Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria to ban TikTok. Airtel builds Data center. Vodacom starts 5g calls

By Tech Safari

Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria are tasking TikTok to align the digital platform’s moderation policies with local laws and cultural norms or face a ban.

But so far it is Egypt which has given TikTok three months to implement the directives or be thrown out as far as Ahmed Badawi, head of the country’s telecoms committee is concerned.

The move could hit Egypt’s creator economy hard, especially youth influencers who rely on TikTok for income and visibility.

Kenya and Nigerian have also demanded for Tik-Tok regulatory compliance or block the youth-favorite platform.

Nigerian Telecommunications Company, the 9mobile has officially rebranded to T2, following its acquisition by the investment firm LH Telecoms.

The rebrand marks a new strategic direction for the struggling telco which has lost 19 million subscribers over 8 years.

Airtel Nigeria is building a USD 120 million, 38-MW data centre in Lagos, Nigeria, set to launch in 2026. Unlike rivals focusing on cloud storage, Airtel is prioritising AI compute power, with high-performance GPUs already delivered to support model training.

E-commerce giant Jumia announced a 25 percent revenue growth in its second quarter of 2025 earnings report, signalling a positive trajectory in its path to profitability.

The company has significantly narrowed its operating losses by focusing on core markets and essential goods while expanding its footprint into secondary cities across the continent.

Vodacom has completed South Africa’s first native voice call over 5G, using Voice over New Radio (VoNR) tech.

Unlike current 5G calls that fall back to 4G, VoNR runs entirely on the fifth generation bandwith, offering faster call setup, clearer audio, and less background noise.

The test marks a step toward full 5G capabilities in SA’s telecom sector, though no public rollout date has been announced.

MENA-focused expense management platform Alaan has raised USD 48 million in a Series A round led by Peak XV Partners, with participation from Y Combinator and other notable investors. The funds will be used to enhance its platform and expand its reach across the Middle East and North Africa.

South African travel-tech startup TurnStay has secured USD 2 million in a funding round led by First Circle Capital. The company plans to use the capital to expand its operations across Africa and enhance its platform, which provides flexible accommodation solutions for business and leisure travellers.

Ghanaian fintech startup Fusepay has closed a USD 350,000 pre-seed funding round led by the Hustle Fund, based in the United States.

The company will use the investment to scale its platform, which helps African businesses manage their corporate spending through smart cards and expense management software.

Meanwhile Leon Kiptum, the former Flutterwave East Africa VP and one of Kenya’s most respected fintech leaders, has sadly passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Kiptum guided Flutterwave through challenging regulatory times and previously held senior roles at Barclays, KCB, Chipper Cash, and Betway