News & Insights

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East Africa is known as the birthplace of fintech. With companies such as M-PESA, the region has revolutionised mobile banking and digital transfers for the entire continent and even the world. From this it is clear to see that the region has great initiative, creativity and passion for technological development. But what exactly is next for tech in East Africa and which trends should we be keeping an eye on?

We've gathered a selection of inspiring women from leading organisations, including Netcampus, GirlCodeZA, Digital Council Africa, CSIR, The AI Review, Procter & Gamble, life.file, and more!

Hear their stories and gain practical advice on an array of topics, including:

- How to start working in the tech sector
- how the tech sector has evolved in recent years
- The current barriers to overcome to make the tech sector more gender inclusive
- Practical tips to overcome challenges and fast-track careers 

Discover the challenges and disruptions to connectivity in Africa, the latest connectivity trends and opportunities in each region, as well as current connection speeds and adoption rates in each country in this interactive, free-to-download report.

In this short interview, the Africa Tech Festival team caught up with Nekesa Were from Afrilabs to discuss her career journey, current role, and upcoming panel session at East Africa Com 2022.

We caught up with Fargani Tambeayuk, Head of Connectivity Policy at Meta, ahead of his upcoming East Africa Com 2022 panel session on 'Exploring East Africa's 2022 Connectivity Map' to discuss Fargani's role at Meta, the company's focus in Africa, and his upcoming panel session.

We caught up with Andy Halsall, the CEO of Poa Internet, ahead of his upcoming East Africa Com session: 'Exploring East Africa's 2022 Connectivity Map'.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has decided to give mobile users another six months to re-register their SIM cards and link them to national ID documents.

Driving inclusive access to digital technology, especially mobile-based technology, will help Africa's agricultural sector mitigate the impact of climate change.

That's the view of a new report from Vodacom, Vodafone, Safaricom, and the United Nations Capital Development Fund called: Towards a Connected Climate: Leveraging digital technologies to break the cycle of food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa.

Vodacom Tanzania has announced plans for a US$10 million infrastructure investment to help enhance connectivity in rural Tanzania.

The operator said it had signed a contract with the National ICT Broadband Backbone (NICTBB) worth US$4.59 million. That will allow Vodacom to use the government-owned fiber-optic cable infrastructure to better serve customers in rural areas.

Global telecoms operator, Millicom (Tigo), has exited Africa with the sale of its operation in Tanzania. The sale of Tigo Tanzania, to a consortium led by Madagascar-based group Axian, was announced back in April 2021, and the $100 million deal has now officially been completed.

Twenty-nine exceptional individuals and organisations from across East Africa have been announced as finalists at this year's East Africa Com Awards.

Mobile money transaction values grew 39% in 2021 in Africa to US$701.4 billion – making up about 70% of global transaction values which hit over $1 trillion for the first time in 2021, according to the GSMA's 2022 State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money.

A number of companies operating in the agriculture space are currently working on solutions designed to help farmers produce more and better crops and make more money, thus making a sector still known for its poverty more sustainable. Key among them is Kenya's Farmshine, which helps smallholder farmers aggregate quality crops for sale directly to large buyers.

The mobile gender gap increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and women in Africa are still hugely impacted. That's according to stats from the GSMA as part of a preview of its Mobile Gender Gap Report 2022 which is due to be released in June 2022.

Safaricom has signed its first major infrastructure deal for its expansion into Ethiopia, penning a five-year lease agreement to share a dark fiber-optic network with Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP).

MTN's fintech and data business is a strong growth sector for the pan-African telco as it moves forward with plans to spin off the fintech business into a standalone entity.

Ethiopia's government has decided to pause plans to partially privatize state-owned telecoms operator Ethio Telecom.

East Africa's leading technology, telecoms, broadcasting and media event is returning this May! Watch this short video to learn more about what to expect and the benefits of attending.

Watch a full panel session from last year's event and hear from experts discuss real value of what a fourth industrial revolution, impactful digital enterprise technologies that will emerge over the next 5 years, governance and digital skills.

We'll be continuing the conversation on 4IR at East Africa Com 2022.

Discover the key trends we can expect to see in 2022 and beyond across Sub-Saharan Africa's TV and online video landscape as global OTT video players expand into Sub Saharan Africa and compete with local providers.

Blockchain network operator World Mobile is partnering with the Zanzibar eGovernment Agency to launch free metered Wi-Fi Internet access at public-facing government institutions.

MTN Rwanda CEO Mitwa Ng'ambi recently sat down with Connecting Africa to discuss her journey in the telecoms sector, and what needs to be done to accelerate inclusion in the industry.

Rwanda's Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has secured a loan from the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank (AIIB) worth more than $100 million USD to support the Rwanda Digital Acceleration Project. 

The age of the social media influencer is upon us, and Wowzi, and a few notable investors, are betting big on its potential impact in Africa.

This panel session from a previous East Africa Com event explores the challenges, opportunities, and general response of East African nations to the COVID-19 pandemic.