Author: Brand Spot

Cassava Technologies has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the South African AI Association (SAAIA), an industry body focused on growing responsible AI adoption, to deliver artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaas) across the African continent.   In terms of the agreement, SAAIA’s more than 3,000 AI practitioners, comprising entrepreneurs, researchers, and members of the wider business community in South Africa, will have access to Cassava’s data centre GPUs to develop and deploy local AI solutions and initiatives. The two organisations will also collaborate on initiatives aimed at supporting the regional and broader African AI…

Wave Mobile Money has announced it has secured $137 million in debt financing. This will help the startup scale its affordable mobile-first financial services across Africa. The latest financing round was led by Rand Merchant Bank (RMB). It also saw the participation of British International Investment (BII), Finnfund and Norfund. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. Wave was founded in 2018 by Drew Durbin and Lincoln Quirk. It has over 150,000 agents and more than 29 million monthly active users across markets like Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. “We started…

As Kenya’s digital economy matures, cybercriminals are taking notice and targeting businesses across the country – with significant financial consequences. In April 2024, Equity Bank faced a significant cyber incident that resulted in in Sh179-million ($1.3-million) stolen directly from customer accounts. Kenya’s largest supermarket chain, Naivas, was also previously a victim of a serious ransomware attack that disrupted operations nationwide. These aren’t isolated incidents – they represent a growing pattern of attacks against businesses who are unprepared to meet modern cybersecurity challenges. “Cybersecurity frameworks offer a blueprint for digital safety and data regulation compliance – but as these develop and…

Sally Kimeu, Territory Manager – Sales East Africa & IOI, Nutanix The biggest challenge to Africa’s digital transformation isn’t infrastructure, investment, or even access to technology—it’s leadership. For decades, we’ve looked at technology as the solution to Africa’s most pressing challenges, from financial inclusion to public service delivery. But technology alone doesn’t transform industries—people do. Without strong, visionary leadership at all levels—from government to boardrooms to grassroots initiatives—Africa’s digital future risks being fragmented, underutilised, and unevenly distributed. This is particularly true in East Africa, where some of the continent’s biggest digital success stories have emerged—yet the full potential of the…

Mastercard has introduced Account Intelligence Reissuance, an advanced fraud prevention service to efficiently manage the card reissuance process, in the Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) region. The product leverages Mastercard’s proprietary Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and network purview to assess the level of risk associated with a card and provide AI-driven actionable recommendations about which cards need to be monitored or replaced. Card fraud costs card issuers and merchants billions of dollars each year. Issuers often sort primary account numbers (PANs) based on risk level and reissue their compromised cards to prevent further unauthorized transactions. This is costly…

By Ramon Villarreal, global architect and payments lead, financial services, at Red Hat Financial services providers are in the midst of a major modernisation push, with AI playing a growing and transformative role. The potential impact is particularly evident in payments, where AI is driving progress in critical areas such as risk management and fraud detection. Financial institutions face many challenges. They need to implement new regulatory changes, reduce risk, and combat financial crime. The adoption of AI can be a critical tool in this process, and many financial services companies are currently in an evaluation or proof-of-concept phase. They…

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…