Author: Kaluka wanjala

Westcon-Comstor Southern Africa has been named Value Added Distributor of the Year at the Intelligent ICT Awards Africa 2025, held in Johannesburg on May 8.  In a market where distribution often means moving boxes, Westcon-Comstor is changing what it means to be a value-added distributor. Through deep partner enablement, innovation-led services, and an unwavering focus on digital transformation, the company continues to lead from the front. “This award is a testament to everything we’ve worked to build with and for our partners,” said Louise Taute, Managing Director at Westcon-Comstor Southern Africa. “Being acknowledged as a true Value Added Distributor, rather…

Safaricom has partnered with Quickmart to take its 4G and 5G home internet solutions closer to its customers. Kenyans can now purchase Safaricom’s routers easily through Quickmart’s 61 retail outlets nationwide.  The move comes as demand for fast and reliable home internet is at an all-time high. This is driven by remote work, online learning, and streaming needs. Safaricom’s 4G network covers over 97% of the population, while its 5G network is now available in all 47 counties. “In line with our purpose of transforming lives, we are continuously innovating to provide our customers with the best connectivity solutions,” said…

BURN Manufacturing has received a $5 million investment from EDFI Management Company through the EU-funded Electrification Financing Initiative (ElectriFI). This funding will help over 100,000 Kenyan households shift from costly, polluting fuels like charcoal and LPG to affordable, electric cooking. The financing will support the rollout of BURN’s ECOA Induction Cooker (ECOA IDC). These locally manufactured IoT-enabled appliances offer a smarter and cleaner way to cook. The ECOA IDC is fitted with a Pay-As-You-Cook (PAYC) technology. With this, users will be able to make small daily payments through mobile money and gradually own the device within a year. Over 600…

Absa Bank Kenya has officially stepped into the custody services space. This move shows the bank’s ambition to become a key player in facilitating secure, compliant and tech-enabled investment solutions for institutional clients across Kenya and beyond its borders. Themed “Aligning to the Future of Investments,” the launch event brought together key stakeholders including pension fund managers, trustees, Saccos, insurance firms, regulators, and capital markets experts. The goal is to explore how evolving financial landscapes, technologies, and investor needs are reshaping how institutions manage and safeguard their assets. Custody services often operate behind the scenes, but they are critical in…

UK-based FinTech startup Verto has won the $1 million Grand Prize in the Milken-Motsepe Prize in FinTech. The company emerged as a standout player in a competition that attracted over 400 global applications. The prize recognizes innovators expanding access to capital and financial services for small businesses in emerging and frontier markets. For businesses in Kenya this win is a clear sign that solutions built to solve our real-world financial challenges like slow, expensive cross-border payments are finally getting the global recognition and backing they deserve. At its core, Verto is a B2B cross-border payments platform. But for the many…

Bolt has announced the rollout of a Flight Tracking feature that syncs with your flight details when scheduling a ride from the airport. Witn this feature,  delays, cancellations or early arrivals don’t leave you stranded or overcharged. With this new update, Bolt will automatically adjust your scheduled pick-up time based on your actual flight status. If your flight is delayed, your ride pick-up is rescheduled accordingly. If it’s canceled, the ride gets canceled too at no extra cost. “With Flight Tracking for Scheduled Rides, our private and Bolt Business customers can now sync their flight details when scheduling a ride…

Safaricom has announced a strategic partnership with iXAfrica Data Centre to deliver East Africa’s first AI-ready data center services. The partnership brings together Safaricom’s enterprise and cloud expertise with iXAfrica’s purpose-built, hyperscale-ready data infrastructure to provide businesses and government institutions with secure, scalable, and cost-effective solutions for hosting and managing data, locally. This collaboration is designed to meet the growing demand for AI-powered services. The offering gives enterprise clients the ability to host AI-intensive workloads, perform high-performance computing, and ensure data sovereignty without needing to route sensitive information abroad. “As East Africa’s digital economy continues its rapid expansion, businesses increasingly…

Cassava Technologies and Zindi have just announced a new partnership that could reshape how artificial intelligence (AI) is built and scaled across the continent. The collaboration was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and brings together Cassava’s powerful data centre infrastructure and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) offering with Zindi’s network of over 60,000 African data scientists. The goal is to fast-track the development and deployment of AI solutions that are made in Africa, for Africa. “For Africa’s AI ecosystem to grow and thrive, it is essential to provide platforms and resources for the continent’s developers and start-ups,” said Hardy Pemhiwa, President…

Visa has appointed Victor Makere as Country Manager for Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda. Victor will be at the helm of Visa’s strategic efforts across these key East African markets in his new role. He will be responsible in driving the adoption of digital payment solutions and deepening client relationships. Victor has experience in digital financial services, mobile money, and strategic partnerships. His role will include managing a broad client portfolio, driving revenue growth for both Visa and its partners, and handling initiatives that promote financial inclusion and innovation. Commenting on the appointment, Chad Pollock, Vice President and General Manager…

The Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) is set for a major transformation by the government. The government wants to reposition the state agency to help it keep up with the digital age. With the rise of e-commerce and digital logistics, the government hopes to turn Posta into a key player in this sector. Speaking during a meeting with PCK officials, State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary Stephen Isaboke said that modernizing PCK is part of the government’s broader effort to align State Agencies and Government Authorities (SAGAs) with current technological trends. “Posta holds immense potential for growth, especially…