Author: Brand Spot

Check Point Software Technologies has announced PDFguard, an advanced AI engine designed to prevent malicious PDFs that employ deceptive tactics. PDFguard claims to identify 25% more malicious files than its predecessor, most of which have never been seen before! “PDFs are particularly attractive to attackers due to their complex structure, which allows them to conceal harmful links, malicious code, or other dangerous content. By leveraging users’ familiarity with PDFs and using social engineering techniques, attackers increase the likelihood of deceiving recipients,” says Check Software’s Security Evangelist Shayimamba Conco. In recent years, PDFs emerged as a primary vector for attack chains,…

Onafriq, in collaboration with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), announced the launch of a new cross-border payment service that will initially pilot outbound transactions in Ghana. This launch operationalises the partnership established in 2022, aimed at promoting intra-African cross-border trade and enhancing financial inclusion. The service improves financial interoperability by making transactions faster, more convenient, and cost-effective for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individuals. Effective immediately, banks partnering with PAPSS and Onafriq’s authorised fintech, mobile money service providers and traditional partners in Ghana can enable their customers to send and receive money directly into mobile wallets and bank accounts.…

Betting in Africa is evolving quickly. The spread of mobile access and digital platforms makes it easier to place bets, but it also raises the risk of common errors. Many bettors still repeat basic mistakes that can cost a lot of money. New players often rely too much on luck or copy others without checking the facts. They join without a clear plan, chase losses, or place bets emotionally. This behaviour remains a major issue across online platforms. Experienced users tend to learn by trial, but avoiding critical errors from the beginning saves both time and money. Across many regions,…

Multisport events are gaining attention across the African continent. These include regional tournaments, cross-country games, and continental events that feature football, athletics, combat sports, and more under a single organisational umbrella. Their impact stretches far beyond the pitch, track, or court. In Liberia, more institutions are supporting such events as part of sport policy and national image-building. Stakeholders often promote these events through platforms that offer fan engagement features, such as the option to register now at 1x bet, making sports participation more inclusive and accessible for everyday supporters. This article highlights the rise of multisport events across Africa. It…

Standard Chartered has announced the successful handover of  Standard Chartered’s Wealth & Retail Business to Access Bank PLC. The hand over is in line with  Standard Chartered’s global strategy, aimed at achieving operational efficiencies, reducing  complexity, and driving scale.  In April 2022, Standard Chartered strategically decided to divest from several markets, including a decision to exit the Wealth and Retail business in Tanzania. Today’s migration to Access Bank PLC marks a completion of the divestment and a new chapter for Access Bank PLC. Herman Kasekende, Chief Executive for Standard Chartered Tanzania remarked, “this transition represents a pivotal moment for Standard…

BURN, Africa’s leading clean cookstove manufacturer and carbon project developer, has signed a landmark agreement with the Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB Group) to scale access to clean cooking in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Zambia. The deal, which includes both debt and results-based financing through TDB and its concessional arm, the Trade and Development Fund (TDF), will enable BURN to deliver its clean cooking appliances to 430,000 households across the region. The partnership is part of TDB Group’s new ASCENT Platform, supported by the World Bank under Mission 300, an ambitious initiative to connect 300…

Visa has appointed Tareq Muhmood to be its Regional President for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA). In his new role, he will be responsible for leading operations across more than 86 innovative and fast-growing markets. Visa’s CEMEA operations today serve more than 1,800 clients from 23 local offices across the region. Mr. Muhmood brings more than 30 years of banking and payments experience to the role. He most recently served as head of Value-Added Services for Visa’s Europe region, based in London, and originally joined Visa in 2019 as Group Country Manager for Southeast Asia, based…

Yellow Card announced a partnership with Visa to help drive the next phase of innovation in cross-border payments and financial infrastructure across emerging markets where Yellow Card is licensed to operate. Through this partnership, Visa and Yellow Card will collaborate to explore stablecoin use cases and opportunities to help streamline treasury operations, enhance liquidity management, and enable faster, more cost-effective money movement across borders. “Traditional payment companies continue to question not ‘if’ they need a stablecoin strategy, but how quickly they can deploy one,” said Chris Maurice, Co-Founder and CEO of Yellow Card. “We are thrilled to partner with Visa…

Mastercard and enza – a payment solutions company – have collaborated to connect fintech companies across Africa to the Mastercard network. This collaboration will enable fintech players to build propositions on the enza platform that serve both consumers and businesses with embedded Mastercard payment solutions capabilities.  According to a report by the European Investment Bank, the number of fintech companies in Africa has nearly tripled since 2020. Many of these innovators focus on embedding payment services into broader solutions that tackle financial access, offering alternatives to legacy systems that often have a high cost to serve. Fintech companies in Africa will now…

Genetec, the global leader in enterprise physical security software, hosted its inaugural security symposium as part of its regional strategy to consolidate its partners’ network and streamline access to unified, intelligent, and sector-specific security solutions across East Africa.  Held in the beautiful Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence Nairobi Arboretum, the exclusive forum brought together key channel partners from Africa to explore emerging physical security challenges and demonstrate how integrated security can ultimately power safer, smarter, and more resilient organizations and public spaces. The symposium reinforced the commitment by Genetec to support East Africa’s economic growth through technology that protects the everyday while enabling operational efficiency and long-term…