• Kenyan startup VunaPay helps cooperatives and smallholder farmers secure income through digital harvest tracking, data management and faster payments.

• The company, founded in 2023, aims to improve transparency, operational efficiency and cash flow across agricultural value chains.

• Founder and CEO Gatwĩri Njogu-Mokaya previously held senior business development and strategy roles at Oracle across Africa.

Kenyan entrepreneur Gatwĩri Njogu-Mokaya, co-founder and chief executive officer of VunaPay, leads a startup that supports agricultural cooperatives and smallholder farmers.

Founded in 2023, VunaPay helps producers secure their income through more efficient and transparent management practices. The company works closely with cooperatives to optimize harvest collection, centralize operational data and streamline income payments.

VunaPay structures its solution around three core services. The first service focuses on agricultural produce collection. The company provides tools that automate and simplify harvest registration when farmers deliver produce to cooperatives. This approach reduces manual processes and saves time for agricultural organizations.

The second service focuses on information management. VunaPay enables cooperatives to maintain accurate and up-to-date records on farmers, delivered volumes and available inventories. This centralized data management improves operational monitoring and strengthens transparency within cooperative structures.

The third pillar of the business focuses on payments. VunaPay launched its platform to address one of agriculture’s most persistent challenges: payment delays. The company offers a system that enables farmers to receive payments more quickly after delivering their produce. As a result, farmers improve their cash flow and gain faster access to their earnings.

Before launching her entrepreneurial venture, Gatwĩri Njogu-Mokaya built an international academic and professional career. She earned a master's degree in Medical Technology and Clinical Forensic Medicine from Michigan State University. She also began her professional career there in 2001 as a customer service representative for the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research.

Subsequently, she joined Oracle, the U.S. technology company specializing in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure, where she worked from 2017 to 2022. During her tenure, she served as Business Development Manager for the Public Sector in Africa, Director of Industry Strategy and Transformation, and Director of Business Development and Customer Experience for Africa.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum

• Mauritius has launched a nationwide project to digitize more than 10.5 million social security records and integrate them into its future E-Social Security platform.

• Social protection spending reached 91.4 billion Mauritian rupees ($1.9 billion) in fiscal year 2024-25, representing 37.4% of total government expenditure and 12.8% of GDP.

• Authorities expect the digital transformation to improve administrative efficiency, strengthen financial oversight and support the long-term sustainability of the pension system.

Mauritius has officially begun the digital transformation of its social security system after thirteen years of waiting. The government formally launched the digitization program for social benefit beneficiary records on May 27 under the “Bulk Scanning of Beneficiary Files” project.

The initiative aims to integrate more than 10.5 million documents into the future E-Social Security system.

The project comes as social protection remains one of the largest components of public expenditure in Mauritius. Official data show that social protection spending reached 91.4 billion Mauritian rupees ($1.9 billion) during fiscal year 2024-25, accounting for 37.4% of total government expenditure and 12.8% of gross domestic product.

As of June 2025, 279,559 people received the Basic Retirement Pension. Until now, authorities have managed a large share of social benefits through paper-based archives. In some Social Security offices, files accumulated from floor to ceiling and complicated the daily work of employees responsible for pensions, social assistance and contributor records, according to Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity Ashok Subron.

Administration Set to Gain Efficiency

The project will gradually digitize all records related to pensions, social assistance programs, disability benefits, as well as members of the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and the National Solidarity Fund (NSF). Authorities estimate that the complete integration of data will require approximately 18 months.

Every month, government agencies process nearly 800,000 payments for at least 350,000 beneficiaries. Against this backdrop, digital procedures offer significant potential to improve public service delivery.

Instant access to information should reduce application-processing times, lower errors associated with manual operations and improve working conditions for public-sector employees.

Consequently, authorities expect the modernization effort to make public services more efficient and accessible.

A Tool to Support Long-Term Sustainability

Beyond operational gains, the project also addresses long-term financial concerns. The reform comes as Mauritius undertakes a gradual restructuring of its pension system. The 2025-26 budget includes a phased increase in the eligibility age for the Basic Retirement Pension from 60 to 65 years.

Authorities introduced the measure to address population aging and rising fiscal pressures.

Meanwhile, several observers have highlighted structural weaknesses in the financing of pensions and social assistance programs. They have also raised concerns about the sustainability, intergenerational fairness and economic coherence of the generalized social contribution scheme that authorities introduced during the COVID-19 crisis.

In this environment, a centralized database could improve beneficiary monitoring, accelerate the identification of duplicate records and administrative anomalies, and provide greater visibility into financial flows.

These capabilities have become increasingly important for managing a system that represents more than one-third of national public expenditure.

Another Pillar of Mauritius’ Digital Strategy

The E-Social Security project also forms part of the Mauritian government’s broader digital roadmap. The administration has placed administrative modernization, transparency and public-sector governance at the center of its policy agenda.

The initiative mirrors a broader trend across Africa, where governments are investing in digital social registries to improve the targeting of public assistance, reduce inclusion and exclusion errors, and strengthen the effectiveness of social policies.

For Mauritius, the objective extends beyond the digitization of paper archives. Authorities aim to build a data infrastructure capable of supporting the future evolution of the social protection system and improving public decision-making as demographic and budgetary pressures intensify.

Challenges of the Digital Transition

However, the success of the project will depend on several factors. Cybersecurity remains one of the most significant challenges. The centralization of sensitive information concerning hundreds of thousands of citizens requires robust safeguards against cyberattacks and data breaches.

Authorities must also ensure compliance with personal data protection requirements, support public employees during the adoption of new digital tools and maintain access to services for vulnerable populations, particularly older citizens.

If authorities meet these conditions, the social security digitalization program could become one of the flagship projects of Mauritius’ administrative modernization agenda and strengthen the effectiveness of a system that remains a cornerstone of national solidarity.

Muriel EDJO

• Kenya aims to increase international tourist arrivals from 3 million to 5 million and boost tourism revenue by 50% under its new tourism strategy.

• Google Kenya and the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife signed a partnership focused on digital skills, artificial intelligence infrastructure and global marketing campaigns.

• Authorities plan to use AI, cloud technology and data analytics to strengthen Kenya’s competitiveness and expand tourism-related economic growth.

The East African nation has officially launched its new tourism strategy, "Magical Kenya – The Origin of Wonder," an ambitious roadmap that aims to increase international visitor arrivals from 3 million to 5 million and raise tourism revenue by 50%. Authorities plan to achieve those objectives through digital transformation initiatives and global technology partnerships.

At the center of the strategy, Google Kenya and Tourism and Wildlife Minister Rebecca Miano signed a partnership agreement on May 29. The memorandum of collaboration establishes joint investments across three key areas: digital skills development and youth empowerment, artificial intelligence infrastructure deployment through Google Cloud, and enhanced international visibility through Google Ads and market intelligence tools.

The program will run from May through December 2026. The initiative will rely on implementation partners including The Africa Growth Lab and Action Lab. The program will follow several phases, beginning with the development of technological and organizational foundations, continuing with the activation of the ministry’s cloud infrastructure and culminating in global marketing campaigns.

Consequently, authorities expect the initiative to transform Kenya’s tourism industry into a more competitive and digitally driven engine of economic growth.

Kenya Strengthens Its Tourism Appeal

To support the transformation, authorities have established a 22-member task force. The group will redesign the positioning of the "Magical Kenya" brand, strengthen the country’s international appeal and develop innovative strategies to boost tourist arrivals and youth employment.

During the signing ceremony, Minister Rebecca Miano welcomed the strategic collaboration and highlighted the central role of digital technology in diversifying Kenya’s tourism offering.

According to Miano, technology integration will help authorities better showcase all 47 counties through tourism experience mapping and the creation of more personalized visitor journeys.

Through the partnership, Kenya is reinforcing its position as one of Africa’s most advanced adopters of digital technologies for economic development.

By investing in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure and digital marketing, Nairobi aims to strengthen its competitiveness against leading global tourism destinations.

The strategy aligns with broader continental trends. Several African destinations, including Tanzania, Rwanda and South Africa, have accelerated investments in digital marketing and online booking platforms.

Kenya now aims to convert its established international reputation into more structured tourism revenues by leveraging Google's distribution capabilities and data analytics tools.

Authorities will evaluate the initiative’s effectiveness through the end of 2026, when the first global marketing campaigns are expected to become fully operational.

Muriel EDJO

• Côte d’Ivoire plans to establish a public university dedicated to artificial intelligence under its National Development Plan (PND) 2026–2030.

• The initiative forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen digital sovereignty, develop local technology talent and support economic transformation.

• The government has allocated more than CFA114.8 trillion ($204 billion) to the PND, including major investments in digital infrastructure, higher education and public-sector digitalization.

Côte d’Ivoire is placing artificial intelligence at the center of its development agenda as the country seeks to address an urgent shortage of digital skills and strengthen its technological sovereignty.

The government plans to establish a public university dedicated to artificial intelligence under its National Development Plan (PND) 2026–2030, recently presented by Souleymane Diarrassouba.

The initiative aims to align the education system with the needs of an economy increasingly driven by data, automation and emerging technologies.

The proposed AI university forms part of a broader higher education expansion program.

Ivorian authorities plan to build new universities in Abengourou, Daoukro and Dabou. Authorities also plan to establish several university technology institutes.

The government pursues two objectives. First, it seeks to increase enrollment capacity. Second, it aims to direct more academic programs toward sectors considered critical for growth, including digital technology, agro-industry, mining, healthcare and services.

Beyond expanding the university system, the initiative supports the implementation of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy through 2030.

Authorities launched the framework last year and positioned artificial intelligence as a driver of digital sovereignty and economic competitiveness.

The strategy also provides for the creation of AI-focused centers of excellence within universities and technical institutions. These centers will support advanced training, applied research and technological innovation.

The planned curriculum will cover several key disciplines, including data science, machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision and intelligent systems.

Authorities aim to build a skills pipeline that reflects market demand at a time when demand for specialized technology professionals significantly exceeds available supply.

Consequently, the university could play a critical role in narrowing the country’s digital talent gap and supporting the growth of a domestic technology ecosystem.

The PND 2026–2030 allocates more than CFA114.8 trillion, equivalent to approximately $204 billion, to support the country’s long-term development agenda.

The plan also includes major investments in digital infrastructure.

Authorities intend to expand fiber-optic networks, develop data centers and deploy resilient technology solutions. At the same time, the government plans to accelerate the digitalization of public administration.

Within this broader framework, the artificial intelligence university represents a foundational component of an ecosystem that remains under construction.

The institution should strengthen links between academic training and productive sectors while enhancing research capabilities and encouraging the development of locally designed technological solutions.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum