Hi, welcome to Tech This Evening, an After-Work Tech Newsletter from Techparley Africa. Sure, there is a lot to unpack right now. Sit back, while I walk you through.
Top Story: Safaricom Secures Tech Upgrade as Meta Picks It for New $23 Million Oman–Kenya Submarine Link
Meta, the US-based technology giant behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has chosen Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telecom operator, as its local landing partner for a new submarine cable connecting Oman and Kenya.
The partnership marks a pivotal moment for both companies, underscoring East Africa’s growing role in the global digital infrastructure ecosystem.
The $23 million “Daraja” system, fully funded by Meta’s subsidiary Edge Network Services, is designed with 24 fibre pairs to deliver high-capacity, low-latency connectivity between East Africa and the Middle East.
“This deal is a significant strategic milestone for us at Safaricom as we mark 25 years and signals our readiness to transition into a fully-fledged tech company in line with our vision 2030 strategy,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom.
Other Tech News Stories You Should Read:
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How to Leverage SEO for Startup Growth: A Complete Guide. Read now.
On Startup Spotlight:
Zendawa: How This Kenyan Healthtech Startup Is Bringing Local Pharmacies Online
Across Kenya, small chemists serve as the first point of care for most citizens, handling primary health needs and selling medicines. Yet despite their critical role, most remain offline, under-financed, and overlooked by mainstream health innovation. Zendawa, a digital healthtech startup operating across Kiambu and Nairobi, is trying to change that.
Founded in 2022, Zendawa days it is bringing thousands of last-mile pharmacies online. Its 16-person team has built a modular software platform that connects chemists to verified distributors, working capital, and basic business tools, aiming to modernise Africa’s retail healthcare system.
What makes Zendawa different is its modular architecture. Pharmacies can choose only the services they need, without replacing their current systems.
“Our main adoption barrier has been pharmacies that already have a management system,” Will Chege, Zendawa CEO, said. “We innovated around this by making our platform modular, such that they do not need to migrate from the systems but rather adopt the modules from our system, which they do not have access to.”
Quadri Adejumo brings you all the details. Read here.
Also Read:
Global Shop Group is Making a Strategic Entry into African E-Commerce Market with Ivorian Anka’s Acquisition. Yakub Abdulrasheed brings us the details, here.
Quote of the Day:
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic.” – Arthur C. Clarke.
Thank you for joining me yet again this evening. Stay safe, and see you tomorrow for the next tech newsletter.
Best, Quadri
