Bok,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Liberia revokes StarCell’s telecom licence
- Zoho backs Kenyan SMEs with software credits
- South Africa is sending B.A.L.L.S. to the Moon
Liberia revokes StarCell’s telecom licence
Liberia has finally pulled the plug on StarCell. After months of warnings, suspensions, and missed deadlines, the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) has officially revoked the telecom operator’s licence and spectrum authorisation, accusing the company of repeatedly breaching regulatory requirements. The decision, announced in July 2026, brings to an end a licence that had remained largely dormant since it was first issued in 2020, freeing up valuable spectrum that the regulator says can now be reassigned to operators ready to invest and serve Liberians.
The revocation matters because telecom licences are more than just permits; they’re access to a limited national resource. By reclaiming StarCell’s unused spectrum, Liberia hopes to encourage stronger competition, improve network quality, and attract operators willing to expand connectivity across the country. The LTA said StarCell failed to launch commercial operations, ignored regulatory directives, accumulated outstanding financial obligations and repeatedly failed to engage with the regulator despite several opportunities to resolve the issues.
The regulator first issued StarCell with a proposed licence revocation notice in September 2025 after years of inactivity. Then, on February 9, 2026, the LTA suspended the company’s licence for 90 days, giving it until May 2026 to begin operations, settle outstanding obligations, and comply with the country’s telecommunications laws. According to the regulator, StarCell failed to meet those conditions, leaving it with little choice but to revoke the licence permanently.
The move is also part of a much broader overhaul of Liberia’s telecom sector. Over the past year, the LTA has been working on reforms aimed at modernising licensing, encouraging infrastructure sharing, expanding rural connectivity, introducing IMEI-based phone tracking, and tightening enforcement across the industry. Regulators have argued that licences and radio spectrum should not be held indefinitely by companies that fail to deploy services, especially when millions of Liberians still need better connectivity. Revoking dormant licences, they say, is essential to creating a more competitive and efficient telecom market.
For investors and telecom operators, the message is unmistakable: Liberia is taking a tougher stance on compliance. The country wants operators that will build networks, invest in infrastructure and actively compete, not simply hold licences without delivering services. As digital transformation gathers pace across Africa, regulators are increasingly signalling that access to valuable telecom spectrum comes with clear obligations, and companies that fail to honour them risk losing the right to operate.
Zoho and KNCCI back Kenyan SMEs with software credits
Zoho is making a big bet on Kenya’s small businesses, and it’s putting money behind it. The Indian software company has partnered with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) digitise their operations. Announced at Zoholics Kenya 2026 on July 22, the partnership gives eligible KNCCI members KSh 65,000 ($500) in Zoho Wallet credits, which they can use across more than 60 business applications. The package also includes product training, onboarding support, implementation assistance, and digital skills workshops to help businesses move beyond spreadsheets and WhatsApp chats.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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The partnership matters because many African SMEs still run their businesses manually. Customer records often sit in WhatsApp conversations, invoices are created only when needed, and stock or sales are tracked in notebooks. That approach works when a business is small, but it quickly becomes a problem as sales grow. Zoho believes the biggest obstacle isn’t the software itself; it’s the cost, complexity and lack of technical support. By giving businesses free software credits and hands-on guidance, the company hopes to remove those barriers and encourage more entrepreneurs to adopt digital tools.
The initiative also reflects Zoho’s broader strategy in Africa. Rather than asking businesses to buy an expensive all-in-one system from day one, Zoho allows them to adopt software gradually. A business can start with invoicing through Zoho Books, then add customer relationship management, accounting, HR, marketing or collaboration tools as it grows. The company says this step-by-step model has resonated with Kenyan businesses, helping its Kenya revenue grow 55% in 2025, driven by demand from sectors such as financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications and IT.
The collaboration is also timely. SMEs account for the overwhelming majority of businesses in Kenya and are central to the country’s economy, yet many still struggle to adopt business technology because most enterprise software is priced in US dollars, exposing them to exchange-rate fluctuations and international payment fees. Zoho differentiates itself by billing customers in Kenyan shillings while working with local reseller partners who can provide implementation and ongoing support. KNCCI says the partnership also fits into its broader mission of promoting innovation and helping young entrepreneurs adopt AI and other digital tools.
For Africa’s digital economy, the announcement highlights a growing opportunity. As more SMEs embrace eCommerce, digital payments and online marketing, demand for affordable business software is rising just as quickly. Global software companies are increasingly tailoring their products to local markets rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions. If partnerships like this succeed, they could help thousands of African businesses become more organised, productive, and competitive, one digital tool at a time.
South Africa is sending B.A.L.L.S. to the Moon
South Africa is preparing to send its B.A.L.L.S. to the Moon, and no, it’s not what you think. The oddly named project, Bounced African Low Lunar Spheres (B.A.L.L.S.), is part of the ambitious Africa2Moon mission, which aims to place the world’s first low-frequency radio telescope array on the lunar surface. The first three South African-designed metal spheres are expected to travel aboard China’s Chang’e-8 mission in 2029, marking Africa’s first lunar science mission and a major milestone for the continent’s space ambitions.
The project is a much bigger deal than its playful name suggests. Each sphere contains a low-frequency radio antenna designed to detect radio signals from deep space that simply can’t be observed from Earth because our planet’s atmosphere blocks or distorts them. Scientists believe placing the antennas on the Moon, where there’s virtually no atmospheric interference or radio noise, could unlock new insights into the universe’s earliest moments. If successful, the mission could position Africa as a contributor to cutting-edge space science rather than just a participant.
In April 2025, the China National Space Administration selected Africa2Moon as one of 11 international payloads for the Chang’e-8 mission. Since then, researchers from the Foundation for Space Development Africa, the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), Stellenbosch University, Rhodes University, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal have been working together to design, build and test the technology. A demonstration model is now being prepared for testing in China before engineers build the final space-qualified version.
But this is only the beginning. The long-term vision is to deploy 55 lunar antennas, one representing each African nation, to create a giant radio telescope on the Moon. The project would complement existing astronomy efforts like South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) while allowing scientists to study frequencies that even those world-class observatories cannot detect from Earth. It’s also expected to contribute to the broader China-led International Lunar Research Station programme, which aims to establish a permanent robotic research presence on the Moon.
For South Africa, the mission represents decades of progress in space science. From launching SUNSAT, the country’s first satellite, in 1999, to helping build technology destined for the Moon, the country’s space programme has steadily grown in capability. If everything goes according to plan in 2029, Africa won’t just be watching another country’s lunar mission; it will have its own scientific experiment riding along, proving that world-class space research can also come from the continent.
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Opportunities
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Have a superb Thursday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
