Author: Kaluka wanjala

Safaricom Hook kicked off the second edition of youth empowerment bootcamps dubbed ‘Safaricom Hook Circle,’ at Kenyatta University Main Campus yesterday.  The two-day bootcamp, which will run on 27th and 28th February 2025, targets over 2,000 youth at the institution and more than 200,000 virtual participants. It focuses on empowering young people around 3 pillars: technology, career, and culture. “Safaricom Hook Circle aims to connect youth all over Kenya to opportunities that will propel them to succeed in their area of interest. In collaboration with our partners, we are looking to build on the success of the first edition held…

Four startups were crowned winners of the prestigious Sankalp Africa  Awards 2025. The awards were announced at the 12th Sankalp Africa Summit, held at the Edge Convention Centre in Nairobi,  an event that brought together over 1,500 investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers from across the continent.  Hosted by Intellecap, part of the Aavishkaar Group, the summit focused on scaling African entrepreneurship by connecting startups with funding opportunities, market linkages, and mentorship. The 2025 Sankalp Africa Awards Winners are: Kenya’s Role in Driving Innovation & Impact With Nairobi emerging as East Africa’s startup hub, the Sankalp Africa Summit 2025 reinforced Kenya’s position …

The London Internet Exchange (LINX) has announced its new interconnection hub, LINX Mombasa, is now operational. This is a multi-site interconnected Internet Exchange Point (IXP) within the iColo MBA1 and MBA2 data centers. This development comes a little over 12 months since LINX launched its first IXP on the continent, LINX Nairobi. The LINX-operated IXP lowers latency and helps improve overall performance and control. It is a resilient, future-proof fabric providing a central meeting point for networks to pass their online traffic and keep it closer to the end user. Mombasa is one of the most internationally connected locations in…

iXAfrica has announced the official launch of the first phase of its data centre in Nairobi.  This new data center, named NBOX1, is a 4.5MW hyperscale facility with 780 racks and is AI-ready and carrier-neutral. The data centre is part of a larger 22.5MW campus along Mombasa Road. It offers seamless connectivity through multiple network providers and is optimized for AI-driven workloads. “Kenya is on the brink of a digital revolution, and investments like iX Africa’s hyperscale data centre are pivotal in positioning the country as a premier technology and innovation hub. KenInvest is committed to fostering a business-friendly environment…

Gozem, the Super App in Francophone Africa, has announced the close of a $30 million series B funding round. This round comprised both equity and debt and was led by SAS Shipping Agencies Services Sàrl (a subsidiary of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA) and Al Mada Ventures. In a press statement, Gozem said, “These strategic investors, whose expertise and affiliated companies, Africa Global Logistics, Medlog, and many others, will be key in enhancing our logistics and financial services offerings.”  Gozem launched in 2018 as a moto-taxi service and is now operational in Togo, Benin, Gabon and Cameroon. It integrates diverse…

Huawei Cloud has announced the launch of new Availability Zones (AZ) in Africa in Egypt and Nigeria. These should help reduce latency, improve reliability and support Africa’s data sovereignty.  The company has added four availability zones in the two countries, 3 in Egypt and one in Nigeria. This brings the total number of Huawei Cloud data centres in Africa to 6 with the other 2 in South Africa.  Huawei has also introduced its Arabic Large Language Model (LLM) at the launch of the Cairo zone. This automatic speech recognition service can support over 20 Arabic-speaking countries with a 96% accuracy…

Halcyon has announced its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) highlighting their shared commitment to combat food insecurity and accelerate transformative change in Africa through innovation in agricultural technology. This collaboration has already identified 10 visionary African startup founders who are developing impactful solutions to the region’s most pressing challenges in food insecurity. The Climate Resilience and Food Security in Africa Fellowship program will kick off with a one-week in-person residency in Nairobi, Kenya. Following this, participants will engage in several months of virtual programming. The program will culminate with a second residency, which will involve another immersive, in-person experience for this…

The Epson EcoTank L3250 is the perfect solution for home and office printing needs by combining convenience with efficiency. This compact all-in-one printer provides excellent printing alongside scanning and copying functions while removing the expense of traditional ink cartridges. The L3250 printer meets the needs of contemporary users who prioritize both cost efficiency and environmental awareness while offering uninterrupted connectivity capabilities. The Epson EcoTank L3250’s compact dimensions (375 x 347 x 179 mm) make it ideal for small home office spaces and study desks. The printer weighs 3.9 kg which allows for effortless relocation and repositioning whenever necessary. Epson’s key-lock…

Crypto platform, Cardex, has announced the launch of a new crypto debit card in Nigeria, aiming to curb fraud and enhance security for digital asset transactions. The company said the card would allow users to spend cryptocurrency directly while reducing risks associated with peer-to-peer trading. “Cardex offers a secure and user-friendly solution to these challenges,” the company said in a statement. “By facilitating direct transactions, we eliminate the need for intermediaries, reducing the risk of fraud and ensuring fair exchange rates.” Nigeria has one of the highest rates of cryptocurrency adoption globally, but P2P platforms—widely used for trading—have exposed users…

Absa Bank has announced the launch of an enhanced Prestige Banking solution designed for salaried professionals and entrepreneurs. It serves as as the entry point to the broader affluent segment and is tailored for salaried professionals and entrepreneurs, preparing them for the next level of financial freedom. It is designed for professionals with a monthly income ranging between KES 150,000 and KES 500,000. Speaking about this, Seema de Souza, Absa Bank Kenya Director for Affluent Banking, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to empowering middle-income earners with the right financial tools and guidance to elevate their ambitions. She emphasised Absa’s dedication to…