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Kenyan fintech Ndovu Wealth has launched Kibaba, a multi-asset collective investment fund denominated in Kenyan shillings and U.S. dollars. Targeting medium- to long-term investors, it requires a minimum investment of 250,000 shillings ($2,500) and aims to mitigate volatility through diversification across equities, bonds, real estate, index funds and commodities.
The Shell Foundation and Startup Discovery School are launching the West Africa Aggregator Platform, a one-year pilot in Ghana and Senegal to test new delivery models for low-carbon agricultural technologies. The initiative aims to reduce the cost of access for women smallholder farmers, improve crop yields, and increase incomes by at least 20%, with a target of reaching 200,000 women farmers by 2030.
South African fintech Happy Pay has raised $5 million to scale its interest-free installment solution, in which merchants absorb the cost of monthly payments in return for higher conversion rates. The funding will support the expansion of its merchant network, reinforce its online and in-store presence, and improve its risk assessment and fraud detection capabilities.
Namibia has launched a startup accelerator in Windhoek to support the country’s startup ecosystem. Named Accelerate36, the initiative aims to help young companies scale, attract investment, and eventually list on the Namibia Stock Exchange’s SME board. Three local startups have already presented projects focused on education, healthcare, and digital skills.
South African sales management software startup Skynamo has been acquired by UK-based Klipboard Group. The company will continue to operate under its own brand, with additional resources to strengthen its platform and serve manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors. The deal is expected to expand its presence in Southern Africa, the UK and the United States.
The Botswana Innovation Fund and Scalar International have launched the Scalar Botswana Innovation Program, a 12-month accelerator supporting ten startups in climate tech and digital technologies. Selected firms will gain access to a $150 million fund targeting decarbonization in Southern Africa, aimed at scaling sustainable energy solutions and digital infrastructure.
The Algerian digital platform Yassir is acquiring Uno hypermarkets from the Cevital Group, expanding its super-app model into retail. The stores, to be renamed Yassir Market, are set to become digitally integrated retail locations connected to the payment, delivery, and e-commerce services the company already offers in several countries.
WhatsApp is launching accounts specifically designed for children under 13, configured and controlled by their parents. The new accounts provide access only to basic calling and messaging features. Advertising will not appear on these accounts, and several advanced tools such as channels and status updates will not be available. The system is designed to give parents tighter oversight of their children’s activity on the platform. Parents can choose which contacts are approved, receive alerts when certain actions are taken by the child, and manage privacy settings.
Meta is rolling out new anti-scam tools across Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger. Facebook will introduce alerts about suspicious friend requests, while WhatsApp will warn users about fraudulent attempts to link accounts. Messenger will also use AI to detect scam messages and prompt users to block or report suspicious accounts.
Adlore Business Enterprise has launched a pilot of its Jollof Boss platform, enabling small businesses to manage product catalogues, orders and payments directly within WhatsApp. By integrating Paystack, the platform allows customers to select food items through an interactive menu and receive a payment link, while merchants are automatically notified once the payment is completed. The service is currently being tested in Benin City and Lagos and aims to remove friction between messaging and payments.
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Yazi, a South African AI-driven research platform built on WhatsApp, has raised its first institutional funding round led by 3 Capital Ventures at a pre-money valuation of about $1.6 million. The capital will be used to launch automated voice interviews on WhatsApp, expand its African respondent panel, and support expansion into the UK and Europe, where demand is growing.
Zambian startup Padue is partnering with FasterCapital’s EquityPilot program to support the launch of its on-demand services app. The platform connects users with verified local service providers through geolocation, secure payments and customer support. The partnership will support the public rollout, the onboarding of providers across several cities, and a marketing campaign aimed at attracting 50,000 users in the first year.
South African fintech Orca has closed an oversubscribed $2.35 million seed round to strengthen its fraud detection platform, designed for mobile payments in Africa.
Founded by two former Stitch engineers, the company analyzes billions of transactions in real time to detect complex fraud patterns without blocking legitimate transactions. Orca plans to use the funds to accelerate its expansion into other emerging markets.
Google now allows the use of its AI-driven search features, such as answer summaries and conversational mode, in Yoruba and Hausa. Nigerian internet users can ask questions in their language, either in writing or by voice, and receive more natural responses. In total, thirteen African languages are now supported in these features.