Kenya could become home to East Africa's first OpenAI Academy following talks between President William Ruto and Sam Altman. The initiative would focus on AI training, research, and workforce development.

Starlink has officially launched in Côte d'Ivoire, bringing Elon Musk's satellite internet service into one of West Africa's largest telecom markets. It now faces entrenched incumbents, including Orange and MTN.

Launch Africa Ventures has returned $2.5 million to investors from exits across its portfolio, an uncommon milestone in African venture capital where liquidity remains scarce. Since launching in 2020, the pan-African fund has backed more than 130 startups.

African payments infrastructure company PawaPay says it has processed more than 3 billion mobile money transactions since launch. The milestone highlights just how much of Africa's digital economy runs on mobile wallets rather than cards.

Kenyans abroad sent home KSh931.8 billion (~$7.2 billion) last year, according to new survey data. Remittances remain one of the country's largest sources of foreign exchange, ahead of several export industries.

Nigeria's central bank has launched the Nigerian Overnight Financing Rate (NOFR), a new benchmark designed to improve transparency in the country's money markets. Think of it as plumbing most people never see, but banks rely on every day.

WapiPay has secured a payments licence in Canada, expanding its cross-border infrastructure between Africa and North America. The move opens a new corridor for remittances and business payments.

Payaza has launched Shopaza, an AI-powered e-commerce platform available across 23 countries. According to the company, the product will help businesses create online stores, manage payments, and automate customer interactions.

Just weeks after announcing plans to shut down, cross-border payments startup Chimoney says it will be acquired. The deal offers an unexpected second act for the company.

Flutterwave landed a Series E round that values the company at $3.2 billion, marking its first major funding announcement in more than four years. Among the investors is Ripple, whose backing will help power Flutterwave's growing stablecoin and cross-border payments ambitions across Africa. 

Climate-focused VC firm Holocene announced the final close of its $3 million debut fund, which it says is Southern Africa’s first dedicated climate-tech fund. The vehicle has already backed 10 startups across energy, mobility, and agriculture, helping them attract $8 in follow-on capital for every $1 invested.

Moroccan proptech startup Agenz raised $5 million to expand its AI-powered real estate platform, which helps buyers, sellers, and agents navigate the country’s housing market. The company plans to deepen its AI capabilities as it pushes to digitise one of North Africa’s largest property sectors.

EmTech Capital secured backing from Proparco for its second venture fund, a vehicle targeting $60 million (with room to expand to $80 million) to invest in startups across Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire.

FinTech Summit Africa returns to Johannesburg on June 24–25, bringing together banking executives, fintech leaders, regulators, and technology providers to discuss the future of financial services on the continent. This year’s agenda focuses on agentic AI, real-time payments, stablecoins, and other technologies reshaping Africa’s digital economy. Register here.

Borderless Experience 2026 convenes fintech founders, operators, investors, and ecosystem leaders in Lagos on August 21 for a deep dive into the future of cross-border payments, commerce, and financial infrastructure in Africa. Register your interest here.

Renewable energy entrepreneurs, this one's for you. The wAtt-boost Youth Powered Start-Up in Africa programme is accepting applications from founders building solutions in clean energy, e-mobility, and climate tech. Selected startups will receive mentorship, training, and compete for two ~$11,600 (€10,000) prizes. Applications close today, June 21.

Accelerate Africa is writing some unusually founder-friendly checks. The programme is investing $250,000–$500,000 in early-stage African startups, with no application fees and no upfront equity commitments required. Applications close July 25.

Looking to build on blockchain? Stellar’s new accelerator is offering up to $150,000 in funding for startups working on payments infrastructure, tokenised assets, and decentralised finance. The 12-week programme includes mentorship, a Cape Town residency, and a demo day in Lisbon. Get more details here.

Applications are open for the MEST AI Startup Program Class of 2027, a 12-month venture-building program designed to help aspiring African entrepreneurs turn AI ideas into scalable startups. Application closes July 20.

The 2026 Call for Code Global Challenge is inviting developers across 190+ countries to build anti-trafficking tools, with winning teams earning mentorship, global recognition, and access to a six-month incubator. The challenge closes July 9, more details here.