Author: Kaluka wanjala

Visa has announced the availability of Visa Intelligent Authorization in Kenya.  The solution was launched during the Visa Connect Kenya forum and is part of the Visa Acceptance Platform. It is designed to help acquirers streamline transaction processing through a single API connection. Acquirers that process payments on behalf of merchants play a central role in digital transactions by sending real-time authorization requests to issuing banks for approval or decline. Many of the existing authorization systems are built on legacy infrastructure resulting in lower approval rates, higher operational costs and increased complexity in meeting regulatory requirements. Visa Intelligent Authorization is…

NTT DATA has released its new report, Cloud-led innovation in the era of AI: The new rules for driving value with cloud, revealing that just 14% of global organizations and 11% of African organizations have reached the highest level of cloud maturity despite nearly two decades of cloud adoption. Based on a global survey of more than 2,300 senior decision-makers (including 125 leaders from Africa) and across 33 countries, the findings highlight a paradox as cloud takes on a new and critical role as the execution layer of the AI operating model. While 99% of organizations say AI is increasing demand for cloud investment, 88%say current cloud investment levels…

Vertiv will showcase its AI-ready infrastructure solutions at GITEX Africa Morocco 2026, scheduled to take place from April 7–9. At the event, Vertiv will spotlight Vertiv 360AI, a portfolio of validated designs built to support AI workloads. The solutions shave the full data centre infrastructure stack ranging from power systems to advanced cooling technologies. Visitors to Vertiv’s stand will also explore its prefabricated and modular data centre solutions. These solutions are designed to enable faster deployment and scalability. Vertiv will also participate in industry discussions on Africa’s energy and infrastructure future. On April 8, Wojtek Piorko, Managing Director for Africa…

Equity Group is betting heavily that artificial intelligence will define the future of banking. The lender has revealed that 98.2% of all transactions now happen outside physical branches. Equity has invested heavily in digital infrastructure for years and is now building on that foundation by embedding AI across its core operations. According to Group CEO James Mwangi, the move toward AI is driven by customers themselves. “The digitisation we are seeing is not led by the institution, it is led by customers, and you can clearly see that in the channels they are choosing to transact on.” The bank is…

Old Mutual has today released the 2025 Old Mutual Financial Wellness Monitor. From the report, we can learn that Kenyans are increasingly turning to side hustles, entrepreneurship and digital financial tools to navigate the tough economic times. The report reveals that 47% of working Kenyans now own or co-own a business. On the other hand, 26% are juggling multiple jobs or part-time roles, up from 20% in 2024. A quarter of these “poly-jobbers” report earning more from their side hustles than from their primary employment. “Kenyans are not waiting for the economy to improve. They are actively engineering their own…

Westcon-Comstor has announced a new distribution partnership with Infoblox, a leader in hybrid, multi-cloud networking and pre-emptive security, across Southern Africa. Cloud adoption across Africa has moved well beyond early-stage migration, with more than 86% of organisations reporting medium or high cloud maturity in 2025 and nearly all planning to expand and refine their cloud architectures. At the same time, more than 60% are strengthening cybersecurity and risk-mitigation protocols to protect increasingly complex hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Foundational technologies such as DNS, DHCP and IP address management remain critical to digital operations and must evolve to meet growing complexity and cyber threat…

Airtel Africa has announced the successful completion of satellite-to-mobile connectivity testing using Starlink Mobile in Kenya. Starlink recently completed the same tests with MTN Zambia.  Starlink Mobile activated to provide connectivity directly to 4G-compatible smartphones through SpaceX’s low-Earth orbit satellite constellation. Users were able to access digital services despite being outside traditional network coverage. Supported use cases include WhatsApp messaging and voice calls, Facebook Messenger, navigation through mapping services and financial transactions via the Airtel app. Airtel Africa CEO Sunil Taldar said, “We are thrilled to move from announcement to actionable steps with our partners at SpaceX. This testing phase…

Merchant infrastructure platform littlefish has announced the close of a $9.5 million Series A funding round, led by Partech, with participation from TLCOM, Flourish Ventures and Proparco. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. littlefish positions itself at the intersection of banking infrastructure and commerce enablement. Its platform consolidates multiple merchant-facing tools into a unified system. These include point-of-sale (POS) applications, merchant portals, back-office CRM tools, payments infrastructure and API integrations with core banking systems. The system integrates directly with POS devices and banking infrastructure allowing financial institutions to offer fintech-grade merchant…

Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) reported a 26% growth in profit before tax and 21% growth in profit after tax to KSh 10.7 billion for the financial year ending December 31, 2025. Total assets rose by 15% and customer deposits surpassed the half-trillion mark to reach KSh 509 billion. This represents a 14% rise. Net loans on the other hand grew by 14% to KSh 324 billion. DTB’s customer base across East Africa rose to 4.5 million customers, up from 3.1 million in 2024. The bank attributed this to its growing branch network which now sits at 157 locations. DTB reported…

National Bank of Kenya (NBK) has reported a profit before tax jumped 178% to KSh 2.91 billion for the financial year ending December 31, 2025. This is up from KSh 1.05 billion in 2024. Profit after tax rose 125% to KSh 2.39 billion. “The Bank’s performance reflects disciplined execution of our turnaround priorities and a sustained focus on strengthening the balance sheet, improving asset quality and enhancing operational efficiency. We are confident that this momentum will continue as we scale the business. While we have made strong progress in stabilizing the business, we are now focused on accelerating growth and…