This Week in African Tech 🌍

Hey hey, Darius here 👋🏼

Happy International Women's Day! 🌍✨

We’ve got big news to mark the occasion: M-PESA has crossed 40 million users in Kenya. A milestone worth celebrating.

And it's a good time to remember that behind one of Africa's greatest tech success stories is a woman who was one of the first to bet on it!

Last year, we told the story of Esther Muchemi, Agent 0001, the first-ever M-PESA agent, who left a thriving career to open a small airtime shop on Koinange Street, and ended up helping build the foundation of a platform that would reshape finance across an entire continent.

Today, she runs 11 companies, employs 600+ people, and is one of Safaricom's largest individual shareholders.

If you missed it, this is the perfect weekend to read it. 👇

Tech Roundup

• MTN Group says FY25 could mark a dramatic comeback after last year’s losses. The African telecom giant expects earnings per share to swing from a $0.53 loss in FY24 to roughly $1.06 to $1.16, driven by strong performances in Nigeria and Ghana. If the numbers land, that’s a more than 300% jump, a reminder that Africa’s biggest telco still knows how to bounce back.

• TymeBank is ditching its Pick n Pay kiosks and moving into mall-based customer hubs across South Africa. The shift reflects a simple reality as customers now bank mostly on their phones, not in grocery aisles. Pick n Pay will still handle cash deposits and withdrawals, but the bank is betting malls are the better stage for in-person support.

• Food-delivery startup Chowdeck is adding accident insurance for its 20,000 riders through a partnership with MyCoverGenius. The coverage includes medical bills and income protection if riders are injured on the job, which is no small perk in a gig economy where one crash can wipe out a week’s earnings. With orders topping 40,000 a day, the company is quietly building a safety net alongside its logistics network.

• Cassava Technologies unveiled an AI-driven “autonomous network” built with NVIDIA infrastructure to run telecom systems across Africa. The platform automatically optimises radio networks and can cut troubleshooting times from four days to about 35 minutes, according to the company. In a continent where operators still juggle 2G through 5G networks, automation could become the new network engineer.

• Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses promise futuristic AI assistance, but a new investigation shows the tech still leans heavily on humans. Contract workers in Kenya reportedly review images and videos captured by users to train the system, including footage from private spaces. The findings highlight the hidden workforce quietly powering many AI products.

• Nigeria’s Terra Industries, Africa’s most-funded defence-tech startup, has hired Nnamdi Chife as VP of Military Relations. The move comes as the drone and robotics maker deepens ties with Nigeria’s defence establishment, including a new partnership with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria.

• MultiChoice is shutting down Showmax, ending one of Africa’s biggest streaming bets. The platform, launched in 2015 and heavily rebooted in 2024, racked up R4.9 billion ($260 million+) in losses in 2025, nearly doubling the year before. In a market where data is pricey and broadband is scarce, Africa’s homegrown Netflix challenger never quite found its audience.

• Bolt and WANATU secured their operator licences ahead of South Africa’s March 11 e-hailing deadline, clearing a key regulatory hurdle. The problem, however, is that thousands of drivers still don’t have the permits they need to legally operate. With fines of up to R100,000 ($5,400) for non-compliance, the industry may be regulated on paper while drivers scramble to catch up.
  

• Google is teaching its AI search to speak more Nigerian. The company added Yoruba and Hausa to AI Overviews and AI Mode, letting users ask questions and get AI-generated summaries in their native languages. In a country with 500+ languages, bringing two of the most widely spoken tongues into Search could make AI feel a lot more local.

• M-PESA has crossed 40 million customers in Kenya as it marks 19 years since its launch. What started as a simple mobile money transfer tool has grown into a full financial ecosystem with lending, investing, and merchant payments. Nearly two decades in, it’s still the blueprint for mobile money across Africa.
  

Deal Roundup

• Casablanca-based mobility startup Weego raised $1.1 million from Azur Innovation Fund to scale its multimodal transport platform. The app pulls together buses, trams, taxis, and private rides into a single interface across five Moroccan cities. Next stop: expanding across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East as cities rethink how people move.

• Senegal’s Eyone Medical raised $1.7 million to expand software that digitises and shares patient records across hospitals. The funding supports Senegal’s national push to build a shared digital health record system, replacing fragmented paper files that slow down care. The startup already operates in several West and Central African countries and plans to scale further.

• The African Development Bank committed $7.6 million to Saviu Partners’ second fund, aimed at early-stage startups in Francophone West and Central Africa. The fund plans to write $500,000 to $3 million checks to about 20 startups across markets like Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Cameroon. It’s another attempt to channel more venture capital into a region that often sits outside Africa’s startup spotlight.

• South Africa’s Hlayisani Capital hit a $30 million first close for its second venture fund, backed by the Public Investment Corporation and SA SME Fund. The new vehicle targets Series A startups in sectors like AI, fintech, and healthtech, an investment stage many local startups struggle to fund. Final close is expected by June.

• Renewable energy firm SolarAfrica completed a $39 million deal to take full ownership of a portfolio of commercial solar and battery projects across 134 sites in South Africa. The move consolidates about 90MW of installed capacity and gives the company a stronger base of revenue-generating assets.

Post of the Week

Events

• RealCorp Capital is hosting the Diaspora Angel Playbook Workshop on 12 March 2026 in London, with a global livestream for those tuning in abroad. The event promises practical frameworks, live case studies, and a crash course in how early-stage investing really works. All aimed at helping diaspora professionals back African and diaspora-led startups. Secure your slot here.

• Africa’s trade future takes centre stage in Cape Town on March 11, as ATC 2026, powered by Access Bank. It’ll bring together policymakers, financiers, and business leaders. Panels and keynotes tackle everything from trade finance and logistics to SME growth and pan-African payments. Secure your spot now.

• On March 14, the Oxford Africa Business Forum dives into the continent’s economic transformation, hosted at Saïd Business School. From tech to geopolitics, leaders, entrepreneurs, and scholars explore strategies for sustainable growth, social impact, and partnerships. Expect insights, networking, and a Gala dinner to cap a day of shaping Africa’s business future. Register to attend. 

Opportunities

• Google.org is back with $30 million for AI-powered science. The 2026 Impact Challenge invites nonprofits, social enterprises, and research institutions to apply for $500,000 – $3 million+ in funding,  plus six months of pro bono Google expertise and Cloud credits. Focus areas are AI for Health & Life Sciences or AI for Climate & Environmental Science. Applications close April 17, 2026.
  

• CcHUB is reopening its EdTech Fellowship in Nigeria, and Cohort 4 comes with $100,000 equity-free for 12 early-stage startups. Backed by the Mastercard Foundation, the program targets founders building for learners most edtech skips: rural communities, girls and young women, refugees, and students with disabilities. Winners get a year of incubation, mentorship, and deep ecosystem support. Applications for the next wave close March 30, secure your spot here.

• Early-stage or growth-stage, youth-led agritech startups now have a shot at scaling big. The AYuTe Africa Challenge Nigeria, run by Heifer International and Wennovation Hub, is looking for tech-driven solutions that boost smallholder farmer productivity, income, and resilience. Winners walk away with a $40,000 prize, and mentorship to grow their impact. Applications close March 14, 2026.

And that's a wrap!

That’s it for this week. See you on Wednesday 😃 

Cheers,

The Tech Safari Team

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