#41 Kenya wants a $21 million spy machine

#41 Kenya wants a $21 million spy machine

The intersection of state power and digital spaces takes centre stage this week. Kenya’s State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications is seeking parliamentary approval for a KSh 2.7 billion ($21 million) budget to build an AI-driven social media monitoring framework. While the state argues this is a necessary defence against misinformation and "malinformation," privacy advocates point out that using machine learning to parse public sentiment and track narratives online looks a lot like automated mass surveillance. We dive into the political fallout of this proposal, drawing parallels to the digital organisation that fueled the 2024 Finance Bill protests. Other interesting stories in this episode: * Kenya is proposing a 15% levy on foreign VC capital gains during startup exits. We discuss whether this will protect local wealth or simply cause foreign investors to route their capital elsewhere. * In Nigeria, Airtel and Globacom have immediately resumed their lucrative airtime and data lending services after a court blocked the FCCPC’s strict consumer lending regulations. * Following its infamous ChatGPT hallucination scandal, South Africa’s Department of Communications has officially delayed its Draft National AI Policy to 2027 to rebuild the framework from scratch. * Kenya's Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife has teamed up with Google to launch a "Magical Kenya" AI trip planner powered by Gemini, moving destination marketing from intuition to real-time data. * South Africa’s Mia Healthcare has closed a $920,000 funding round, proving that specialised, tech-enabled health clinics are highly attractive to regional investors. • We look at Bloomberg’s newly released feature highlighting 25 African startups to watch, assessing who is actually positioned to scale in this tight macro environment. Connect with us! Twitter/X: https://x.com/techtidesafrica [https://x.com/techtidesafrica] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-tides-africa [https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-tides-africa] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techtidesafrica/ [https://www.instagram.com/techtidesafrica/]

#40 How to break a monopoly in 14 days

Paystack just rolled out a total redesign of its merchant dashboard, built from the ground up as an AI-native command centre. Instead of digging through endless nested analytics links, over 300,000 businesses can now ask plain-language questions like "Why is revenue down this week?" to instantly generate custom data tables and charts. We discuss whether this practical, integrated approach is exactly how AI crosses over from tech novelty to a daily workflow tool. Other interesting stories in this episode: * The 14-Day Monopoly Break: We take a retrospective look at 2019 and analyse how Flutterwave and Moniepoint moved with unprecedented speed to dismantle a deeply entrenched card monopoly in Nigeria in just two weeks. * Tether’s Diaspora Bet: Stablecoin giant Tether is investing heavily in cross-border fintech LemFi, aiming to power up stablecoin-driven remittances and slash the high friction of sending money home across the diaspora. * AI in the Skies: Kenya Airways enters the AI era by deploying Jupiter 5.0, a machine-learning pricing engine designed to analyse millions of real-time data points and dynamically adjust airfares to maximise seat occupancy. Connect with us! Twitter/X: https://x.com/techtidesafrica [https://x.com/techtidesafrica] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-tides-africa [https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-tides-africa] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techtidesafrica/ [https://www.instagram.com/techtidesafrica/]

#39 The post-mortem of a fintech & Africa’s fastest-growing companies

East Africa's most ambitious tech infrastructure project—a massive $1 billion digital partnership—has hit a major roadblock. Microsoft is reportedly locked in a high-stakes payment dispute with the Kenyan government, threatening to delay a flagship data centre deployment intended to anchor the region's cloud ecosystem. We unpack the details behind this standoff and discuss what it means for Kenya’s reputation as the continent's primary "Silicon Savannah." Other interesting stories in this episode: * Homegrown powerhouses OmniRetail, M-KOPA, Sabi, and TymeBank have officially topped the charts, making the Financial Times' prestigious list of Africa’s fastest-growing companies. * In a venture ecosystem parched for liquidity, Egyptian logistics startup Bosta hands its investors a massive win, delivering a clean cash exit with a striking 75% Internal Rate of Return (IRR) after just two years. * South Africa’s GoTyme Bank makes a bold play for talent retention and workplace culture by granting equity shares to every one of its 2,000 employees. * E-commerce giant Jumia is cutting another 200 jobs—roughly 10% of its workforce—as part of an aggressive, AI-driven strategy to slash overhead costs and finally achieve profitability by the end of the year. * Techstars-backed fintech Chimoney closes its doors after four years. We analyse the founder's candid lessons on distribution struggles versus real-world user feedback, highlighting the brutal compliance and licensing costs of cross-border financial infrastructure. Connect with us! Twitter/X: https://x.com/techtidesafrica [https://x.com/techtidesafrica] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-tides-africa [https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-tides-africa] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techtidesafrica/ [https://www.instagram.com/techtidesafrica/]

#38 South Africa’s AI policy fiasco and the race for satellite internet

The South African government’s attempt to lead the continent in AI regulation has hit an embarrassing snag. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies had to pull its 86-page Draft National AI Policy after eagle-eyed researchers found it was riddled with "AI hallucinations." From fake academic studies to non-existent bibliographies, the very tool the government sought to regulate ended up undermining the policy meant to govern it. We discuss the fallout and what this means for the credibility of digital policy-making in the region. Other interesting stories in this episode: * Swoop’s Bold Gamble: The Lagos food delivery market is notoriously difficult, but Swoop is trying a 100% rider-income model to win loyalty. We look at the fragile unit economics of a "no-cut" delivery platform. * Starlink Crackdown in CAR: The Central African Republic has suspended the use of "roaming" Starlink kits purchased abroad, citing national security and regulatory traceability. * Nokia Targets Cairo: Nokia has officially selected Egypt as its regional hub for Middle East and Africa operations, leveraging the country's growing pool of technical talent. * Amazon vs. Starlink: Project Kuiper (rebranded as Amazon LEO) is applying for a Tier 2 license in Kenya, signaling a major expansion of satellite internet competition in East Africa. * Ethiopia’s Green Surge: Addis Ababa-based Dodai has raised $13 million to scale its electric motorbike and battery-swapping network, capitalizing on Ethiopia's aggressive ban on internal combustion engine imports. Connect with us! Twitter/X: https://x.com/techtidesafrica [https://x.com/techtidesafrica] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-tides-africa [https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-tides-africa] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techtidesafrica/ [https://www.instagram.com/techtidesafrica/] Signup to our Newsletter: https://startupgraveyardafrica.substack.com [https://startupgraveyardafrica.substack.com/]

#37 Netflix under fire, Binance frozen, and the $75M "Ghost" investment

Ghana is positioning itself as a continental hub for aerospace innovation. Terra Industries has announced plans to build Africa’s largest drone factory, a facility aimed at scaling domestic production of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). This isn't just about manufacturing; it’s about reducing the continent's reliance on imported tech and creating a localised supply chain for industries ranging from precision farming to medical deliveries. We discuss what this means for high-tech manufacturing jobs in West Africa. Other interesting stories in this episode: * Absa Kenya is set to spend $23.2 million a year on digital transformation to stave off competition from agile fintechs. * Kenya’s DCI takes a hard line on crypto, requesting the freezing of multiple Binance accounts amid regulatory pressure. * South African authorities are planning to investigate giants like Netflix and WhatsApp, likely examining how these global platforms affect local broadcasting and telecommunications. * Mozambique’s parliament has unanimously approved a new Cyber Security Law, a critical step in modernising the nation’s legal framework against digital threats. * Flutterwave officially denies reports of a massive Nigerian government investment, leaving the tech ecosystem wondering where the rumour started and why. Connect with us! Twitter/X: https://x.com/techtidesafrica [https://x.com/techtidesafrica] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-tides-africa [https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-tides-africa] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techtidesafrica/ [https://www.instagram.com/techtidesafrica/] Signup to our Newsletter: https://startupgraveyardafrica.substack.com [https://startupgraveyardafrica.substack.com/]