Catching up with African Tech: May #2
Opera’s Minipay treads sensitive compliance terrains, More Microsoft Layoffs, Chowdeck launches in Ghana for some Ghanaian Jellof, Spar wants to provide telecom services in South Africa.
👋🏾 Hello, everyone. This is Sadie, and it is the weekly digest with Vizible. Let’s go through a roundup of all the important events that happened throughout the week in the tech ecosystem. Before I dive in. What about a contemplative question?
What is that one software product that you would like to bring back from previous years or a previous decade?
You can tell me in the comments!
Ready?
Time to dive in!
Product Launches and Updates
Opera’s Mini Pay is now available as an iOS app. Mini Pay was previously embedded in Opera Mini, and that limited its usage to android users alone, but now, Opera is now available as a standalone iOS and Android app. As a new player trying to compete with platforms like Coinbase, Opera’s seeking huge users in Africa’s fast growing digital currency market.
Backed by a $40 million fund from Verda Ventures, Mini Pay operates a non-custodial stablecoin wallet, giving users full control over their funds. It doesn’t handle fiat transactions directly but partners with providers like Yellow Card, Fonbank, Partna, TransFi, Transak, and Onramper to offer competitive exchange rates. With support for over 35 local currencies, MiniPay makes it easy to swap stablecoins for local cash. Mini Pay remains a largely unregulated software as it relies on third parties for compliance processes like KYC, and licences.
Whilst MIni Pay is an innovative product that solves a real problem in the Web 3 space from a unique angle, Mini Pay might not be too mini to squeeze through its regulatory gap, and I wonder what the future has in store for Opera’s Minpay in Nigeria.
In a not so unexpected move, South African retail giant, Spar is treading new waters in South Africa’s telecoms market. Spar mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), in partnership with megsApp and backed by MTN. This initiative allows customers to earn free mobile data by purchasing select promotional items at Spar and Tops! stores, potentially reducing their mobile costs by up to 50%. Spar Mobile offers prepaid voice, data, and SMS services. SIM cards are available in-store for R15 ($0.80), preloaded with 300MB of data and R10 ($0.54) in airtime.
The service supports eSIM functionality, number porting, and integrates with the Spar mobile app for easy top-ups and account management. With this move, Spar is joining a growing list of South African retailers, like Pick n Pay, TFG Connect, and Boxercom, who’ve stepped into the mobile game using MTN’s network. The MVNO market here is expected to hit nearly $91 million this year, and Spar’s hoping its mobile offering won’t just save customers money, but also keep them coming back. It’s a smart play, Spar is meeting people where they already shop, and making loyalty a little more rewarding.
Zoho Creator now has new AI features. The no code app development platform now has a new AI assistant Cocreator that facilitates even faster and seamless app development with the use of written and voice prompts, process flows and other business specification documents. Cocreator does have a nice ring to it and could be a good complementary feature for Ziq, as it now focuses on a single niche. However, efficiency and speed still remains a concern for many users.
Cassava Technologies, a global tech firm rooted in Africa, has partnered with Zindi, the continent’s largest data science network, to accelerate AI innovation across Africa. This collaboration aims to provide African developers and startups with access to Cassava’s GPU-as-a-Service infrastructure, enhancing the development of AI solutions tailored to local challenges
Nigerian startup, Flowmono now offers e-signatures and no code automation to enhance productivity for its users. Flowmono's no-code automation tool, Automate, enables African businesses to streamline workflows such as onboarding, forms and approvals without the need for coding expertise. With a drag-and-drop interface and API integration, it's tailored to help teams digitize operations efficiently.
The new signature pad improves the signing experience across devices, Flowmono has also introduced features like alternate signers and a pause-and-resume function, allowing users to manage document approvals more flexibly.
Chowdeck is expanding its services to other African countries, and Chowdeck has made its first stop in Ghana. Chowdeck is also introducing a customer reward scheme and an extensive rider training programme. The startup will kick off operations in key areas including Osu, Cantonments, Labone, Airport, Dzorwulu, East Legon, Madina, Adenta, Oyarifa, and Abokobi.
I can’t help but ask the question: Has Chowdeck given up on Nigeria? Currently, Chowdeck only serves a handful of cities in Nigeria, Lagos, Abuja, Ilorin, Ibadan, Porthacourt, Asaba, Benin city, and Abeokuta, however, not all these cities have full coverage. I remember trying to make an order for a friend in Kuje ( a part of Abuja), but there was no coverage for the address that I inputted. Services like Chowdeck are quite essential, and can transform the hospitality scene in Nigeria, drive profits and visibility for catering services, and provide employment even in areas or neighbourhoods that may be overlooked.
Chowdeck’s expansion into Ghana is impressive, However, if Chowdeck is going to conquer new countries or the African continent, it needs to first conquer a country like Nigeria with vast land mass, several developing cities and complex cultural nuances first, as it is its birth place and would help strengthen its operation process. There’s power in starting local before going global, especially when “local” still has so much potential to unlock.
This week, Ethio Telecom introduced Zemen GEBEYA, a new eCommerce platform aimed at connecting Ethiopian businesses and consumers in a unified digital marketplace. GEBEYA will support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by providing them with broader market access, leveraging fast internet, cloud infrastructure, and the popular telebirr payment system.
Ethio Telecom’s GEBEYA might be a step in the right direction for digital commerce in Ethopia, but should government-owned entities be building platforms that compete directly with private startups?
On one hand, Gebeya can potentially speed up digital adoption by leveraging Ethio Telecom’s existing infrastructure and user base. But on the other hand, it can crowd out smaller, private e-commerce ventures that lack the same level of funding, regulatory support, or distribution advantage. In a market still finding its digital footing, government efforts might be better spent enabling the ecosystem, funding digital infrastructure, offering grants, easing regulations, and creating a fertile ground for startups to scale, instead of becoming the ecosystem itself. Ethiopia’s long-term digital health might be better served if the government played the role of a catalyst, and not a competitor.
Spectranet’s launch of ExpressPay, in partnership with SeerBit, is more than just a new payment feature, it’s a smart infrastructure move for the telco company. Expresspay will enable real-time payments through unique virtual accounts, Spectranet is minimising customer friction. In a market where delayed activations and manual errors can frustrate users, ExpressPay strengthens user trust and loyalty. Telcos are leaning into fintech to create seamless, tech-driven experiences, not just connectivity. When you think about it, being able to receive and disburse money and communicate digitally is the full connective dream. Doing this without distortions, might be the advantage of these new telco fused fintechs.
This week in fundraising:
Egypt’s Nawy is eyeing the Middle East and North African regions in its new expansion quest. The prop tech company secured a record $75 series A funding, to support its expansion quest. The round was raised in two tranches and attracted a line up of notable investors, including Development Partners International’s Nclude Fund, e& Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, HOF Capital, March Capital Investments, Outliers, Plug and Play, Shorooq Partners, VentureSouq, and Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures.
Nawy has grown into a full-stack real estate platform, blending a rich property listings database with tech-driven brokerage, financing, and property management services. Beyond traditional buying and selling, the company is reshaping access to real estate in Egypt. Its standout products include Nawy Shares, a fractional ownership model that lowers the entry barrier to just $500, and Nawy Now, a “Move Now, Pay Later” mortgage solution, both features are game-changers in a market where bank financing is broadly out of reach for the middle class.
The IFC is backing First Circle Capital’s $25 million Africa Fund I, a female led fund, which is taking a more laidback and foundational approach to fintech in Africa. Instead of focusing on high-profile consumer apps, the fund is investing in the infrastructure behind them, APIs, compliance tools, embedded finance, and other core technologies. By addressing these often-overlooked layers, the fund aims to strengthen the continent’s fintech ecosystem from the ground up. The IFC’s involvement also signals growing international confidence in Africa’s long-term fintech potential.
This approach is cogently needed, as fintech consumer apps grow by the number in Africa. For the fintech ecosystem to function optimally, core infrastructure should not be ignored.
What’s happening in the ecosystem:
This week, Microsoft announced that it is laying off almost 3% of its global workforce. The layoff has impacted roughly 6,840 employees (that is 3% of its reported headcount). This is Microsoft’s largest workforce reduction since it cut 10,000 jobs in 2023. The move was made in a bid to streamline operations, reduce management layers and cut costs.
Nigerian innovation breaks records as Nigerian innovator claims world record for creating the World’s smallest GPS tracking device, with measurements 22.93 mm x 11.92 mm (0.90 x 0.46 in). The feat was achieved by Oluwatobi Oyinlola in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Opportunities
Applications are now open for the 2025 Standard Chartered Ghana Women in Tech Incubator Program, a flagship initiative under the bank’s global Futuremakers program. In partnership with Village Capital and implemented by the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre, this incubator is designed to empower women-led and women-owned businesses with the tools, training, and funding needed to leverage technology and create scalable, innovative businesses that help solve Ghana’s pressing economic and environmental challenges for sustainable growth and social impact.
On an unrelated note:
How far will AI go?
From generating pictures to written content to solving complex equations? How far will AI go? Recently I came across this video on Youtube about Google’s Firebase Studio’s new feature for prototyping apps. Developers can prototype apps with just a single prompt. After the prompt has been inputted the AI bot generates full codes and shows a prototype of the app.
With the recent news of Microsoft’s layoffs, it made me think about the expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence. They say AI isn't taking our jobs, but maybe it is? How far will AI go?
I read some resources about the future of AI, ethics and the pros and cons of AI and I decided to share them with you. If you are a professional in tech, you should probably read them, it helps to gain more insight about the coming times.
The future of creative AI in innovation: revolutionizing industries
AI—The good, the bad, and the scary | Engineering | Virginia Tech
How Do We Use Artificial Intelligence Ethically?
On a completely unrelated note, I found this article really interesting. What exactly do you know about the global recycling industry and how is it impacting third world countries around the world? While this is an opinion article in the New York Times, the writer sheds some much needed light on some of the dark unethical practices of global waste trade. You can read it by clicking the link below:
The Story You’ve Been Told About Recycling Is a Lie
Signing Out:
Alright, fellow Vizibodies! This is where I head out! Boy, has it been a really slow week, or is it just me? I hope you have a great weekend, filled with lots of rest, fun and productivity.
Do you have any big news or insight to share? Let us know in the comments!
We are dedicated to bringing major insights and core news from the African Tech Ecosystem closer to you.
Same time next week? ✌🏾