Governance & Policy

Interpol’s Operation Red Card has led to 40 arrests in South Africa and over 300 across Africa, targeting cybercrime rings involved in SIM fraud, phishing, and online scams.

Nigeria’s data protection agency is investigating TikTok and Truecaller over alleged breaches, as compliance with privacy laws rises from 4% to over 55%.

Kenya’s data regulator has fined Whitepath $2,000 for listing a loan guarantor without consent. This comes amid a broader crackdown on digital lenders to enforce consumer protection laws.

South Africa’s finance minister, Enoch Godongwana, has announced a phased VAT increase from 15% to 16% by 2026 to address fiscal deficits. The move aims to generate R13.5 billion in 2025/26, with measures to ease the burden on low-income households.

Smartphones priced over $150 are now considered luxury in South Africa and will be subject 9% luxury goods tax in South Africa.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is exploring the possibility of introducing electronic voting (e-voting) to modernize the country’s electoral system.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has called for African leaders to take the blame for brain drain on the continent. He said it’s a leadership failure and it’s time for African leaders to fix it.

South Africa’s Competition Commission is pushing Google, Meta, and YouTube to compensate local news publishers, proposing payments of up to $27 million annually.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has retained its benchmark lending rate at 27.5%, citing exchange rate stability and reduced inflation.

Nigeria targets 75% e-governance by 2027, tackling past failures with digital infrastructure, a unified service portal, and international collaborations.

Nigeria’s inflation fell to 24.48% in January 2025, the first decline in six months. Despite this, high food and energy costs persist.

Once finalised, NITDA’s data classification framework will require companies to store health, financial, and government data locally, opening up opportunities for local cloud providers.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced the implementation of new ATM transaction fees to take effect from March 1, 2025.

Mali has introduced telecom taxes to support security initiatives, levying charges on mobile calls and money transfers to raise $220 million for financing security.

Egypt’s inflation slowed for the fourth consecutive month to 24% in January 2025 amid economic pressures.

Nigeria has launched its first stablecoin, cNGN, to drive blockchain adoption and enhance financial inclusion. While this is promising, challenges such as regulation and the volatility of the naira remain.

Lagos State has collaborated with Huawei to implement Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), reinforcing its smart city ambitions.

NIBSS has upgraded the NQR payment system, offering instant payment processing, providing immediate settlement for merchants and consumers. The system now supports both Person-to-Person (P2P) and Entity-to-Person (E2P) payments

Despite soaring inflation and rising currency depreciation, Zimbabwe’s central bank maintains 35% interest rate.

Starlink has officially withdrawn from hearings on the regulation of satellite services in South Africa following Elon Musk’s “openly racist” comment on the country’s ownership laws.