Author: Kaluka wanjala

Visa has today launched its Tap to Add Card technology in Kenya. This technology allows cardholders to add their Visa contactless cards to digital wallets with a simple tap on their mobile device. The technology is supported by digital wallets globally, ensuring seamless integration with existing digital wallet experiences. “We are excited to bring the enhanced security and simplicity of Tap to Add Card to East Africa,” said Chad Pollock, VP and General Manager, Visa East Africa. The solution provides cardholders with greater peace of mind when adding a card to a digital wallet, knowing their information is protected by…

TransUnion Kenya and FICO are leading the charge in transforming the country’s financial landscape with new risk solutions that are designed to broaden access to credit and empower financial institutions. By leveraging enriched data and analytics, lenders can now make more informed decisions, which foster greater economic empowerment and build a more resilient financial ecosystem.  The two new solutions at the heart of this transformation are TransUnion’s CreditVision Variables solution and the FICO Score. Together, they address critical challenges in risk assessment and financial inclusion. CreditVision Variables provides an enhanced view of consumer financial behaviour, analysing over 145 data sources…

OceanHub Africa has announced the launch of the sixth cohort of the OceanHub Africa accelerator. This 12-month program aims to support up to 24 of Africa’s most promising impact-driven for-profit startups dedicated to preserving and restoring the health of the ocean. The initiative will have two intakes in March and July 2025, and the applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.  The organizers said, “Our accelerator is committed to nurturing environmentally conscious and profitable ventures. We strive to foster an economy that effectively combats global warming, overexploitation, and pollution of the oceans. Leveraging our extensive network of stakeholders and…

Visa has announced the appointment of Michael Berner as the Head of Southern and Eastern Africa (SEA), effective immediately. He will oversee all Visa operations in 24 markets in SEA and will report to Visa’s Regional President of Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA), Andrew Torre. Michael will continue to be part of Visa’s CEMEA regional leadership team and will be based in Johannesburg. Michael has held previous roles at Visa, including Senior Vice President, Head of Merchant Sales and Acquiring, CEMEA, having joined the company in 2019 as Country Manager. Michael is a highly experienced executive…

Africa Tech Summit Awards announced the 2025 winners, recognising the leading entrepreneurs and ventures shaping the tech industry across the continent. The awards ceremony was held last week during the seventh edition of Africa Tech Summit Nairobi. Lauren Adair, Director of Africa Tech Summit, said: “The Awards were created to celebrate tech companies driving business and growth across a range of sectors and it was fantastic to host so many finalists doing this, all in one room. A huge thank you to our independent judging panel and to everyone who joined us in recognising their achievements, cheering them on and closing the…

WhatsApp has made some changes to its app introducing WhatsApp chat themes that allow users to customize their chats. With chat themes, you can change the colors of your chat bubbles and wallpapers.  WhatsApp chat themes and the new wallpapers are available on all WhatsApp versions but not on the WhatsApp for Business app yet.  Steps to change WhatsApp Chat Theme With WhatsApp chat themes, you can turn your chat bubbles and background to your favorite colors. There are some pre-set chat themes that you can apply by following these steps; You can apply the same chat theme to all…

Last week at the Africa Tech Summit, we talked to Ed Aitken, Global Head of Public Affairs at dLocal, and Ferdinard Wambua, Country Manager for Kenya. DLocal is a global payment platform founded in 2016 and listed on NASDAQ. It operates in over 40 emerging markets, connecting top global merchants to more than 900 local payment methods, including mobile money services like M-PESA.  They highlighted dLocal’s role in enabling seamless cross-border transactions for underbanked populations, addressing high cart abandonment rates in Africa, and ensuring compliance with diverse regulatory frameworks. We also talked about their collaborative approach with local authorities, including…

Intreensic, a payments education and advisory group, has launched with a mission to bridge Africa’s payment and fintech talent gap, by equipping professionals and businesses with world-class payments expertise. Founded by Nkebet Mesele, a globally recognised payments expert and thought-leader, Intreensic aims to address the critical need for structured training and certification in the payments sector across Africa. “The payments ecosystem is evolving rapidly, yet many professionals struggle to access structured learning and industry-recognized credentials,” said Nkebet Mesele, Founder and CEO of Intreensic. “At Intreensic, we bring together a world-class faculty with deep industry expertise, combining global best practices with localized…

Qme, an Egyptian B2B SaaS startup, has raised US$3 million in a seed funding round with participation from AHOY, a leading multi-sector technology company, alongside a group of strategic angel investors in the GCC region. Qme is an AI-driven platform addressing a critical issue in MENA, where inefficient queuing systems and outdated appointment booking methods cause individuals to lose an average of six months of their lives standing in line. Moreover, the reliance on phone bookings, which account for 92% of appointments in key sectors, leads to a no-show rate of 31%, creating further inefficiencies. “Our partnership with AHOY is…

The Samsung Galaxy S25 series has been on pre-order in Kenya for the last couple of weeks. The phone is now available in stores across the country starting from Ksh 108,300. Have a look at the breakdown of the prices below: The Galaxy S25 series will be available through authorized Samsung stores and e-commerce partners across Kenya. To celebrate the launch, customers who purchase a device within the first four weeks will receive a complimentary Samsung case. “The Galaxy S25 series marks a transformative leap in mobile AI, bringing intuitive and intelligent experiences to users in East Africa and beyond,”…