This Week in African Tech 🌍

Hey 👋🏽, 

X was hit by a cyber attack on Monday, and Elon Musk was quick to blame Ukraine. But with Elon’s long list of enemies, who really did it?

A pro-Palestinian group, Dark Storm Team, took credit in now-deleted Telegram posts.

Meanwhile in African tech, Botswana is now in the space race, Kenya’s Mobius Motors just got a lifeline, and South Africa thinks your smartphone might be a luxury item.

Well get to the roundup in a sec.

But before we do, we have an announcement.

Now, on to this week’s roundup….

Tech Roundup

• Global early-stage VC firm Antler, which began operations in Kenya in 2019, has expanded to Nigeria. Having backed over 400 startups worldwide, the firm is now accepting applications for its first Nigerian cohort, set to launch in June.

• London-based fintech Zazuu has shut down after failing to secure funding. The startup raised over $2 million from investors like Launch Africa and Founders Factory in 2022.

• Kenyan fintech Whitepath has been fined $2,000 for listing an individual as a guarantor without consent. This marks its second penalty in two years as regulators tighten scrutiny on digital lenders over aggressive tactics and data breaches.

• South African fibre operator Vumatel has moved closer to acquiring Herotel after securing a recommendation from the Competition Commission. The deal will strengthen Vumatel’s presence in fibre infrastructure and retail internet services.

• South Africa now considers smartphones over $150 as luxury items. Starting April 1, 2025, the country will remove the 9% luxury tax on phones costing less than $150. This change aims to make basic smartphones more affordable and help more people switch from older networks to 4G and 5G.

• American logistics company Zipline is expanding its drone delivery operations to five more Nigerian states. The move will improve the distribution of vaccines, blood products, and essential medicines in remote areas.

• South African fintech Stitch has teamed up with Standard Bank’s Shyft app to enable instant wallet top-ups from any local bank.

• Botswana has launched its first satellite, BOTSAT-1, marking a major step in its space technology efforts. The satellite will support research, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and education.

• Kenyan electric bus startup BasiGo has expanded to Rwanda, with its first batch of buses set to arrive in Kigali next month. The fleet will operate on city and inter-city routes, with plans to deploy 100 buses in 2025.

Deal Roundup

• Climate-tech VC firm Equator has closed a $55 million fund to back early-stage African startups. The investment aims to bridge funding gaps and drive innovation in the continent’s climate sector.

• Telkom Kenya has secured a $4.4 million grant from Rakuten Symphony and Airspan Networks to support Open RAN technology. The funding will help improve mobile networks, cut infrastructure costs, and make connectivity more flexible across the country.

• Egyptian fintech Basata has acquired an additional stake in Jordan’s MadfoatCom, increasing its total to 25% and strengthening its role in digital financial inclusion and payments infrastructure.

• Moroccan superapp ORA Technologies has raised $1.9 million in a pre-Series A round led by Witamax and Azur Innovation Fund to expand its food delivery service and new digital payments feature.

• Silver Box, a Middle East-based investment firm, has acquired Kenyan automaker Mobius Motors. Founded in 2009 to produce affordable SUVs for African roads, Mobius entered liquidation in 2024. The new owners plan to restart production and roll out a new model by December 2025.

Other Events and Opportunities

• Talent Safari, a community for Africa’s top mid-level startup professionals, is now helping companies hire from its exceptional talent pool. Employers looking to recruit the best talent can fill out this form to get started. Haven’t joined Talent Safari yet? There’s still time to sign up!

• If you’re an early-stage or experienced professional looking to break into VC, you can now apply to the Dream VC 2025 Cohort. The fellowship reskills professionals into VC roles over 4 - 5 months. Apply here before March 31st.

• The Safaricom De{c0}dE event brings together industry leaders, government officials, technologists, and students to explore the latest in engineering and tech. The third edition takes place at Sarit Expo Center, Nairobi, from March 18–20, 2025. Can’t make it in person? Join virtually on YouTube and be part of the Decode East Africa experience!

• Applications are now open for the 15th Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) in Africa and the Middle East, which supports social innovation and entrepreneurship. Since 2011, OSVP has backed startups using technology to drive impact in education, healthcare, e-commerce, agriculture, and the environment. Apply here before May 18^th.

And that's a wrap!

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

Cheers,

The Tech Safari Team

PS. refer five readers and you’ll get access to our private community. 👇🏾

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