Tech Tides Africa

#10 Kenya’s AI Strategy, Crypto Bill & Africa’s First AI Factory

In this episode of the Tech Tides Africa podcast, Kelvin and Karen discuss Kenya’s bold leap into the future with the unveiling of the National AI Strategy 2025–2030 and Cassava Technologies’ plans to build Africa’s first AI factory powered by NVIDIA.
Also in this episode:
Kenyan court orders Umba to pay $21,600 over unfair dismissal of former executive
Kenya proposes first crypto bill to regulate ICOs, stablecoins, exchanges 
Purple Elephant Ventures secures $500K investment from Alphatron, bringing its seed round total to $5 million.
 
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Kelvin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvingobo 
Karen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-maina-84154937/
Joyce (Producer):  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycejohnaliche/
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#9 A $100M Boost to Africa’s AI, Cloud and Fintech Infrastructure

In this episode of the Tech Tides Africa podcast, Kelvin and Karen discuss the deeper issues within Africa’s Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) space as Lipa Later faces administration and  Payhippo’s rebrand to Rivy alongside a $4M raise for clean energy financing.
The conversation also covers Raxio’s $100M raise to expand AI and cloud infrastructure through new data centers, and why Lagos’ coastline is becoming the hotbed for data center investors.
Plus, they discuss  Nigeria’s cNGN stablecoin as it seeks listings on Yellow Card, and how Caantin is using AI to reimagine the future of call centers in Africa.
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Kelvin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvingobo 
Karen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-maina-84154937/
Joyce (Producer):  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycejohnaliche/
Visit our website: https://startupgraveyard.africa
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#8 Trademark Wars Between Paystack’s Zap and Zap Africa

In this episode of the Tech Tides Africa podcast, Kelvin and Karen discuss MTN and Airtel’s new network-sharing agreement in Nigeria and Uganda, which aims to cut costs. 
They also cover Paystack’s launch of Zap, a new bank transfer app, and the legal battle that followed as Paystack issued a cease-and-desist notice to Zap Africa over a trademark dispute. 
Additionally, they discuss AltSchool’s upcoming hybrid learning program, Verve’s global expansion with Temu as it challenges Jumia’s dominance, and how UBA’s record-breaking profit is clouded by rising fraud losses.
 
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Kelvin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvingobo 
Karen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-maina-84154937/
Joyce (Producer):  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycejohnaliche/
Visit our website: https://startupgraveyard.africa
Support our work: https://buymeacoffee.com/stgr_africa 
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#7 GTCO Bets on Transfers as the Future of Payments

In this episode of the Tech Tides Africa podcast, Kelvin and Karen discuss how loan defaults and economic struggles have forced Decagon to pivot its business model. They also cover Nigeria’s new digital platform bill, mandating Facebook, bloggers, and other digital platforms to have offices in Nigeria. Additionally, they explore Vendease’s salary restructuring, GTCO’s HabariPay fintech expansion with new licenses, and how Airtel Money is gaining market share over M-Pesa.
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Kelvin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvingobo 
Karen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-maina-84154937/
Joyce (Producer):  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycejohnaliche/
Visit our website: https://startupgraveyard.africa
Signup to our Newsletter: https://startupgraveyardafrica.substack.com

#6 Tap, Pay, Go: Access Bank Launches Contactless Payment System

In this Tech Tides Africa episode, Kelvin & Karen discuss Access Bank’s new ‘Tap to Phone’ contactless payment system, Nigeria’s $4.6B startup funding lead, and YORA Technologies’ $1.9M raise for digital expansion. They also cover Uganda’s single-SIM plan, Whitepath’s data privacy fine, and Starlink’s rapid growth in Nigeria.
 
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Kelvin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvingobo 
Karen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-maina-84154937/
Joyce (Producer):  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycejohnaliche/
Visit our website: https://startupgraveyard.africa
Signup to our Newsletter: https://startupgraveyardafrica.substack.com 

#5 Stories That Are Ours To Tell: The Power of Personal Narratives

In this Tech Tides Africa episode, Kelvin and Karen discuss how M-PESA slashed daily reversal requests from 12,000 to 4000, North West taxis’ shift to cashless payments, and Namibia’s CBDC plans. They also explore AWS’s 21% tax impact on Ghanaian startups, Ghana’s e-Cedi launch, and Sendstack's Former COO, Ifeoma Nwobu, and her response to her exit.

#4 Why Tech Alone Can’t Fix Cross-Border Payments in Africa

In this Tech Tides Africa podcast episode, Kelvin and Karen discuss Sendstack co-founder Ifeoma Nwobu’s exit as the startup pivots again. They also explore Risevest’s U.S. broker-dealer license, Africa’s deeper cross-border payment challenges, and Edukoya’s shutdown after three years in Nigeria’s edtech space.
 
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Twitter/X: @stgr_africa
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Kelvin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvingobo 
Karen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-maina-84154937/
Joyce (Producer): https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycejohnaliche
Visit our website: https://startupgraveyard.africa
Signup to our Newsletter: https://startupgraveyardafrica.substack.com 

#3 Venture Capital is risky but Oui Capital won with 53X ROI

In this episode of the Tech Tides Africa podcast, Kelvin and Karen discuss the transformative landscape of embedded finance in Kenya, spotlighting NCBA Loop's pivotal role in driving this revolution. They also discuss Jumia's strategic cost-cutting in 2024 and celebrate Oui Capital’s 53x return on their $150K investment in Moniepoint. Additionally, they unpack recent findings that reveal eight African nations rank among the top 20 cyber-attacked countries and explore NITDA's new regulations mandating cloud providers to store critical data within Nigeria.
 
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Kelvin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvingobo 
Karen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-maina-84154937/
Visit our website: https://startupgraveyard.africa
Signup to our Newsletter: https://startupgraveyardafrica.substack.com

#2 Stablecoins, Startup Shutdowns and The State of EVs in Africa

In this episode of the Tech Tides Africa podcast, Kelvin and Karen discuss the emergence of stablecoins in Nigeria and Kenya, focusing on the distrust and regulatory challenges surrounding cryptocurrencies. They also touch on the shutdown of Nigerian Fintech startup Zoto and the fallout of Bento, which faced allegations of tax fraud and subsequently shut down operations in Nigeria. Additionally, they explore the strategic shift by Metro Africa Express (MAX) to focus on financing electric vehicles amidst the recent layoffs of 30% of its workforce. 📢 Connect with Us!
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Kelvin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvingobo
Karen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-maina-84154937/

#1 Navigating Africa's Tech Frontier: Cybersecurity, Digital Payments & AI Startups

In this episode, Kelvin and Karen unpack a series of transformative tech developments across Africa. First, we explore Uganda’s decisive move in detaining nine officials linked to a $16.87 million central bank hack. Next, we dive into Nigeria’s bold vision of achieving 70% internet penetration by 2025, driven by its National Broadband Alliance. We also examine how Safaricom and key Kenyan banks are pushing for Pesalink to boost digital payments. Finally, we highlight Flutterwave CEO’s new venture studio, Resilience17, which is set to invest $200,000 in promising AI startups. 
Join us as we break down what these moves mean for Africa’s tech landscape and future innovation.
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Kelvin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvingobo 
Karen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-maina-84154937/ 
Signup to our Newsletter: https://startupgraveyardafrica.substack.com 
Visit our website: https://startupgraveyard.africa