Mingalaba,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Airtel outpaces Safaricom in new subscribers
- Village Capital backs African ESOs with $4M fund
- Facebook says no to copy-paste content
Airtel Kenya outpaces Safaricom in new subscribers
Airtel Kenya is on a roll. The telco just crossed the 24 million subscriber mark, and for the first time, it’s adding new users faster than industry giant Safaricom. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, Airtel picked up 3.01 million new SIM subscribers, nearly double Safaricom’s 1.7 million.
That’s a 13.95% jump for Airtel, according to new numbers from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). It’s a big milestone for a company that has long operated in Safaricom’s shadow. Safaricom, still the market leader by a wide margin, saw a 3.6% growth, bringing its total subscribers to 48.2 million.
The overall market is also growing. Kenya now has 76.2 million SIM subscriptions, up from 71.4 million at the end of 2024. That’s more SIM cards than people, but no surprise there, since many Kenyans use more than one line.
Other telcos are holding their own too. Equitel ended Q1 with 1.5 million subscribers, Telkom with 1.2 million, and Jamii Telecommunications (JTL) with around 700,000. Still, Airtel’s surge is what’s turning heads.
Airtel Kenya’s MD, Ashish Malhotra, called it a moment of gratitude and determination. “This is not the destination,” he said, “it’s part of a longer journey.” He added that the company is still investing heavily in network upgrades and expansion, spurred on by pressure from regulators to boost coverage across the country.
But while Airtel’s growth is impressive, Safaricom isn’t exactly sweating yet. Its deep integration into Kenya’s mobile money economy, especially with M-Pesa, still gives it a major edge. For Airtel to truly shake the table, it’ll need more than just SIM growth. It needs serious ecosystem play.
Village Capital backs African ESOs with $4M fund
Village Capital is switching things up in how early-stage African startups get funded. The global nonprofit just named five entrepreneur support organisations (ESOs) across Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania as venture partners in a new $4 million initiative. It’s part of a fresh fund called the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility (AECF), set up with backing from the Dutch development bank FMO and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
The idea? Work with local organisations that already understand the terrain. So instead of trying to parachute in with generic solutions, Village Capital is betting on community-rooted groups like Ghana’s Reach for Change, Nigeria’s Africa Fintech Foundry and Fate Foundation, and Tanzania’s Anza Entrepreneurs and Ennovate Ventures to help find and back the right startups.
The fund is targeting startups solving big challenges around climate resilience and economic mobility, two things that matter deeply across the continent right now. By partnering directly with ESOs, the goal is to close funding gaps at the early stage and make investment decisions that actually reflect local realities.
“This isn’t just about sourcing deals,” says Village Capital’s Nathaly Botero. “It’s about smarter investing by working with those who are already plugged into their communities.” It’s a big shift in strategy that gives ESOs more power as co-evaluators and ecosystem builders, not just gatekeepers.
This new fund builds on Village Capital’s growing presence in Africa. Just last year, it invested $850K in agritech startups Aquarech in Kenya and Coamana in Nigeria. And since 2009, it’s helped direct over $7 billion in capital to nearly 1,800 startups. With this latest move, they’re hoping to fund even more, but this time, with the help of those who know their communities best.
Facebook says no to copy-paste content
Facebook is tired of seeing the same recycled memes and videos over and over again, and it’s finally doing something about it. On Monday, Meta announced that it’s cracking down on accounts that steal and repost content from others without adding anything original. If you’re caught doing that repeatedly, you could lose access to Facebook’s monetisation tools for a while, and your posts might not show up as often in people’s feeds.
“We get it. You’ve seen the same joke ten times in one day from ten different pages pretending they made it up,” Meta said (not in those exact words, but close 😂). The platform says it’s trying to clean up your feed and give fresh creators a chance to be seen. Because let’s be honest, the copy-paste game is getting a little out of hand.
The change means that when Facebook spots a video that’s been duplicated, it’ll show the original more and push the knock-offs way down or out of sight entirely. Meta’s also testing a way to link back to original creators, so credit finally goes where it’s due.
This update won’t roll out all at once. It’ll hit gradually over the next few months. There’s no word yet on whether similar rules will come to Instagram or Threads, but for now, Facebook’s leading the charge against recycled content.
This move is part of a bigger effort by Meta to make Facebook less spammy. The company says it’s already taken down half a million spammy or fake-engagement accounts in just the first half of 2025. YouTube is doing something similar, updating its policy to target repetitive, AI-generated content flooding the platform.
The good news? If you’re a creator who reposts content with your own spin — commentary, voiceover, edits, or a reaction — you’re safe. Facebook is going after “unoriginal content,” not remix culture. Just stay away from those obvious TikTok watermarks and do more than just hit reupload.
In case you missed it
- This bootstrapped startup has paid out ₦500m to Nigerian creators in two years
- Startups grew, but not because of him: How Muhammadu Buhari shaped Nigeria’s tech ecosystem
What I’m watching
- HISTORY OF IDEAS – The Renaissance
- The Art of Persuasive Storytelling | Kelly D. Parker | TED
Opportunities
- M-KOPA is recruiting a Senior Backend Engineer. Apply here.
- Mastercard Foundation is hiring a Lead, Associate Engagement and Services. Apply here.
- Jumia is hiring a Chinese-speaking key account manager. Apply here.
- AltSchool Africa is looking for a Program Associate. Apply here.
- MTN Nigeria is looking for a Manager (Public Sector, Southwest region). Apply here.
- 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 wonderful Wednesday!
