The Kenyan startup Zuri Health is expanding its mobile clinic fleet in Nairobi with three new buses equipped for diagnostics, dental care and cervical cancer screening. Deployed in busy areas, these solar-powered, self-sufficient units bring healthcare closer to low-income workers, reducing travel and time away from work. Consultations start at 500 Kenyan shillings (about $4).

• z.systems connects brands, distributors, retailers and consumers through a B2B2C platform
• Startup raised $1.65 million to expand and scale its digital retail ecosystem
• Company targets Africa’s fragmented and largely informal retail market

z.systems operates as an e-commerce startup offering a business-to-business-to-customer (B2B2C) platform. The platform connects brands, distributors, retailers and consumers within a single ecosystem. The Casablanca-based startup was founded in 2022 by Samer Choumar, Meriem Benabad, Youssef Haddouch, Reda Nebri and Youssef Drafate.

“On one side, we connect brands directly with retailers through the Z platform, which ensures product availability, price control and in-store visibility, while reducing the costs and complexity of traditional distribution,” the company said. It added: “On the other side, we attract consumers to Z retailers through dynamic promotions, gamified loyalty programs and deferred payment options, thereby recreating the modern retail experience in the informal retail sector.”

The solution relies on a full-stack approach built around several applications. It includes a mobile application for retailers, a web platform for partners and an e-commerce application for consumers.

Retailers can order products directly from brands, monitor inventory and access additional services such as loyalty programs and payment solutions.

Meanwhile, brands gain greater visibility over sales and can manage campaigns in real time. At the same time, consumers access personalized offers and incentive mechanisms such as rewards and deferred payment. At the core of its model, z.systems leverages data to optimize operations and improve performance across stakeholders.

The startup has secured backing from several investors and recently raised $1.65 million to accelerate its development and expand into new markets. Over the long term, z.systems aims to transform neighborhood shops into a structured and connected network capable of competing with modern distribution channels while preserving their local roots.

This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum

• Mozambique collaborates with the European Union under the TAIEX program to boost cybersecurity capacity.
• Five INTIC cyber incident response technicians undergo training in Portugal.
• Country ranks mid-tier in global cybersecurity index despite progress in cooperation and organization.

African countries are intensifying efforts to strengthen cybersecurity, as governments increasingly view it as essential to fully capture the benefits of digital transformation.

Mozambican authorities are relying on European expertise to reinforce cybersecurity. The government is advancing efforts to protect its national cyberspace against rising threats linked to accelerated digital transformation.

The Instituto Nacional de Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (INTIC) disclosed the initiative on Monday, April 13. The program forms part of the European Commission’s TAIEX instrument, which provides technical assistance and information exchange to share European Union best practices and support institutional and legal reforms in partner countries.

Under the initiative, a team of five technicians from INTIC’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) is currently in Lisbon. The team is conducting a study visit and intensive training with Portugal’s National Cybersecurity Centre (CNCS), with a particular focus on exchanges with CERT.PT. The mission aims to strengthen technical skills, enhance incident response capacity and promote international best practices.

The partnership also includes a second phase. European experts will travel to Mozambique to continue capacity-building activities on site and ensure knowledge transfer adapts to local conditions. In addition, the cooperation will support the development of public policies aligned with international standards, particularly in combating digital fraud and online identity theft.

Through this partnership, Mozambique is expanding its reliance on international expertise to secure its national cyberspace. The country strengthened ties with the United States in February, which the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) considers a global benchmark in cybersecurity. In November 2025, Maputo signed a memorandum of understanding with Togo covering technical and operational capacity building for both countries’ CSIRTs, information sharing on emerging threats and the exchange of best practices.

Mozambique also participates in several international frameworks that provide a basis for cooperation. These include the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention) and the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. The partnership with the European Union is expected to facilitate Mozambique’s access to the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), a global association of cybersecurity incident response teams.

For now, Mozambique ranks in the third tier out of five in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index in 2024, with a score of 66.05 out of 100. While the country shows relatively strong performance in organizational measures and cooperation, challenges remain in legal frameworks, technical capabilities and capacity development.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum

• Orange plans to invest more than €5 billion in Africa and the Middle East between 2026 and 2028.

• The group targets over 40 million new 4G and 5G users by 2028.

• Africa and the Middle East generated €8.4 billion in revenue in 2025, up 12.2%, leading group growth.

As its historical European markets reach maturity, Orange shifts its center of gravity toward Africa and the Middle East. The French telecommunications group plans to invest more than €5 billion between 2026 and 2028, double its fibre customer base and build more than 15,000 new telecom sites in rural areas under its new strategic plan, “Trust the Future.”

A Strategy Built on Trust and Innovation

Orange presented the plan to the international press on April 8, 2026, in Casablanca, Morocco. The strategy focuses on trust and rests on three ambitions: customer proximity, growth through innovation and excellence at scale.

Chief Executive Officer Christel Heydemann said the group aims to reassure customers on service availability, quality, usefulness and reliability, particularly in high-speed connectivity, which underpins digital transformation.

“In a world where digital complexity and risks increase, expectations for service quality, security and simplicity evolve rapidly, while AI transforms every sector. In this context, trust becomes a decisive criterion. ‘Trust the Future’ materializes Orange’s advantage in trust through reliable networks, built-in cybersecurity, responsible data and AI practices, and seamless user experiences. Trust forms the foundation on which the Group will build its future,” the company said.

Orange bases its growth ambitions in Africa on the continent’s ongoing transformation. Mobile technology already acts as a key driver of economic and social development.

The mobile ecosystem accounted for 7.7% of GDP, or $220 billion, in 2024, and it could reach $270 billion by 2030, according to the GSM Association (GSMA).

This momentum reflects several structural trends, including a young and fast-growing population, rising digital usage, increasing adoption of data-driven services, expansion of 4G and 5G networks, continued growth in mobile financial services and stronger demand for accessible and locally relevant solutions.

Under this strategy, Orange targets more than 40 million additional 4G and 5G users by 2028. In 2025, the operator reported 179 million customers across its 17 African markets and Jordan, an increase of 14 million subscribers in one year. The group also counted more than 90 million 4G users, while it offered 5G services in seven markets: Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Senegal, Botswana and Madagascar. Its fibre and fixed broadband base reached 4.8 million customers.

Expanding Beyond Connectivity

Orange’s expansion in Africa extends beyond network infrastructure. The group aims to position the continent as a growth driver for higher value-added services, including mobile finance, super apps, cloud computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and enterprise services.

The company targets double-digit growth in its business-to-business segment, with a focus on IT services. It also plans to integrate AI and language models across both network operations and commercial offerings.

The strategy aims not only to connect users but also to capture a larger share of the digital value generated across the continent. This importance already reflects in the group’s financial results. In 2025, Africa and the Middle East contributed the most to Orange’s growth, generating €8.4 billion in revenue, up 12.2%. EBITDAaL also increased by 13.9%.

However, Orange faces potential headwinds in Africa. The World Bank Group’s latest semiannual report on Sub-Saharan Africa, published on April 8, 2026, forecasts regional growth at 4.1% in 2026, unchanged from 2025, while highlighting rising downside risks.

Higher prices for fuel, food and fertilizers, combined with tighter financial conditions, could drive inflation higher, disrupt economic activity and disproportionately affect vulnerable households, which allocate a larger share of income to food and energy.

This article was initially published in French by Muriel EDJO

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum