Author: Kaluka wanjala

Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) has introduced a new range of contactless payment solutions dubbed DTB Wearables. These wearables let customers pay with NFC-enabled wristbands and rings. No more fumbling with cash, cards or even their phones. Transactions are simple: just tap the wearable on any contactless point-of-sale terminal. The solution is linked directly to customers’ existing DTB debit cards and is powered by Near Field Communication (NFC). The limit per transaction is Ksh 5,000 while the daily limit is Ksh 10,000. DTB developed the wearables in collaboration with Mastercard and technology provider Tappy Pay. This makes it the first Tier One…

For years, businesses looking to scale across borders have had to navigate a patchwork of systems, high latency and expensive international data routing. It’s a reality that has shaped how startups build, how enterprises expand and how digital services are delivered. According to Nicholas Lodge, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-founder of Wingu Africa, this fragmentation is exactly what the company is working to change. “What we are trying to do,” Lodge explains, “is build interconnected, carrier-neutral, Tier III-certified data centres in key markets across the region.” He says the goal is to create a foundation that allows businesses to operate…

Vertiv has announced it will host the next edition of its AI Innovation Roadshow for Africa in a virtual format, as the company pushes conversations around data centre readiness for artificial intelligence workloads across the continent. The webinar is scheduled for April 15 at 11:00 SAST and will bring together industry experts to discuss how African data centres can evolve to support the growing demands of AI, cloud computing, and digital transformation. Held under the theme “AI-Ready Data Centres for Africa: Building Infrastructure for What’s Next,” the session will focus on the infrastructure requirements needed to support high-density computing environments…

Safaricom is evolving into what it now describes as a purpose-led technology company with a clear ambition to lead Africa’s digital transformation by 2030. Part of this shift is the focus on artificial intelligence, intelligent infrastructure and ecosystem building. This was recently highlighted at Safaricom Decode 4.0. According to Safaricom’s Group Chief Technology Officer James Maitai, the company’s long-term strategy is closely tied to building the foundations of a modern digital economy. “Decode sits at the heart of Safaricom’s vision to become Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company by 2030.” The platform is part of a broader effort to bring together…

Google has announced a major redesign of its Hustle Academy programme. The updated initiative is delivered in partnership with UpSkill Universe and targets individuals across Sub-Saharan Africa looking to build practical artificial intelligence (AI) skills. Previously focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the Hustle Academy has trained over 18,000 businesses through bootcamp-style sessions covering business strategy, digital tools, leadership and AI. The Hustle Academy is now open to students, employees and job seekers. The redesigned programme introduces a more flexible learning format that combines Short, 60-minute webinars for accessible, bite-sized learning and more immersive bootcamps for deeper, hands-on training. …

Liquid C2 has unveiled Africa’s first Partner Experience Centre powered by Google Cloud in Johannesburg. The new facility aims to push partners and resellers past conventional distribution methods. It provides an immersive, practical space for them to create, experiment with, and implement solutions specifically designed for the African market. Central to this effort is a structured onboarding process. This journey guides partners toward achieving official Google Cloud accreditation and certification. At the core of the initiative is a structured onboarding journey that helps partners achieve official Google Cloud accreditation and certification. Participants will work alongside specialist engineers to build bespoke…

Verto has introduced US-dollar business accounts for companies that are doing business between the United States and Africa. The accounts are designed to offer a more stable way to receive, hold and move funds. This is particularly beneficial for companies operating across multiple jurisdictions. “This responds to a clear gap in the market,” said Ola Oyetayo, CEO of Verto. “We are seeing businesses that are properly registered and investment-backed struggle to maintain banking relationships simply because they operate across borders, including in African markets.” Verto says its new accounts are tailored for US-based firms with African operations, startups expanding across…

Kenswitch and Visa have partnered to help advance payment innovation and strengthen the country’s domestic processing and settlement ecosystem. The partnership brings together Kenswitch’s national payments infrastructure and Visa’s global expertise in digital payments to support financial institutions, merchants, businesses and consumers across Kenya. The two organisations plan to explore opportunities in payment innovation and merchant acceptance, including collaboration around Visa’s Value-Added Services. These services are designed to help financial institutions, fintechs, and businesses enhance payment security, prevent fraud, expand digital acceptance and leverage data for growth and efficiency. The collaboration will also focus on modernising payment processing, card services,…

LOOP is taking a different approach on its lifestyle commerce strategy this Easter by combining device financing, retail discounts and event access through its in-app marketplace, LOOP Discover. The core of this campaign is a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) offer that allows customers to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S26 in instalments via LOOP FLEX. This is bundled with incentives such as a free Galaxy Watch 8 or Galaxy Buds 4 through select dealers. The campaign offers a clear look into LOOP’s broader ambition of evolving from a digital banking app into a full-fledged lifestyle and commerce platform. LOOP says…

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has just published its most recent Quality-of-Service (QoS) performance report, covering the financial year 2024–2025. The report has positioned Safaricom at the top of the country’s mobile network rankings, even as the broader industry continues to experience a downward trend in overall performance. The regulator monitors mobile operators as part of its consumer protection mandate eveluating performance using a framework introduced in 2017. This framework assesses networks based on End-to-End testing (drive and walk tests), Network Performance (NP-QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) based on customer surveys. According to the report, Safaricom recorded an…