Digital payment deals continue to makes headlines across Africa. This time Nedbank and Mastercard have announced what is called a landmark agreement to transform digital payments across Southern Africa.

The government of Sierra Leone has announced the relaunch of state-owned telecom operator Sierratel through a new private sector partnership.

Mauritanian telcos Moov Mauritel, Mattel, Chinguitel and Rimatel have reportedly bid MRU1.08 billion (around US$27.1 million) in total for 5G licences being auctioned by the Autorité de Régulation (ARE).

Gabon has introduced a sweeping new social media ordinance which eliminates online anonymity and imposes strict identity requirements, among other measures. It comes in the context of a recent wave of social media restrictions in Gabon.

Africa Data Centres announced on Monday it has signed a deal with South African fibre optic cable infrastructure provider Oni-Tel Fibre Networks to strengthen interconnectivity across its facilities in Gauteng province.

Ethio Telecom announced on Thursday it has partnered with Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise (ETRE) to launch an RFID-powered digital toll payment solution for users of the Addis Ababa-Adama expressway.

Operator Telecom Namibia and regulator the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) have officially entered into a strategic partnership.

The London Internet Exchange (LINX), a not-for-profit organisation delivering interconnection solutions across the UK and globally, has launched a 12-month no-charge promotion for all services at its new Ghana internet exchange point (IXP), LINX Accra.

African payments technology company Flutterwave has announced that it has secured a Nigerian banking license.

According to a number of recent news reports, the government of Equatorial Guinea is considering joining the Medusa subsea cable to improve network stability.

Presight, a global AI company that designs intelligent systems for governments and critical infrastructure, says it has recently signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the governments of Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon to support each country’s digital transformation initiatives.

Vodacom Tanzania says it has modernised its M-Pesa platform via a US$28 million strategic investment to make its mobile money service more reliable and secure.

South African open-access fibre network provider Maziv has announced a major investment to expand its network connectivity across South Africa over the next five to seven years.

State-owned Ethio Telecom announced on Wednesday it has launched a national digital signature platform for document authentication and attorney licensing in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Federal Documents Authentication and Registration Service.

Telecoms infrastructure provider Helios Towers has unveiled a plan to invest US$100 million to expand its telecoms infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with backing from the National Agency for the Promotion of Investments (ANAPI).

Payment giant Mastercard is back in the news in Africa with digital finance announcements affecting consumers in Sierra Leone and businesses in five other African countries.

Pan-African telco, Paratus Group, has launched Paratus Essential Access, a solution designed by Paratus and powered by LEO satellite operator Starlink to deliver priority satellite connectivity to communities and emergency services organisations at the heart of Africa’s remote communities.

East African neutral data centre operator Wingu Africa launched its new Wingu Cloud Exchange (WCX) in Ethiopia on Tuesday, offering a private cloud platform tailored specifically for local businesses.

Global payment infrastructure provider Thunes says it has launched a direct-to-workforce cross-border payout solution that allows businesses to pay remote overseas teams, freelancers and gig workers instantly.

Development financial institution the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the National Planning Commission (NPC), an advisory body and think tank appointed by the country’s president, have announced the completion of South Africa’s Digital Connectivity Investment Roadmap to 2035.

Tencent Cloud is ramping up its push into emerging market telecoms, positioning AI and super app platforms as key tools to help operators drive growth and unlock new revenue streams.

Regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a directive that aims to force mobile network operators (MNOs) to compensate subscribers for poor network service.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has refuted media reports claiming that its recently updated technical specs for type-approval of mobile devices is a move to ban or phase out low-cost or entry-level devices.

ORAN Development Corporation (ODC) has secured $45 million in Series A funding to accelerate deployment of its AI-native radio access network (RAN) platform and expand commercial engagements.

State-owned Ethio Telecom announced on Friday it held discussions with Italian firm Ascot Energy with the goal of integrating green energy technologies into the telco’s national digital infrastructure across Ethiopia.

Hayo, a global digital service provider, is back in the news again after launching voice, messaging and digital solutions in Rwanda.

Senegal’s telecoms regulator, the Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications et des Postes (ARTP), has launched a public consultation on the deployment and sharing of fibre-to-the-x (FTTx) networks in Senegal.

Airtel Africa chair Sunil Bharti Mittal will retire from his position later this year, with Bharti Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal set to succeed him.

The Namibia Communications Regulatory Authority (CRAN) said on Tuesday that it rejected LEO satellite operator Starlink’s application for a licence to operate in the country because it didn’t meet all regulatory requirements.

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.