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Catalyst Fund adds $30M for climate startups
Catalyst Fund has completed the second close of its latest fund, taking total commitments to $30 million as it works towards a final target of $40 million. The venture capital firm invests in early stage African startups developing technologies that help businesses and communities deal with climate related challenges. Once fundraising is complete, the fund
Novastar joins Google's AI startup lab
Novastar Ventures has become a venture partner in the Google Africa Applied AI Lab. The move adds the investment firm to the programme's network of investors working with AI startups across Africa. Novastar will advise founders in the lab on raising capital and growing their businesses. Google will continue to provide technical expertise, training and
Chery Opens South African Manufacturing Plant at Former Nissan Facility in Rosslyn
Chinese automotive manufacturer Chery has officially launched its first South African manufacturing facility at the former Nissan plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria, marking a major milestone in the company's expansion strategy on the continent. The launch follows an agreement announced in January under which Chery acquired Nissan South Africa's manufacturing assets. The investment transforms Chery from
Founder Fridays: SmartMine X
Long before founding SmartMine X, Pardon Chindito had built a career developing enterprise software, point of sale systems, pc.ai and school management platforms and artificial intelligence solutions across Southern Africa. It was only after returning to Zimbabwe to help manage his family's small-scale mining operation that he encountered an industry where many day to day
Too Little Energy, Too Late? South Africa’s Painful De-Industrialisation Amid Eskom’s “Profitability”
South Africa is bleeding manufacturing jobs and industrial capacity while government, Eskom, and NERSA celebrate incremental improvements in the power system. The country has suffered multiple energy crises over more than a decade, yet meaningful structural reform has been excruciatingly slow. The question must be asked: why has it taken so many corporate failures, factory
South Africa’s Solar PV Industry Surpasses 10 GW Milestone
The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has released its Annual Report for the 2025/26 financial year, highlighting a transformative period for the country’s solar sector. South Africa crossed a major milestone by surpassing 10.12 GW of installed solar PV capacity, representing a positive 19% year-on-year growth. This achievement cements the country’s position as Africa’s
Kenyan AI Startup Fikra Launches Platform to Lower the Cost of AI Development
Kenyan artificial intelligence startup Fikra has launched an OpenAI-compatible inference API designed to make AI development more accessible to developers and startups across Africa. Founded earlier this year by James Miano, the startup enables developers to access large language models through a single API while paying in local markets using mobile money rather than international
LemFi Acquires Wealth8 to Expand into Wealth Management
Nigerian-founded fintech startup LemFi has received approval from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority to acquire investment platform Wealth8, opening the door for the startup to expand beyond cross-border payments into wealth management. The acquisition adds investment services to LemFi's existing portfolio of international money transfers, savings and credit products, broadening its offering for customers living
Effective Sales Strategies to Help Startups Win Their First Customers
Getting a product to market is a big milestone for any startup. After months of building, testing and making changes, founders launch the website and announce the product. Then comes the real test: finding people who are willing to pay for it. Many founders discover that building a product is only half the job. Selling
The Mining Wrap
Mining technology, startups, strategic investment, exploration and critical minerals continue to drive activity across Africa's mining sector. Recent developments include AI innovation, corporate restructuring, new exploration projects and downstream investments aimed at improving productivity and expanding mineral value addition. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has opened applications for the timbuktoo Pan-African MineTech Startup Incubation
Google Play launches $1million Indie Games Fund
Google Play has today launched its first Indie Games Fund, committing $1 million to support rising, innovative game studios from across 32 countries in Africa to scale their games and reach a global audience. The fund provides equity-free capital, technical support, and expert mentorship empowering African game developers with the skills and resources they need
Breaking News Today – Friday 3 July 2026
African Start-up News Headlines: Business News Today Nigeria Joins IEA as First OPEC Member – Strategic Shift for Africa’s Largest Oil Producer Nigeria has officially become the first OPEC member to join the International Energy Agency (IEA) as an Associate member. This marks a significant geopolitical and energy policy development for Africa’s biggest oil producer.
Nigeria Opens Applications for iDICE Founders Lab
Founders of early stage startups in Nigeria can now apply for the second cohort of the iDICE Startup Bridge Founders Lab. The programme offers business training, mentorship and access to grant funding. It is open to entrepreneurs who are building new businesses or developing early stage products. The Founders Lab is part of the Federal
M-PESA Sets Its Sights on Kenya's Credit Market
M-PESA changed how people move money in Kenya. Safaricom now believes the next challenge is helping more people borrow it. The company is looking at the country's lending market, where many small businesses and households still struggle to get affordable credit. Banks remain cautious, particularly when dealing with borrowers who cannot provide collateral, audited financial
Craydel Enters Ghana's Student Recruitment Market
Pan-African education technology startup Craydel has entered the Ghanaian market, adding another destination to its growing presence across the continent as more African students pursue higher education abroad. The expansion gives the startup operations in eight African countries Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Tanzania and Ghana. It is also Craydel's fifth market launch since
Bitcoin Lost 20% in June. Here's What Changed.
Bitcoin had a tough June, ending the month about 20% lower than where it started. There was no single reason behind the decline. Instead, several developments weighed on the market over the course of the month, making it difficult for Bitcoin to recover after each drop. Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have been a major
South Africa’s Automotive Sector Maintains Momentum in June 2026 Despite Headwinds
The South African new vehicle market delivered another solid performance in June 2026, with domestic sales reaching 54,482 units — the strongest June monthly result since 2007. This represents a robust 15.3% increase (7,213 units) compared to June 2025, according to data released by naamsa on 1 July 2026. Year-to-Date Performance (First Half 2026) The
South Africa’s Startup Ecosystem: Strong Foundations, Regulatory Bottlenecks, and the Promise of the SA Startup Act
South Africa’s startup ecosystem stands at a critical economic juncture. With a stagnant economy but positive small indicators of potential, combined with dwindling manufacturing and mining activities, predominantly hampered by regulatory strangle holds. The country also boasts a deep talent pool, sophisticated financial markets, with established innovation hubs in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and a
GoTyme Bank’s SME Outlook for Q3 2026
South African SMEs enter the third quarter with a little more macro stability, but no easy growth story. There’s very little room for complacency. Yes, the country avoided a stall and the economy is still growing, but slowly. Inflation has moved back up, fuel is biting again, interest rates remain tough, and consumers are still
What Made Africa's Most Successful Start-ups Different
The narrative of the African tech ecosystem is usually told through a lens of raw potential. But the true story of its most successful startups is far more pragmatic. It is a story of building core infrastructure where none existed. In Western markets, tech startups typically build layers of software on top of decades-old infrastructure.