Author: Kaluka wanjala

I&M Bank has today expanded its premium cards portfolio with the launch of the Mastercard World Elite Metal Credit Card in Kenya. These cards are targeting high-net-worth individuals seeking exclusive travel, lifestyle and global payment benefits. According to Kihara Maina, Regional CEO of I&M Bank, affluent customers are increasingly looking beyond the prestige of a payment card to the experiences and convenience it offers. “Kenya’s affluent professionals and global executives no longer measure prestige by what a card represents on paper, but by what experiences it unlocks in the world. The Mastercard World Elite Credit Card is engineered for those…

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming part of how Kenyans shop online, helping consumers compare prices, discover products and make purchasing decisions. But when it comes to letting AI complete the payment itself, confidence remains significantly lower. According to Visa’s latest Stay Secure study, 89% of Kenyan consumers already use AI to support their shopping journey, yet only 29% would trust an AI agent to complete a purchase on their behalf.  TechArena spoke with Basil Kithinji, Director, Risk, Visa East Africa, about why trust remains a barrier to AI-powered payments, how fraud is evolving and what consumers, businesses and regulators need…

Grey has added local currency deposits in Kenya and Ghana . Users can now fund their Grey account in Kenyan Shillings (KES) and Ghanaian Cedis (GHS) via bank transfer and mobile money. The new feature is designed to eliminate one of the biggest pain points for users who rely on Grey for international payments. Previously, many users had to depend on multiple platforms or intermediaries before accessing Grey’s international payment capabilities. “Cross-border payments should not begin with friction,” said Idorenyin Obong, CEO and Co-founder of Grey. “Many users in Ghana and Kenya already rely on Grey to receive, hold, and…

Google Play has announced the first ever Indie Games Fund for Africa, a $1m investment to support emerging and innovative game studios across 32 countries in Africa. The program will provide equity-free capital, technical assistance, and one-on-one mentorship to help indie developers take their games to the world stage. Many promising studios in Africa have struggled to expand due to funding gaps. The new programme aims to change that by giving developers the tools to refine their games, strengthen technical performance and improve global discoverability. Selected studios will benefit from three core support pillars: According to Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing…

Visa has unveiled a suite of new artificial intelligence (AI), stablecoin and tokenization capabilities designed to help financial institutions, fintechs and merchants across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) prepare for the next generation of digital commerce. Announced ahead of the Visa Payments Forum in Paris, the new capabilities highlight how AI and blockchain technologies are reshaping both the customer-facing and infrastructure layers of payments. The company says the innovations will enable businesses to deliver more intelligent, secure and programmable payment experiences while maintaining trust and interoperability across the ecosystem. “Commerce is entering a new phase…

Dimension Data Uganda today officially announced its transition to the NTT DATA brand. This is a big step in the company’s growth and strengthens its commitment to supporting Uganda’s digital transformation goals. The transition reflects the company’s integration into NTT DATA, a global leader in AI, digital business and technology services. The business will be able to offer more technology services in Uganda, including cloud, AI, cybersecurity, networking and managed services. This will help firms in Uganda to invest more in technology to grow. Uganda’s digital economy continues to gain momentum, driven by growing adoption of digital financial services, increased…

Absa Bank Kenya has announced the appointment of Diana Mwaniki in the acting capacity of Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective 1 July 2026, pending regulatory approval.  The announcement follows the appointment of Yusuf Omari, the incumbent CFO, as Interim Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer after the resignation of Abdi Mohamed as the MD and CEO of Absa Bank Kenya. Ms. Mwaniki assumes the role after serving as the Bank’s Head of Financial Decision Support since joining Absa in September 2022. She will lead the Bank’s finance function, providing strategic financial leadership and oversight as Absa continues to execute its growth strategy and deliver sustainable value for customers, shareholders and…

Google Cloud hosted its inaugural Cloud Summit in Africa at the Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa, gathering 3,000 business leaders, developers, public sector leaders, and partners. Anchored by the central theme, “Building for Africa with Google Cloud,” the summit builds upon Google’s 2025 launch of its Johannesburg Cloud Region. At the summit, Google Cloud launched a number of new initiatives for Africa, including new infrastructure, a new applied AI lab, expanded connectivity to the continent, and other investments in the region. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the summit, stating: “Today’s Google Cloud Summit affirms Africa’s position as a…

Visa has announced new capabilities across Visa Accept and Visa Direct aimed at expanding how smartphones can be used to accept and send digital payments. This will help small businesses manage transactions without requiring additional payment hardware. The new capabilities are designed to make it easier for businesses to accept customer payments and make payouts using devices they already own. “Every tap, scan and swipe is now a defining moment in the customer relationship, and small businesses can’t afford for payments to get in the way,” said Shahebaz Khan, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions…

Liquid C2 has achieved gold-level status in Google’s Verified Peering Provider (VPP) programme. The accreditation places Liquid C2 among a select group of global network providers recognised for high-performance, reliable peering with Google. It also positions the company as the most widely peered gold VPP partner across Africa. The enhanced peering infrastructure reduces reliance on congested public internet routes. This enables a more direct access to Google services and significantly improving performance. This translates into faster load times, lower latency and more stable connectivity when using tools such as Google Workspace, Google Cloud and AI-driven workloads. Liquid C2’s VPP qualification…