Author: Kaluka wanjala

Gebeya has announced a strategic partnership with European domain registrar InterNetX to enable domain registration directly within its platforms, allowing African entrepreneurs, freelancers and small businesses to purchase domains using local payment methods. The integration will embed InterNetX’s AutoDNS domain platform inside Gebeya’s ecosystem. This includes the Jitume AI service marketplace and the Dala Studio creator platform. Users will be able to search, purchase and manage domains without needing international credit cards or paying in foreign currencies. Domain ownership across Africa is still low compared to other markets. Many entrepreneurs face challenges purchasing domains as most global registrars require payments…

MultiChoice has announced the discontinuation of Showmax in an email sent to subscribers. This signals a significant shift in its digital strategy following its acquisition by Canal+. Showmax made Sh5.9 billion in revenue but its losses were equally as high at Sh16.9 billion according to the company’s latest financials. This clearly reveals the financial pressures faced by regional streaming platforms that are competing against global giants like Netflix. The platform was relaunched do Showmax 2.0 in 2024. MultiChoice has emphasized that current subscribers will experience no immediate service interruption. Even with that said, this move suggests that Canal+ plans to…

Absa Group has renewed and extended its partnership with NTT DATA in a five-year agreement aimed at supporting the bank’s financial systems built on SAP S/4HANA. The collaboration will focus on delivering application management services for Absa’s group reporting and financial consolidation landscape. The renewed partnership supports Absa’s broader effort to modernise its financial systems and applications while embedding group-wide standards that improve agility, flexibility and financial control across its operations. By continuing to run its finance environment on SAP S/4HANA, the bank aims to enable faster financial close cycles, improve data quality and deliver real-time insights for decision-making. “We’re…

Across Africa, blockchain conversations are steadily shifting from speculation to practical experimentation. Developers are building tools, community hubs are nurturing talent and new conversations around governance and ownership are beginning to take shape. In a recent reflection podcast, I revisit a series of interviews that were recorded at the Cardano Africa Tech Summit. The event brought together voices from across the ecosystem to explore a simple but important question: who is actually shaping Africa’s blockchain future? The episode shares the voices of several builders and organizations working within the Cardano ecosystem. This episode is recommendedfor both active builders or even…

Google has today announced it is expanding its AI-powered search capabilities to support 13 African languages, including Kiswahili. The update introduces larger language support for AI Overviews and AI Mode.  Google said the languages included in this first phase were selected based on strong search usage trends across the continent. The rollout targets users in countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Tanzania. These efforts draw on insights from the Waxal language project, an initiative combining machine learning research, linguistic expertise, and community collaboration to strengthen AI capabilities for underrepresented languages. The 13 Newly Supported Languages The newly supported African languages…

Nearly one in four identity verification attempts rejected in East Africa last year were flagged for suspected fraud, according to new data from digital identity company Smile ID. Out of these, document manipulation emerged as the dominant threat. The company’s 2026 Digital Identity Fraud Report, based on more than 200 million identity verification checks conducted in 2025 across more than 35 countries, found that 24% of rejected verifications in East Africa were linked to suspected fraudulent activity. Of those, nearly 60% were a result of document integrity issues. These include portrait manipulation, face swaps and inserted photographs that preserve the…

Kenyan electric mobility manufacturer Roam has launched Roam Explorer, an AI-enabled vehicle intelligence platform designed to help fleet operators monitor electric vehicles in real time across Africa. The companu has also confirmed to TechArena that it is opening the system to third-party EV manufacturers beyond its own fleet. The platform connects electric motorcycles, tuk-tuks, buses and cars to a centralized digital dashboard that tracks battery health, performance metrics, location and usage patterns. It can be used on 2G, 3G and 4G networks and can also be accessed via SMS. This design choice makes the system usable in low-connectivity and non-smartphone…

Absa Bank recorded a 10% growth in profit after tax for the year ended December 31, 2025 reaching KSh 22.9 billion. Total revenue stood at KSh 61.4 billion. This reflects on the pressure on net interest income which declined 6% during the period. The decline was partly offset by a 12% increase in non-interest income to KSh 18.1 billion, driven by payments, asset management and foreign exchange activity. Speaking at the release of the financial results, Absa Bank Kenya Managing Director & CEO, Abdi Mohamed, said the results underscore Absa’s role in supporting economic activity across individuals, enterprises, and communities,…

Vertiv is adding a new compact, high-capacity double-stack design to its PowerBar Track busway portfolio. This is aimed at supporting the growing power demands of artificial intelligence workloads in hyperscale and colocation data centres. As AI and high-performance computing applications increase rack-level power consumption, data centre operators are under pressure to deliver more power within the same physical footprint. The double-stack configuration is designed to address this shift by enabling higher-capacity distribution while optimising valuable white space. The system supports configurations of up to 2000A under UL 857 and up to 2500A under IEC 61439-6 standards, with variants available in…

Cassava Technologies has announced the launch of Cassava Autonomous Network, an AI-powered solution designed to optimise mobile Radio Access Networks (RAN) across the continent. The solution is powered by NVIDIA AI infrastructure, NVIDIA NIM microservices and NVIDIA Network Configuration Blueprint. It automates network management tasks previously done manually. Cassava Autonomous Network uses policy-driven automation to continuously optimise networks, reportedly reducing operational bottlenecks and increasing efficiency by up to 75%. Built on CAIMEx, a localised multi-model AI platform, the network provides unified access to leading AI models through regional AI factories. The platform is designed to work across all network generations,…