Salve,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Kenya court makes Safaricom, DTB pay SIM swap victim
- Payaza expands to Australia and New Zealand
- DStv owner is now fully owned by Canal+
Kenya court makes Safaricom, DTB pay SIM swap victim
A Kenyan customer who lost millions after a SIM swap fraud has won a major court battle, and the message to banks and telecom companies is clear: they can no longer simply look away when digital fraud happens. Kenya’s High Court in Machakos has ordered Safaricom and Diamond Trust Bank Kenya (DTB) to compensate a customer who lost KSh 4.42 million after criminals took control of her phone number through a SIM swap. The court ruled that Safaricom would carry 60% of the liability (KSh 2.63 million), while DTB would cover 40% (KES 1.79 million).
The case revolves around Mercy Wairimu Kariuki, a DTB customer whose Safaricom line was fraudulently swapped on February 6, 2022. She reported the issue immediately, and her line was restored the following day. But shortly after, on February 8, 2022, she began receiving alerts showing that millions of shillings had been withdrawn from her bank account through DTB’s mobile banking platform and Pesalink. The withdrawals happened across multiple transactions, with the court noting that the pattern should have raised red flags.
The ruling matters because it changes how responsibility for digital fraud is viewed. Safaricom argued that it only provided the telecom infrastructure and had no control over banking transactions, but the court disagreed, saying the SIM swap was a direct cause of the loss. DTB also argued that the fraudsters had used the correct PIN, but the court said a bank cannot rely only on a PIN when transactions appear unusual or suspicious.
The case has been building for years. The initial judgment came from the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Mavoko on March 26, 2024, where liability was already split between Safaricom and DTB. Both institutions later appealed, with Safaricom challenging its larger share of responsibility and DTB disputing its own liability. The High Court has now dismissed those appeals and upheld the compensation order.
The decision comes as Kenya’s digital finance ecosystem faces increasing pressure to deal with fraud. SIM swap scams have become a major concern because criminals can hijack phone numbers linked to banking and mobile money accounts, allowing them to bypass some security measures. Safaricom itself warns that SIM swap fraud can be used to intercept notifications, one-time passwords and access to financial accounts. This ruling could push banks and telecom operators across Africa to invest more heavily in fraud detection and customer protection systems as digital payments continue to grow.
Payaza expands to Australia and New Zealand
Nigerian fintech Payaza is heading Down Under. The company has officially expanded into Australia and New Zealand after securing the regulatory approvals needed to operate in both countries, opening the door to faster cross-border payments, remittances, foreign exchange services, and some virtual asset transactions. Announced on July 13, 2026, the move gives Payaza access to two important international markets while strengthening its ambitions to become a global payments infrastructure provider.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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The expansion is about much more than putting Payaza’s name on the map. Australia and New Zealand are major trade and remittance corridors, and businesses moving money between Africa, Asia, and Oceania often face high fees and slow settlement times. By obtaining licences in both markets, Payaza says it can move transactions through its own infrastructure instead of relying heavily on traditional correspondent banking networks. That could translate into faster settlements, lower costs and more reliable cross-border payments for merchants and businesses.
Per CEO Seyi Ebenezer, the company deliberately chose Australia and New Zealand because they connect businesses across fast-growing markets in Africa and Asia. In New Zealand, Payaza is now registered as an Authorised Money Service Business, while in Australia, it has received approvals as an Independent Remittance Dealer, Digital Currency Exchange Provider, and Virtual Asset Service Provider. Beyond compliance, the licences are expected to improve Payaza’s credibility with banks and financial partners while expanding the payment options available to enterprise customers.
The latest expansion caps off a busy year for the fintech. In the first half of 2026, Payaza says it processed ₦6.25 trillion (about $4.17 billion) in transaction volume. It also launched Shopaza, an eCommerce platform that combines online storefronts with inventory management, logistics, and multi-currency payments, signalling that the company is evolving beyond payments into a broader commerce ecosystem. More recently, it secured investment-grade credit ratings from Augusto & Co., GCR Ratings and DataPro, moves that could help it access more capital and strengthen liquidity for future growth.
For African fintech, the announcement reflects a wider trend. Rather than expanding only across the continent, payment companies are increasingly targeting overseas markets where African businesses and diaspora communities already trade and send money. As cross-border commerce continues to grow under initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), fintechs are racing to build the infrastructure that makes moving money across borders as seamless as sending it locally. Payaza is betting that owning more of that infrastructure, not just connecting to it, will give it an edge in the increasingly competitive global payments market.
DStv owner is now fully owned by Canal+
One of Africa’s biggest media deals is finally done. After nearly two years of negotiations, regulatory reviews and shareholder approvals, French media giant Canal+ has officially completed its $3 billion (R55 billion) acquisition of MultiChoice, the South African pay-TV company behind DStv, GOtv, and Showmax. The deal, announced on July 11, 2026, makes Canal+ the sole owner of one of Africa’s largest entertainment companies, giving it access to more than 40 million subscribers across nearly 50 African markets.
By bringing MultiChoice under the Canal+ umbrella, the combined company is expected to expand its content library, strengthen local productions and better compete with global streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. Canal+ has also hinted at using artificial intelligence, broader distribution networks, and lower equipment costs to revive subscriber growth, particularly in English-speaking African markets where DStv has struggled to expand in recent years.
The acquisition has been a long time coming. Canal+ first built its stake in MultiChoice over several years before making a formal takeover offer in February 2024. MultiChoice initially rejected the proposal, arguing that it undervalued the business. Canal+ later increased its offer to R125 per share, valuing the company at around R55 billion, and spent months securing approvals from competition authorities, communications regulators and shareholders. Because South African law limits foreign ownership of broadcasting licences, the companies also had to restructure parts of MultiChoice’s local broadcasting business before the deal could be completed.
For Canal+, the acquisition significantly expands its footprint beyond its traditional Francophone African stronghold into English-speaking markets. It also combines two of Africa’s biggest content producers, with executives saying the merged company could offer roughly 10,000 hours of African content annually across dozens of languages. The company has also suggested it will review how services such as Showmax, DStv Stream, and Canal+’s own streaming platform fit into its long-term strategy as consumer viewing habits continue shifting online.
The deal also reflects a broader trend sweeping Africa’s media industry. As streaming services intensify competition and traditional pay-TV subscriptions come under pressure, media companies are increasingly looking to mergers and acquisitions to gain scale, improve profitability and invest more heavily in technology and local content. With Canal+ now fully in control of MultiChoice, attention will shift from closing the transaction to delivering on its promise of creating a pan-African entertainment powerhouse capable of competing on the global stage.
In case you missed it
- How Ismail Eleburuike is building the operating system for African schools with SchoolTry
What I’m watching
- Why governments are ‘addicted’ to debt | FT Film
- “Millennials are the last psychologically normal generation” | Jonathan Haidt | The Exchange
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Have a lovely Tuesday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
