPSI’s halfway point in deploying its dedicated early-stage capital, launched in 2022 to provide African startups with up to $200,000 in pre-seed funding. TAPSI was designed as an upstream feeder to TLcom’s core $154 million TIDE Africa Fund II. It makes it easier for high-performing pre-seed portfolio companies to progress to larger rounds. The fund complements TLcom’s multi-stage strategy, using the firm’s two…

As Africa’s digital transformation happens, one of the key enablers behind the scenes is infrastructure. This includes the data centers, power systems and cooling solutions that keep Africa’s digital economy running. Vertiv, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure, has been steadily building its presence in Africa and positioning itself at the intersection of AI adoption, sustainable power, and next-generation data centers. In an interview with TechArena, Wojtek Piorko, Managing Director for Vertiv Africa, shared the company’s approach to serving the continent’s fast-growing technology ecosystem. Pan-African Footprint Vertiv operates five offices across the continent in Johannesburg (Africa HQ), Lagos, Casablanca,…

Africa’s artificial intelligence (AI) market is expected to grow to USD 16.5 billion by 2030 from from USD 4.5 billion in 2025. These figures have been pulled from Mastercard’s latest whitepaper, Harnessing the Transformative Power of AI in Africa. The study spotlights Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Morocco highlighting the potential of AI to drive financial inclusion, create jobs and innovation. But beyond the headline projections, Mastercard says it is already embedding AI into real-world solutions in Kenya from alternative credit scoring to agricultural tech and digital skills training. Speaking to TechArena, Mark Elliott, Division President, Africa at Mastercard, detailed…

Airtel Money Africa has extended its partnership with mobile money payments provider pawaPay to enable licensed international money transfer operators to deliver instant remittances across seven African markets. Airtel Money Africa, the mobile money arm of Airtel Africa, has announced a new partnership with pawaPay to enable cross-border transactions for licensed International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) in seven African countries. The integration will allow IMTOs to send funds directly into the mobile wallets of more than 161 million Airtel Money customers in Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, and Tanzania. According to Airtel Money Africa, the collaboration leverages pawaPay’s…

Africa has once again emerged as the most targeted region for cyberattacks globally, with the telecommunications sector leading the list of most-attacked industries, according to Check Point Research’s Global Threat Intelligence Report for July 2025. The continent recorded an average of 3,374 attacks per organisation per week. This is up 7% year-on-year and surpasses APAC (2,809) and Latin America (2,783). Nigeria was hit hardest, with a staggering 6,101 weekly attacks per organisation, marking a 67% YoY surge. “While Africa rapidly rolls out digital transformation strategies, its cybersecurity defences are lagging. Prevention-first strategies, powered by AI, are the only way to…

Kenya-based fintech HoneyCoin has raised $4.9 million in seed funding led by Flourish Ventures, with backing from Visa and TLcom. The fintech plans top use the funding to expand its stablecoin-powered payment platform across Africa and global markets. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. The saw the participation of Visa Ventures, TLcom Capital, Stellar Development Foundation, Lava, Musha Ventures, 4DX Ventures, and Antler. The investment will support HoneyCoin’s expansion plans, product development and recruitment of senior talent. Founded in 2020 by David Nandwa, HoneyCoin is a licensed, profitable fintech…

Verto has rolled out a slick new bill-pay feature integrated into Verto Accounts that automates invoice processing, cuts down manual errors, and supports payments in 49 currencies, making international financial ops a breeze, especially for African businesses juggling cross-border complexity. Verto’s latest launch integrates a bill-pay solution directly into its Verto Accounts platform, aiming to chop away hours of manual invoice headaches, tame multi-currency chaos, and shrink error risks. If you’re doing business across borders, this is one to keep an eye on. Why It Matters Finance teams can now upload invoices and let Verto handle the heavy lifting instead…

Absa Bank Kenya has reported a profit after tax of KSh 11.7 billion for the six months ending June 30, 2025. This is up 9% year-on-year as its return on equity standing at 26.5%. CEO Abdi Mohamed says the growth is due to “disciplined execution, prudent risk management, and relevance of our growth strategy,” noting that the bank is balancing traditional banking services with newer, emerging revenue streams. Key Numbers at a Glance How Absa Is Winning Beyond the Numbers Absa’s asset management arm now oversees over KSh 30 billion. This makes it third in the Kenyan market. Absa also…

Vertiv appointed International Power Control Systems (IPCS) as its official distribution partner in Malawi.  IPCS will distribute Vertiv’s full range of solutions, including single-phase and three-phase AC power systems, surge protection devices, integrated racks and cabinets, and IT infrastructure management tools. Rumbidzai Bere, business development and marketing director at IPCS, said the partnership will enhance IPCS’s portfolio, enabling it to deliver scalable and reliable infrastructure. “The combination of IPCS’s experience in power control and renewable energy and Vertiv’s innovative solutions, such as lithium-ion compatible UPS systems, will bring a new layer of reliability and efficiency to organisations in Malawi,” Bere…

Itana, Africa’s first Digital Special Economic Zone, has announced the launch of its Digital Residency Launchpad, a curated programme designed to connect founders, business owners, and diaspora professionals to strategic opportunities across the continent. Applications are now open. The initiative is targeting Africa-based entrepreneurs and aims to expand across borders, and diaspora professionals seeking to re-engage with the continent through investment and business ventures. Successful applicants will gain access to a private community, regulatory guidance, and operational support tailored for scaling in African markets. “The Digital Residency Launchpad is designed for builders and investors who want more than just a…