LemFi acquires Wealth8 as immigrant fintech pushes into investing
Y Combinator-backed LemFi is expanding beyond money transfers and credit by acquiring Wealth8, a UK investment platform regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The deal marks LemFi’s first move into wealth management and adds a new product line: investing. It also comes after LemFi received FCA approval for the acquisition,
The hidden economy driving Africa’s middle-class expansion
Africa’s middle class is often described through shopping malls, apartment blocks, ride-hailing apps, smartphones, private schools and supermarket shelves. But the real engine behind it is less polished and far more powerful. It sits in market stalls, roadside shops, mobile money wallets, informal logistics networks, diaspora transfers, social commerce pages,
Inside the mind of the founder of Ingressive Capital, Maya Horgan Famodu
Maya Horgan Famodu’s story does not begin with money. It begins with the absence of it. Long before she became one of the most visible venture capital voices backing African startups, she understood what it meant to have ambition trapped behind a locked door. She grew up in rural Minnesota,
How to validate a business idea in any African market
Africa does not suffer from a shortage of business ideas. It suffers from too many untested ideas being launched with rent, branding, inventory, staff, and optimism before anyone has proved that real customers will pay. That mistake is expensive anywhere, but it is especially costly in African markets, where income
Why most media brands fail in Africa, and what entrepreneurs need to know
Africa does not have a content problem. It has a media business model problem. Every year, new digital publishers, creator-led newsrooms, lifestyle platforms, business newsletters, podcasts, YouTube channels, and social-first media brands enter the market with confidence. Many start with sharp branding, energetic founders, and a clear sense that Africa’s
Inside Crunchies’ Journey: From one outlet in Aba to a national fast-food powerhouse
Crunchies Fried Chicken is a homegrown Nigerian quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain, founded in the early 2000s and today a major player in the country’s fast-food sector. Launched in Aba, Abia State, in September 2003, the brand was built on a founding vision to blend high-quality meals with dependable service in a welcoming setting.
10 startup ideas with the highest failure risk in Africa, according to data
Africa’s startup market has entered a harder, more disciplined phase. The old pitch of “Africa has a young population, low penetration, and a massive addressable market” is no longer enough. Investors now want proof of pricing power, repeat demand, collections, regulatory compliance, and the ability to survive weak infrastructure without
How Karabo Motsamai started Walker Solar Bakery in Lesotho with just $842 and a solar cooker
Karabo Motsamai didn’t start Walker Solar Bakery in Lesotho with venture capital, a factory, or a polished business plan. He began with a simple idea: a solar cooker constructed from local materials, with a total cost of approximately $842 in savings and support. What began as an experiment, using sunlight
Today Africa Weekly | June 22nd – 28th, 2026
Africa’s tech market spent the week sending a clear message: the next phase of growth will be built less on hype and more on infrastructure. From electric mobility and stablecoin rails to AI governance, SME enablement, telecom regulation, and rural finance, the continent’s technology story is shifting from “who can
Fred Swaniker: Building Africa’s leadership pipeline
Fred Swaniker was born in Accra, Ghana, in 1976. He was four years old when his first lesson in leadership arrived, not from a classroom, but from the barrel of a gun. In 1980, a military coup convulsed Ghana. Soldiers roamed the streets of his neighborhood. Bullets cracked through the
