Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Alibaba and the Jack Ma Foundation launch a $1.5 million Africa’s Business Heroes grant programme to support startups across sectors including fintech, health, agriculture and emerging technologies.
Axian Telecom partners with AST SpaceMobile to deploy direct-to-device satellite connectivity across multiple African markets, enabling mobile services in underserved and remote regions without specialised devices.
Vodacom and Huawei have launched Africa’s first EcoMatrix network in Tanzania, improving 4G performance by 200 percent while reducing energy consumption and infrastructure complexity.
Morocco leads Africa in 2025 mobile internet speeds at 124.32 Mbps, followed by South Africa and Tunisia, according to Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index. Only eight African countries met ranking thresholds, highlighting uneven digital infrastructure investment across the continent.
Southern African nations Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho have announced major connectivity initiatives. MTC and BoFiNet signed a cross-border fibre MoU centred on the Buitepos-Ngoma corridor, while Lesotho committed US$24.07 million to upgrade ICT infrastructure, improve cybersecurity and expand affordable public internet access nationwide.
African startups raised $4.1 billion in 2025, driven largely by record debt financing and sector diversification beyond fintech. While funding shows structural recovery, a shrinking seed pipeline poses risks for future growth across the continent.
Ethio telecom and Africa Finance Corporation are exploring a financing partnership to accelerate the “Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028” strategy, supporting infrastructure expansion, AI platforms, hyperscale cloud, and cross-border connectivity aligned with Ethiopia’s Digital Ethiopia 2030 roadmap.
Orange Middle East and Africa awarded three start-ups at the Orange Summer Challenge 2025, recognising technology-driven solutions addressing environmental and societal challenges. The initiative supports young entrepreneurs through funding, mentoring, and innovation programmes aimed at advancing digital inclusion and sustainable development across Africa and the Middle East.
Algeria will host Global Africa Tech 2026 to advance digital integration and connectivity across Africa, bringing together policymakers and technology leaders to discuss infrastructure expansion, fiber deployment, and unified network strategies aimed at accelerating digital transformation and economic growth across the continent.
MTN Congo has connected to the 2Africa subsea cable system to enhance international connectivity and network resilience. The move adds route diversity, improves service reliability, and supports growing demand for digital services as internet penetration continues to expand across the country.