AI & Automation

Artificial intelligence is changing every industry. We cover it from a Nigerian and African lens. What models, tools, and developments matter to builders here, and what the implications are for African markets and users.

South Africans can now access AI legal advice via WhatsApp for R5 per day, billed directly to their mobile airtime.

Tech Build Africa • Aug 25, 2026

My AI Lawyer has partnered with mobile billing specialist ViaMedia to launch an AI legal advisory service directly on South African mobile networks.Cell C subscribers can access the service via WhatsApp for R5, with the… Read full article →

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Kenyan fintech Flowt secures pre-seed funding to expand AI-driven working capital lending for climate-focused African small businesses.

Techmoran • Aug 25, 2026

Nairobi-based financial technology startup Flowt raised an undisclosed pre-seed funding round from Delta40 Fund I, Impacc, and the Argidius Foundation.The startup utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze financial records from bank accounts, mobile money, and accounting… Read full article →

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MTN Group launches Africa Data Hub Holding to accelerate AI and data center infrastructure expansion across the continent.

Business Post • Aug 25, 2026

MTN Group has established a new company, Africa Data Hub Holding Limited, in partnership with an undisclosed UAE-backed investment platform.The venture will focus on building AI-enabled data centers, identifying South Africa and Nigeria as its… Read full article →

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South African AI startup Verascient raises $1.2 million to scale its enterprise knowledge management platform.

Innovation Village • Aug 24, 2026

Verascient successfully closed an oversubscribed $1.2 million (R19.5 million) funding round to address corporate data silos.The funding was backed by global investors including Founder Collective, Andrena Ventures, Cambridge Enterprise, Summit Ventures, Alan Knott-Craig, and Shayne… Read full article →

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Egypt is targeting EGP 138.9 billion in ICT investments for FY 2026/27, relying heavily on private capital.

EnterpriseAM Egypt • Aug 24, 2026

Egypt's Communications Ministry aims to secure EGP 115.4 billion in private and foreign investments for FY 2026/27, representing 83.1% of the sector's total target.The government is targeting USD 8 billion in digital exports by June… Read full article →

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Ghana and Russia expand economic ties, focusing on local currency trade, nuclear energy, mining, and technology partnerships.

Business Post • Aug 22, 2026

Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held bilateral talks in mid-August 2026 to deepen trade and investment.Bilateral trade between the two countries has grown from $247 million in 2022… Read full article →

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Nigerian inventor Khalifa Aminu develops Glass V2, AI-powered smart glasses helping visually impaired users navigate safely.

IndexPrima • Aug 20, 2026

Twenty-year-old Kano-based inventor Khalifa Aminu has developed 'Glass V2', an AI-powered wearable combining sensors, GPS, and voice prompts to assist blind users.The device evolved from a 2023 prototype built with self-taught skills and locally sourced… Read full article →

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South African communications provider Telviva launches Viva, a locally hosted AI digital agent for enterprise customer service.

IT News Africa • Aug 20, 2026

Unified communications firm Telviva has launched 'Viva', a conversational voice and text-based digital AI agent tailored for South African businesses.The system operates across Voice and WhatsApp South Africa's primary business communication channels and scales across… Read full article →

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Digital Encode launches DEPAS AI, an autonomous penetration testing platform designed to counter AI-driven cyber threats.

ITPulse Nigeria • Aug 18, 2026

Digital Encode has announced DEPAS AI, an enterprise-grade autonomous penetration testing platform designed to combat highly sophisticated AI-driven cyber threats.The system transitions organizations from manual, periodic security checks to continuous 24/7 testing across applications, APIs,… Read full article →

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Nigeria has launched a National Digital Cloud Policy targeting $750 million in private investment over 24 months.

Nairametrics • Aug 18, 2026

The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, led by Dr. 'Bosun Tijani, unveiled the policy to boost digital infrastructure and establish Nigeria as a regional hosting hub.The government aims to aggregate its own… Read full article →

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The Africa CEO Forum launches its second LEAD cohort in Morocco to accelerate public governance and digital transformation.

Business Post • Aug 17, 2026

The LEAD leadership programme will gather 50 senior African public decision-makers in Rabat, Morocco, from August 28 to 30, 2026.The initiative focuses on digital public infrastructure, digital sovereignty, payments, and modernizing state public services. Read full article →

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Meta partners with Nigeria's communications ministry to launch AI Academy Nigeria, offering free training, funding, and mentorship.

BusinessDay Nigeria — Technology • Aug 17, 2026

Meta, Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, 3MTT, and RAIN have launched AI Academy Nigeria to build local AI talent.The initiative includes free generative AI curriculum via Coursera, DeepLearning.AI, and DataCamp, a… Read full article →

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Nigeria's IT regulator NITDA warns WordPress users to patch a severe login vulnerability that allows full website control.

Nairametrics • Aug 12, 2026

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) issued an advisory warning WordPress administrators about a critical login screen vulnerability tracked as CVE-2026-64638.The pre-authentication cross-site scripting flaw allows external attackers to execute malicious PHP code and… Read full article →

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NITDA partners with Canadian tech firms Goose FL and Fireflies AI to boost Nigeria's local AI infrastructure.

Nairametrics • Aug 12, 2026

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) signed agreements in Toronto with Canadian firms Goose FL and Fireflies AI to build local AI capacity and expand digital financial services. Read full article →

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Tanzania is reforming its investment and digital laws to attract global tech companies and AI investment.

AllAfrica Business • Aug 11, 2026

The Tanzanian government is reviewing the Public-Private Partnership Act, Companies Act, and financial laws to support AI, fintech, and e-commerce.Beyond legislative changes, Tanzania is translating laws into Kiswahili to improve public access to justice and… Read full article →

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Google has selected six Nigerian digital news startups for its Sub-Saharan Africa growth program.

Technext • Aug 11, 2026

Google chose six Nigerian digital news creators, The Republic, More Branches TV, Onlinebanker, Adetunji Films, Wearegst, and Iswellthecapitalist for its virtual Emerging News Voices Growth Lab.The program, running until late September 2026, aims to help… Read full article →

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South African AI startup Tennsa secures pre-seed funding from Oakvale Invest to expand its business-focused agentic AI platform.

Techmoran • Aug 10, 2026

Cape Town-based Tennsa has secured pre-seed backing from Oakvale Invest, marking the investor's first portfolio deal as an AI-focused pre-seed fund.The startup's platform, Tennsa OS, integrates directly with existing business tools like Sage, Xero, and… Read full article →

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South African AI startup Tennsa secures over $61,000 from Oakvale Invest to develop its business intelligence platform.

Tech Build Africa • Aug 10, 2026

Cape Town-based AI startup Tennsa secured over ZAR1 million (approximately $61,000) from the newly launched pre-seed fund Oakvale Invest.Tennsa is building Tennsa OS, an operational intelligence platform designed to integrate multiple SME software tools and… Read full article →

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A new coalition funds twenty-six projects building African-language AI models for healthcare, agriculture, and education across forty-seven countries.

Techmoran • Aug 10, 2026

The LINGUA Africa initiative, backed by Microsoft, Google, the Gates Foundation, and Masakhane, has selected 26 projects covering over 50 African languages.Key Kenyan projects include AntuGrow’s SemaShambani voice-first agricultural platform, Algedi Intelligence Labs' RADA project,… Read full article →

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Vendr.ng lets Nigerian users connect existing smart meters to its cloud platform, avoiding new hardware costs.

BusinessDay Nigeria — Technology • Aug 7, 2026

Nigerian cloud vending platform Vendr.ng has launched a campaign to onboard users with existing smart Wi-Fi prepaid, dual-tariff, gas, and water meters. Read full article →

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South African AI startup Tennsa raises over $61,000 from Africa's first AI-focused pre-seed fund, Oakvale Invest.

Disrupt Africa • Aug 7, 2026

Cape Town-based startup Tennsa raised over ZAR 1 million (US$61,000) in pre-seed funding from Oakvale Invest. Read full article →

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Terra Industries partners with Miva Open University to launch drone and robotics labs to train Nigerian hardware engineers.

IndexPrima • Aug 6, 2026

Nigerian DefenceTech startup Terra Industries and Miva Open University are establishing integrated robotics and drone laboratories, beginning with a pilot facility in Abuja.The partnership is designed to bridge the gap in practical hardware education by… Read full article →

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Brazil's three billion dollar green jet fuel project threatens Dangote Refinery's market dominance but offers an expansion opportunity.

Business AM • Aug 6, 2026

UAE's $385 billion sovereign fund Mubadala is financing a $3 billion sustainable aviation fuel project in Brazil using native macauba palm trees.A biorefinery in Bahia, Brazil is projected to produce 20,000 barrels of this plant-based… Read full article →

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NITDA has launched Nigeria's National Sovereign Cloud Initiative, mandating provider certifications starting October 2026.

Business AM • Aug 5, 2026

NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi signed three regulatory instruments: the National Cloud Computing Guideline, National Cloud Technical Guideline, and National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework.The agency unveiled the National Cloud Investment Strategy and will set up… Read full article →

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Mobility fintech Moove raises $250 million at a $2.1 billion valuation to build global autonomous vehicle infrastructure.

Technext • Aug 5, 2026

Moove secured $250 million in Series C funding led by Mubadala Investment Company, elevating its valuation to $2.1 billion.Founded in 2020 by Nigerian entrepreneurs, the company has scaled to manage 42,000 vehicles across 13 countries,… Read full article →

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Nedbank reports R8.4 billion H1 earnings driven by surging digital banking adoption and AI-enabled cost savings.

Tech Financials • Aug 4, 2026

Nedbank Group reported robust H1 2026 headline earnings of R8.4 billion for the six months ending 30 June 2026, exceeding internal expectations.The bank's retail digital active clients rose 8% to 3.5 million, with Nedbank Money… Read full article →

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Zenith Bank alerts customers of a cyber incident that exposed contact details but did not affect banking operations.

Nairametrics • Aug 4, 2026

Zenith Bank notified customers on August 4, 2026, about a cyber incident that leaked limited customer information, including email addresses and phone numbers.The bank confirmed that its core banking operations, security systems, and digital channels… Read full article →

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Nigeria recorded over 1.6 million web attacks in H1 2026 as cybercriminals increasingly adopt AI tools.

Business AM • Aug 4, 2026

Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky detected more than 1.6 million online attacks targeted at users in Nigeria during the first half of 2026.Nigeria ranked fourth in the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa (META) region with 18.4% of… Read full article →

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Lesotho partners with Convalt Energy on a historic $6.2 billion green hydropower and AI data centre project.

Innovation Village • Aug 4, 2026

The $6.2 billion Kobong Project will combine 1.2 GW of pumped-storage hydropower and 4.6 GW of solar energy to power an adjacent AI data centre.Fully funded for initial feasibility by New York-based Convalt Energy, the… Read full article →

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AI now powers 55% of African cybercrimes, doubling regional financial losses to $484 million, according to INTERPOL.

Innovation Village • Aug 4, 2026

According to INTERPOL's 2026 report, financial losses from African cybercrime rose from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million, driven heavily by AI-enhanced phishing and automated credential harvesting.The assessment, based on data from 36 African… Read full article →

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