The African tech ecosystem has recently witnessed a flurry of significant activities, including major acquisitions, crucial legal battles impacting digital rights and market regulation, and innovative advancements in financial technology and connectivity. These developments highlight the dynamic nature of the continent's digital landscape, drawing attention to both opportunities and challenges.

One of the most notable events is the acquisition of ANKA, the Ivorian eCommerce startup formerly known as Afrikrea, by New York-based Global Shop for an undisclosed amount. This deal marks a new chapter for ANKA, a platform that has been instrumental in helping thousands of African creators sell their products globally. Global Shop's new CEO, Matilda Ceesay, aims to leverage ANKA's robust infrastructure—encompassing payments, logistics, and custom storefronts—to further empower African sellers, attract more customers, and streamline operations, thereby scaling African and diaspora-driven brands worldwide. ANKA's journey began in 2016 as Afrikrea, connecting designers to buyers across 170 countries, processing over $60 million in sales at its peak. In 2023, it rebranded to ANKA, pivoting to a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, which proved successful, achieving breakeven and $4.1 million in revenue in 2024. Despite earlier challenges, including the shutdown of its Afrikrea marketplace in May 2024 due to inflation and payment issues, and raising $11 million in pre-Series A funding, the acquisition sees ANKA's founders exit while existing employees remain, preserving its Ivorian roots under new leadership.

In Kenya, the High Court in Nairobi has temporarily suspended key sections of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2025, following a petition by gospel artist Reuben Kigame and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC). Justice Lawrence Mugambi issued conservatory orders, halting the enforcement of clauses criminalizing the publishing of “false, misleading, or fictitious data.” Critics argue that these sections are too vague and could be weaponized to suppress free speech, intimidate journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens. The petitioners contend that the amendments threaten freedom of expression, privacy, and access to information by granting authorities excessive power to define what constitutes “false” or “misleading” content. This ruling represents a significant, albeit temporary, victory for digital rights advocates in Kenya, allowing the case to proceed to a full hearing to determine the ultimate fate of the contested clauses.

South Africa’s communications regulator, Icasa, faced a significant setback in the Pretoria High Court as MTN South Africa successfully challenged parts of its 2021 mobile broadband service regulations. The court invalidated rules that designated MTN, along with Vodacom, as having “significant market power” and being “dominant” in various markets, necessitating detailed pricing reports to Icasa. Judge Namhla Siwendu ruled that Icasa’s methodology for defining market power was “legally flawed,” based on outdated data and irrelevant factors, declaring the regulations “unreasonable, unlawful, and invalid.” MTN had argued that Icasa’s approach was riddled with errors, including how it defined markets and its disregard for industry tests and provisions of the Electronic Communications Act. This ruling exempts MTN and Vodacom from the contentious reporting requirements, and industry experts suggest an appeal from Icasa is unlikely given the severity of the court’s criticism.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s Mogo Auto Ltd is embroiled in a class action lawsuit, accused by customers of operating a predatory lending scheme. Borrowers allege that Mogo's buy-now-pay-later loans, initially seen as a lifeline, trap them in endless debt through excessive interest rates, undisclosed foreign exchange pegging, hidden insurance charges, and ruthless vehicle repossession tactics. This isn't Mogo’s first encounter with legal scrutiny; in 2024, Kenya’s Competition Authority fined the firm $86,300 for “false, misleading, and unconscionable” practices. The ongoing lawsuit could severely impact Mogo's reputation and consumer trust, potentially driving borrowers to competitors and triggering stricter oversight of non-bank lenders by Kenya’s Central Bank.

In financial technology, Zepz, the UK unicorn behind WorldRemit and Sendwave, announced the integration of stablecoin wallets into its Sendwave remittance platform across more than 100 countries. This move reflects a growing trend among remittance and cross-border payment companies, with legacy players like MoneyGram and Western Union also exploring stablecoin functionalities. While stablecoins offer speed and convenience, their implications for monetary policy controls raise concerns among regulators, a sentiment echoed by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The widespread adoption of dollar-backed stablecoins could prompt serious questions from regulators in African countries where Sendwave operates, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Liberia.

Connectivity in Africa also saw advancements as Paratus Group, a Pan-African telecoms company, launched Starlink services for business clients in Rwanda. This expands Paratus’s satellite internet footprint, following earlier rollouts in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The Kigali-based unit will supply and install Starlink for enterprises across various sectors, aiming to provide reliable connectivity amidst frequent subsea cable disruptions. Paratus, which secured exclusive distribution rights for Starlink in 2023, is combining satellite capacity with its terrestrial fibre routes to create resilient network options. Rwanda’s strategic position as a tech-forward nation with growing digital infrastructure makes it an ideal launchpad for Paratus’s ambition to establish satellite internet as a mainstream backup for corporate internet services in East Africa.

These diverse developments underscore the rapid evolution and complex challenges within Africa's technology sectors, from fostering entrepreneurship and protecting digital rights to ensuring fair market competition and adopting innovative financial solutions, all contributing to the continent's digital transformation.