One billion Africans live in mobile coverage area but lack connection

The GSM Association (GSMA) said nearly one billion people live within mobile Internet coverage in Africa , but they are not connected, held back by the cost of devices, the cost of data, limited digital skills and, in many cases, deep-rooted social barriers that determine who is permitted or encouraged to go online.

The GSMA said closing this gap is the defining digital inclusion challenge in Africa. The association, however, noted that mobile operators are becoming increasingly central to addressing this challenge.

According to it, affordability is the primary constraint in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), stressing that the cost of an entry-level Internet-enabled handset in the region represents 24 per cent of monthly income in low- and middle-income countries on average (rising to up to 80 per cent).

By : Adeyemi Adepetun

Full story at Guardian Nigeria

U.K. follows Australia's lead with new social media ban for kids under 16

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces measures
to protect children online at the Prime Minister's residence in
central London on Monday, June 15, 2026.
(Carlos Jasso/Pool Photo via AP)
(Carlos Jasso/POOL AFP via AP)

"We're stepping in to protect children," UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer said.

The U.K. said Monday it will block social media platforms from offering their services to children under the age of 16. According to the U.K.'s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, the ban will be modeled after the one that Australia implemented in December, the first country to do so.

"This is a line in the sand," said Prime Minister Kier Starmer in a statement announcing the ban. "Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we're stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations."

The list of banned platforms includes Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Google's YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and Snap. The ban does not include WhatsApp and Signal messaging services.

By Kim Lyons

Full story at Yahoo News

As SpaceX IPO blasts off, Elon Musk becomes a trillionaire

Credit: Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images

But for how long?

Some SpaceX launches have failed, some have succeeded — and the company's IPO certainly fell into the latter category Friday, turning CEO Elon Musk into the world's first trillionaire.

The company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, and SpaceX shares (the official shortened form, in case you were wondering, is SPCX) quickly rocketed upwards from the initial price of $135 a share. At time of writing, shares had reached the stratospheric heights of $170 — making it the biggest IPO in history.

That values SpaceX, which recently merged with Musk's xAI, at above $2 trillion. To put that in perspective, the New York Times reports that's more than Walmart and General Motors combined, though both Google and Nvidia have surpassed the $4 trillion threshhold. And so long as SpaceX trades above $138 per share, Musk is officially the world's first trillionaire — with none of his former peers in the billionaire category coming anywhere close.

By Chris Taylor.

Full story at Mashable

INMA chief Earl Wilkinson heads to East and West Africa to tackle AI, Gen Z disruption

International News Media Association (INMA) CEO and Executive Director Earl Wilkinson is currently on a high-level tour of Kenya and Nigeria this month.

The high-profile visit comes at a defining crossroads for African media houses. Local publishers are aggressively navigating the disruptive rise of artificial intelligence, changing consumer habits, dwindling legacy revenue streams, platform shifts, and an urgent push toward long-term business sustainability.

Africa at the forefront of digital transformation 

According to INMA, Africa has steadily emerged as one of the world's most dynamic landscapes for news media innovation. Local publishers are no longer just passive observers; African executives are actively helping shape global discourse around mobile-first publishing, product development, and sustainable journalism.

By IOL Reporter

Full story at IOL

Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco selected for AfCFTA digital identity and DPI rollout

ADAPT initiative will integrate digital identity, payments and data infrastructure to support cross-border trade across Africa.

Three countries in Africa will be implementing a flagship digital public infrastructure program for the first time in a bid to create a more unified African market.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has chosen Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria as the first countries to implement the Africa Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade (ADAPT) initiative.

By Lu-Hai Liang

Full story at Biometric Update

The next fintech race is infrastructure. Paga wants in

Ramon Bello, GM, Paga Engine.
Image source: Paga

African fintech players raced to acquire merchants, onboard users, issue wallets, and become the app consumers reached for whenever they needed to move money.

But as digital payments mature, more fintechs are increasingly discovering that selling the infrastructure underneath financial transactions may be another business with steadier economics.

This is a bet that Paga Group is now making.

By Temitayo Jaiyeola
Full story at Tech Cabal