Namibia's communications regulator has ordered Elon Musk-owned Starlink to suspend its operations in the country, dealing a significant blow to the satellite internet service provider's expansion plans in Africa. The regulator cited Starlink's lack of a valid operating licence, despite the company's application being under review since June 2024.

Starlink had been operating "illegally" in Namibia for 13 months, with users purchasing kits from resellers and subscribing to roaming services from neighbouring countries. The company will now stop selling or distributing its hardware kits in Namibia, a country of 2.6 million people struggling with broadband penetration. Only 30% of the population has access to 3G networks, and Starlink's high-speed internet offering had been seen as a potential game-changer.

Meanwhile, Africa's tech ecosystem has been rocked by a series of cyberattacks. In Uganda, hackers stole UGX62 billion ($16.8 million) from the Bank of Uganda, with the money transferred to Japan and the UK. The incident has raised concerns about the state of cybersecurity in the East African country, which has seen a surge in cyber attacks since the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Nigeria, a fintech company was targeted by an employee who diverted funds for two years unnoticed, resulting in the firing of over 120 employees. The incident highlights the need for financial institutions to stay ahead of cyber threats by continually updating their technology and security measures.

In more positive news, Paystack, a Nigerian fintech company, has introduced a new feature enabling merchants to accept payments directly from millions of OPay accounts. The integration is part of Paystack's strategy to build bank-transfer-based payment methods, which accounted for over 50% of its transactions in 2023.

The feature reduces the reliance on debit card transactions, which are costlier. With "Pay by OPay," customers can pay merchants through the OPay app or web interface, as part of a network that already includes 24 Nigerian banks and fintechs like PalmPay and Kuda.

Paystack's move comes as Nigeria's adoption of electronic payments continues to accelerate, driven by factors such as the Central Bank of Nigeria's cashless policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. The company claims the OPay integration offers a near-perfect transaction success rate of 99.9999%, cementing its role in supporting Nigeria's growing preference for electronic payments.

In other news, Socium, a Senegal-based HR-tech startup, has secured $5 million in a seed funding round led by Breega. Other deals announced this week include Ariika, an Egyptian home furnishing e-commerce platform, which raised $3 million in Series A funding, and Raknida, a Nigerian art-tech platform, which secured a $100,000 grant from the Arch Grants.

As the tech ecosystem in Africa continues to evolve, these developments highlight the opportunities and challenges facing companies operating in the region. From the need for robust cybersecurity measures to the growth of electronic payments, the story of Africa's tech industry is one of innovation and resilience.