AfricanSTN Weekly Intelligence Brief

2026-10-02 to 2026-10-08

1. Key Developments

MTN Rwanda Expands 5G Network and AI Integration

MTN Rwanda is expanding its 5G infrastructure across the country and increasing its use of artificial intelligence to improve network performance. The company began commercial 5G operations in Kigali in June 2025 and showcased an AI-powered virtual assistant, Ms. Baza, in October 2025. For the six months ending June 2026, MTN Rwanda reported an 11.4% increase in subscribers to 8.7 million and service revenue climbed 21.9% to Rwf167.5 billion.

Zimbabwe Launches AI and Digital Skills Hub for Rural Youth

Zimbabwe has launched an Artificial Intelligence, Digital and Innovation Hub in Gokwe North, at Nyamuroro Vocational Training Centre. This facility is a partnership between the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Uncommon.org. The Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services supplied 20 laptops, and 52 young people from Gokwe North have enrolled in digital-skills training.

Basketball Africa League Refurbishes Courts Across West Africa

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has unveiled six newly refurbished basketball courts in Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Senegal. The first two courts were unveiled on 30 September in Saint-Louis, Senegal, and on 3 October in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Additional courts will be unveiled through December in Dakar, Joal, and Guédiawaye, Senegal, and in Owerri, Nigeria.

NBA Africa Partners with Quest Water Global for DR Congo Courts

Quest Water Global has partnered with NBA Africa to deliver 55 Mutombo courts in the Democratic Republic of Congo by 2030.

2. Funding & Deals

Old Mutual Private Equity Sells MoreCorp to RMB Ventures

Old Mutual Private Equity has sold the sports group MoreCorp to RMB Ventures. Old Mutual Private Equity had held MoreCorp for a decade.

3. Africa-Specific Insights

Safaricom Sponsors Kenya’s Safari 7s Rugby Tournament

Telecommunication company Safaricom, through M-PESA, has committed Sh2 million to the 2026 Safari 7s rugby tournament. The event will take place from October 9-11 at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya. This sponsorship extends Safaricom’s two-year partnership with the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU), valued at over Sh100 million.

MTN Ghana to Host Gaming Conference with Leti Arts

MTN Ghana, in partnership with Leti Arts, will host the MTN Gaming Conference 2026 at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra on 1 October 2026. The conference theme is “Building Africa’s Gaming Futures” and will gather developers, publishers, investors, esports stakeholders, educators, students, brands, and policymakers. Speakers include representatives from MTN Ghana, Carry1st, Leti Arts-linked industry networks, Games for Change Africa, Masseka Game, VGS Esports, Relu Interactives, and Narratify.

Metro Digital Group and YMCA Ghana Partner for Digital Innovation Centres

US-based digital innovation and gaming organisation Metro Digital Group has partnered with YMCA Ghana to develop Digital Innovation Centres across the country, starting in Kumasi. The proposed centres will combine gaming, esports, content creation, music, artificial intelligence, digital-media production, and workforce training. YMCA Ghana received a 2026 World YMCA Impact Award for its work using filmmaking and media training to support young people.

South Africa Confirms Interest in Hosting 2036 Summer Olympics

South Africa has confirmed its interest in hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics, with events proposed across Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg. South Africa is one of seven countries exploring bids, with statements of interest due by October 31.

Cape Town to Host SportAccord Convention in 2028

SportAccord will hold its 2028 convention in Cape Town, marking the first time the event will be hosted in Africa. This announcement occurred in the same week South Africa was named among countries interested in hosting the 2036 Olympic Games.

South African Startup Vambo AI Releases Multilingual Language Model

South African startup Vambo AI has released MORENA, an open-weight 1.5-billion-parameter language model. The model was trained from scratch for 12 African languages, as well as English and French. Vambo AI was founded by Chido Dzinotyiwei and Isheanesu Misi in April 2023.

JSE and TIA Partner to Support South African Tech Scale-ups

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) have partnered on a 16-week programme for 10 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The programme supports businesses in health, agriculture, and fintech, covering investment readiness, pitch development, market access, and connections to potential capital sources. The pilot aims to address the gap between early-stage venture capital funding and institutional governance readiness for South African tech scale-ups.

AT50 Companies Participate in Egyptian Exchange Event

Twelve companies from the AT50 Index participated in the AT50 Cairo Market Open at the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) on 22 September. The event brought together founders, regulators, institutional investors, banks, and capital markets leaders from Egypt and Africa. The 12 AT50 companies included nine Egyptian companies, Chari from Morocco, and Flutterwave and Paga from Nigeria.

4. Wider Tech Ecosystem

Omitted.

5. The Week in Context

• Telecoms operators are investing in both sports and technology infrastructure: Safaricom sponsored the Safari 7s rugby tournament in Kenya, while MTN Ghana hosted a gaming conference and MTN Rwanda expanded its 5G network and AI integration.
• Court infrastructure development continues across the continent: The Basketball Africa League refurbished six courts in West Africa, and NBA Africa partnered with Quest Water Global to deliver 55 courts in DR Congo.
• South Africa is positioning itself as a hub for major sports events: The country confirmed its interest in hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics and Cape Town secured the 2028 SportAccord convention.