Telecom
AfDB Partners AXIAN Telecom to Accelerate Africa’s Digital Transformation
The African Development Bank has approved a $160 million senior corporate loan to support AXIAN Telecom to expand digital access and financial inclusion in nine African countries.
The loan will accelerate the modernization and expansion of AXIAN Telecom‘s network infrastructure, with a focus on 4G and 5G deployment; while also driving digital innovation in its operations, enabling them to expand to more countries.
AXIAN Telecom, headquartered in Mauritius, serves 42.9 million mobile subscribers, 11.4 million data users, and 15.2 million mobile financial service users, positioning itself as a leader in Africa’s digital transformation.
A key focus of the funding is to address gender disparities in access to financial services. Over $10 million will be dedicated to empowering 22,000 women entrepreneurs in Madagascar through AXIAN’s Mvola platform. Additionally, a $2.5 million grant will enhance financial literacy and credit access for 34,000 women businesses across Madagascar, Tanzania, and Senegal, enabling them to grow and transition into the formal economy.
Highlighting the initiative’s importance, the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization, Solomon Quaynor, said: “This investment reflects the African Development Bank’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation and fostering inclusive growth. By supporting AXIAN Telecom’s growth plan, we are bridging the digital divide, creating opportunities for millions across the continent, and fostering innovation.”
Quaynor described the African Development Bank’s support as part of a partnership to accelerate progress, advance financial inclusion—particularly for women—and drive sustainable development, adding, “Together, we are building the infrastructure and ecosystems that will enable Africa to thrive in the digital age.”
AXIAN Telecom CEO, Hassan Jaber said, “We are honoured to partner with an organisation that shares our vision of advancing Africa’s digital economy. The funding from the African Development Bank not only underscores the immense digital potential of the continent but also highlights the critical role of collaboration in driving sustainable development.”
Jabaer emphasized that the support from the African Development Bank will build on the company’s ongoing initiatives, such as expanding affordable internet access and fostering innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide. while aligning seamlessly with the recent transformation of our mobile businesses under the Yas brand.
“Yas represents our commitment to empowering a young, dynamic, and digitally connected population, embracing every opportunity with a resounding ‘YES.’ Together, this collaboration will help drive meaningful change across Africa’s digital landscape, furthering our shared mission of digital and financial inclusion,” he added.
The partnership aligns with the African Development Bank’s “Hi-5” development priorities, particularly “Industrialize Africa” and “Integrate Africa”, which enhance connectivity, foster cross-border digital services, and support financial inclusion.
Organisations today face a data paradox: they need to make fast, intelligent decisions but are overwhelmed by large volumes of often unreliable information. With over 75% of business leaders under pressure to prove data’s value, the demand for trusted, actionable insights has never been greater.
What is agentic analytics
Agentic analytics allows users to collaborate with AI agents to speed up the entire data-to-action process. Instead of relying on static visualizations, analysts can use AI to automate tasks like data preparation and ETL (extract, transform, load processes), freeing them to focus on deeper analysis. Business leaders can ask natural language questions and get instant, reliable answers along with recommended actions. This makes data-driven decision-making easier and more efficient, removing the need for technical expertise and manual effort typical of traditional BI tools.
- Automate repetitive data tasks like data cleaning, transformation, and visualization generation, as well as the execution of complex, multi-step analytical workflows within and across different business areas. This builds on Tableau’s strength in simplifying complex data for users.
- Proactively deliver faster, more comprehensive insights by autonomously detecting hidden correlations, outliers, and trends that might be missed by human observation. This enhances Tableau’s focus on user-driven insights by providing AI guidance.
- Enable more contextual and effective action through natural language summaries, visualisations, and data-driven recommendations, insights delivered where people work with an enterprise-class workflow engine that enables users to kick off automated actions. This extends Tableau’s ability to drive action from data, making it more seamless within the Salesforce ecosystem.
Built on the trusted Salesforce Platform and leveraging the power of Data Cloud, Tableau Next delivers enterprise-grade performance, robust security, and flexible, zero-copy data integration for seamless data connectivity. Tableau Semantics, an intelligent semantic layer, provides a unified understanding of information, ensuring data consistency and accelerating the discovery of critical insights. The built-in workflow engine in Tableau Next seamlessly translates insights directly into actionable steps, dramatically accelerating the time to value. The key differentiator is the native integration with Agentforce, Tableau Next equips humans and AI agents with pre-built analytical skills to rapidly transform data into tangible business value, marking a significant leap forward in data-driven decision-making. It includes:
- Data Pro: Your Intelligent Data Prep Assistant. Instead of users manually cleaning up and changing data using complex steps (like in traditional ETL), Data Pro will give smart suggestions on how to do it and even automatically handle some of the complicated changes, saving time and effort.
- Concierge: Instant Answers in Plain Language. Get immediate, reliable answers to data questions. Sales teams, for example, can simply ask “What are my best sales opportunities?” and receive clear insights with recommended actions.
- Inspector: Proactive Data Monitoring & Insights. Continuously tracks your data for key changes, analyzes trends, and predicts improvements. Service teams can be instantly alerted to drops in customer satisfaction, enabling immediate action.
Ensuring Data Trust and Accuracy:
- Tableau Semantics: Tableau Semantics serves as the semantic layer, providing Tableau Next and Agentforce with a unified understanding of business data. By establishing consistent definitions and context, it enables AI agents to generate accurate and relevant responses.
Boosting Efficiency:
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“Tableau Next helps businesses achieve faster, more impactful results with their data,” said Ryan Aytay, CEO of Tableau. “We’re shifting from basic reports to a world where AI is a collaborative decision-making partner. By combining AI agents with trusted data and easy-to-use tools, we’re making data accessible to everyone and transforming the data-to-action process into an automated, proactive, and insight-driven cycle. This empowers users to improve decision-making, boost efficiency, and manage risk more effectively.”
Chinese-founded e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein have announced upcoming price increases for U.S. customers, citing higher operating expenses due to tariffs imposed during former President Donald Trump’s administration.
These tariffs include a 145% import tax on most goods made in China and the elimination of the “de minimis provision,” which previously allowed goods valued under $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free.
The changes, effective May 2, have disrupted the business models of both companies, known for their ultra-low prices and extensive digital marketing campaigns.
Temu and Shein, which specialize in affordable products ranging from clothing to electronics, have urged customers to shop before the price adjustments take effect.
The companies aim to minimize the impact on consumers while adapting to the new trade rules.
These developments come amid concerns from U.S. lawmakers and business groups about the competitive advantage of inexpensive Chinese goods and the potential entry of counterfeit products through the now-canceled exemption.
Google has opened applications for the 2025 Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program, a three-month initiative designed to support early-stage startups using artificial intelligence to address Africa’s most pressing challenges.
Across the continent, startups are demonstrating how local innovation can solve deeply rooted problems. In West Africa, Crop2Cash – an agritech platform and alumni of the program – is using AI to digitally onboard smallholder farmers, build their financial identities, and provide them with access to credit, traceable payments, and productivity tools.
Through these efforts, Crop2Cash is improving agricultural outcomes and unlocking economic opportunity for farmers who have long been excluded from formal systems—illustrating the kind of impact that’s possible when African startups receive the support they need to scale.
The Accelerator is open to Seed to Series A startups based in Africa that are building AI-first solutions. Startups must have a live product, at least one founder of African descent, and a clear vision for responsible AI innovation. Selected participants will receive:
Dedicated technical mentorship from Google and industry experts
Up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits
Access to a global network of investors, partners, and collaborators
Workshops focused on technology, product strategy, people leadership, and AI implementation
AI’s potential to accelerate Africa’s development is real, and Google is investing in ensuring that African startups lead that charge. According to McKinsey, AI could add $1.3 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030, but only if bold innovation is supported at the grassroots.
“Startups are Africa’s problem solvers. With the right resources, they can scale their impact far beyond local communities,” said Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa at Google.
“This program reflects our belief that AI can be transformative when shaped by those who understand the context deeply.”
Since 2018, the program has supported 140 startups from 17 African countries. These alumni have raised more than $300 million in funding and created over 3,000 jobs. Many are now regional and global leaders in their categories.
Applications for the 2025 cohort are now open. Startups interested in participating can apply at: https://startup.google.com/programs/accelerator/africa
For further information and updates, visit the Google Africa Blog or follow @GoogleAfrica on social media.
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