Electric motorcycle leasing startup Spiro is expanding its vehicles and battery-swapping stations in Rwanda and Cameroon. Already operating in seven African countries, the company aims to replace fossil fuels with cleaner energy solutions. In Rwanda, it is also partnering with a local organization to train and finance women, helping them enter the fast-growing sustainable mobility sector.
Digital Africa, a French-backed initiative, is launching a $57 million fund to support African tech startups in 20 underserved markets often overshadowed by hubs such as Nigeria and Kenya. The fund will focus on early-stage ventures in healthcare, artificial intelligence and climate-related technologies.
Uganda’s Ministry of Technology has launched a call for local developers, universities and startups to submit software prototypes for the next generation of government IT systems. Applications are open until Saturday, May 30, ahead of an official presentation scheduled for June 25. The initiative aims to leverage local expertise to modernize public administration.
- Rwandan entrepreneur Benoit Ngabonziza co-founded CityMoshi, a mobile platform launched in 2024 for discovering and organizing local events.
- The application targets tourism, hospitality and social networking through physical community experiences.
- Ngabonziza also leads consulting and cultural ventures focused on intellectual property, investment and African heritage promotion.
Ngabonziza co-founded CityMoshi and currently serves as the platform’s chief executive officer.
Founded in 2024, CityMoshi operates as a mobile application designed to help users discover, create and join physical events organized around them. The platform seeks to connect individuals through real-world experiences while supporting tourism, hospitality and social interaction at regional and international levels.
The application offers a broad range of tools for both users and event organizers. Individuals can search for cultural activities and social outings, while organizers can plan private or community gatherings, manage invitations and monitor participant feedback. In addition, CityMoshi includes a dedicated memory-storage feature that allows users to revisit and preserve past experiences.
Alongside his technology activities, Ngabonziza serves as managing partner at BeneDico Consult, a consulting firm specializing in intellectual property, trade and investment. He also founded Ikiringo Africa Culture Hub, a social enterprise focused on promoting the cultural heritage of sub-Saharan Africa.
Ngabonziza earned a master’s degree in international economics and intellectual property in 2014 from Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University. He later obtained a doctorate in international management in 2024 from Geneva Business School.
Ngabonziza started his professional career in 2015 at Rwanda’s Ministry of Youth and ICT, where he served as director of youth empowerment and program coordination. In 2017, he continued his work within the Ministry of Youth as director of youth economic empowerment. His expertise later led him toward international organizations.
In 2021, he became a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Between 2022 and 2023, he also worked in Rwanda as a national entrepreneurship expert for Expertise France.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
- Tunisia Customs integrated an artificial intelligence module into its national customs selectivity system to improve fraud detection and cargo screening.
- The system uses machine learning algorithms to analyze customs data and identify high-risk transactions automatically.
- Tunisian authorities recorded nearly 4,000 customs cases in the first quarter of 2026, involving seized goods worth more than 51 million Tunisian dinars ($17.6 million).
Tunisia Customs has continued its digital transformation by integrating an artificial intelligence-based module into the country’s national customs selectivity system, as authorities seek to modernize border controls and improve trade processing efficiency.
The Directorate General of Customs announced the measure in a statement published on Saturday, May 16, following a meeting of the central customs risk management commission held in Tunis.
The new system relies on machine learning algorithms capable of processing large volumes of customs data to identify transactions that present elevated fraud risks automatically.
In practice, the platform analyzes several variables, including the nature of goods, their origin, declared value, import histories and the profiles of economic operators.
Through those predictive models, customs authorities aim to improve the accuracy of suspicious cargo targeting, reduce systematic manual inspections and accelerate the processing of compliant shipments.
The initiative comes as Tunisian authorities pursue a broader modernization of the customs chain to support foreign trade and improve administrative efficiency.
The Directorate General of Customs is also developing “Sinda 2,” a next-generation digital platform designed to connect the various government agencies involved in customs operations. Authorities expect the first phase of the project to enter service by the end of 2026.
At the same time, Tunisia has expanded international partnerships to accelerate customs digitalization efforts. In April, Tunisia Customs launched, in cooperation with South Korea, an integrated electronic system project aimed at further digitizing customs procedures and strengthening transparency in administrative exchanges with economic operators.
The modernization effort also reflects growing economic and security concerns. According to data released by Tunisia Customs, authorities registered nearly 4,000 customs-related cases during the first quarter of 2026. The value of seized goods exceeded 51 million Tunisian dinars ($17.6 million).
Authorities seized foreign currencies, gold, cartridges, clothing and smuggled goods during those operations. Through the integration of artificial intelligence, Tunisian authorities aim to improve customs risk management, reduce processing times and strengthen the country’s logistics competitiveness.
The initiative also reflects a broader trend across customs administrations, where automated analytics technologies increasingly serve as strategic tools to secure trade flows while facilitating legitimate commerce.
Samira Njoya
- Ugandan entrepreneur Hakiza Ronald co-founded Vestafi, a real estate co-acquisition platform launched in 2025.
- Vestafi allows members to pool capital to acquire apartments and receive shares of rental income.
- The platform operates through an invitation-only model designed to maintain network quality and investor selection standards.
Hakiza Ronald co-founded Vestafi in 2025 and currently serves as the company’s chief executive officer.
Vestafi operates through a private-circle model in which members pool financial resources to acquire residential properties and receive proportional shares of the rental income generated by those assets.
According to the company, several properties in its portfolio already operate commercially and distribute dividends to participants.
Vestafi adopted an invitation-only structure to preserve the quality of its network and investor base. The registration process remains relatively straightforward. Applicants submit membership requests, and Vestafi’s team manually reviews each profile before granting access.
Once the company validates a profile, members gain access to a private platform where they can review detailed apartment listings and freely select both investment assets and contribution amounts.
Hakiza Ronald also serves on the board of Golden Boots Uganda, an organization that develops community programs focused on healthcare, sports and professional integration. Before launching Vestafi, he co-founded UgaBus in 2016, a startup specializing in travel technology solutions. Hakiza Ronald graduated from Makerere University and started his professional career in 2010 as a project manager at Straight Talk Foundation, an organization specializing in communication for social change. From 2017 to 2025, he also served on the advisory committee of Mr. Gift Uganda, a last-mile flower delivery platform.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum
German programme develoPPP Ventures has launched a competition targeting early-stage African startups. Companies operating in countries including Côte d'Ivoire and Rwanda can receive up to €100,000 in non-dilutive funding. Applicants must already be generating revenue and secure matching funding from an external investor. Applications close on June 30.
Microsoft, Google.org, the Gates Foundation and the Masakhane Research Foundation have launched a call for proposals, open until Monday, June 15, aimed at advancing artificial intelligence in Africa.
Known as LINGUA Africa, the programme will fund local universities and companies to develop AI tools and datasets in African languages. The initiative aims to make AI more accessible across key sectors such as healthcare, education and agriculture.
Global tech conference Web Summit will hold its first African edition in Cape Verde this December, marking a milestone for the island nation’s growing digital ambitions. Organizers said the country was chosen for its investments in the digital sector and its strategic geographic position. The event is expected to bring together African entrepreneurs, investors and global tech players to strengthen innovation across the continent.
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Togolese startup DoctaMob launched a health “super-app” that centralizes medical appointments, teleassistance, ambulance requests and pharmacy services.
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The platform seeks to address structural healthcare access challenges in Togo through digitalization and mobile-based services.
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DoctaMob plans to expand beyond Togo as West African healthtech adoption accelerates.
Togo-based startup DoctaMob has launched a digital health platform in Lomé that aims to simplify access to healthcare services through web and mobile applications.
The company positions the platform as a healthcare “super-app” inspired by international models such as Doctolib, while adapting the model to local market realities.
Available on Android and iOS, DoctaMob allows users to book medical appointments online, locate healthcare facilities, identify on-duty pharmacies, request ambulances and arrange home-based care services. The platform also integrates teleassistance features and remote medical advice services.
DoctaMob has centered its business model on digitizing the patient care journey. The startup aims to reduce several structural constraints in Togo’s healthcare system, including long waiting times for healthcare professionals, fragmented access to medical information and patient mobility limitations.
In parallel, DoctaMob seeks to strengthen trust in its healthcare ecosystem. According to the company’s promoters, healthcare professionals listed on the platform must provide supporting credentials and undergo verification procedures before the platform validates their profiles.
The platform references doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other practitioners through a control system designed to limit fake profiles and uncertified medical services.
DoctaMob operates within a broader expansion of healthtech solutions across West Africa, alongside platforms such as Rivia, ASKcare and Kénèya Koura.
As smartphone penetration, mobile money adoption and digital usage continue to rise, several African startups have accelerated efforts to improve healthcare access through platforms that combine teleconsultation, medical geolocation services and digital healthcare management.
Beyond Togo, DoctaMob has outlined regional growth ambitions. The startup’s founders plan to gradually expand the application into other African markets facing similar healthcare access and medical service coordination challenges.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
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Between 4,000 and 5,000 parcels transit Mauritius each day, a volume driven by online purchases and international e-commerce platforms.
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Junior Finance Minister Dhaneshwar Damry and MRA Director General Rohit Ramnawaz met with a Korean Customs Service delegation on Friday, May 15, to discuss risk management systems and advanced parcel-processing technologies.
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The Mauritius Revenue Authority is rolling out advanced scanning systems to detect drugs, weapons and prohibited goods, alongside automated risk management tools.
Mauritius is moving to tighten control over its postal flows through digital tools, as the country grapples with a sharp rise in e-commerce parcels and a growing wave of illicit trafficking.
The issue dominated a meeting held Friday, May 15, between junior Finance Minister Dhaneshwar Damry, Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) Director General Rohit Ramnawaz, and a delegation from the Korean Customs Service.
The discussions focused on strengthening risk management systems and integrating advanced technologies into the processing of incoming parcels. Mauritian authorities want to sharpen detection capabilities for drugs, weapons and fraudulent goods through scanning equipment and automated analysis. "The government's vision is to digitalize government services in order to improve their efficiency and effectiveness, while managing the growing risks linked to drug trafficking and illicit products," Damry said after the meeting.
This cooperation comes against the backdrop of fast-rising e-commerce activity on the island. According to customs authorities, between 4,000 and 5,000 parcels transit Mauritius each day, a volume pushed higher by online purchases and international e-commerce platforms. That growth complicates the work of control services, which now face increasingly sophisticated fraud methods — particularly the under-valuation of goods and the concealment of prohibited products inside postal shipments.
The initiative builds on years of government investment in modernizing customs and tax services. The Mauritius Revenue Authority has launched several projects covering the automation of clearance procedures, digital risk management and tighter control of incoming parcels. The agency is also working on advanced scanning systems designed to detect drugs, weapons and other prohibited goods more effectively. Beyond domestic efforts, the authorities are relying on international cooperation to modernize control infrastructure, speed up the processing of goods and secure trade flows.
Samira Njoya
Investor 216 Capital announced last week that it has backed EYST, a Tunisian insurance technology company. Through EYST’s platform, policyholders instantly receive a virtual debit card preloaded with their reimbursement funds. Instead of paying out of pocket for medical or repair costs and waiting to be reimbursed, customers can access the money immediately. The innovation reduces wait times and paperwork while helping insurers strengthen fraud prevention.
Africa Global Logistics is partnering with the REasy platform to launch a shared container shipping service between China and Cameroon. The solution allows small businesses to combine shipments in a single container to reduce shipping costs. The platform includes digital payments, package tracking and customs clearance services, simplifying imports for local merchants.
Women entrepreneurs in Africa can apply until June 16 for the Cartier Women’s Initiative, an international competition that supports women-led businesses with social or environmental impact. Selected candidates will receive leadership and business management coaching, while winners will receive up to $100,000 in funding.