- Kenya’s most ambitious smart city project, Konza Technopolis, evolves slowly but determinedly. The project is called Africa’s Silicon Savannah and has entered its defining phase. While CEO John Paul Okwiri endorses that the dream is still alive, there seems to be quite a bit of questioning by the…
- Safaricom PLC declared resilient Safaricom FY25 results, showcasing stellar growth despite macroeconomic issues in East Africa. Revenue was up by 11.2% to KShs 388.7 billion, fuelled by continued M-PESA dominance, mobile data growth, and Safaricom’s further strategic investments in Ethiopia. As…
- Samsung Electronics today announced that its latest lineup of QLED TVs has received ‘Real Quantum Dot Display’ certification from TÜV Rheinland. TÜV Rheinland is an international certification organization based in Germany. The certification verifies that Samsung’s QLED TVs meet global standards…
- In this episode of The TechTrends Podcast, we’re tackling a topic that has sparked protests, policy debates, and some pretty heated conversations both online and offline – social media regulation. Is regulating social media a necessary step… or a threat to Kenyans’ freedom? Since last year’s Gen-Z…
- Bayobab, MTN Group’s digital infrastructure company, has unveiled a new strategic fibre route connecting Uganda and Kenya. The company says this strategic fibre infrastructure is a transformative cross-border project, deepening digital integration between Uganda and Kenya. The new fibre route spans…
- Jumia Technologies, Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, announced a loss of just $16.5 million in Q1 2025, a much smaller loss when compared to $39.6 million in the corresponding period last year. Even though it is an improvement to some extent, the overall outlook for Jumia’s profitability…
- Safaricom’s device financing program, Lipa Mdogo Mdogo, has achieved a significant milestone by selling over 2 million 4G smartphones since its inception in 2020. The telco announced this milestone on Friday, at the release of its 2025 full-year financial results. According to Safaricom, the…
- In a plan set forth by Airtel Africa, Airtel Money is to be listed by the first half of 2026. In an attempt to cash in on the rising tide of demand for digital payment platforms across the African continent and to give Airtel Money the stature it deserves to go head-to-head with key players …
The…
- Chrome AI scam protection feature is now live and is perhaps the boldest initiative yet toward secure browsing. Google revealed the integration of Gemini Nano—the company’s on-device large language model—into desktop Chrome, theoretically to detect and prevent scams in real time. But the bold…
- The United Arab Emirates stands on the verge of integrating artificial intelligence into education, being among the frontrunners with such mandated implementation of AI instruction in schools. The UAE set this bold initiative to become the first country to implement AI education into public schools…
- In 2019, Meta (then Facebook) started the Libra Project, an ambitious attempt at creating a universal currency. But it was caught in intense regulatory pushback and inhibition, and Meta finally had to shelve the program in 2022 after Diem was rebranded. Now, three years down the line, Meta is back…
- This unfolding saga within the tech rivalry between Google and Apple is about the shifting user behavior in mobile search. In his testimony at the federal antitrust trial, Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, said that searches on Google via Safari declined in April 2025, the first…
- Making its boldest move with M-Pesa 2.0 upgrade, Safaricom, however, is investing over $309 million annually to transform the mobile money platform into a resilient, cloud-native ecosystem. While the company calls the strategy one for future-proofing, it also indicates a high-stakes reaction to…
- You see it every day—billboards on highways, posters at bus stops, digital advertising screens in shopping malls, and even ads on benches. Outdoor advertising is everywhere, and for good reason. Outdoor advertising is a powerful marketing strategy to get your brand in front of thousands (or even…
- Kenya is charging ahead in spearheading sustainable transportation with 45 new locations for electric vehicle (EV) charging laid out in six counties. The expansion of the EV charging infrastructure in Kenya is designed to cater to the growing demand for clean-energy transit and to make sure that…
- LG Electronics (LG), and MediaTek, a global semiconductor company, showcased their Android-based Concurrent Multi-User (CMU) framework applied to In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2025), one of Asia’s largest and most…
- In a courtroom in San Francisco, packed with lawyers, journalists, and tech insiders, and speaking first, Eddy Cue dropped a bombshell that erupted into the U.S. Justice Department Antitrust case against Google. We are no longer speculating about the Apple AI search shift; it is materializing as we…
- Global technology powerhouses, including AWS, Google, Cisco, HPE, CheckPoint, Fortinet, and other influential players have confirmed their participation and support for the Connected Africa Summit 2025. This confirmation cements the event’s reputation as Africa’s most impactful platform for digital…
- The recent success of the Shanghai Motor Show is a strong indicator of the growth of the Chinese automotive sector, particularly in terms of electric cars and onboard intelligence. Of the 90 million vehicles (cars, trucks, and buses) produced worldwide in 2024, 31.3 million were produced in China,…
- For a long time, online casino players felt like there was something missing from these platforms. The experience of playing games in a convenient setting and anonymously is something land-based venues can’t offer. However, the atmosphere of brick-and-mortar casinos was lacking, and no matter what…
- Airtel Kenya on Wednesday launched an artificial intelligence (AI)- powered Spam Alert Service to enhance mobile security for its customers. The service, which will be available to all its subscribers at no cost, allows users to easily identify and report suspicious or unwanted messages, helping …
- In a landmark decision highlighting growing concerns over digital privacy, the Kenyan High Court has ordered Worldcoin to delete all data it collected in the country. The project, which was co-founded by Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI and Alex Blanca saw users flock to its orbs across different…
- Onafriq, Africa’s largest payments gateway, and Circle, stablecoin market leader and issuer of USDC, have announced their strategic partnership to transform cross-border payments and digital financial services. This collaboration marks a significant step towards compliantly leveraging stablecoins…
- Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are unable to pay for a product or service, simply because the seller is only accepting cash and all the money you have is either in your mobile money wallet or bank? With the popularity of digital money in Kenya, it is not uncommon to …
The…
- In the fast-growing digital world, our reliance on technology has become inescapable, with individuals communicating online via social media to companies storing their data in the cloud. However, this transformation has brought with it a significant threat: hacking. While the term can evoke bad…
- Cyberbullying: As technology advances, bullying is also evolving from in-person harassment, where someone might mock your appearance, outfit, or social status face-to-face, to digital abuse on social media platforms. This shift raises very serious questions: When will cyberbullying end? How many…
- Later this month, a new president will be selected by the board of governors of the African Development Bank (AfDB). This will be a pivotal moment for the incoming leader. There has been much debate on whether the African Development Bank should play it safe or go full SoftBank. But this is a false…
- Nairobi, Kenya – May 5, 2025: TechTrends Media, a leading technology and innovation platform in Africa, is excited to introduce its latest podcast, The Green Shift. Hosted by renowned tech journalist Nixon Kanali, the podcast will explore how sustainability and technology are shaping Africa’s…
- Meta officially announced that WhatsApp has now surpassed 3 billion monthly active users, one of only a handful of applications ever to reach this level. With its growing user base, Meta is increasingly building upon a strategic employment of the WhatsApp AI privacy features with the intent of…
- Airtel Africa announced today an agreement with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s high-speed internet services to its customers in Africa. Currently, SpaceX has acquired requisite licenses in 9 out of 14 countries within Airtel Africa’s footprint. Operating licenses for the other 5 countries are under…
- The evolution of Threads by Meta marks a substantial change in the platform’s strategy, crowning it as an independent service in the Meta ecosystem. Initially, the Threads app was the Instagram companion app, but now Threads is its unique service. Changes in the Terms of Service mark a major change…
- X, formerly Twitter, has launched 4K video uploads for its premium subscribers, which starts a change in video strategy on the X platform. But will 4K resolution become the clear choice for X to stand tall against YouTube and other social media giants? A Needful Upgrade in Resolution? These X 4K…
- Kenya’s fibre optic expansion is the most important project in Kenya’s ambitious Digital Superhighway plan. The purpose is to raise fibre optic coverage of the country from 62% to 90% by the end of the next financial year. This project is presently in an intermediate phase of implementation with…
- The acquisition of AIG Kenya by NCBA has proved to be a big strategic gamble by NCBA Group and gave the group a gain of Sh266.8 million in under one year’s time after the signing of the deal. This dramatic maneuver placed strength on the bank’s balance sheet and also showcased the bigger picture of…
- Kenya’s anticipated Finance Bill 2025 brings into focus the proposal to impose a 16% VAT on streaming services. Consumers and producers of local content may be adversely affected by this law, and it is also a matter of concern for the digital economy. The government is trying to get a piece of the…
- Kenya is positioning itself to decentralize the digital future; hence, counties may be the ones to conceptualize the vision. The Kenya Smart Cities Bill, a.k.a. the Technopolis Bill of 2024, is landmark legislation that could potentially redefine urban development throughout the country. If…
- Equity Bank and Carrefour have entered into a strategic partnership with American Express (Amex), enabling Equity Bank Amex cardholders to use their cards for seamless payments at all Carrefour outlets across the country. This collaboration brings together one of Kenya’s leading financial…
- World Password Day 2025 is not simply an annual reminder; it is a notable milepost along the path of cybersecurity evolution. As digital threats multiply, World Password Day accentuates the multiplicity of advanced authentication. This year, the spotlight is on passkeys, breaking away from…
- Effective May 2025, Microsoft has adopted passwordless login as the default for all new accounts, a decisive step toward making the Microsoft passwordless future a reality and profoundly affecting digital identity management. The company turns its back on traditional passwords, perhaps better…
- One of the latest bold steps that the UAE has taken in the direction of advancing digital currency is the setting up of a stablecoin that was backed by the UAE dirham. The initiative, powered by the big financial institutions of the nation, promises to bring stability to this volatile sector while…
- de Risk Partners, a financial regulatory compliance consultancy founded by former executives from Citigroup, Barclays, and Goldman Sachs is celebrating its first anniversary with seven-figure revenue in the first year and expansion plans. Since launching in March 2024, the firm has quickly…
- The recent acquisition of Paystack by Stripe has been hailed as a landmark achievement for Africa’s startup ecosystem. Much as such exits are celebratory events, they do not always constitute the most viable or inclusive pathways through which the continent can move. This article examines the…
- MTN Nigeria has reported a fantastic profit after tax of ₦133.7 billion in financial results for Q1 2025, unlike a period with losses in the same space in 2023. The telco transformed significantly in its Q1 profits, which is a noteworthy turnaround from an adverse period. It shows the adaptability…
- While gaining access to the internet has become not just a convenience but a human right. Yet, Africa’s digital rights challenges across the continent show that access remains frail, uneven, and often threatened. Paradigm Initiative’s Londa 2024 report, Digital Rights and Inclusion in Africa, gives…
- Kenya has emerged as a leading nation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, ranking third in the world according to the latest data by AITools. AITools, a platform dedicated to curating a comprehensive and up-to-date directory of AI tools globally, reported a sharp increase in AI-related…
- NCBA on Friday announced the launch of the 3rd cohort of its Go Getter Internship Programme. The program aims to equip 50 graduates with the skills, knowledge and experiences needed to thrive in the corporate world over a period of 12 months. Additionally, top-performing interns have the…
- MYDAWA, the Kenyan digital health platform, has secured a new funding round to expand its services across East Africa. The $9.6 million (~KES 1.3 billion) capital injection was led by IFU, Alta Semper, AAIC Investment, Creadev and Ohara Pharmaceutical Co. Founded in 2017, MYDAWA is a technology-…
- Investing in Innovation Africa (i3), a pan-African initiative to support African healthtech startups, has announced its 3rd cohort of 7 growth-stage companies working to transform pharmacy services on the continent. The three-year program will empower innovators to improve patient access to…
- Bankly, a Nigerian fintech company and licensed microfinance bank, has announced the full acquisition of its Nigerian operations by investment firm C-One Ventures. The deal will see Bankly’s services, licenses and talent integrated with complementary offerings from other companies within the C-One…
- Snapchat scrapped plans for a simplified version of the app late in 2024, when it was being tested. First intended to make it easier to use by reducing the number of access points on the app to three icons that replace Snap Map and Stories using Chat, Camera, and Spotlight. However, with user…
