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Massive Helps SMEs Turn Google Searches into Sales
For many small businesses, attracting new customers is no longer just about having a physical shop or advertising on social media. Increasingly, potential customers turn to Google when searching for nearby restaurants, salons, clinics and other services. Nigerian startup Massive wants to help small businesses take advantage of these searches and convert online visibility into…
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WayaWaya and Choice Bank Introduce AI-Driven Banking in Kenya
Kenya’s digital banking sector is gaining another competitor as fintech company WayaWaya partners with Choice Bank to introduce artificial intelligence-powered banking services. The partnership aims to make financial services more personalised by allowing customers to access banking tools that adapt to their spending habits, business activities and financial needs. The new service, called WayaWaya Banking,…
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IFC Finds African Businesses Face Higher Borrowing Costs
African businesses face a significant financing disadvantage compared with companies in wealthier economies, paying approximately 1.8 percentage points more in real borrowing costs, according to research presented by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The findings highlight the structural challenges facing businesses across the continent as they seek affordable capital to expand operations, invest in technology…
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Kuramo Trains Emerging SME Fund Managers in Nigeria
Nigeria’s small businesses need more than access to loans and investment. They also need experienced financial professionals capable of identifying promising enterprises, managing investment funds and directing capital towards businesses with the potential to create jobs and strengthen the economy. This is the challenge Kuramo Capital Management is seeking to address through a new initiative…
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How Milsat Is Transforming Nigeria’s Digital Addressing System
The company behind Nigeria’s new digital addressing infrastructure is Mislat, a Nigerian geospatial technology firm helping transform how homes, businesses and other physical locations are identified across the country. Its work on the National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System represents an important development for Nigeria’s digital economy. By combining satellite imagery, geographic information systems (GIS) and…
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Yoco Raises $100 Million to Boost Small Business Lending in South Africa
South African fintech company Yoco has secured a $100 million credit facility from US-based investment firm Victory Park Capital Advisors as it prepares to expand financing opportunities for small businesses across the country. The deal marks a significant step in Yoco’s evolution from a digital payments provider into a broader financial services platform for merchants.…