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Sloom’s founder on building a mattress business from scratch
Rudo Kemp already knew the mattress business when he decided to start Sloom. He had worked in bed retail and later spent time at a foam factory. That experience showed him how mattresses moved through the industry, how companies made them and where customers struggled when choosing one. One problem stood out to Kemp. People
Kuda is moving on from the ‘bank of the free’ pitch
When Kuda launched in Nigeria in 2019, it did not need a complicated pitch. Bank from your phone. Send money without the usual fees. Forget the queues and branch visits. The company called itself the “bank of the free”, and the message stuck. So did the purple branding and the standalone “K”. Seven years later,
Ridima and Chowdeck turn food delivery bags into a new way to reach customers
A food delivery bag does not normally have much to do with fintech. For Ridima, it became another way to get its name in front of potential customers. On 28 April 2026, Ridima and Chowdeck announced a marketing partnership that put both brands on delivery bags used for Chowdeck orders. The companies printed 10,000 co-branded
Nigeria expands AI training as businesses look for people with new skills
Nigeria is putting more focus on AI training, with Meta joining the government and local technology groups on a new programme aimed at building more technical skills. Meta has partnered with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the 3 Million Technical Talent programme (3MTT), the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Ethiopia’s $12.5 billion airport could give SMEs more room to grow
When a country spends $12.5 billion on an airport, most of the attention goes to the companies building it. Ethiopia’s Bishoftu International Airport is attracting some of the biggest construction companies from China, Europe, the Middle East, Türkiye, India and Russia. But there is another part of the project that is easier to overlook. The
Where AI can actually help South African SMEs
AI is becoming easier for small businesses to access. The problem is working out where it is actually useful. For a small business owner, there are already enough things to deal with. Customers are sending WhatsApp messages. Suppliers need to be paid. Staff need to be managed. Sales leads need follow-ups. Then there is the
Pouchers raises $500,000 as it exits beta
Nigerian fintech Pouchers has raised $500,000 in pre seed funding as it moves out of beta and prepares to expand its financial services. Stack Directory LLC led the round. The funding comes as Pouchers starts scaling beyond its early users. Pouchers is building financial products around dollar-denominated payments. Users can hold and move value in
Chocolate City opens $1 million fund for creative startups
Chocolate City is putting $1 million into startups working in Africa’s creative industries. The Nigerian entertainment company has opened applications for the first cohort of its Founders Fund Africa Creative Economy Accelerator, with 10 startups set to receive between $20,000 and $50,000 each. Applications close on 28 August 2026. The programme is aimed at businesses
Nigerian defence-tech startup expands drone production into Ghana
Nigerian defence-tech startup Terra Industries is expanding into Ghana with a new manufacturing facility for drones and other autonomous systems. The company has raised $34 million in funding so far, with the latest $22 million extension led by US venture capital firm Lux Capital. Its previous $11.75 million round was led by 8VC. Terra develops
Tanzania’s $2.9 billion power project could give businesses more room to grow
Tanzania has spent about $2.9 billion on the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project. With a capacity of 2,115MW, the dam gives the country a much bigger power supply to work with. It was fully commissioned in March 2025, while President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to officially inaugurate it on 22 August 2026. The interesting part
Should Small Businesses Hire for Skills or Experience?
When a small business needs to hire someone, there is usually a simple problem behind it. The work needs to get done, but there is only so much money available to bring someone in. That is why experience can look like the obvious choice. If one candidate has eight years of experience and another has
Nigeria wants to put $1 billion into local sugar production
Nigeria wants to put about $1 billion into its sugar industry as it tries to produce more sugar locally and reduce what it spends on imports. The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) says the investment pipeline includes a $1 billion engineering, procurement and construction-plus finance agreement with China's SINOMACH. There is also a ₦10 billion
Ghana puts $10 billion behind agriculture and agro-processing
Ghana plans to spend $10 billion over the next four years across seven sectors, with agriculture and agro processing taking half of the money. The size of the programme makes it a major government investment story. But there is another part worth watching: what it could mean for Ghana's smaller businesses. President John Mahama announced
Condia brings Africa’s cross-border payment problems to Lagos
Cross border payments remain one of the less obvious problems for African businesses trying to expand. A company can have customers in Nigeria, suppliers in Kenya and a team in South Africa, but moving money between those markets is not always straightforward. There are different currencies, banking systems, foreign exchange costs and licensing rules to
Shatta Wale is betting on WAYA to break into Ghana’s messaging market
Shatta Wale is taking another step outside music, this time with a messaging app. The Ghanaian artist is behind WAYA, a platform that lets users chat, send voice notes and photos, create groups and make voice calls. WAYA is still being tested. Shatta Wale announced it in July and invited Android users to try the
Silver Lake weighs $50 billion-plus takeover of Workday
Silver Lake is reportedly in talks to buy Workday in a deal that could be worth more than $50 billion. Silver Lake is discussing a possible acquisition with Workday, according to people familiar with the matter. The talks have been taking place for several months. No agreement has been reached yet. The people said a
Cascador and Nigeria’s youth ministry launch funding programme for young founders
Twenty Nigerian founders will get four weeks to work on their businesses, prepare for investors and compete for funding of up to ₦5 million under a new programme from Cascador and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development. The NiYA × Cascador Founders Program is being run through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), the government’s digital
World Bank puts $25 million into Jumia as Africa’s e-commerce market shifts
Jumia is getting $25 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as it puts more money into its online marketplace and logistics operations in Africa. The IFC investment is part of a $50 million equity raise, with other investors also putting money into the company. For Jumia, this is less about simply having more cash
Zambia’s copper boom could give local SMEs a bigger role
When people talk about Zambia's copper industry, the conversation usually goes straight to the big mining companies and how much copper the country can produce. For small businesses, there is another side to it. If mining activity increases, somebody has to supply the mines. That could be a transport company in Copperbelt, a small engineering
Friday Sales Funnel: How Startups Can Turn Unused Leads Into New Sales
One of the easiest things for a startup to do is chase another lead. The harder part is going back to the people who already showed interest. A customer asked for a quotation on Monday. Someone sent an enquiry through the website. Another person spoke to a salesperson but never came back. Someone else said