Telecom Namibia and Angola Telecom announced on Thursday they have signed an MoU and commercial terms agreement (CTA) to boost regional and international subsea cable connectivity along Southern Africa’s west coast.

African data sovereignty is again in the news. UniCloud Africa (UCA), a pan-African sovereign cloud platform, and data centre company Open Access Data Centres (OADC), have announced a strategic partnership to, as they put it, accelerate Africa’s digital transformation and independence.

The government of Sierra Leone has approved the appointment of private sector operator Africell Sierra Leone as its investment partner for the relaunch of troubled state-owned telecommunications company Sierratel.

NTT Data announced on Monday that it has established active 400 Gbps peering at the Johannesburg Internet Exchange (JINX), adding that it’s the first network operator in Africa to do so.

Nigerian finance firm Credit Direct says it has signed an MoU with Chinese handset maker Vivo Nigeria to make the company’s smartphones more affordable.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at tackling SIM-related fraud and strengthening consumer protection across Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Mozambique’s Communications Regulatory Authority (INCM) has kicked off plans to allocate 5G spectrum after receiving proposals from the country’s three main telcos – Tmcel, Vodacom Mozambique and Movitel.

Operator Econet Wireless Zimbabwe says it has launched Econet AI, which is described as a dedicated standalone business unit created to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption across the country’s economy.

Telecom Namibia said on Friday that it’s making progress in dealing with network service disruptions that plagued users during the latter half of last week due to international connectivity problems.

MTN Ghana's independent mobile payments firm MobileMoney Fintech announced on Thursday that it has temporarily restricted some MoMo agent accounts as it conducts checks to ensure agents comply with guidelines and regulatory requirements.

Digital payment deals continue to makes headlines across Africa. This time Nedbank and Mastercard have announced what is called a landmark agreement to transform digital payments across Southern Africa.

The government of Sierra Leone has announced the relaunch of state-owned telecom operator Sierratel through a new private sector partnership.

Mauritanian telcos Moov Mauritel, Mattel, Chinguitel and Rimatel have reportedly bid MRU1.08 billion (around US$27.1 million) in total for 5G licences being auctioned by the Autorité de Régulation (ARE).

Gabon has introduced a sweeping new social media ordinance which eliminates online anonymity and imposes strict identity requirements, among other measures. It comes in the context of a recent wave of social media restrictions in Gabon.

Africa Data Centres announced on Monday it has signed a deal with South African fibre optic cable infrastructure provider Oni-Tel Fibre Networks to strengthen interconnectivity across its facilities in Gauteng province.

Ethio Telecom announced on Thursday it has partnered with Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise (ETRE) to launch an RFID-powered digital toll payment solution for users of the Addis Ababa-Adama expressway.

Operator Telecom Namibia and regulator the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) have officially entered into a strategic partnership.

The London Internet Exchange (LINX), a not-for-profit organisation delivering interconnection solutions across the UK and globally, has launched a 12-month no-charge promotion for all services at its new Ghana internet exchange point (IXP), LINX Accra.

African payments technology company Flutterwave has announced that it has secured a Nigerian banking license.

According to a number of recent news reports, the government of Equatorial Guinea is considering joining the Medusa subsea cable to improve network stability.

Presight, a global AI company that designs intelligent systems for governments and critical infrastructure, says it has recently signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the governments of Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon to support each country’s digital transformation initiatives.

Vodacom Tanzania says it has modernised its M-Pesa platform via a US$28 million strategic investment to make its mobile money service more reliable and secure.

South African open-access fibre network provider Maziv has announced a major investment to expand its network connectivity across South Africa over the next five to seven years.

State-owned Ethio Telecom announced on Wednesday it has launched a national digital signature platform for document authentication and attorney licensing in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Federal Documents Authentication and Registration Service.

Telecoms infrastructure provider Helios Towers has unveiled a plan to invest US$100 million to expand its telecoms infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with backing from the National Agency for the Promotion of Investments (ANAPI).

Payment giant Mastercard is back in the news in Africa with digital finance announcements affecting consumers in Sierra Leone and businesses in five other African countries.

Pan-African telco, Paratus Group, has launched Paratus Essential Access, a solution designed by Paratus and powered by LEO satellite operator Starlink to deliver priority satellite connectivity to communities and emergency services organisations at the heart of Africa’s remote communities.

East African neutral data centre operator Wingu Africa launched its new Wingu Cloud Exchange (WCX) in Ethiopia on Tuesday, offering a private cloud platform tailored specifically for local businesses.

Global payment infrastructure provider Thunes says it has launched a direct-to-workforce cross-border payout solution that allows businesses to pay remote overseas teams, freelancers and gig workers instantly.

Development financial institution the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the National Planning Commission (NPC), an advisory body and think tank appointed by the country’s president, have announced the completion of South Africa’s Digital Connectivity Investment Roadmap to 2035.