Kenya's third-largest commercial bank by assets, NCBA, has been fined KES250,000 ($1,930) by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) for violating a customer's privacy rights. The bank failed to delete an incorrect email address from its records, leading to sensitive financial statements being sent to the wrong person.

This is not the first time NCBA has made this mistake. In December 2024, the bank was fined KES700,000 ($4,405) for sending a Kenyan customer's loan statements to his former wife, despite his request to remove her contact as an alternate address. The repeated breach of data protection rules raises concerns about the bank's ability to safeguard customer data.

Meanwhile, in Lesotho, the government is considering relaxing its Basotho ownership rule to allow Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service to operate in the country. The rule requires 30% local ownership in foreign ventures, but Lesotho is willing to make an exception to improve its diplomatic ties with the US. The move is seen as a quid pro quo to sweeten Lesotho's trade terms with the US, which has imposed a 50% tariff on textile imports from the country.

The decision to relax the ownership rule has sparked concerns about the impact on Lesotho's regulators, who have been trying to force compliance among foreign-owned businesses. If Starlink is allowed to operate without following the ownership rule, it could create a setback for the country's regulators and send a mixed message to other investors.

In other news, the US tariffs imposed on various countries, including Lesotho, have had a significant impact on Africa's tech ecosystem. The tariffs have led to a decline in VC funding into African tech, with investors retreating to safe assets like US Treasuries. Exporters, on the other hand, face a complex situation, with some gaining an edge over competitors, while others struggle with limited local processing capacity and weak infrastructure.

Crypto startups have also been affected, with the tariff shock wiping out $2 billion from the market and hitting exchange revenues. However, founders see an opportunity to build Africa-first infrastructure. Telecoms, for now, seem to be spared from the impact of the tariffs, but they may not remain insulated for long if inflation eats into consumer spending.

The developments highlight the need for African countries to be prepared for the impact of global trade policies on their tech ecosystems. As the world waits to see if the US tariffs will return, Africa's tech scene is holding its breath, wondering what the future holds.