👨🏿‍🚀TechCabal Daily – Zedcrest acquires Leatherback
In today's edition: Zedcrest acquires Leatherback || Kenyan courts shut out unlicenced lenders || Africa wants localised AI models || Vodacom’s mobile money boom
Tech
Vodacom’s $548 billion mobile money business shows fintech is driving its future
The Safaricom transaction not only expands its geographic footprint but also accelerates its ambition to become a leading pan-African fintech player.
AI is making it harder to hide income from South Africa’s taxman
Beyond improving tax collection, it offers a glimpse into how algorithmic decision-making is reshaping public institutions and the relationship between citizens and the state.
African venture capital is backing fewer founders than ever
Rather than being spread across hundreds of young companies, venture capital is increasingly concentrating in a small group of mature businesses with proven business models and established revenues.
Airtel Money Kenya chief exits months before planned London listing
Her departure comes weeks after Airtel Kenya appointed a new managing director and days after Safaricom announced the exit of its top financial services executive.
Zedcrest Group acquires cross-border payments startup Leatherback in global fintech push
The acquisition formalises a relationship that began in 2021 when Zedcrest participated in Leatherback’s $10 million pre-seed funding.
Unlicenced Kenya’s digital lenders cannot recover loans after court ruling
The rulings suggest that lenders operating without a CBK digital credit provider licence may struggle to enforce loan contracts, raising the commercial risks of lending before obtaining regulatory approval.
The Next Wave: Africa’s payment rails have a participation problem
Speed made instant payments possible, but the harder task now is deciding who gets access to the rails, on what terms, and who controls the points where those rails meet.
👨🏿‍🚀TechCabal Daily – E-buses in Cape Town
In today's edition: Airtel’s share buyback plan || Cape Town now has e-buses || Kenya finalises crypto rules || Kenya’s eTIMS’ downtime
Digital Nomads: Eseandre Otomiewor built a $100,000 business. Then started over in the US.
Somewhere in Eseandre Otomiewor's memory is an alternate version of his life in which he is, by his own joking estimate, a billionaire.