
African fintech's second wave: from payments to credit
African fintech is moving beyond payment apps into credit, B2B infrastructure, embedded finance, and debt-funded models built around real cash flows.
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African fintech is moving beyond payment apps into credit, B2B infrastructure, embedded finance, and debt-funded models built around real cash flows.

The Bank of Tanzania has opened applications for the third cohort of its fintech regulatory sandbox, with submissions due by July 31, 2026.

Nigerian businesses are using stablecoins as a bottom-up workaround for dollar scarcity, slow settlement, and cross-border payment friction.
Phase II of the African Exchange Linkage Project expands the network to 11 exchanges and more than 50 brokers, pushing African capital markets closer together.

African fintech is consolidating fast as stronger companies buy data rails, licences, local footholds, and distressed rivals.

New research says EVs are close to cost parity across much of Africa, with expensive financing now doing more to slow adoption than the technology itself.

Toyota's first fully electric car in South Africa is a cautious, expensive signal that the country's EV market can no longer be ignored.
The EU Regional Business Forum put West Africa's Abidjan to Lagos corridor in front of investors, with rail, urban mobility, trade facilitation, and logistics on the table.

BloombergNEF expects passenger EV sales to hit 23.3 million in 2026, but the global transition is now moving at very different speeds.

Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked is widely expected on July 22, with Z Fold 8 leaks pointing to thinner hardware, camera upgrades, and a possible wider model.

The global EV catalogue is expanding, but the IEA says large cars and SUVs still account for almost 70 percent of global EV sales.

A new Apple Watch rumor says a 2027 redesign could change the band attachment system, potentially making today's straps incompatible.

BYD delivered 557,090 fully electric vehicles in Q2 2026, ahead of Tesla's 480,126, while NIO posted its best month of the year.

Premium earbuds from Xiaomi and vivo can use Wi-Fi for higher-bandwidth lossless audio, but early compatibility is tightly limited.

Nothing has confirmed the Phone (4b) for July 7, with leaks pointing to a transparent-style design, Glyph Bar, 120Hz AMOLED display, and a large battery.

Kenya's Nairobi International Financial Centre has certified 15 firms in AI, fintech, digital assets, and capital markets, with projected investment of about Sh25.9 billion.

Kenya has received about Sh244.5 billion from the Vodacom Safaricom transaction, with the money headed into the National Infrastructure Fund.

Google Play's first Indie Games Fund for Africa offers equity-free grants of 50,000 to 200,000 dollars to independent studios, with Kenya among eligible countries.

Kenya is backing a National Cybersecurity Agency as AI-generated deepfakes, online fraud, and attacks on public digital services grow more sophisticated.

The Nairobi Securities Exchange and Airtel Kenya have new leaders, with Tom Mulwa named NSE chairman and Djibril Tobe taking over as Airtel Kenya managing director.

The Samsung Galaxy A37 5G gets the important things right, a bright screen, all-day battery, and years of updates, without trying anything bold.

South Africa is framing its digital-economy push around six priorities: subsea cables and telecoms, AI, data centres, cybersecurity, startups, and cross-border digital transformation.

Anthropic says Claude Fable 5 returns worldwide on July 1 after the United States lifted export controls that had forced the company to suspend its top models.

Vodacom now controls about 55% of Safaricom after completing a $2.1 billion transaction, while Kenya's government keeps a 20% stake.

Volkswagen Group Africa is taking cautious hybrid steps in South Africa while pressing government for clearer new-energy-vehicle policy.

Kenya used about 800 million GB of mobile data in one quarter as smartphones crossed 50 million and 5G subscriptions kept rising.

SARS is using more automation and third-party data to pre-fill tax returns and run auto-assessments for the 2026 filing season.

Kenyan lawmakers and digital knowledge experts say AI adoption needs stronger legal and governance frameworks before harm outruns protection.

Microsoft and partners are expanding practical AI training beyond Nairobi, with 152 participants trained across Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Taita Taveta, and Embu.

Airtime and data lending has resumed in Nigeria after a suspension linked to FCCPC digital-lending rules and a court fight.