Ekaaro,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Bolt to battle Uber in Kenya safari rides
- NIGCOMSAT, Kenya explore deeper space partnership
- MultiChoice customers to get 9,000 more movies
Bolt to battle Uber in Kenya safari rides
Bolt is gearing up to dive into Kenya’s safari ride market, and it’s setting the stage for price wars with Uber, per BusinessDaily. The move comes as Bolt eyes a fresh growth vertical beyond inner-city rides.
The company plans to roll out safari-specific services, offering rides to parks, reserves, and tourist sites. Kenya’s booming domestic and international tourism makes safari tours a tempting new battleground. Uber already has a strong presence, but Bolt will be pushing to steal market share.
Bolt’s entry could shake up pricing. To get traction, it’s expected Bolt might undercut Uber’s safari fares initially, prompting retaliation. With both players vying for dominance, fares could swing wildly.
Park operators and tourists will watch closely. If Bolt can move fast, offer reliable service, and manage logistics well (roads, remote areas, etc.), it might win over both drivers and clients. Upending safari pricing in Kenya could ripple into how ride-hailing expands across East Africa.
Bolt will have to tackle special challenges — vehicle ruggedness for off-road terrain, permissions for parks, partnerships, and seamless customer experience. If Bolt pulls it off, the payoff is big: tourism is a huge sector.
Botswana and South Africa have already seen experiments in combining ride-hailing with tourism transport. Bolt’s push in Kenya could set a template for other African markets.
NIGCOMSAT, Kenya explore deeper space partnership
Nigeria and Kenya are exploring closer ties in space technology, a move that could put Africa on a stronger path toward self-reliance in connectivity and satellite services, per TechCabal. Last Thursday, the Kenyan Space Agency’s Director General, Brigadier (Rtd.) Hillary Kipkosgey, visited NIGCOMSAT’s ground station in Abuja to discuss opportunities with Managing Director Jane Egerton-Idehen.
Kenya signalled interest in sourcing satellite services from Nigeria instead of looking outside the continent, if NIGCOMSAT’s coverage fits its needs. At present, Nigeria’s C-band and L-band services reach Kenya, but its Ku-band for broadcasting and Ka-band for internet don’t. That gap, officials say, should be closed with the launch of Nigeria’s upcoming 2A and 2B satellites.
Egerton-Idehen described the talks as a milestone, pointing out that Nigeria’s early investment in space was fuelled by leaders who saw its potential to grow the economy and attract investors. She stressed that Africa must take ownership of its space ambitions: “From Morocco to Egypt, Kenya to South Africa, Nigeria and Angola, Africa must claim its seat at the table, not by favour but by merit.”
Brigadier Kipkosgey applauded Nigeria’s progress and pushed for stronger collaboration. He noted that African space agencies usually only meet once a year, which isn’t enough to drive meaningful progress. “We need more one-on-one engagements like this to push Africa’s space agenda forward,” he said.
The partnership discussions come at a time when Nigeria is pushing to replace its ageing NigComSat-1R satellite, launched in 2011, which is now running low on fuel. The replacement timeline has been moved to 2028 — three years later than originally planned — so the country can stay relevant in West Africa’s digital economy.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s national space agency, NASRDA, has shelved plans to launch a satellite locally in 2025 due to a lack of funding. Director-General Halilu Shaba confirmed this at the Science, Technology, and Innovation Expo, adding that while the agency is building capacity, Nigeria still lacks the resources to send a satellite — or even an astronaut — into space.
MultiChoice customers to get 9,000 more movies
MultiChoice customers are in for a content shake-up as French media giant Canal+ takes full control of the pay-TV company. Canal+ Africa CEO David Mignot says subscribers can expect a massive catalogue boost, combining MultiChoice’s African programming with Canal+’s extensive European and American library.
“We’ll have the ability to use the strengths of both groups,” Mignot told the Sunday Times. “MultiChoice produces incredible content, and Canal+ adds 9,000 movies and 4,000 hours of African stories each year. Together, that’s about 10,000 hours annually in up to 35 languages.”
The takeover means a long-term content play too. Canal+ projects that within the next decade and a half, it could amass a catalogue of 100,000 to 150,000 hours of content, making it easier to repackage shows and films for audiences across Africa and beyond.
But the deal isn’t just about content. The company is also reviewing whether to keep running three separate streaming platforms — Showmax, DStv Stream, and Canal+’s own OTT service — or merge them for efficiency.
The leadership shake-up is already underway. Mignot has been installed as CEO of Canal+ Africa, replacing MultiChoice’s Calvo Mawela, who now chairs the Canal+ Africa board. Nicolas Dandoy takes over as CFO, while Canal+ boss Maxime Saada steps in as MultiChoice Group chair.
Canal+ officially crossed the takeover line on September 22, 2025, after building its stake in MultiChoice over five years. The R55 billion deal has ushered in a new management team drawn from both companies, with Canal+ promising stability, fresh skills, and a renewed drive for growth in Africa’s competitive media market.
In case you missed it
- Why Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee will barely touch African workers
What I’m watching
- The Psychology of Why Safe Love Feels Boring
- Nigeria’s Tax Crisis, Explained
Opportunities
- Airtel is hiring Enterprise Key Account Manager. Apply here.
- Financial Times is recruiting a West African Correspondent. Apply here.
- Moove is hiring a Marketing Manager. Apply here.
- Standard Bank is looking for a Data Engineer. Apply here.
- Kuda Business and Techpoint Africa invite you to an exclusive webinar: Managing Payment Operations at Scale with APIs on October 2, 2025, at 12 p.m. WAT. Register here to attend.
- Food Court is looking for a Marketing Coordinator. Apply here.
- FairMoney is recruiting Head of Business Banking Product. Apply here.
- Max.ng is looking for a Platform Support Intern. Apply here.
- Businessfront, the parent company of Techpoint Africa, is hiring a Sales Associate. Apply here.
- Businessfront, the parent company of Techpoint Africa, is looking for a Managing Editor (FMCG). Apply here.
- Flutterwave is hiring for several roles. Apply here.
- Paystack is recruiting a performance marketing specialist in Nigeria. Apply here.
- Paga is recruiting for several positions. Apply here.
- Moniepoint is hiring for several positions. 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.
- Help us make Techpoint better for you! Your feedback shapes what comes next (your responses may potentially save my job. A bit dramatic, but still). It will only take 30 seconds to tell us what works and what doesn’t. Fill it here.
- To pitch your startup or product to a live audience, check out this link.
- Have any fresh products you’d like us to start selling? Check out this link here.
- Follow Techpoint Africa’s WhatsApp channel to stay on top of the latest trends and news in the African tech space here.
Have a productive week!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
