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South Sudan created a national committee to supervise gateway services and data center operations.
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Internet penetration reached 15.7%, with about 1.9 million users in early 2025.
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The regulator partnered with Switzerland’s mgi communications ag to modernize governance and revenue flows.
At the beginning of 2025, South Sudan counted about 1.9 million internet subscribers, representing a penetration rate of 15.7%, according to DataReportal. The figures highlighted both rising connectivity and the structural limits of the country’s digital ecosystem.
Against this backdrop, South Sudanese authorities last week officially established a Supervisory Committee for Gateway Services and the National Data Center. The government assigned the committee a mandate to strengthen governance, accountability, and institutional control over these critical infrastructures.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) created the committee with technical support from Swiss firm mgi communications ag (MGI). The regulator tasked the body with digitizing revenue flows from South Sudan’s International Gateway (SSIGW) to improve transparency and efficiency.
At the same time, the committee aims to modernize digital infrastructure to accelerate national digital transformation. Authorities also instructed the committee to ensure that all operations strictly protect national sovereignty and security interests.
Officials view the initiative as a structural step to secure strategic digital infrastructure while laying the foundation for stronger regulatory oversight and long-term sector growth.
This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
The Aurora Tech Award has announced the 30 finalists for its 2026 edition, highlighting an all-female cohort of startup founders. Selected from 3,400 applicants across 127 countries, these entrepreneurs represent the surge of female-led innovation in technology. Spanning sectors from AI and fintech to healthtech and edtech, the finalists will receive strategic and financial support ahead of the global awards ceremony later this year.
Israeli IT services firm Commit has acquired Savannah, a startup that recruits senior developers across Africa. Founded in 2022, Savannah has placed more than 100 engineers at global companies. The deal, worth several million dollars, marks Commit’s entry into Africa’s fast-growing tech talent market, as traditional outsourcing costs rise.
Kenyan digital lender MyCredit has raised $3 million in debt funding from an international microfinance institution. The round brings the company’s total funding raised to $13.6 million. The funds will be used to scale lending for SMEs, private schools, and individual entrepreneurs. Noblestride Capital advised on the deal. MyCredit said it aims to expand access to credit for underbanked borrowers in Kenya.
The 2026 RegTech Africa Conference, scheduled for May 20–22, will host a regional qualifying round of the Startup World Cup in Abuja. The event will give African startups a platform to pitch their solutions to investors and policymakers. The winner will advance to the global final for a chance to secure a $1 million investment and boost its international visibility.
The 2026 Albert Schweitzer International Prize, with a total prize fund of €50,000, supports healthcare projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. Three winners will receive €25,000, €15,000 and €10,000, respectively, to implement practical solutions to improve healthcare access and quality within 12 months. Applications are open until February 6, 2026, through the Dutch fund’s online portal.
The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has launched the Insat online portal to receive complaints, inquiries and suggestions from the public about postal and telecom services. The platform offers a simple, secure and transparent way to submit and track requests, with faster processing times.
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Mauritania’s digital ministry launched a public portal disclosing procurement and spending data.
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The platform publishes all expenditures since the government took office in August 2024.
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The ministry more than doubled its 2026 budget to nearly $24.2 million.
Mauritania’s Ministry of Digital Transformation unveiled the platform on Sunday, January 18, in Nouakchott. The initiative supports the government’s push to modernize public administration and strengthen financial transparency.
Accessible to the public at transparence.mtnima.gov.mr, the portal allows users to consult all expenditures committed by the ministry since the formation of the current government on August 7, 2024. The platform covers contracts awarded by the Public Procurement Commission as well as those concluded by internal purchasing committees, including projects and agencies under the ministry’s supervision.
The portal provides detailed data on signed and ongoing contracts, including contract values, selected suppliers, the number of bids received, and procurement methods used. The ministry updates the information continuously to support real-time monitoring of budget execution.
The platform also includes an advanced search engine that allows users to filter data by contracting authority, contract type, procurement stage, and funding source. A statistical section presents interactive tables and charts, offering a clearer view of spending structures and their distribution by category or supplier.
The launch comes as the Ministry of Digital Transformation manages growing budgetary resources. For fiscal year 2026, the government set the ministry’s budget at 959.6 million ouguiyas, or about $24.2 million. The allocation represents a 104.6% increase from 2025, when the budget stood at 468.97 million ouguiyas, following 550.68 million ouguiyas in 2024.
Authorities said the disclosure aims to promote fairer competition among economic operators by ensuring equal access to public procurement information. Media organizations, civil society groups, and researchers can use the database to assess public policies and monitor state financial management. The portal is free to access, available in Arabic and French, and requires no registration.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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Guinean startup Labtani provides online appointments, teleconsultations, and lab test bookings.
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Founder Mohamed Diallo launched the e-health platform in 2025 to reduce access barriers to care.
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The solution targets both patients and healthcare professionals through a digital marketplace model.
Labtani operates as an e-health solution developed by a Guinean startup. The platform allows patients to book online appointments with qualified doctors, access remote consultations, and reserve laboratory tests without long waits or physical travel. Entrepreneur Mohamed Diallo founded the startup in 2025.
The solution operates through a mobile application available on iOS and Android. The app has recorded more than one hundred downloads, according to Play Store data. Labtani targets populations facing unequal access to medical services. The platform simplifies appointments with specialists across multiple disciplines and offers secure video teleconsultation services, which significantly reduce barriers to healthcare access.
“Labtani helps healthcare professionals save time and see more patients without adding mental workload. Our platform simplifies appointment booking and introduces an automation engine that recovers lost slots from cancellations and no-shows by contacting patients and filling availability based on simple rules,” the startup said.
Beyond patient experience, the platform also targets healthcare professionals. Labtani allows practitioners to manage schedules, optimize consultation planning, and attract new patients through a digital visibility system.
This dual approach serves both patients and practitioners. The model positions Labtani as a digital marketplace for healthcare services.
Another key feature allows the platform to integrate laboratory test results and medical records directly into the system. By enabling access to quality healthcare through a smartphone or web browser, the solution helps reduce health inequalities while modernizing a sector that remains largely analog.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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Kenyan entrepreneur Daniel Maganjo founded ProPath Sports to modernize athlete detection and development.
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The startup uses data analytics and artificial intelligence to track performance and structure training pathways.
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The platform connects athletes, families, coaches, and scouts through digital evaluations and monitoring tools.
Daniel Maganjo is a Kenyan entrepreneur and the founder and chief executive officer of ProPath Sports, a company focused on transforming athlete detection and development systems in Kenya.
Founded in 2024, ProPath Sports operates as a startup that supports athletes, parents, coaches, and recruiters in building structured performance pathways. The company applies a progressive, organized, and human-centered approach to convert sporting ambition into measurable development plans.
The startup developed iSTEAM, a platform designed as a convergence point for athletes, families, coaches, and scouts. The tool aims to assess individual potential, track performance over time, and facilitate connections that shape athletic careers.
ProPath Sports relies on artificial intelligence and data analytics to deliver personalized training plans, educational modules, and remote coaching sessions. The platform helps athletes structure progress and improve performance. Parents access resources and discussion spaces to support their children more effectively. Coaches and recruiters use detailed profiles and monitoring reports to identify talent more efficiently.
Athletes also participate in online tryouts that enable remote evaluations without geographic constraints. ProPath Sports offers comparison and tracking tools that help young athletes benchmark progress against successful career paths and adjust preparation strategies. The platform places particular emphasis on Kenyan runners.
Maganjo graduated from United States International University–Africa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in international business in 2005. Before launching ProPath Sports, he co-founded Thelathin Group in 2018, a consulting firm combining commercial strategy and heritage preservation, where he served as chief executive officer until 2014.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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Kenya has assembled nearly five million smartphones locally to expand digital access and industrial capacity.
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The government links smartphone affordability to job creation in digital services and BPO.
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Authorities plan large-scale investments in youth entrepreneurship, digital skills, and fiber infrastructure.
Kenya has assembled nearly five million smartphones locally to expand access to digital tools and stimulate job creation and technological industrialization. William Kabogo Gitau, Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, announced the figure on Monday, January 19, during the launch of the NYOTA commercial capital support program for young entrepreneurs.
Government prioritises youth empowerment
— H.E William Kabogo Gitau, E.G.H (@honkabogo) January 19, 2026
The Government has rolled out several initiatives to empower youths, create vast opportunities for boosting entrepreneurship and job creation.
Today, I was honoured to join the President H.E. Dr. @WilliamsRuto and Deputy President H.E.… pic.twitter.com/H7ytbZYh0Y
Manufacturers sell the devices at prices ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 Kenyan shillings ($46.5 to $62.2). The government positions the initiative within its digital inclusion strategy as Kenya seeks to expand technology adoption, particularly among young people, to fully leverage mobile connectivity.
Kenya records mobile penetration above 140%, according to data from the Communications Authority of Kenya. Wider smartphone access plays a central role in expanding digital usage. The trend could accelerate adoption of digital financial services, e-commerce, e-government platforms, and online employment services while supporting the growth of the local digital economy.
The industrial push aligns with a broader digital employment strategy. The government reports that business process outsourcing companies and digital platforms have already created more than 300,000 jobs. Authorities expect the segment to play a key role in economic diversification.
At the same time, authorities are expanding support programs for youth entrepreneurship. Through the NYOTA project, the government recently mobilized 258.4 million Kenyan shillings to support more than 10,300 young entrepreneurs in Nairobi, Kiambu, and Kajiado counties. The program aims to raise incomes and promote savings.
Skills development forms another pillar of the strategy. The government has installed about 350 digital centers in technical and vocational education institutions. Authorities plan to deploy 1,450 additional centers across constituencies to reduce the digital divide and stimulate local innovation.
To support the transformation, Kenya is also investing in infrastructure. The government plans to deploy 100,000 kilometers of high-speed fiber optic cable nationwide. Authorities view the rollout as essential to attracting investment and supporting digital activities across the country.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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Zambian entrepreneur Mkuzo Kuwani founded ComGrow to digitalize African savings groups and village banking.
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The platform replaces cash, notebooks, and spreadsheets with traceable, automated records.
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ComGrow enables community lending with transparent rules and shared interest income.
Mkuzo Kuwani founded ComGrow, a fintech that digitalizes rotating savings groups, village banking, and community-based savings and credit groups across Africa.
Founded in 2019, ComGrow allows groups of people who already know each other—friends, colleagues, or neighbors—to pool money, grant loans to members, and track transactions securely and transparently through a mobile application.
The platform replaces notebooks, cash boxes, and Excel files with a single tool that centralizes savings, loans, repayments, and profit sharing. The system automatically records every transaction, reduces human error, and eliminates recurring disputes over paid or outstanding amounts. Members no longer search through WhatsApp messages to find information or payment proof.
The application prioritizes simplicity. Each member selects a payment method and pays monthly contributions in a few clicks. The group monitors savings levels, outstanding loans, completed repayments, and distributable amounts in real time at the end of each cycle. A member can request a loan from the collective pool and repay it with a low interest rate under group-defined rules. The group redistributes interest income to members and increases collective savings.
Alongside his entrepreneurial activity, Kuwani works as an investment banking services analyst at MELCOFIN & Co., a firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions advisory and corporate finance.
Kuwani graduated from Durham University in England with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 2021. He also served as a sales development representative at UK-based workforce management platform Playroll from 2023 to 2024.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
- Egyptian group MAG Trade & Investment presented digital projects to Burkina Faso’s government.
- Discussions focused on digital health and digital identity solutions.
- Burkina Faso seeks foreign partners to accelerate public-sector digital transformation.
Burkina Faso continues efforts to digitize public administration. On Wednesday, January 14, the Minister of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications, Aminata Zerbo/Sabane, received a delegation from Egyptian group MAG Trade & Investment, which presented several technology projects.
According to data released by the ministry, discussions focused on digital solutions applied to the health sector and digital identity. These sectors rank among government priorities, as Burkina Faso has committed for several years to modernizing public administration and improving access to public services.
MAG Trade & Investment, accompanied by Burkina Faso’s National Bureau of Major Projects (BN-GPB), stated that it sought cooperation based on skills transfer, local capacity building, and deployment of sustainable digital solutions. Moreover, the Egyptian company said it aimed to contribute to structuring projects aligned with the national digital development strategy.
These discussions occurred as Burkina Faso seeks to strengthen its digital ecosystem, while several reforms remain underway, including administrative procedure digitization, public system interoperability, and user data security. Authorities view digital identity solutions as a key lever to improve public action efficiency and support digital inclusion.
Authorities stated that opening the market to foreign investors and operators aims to address technological and financial gaps while strengthening national expertise. Minister Aminata Zerbo/Sabane welcomed the Egyptian group’s interest and said such initiatives aligned with the government’s vision to accelerate digital transformation.
At this stage, officials announced no agreements. However, discussions could eventually lead to structured partnerships, as Burkina Faso intensifies efforts to make digital technology a pillar of public service modernization and economic development.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
- Nigeria signed a cooperation agreement between EFCC and NASRDA to use space technology against illegal mining.
- Authorities estimate illegal mining costs Nigeria about $9 billion per year.
- The partnership remains non-operational, with no implementation timeline announced.
Nigeria plans to rely on space technology to strengthen the fight against crime, particularly illegal mining. On January 15, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize cooperation.
EFCC, NASRDA Sign MoU on Inter-agency Collaboration
— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) January 15, 2026
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA on Thursday, January 15, 2026 formalised their resolve for inter-agency collaboration with a Memorandum of… pic.twitter.com/7oKEFT3GvA
According to EFCC Executive Chairman Ola Olukoyede, NASRDA will provide technologies designed to strengthen the commission’s investigative and asset-tracking capabilities. “With your technologies, we will access areas that our traditional means cannot reach. You know that we are engaged in investigating and prosecuting illegal mining activities. These tools will help us identify some of these areas,” he said.
The initiative follows cooperation launched in June 2025 between NASRDA and the Ministry of Steel Development. At that time, Minister Shuaibu Abubakar Audu called for replacing outdated monitoring systems with more advanced satellite-based solutions. He said Nigeria’s steel sector, despite strong potential for economic transformation and industrialization, continued to face structural challenges, including illegal extraction and limited reliability of data provided by some operators.
“These practices weaken the country’s economic potential and complicate regulatory efforts as well as long-term planning,” he said. Authorities estimate that illegal mining causes annual losses of about $9 billion for Nigeria.
However, authorities stated that both agencies have so far agreed only on the principle of cooperation. Officials have announced no specific timeline for operational implementation of the memorandum. Nonetheless, Olukoyede said the EFCC will establish a dedicated team to monitor implementation and conduct periodic evaluations of the partnership’s effectiveness.
This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum