Kumusta,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- MTN eyes big push into East Africa
- How ClockPay helps businesses accept stablecoins
- Zipline suspends operations at three hubs in Ghana
MTN eyes big push into East Africa
MTN Group is rethinking its footprint in Africa, and CEO Ralph Mupita says the next phase of expansion will tilt heavily toward East and Southern Africa. In a new interview with TechCentral, Mupita admitted that MTN’s dominance is still clustered around South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana, and that he wants to fix that imbalance over the next three to five years.
The numbers back him up. MTN may be in 16 markets with more than 300 million subscribers, but its real weight sits in just a handful of countries. Nigeria is the growth engine, South Africa anchors the group, and a strong West African cluster fills out the rest. Meanwhile, East Africa, home to huge, fast-growing economies, is where MTN remains surprisingly light.
Mupita didn’t give away a formal shopping list, but he didn’t hide his interest in Kenya either. He called it a “missing” market in MTN’s portfolio, a notable comment considering Safaricom, Kenya’s dominant operator, is partly owned by MTN’s rival, Vodacom. He also framed East Africa as a region offering “high-quality growth” with less volatility than parts of West Africa.
MTN is already exiting the Middle East and still hopes to unwind its stake in Iran. Once that’s settled, the company wants a more balanced African presence, not one where the entire business leans on two or three giant markets. The big question now is where MTN makes its next move and at what price.
The other big topic from the interview: South Africa’s long-running MTN–Telkom saga. Mupita still believes the SA telecoms sector must consolidate, ideally down to two, maybe three, big players. The economics of data-heavy networks and the cost of 5G/6G rollout, he argues, make that inevitable. That was the logic behind pursuing Telkom in the first place.
So, is MTN still interested? Yes, but only if three planets align: regulators must be open, politicians must support the deal, and both companies must agree commercially. That alignment has failed three times already, but Mupita didn’t rule out a future attempt. If the stars finally align, MTN is ready to talk again.
How ClockPay helps businesses accept stablecoins
Martins Ejeheri’s path to ClockPay didn’t start with big ideas about crypto. It started with a personal frustration: after moving to the US in 2023, converting his own crypto to dollars took days, even though he’d spent nearly a decade building blockchain solutions that could move value in minutes. That gap pushed him to create ClockPay, a platform he describes as “Stripe for stablecoins.”
ClockPay helps businesses accept stablecoins and settle instantly in currencies like dollars, pounds or naira, solving the delays, high fees and multi-step conversions that still define crypto payments. Since launching in 2023, the company has expanded into 24 countries, secured licensing in the US, UK, China and Africa, and processed $45 million in transactions.
Martins built it for the people he kept seeing struggle, like eCommerce sellers with global customers and creators getting paid across borders. Now ClockPay gives them enterprise APIs, fast conversions and even US bank accounts without being in the US.
In all, Martins wants to make blockchain part of everyday business and financial life. Find out how he’s doing all that in Sarah’s latest story for Techpoint Africa.
Zipline suspends operations at three hubs in Ghana
Zipline has confirmed that it’s suspending drone delivery operations at three of its main hubs in Ghana — the nests at Anum, Sefwi-Wiawso and Kete-Krachi — calling the decision “very difficult.” The company didn’t take the move lightly: these hubs have been operational for years, delivering blood, vaccines and other medical supplies to remote areas.
The trigger for the shutdown, according to members of Ghana’s Parliament, is a deep unpaid debt owed by the government: reportedly GH¢175 million. But whereas the debt remains outstanding, the country’s 2026 budget only allocates GH¢20 million toward the arrears. That leaves a massive funding gap and apparently no viable path for Zipline to keep running those specific centres.
This is happening just as Zipline has secured a landmark agreement with the US Department of State: a $150 million pay-for-performance deal to triple its drone-delivery network across Africa, expanding service to 15,000 health facilities and potentially reaching 130 million people. The new funding is meant to scale operations in countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and Côte d’Ivoire, apparently aiming for more reliable, continent-wide medical supply delivery.
But the contrast is stark: while Zipline gets fresh backing and aims high globally, its Ghana operations are being scaled down, at least in those three hubs. Areas that used to benefit from rapid deliveries may now revert to slower road transport or limited supply-access, risking setbacks to gains made in maternal health, vaccine delivery and emergency care.
Zipline says it intends to continue serving Ghana through its remaining hubs, which are Mpanya, Vobsi, and Mampong, and hopes to resume the suspended services when conditions allow. But the shutdown raises hard questions about sustainability: when large-scale aid or backing is in place, how can private-sector healthcare delivery firms ensure continuity when public funding dries up or political will wanes?
In case you missed it
- The woman making African software work: how Udeme Jalekun is building trust in every line of code
What I’m watching
- 7 Silent Behaviors of People You Can’t Manipulate (Psychology Explained)
- Your brain is sabotaging your relationships (Here’s the science)
Opportunities
- Lagos is set to host one of the continent’s biggest gatherings in the technology and innovation ecosystem. On Friday, November 28, 2025, the Balmoral Convention Center at the Federal Palace, Victoria Island, will welcome founders, investors, ecosystem leaders, and innovators for the 2025 Africa Startup Festival (ASF). Get your tickets here.
- FairMoney is hiring a Golang Backend Engineer. Apply here.
- M-KOPA is recruiting a Director of Product Design. Apply here.
- Standard Bank Group logo is hiring a Team Lead, Northwest 1 & 2. Apply here.
- We’re hosting a debate on AI in daily life. Join us to share your insights and perspectives.
- Techpoint Africa is creating a video series where people discuss and debate policies and current events. If you enjoy thoughtful conversations, fill out this form. Apply here.
- Are you building a startup can feel isolating, but with Equity Merchants CommunityConnect? You can network with fellow founders, experts, and investors, gaining valuable insights and exclusive resources to help you grow your business. Click here to join.
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Have a superb Thursday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
