This year, artificial intelligence (AI) moved from a playground for the curious to the engine room for the productive. 

Startups On Our Radar spotlights African startups solving African challenges with innovation. This week, we explore five African startups in the education, fintech, software development, and artificial intelligence sectors and why they should be on your watchlist.

Nigeria’s fuel subsidy removal sent petrol prices soaring and forced a rethink of how people move goods and people. In that shock, electric vehicles shifted from a fringe idea to an economic case, opening the door for Nigeria’s first electric-only vehicle assembly plant.

Venture capital (VC) funding in Egypt grew by 31% year-over-year (YoY) in the second half of 2025 (excluding December), hitting $524 million raised from 71 deals.

The partnership closes coverage gaps neither company can solve alone. Airtel has spectrum, towers, distribution, and tens of millions of users, but extending terrestrial networks into remote, insecure, or low-density regions is expensive and often impractical.

Before co-founding Liquid, Justice helped build Paystack’s Virtual Terminal and was an early engineer at Lazerpay, where he shipped the minimum viable product (MVP) that went on to raise seed funding. He is now focused on reimagining user capital efficiency in decentralised finance (DeFi) by giving prediction-market participants the ability to place more conviction on their trades. Liquid, part of the YZi Labs cohort, reflects his belief in building B2C products that improve people’s financial lives and his conviction-driven decision-making, including recently turning down a high-paying engineering leadership role to go all-in on the product.

In today's edition: We’ve launched the Builders’ List! || Quick Fire 🔥 with Justice Eziefule || Who secured the bag? 💰

How much of the African tech story did you digest this year? Let’s find out.

Three respected data sources. Same year. Same ecosystem. Numbers that differ by almost 3X. Welcome to African startup data tracking, where everyone’s counting but nobody agrees on what they’re counting. If you’re a founder benchmarking your fundraising progress, a VC reporting to LPs, or a policy maker allocating resources, you’d assume the basic question “How […] The post Did African Startups Raise $1.1B, $2.2B, or $3.2B in 2024? Why Nobody Knows (And Why That’s a Problem) appeared first on Tech In Africa.

Lagos-backed ride-hailing platform LagRide has secured a USD 100 million (approximately EUR 95 million) credit facility from United Bank for Africa (UBA) to fund the acquisition of 3,500 vehicles and support a four-year plan to transition drivers from rental arrangements to vehicle ownership. Under the financing structure, drivers are able to avoid the high upfront […] The post Lagos-Backed LagRide Secures $100M UBA Credit Facility to Acquire 3,500 Vehicles appeared first on Tech In Africa.

Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader of African heritage, and Gebeya, a provider of an ecosystem for Africa’s service economy, have announced a strategic partnership that will lead to the launch of Gebeya Dala, a new suite of AI-powered tools aimed at enabling Africans with ideas to become digital creators. The initiative is powered by […] The post Cassava, Gebeya Partner on AI Tools Enabling Africans Without Coding Skills to Build Applications appeared first on Tech In Africa.

Xsolla, a global video game commerce company that supports developers in launching, growing, and monetising their games, has announced the expansion of MTN Mobile Money (MTN MoMo) within its payment solutions in Congo-Brazzaville and Zambia. The move extends Xsolla’s existing MTN Mobile Money coverage across Africa and reinforces the company’s focus on improving accessibility, security, […] The post Xsolla Expands MTN Mobile Money Support to Congo-Brazzaville and Zambia, Enhancing Access in Fast-Growing Markets appeared first on Tech In Africa.

If you asked a tech CEO five years ago where their remote team was based, you’d likely hear Manila, Kyiv, or perhaps Bangalore. But as we settle into 2026, the map has been redrawn. The center of gravity for high-impact remote talent has drifted south, specifically to South Africa. This isn’t just a trend; it’s […]

TechCabal is launching The Builders’ List: an annual index of the most consequential people shaping Africa’s technology ecosystem in the calendar year.

Rosemary Hewat, a former Kuda executive, sued her former employer and Babs Ogundeyi, Kuda's CEO, for gender discrimination. Here's why it was dismissed and why both parties are putting it behind them.

A complete list of the layoffs that happened in Africa's tech ecosystem in 2025 amid tighter capital, shifting strategies, and a stronger push toward profitability.

Flowmono aims to address how African businesses can operate digitally without relying on foreign software and incurring exorbitant subscription fees in dollars.

Microsoft and its partners trained four million Nigerians in AI, software development, data engineering, etc and certified 70,000 of them.

Africa’s fast-growing digital finance landscape has created the urgent need for credible, structured crypto education. With 33% of the country’s population already engaged with digital assets and a rapidly growing youth population eager to participate in the digital economy. Luno and AltSchool Africa, an accredited online learning platform, announced a strategic partnership to deliver high-quality, fully funded […]

Samsung Electronics East Africa has officially launched the Galaxy A07 in Kenya, the latest addition to its popular Galaxy A Series portfolio in the continuous bid to drive smartphone accessibility. The Galaxy A07 comes in two storage options, 64 GB and 128 GB, paired with a durable build, sleek slim design, and a large immersive display. […]

In Kenya, tech platforms have quietly transformed the way Kenyans shop, snack, celebrate, and even solve last-minute emergencies. What was once just an app for lunch has become a gateway to an entire universe of possibilities. Leading this charge is Glovo, a technological platform connecting customers, businesses, and riders. While best known for offering local […]

In today's edition: The Builders’ List || Why the Builders’ List exists || Chowdeck, GoLemon partner for grocery delivery services || Showmax users in Kenya can now pay with Airtel Money

Xero has named MRPeasy as South Africa’s Small Business App of the Year, recognising the benefits the software brings to small manufacturers. How Xero selects its winners: Xero’s 2025 Global App Awards highlight top-performing integration partners that deliver measurable customer value. The program showcases apps that enhance the Xero ecosystem through innovation, ease of use, […]

Shaaré, a Nigerian home service marketplace has launched instant matching feature to automatically connect cleaners to users.

Founders already inside the US system remain shielded from the executive order. But first-time entrants will face a wall built from data, security logic, and bureaucracy that hamper migration opportunities for African talent. This could encourage a shift toward alternative hubs in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, where visa access is predictable.

As 2025 comes to an end, African businesses can reflect on one of the most transformative years for AI adoption yet. It’s been a true turning point across the continent, marked by clear successes and valuable lessons learned. Across South Africa, Lagos, and Nairobi, organisations tested, deployed, and learned from AI at pace. Some thrived. […]

Africa’s tech ecosystem is building cars without brakes. Toyin Akinniyi, Luminate Group's Regional Portfolio Director, Africa explains why builders, policymakers, and civil society must break their silos to ensure technology serves—not harms—Africans.

GoLemon has partnered with Chowdeck to supply groceries to Chowdeck’s dark stores and offer customers same-day grocery delivery through Chowdeck.

The African startup ecosystem has no shortage of programs calling themselves “accelerators.” But there’s a difference between an accelerator that genuinely propels your startup forward and one that consumes your time and equity while offering little more than coworking space and generic business advice. For founders navigating this landscape, the question isn’t just “Should I […] The post Top 10 Startup Accelerators in Africa: The Programs Actually Moving the Needle appeared first on Tech In Africa.

10 African PR Personalities to Watch in 2026 If the last five years have taught us anything, it’s that public relations is no longer about “spinning” the truth.… TechCity

The move also highlights how mobile money is becoming core infrastructure for digital entertainment as streaming platforms push deeper into mobile-first markets.

2025 wasn’t just another year of tech headlines; it was a year where digital change touched everyday life in South Africa. Families streamed their favorite shows without buffering, students joined online classes from rural towns, and small businesses discovered new customers through WhatsApp and TikTok. Fiber rolled across suburbs faster than gossip at a family […]

Airtel Money has integrated with Showmax, giving customers a simple, convenient, and reliable way to pay for their subscriptions this festive season. With this new integration, Airtel Money customers can now subscribe to Showmax and renew or activate directly from their wallets, providing an additional instant and convenient payment method. The move reflects Airtel Money’s […]

Generative AI continues to reshape how businesses operate. It creates text, images, code, and many other forms of content, which makes it incredibly powerful for automation and creativity. As more organizations rely on these systems, the need to verify the accuracy and safety of AI outputs becomes increasingly important. In this blog, you will learn […]

Fynd, an AI-native retail technology platform backed by Reliance Retail Ventures Limited,  announced its official expansion into South Africa, onboarding Surtee Group—one of the region’s most established luxury and fashion retailers. According to Statista, South Africa is expected to have 11.7 million e-commerce users in 2025, with projections reaching 21.5 million by 2029. This growth […]

In today's edition: Kenya’s pay-TV market grows || BasiGo opens charging station || Luno, AltSchool announce new course