Moove raises $250M; AI linked to 55% of Africa cybercrime
Africa AI News weekly digest...
Good morning!
Welcome to this week’s Africa AI News email digest!
Lots of news to share today! Kenya’s Nairobi Securities Exchange plans East Africa’s first AI-focused ETF; Nigeria tops Africa’s responsible AI rankings despite persistent infrastructure gaps. Meanwhile, INTERPOL says AI is linked to 55% of reported cybercrime across the continent; Côte d’Ivoire launches new digital scale-up programmes; and Ethiopia backs AI-powered farming with a $2 million investment.
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/Carrington
AI Models
TokenAI prepares Horus Cyper for release
#Egypt #cybersecurity - Alexandria-based TokenAI is preparing to release Horus Cyper, a specialised cybersecurity model approved by Egypt’s national AI council. It can analyse large codebases, reports and audit logs, identify vulnerabilities, explain risks and suggest fixes, while testing how the country may regulate high-risk AI systems. (Middle East AI News)
Funding
Moove raises $250M at $2.1B valuation
#Nigeria #funding - Nigeria-founded Moove announced a $250 million Series C on 5 August, led by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala at a $2.1 billion valuation. The company will fund autonomous-vehicle fleets, robotics-first “Nests” depots and new markets. Woven Capital and Ion Pacific co-led; Moove plans about 500 autonomous-vehicle staff by year-end. (Business Wire)
Finance
Kenya plans East Africa’s first AI-focused ETF
#Kenya #funds - Nairobi Securities Exchange plans to launch East Africa’s first AI-focused exchange-traded fund before year-end, giving local investors shilling-denominated exposure to global AI companies. CEO Frank Mwiti said the bourse may delay the product if bubble risks intensify and is discussing it with regulators. (Reuters)
Egypt approves two more insurance pilots
#Egypt #sandboxes - Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority has approved two more insurance projects for testing in its regulatory sandbox. EG InsurTech’s Ameen assistant and Allianz Insurance Egypt’s voice-agent and chatbot platform will be assessed before launch, taking the sandbox to seven projects in its first year, with insurance now the largest category. (Middle East AI News)
Data Centres
Mozambique opens solar-powered UEM data centre
#Mozambique #datacentres - Mozambique has inaugurated a solar-powered data centre at Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo. The facility will support research, cybersecurity, AI and high-performance computing, alongside a robotics lab and planned AI room. UEM says storage capacity grew about fourteenfold; no power rating was disclosed. (Universidade Eduardo Mondlane)
Startups
Côte d’Ivoire backs 30 digital businesses
#CotedIvoire #startips - Côte d’Ivoire has launched two 24-month programmes supporting 15 start-ups and 15 technology SMEs, alongside a new GovTech platform. The government aims to double the digital sector’s contribution to GDP, currently estimated at 6%–8%, over the next three years. (In Côte d’Ivoire)
Policy
South Africa omitted from World Bank AI map
#SouthAfrica #policy - South Africa was excluded from the World Bank’s map of more than 80 economies with national AI strategies after withdrawing its draft policy over fictitious references. A revised draft is expected to reach cabinet in November, with public consultation planned for January 2027. (TechCentral)
Nigeria signs sovereign-cloud framework
#Nigeria #policy - Nigeria’s NITDA signed its sovereign-cloud framework on 4 August, including national cloud and technical guidelines plus a digital-infrastructure assurance framework. It also unveiled an investment strategy and plans an October regulatory platform to certify providers. (Voice of Nigeria)
Algeria reviews national AI strategy rollout
#Algeria #AIstratgey - Algeria’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Kamel Baddari, has chaired a coordination meeting to review implementation of the country’s National Strategic Plan for Artificial Intelligence. Representatives from government ministries and national institutions attended, signalling a cross-government effort to advance the strategy. (APS)
Egypt to lead regional governance and quantum groups
#Egypt #emergingtech - Egypt has been elected to chair Arab working groups on AI governance and quantum computing under the Arab Permanent Committee for AI and Emerging Technologies. The groups will coordinate regional policy, research and implementation, giving Egypt a leading role in shaping shared approaches to two strategic technologies. (Tech Review Africa)
Nigeria leads Africa in responsible AI ranking
#Nigeria #reports - Nigeria ranks 38th of 135 countries in the 2026 Global Index on Responsible AI, with a score of 45.93, leading Africa. However, limited electricity, broadband, computing infrastructure and GPU access continue to constrain wider deployment across businesses, public services and critical sectors. (BusinessDay)
Education
US seeks operator for Lagos AI-skills programme
#Nigeria #skills - The US Consulate General in Lagos opened procurement on 5 August for a 12-month AI and digital-skills programme for recent Nigerian university graduates at four American Spaces. Bids close 21 August. The winning organisation must design and deliver the training. (U.S. Mission Nigeria)
FATE sets 10 August launch for Africa AI programme
#Nigeria #education - FATE Foundation plans to launch the Africa AI Upskilling Programme at the University of Lagos on 10 August, with AIMS and Google support. The invitation-only initiative targets African universities and educators. Organisers have not yet disclosed participant numbers or curriculum details. (Instagram)
Benin trains 400+ students for global AI contest
#Benin #competition - Benin’s National Olympiad for Artificial Intelligence attracted more than 400 students to a Zindi-hosted challenge involving road detection from satellite images. Leading participants are receiving further technical training, with the strongest set to represent Benin at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence in Kazakhstan. (MyZA)
Agriculture
Ethiopia backs AI-powered precision farming
#Ethiopia #agritech - Ethiopia has launched a $2 million initiative combining AI-powered precision farming and hydroponics, initially targeting export-oriented strawberry and saffron production. The programme aims to raise smallholder productivity, strengthen food security, attract foreign investment and position the country in the global high-value horticulture market. (Ethiopian Business Review)
Crime
INTERPOL links AI to 55% of Africa cybercrime
#Africa #cybersecurity - INTERPOL says artificial intelligence enables 55% of reported cybercrimes across Africa, while losses have risen from US$192 million to $484 million since 2024. Its 2026 assessment urges stronger digital forensics, cross-border cooperation and AI literacy, after coordinated operations produced more than 1,500 arrests. (Club of Mozambique)
[ This newsletter was both AI edited & human edited ]