Author: Ableditor

From a living room in Kigali, Francine Munyaneza began building a business around one of Africa’s most pressing challenges — access to reliable energy. In 2013, when she started Munyax Eco, the company had no impressive headquarters or large team. Her living room served as an office and shop, while her personal savings provided the money needed to get the idea off the ground. More than a decade later, Munyax Eco has grown into a clean-energy business providing solar solutions in Rwanda. For Ms Munyaneza, the decision to enter the energy sector was driven by what she saw as an…

There are places where the landscape is so vast that silence becomes part of the experience. Namibia is one of them. The country’s Namib Desert stretches along the Atlantic coast, creating a landscape of towering dunes, gravel plains and rugged mountains. For travellers, the desert is not simply something to look at from a vehicle. It is an invitation to slow down and explore on foot. Sossusvlei is perhaps the country’s most recognisable landscape. At sunrise, the orange and red dunes change colour as the light moves across the sand. Climbing one of the giant dunes offers a sweeping view…

A safari in Botswana does not always begin with the sound of an engine. Sometimes it begins with the gentle movement of a wooden canoe through a narrow water channel. The Okavango Delta offers one of Southern Africa’s most unusual safari experiences. Instead of seeing wildlife exclusively from a four-wheel-drive vehicle, travellers can explore the waterways in a traditional mokoro, a dug-out canoe used to navigate the shallow channels. The experience changes the way the landscape is experienced. There are no roads beneath the canoe. Reeds rise from the water on either side, birds call from the vegetation and the…

There are waterfalls that are beautiful to look at. Then there is Victoria Falls. Known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, or “The Smoke That Thunders”, the waterfall sits on the Zambezi River along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The first encounter is often unforgettable. Water plunges over the edge in a massive curtain while spray rises into the air, creating a mist that can be seen from a distance. But the waterfall itself is only the beginning. Victoria Falls has become a base for a wide range of experiences along the Zambezi. Visitors can explore the river by boat, take guided…

There is a particular kind of holiday where the most complicated decision of the day is whether to swim before lunch or after it. Along Mozambique’s Indian Ocean coastline, the Bazaruto Archipelago offers exactly that kind of escape. The islands are known for white beaches, warm tropical waters and marine life, creating a destination suited to travellers looking for a slower pace. Vilanculos provides an easy gateway to the archipelago. From the coastal town, visitors can take boat trips into the islands, explore sandbanks, swim in clear waters or spend time simply watching the ocean. The attraction, however, extends below…

Few road journeys offer as many changes of scenery as a drive through South Africa’s southern coast. The Garden Route brings together beaches, forests, lagoons, mountains and small coastal towns along a journey that can be explored at a relaxed pace. The route generally runs between Mossel Bay and Storms River, with places such as Wilderness, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay providing popular stops. The beauty of the journey is that there is no single way to experience it. In one town, travellers can walk along the beach. In another, they can explore indigenous forest, kayak across a lagoon or hike…

Kenyan electric mobility startup ARC Ride has secured $33.3 million in new financing as it prepares to expand its electric motorcycle and battery-swapping business across Africa. The funding combines a $23 million Series A round with a $10 million debt facility. The equity round was led by Novastar Ventures and Norrsken22, with participation from the International Finance Corporation, British International Investment and Proparco. ARC Ride operates a battery-as-a-service model designed to reduce the cost and inconvenience associated with switching from petrol motorcycles to electric alternatives. Instead of waiting for batteries to recharge, riders can exchange depleted batteries for charged ones…

Egyptian education technology company 3C Coding School has raised $3 million in seed funding as it prepares to expand its digital learning platform for children and young people. The investment was led by MRG Economic Group, with participation from businessman and investor Amr Saad and a group of strategic angel investors. Founded in 2015 by engineers Hossam Hosny and Ahmed Khallaf, 3C Coding School provides technology education covering areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, cybersecurity, game development and web and mobile applications. The company says it has now reached more than 120,000 students. Its revenue has also…

Nigerian fintech company Nomba has secured a $3 million debt facility as it seeks to significantly increase the volume of cross-border payments it processes across Africa. The financing was obtained through CardinalStone Finance Company and will be used to strengthen Nomba’s payment infrastructure and support expansion into additional African markets. Nomba currently processes more than $480 million in transactions each month through its operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and its Canadian-licensed money service business. The company wants to increase that figure to $1 billion a month. The DRC will serve as an important base for the expansion, with…

Ugandan water infrastructure company Irrisol Engineering has secured investment from Dutch impact investor DOB Equity to expand access to solar-powered water systems in underserved communities. The value of the investment was not disclosed, but the capital will support Irrisol’s expansion and the rollout of additional community water mini-grids. Founded in 2017 by water and irrigation engineer Joash Bwambale, Irrisol designs, builds and operates solar-powered water systems, mainly serving rural and peri-urban communities. Its model combines solar pumping with consumption-based billing and mobile-money payments. Rather than relying entirely on conventional water infrastructure, the company uses solar energy to pump water and…