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Africa’s unemployment price appears to be like comparatively low by international requirements. In 2025, the continent’s price stood at 6.3%. But that determine tells solely a part of the story. More than a 3rd of employed Africans reside in working poverty; they’re employed however reside beneath the poverty line of $2.15 a day. Most employees are informally employed, and fewer than one in 5 individuals have social safety protection. Read the article on TechCabal.
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regulation
South Africa is rethinking its proposed cross-border crypto guidelines
South Africa wanted to bring cross-border crypto transfers underneath the identical controls it makes use of to watch cash leaving the nation. The draft guidelines would have required individuals transferring crypto offshore to make use of authorised crypto service suppliers, keep inside present international alternate (FX) allowances, and have these transactions reported to the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). Companies wouldn’t initially have been allowed to maneuver crypto offshore.
But the federal government is rethinking it. On Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana mentioned the National Treasury had received “thousands of comments” on the proposals and would take a unique strategy. Instead of counting on pre-approvals, the federal government now desires to give attention to whether or not transactions are legit and adjust to tax guidelines. A revised draft can be printed for one more spherical of public enter.
Between the strains: The rethink follows months of organised pushback from South Africa’s crypto trade. In September, VALR, Luno, AltCoinDealer, and EasyEquities formed a coalition called ‘Catastrophe’ to oppose guidelines they mentioned handled crypto funds extra harshly than equal financial institution transfers. Their largest objection was that it could shut out exchanges from utilizing crypto, together with stablecoins, for cross-border funds that might in any other case be authorized by the banking system. GoTyme Bank, a part of Tyme Group, which was valued at $1.5 billion in 2024, joined the coalition later that month. The trade argued that regulation ought to govern the transaction and its dangers, moderately than discriminate in keeping with the know-how used to maneuver the cash.
Explain like I’m new right here: South Africa already limits how a lot cash people and firms can transfer in a foreign country. For people, the limit is R2 million ($122,280) per calendar year underneath the one discretionary allowance, with one other R10 million ($611,360) accessible underneath the international capital allowance in the event that they receive tax approval. Larger transfers require extra approvals.
The authorities needed to convey crypto transfers underneath its FX management system, partly as a result of stablecoins and different digital belongings can transfer throughout borders with out passing by the normal banking system. The draft guidelines would have introduced crypto suppliers into that management system and barred companies from utilizing them for sure cross-border funds.
What will occur subsequent? Godongwana mentioned the federal government desires to maneuver away from pre-approvals and as an alternative assess transactions for legitimacy and tax compliance, whereas taking steerage from the Financial Stability Board. Treasury and SARB haven’t but printed the revised strategy, so the main points are nonetheless to come back. Consultations on a revised draft are anticipated, giving crypto corporations one other probability to weigh in earlier than the foundations return.
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corporations
Kenyan buyers purchase KCB as foreigners money out
Foreign buyers are reducing their stakes in KCB Group, certainly one of East Africa’s largest banking teams. Kenyan buyers are shopping for virtually precisely what they’re forsaking.
What occurred? Foreign shareholders bought 23.6 million KCB Group shares within the three months to September, cutting their stake in Kenya’s largest financial institution by belongings from about 8.8% to eight.02%. At Wednesday’s opening value, the shares had been value about KES 2.1 billion ($16.2 million). Local buyers added almost the identical quantity.
Most of the shopping for got here from Kenyan establishments, whose possession rose to 47.33%. Individual buyers additionally elevated their holdings barely to 24.87%. The Kenyan authorities individually owns 19.76% of KCB.
Explain like I’m new right here: This doesn’t essentially imply international buyers have instantly misplaced religion in KCB. Its share value has risen greater than 30% over the previous six months and traded as excessive as KES 99.25 ($0.76), permitting early buyers to money in. KCB has produced strong numbers: revenue earlier than tax rose 20.8% within the first half of 2026, whereas its interim dividend jumped 50% to KES 3 ($0.023) per share.
Between the strains: The extra fascinating half is who may take up the promoting. Kenyan pension funds, establishments, and retail buyers purchased KES 2.1 billion ($16.2 million) value of shares, so foreigners now not needed to be the marginal purchaser. After years of worrying about international capital leaving, home cash is changing into able to proudly owning extra of its largest corporations.
KCB makes the longer development significantly clear. Foreign buyers owned 29.25% of the financial institution on the finish of 2017. Their stake was 8.88% on the finish of March.
Zoom out: Foreigners have additionally been taking income throughout different massive Nairobi-listed corporations this 12 months. The query for the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) is now not whether or not international cash returns. It is how a lot of the market native capital can carry if international participation declines.
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ride-hailing
Bolt takes its EV push to Johannesburg
Electric autos (EVs) are having a busy week in Africa. Yesterday, Spiro, Africa’s most-funded e-mobility firm, launched its first 100 bikes in Accra, Ghana. Now, Bolt is giving South Africa’s EV market one other push from the business transport sector.
What occurred? Bolt, the ride-hailing big working in over 50 nations, has launched its Electric Vehicle class in Johannesburg. The class is for electrical vehicles accessible for rides by the Bolt app. For the Johannesburg rollout, Bolt is working with the South African Meter Taxi and E-Hailing Association (SAMTEA), an affiliate of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), and Chinese EV maker BYD. SAMTEA will personal and handle the EV fleet working on Bolt’s platform. Bolt targets 500 EVs throughout South Africa by December 2026.
Explain like I’m new right here: Bolt first launched the EV category in Cape Town, South Africa, in May, partnering with fleet supervisor YugoRide to deploy electrical vehicles. South Africa isn’t Bolt’s first electrical experiment both. In Kenya, Bolt said in February that 5,808 EVs had been working on its platform—about 23% of the nation’s estimated EV fleet—on the time. In Nigeria, it has additionally experimented with electric mobility, together with a three-wheeler pilot in Lagos in 2025.
What does this imply for ride-hailing? The rapid query for riders is whether or not selecting an electrical automotive will value extra. Bolt has not mentioned that its EV class will carry a premium over its different journey classes, so there isn’t any foundation but to say that an electrical Bolt can be cheaper or costlier for passengers. For drivers, an EV may value much less to run as a result of it doesn’t want petrol and usually has fewer elements that require common upkeep.
Bolt is getting into a rising South African EV market; the nation recorded 16,716 new-energy vehicle sales in 2025. With SAMTEA managing the fleet and BYD supplying EV experience, Bolt believes electrical vehicles can transfer past a distinct segment possibility and change into a sensible a part of South Africa’s on a regular basis ride-hailing market.
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streaming
Disney is utilizing Netflix to promote Disney+ originals
Disney, the media big, spent years pulling its movies and exhibits off rival platforms to make Disney+, its owned streaming platform, extra precious. Now, it’s reversing that unique technique and placing a few of these titles again on Netflix.
What occurred? Disney has began licencing selected titles to Netflix in South Africa and different markets. All 5 Ice Age movies and the primary two seasons of Percy Jackson and the Olympians went reside on Netflix on October 4, every with a three-month promotional window. The timing is deliberate:Percy Jackson season three premieres on Disney+ on November 20, whereas a brand new Ice Age movie lands in cinemas in February 2027. The firm mentioned extra titles are coming, together with Will Trent, Tracker, Soul, Elio, and Raya and the Last Dragon.
Explain like I’m new right here: When Disney launched Disney+ in 2019, it pulled a lot of its content material away from Netflix and different platforms as a result of exclusivity was a part of the gross sales pitch. If viewers needed Disney exhibits, they needed to subscribe to Disney. But older movies and earlier seasons ultimately change into much less helpful at attracting new subscribers.
Licencing them adjustments the maths. Disney can earn cash from Netflix for content material it has already paid to supply, whereas utilizing Netflix’s a lot bigger viewers to introduce individuals to franchises whose latest instalments nonetheless sit on Disney+ or in cinemas. Disney+ presently has about 131.6 million global subscribers, in keeping with Statista, in comparison with Netflix’s 325 million. In South Africa, the hole is wider; Netflix has 1.3 million subscribers, whereas Disney+ records simply over 118,000.
Between the strains: Disney shouldn’t be giving Netflix the crown jewels. The newer releases keep by itself platforms. Netflix will get sufficient of the again catalogue to create curiosity, whereas Disney retains the half most certainly to transform that curiosity into subscriptions or cinema tickets.
South Africa makes the technique particularly fascinating. In May, Disney+ raised its Premium value from R159 ($1.22) to R179 ($1.38) month-to-month, whereas Showmax shut down in April. Disney has fewer native streaming rivals, but it surely nonetheless has to persuade folks that one other month-to-month subscription is value paying for.
Zoom out: The streaming wars have gotten much less about locking each title behind one wall. A library solely creates worth if individuals watch it. Disney has realised that, generally, one of the best place to promote Disney+ is Netflix.
CRYPTO TRACKER
The World Wide Web3
Source:
|
Coin Name |
Current Value |
Day |
Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin |
$82,747 |
– 0.06% |
– 3.19% |
| Ether |
$2,441 |
– 0.21% |
– 10.57% |
| XRP |
$1.34 |
+ 1.04% |
– 10.86% |
| Solana |
$105.39 |
– 0.57% |
– 9.47% |
* Data as of 06.08 AM WAT, October 22, 2026.
Opportunities
- Applications open for Her Startup’s second cohort: Her Startup is accepting purposes from women-led tech startups throughout Africa for its 2026/2027 accelerator programme. Ten chosen founders will obtain 12 weeks of coaching, month-to-month stipends, mentorship, and a possibility to entry funding. Applicants should be ladies aged 18–35 operating tech-enabled companies which have operated for at the least six months and generate at the least $500 in month-to-month income. Applications shut October 26. Apply here.
Written by: Emmanuel Nwosu and Yemi Kareem
Edited by: Emmanuel Nwosu & Ganiu Oloruntade
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Gambo Ismaila is a blogger and copywriter based in Gombe, and he hails from Gombe State. He has five years of experience writing news articles that are grounded in facts, with a focus on reporting that is clear, accurate, and easy for readers to follow. He is the voice behind Talk Politics, his own blog, where he shares his writing with an audience that follows public affairs. His work as a copywriter adds a sharp eye for clear, engaging language, so his stories stay readable without losing accuracy.
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