Hola,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Luno cuts jobs but keeps faith in Africa
- You can now book Bolt through ChatGPT
- Cyberattack hits Unitel before market debut
Luno cuts jobs but keeps faith in Africa
Luno is cutting jobs again, but this time Africa is barely feeling the impact. The cryptocurrency exchange has confirmed that only about 5% of its workforce in Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda was affected by its latest global restructuring, even as the company cuts 20% of its global headcount. CEO James Lanigan said the decision was driven by weaker retail crypto trading, changing market conditions and the company’s growing investment in automation and operational efficiency. While layoffs are never good news, Luno insists Africa remains one of its most important growth markets.
Founded in South Africa in 2013, the exchange built much of its early success in African markets before expanding into Europe and Asia. In recent months, the company has actually doubled down on Africa rather than pulling away. In July 2026, Luno Nigeria became the first global cryptocurrency exchange admitted into the Nigerian SEC’s Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Programme (ARIP), giving it a clearer path to operate in one of Africa’s biggest crypto markets. The company says the latest restructuring isn’t about abandoning Africa but about reshaping the business for long-term sustainability.
The layoffs are also part of a much bigger shift happening across the crypto industry. After the boom years of 2021 and the painful market crash of 2022, crypto companies have spent the last few years cutting costs, reducing headcount and chasing profitability instead of rapid expansion. Luno itself cut 35% of its workforce in January 2023 following the collapse of major crypto firms such as FTX. This latest round feels different. Rather than responding to a market crash, the company says it’s simplifying its structure, automating more work and focusing on stronger business lines like stablecoins, institutional products and cross-border payments instead of relying heavily on retail crypto trading.
Luno isn’t alone. Across Africa, several crypto startups have trimmed staff this year as they pivot towards leaner operations and AI-driven efficiency. Investors are demanding sustainable businesses rather than growth at all costs, forcing companies to rethink how they operate. For employees, it’s another reminder that no part of tech is completely immune to restructuring. But for Africa’s crypto ecosystem, Luno’s reassurance that only a small percentage of local roles were affected, and that the continent remains central to its strategy, suggests the company still sees its future growth coming from African markets, even if it’s taking a more disciplined route to get there.
Bolt brings ride-hailing to ChatGPT
Bolt wants to make booking a ride as easy as asking ChatGPT a question. The ride-hailing company, per TechCabal, has launched a new integration that lets users search for rides directly within ChatGPT across all the markets where Bolt operates, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and several countries in Europe. Instead of opening the Bolt app first, users can simply ask ChatGPT for a ride, compare fares, check estimated arrival times and choose a pickup point. The booking is then handed over to the Bolt app to complete the trip, with in-chat payments expected to arrive later this year.
The launch is a glimpse into what the future of AI-powered apps could look like. Rather than switching between multiple apps, people may increasingly rely on AI assistants to plan trips, order food, book hotels and complete everyday tasks from a single conversation. For commuters, it means less friction. For Bolt, it means meeting customers where they’re increasingly spending their time. The company says it’s the first ride-hailing platform to launch this kind of ChatGPT integration across its global markets, putting it ahead of rivals as AI becomes part of everyday digital life.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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The move didn’t happen overnight. Over the past two years, OpenAI has steadily transformed ChatGPT from a chatbot into a platform where users can search the web, shop, plan travel and interact with third-party services. At the same time, companies across industries have been racing to build AI integrations instead of standalone experiences. Bolt’s announcement follows similar efforts in travel, hospitality and e-commerce as businesses prepare for a future where AI assistants become the first place people go to get things done. The company says payments will remain inside the Bolt app for now, but a fully seamless booking experience is already on its roadmap.
The integration also reflects a bigger shift happening in the mobility industry. Ride-hailing companies are no longer competing only on price or driver availability; they’re competing on convenience. As generative AI becomes more capable, services like booking a taxi, ordering groceries or planning an entire journey may happen through a single conversation rather than a collection of different apps. If that vision catches on, ChatGPT and other AI assistants could become the new front door to digital services, changing how millions of people interact with businesses every day.
For African users, the rollout is particularly notable because it launches simultaneously across Bolt’s markets on the continent rather than treating Africa as an afterthought. Countries like Nigeria and Kenya are among Bolt’s biggest markets, and the integration signals that Africa will be part of the next wave of AI-powered consumer experiences from day one. Whether users embrace booking rides through a chatbot remains to be seen, but one thing is becoming increasingly clear: the race to embed AI into everyday life has moved well beyond chat; it now includes how we move around our cities.
Cyberattack hits Unitel before stock debut
Angola’s biggest telecom operator couldn’t have picked a worse time to suffer a cyberattack. Just hours before Unitel made its historic debut on the Angolan Debt and Securities Exchange (BODIVA) on July 29, the company revealed that its network had been hit by a cyberattack in the early hours of July 28. The attack disrupted voice calls, mobile data, and Internet services for its more than 21 million customers, leaving millions without connectivity while the company prepared for one of the biggest moments in its history. Despite the disruption, Unitel’s stock market listing went ahead after the government successfully sold a 15% stake, raising about 300.3 billion kwanzas ($329 million) in Angola’s largest-ever public offering.
Unitel is not just another telecommunications company. It serves as Angola’s primary means of communication. When its network went down, it affected businesses, consumers, and digital services alike. The company stated that it detected the attack around 2:20 a.m. local time and immediately activated its incident response and cybersecurity teams. So far, it is unclear who was behind the attack or whether customer data was compromised. However, the outage serves as another reminder that telecom operators have become prime targets for cybercriminals, as they power everything from phone calls and internet access to mobile payments and business communications.
The timing also puts cybersecurity squarely in front of investors. Unitel’s listing forms part of President João Lourenço’s PROPRIV privatisation programme, which aims to reduce state ownership of major companies and deepen Angola’s capital markets. The offer, which closed on July 24, was oversubscribed by more than 20%, showing strong investor appetite, and Unitel became the first non-financial company to list on BODIVA. Instead of celebrating that milestone, however, the company had to reassure customers and investors that it was working to restore services. The episode shows that for companies going public today, financial performance alone isn’t enough; operational resilience and cybersecurity are becoming just as important.
The cyberattack also reflects a broader trend across Africa’s digital economy. As governments push to digitise public services, expand broadband, and privatise strategic assets, telecom operators are carrying more critical infrastructure than ever before. That makes them increasingly attractive targets for cyberattacks. While Unitel says trading continued as planned and recovery efforts remain underway, the incident serves as a wake-up call for telecom companies across the continent: protecting networks has become just as important as building them.
In case you missed them
- Beyond GoLemon: What repeated online grocery failures say about Nigeria’s eCommerce market
- GoLemon stops taking orders, as it begins winding down its Lagos grocery business
What I’m watching
- Understanding the inner thoughts of AI
- Why Some People Are Instantly LIKABLE – Alain de Botton
Opportunities
- Moniepoint is hiring for over 100 roles. Apply 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 fun weekend!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
