Chinese automaker BYD has grown its share of Africa’s electric vehicle market from 4% in 2023 to 35% in 2025, according to an International Energy Agency report. Sales climbed from about 4,000 vehicles to nearly 25,000 over the period, with Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa driving most demand.

Flutterwave marked its 10th anniversary by promoting more than 100 employees, roughly 25% of its global workforce, while rolling out cost-of-living support and other employee benefits. The move stands out at a time when several African fintechs have been trimming staff to improve efficiency.

Jumia refreshed its Supervisory Board with a mix of e-commerce, finance, and African development heavyweights, including former African Development Bank president Dr. Akinwumi Adesina. The move comes as the company reports improving numbers, with Q1 2026 revenue up 39% year over year and management targeting breakeven by the end of the year.

Brass, the Nigerian business banking startup rescued by a Paystack-led consortium in 2024, is shutting down as an independent company. Customers will be migrated to Paystack MFB by July 31, folding Brass’s banking products into Paystack’s regulated financial infrastructure.

Interswitch has struck a deal with Swiss banking software provider Temenos, allowing it to offer cloud-hosted and managed banking services to African financial institutions. The move puts it in the race for a bigger share of banks' technology budgets, not just their payment volumes.

Yoco has integrated the accounting platform Stub into its commerce ecosystem, allowing sales and payment data to flow automatically into bookkeeping workflows. The connection automates reconciliations, invoice matching, and transaction categorisation for small businesses.

The Central Bank of Nigeria is giving PoS agents a little more room to roam. The regulator expanded the allowed operating radius for geo-tagged terminals from 10 metres to 70 metres and pushed enforcement to August 2026.

Chinese motorcycle giant Yadea, which sold 4.82 million electric bikes and scooters globally in 2025, has expanded into Kenya through a partnership with local distributor KIFA. It joins a crowded field, betting that the future of Kenya's motorcycle transport will be battery-powered.

MTN Group has appointed Mitwa Ng’ambi as chief people and culture officer, with leadership changes also affecting MTN Côte d’Ivoire and MTN Zambia. The appointments come ahead of the retirement of longtime executive Paul Norman and are part of MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy. 

Midddleman, a startup that bundles AI-powered sourcing, cross-border payments, and logistics into one platform, raised funding from Lagos Angel Network after processing more than $1.6 million in transactions.

Yamify, a startup that lets developers deploy AI tools from African data centres in under a minute, secured pre-seed funding from Launch Africa Ventures. The company is positioning itself as a kind of “Heroku for AI,” helping businesses skip the infrastructure headaches and get straight to building.

AethexAI, a startup building voice AI for customer support across Africa and the Middle East, raised a $3 million pre-seed round led by 4DX Ventures. The company says its models are designed to handle regional English, French, and Arabic dialects and already process more than 17,000 calls a day.

Seven African startups split more than $5 million from Cascador’s Catalytic Fund, with ventures in climate, energy, media, and agriculture among the beneficiaries. Since launching in 2019, Cascador-backed companies have collectively raised over $125 million, suggesting Pitch Day is becoming more than just a stage and a microphone.

South African VC firm Aions Ventures launched a $6.1 million seed fund to back startups before they reach Series A. The fund will focus on sectors including climate tech, energy, and water innovation, areas where founders often need patient capital before larger investors show up.

3IF Ventures reached a $12 million first close for a fund dedicated to African insurtech startups. The opportunity is sizable: more than a billion people across the continent remain uninsured, leaving founders plenty of room to rethink how coverage is distributed and delivered.

Anara Impact Capital has secured $48 million toward a $50 million target for its debut fund focused on North Africa and the broader MENA region. The firm plans to write checks of up to $2 million into startups tackling education, financial inclusion, and climate resilience.

Spiro raised an additional $215 million to expand its electric motorcycle and battery-swapping network across Africa. The company says it has already deployed 100,000+ bikes and built over 2,500 swap stations, with Ethiopia and DR Congo next on the map.

UK-Africa Ecosystem Day returns on June 10, 2026, bringing founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem builders together for a day of curated connections, market-entry support, and partnership-building. Think less conference, more sandbox for anyone trying to build between Africa and the UK. Get your tickets.

The 17th edition of Tech in Ghana will be held on June 11 during London Tech Week, bringing together founders, investors, policymakers, and corporates under the theme “From Ecosystem to Economy.” RSVP 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.

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.

Startups in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania can apply for up to $114,000 in non-dilutive growth funding through develoPPP Ventures, a program backed by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The initiative targets early-stage companies with innovative business models and measurable development impact, using a matching-funds structure to help founders scale without giving up equity. Learn more and apply.

Social Shifters has opened applications for its 2026 Global Innovation Challenge, offering grants of up to $15,000 to impact-focused startups led by entrepreneurs aged 18 to 30. Winners also get access to a global network, mentorship, and exposure through major brands. Get more information.

KPMG is once again hunting for the next breakout tech startup. The 2026 Global Tech Innovator Competition is open to companies less than seven years old, generating up to $15 million in revenue or armed with at least $500,000 in funding. Finalists get mentorship, investor exposure, and a free trip to the global finals. Get more information here.

The 2026 develoPPP Ventures Ideas Competition is looking for startups in five African markets with scalable businesses and early revenue traction. Selected companies can access €100,000 ($113,000) in non-dilutive capital before applications close on June 30, 2026. Get more information here.

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.

Google has opened applications for the 2026 Hustle Academy, a free training program helping African SMEs scale using digital tools and AI. The format has been streamlined into 60-minute expert webinars followed by 1-day bootcamps designed to be practical, fast, and easy to attend. Find out more here.