On 14 August, Airtel Africa and Starlink launched Starlink Mobile in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The service will allow Airtel customers to connect smartphones directly to Starlink satellites in areas with limited mobile coverage. This marks Africa’s first satellite-to-phone service in the DRC. Customers will not need to buy or install a satellite dish to connect to Starlink, as smartphones will automatically connect to satellites that work like mobile phone towers in space, according to Business Insider Africa. “The first-ever commercial launch of Starlink Mobile in Africa is
Black-owned autonomous mobility startup Moove has raised a $250 million Series C funding round led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s Growth Fund, and Ion Pacific. The new capital will allow the company to expand Moove’s autonomous fleet ownership and a first-of-its-kind robotic depot infrastructure, which it calls Nests. “Every major technology revolution becomes an infrastructure race. The internet required data centres. AI required compute,” Ladi Delano, Co-Founder, Co-CEO and Advisory Board Chairman of Moove said in a press release. “Autonomy requires fleets, charging, maintenance, data systems
Zijin, a Chinese mining company, has started exporting lithium concentrate from the Manono project in the DRC. The Manono Lithium Mine is one of the largest lithium pegmatite deposits in the world. The exports started in June 2026, one month after the project’s processing plant entered production, according to Business Insider Africa. The exports mark the first time that the Democratic Republic of Congo has exported lithium. Congo exporting lithium for the first time The shipments are currently travellng overland and by sea, with the material expected to reach Chinese
Communications Minister Solly Malatsi is denying any claims that Elon Musk’s company influenced the planned changes to South Africa’s telecommunications licensing framework. Solly Malatsi denyling claims The claims come after policy changes to allow Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs) as an alternative to existing ownership requirements. But Malatsi claims that these changes were already included in the Democratic Alliance’s 2024 election manifesto and the Government of National Unity’s Medium Term Development Plan, according to Business Insider Africa. Additionally, Committee chairperson Khusela Sangoni alleges that public affairs firm Resolve Communications arranged
The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to launch its first stock exchange in 2027, which will include the Congolese franc and the US dollar. Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba Likunde Li-Botayi told Bloomberg News that the new exchange will allow the country to benefit from the growing demand for crucial minerals that will fuel the AI revolution. “The reality of our economy is that it is strongly dollarized,” Li-Botayi said in an email response, highlighting that more than 95% of total banking system deposits and over 80% of public securities
South Africa is rolling out over 33,000 CCTV cameras, drones, and helicopters, and deploying 13,000 law enforcement officers across Gauteng Province ahead of Tuesday’s anti-migrant protests. The operation, which will cost an estimated R600 million ($35.5 million) will be the largest domestic security operation in recent years, according to Business Insider Africa. The anti-migrant protests The operation comes after concerns from migrant communities who are seeking refuge at embassies and advice in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Some migrants have left their homes and businesses ahead of demonstrations organised by the anti-illegal-immigration movement, March
Kenya plans to create a marketplace for government datasets for commercial use over the next five years. Citizens’ data could be accessed by businesses, researchers, and NGOs through subscriptions, licensing, and data-as-a-service offerings, according to TechPoint. The plans fall under a draft National Data Governance Policy, which would make Kenya the first African country to coomercialise public-sector data on a large scale. The project is set to cost nearly $3.1 million and could commence as soon as next month, according to Semafor. Kenya creating a marketplace for government data The government
CreditChek, a Nigerian credit data company, has raised $600,000 to enter the East African market. Janngo Capital led the round, with participation from previous investor Assembly Investors and new investors Vastly Valuable Ventures and Unipeg Capital. The Nigerian company plans to expand in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. “We’re building the data infrastructure that allows lenders to access richer, more reliable insights,” Kingsley Ibe, co-founder and chief executive of CreditChek, told TechCabal. ‘This funding allows us to scale our infrastructure and partnerships in East Africa, bringing us closer to a future
Kenya is seeking KES 2.7 billion ($20.8 million) from the government to develop an AI-powered system to monitor social media. The State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications told the National Assembly’s ICT committee that the tool will help curb misinformation on social media. The AI tool would analyze social media conversations and public opinion on government policies, according to MEXC exchange. Kenya building an AI tool Officials state that the tool will improve the way the government communicates its work to the public, as reported by Techpoint Africa. It would
Uganda’s communications regulator has given Starlink a provisional license to operate in the country, as reported by Techpoint. The license was granted to Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, but Airtel Uganda had previously started testing Starlink’s direct-to-cell (D2C) LEO satellite service. Starlink operating in Uganda Starlink could improve connectivity in locations where terrestrial network infrastructure is limited, as the direct-to-call l technology allows standard mobile handsets to connect directly to satellites without specialized equipment. Airtel Uganda’s testing of the D2C service underscores the growing interest among established telecom operators in
