Nigerien startup iFutur, which operates from Niamey, developed the fintech solution iPay Money to provide payment aggregation services for merchants, organizations and service providers.
The platform allows companies to accept multiple payment methods through a single infrastructure. Customers can pay using mobile money, bank cards, payment links or QR codes.
This approach aims to simplify payment collection for merchants while improving the payment experience for customers.
The platform enables businesses to centralize transaction management through a single dashboard. Merchants can track payments, manage incoming funds and transfer money to partners or suppliers from the same interface.
The system therefore reduces operational complexity for companies that handle several payment channels simultaneously.
The solution targets businesses with websites as well as merchants operating offline. Offline merchants can use tools such as USSD payments, which allow users to complete transactions from basic mobile phones without requiring internet connectivity.
This functionality expands access to digital payments in markets where smartphone usage and internet penetration remain uneven.
According to the company, the platform integrates several payment partners, including mobile money operators and bank card networks.
This integration increases the range of payment options available to users and allows merchants to accept payments from multiple financial ecosystems.
Beyond payment acceptance, iPay Money offers additional digital services. The platform allows businesses to collect funds online, create digital storefronts and automate payment transfers. These tools position the solution as a broader financial infrastructure for merchants and service providers.
Through this infrastructure, the fintech aims to support the digitalization of transactions in Niger and the wider region. The company also seeks to strengthen financial inclusion by making electronic payment tools more accessible to businesses and merchants.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
The Somali government launched the Somalia Computer Incident Response Team (SOMCIRT) on Saturday, March 7. The center coordinates the prevention, detection and response to cybersecurity incidents across the country.
Many African countries continue to strengthen national cyber defenses as digital services expand. Somalia has recently intensified efforts in this area and adopted new legislation to strengthen cybersecurity governance.
𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 –𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐂𝐈𝐑𝐓
— NCA Somalia (@SomaliaNCA) March 7, 2026
Mogadishu, Somalia – 7 March 2026 — The Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, H.E. Hamza Abdi Barre, today inaugurated the Somalia Computer… pic.twitter.com/LDAsGfznLW
According to the National Communications Authority, the center supports incident reporting and issues cybersecurity alerts and warnings.
The authority states that the center coordinates responses to cyber threats and promotes cybersecurity awareness across institutions.
The initiative also strengthens cooperation between government institutions, private-sector actors and international partners to improve protection of Somalia’s critical digital infrastructure.
Mohamed Hassan Mohamed emphasized the importance of stronger cyber defenses as digital services expand.
“As digital services continue to grow across Somalia, strengthening cybersecurity systems is essential to protect government institutions, telecommunications infrastructure and other critical sectors. SOMCIRT will play a key role in ensuring that our digital ecosystem remains secure and resilient,” he said.
Parliament approved the Cybersecurity Law in January 2026 and mandated the creation of SOMCIRT under that legislation.
The launch adds to several initiatives that Somalia has implemented in recent months to strengthen national capabilities against cyber threats and improve protection of digital infrastructure.
The Somali government has introduced several regulatory reforms in recent years to strengthen the country’s digital governance framework.
Authorities approved a cybercrime bill in August 2025. The government had already enacted a data protection law in March 2023, which led to the creation of the Agence de protection des données to oversee its enforcement.
Somalia has also expanded international cooperation in digital policy and cybersecurity. The country signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkey on February 10, 2026 covering several areas of digital cooperation, including cybersecurity.
Somalia has also strengthened ties with Malaysia and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on cyber-related initiatives. These efforts take place as governments increasingly view cybersecurity as a prerequisite for benefiting fully from digital technologies.
The International Telecommunication Union ranked Somalia in Tier 4 out of 5 in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024. The country recorded an overall score of 37.39 out of 100, which indicates that Somalia must intensify efforts in technical measures, legal frameworks and capacity development.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
Egypt has chosen to strengthen public awareness of digital safety practices in order to reduce user vulnerability to cyber risks.
The Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology announced on Friday, March 6, the launch of a national initiative called “Digital Citizenship and Online Protection.” The program places the Wa3i.net platform at its core.
Authorities designed the platform to raise awareness of digital best practices and reduce citizens’ exposure to cyber threats.
The Wa3i.net platform operates as a knowledge hub dedicated to digital security. The platform provides Arabic-language educational content, practical guides and training resources. The platform targets several audiences, including children, teenagers, parents and teachers. Authorities aim to promote best practices in personal data protection, safe internet browsing and responsible technology use. The program follows the principle that awareness represents the first line of defense against cyberattacks.
Authorities believe that stronger digital literacy will reduce citizens’ vulnerability to threats such as phishing attacks, cyberbullying, online fraud and the spread of misinformation. Consequently, the government intends to build a stronger cybersecurity culture across society.
The initiative comes as internet usage expands rapidly in Egypt. Data from DataReportal shows that Egypt had nearly 98 million internet users, representing an internet penetration rate of 72.2% of the population.
However, the growth of digital services, social media platforms and online payment systems has also increased exposure to cybercrime. These risks affect individuals, businesses and public institutions alike.
Industry data confirms the scale of the challenge. Cybersecurity company Kaspersky reported that 27.4% of internet users in Egypt encountered online threats in 2024, including malicious websites or malware distributed through the web.
The company also reported that phishing and social engineering attacks increased by 44% across the Middle East, Turkey and Africa region, highlighting the increasing sophistication of cybercriminal methods.
The Egyptian government plans to address these challenges through a collaborative approach. The program includes partnerships with public institutions, international organizations and private sector companies.
Authorities expect these partnerships to facilitate knowledge sharing, promote best practices and strengthen national cybersecurity capabilities.
Samira Njoya
The African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat formalized a memorandum of understanding on March 5 with Quest Ghana Limited and the Government of Seychelles.
The partners designed the agreement to transform the Indian Ocean archipelago into a competitive hub for digital trade and cross-border commerce across Africa. The initiative focuses on integrating Seychellois businesses into Africa’s digital value chains.
Stakeholders said the project aims to enable local operators to participate more actively in dematerialized trade flows. The program will rely on trade facilitation mechanisms established under the African Continental Free Trade Area. Consequently, authorities expect the initiative to expand the role of Seychelles-based companies in the continent’s growing digital marketplace. The partnership plans to introduce a technical framework that will secure cross-border digital transactions.
The agreement emphasizes system interoperability, which partners consider essential for simplifying payments and commercial exchanges between companies operating under different jurisdictions. This technical alignment aims to reduce friction in cross-border digital trade and accelerate regional integration.
Today, the #AfCFTA Secretariat, Quest Ghana Limited and the government of the Republic of Seychelles signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance Seychelles’ digital economy, and digital trade under the AfCFTA.
— AfCFTA Secretariat Official (@AfCFTA) March 5, 2026
The collaboration aims to position Seychelles as a… pic.twitter.com/M4xsA9bnZZ
The initiative places particular emphasis on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Partners aim to improve MSMEs’ access to digital infrastructure in order to remove barriers that limit participation in intra-African trade. They expect stronger digital access to allow local companies to join Africa’s expanding digital commerce ecosystem.
The Seychelles supports this diversification strategy with a relatively advanced digital environment. Data from DataReportal shows that internet penetration in the country reached 87.4% of the population in early 2025.
At the same time, e-commerce continues to expand. Estimates from Statista indicate that the Seychelles’ online retail market could grow at an average annual rate of 14.35% between 2023 and 2027, reaching $46.41 million by 2027.
At the continental level, the project aligns with the AfCFTA’s ambition to build a single market of 1.3 billion consumers. Policymakers view e-commerce and digital services as key drivers for achieving a combined African GDP of $3.4 trillion. Officials expect digital trade to reduce transaction costs and accelerate the circulation of goods and services across African markets.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
Senegalese entrepreneur Lamine Dabo focuses on the intersection between deep technology and agriculture. He develops digital tools designed to improve the management of irrigation systems in agricultural fields.
Lamine Dabo serves as founder and chief executive officer of Agro‑AI, a deeptech company created in 2025. The company supports agricultural producers who seek to reduce water consumption while protecting crop yields.
The platform currently operates in a pilot phase. The system provides digital recommendations that indicate the optimal time and ideal quantity of water for each irrigation block or parcel.
Importantly, the tool does not replace existing irrigation infrastructure. Instead, the system connects with sensors and irrigation systems already installed on farms. The platform then converts raw agricultural data into practical recommendations for farmers.
The company generates irrigation recommendations by combining several types of information. The system analyzes meteorological data and evapotranspiration indicators, which measure water loss caused by climate conditions. The platform also evaluates soil characteristics, including moisture levels and water retention capacity.
At the same time, the system incorporates crop types and their specific water requirements. In addition, the platform processes operational data from irrigation networks, including flow rates, pressure levels and applied water volumes.
This approach allows the platform to provide a precise, block-by-block view of crop water conditions.
Agro-AI’s system aims to deliver more consistent, predictable and transparent irrigation management across farms. The solution allows different stakeholders—including farmers, irrigation managers and landowners—to monitor water usage more accurately. The company estimates that its technology could reduce water consumption by 20% to 35% for users.
Lamine Dabo graduated from Sorbonne University, where he obtained a master’s degree in the history of international relations in 2024. He also earned a master’s degree in international relations and affairs from Paris-Panthéon-Assas University in 2024. He later obtained a master’s degree in international business analysis in 2025 from Hult International Business School. He completed a publishing internship in 2023 at Présence Africaine Éditions in France.
In 2024, he worked as an artificial intelligence research analyst at LASPAD‑UGB in Senegal. He later joined Harvard University in the United States, where he worked until 2025 as a strategy and evaluation consultant.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
Ojiugo Uche serves as chief executive officer of Genti Media, an audio platform dedicated to African stories. She co-founded the company in 2021 with Ekemezie Uche.
The platform provides access through a mobile application and a web interface. It offers a range of Africa-focused audio content, including stories, audio dramas, educational programs and other narrative formats.
The platform places particular emphasis on the diversity of African languages and voices.
Genti Media aggregates African audio productions within a single digital space. On one hand, the platform provides African creators with a channel to distribute their stories in audio format. On the other hand, the service offers listeners a centralized gateway to narratives rooted in African realities.
This positioning increases the visibility of African audio productions and facilitates their discovery by broader audiences. Ojiugo Uche graduated from St. John’s College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and sciences in 2014. She completed an internship in 2013 at Wecyclers Corporation, a Nigerian company specializing in recycling.
Between 2017 and 2019, she worked as a business analyst. She first joined Sahel Capital Partners Ltd, an investment firm focused on the agribusiness sector. She later joined McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, in Nigeria.
In 2019, she joined BudgIT Nigeria, a civic technology organization. She served as head of research and policy advocacy until 2020.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
Tech Unite Africa 2026 will take place on Thursday, March 26, on Victoria Island in Lagos. The event will bring together startups, investors and decision-makers to showcase artificial intelligence, fintech, cybersecurity, cloud computing and blockchain. The program includes conference sessions, hands-on workshops and a pitch competition, where emerging startups will compete for visibility. The winner will earn a place in the global grand finale of the Startup World Cup.
Nairobi will host the third Gaming Tech Summit Africa from June 2-4, bringing together regulators, operators and innovators from across the continent. Participants will discuss key issues including licensing, taxation, compliance and regulation, with the aim of building a more cohesive and sustainable gaming sector that is attractive to investors in Africa.
Nairobi will host the inaugural Africa Digital Assets Summit on April 29-30, 2026, at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. More than 1,000 decision-makers, investors, experts and civil society representatives are expected to attend to discuss the role of blockchain, cryptocurrencies and tokenization in expanding financial inclusion in Africa, while complying with regulatory frameworks and supporting the continent’s development goals.
Meriam Bessa is a Moroccan entrepreneur specializing in digital creation and artificial intelligence. She co-founded and leads Hypeo AI, an online platform that connects brands, agencies and content creators to organize faster and more structured influencer campaigns.
The company launched in 2024 and targets markets in the Middle East, North Africa and other international regions.
The platform aims to simplify collaboration by consolidating campaign tools into a single environment. It enables users to select profiles, prepare messages, manage campaign briefs and track performance within one system.
For brands and agencies, the platform promises to deliver structured campaigns within minutes. The system uses artificial intelligence to streamline workflow and reduce operational delays. For content creators, the platform provides customizable scripts and a marketplace for new collaboration opportunities.
Creators can manage multiple partnerships through a single interface, and they can coordinate campaigns without switching between separate tools.
In parallel with Hypeo AI, Meriam Bessa co-founded L’Atelier Digital, a digital and AI-focused agency launched in 2016.
She graduated from ISEG in 2008 and began her career in 2007 in the press department of Sony. She joined Unilever in 2011 as brand manager for Lipton and Alsa in the Maghreb region.
In the same year, she became marketing director at Geomedia. Between 2015 and 2017, she served as head of digital for North Africa and the Middle East at Avon, an international beauty brand focused on women.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
Orange Business Senegal announced on Thursday, March 5, that it signed a partnership agreement with the Port Autonome de Dakar.
The partners designed the agreement to modernize the port and transform it into a “Smart Port.”
Orange Business Sénégal au cœur de la transformation du Port Autonome de Dakar
— Orange Business Sénégal (@obs_senegal) March 5, 2026
Le Port Autonome de Dakar est bien plus qu’une infrastructure logistique.
C’est un pilier stratégique de l’économie sénégalaise traitant l’essentiel des flux commerciaux du pays.
Ce jeudi 5 mars,… pic.twitter.com/ceBUBpoCLT
Orange said the agreement covers infrastructure modernization through world-class connectivity, improvements in operational performance, digitalization of payment processes, and enhanced security of critical systems to ensure business continuity.
Waly Diouf Bodian, Director General of the Port Authority, said the partnership aims to reshape the port’s value chains around robust digital infrastructure.
“It is no longer just about digitizing what already exists, but about restructuring our value chains around robust and resilient digital infrastructure,” Bodian said during the signing ceremony, according to remarks reported by Seneweb.
The agreement forms part of broader digital transformation efforts underway at the port authority.
The port will launch a pilot phase for the electronic exchange of delivery orders on Jan. 2, 2026, using the electronic single-window port platform, which has operated since February 2024.
Earlier, in October 2024, the port signed a memorandum of understanding with Huawei Technologies to support digitalization of port services.
The agreement includes the implementation of technology solutions designed to improve the management of truck flows and container handling at the port.
Authorities view technological innovation as a key driver of competitiveness for the Port of Dakar at both regional and international levels.
The infrastructure generates nearly 95% of national customs revenues, representing approximately 25% of Senegal’s state budget.
The introduction of the single-window system contributed to performance improvements in 2024, according to the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) published by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The port ranked first in sub-Saharan Africa in the 2024 index. Its score improved from –82 in 2023 to +23 in 2024, marking one of the strongest global performance gains during the period.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
The Smart Africa Alliance announced on March 5, that it signed a strategic partnership with the U.S.-based company MeetKai, which specializes in sovereign artificial intelligence solutions.
The partners presented the agreement during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The agreement plans to launch a pilot program that will develop national AI infrastructure and technical capabilities in five African countries under the oversight of the African AI Council.
At #MWC2026 in Barcelona, Smart Africa and MeetKai launched a landmark 5-country pilot to accelerate Sovereign AI across Africa through the Africa AI Council.#SmartAfrica #SovereignAI #AI #MWC2026 pic.twitter.com/uJxBWGWCBB
— Lacina Koné (@CEOSmartAfrica) March 5, 2026
The initiative aims to support participating governments in building national artificial intelligence infrastructure. The program relies on the deployment of “sovereign AI stacks,” which represent technological architectures designed to give governments full control over data hosting, model development and application deployment.
This framework allows participating countries to develop artificial intelligence solutions that comply with national regulations and local development priorities. The organizers plan to announce the five pilot countries in the coming weeks.
MeetKai will provide the technical support required to deploy AI platforms capable of integrating African languages. The partners aim to automate digital public services in critical sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education and public administration.
To achieve this goal, the Los Angeles-based company will deploy its flagship AI system, MKA1. The system enables the creation of locally hosted AI ecosystems, which reduces reliance on foreign cloud infrastructure while encouraging domestic innovation.
This sovereign approach represents a critical factor for the continent’s economic future. According to McKinsey & Company, artificial intelligence could generate up to $1.2 trillion in value in Africa by 2030.
However, the continent risks losing a large share of that value if countries fail to control infrastructure and develop local talent. The success of the pilot program will therefore influence the ability of African governments to transform technological potential into sustainable and sovereign economic growth.
Samira Njoya
Kénèya Koura operates as a digital health solution developed by a Malian startup. The platform allows patients to consult a doctor online, schedule appointments within minutes and access fully digitized medical records.
The company aims to reduce unnecessary travel and accelerate patient care, particularly in areas located far from hospitals. The founders Hamidou Ouologuem, Fatoumata Diarra and Oumar Dioni launched the startup in 2021 and based the company in Bamako.
The healthtech company provides a telemedicine solution that shortens the care pathway and strengthens remote medical collaboration. The platform serves both patients and healthcare professionals and maintains continuous availability 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The system delivers a medical response in less than one hour in most cases.
The platform provides physicians with tools that extend beyond basic teleconsultation. The system integrates appointment management, physician collaboration, tele-expertise and remote patient monitoring.
These features allow doctors to expand their patient base beyond geographic constraints while maintaining continuous follow-up with patients.
Kénèya Koura forms part of a broader trend toward the digitalization of African healthcare systems. The platform digitizes patient records and facilitates remote consultations in order to address two major structural challenges: medical deserts and continuity of care.
The startup also adopts a transnational approach to healthcare collaboration. The system enables partnerships with African and international doctors, including specialists based in Europe, in order to improve access to advanced medical expertise.
Beyond technological innovation, Kénèya Koura illustrates the rapid emergence of African healthtech startups with social impact. The platform positions digital tools at the service of community-level medicine and aims to become a key component in the modernization of Mali’s healthcare system.
The company ultimately seeks to replicate its model in other African markets as demand for digital healthcare infrastructure continues to expand.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
Amr Abodraiaa is an Egyptian technology entrepreneur and the co-founder and chief executive officer of Rology, a digital health company specializing in teleradiology services.
He leads a platform that connects medical facilities facing shortages of available radiologists with a global network of qualified specialists.
Rology launched the platform in 2017 with the objective of reducing interpretation times for medical imaging exams, particularly in Africa and other emerging markets where radiologists remain scarce.
The platform directly links hospitals and imaging centers with certified radiologists who can provide on-demand services 24 hours a day.
The platform operates through a fully digital workflow. Hospitals upload imaging exams, including CT scans and MRI scans, through the system. The platform then assigns the files to qualified radiologists who analyze the images and deliver reports within a short timeframe.
Rology bases its business model on pay-per-scan billing, which allows smaller hospitals and rural healthcare facilities to access high-quality diagnostic services without heavy infrastructure investments.
Consequently, the company aims to accelerate patient care by reducing the time between imaging and diagnosis. Today, Rology collaborates with several hundred certified radiologists and multiple healthcare partners across Africa and the Middle East.
Amr Abodraiaa graduated from Alexandria University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial and production engineering.
He also obtained a professional certificate in business administration from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. He began his professional career in 2007 at Egyptian software developer TownSoft, where he worked as a marketing manager.
The company promoted him in 2010 to the position of project manager and business developer. He later worked as business development director at Mafahim Productions between 2014 and 2016, a company specializing in audiovisual production. He subsequently joined the data science team at Egyptian steel producer Ezzsteel in 2017.
Melchior Koba