IFC, a global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets and a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), has announced an investment to expand clean and reliable power for telecom networks in three African countries.

M-Pesa Ethiopia, the digital financial services arm of operator Safaricom Ethiopia, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Amhara National Regional State Revenue Bureau to enable taxpayers in the region to conveniently pay their taxes using the M-Pesa platform.

Two Zimbabwean companies, Hurudza AI and Paltech Africa, have announced a strategic partnership to launch The Farmers’ Bench, an AI-powered solution aimed at transforming access to agricultural knowledge across Zimbabwe and beyond.

Late last week saw the opening of what is described as the largest commercial space component and sub-systems manufacturing site on the African continent.

Vodacom Lesotho is investing more than US$40 million (LSL 700 million) to upgrade its network infrastructure and expand connectivity, as it looks to improve service quality and extend coverage to underserved areas.

It’s already looking like another busy month for digital payments news in Africa, and notably for payments giant Visa, which has been prominent in recent announcements from Tanzania and Ethiopia.

The continuing relevance of USSD-based transactions is underlined by news from Sudan where the country’s telecommunications ministry is launching a service using USSD that allows citizens to access banking apps without recourse to the internet.

Vodacom Tanzania has claimed to launch Africa’s first mobile money-native contactless payment feature, following a collaboration with Visa and Paymentology to upgrade its M-Pesa app.

M-Pesa Ethiopia last week announced the signing of an agreement with the country’s postal service EthioPost, officially designating EthioPost as the primary agent within the M-Pesa ecosystem.

MTN Group hailed its full-year 2025 performance as “exceptional”, reporting a return to profit and surpassing the milestone of 300 million customers, driven largely by strong growth in its Nigerian and Ghanaian businesses.

Mirova, a global asset management company dedicated to sustainable investing, has announced a US$15 million senior secured facility for iSAT Africa Mauritius Limited, a leading rural connectivity platform, to support the deployment of fully solar-powered mobile towers in Liberia and Zambia.

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and Safaricom revealed on Friday they have signed an agreement to combine their collective experience in AI and fintech to co-develop better customer experiences within their respective digital ecosystems.

The World Bank Group (WBG) Board of Directors earlier this week approved what is described as a transformative regional initiative that will directly boost job creation in Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone. It includes a strong focus on digital infrastructure.

The Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) has announced that Botswana and five other Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states have collaborated to substantially reduce and harmonise mobile roaming tariffs in line with the One Network Area (ONA) framework.

A new system in Kenya will ensure that motorists who commit traffic offences will receive instant notifications on their mobile phones informing them of the violation.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has reportedly kicked off a technical audit of Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell (D2C) technology as part of a review of Airtel Kenya’s application to offer the service in the country.

Paymentology, a global issuer-processor, has announced a partnership with Chikwama Pay, a pan-African neobank providing accessible financial services through WhatsApp.

Cameroon has approved a loan agreement of about US$195 million with the Export-Import Bank of China. The funding will support phase four of the country’s national fibre optic backbone expansion.

UPDATE: Ethio Telecom says it lined up several vendor deals to modernise its telecoms network at last week’s Mobile World Congress, with agreements with Ericsson and ZTE already signed and others with Huawei and Nokia in the pipeline.

Kenya’s Court of Appeal has set aside a 2020 High Court judgment endorsing the country’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (2018), ruling two sections unconstitutional.

MTN Zambia announced on Friday it has formed a strategic partnership with LEO satellite operator Starlink to offer its Direct to Cell (D2C) service in the country after a successful field test of the technology.

Axian Telecom, the parent company of pan-African telecom group Yas, says it is partnering with AST SpaceMobile to deliver direct-to-device (D2D) satellite services across Yas’ markets in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ghananian wholesale 4G and 5G operator Next Gen Infraco (NGIC) has finally commenced full commercial operations after several delays, although initial coverage is limited.

MTN Group has signed a multi-year MoU with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to provide meaningful connectivity and digital inclusion for refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers and host communities across MTN’s African markets.

SES, a space solutions company, says it is expanding humanitarian connectivity at the Farchana refugee settlement in Chad.

The GSMA Handset Affordability Coalition signed an MoU with the Africa Group of Six (G6) operators on Tuesday to introduce US$40 entry-level 4G smartphones in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda this year.

Paratus Zambia announced on Tuesday it has deployed fixed wireless access (FWA) technology from US-based Tarana Wireless that it said will deliver fibre-class connectivity to homes and businesses across the country.

Global satellite operator SES announced on Tuesday it is partnering with IoT technology provider Advannotech and other service providers to enable data-driven farming in South Africa.