Africa-Focused Venture Capital Firm Echovc Launches Blockchain Fund

The Africa-focused venture capital (VC) firm, Echovc, has launched a fund that seeks to support blockchain startups on the continent. While global blockchain funding has been on a decline over the past year, Echovc founder Eghosa Omoigui claimed that investing now enables the VC to get in “at lower entry valuations on average than in … Read more

After Presidential Rebuke, Nigeria’s Central Bank Says Demonetized Naira Banknotes Still Legal Tender

The Nigerian central bank has said the recently demonetized ₦200, ₦500 and ₦1,000 banknotes will remain legal tender until Dec. 31, 2023. The central bank statement, which reaffirms a Supreme Court ruling that extended the lifespan of the demonetized naira banknotes, followed a rebuke of the CBN by the outgoing Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari. Central … Read more

South African Rand Plunges to New 2023 Low Versus the US Dollar

Just a few weeks after tapping its best exchange rate versus the greenback in 2023, the South African rand fell to a new 2023 low of 18.636 local currency units for every dollar on March 7. South Africa’s power shortages as well as the country’s recent grey-listing by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) are … Read more

Nigerian Central Bank Unveils Open Banking Guidelines

The Nigerian central bank recently said it had issued operational guidelines for open banking in Nigeria which are expected to enhance efficiency and access to financial services. According to the central bank, some of the guidelines’ objectives include ensuring “consistency and security across the open banking system.” Customer Permissioned Data Sharing The Central Bank of … Read more

Kenyan Forex Crisis: Central Bank Orders Financial Institutions to Ration Dollars

Growing shortages of foreign exchange on the interbank market have reportedly forced the Central Bank of Kenya to ask financial institutions to ration dollar purchases by Kenyan businesses. The shortages have forced Kenyan firms to seek greenbacks on alternative markets where the exchange rate is higher than the official government rate. New Limits Curtailing Operations … Read more

Nigerian Crypto Leverage Searches Second-Highest Globally — Africa Dominates Searches for Leveraged Trading Products

According to an analysis of Google searches by Leverage Trading, Nigeria is the “second-highest country in the world for searches related to crypto leverage.” Along with South Africa and Ghana, the West African nation also dominates searches for the term “trade crypto.” Regulators and consumer protection agencies must “provide greater safeguards against predatory practices,” according … Read more

Zimbabwean Blockchain Startups Launch Service to Help Migrants Efficiently Move Funds Across Borders

Two Zimbabwean startups, Flexid and Uhuru Wallet, recently launched a platform that offers digital identity and remittance services to migrants living and working in South Africa. The two startups hailed what they’ve described as the “first cross-chain collaboration between the two companies.” Harnessing the Benefits of the Blockchain The Zimbabwean blockchain startup Flex ID and … Read more

Nigerian Cash Crisis: Benue State Residents Resort to Barter Trade

Faced with cash shortages caused by the central bank’s currency policies, traders in the Nigerian state of Benue have reportedly resorted to barter trading. Traders from the state have implored the Nigerian government to consider rescinding the Central Bank of Nigeria’s naira redesign policy. The Nigerian Supreme Court has said it will pass its judgment … Read more