Author: Kaluka wanjala

At this year’s Connected Africa Summit 2025, Safaricom’s Head of M-PESA Payments, Victor Odada, delivered an interesting keynote on what the next generation of fintech in Africa looks like. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. FinTech 2.0 is not just about faster transactions or fancy new apps, according to Odad, who says it is about creating real impact. This is the kind of impact that changes lives, grows businesses and builds stronger communities. In his keynote, titled “FinTech 2.0: Building Financial Services That Work for Everyone,” Odada laid…

NCBA Bank has announced the introduction of an instant customer onboarding feature on its mobile platform, NCBA Now. This allows users to open bank accounts entirely online, without the need to visit a physical branch. With a few taps on their smartphones, prospective customers can now download the NCBA Now app, input their identification details, including ID card information and a photo for verification, and open an account from anywhere, at any time. “At NCBA, we are committed to excellence in customer experience,” said John Gachora, NCBA Group Managing Director. “This includes providing convenience and accessibility. That is why we…

Technology distributor Westcon-Comstor has recorded annual gross sales of $5.24 billion for the financial year ended February 28, 2025. This represents a 3.3% growth year over year. Rise in cybersecurity demand and shift toward software and services contributed to the company’s performance. Gross profit rose 9.4% to $441 million, with consistent gains reported across its three core regions of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Asia-Pacific (APAC). Gross margin climbed to 22.4%, up from 18.2% the year before, based on revenue of $1.97 billion. Adjusted EBITDA rose nearly 25% year-on-year to reach $149.9 million. The corresponding EBITDA margin…

The Connected Africa Summit 2025 officially kicked off on Monday in Diani. The summit has registered over 1,200 delegates from 24 countries. This year’s summit comes with added weight: it marks the first major follow-up to the Nairobi Declaration, the policy framework adopted during last year’s conference. From the outset, speakers made it clear—the time for declarations has passed. Now it’s about execution. “This is the second time we are converging at a continental level. The Connected Africa Summit has kicked off in a big way,” said Stanley Kamanguya, CEO of Kenya’s ICT Authority, during his opening address. “This year,…

Absa Bank Kenya has reported a 4% rise in net earnings to Ksh 6.2 billion for the quarter ending March 31, 2025.  While total revenues declined by 4% year-on-year to Ksh 15.8 billion, dragged down by an 11% drop in non-funded income and a marginal slip in funded income, Absa’s credit performance and strong balance sheet management helped cushion the impact. The bank’s total loans and advances reached Ksh 308 billion and customer deposits grew by 5% to Ksh 371 billion. CEO Abdi Mohamed described the performance as a testament to Absa’s future-oriented strategy and its commitment to enabling customers’…

Servercore has announced the promotion of Victoria Kleinbort to Head of Business Development. She was previously the Country Manager for Kenya.  She joined Servercore in 2022 as Kenya’s Country Manager. In this role, she helped shape the company’s local and regional playbook. As Head of Business Development, Kleinbort will lead commercial operations in high-potential markets. She will also be responsible for identifying new growth opportunities and strengthening existing partnerships. Before joining Servercore, she was a tech entrepreneur, building B2B-Export.com, a platform connecting suppliers from Africa, Latin America, Indonesia, and the CIS region. She has over 12 years in product development…

Qualcomm has announced the ten startups selected for the third edition of its Make in Africa startup incubation program. These are early-stage ventures, selected from over 435 applications spanning 19 countries. At the heart of the program is a simple, powerful idea to unlock African innovation by combining advanced technology such as 5G, AI, IoT, edge computing, with local ingenuity. The selected startups will receive equity-free mentorship, free access to Qualcomm’s hardware platforms, engineering consultations, and support in product development, business strategy, and intellectual property protection. “This year’s cohort is a testament to how African innovators are rethinking big challenges…

13 of Africa’s most promising tech startups are preparing to take the stage at the 9th edition of Africa Tech Summit London on June 6th at the London Stock Exchange. With a focus on unlocking global capital and forging new connections between African ventures and international investors, the summit is shaping up to be a key moment for the continent’s tech ecosystem. The one-day event is expected to bring together over 350 investors, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and policymakers to explore the future of African technology in a world of shifting economic tides. Backed by an impressive list of partners such…

Valour Inc, a subsidiary of Canadian firm DeFi Technologies, has announced plans to cross-list its suite of over 65 digital asset exchange-traded products (ETPs) on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). Valour has selected GulfCap Investment Bank (GCIB) to be its transaction advisor. The investment bank will handle regulatory coordination, investor engagement, due diligence and listing execution. If successful, this listing will mark the first time Kenyan investors can have access global digital assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum and other tokenized products through regulated ETPs listed in Kenyan Shillings. “We are proud to partner with GulfCap Investment Bank for this important initiative,”…

Five Kenyan universities scooped top awards at the recently concluded Huawei ICT Competition Global Final 2024-2025. The finale was held in Shenzhen, China, on May 24, 2025. Teams comprising students from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Machakos University, University of Nairobi (UoN), Moi University, and Egerton University clinched three major global prizes in the competition’s Computing, Network, Cloud, and Innovation tracks. Kenya’s Global Achievements The impressive performance by Kenya’s university students reflects the growing digital capabilities of the country’s youth, nurtured through public-private partnerships and national investments in digital education. “Thank you Huawei for the opportunity, and…