Author: Kaluka wanjala

Airtel Africa has reported a 28.2% increase in revenue to US$3.82 billion for the half year ended 30 September 2026. This was driven by strong growth in data and mobile money services across its 14 African markets. The telecommunications group recorded a 20.5% increase in profit after tax to US$452 million. This is up from US$376 million recorded during the same period last year. Underlying EBITDA also grew by 23.5% in constant currency to US$1.92 billion. Growth was recorded across all three geographical regions. Nigeria is leading at 27% revenue growth in constant currency, followed by Francophone Africa at 19.2%…

Vertiv has introduced the Vertiv SmartIT solution, a pre-engineered architecture designed to simplify high-density AI deployments for enterprises, research institutions and colocation providers across existing facilities and new data centres.  Previously deployed with NVIDIA to support the NVIDIA DGX GB300, the highest-performing, largest-scale AI system available for enterprises, the Vertiv SmartIT solution integrates rack infrastructure, DC power conversion and distribution, direct-to-chip liquid cooling, in-rack cooling distribution and monitoring in a factory-validated design. By integrating and validating these systems before shipment, Vertiv SmartIT helps reduce on-site integration complexity and connects to facility power and cooling infrastructure. The solution is available now for AI deployments…

Bolt has introduced three ride categories in Kenya — Priority, Wait and Save, and Ride by Hour. These give customers more flexibility to balance cost, waiting time and convenience when booking rides. Priority offers faster driver matching for customers willing to pay a premium. Wait and Save on the other hand allows riders to access lower fares by waiting longer for a ride. Ride by Hour enables customers to book a car for one or two hours at a fixed hourly rate. This makes it suitable for errands, shopping, business visits and journeys involving multiple stops. Dimmy Kanyankole, Senior General…

I&M Bank has been named winner of two prestigious awards at The Asian Banker Africa Awards 2026, Best Retail Bank in Kenya and Best SME Bank in Kenya. Following the announcement during the virtual awards ceremony, the awards reinforce I&M Bank as one of Kenya’s most dynamic and customer-focused financial institutions.  The Asian Banker Africa Awards recognise excellence in areas including retail, SME and digital banking across African markets. Institutions are assessed under TAB Global’s international awards programmes, which recognise institutional performance, service capabilities, innovation and achievements in financial services. Speaking at the virtual ceremony, Director of Retail & Business…

NTT DATA has announced the global expansion of NTT DATA AI Factories, which provide hands-on environments where organizations can determine how priority AI use cases can be deployed, secured, governed and operated at scale. The environments help business and technology leaders evaluate AI workloads against real-world requirements including infrastructure architecture, performance, workload placement and cost.  NTT DATA’s market research shows enterprise leaders want greater confidence about performance and business value before scaling AI investments. For many organizations, the shift from AI pilots to production is stalled by infrastructure bottlenecks, governance concerns, security requirements and uncertainty around operational costs and performance.…

The Asante Global Card, launched in August 2026 through a partnership between Visa, Kenya Airways and Absa Bank Kenya, is designed to connect everyday spending with travel and lifestyle rewards. The card allows customers to earn Asante Rewards Points on purchases, which can be redeemed for Kenya Airways flights, seat upgrades and other benefits, alongside access to selected premium travel experiences. In this interview with TechArena, John Njoroge, Visa’s Country Manager for Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan, and Julius Thairu, Kenya Airways’ Chief Commercial and Customer Officer, discuss changing consumer payment habits, the evolution of airline loyalty programmes and how…

Ecobank Kenya has appointed Risper Alaro as a Non-Executive Director following approval by the Central Bank of Kenya. This brings women’s representation on the bank’s nine-member board to five. Alaro brings more than 25 years of experience in financial leadership, business transformation and corporate governance. She currently serves as Group Finance Director at Centum Investment Company PLC, overseeing financial strategy across its diversified investment portfolio. She also serves on the boards of Kenya Climate Ventures and the Nairobi Securities Exchange, having previously held board positions at Bank of Kigali and Population Services Kenya. “As Ecobank advances its growth ambitions and…

Westcon-Comstor has partnered with Palo Alto Networks to launch the Partner Growth Circle. This is a new initiative designed to help selected channel partners across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) grow their cybersecurity businesses. The programme will support partners through joint business planning, sales and technical enablement, demand generation and pipeline development. Participating partners will work with Westcon-Comstor to develop business plans targeting priority solutions, customer accounts and sales opportunities. Those that meet their agreed objectives will gain access to exclusive benefits, including tailored services workshops, certification support and demand-generation funding. The initiative will also leverage Westcon-Comstor’s Tech…

Madica has announced it has secured an additional $6 million from Flourish Ventures to extend its investment pilot by three years and support 25–30 more companies across the continent. Madica started operationj in 2022 and provides early-stage startups with capital and hands-on company-building support. It focuses on founders and markets often overlooked by traditional venture capital networks. If you have a startup you want featured on TechArena, let us know through this contact form here. The programme has backed 18 startups across 10 African countries and 12 sectors. Madica says its portfolio companies have attracted additional funding averaging twice the amount of Madica’s…

Datacentrix has announced a strategic partnership with global cybersecurity company Utimaco, to offer hardware security modules (HSMs), cryptographic key management and data protection technologies to organisations across Africa. Demand for these types of solutions is rising as regulators tighten requirements and more business goes online. From financial services companies and telecommunications operators to government departments, healthcare providers, automotive businesses and agricultural organisations, highly regulated enterprises must protect sensitive information, secure transactions and demonstrate compliance. “As local organisations embrace cloud adoption, digital banking, connected vehicles, 5G networks, smart agriculture and e-government initiatives, the need to secure data at every stage has never been…