Здравей,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Ethiopia bets on AI with smart police service
- Jumia exits Algeria as it narrows its focus
- SA mulls age limits for social media
Ethiopia bets on AI with smart police service
If you thought policing would always mean queues, paperwork and tense face-to-face encounters, Ethiopia is betting otherwise. The country has just rolled out what it says is Africa’s first fully unmanned smart police service, leaning heavily on AI and digital tools to speed things up.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali unveiled the facility on Monday, describing it as a new way for citizens to access police services quickly through technology. Built in collaboration with the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, the project follows an agreement signed in July 2025 and mirrors similar experiments already underway in countries like China and the UAE.
At its core, the idea is simple: digitise routine police services and remove friction. According to federal police commissioner general Demelash Gebremichael, the unmanned station allows people to report crimes, traffic accidents and other incidents without direct human interaction or administrative bottlenecks.
Why does this matter? Ethiopian authorities believe automation could improve transparency and cut down on the “uncomfortable interactions” that often discourage people from engaging law enforcement in the first place. Faster reporting, quicker response times and fewer barriers could make crime prevention more effective overall.
The launch also fits neatly into Ethiopia’s broader Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy, which aims to modernise public institutions and make them more competitive through technology. If it works as planned, the smart police service could become a model for how African countries rethink public safety in the digital age.
But not everyone is convinced this is an unqualified win. Independent analysis of Ethiopia’s digital push highlights major gaps in Internet access, infrastructure and digital inclusion, especially outside major cities. This means many people may be unable to use such services at all. Critics also warn that rapid digitisation without robust data privacy, cybersecurity and legal protections can expose citizens to surveillance risks and alienate already marginalised communities if systems fail or are misused.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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Jumia exits Algeria as it narrows its focus
Jumia is trimming its map again. The African eCommerce company quietly exited Algeria in February 2026, chalking it up as another move in its long-running effort to focus only on markets where it sees a real shot at profitability.
The decision was disclosed in Jumia’s full-year 2025 financial report. Algeria, one of Jumia’s last North African markets after Tunisia, made up a small slice of the business, contributing about 2% of gross merchandise value before operations were shut down.
Jumia admits the exit will hurt in the short term but says it should pay off later. By cutting back its geographic footprint, the company believes it can run leaner, allocate resources better and concentrate on countries with stronger growth and clearer margins.
The pullback comes as competition across African eCommerce heats up, led by Chinese platforms like Temu and Shein. To stay in the game, Jumia has been reworking its supply chain, including opening a sourcing office in Yiwu, China, to buy directly from manufacturers and sharpen its pricing.
Pressure from Temu has been especially intense. After entering Nigeria in 2024 with aggressive discounts and heavy advertising, Temu quickly scaled up and by 2025 had matched Amazon’s share of the cross-border eCommerce market. In South Africa, where Jumia exited in 2024, Temu and Shein now dominate fashion eCommerce, a sign of just how brutal the competition has become.
SA mulls age limits for social media
South Africa’s communications minister, Solly Malatsi, says the government is considering imposing age limits on social media, but he’s not convinced that rushing into bans is the answer. Speaking on Cape Talk, Malatsi said the conversation is driven by growing concerns about online harm, especially for children.
According to the minister, kids are increasingly exposed to cyberbullying, abuse, grooming and content that simply isn’t meant for their age. He said the scale of online harm has grown enough that the government can’t ignore it, even if the solution isn’t straightforward.
Malatsi confirmed that South Africa is watching what countries like Australia and France are doing with age-gated social media but warned that enforcement is the real problem. Without proper systems in place, he said, restrictions risk becoming “cosmetic interventions” that look good on paper but achieve very little.
He pointed to Australia’s experience, where children have already found ways around age restrictions by using other people’s identification. That, Malatsi said, shows how easily such systems can be gamed and why there’s no such thing as a perfect global solution.
Digital law expert Emma Sadleir agrees that age-gating is a good idea in theory but says it’s unlikely to work in South Africa. Most social media companies don’t have a local presence, making enforcement almost impossible unless the government is willing to block platforms outright, a move she believes is unlikely, even as harmful content continues to flood young people’s feeds.
In case you missed it
- Jumia’s Q4 2025 revenue jumps 34% to $61.4 million
What I’m watching
- The crucial emotional skill most adults were never taught | Becky Kennedy
- Joe Tsai, Co-Founder and Chairman, Alibaba: Find Your People
Opportunities
- Amazon is recruiting a Partner Development Manager, Africa. Apply here.
- Korapay is looking for Head of Growth and Partnerships (The Curve Africa by Kora). Apply here.
- Misan by Bamboo is hiring a Community and Social Media Manager. Apply here,
- Spend Valentine’s Day meaningfully at no cost with Let Love Lead, a free cultural experience promoting unity through art and music, now open for registration on EventPark here.
- Credpal is hiring for several roles. Apply here.
- Lagos Business School is recruiting a Programme Officer (Delivery and Coordination). Submit a cover letter and your CV here.
- Kuda Technologies is looking for a Head of Product (Credit). Apply here.
- MTN Nigeria is hiring a Specialist – International Remittance (Product Manager). Apply here.
- Moniepoint is hiring for several roles. Apply here.
- Bamboo is hiring a quality assurance manager. Apply here.
- Paystack MFB is hiring for a few roles. Apply here.
- Don’t miss the Cavista Technologies Hackathon happening between February 21 and 22. Register your team and go home with cash prizes here.
- Kuda is recruiting a Head of Product (Credit). Apply here.
- Jumia is looking for a Senior Key Account Manager. Apply here.
- MTN is hiring a Specialist, International Remittance (Product Manager). Apply here.
- Moniepoint is hiring for over 100 roles. Apply here.
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Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
