Hola,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- DR Congo gives telcos 30 days to fix service disruptions
- Elon Musk’s Internet hits a wall at home
- Terra bets big on African security with fresh $11.75M
DR Congo gives telcos 30 days to fix service disruptions
The Democratic Republic (DR) of the Congo’s telecom operators are on notice. President Félix Tshisekedi has ordered regulators to crack down on mobile and Internet service failures, warning that companies that fail to meet quality standards could face sanctions if things don’t improve within 30 days.
At a Council of Ministers meeting last Friday, January 9, Tshisekedi directed sector authorities to tighten regulation, monitoring, and enforcement across the telecoms industry. He wants penalties applied “without weakness or complacency” where operators fall short on service quality, coverage, continuity, or consumer protection. A detailed progress report is now expected within a month.
This matters because the disruptions go far beyond dropped calls. Per the government, unreliable mobile networks, Internet outages, failed data services, and shaky broadcast signals are hurting daily life, banking transactions, digital public services, and the wider economy. In a country pushing digital tools for governance and commerce, weak connectivity has become a serious bottleneck.
The warning follows growing public frustration. Last December, the telecoms minister publicly challenged Orange, Airtel, and Vodacom over complaints ranging from unstable networks and slow Internet to failed mobile money transactions that were still billed. These issues aren’t new, but the presidency stepping in raises the stakes significantly.
DR Congo isn’t alone in this tougher stance. In 2025, Chad’s regulator issued similar warnings to local operators over patchy service quality, while in Zambia, the ICT authority has also been on the operators’ necks, reminding telcos to deliver reliable coverage. For Congo, the message is clear: if digital technology is meant to drive development, telecoms can no longer afford to underperform.
Elon Musk’s Internet hits a wall at home
It’s one of the oddest tech ironies on the continent: Starlink is spreading across Africa, but it still can’t land in South Africa. Despite growing demand and years of informal use, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service remains shut out of his country of birth.
Starlink has positioned itself as a fix for Africa’s connectivity gaps, especially in places where fibre and mobile broadband struggle to reach. Since launching in Nigeria in 2023, the service has rolled out across East, West, and Southern Africa, quickly gaining users in remote and underserved areas.
Today, Starlink is live in countries like Kenya, Rwanda, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone. Businesses, rural communities, and tech workers have embraced it as a faster, more reliable alternative to patchy terrestrial networks.
But expansion hasn’t been smooth everywhere. Botswana initially rejected Starlink’s licence application and later banned the service. Cameroon suspended Starlink operations in April 2024 over claims it was operating without authorisation, raising concerns around national security and competition with local providers.
South Africa’s case stands apart. Years of regulatory debates, policy disagreements, and enforcement actions have kept Starlink on the sidelines, even as imported kits and roaming workarounds quietly circulate. To find out everything that has transpired between Musk’s satellite internet company and South Africa’s regulators, catch Bolu’s latest deep dive on Techpoint Africa.
Terra bets big on African security with fresh $11.75M
Terra Industries, formerly known as Terrahaptix, has raised $11.75 million as it makes a full return to the defence space, this time without hedging its identity. The African deep-tech startup says the funding will help it scale manufacturing and lean harder into protecting critical infrastructure across the continent.
The round was led by 8VC, the venture firm founded by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, with backing from Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Silent Ventures, and several high-profile angels tied to the US defence ecosystem. CEO Nathan Nwachuku says that was intentional: defence, he argues, plays by very different rules from consumer tech, and Terra wanted investors who understand that reality.
That focus seems to be paying off. Barely a year after launch, Terra has booked $2 million in orders and, in 2025, beat an Israeli competitor to land a $1.2 million contract securing hydropower dams. It now protects infrastructure assets worth about $11 billion across Africa, spanning mining, energy, and industrial facilities.
With the new cash, Terra plans to build more factories and hire more engineers to boost production. It has also strengthened its board with heavyweights from Anduril and Palantir, signalling its ambition to compete at a global level while expanding its footprint in government security contracts across Africa.
Still, questions linger about foreign influence, given the Silicon Valley-heavy cap table. Terra’s founders insist the mission hasn’t changed: the company is African-built, African-engineered, and focused on African security. As Nwachuku puts it, industrial growth won’t matter if insecurity keeps winning, and Terra wants to give the continent the tech edge to stop that.
In case you missed it
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What I’m watching
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Opportunities
- 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.
- Don’t Miss the Africa Business Convention (ABC) 2026. It’s Africa’s #1 Business Conference & Investment Expo. It’s between February 3 and 4. Book your seat today here.
- Moniepoint is hiring for over 100 roles. 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.
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Have a lovely Tuesday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
