The Africa B2B Tech Report
Issue No. 113. Africa-Middle East B2B tech news & insights for 14 February 2026.
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This edition of The Africa B2B Tech Report is supported by Dialog
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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, 8-14 February 2026
This week, we curated a compelling collection of stories that we believe are worthy of your attention.
We have organized this week’s collection of stories into the following three strategic categories.
Funding & Strategic Investment
Morgan Stanley MSISV Accelerator: Applications are open for the 2026 cohort. Early-stage startups and nonprofits can receive $250,000 and mentorship to scale sustainable global solutions.
Delta40 Venture Studio: The New York-based firm raised $20 million to launch Africa’s first institutional venture studio and fund, offering early-stage capital and hands-on operational support.
Lula’s $20M Series B: South African fintech Lula secured R340 million ($20M) from Dutch bank FMO to expand lending services for underserved local SMEs.
January Funding Report: African startups raised $174 million in January 2026. While capital remains available, deal counts hit a multi-year low as investors prioritize established founders over newcomers.
Startup World Cup: Applications are open for the Abuja regional pitch. The winner will head to the global finals to compete for a $1 million investment prize.
Fintech & Digital Payments
Payd + Noah Partnership: African fintech Payd is utilizing stablecoins to enable instant international settlements and virtual USD/EUR accounts for 30,000+ freelancers.
Onafriq + Conduit: Onafriq is integrating USDC stablecoin infrastructure to enable same-day cross-border payments and streamline treasury management across its African network.
Wave, Visa, & Ecobank: A new virtual card launched in Senegal allows Wave users to make global online payments directly through the app without needing a traditional bank account.
Lula + Payfast: This partnership brings data-driven embedded funding to Payfast’s e-commerce merchants, allowing South African SMEs to access credit based on their real-time sales data.
Market Moves & Ecosystem Support
Jumia’s Strategic Shift: Jumia exited the Algerian market to focus on high-growth regions like Nigeria. Despite the exit, Q4 2025 revenue jumped 34% to $61.4 million, with the company targeting a 2026 breakeven.
Nigeria’s CAC Initiative: The Corporate Affairs Commission is offering 3,500 free business registrations to help formalize SMEs and stimulate economic growth.
Platform ZA: Startup Club ZA launched this free national resource hub to provide South African entrepreneurs with a centralized platform for jobs, news, and networking.
SA Digital Ad Surge: Digital advertising in South Africa is projected to grow 10.5% annually, potentially reaching $3.7 billion by 2029, driven by a massive shift toward mobile and social media.
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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.
MoStan opens applications for MSISV Accelerator
Morgan Stanley is accepting applications for its 2026 MSISV Accelerator. Early-stage startups and nonprofits receive $250,000, mentorship, and resources to scale inclusive, sustainable global solutions.
Delta40 raises $20M to fund, support African startups
Delta40 Venture Studio secured $20 million to launch Africa’s first institutional integrated venture studio and fund, providing early-stage startups with capital, talent, and hands-on operational support.
South African fintech Lula raises $20M from Dutch bank
South African fintech Lula secured R340 million (approx. US$20 million) from Dutch bank FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank. The local-currency funding aims to scale lending services for underserved small and medium-sized enterprises.
African startups raise $174 million in January as investors favor established founders
African startups raised $174 million in January 2026, yet the number of deals fell to a multi-year low as investors prioritized established founders over newcomers.
StartUp World Cup offers chance at $1M investment prize
Applications are open for the 2026 Startup World Cup regional pitch in Abuja, offering African startups the chance to compete for a $1 million investment prize.
Jumia revenue jumps 34% in Q4 2025, losses narrow
In Q4 2025, Jumia Group’s revenue rose 34% to $61.4 million, driven by marketplace growth and Nigerian demand. The company narrowed losses, targeting a 2026 breakeven.
Another stablecoin-powered payments deal: Payd + Noah
African fintech Payd has partnered with Noah to enable stablecoin-powered payments for 30,000+ freelancers, offering instant international settlements via virtual USD/EUR accounts to bypass high banking fees.
Onafriq, Conduit to use stablecoins for same-day X-border payments
Onafriq has partnered with Conduit to integrate stablecoin infrastructure, using USDC to streamline global treasury management and enable same-day cross-border payments across its African network.
Lula, Payfast partner for data-driven funding to e-commerce merchants
Lula has partnered with PayFast to provide e-commerce merchants with embedded, data-driven funding, enabling South African SMEs to access flexible growth capital directly within their platforms.
Wave, Visa, Ecobank launch virtual card for global online payments
Wave Mobile Money, Visa, and Ecobank Sénégal have launched a virtual card —integrated into the Wave app — that allows users to make global online payments without bank accounts.
Why did Africa’s Amazon exit Algeria?
The African e-commerce platform Jumia Group exited Algeria to streamline operations, focusing on high-growth markets like Nigeria. The decision follows low performance, restrictive trade policies, and intensifying competition from Chinese retailers.
Nigeria’s CAC provides 3,500 free business name registrations
Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is providing free business name registration for 3,500 SMEs nationwide, aiming to formalize small businesses and stimulate economic growth.
Platform ZA launches as a resource hub for entrepreneurs
Startup Club ZA launched Platform ZA, a free national resource providing news, jobs, and networking to support South African tech entrepreneurs and enhance ecosystem visibility.
South Africa’s digital ad growth driven by mobile, social media
A new study projects South Africa’s digital ad spend will grow by 10.5% annually, reaching $3.7 billion by 2029. This surge is being driven by mobile-first strategies and social media.
Each issue of The Report features a chart or infographic that we believe tells an important story about the region’s B2B tech ecosystem.
Nigeria’s hyper-competitive fintech ecosystem
This week’s Data Dump was again found on LinkedIn courtesy of investor Axel Peyreiere, who shared this lumascape depicting the tangled web that is Nigeria’s fintech ecosystem.
Sponsored Message
Top Tech Leaders to Headline the
2026 BigFive Summit in Cape Town
BigFive Digital (24-26 March) has landed two top African B2B tech builders and thought leaders for the 2026 BigFive Summit in Cape Town, with more announcements coming next week.
Rahul Jain, the Co-founder and CEO of Peach Payments, will join the Summit stage for an exclusive fireside chat to share his founder’s story and insights on African fintech.
Since co-founding Peach in 2012, Jain has helped transform the startup into a pan-African payments powerhouse. The company recently expanded into West Africa through the acquisition of Senegalese fintech PayDunya.
Jain is a leading voice on payment orchestration and scaling digital commerce in Africa. At the Summit, Rahul will share his insights on geographic expansion, building "100-year businesses" and navigating the continent’s evolving regulatory landscape. You won‘t want to miss this deep dive into the future of African fintech.
André de Wet, the co-founder and CEO of Flood, will take the stage at the 2026 BigFive Summit in Cape Town on March 25 to share why he believes 2026 will be "The Year of the Super App" in emerging markets.
At the Summit, de Wet will explore how super apps are unifying fragmented markets, bypassing device storage limits, and serving as the primary gateway for financial inclusion and informal trade across the continent.
Flood, founded in 2020, is on a mission to build the 'Shopify' for bricks-and-mortar retail.
Tickets are now available for the 2026 BigFive Summit, 24-26 March at Innovation City Cape Town. This year’s theme is “The Business of African Tech”.
Generous early bird rates (25%+ savings) are in place through February, so it pays to make an early decision to join one of the Continent’s best technology events.
BigFive Summit sponsors receive a host of benefits, including branding, stage time (with shareable video content), exclusive event sponsorships within the Summit (dinners, giveaways, tea breaks, etc.), early and exclusive access to the Summit delegate list with contact details, curation of meetings, and much more.
Whatever your business stage or budget level, there is a sponsorship opportunity for you. Learn more in our sponsorship prospectus.
Great events are built on real talk
Conference audiences are a demanding group. And they should be. They sacrifice their precious time and resources to attend events. They deserve a memorable experience in return.
One speaker who consistently delivers on this promise at the BigFive Summit (and elsewhere) is Zachariah George, who returns to the stage at the 2026 Summit. At our 2025 event, Zach delivered on the Summit’s standing commitment of real talk — not endless fluff, self-promotion, and groundless grandiosity. Here’s an example.
Join us at the 2026 BigFive Summit for more great storytelling about tech and business in Africa.