The Africa B2B Tech Report
Issue No. 109. Africa-Middle East B2B tech news & insights for 17 January 2026.
Welcome to the Africa B2B Tech Report. We explore the business of African tech.
The Report is brought to you by Charles Laughlin, the Co-founder &Chief Content Officer of BigFive Digital, a media and events firm that hosts the annual BigFive Summit in Cape Town. Charles is an independent journalist, podcaster, and event producer.
The Business of African Tech Week in Review, 10-16 January 2026
This week, we curated a compelling collection of stories that, in many respects, reflects the direction we expect the Business of African Tech to move in 2026.
We have organized the articles we have collected this week loosely into three categories — Fintech & Digital Payments, Connectivity & Infrastructure, and Economic Growth & Freelancing.
Fintech & Digital Payments
This category covers the rapid evolution of how money moves across the continent, from traditional banking acquisitions to blockchain-based settlements.
Paystack Becomes a Microfinance Bank: Stripe-owned Paystack acquired a Nigerian microfinance bank, securing a specialized license to expand into deposit-taking and lending.
Uber drops Visa in Kenya: Driven by rising global costs, Uber shifted its focus toward local payment rails like M-Pesa, signaling a move toward “local-first” economics.
NALA & Noah’s stablecoin rails: Fintech NALA partnered with Noah to use stablecoins for instant cross-border settlements, bypassing the high fees of traditional banking.
Botim & Mastercard partnership: UAE-based Botim integrated Mastercard Move, allowing users to send money to more than 150 countries directly through the botim app.
Africa’s $205 billion crypto boom: Digital assets are redrawing the financial map, with Nigeria leading the continent in stablecoin adoption and peer-to-peer volume.
Connectivity & Infrastructure
These stories highlight the foundational technologies—satellite internet and AI security — that will help enable Africa’s digital transition.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper in Nigeria: Amazon secured a seven-year permit from the NCC to provide satellite internet, ending Starlink’s monopoly and boosting broadband competition.
Terra Industries’ $11 million investment: A Nigerian drone startup secured funding from a US billionaire to expand autonomous systems protecting critical African infrastructure.
Economic Growth & Freelancing
This section focuses on the changing nature of work and the tools helping SMEs scale in a digital economy.
Digital Freelancing Paradox: While freelancing is surging in Kenya and Nigeria, workers face a “digital precarity” characterized by low pay and a lack of social safety nets.
South Africa’s E-commerce surge: South African online retail orders grew by 47% in 2025, signaling a permanent shift in consumer behavior toward digital storefronts.
MRPeasy Awarded by Xero: Cloud-based ERP software MRPeasy was named South Africa’s Small Business App of the Year for helping manufacturers manage inventory efficiently.
The following is a collection of stories that we have tracked over the past week that matter to the Business of African Tech. Click the headlines to view the original articles.
Uber cuts off Visa payments in Kenya
Uber has stopped accepting Visa cards in Kenya due to rising global payment costs, shifting its focus toward more affordable local options like M-Pesa.
Paystack acquires its way deeper into B2B financial services
Stripe-owned Paystack has acquired the license of Nigeria’s Ladder Microfinance Bank, and has launched Paystack Microfinance Bank, offering deposit-taking and lending services, further deepening Paystack’s financial ecosystem for African businesses.
Stablecoins, regulation driving Africa’s rapid digital currency adoption
Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya are spearheading Africa's digital currency ascent, driven by high stablecoin adoption and maturing regulatory frameworks that bolster financial inclusion.
Will Africa’s crypto boom reshape the continent’s financial order?
Africa’s $205 billion crypto market, led by Nigeria, is bypassing traditional banking. High stablecoin adoption and new regulations are redrawing the continent’s financial and economic map.
NALA, Noah partner to use stablecoins for instant X-border settlements
The fintech NALA partnered with Noah to use stablecoins for instant cross-border settlements. This partnership is designed to help African and Asian businesses overcome high fees and slow traditional banking services.
Nigeria is on a mission to trace and tax crypto transactions
Nigeria’s new Tax Administration Act mandates using Tax Identification Number (TIN) and National Identification Number (NIN) to trace crypto transactions, requiring exchanges to report user data and profits to boost tax revenue.
Botim Money, Mastercard forge UAE payments deal
Botim Money and Mastercard have partnered to integrate cross-border payments into the botim app, allowing UAE users to send money to over 150 countries via Mastercard Move.
Amazon’s Kuiper satellite to compete with Starlink in Nigeria
Amazon’s Project Kuiper (Amazon Leo) has secured a seven-year landing permit from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to provide satellite internet in Nigeria, intensifying competition with STARLINK in the broadband market.
American billionaire backs Nigerian drone startup Terra Industries
Nigerian drone startup Terra Industries raised $11.75 million, led by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, to expand autonomous defense systems protecting $11 billion in African infrastructure.
Flend, Khazenly partner to fund Egypt’s eComm SMEs
Flend and Khazenly - خزنلي have partnered to provide Egyptian e-commerce SMEs with digital financing of up to EGP 8 million, accelerating financial transformation and operational growth across the e-commerce sector.
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What’s behind Africa’s digital freelancing boom
African digital freelancing is surging, particularly in Kenya and Nigeria, offering global opportunities but facing challenges including low pay, lack of social protection, and income volatility.
What’s behind the 47% surge in South African e-commerce?
In 2025, South African e-commerce orders surged 47%, driven by top-performing brands and behavior-based automation, marking a structural shift as online retail nears 10% total share.
Xero names MRPeasy South Africa’s top small business app
Xero named MRPeasy “South Africa’s Small Business App of the Year” for 2025, honoring its cloud-based ERP software for empowering small manufacturers with affordable production tools.
Why has Mauritius become Africa’s millionaire magnet?
Mauritius is Africa’s wealthiest country per capita, attracting foreign capital and millionaires through a stable economy, favorable tax regime, property-linked residency, and robust digital infrastructure.
In case you missed it
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