Telecom
Mastercard Announces Fintech Express to Empower MEA Fintechs to Launch and Expand Rapidly

Mastercard has launched Fintech Express in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), a program designed to facilitate emerging fintechs’ launch and expansion. Leveraging the power of partnerships and Mastercard’s expertise, technology, and global network, startups will now be able to focus on innovation that drives the digital economy.
Mastercard Fintech Express is designed for all types of fintechs: established fintechs wanting a direct license from Mastercard; as well as fintechs with the ambition to innovate through collaborating with ready-to-go Mastercard Engage partners. As such, the program is split into three core modules: Access, Build, Connect.
• Access: Enabling regulated entities to obtain a Mastercard License and access Mastercard’s network through a streamlined onboarding process
• Build: Fintechs as Processors/Enablers can become an Express Partner by building unique tech alliances and benefitting from all the advantages that Mastercard provides
• Connect: Fintechs/Start-ups, looking to add payment solutions to their suite of products, can easily connect with qualified Express Partners available on the Mastercard Engage web portal, and go live with Mastercard in a matter of days
The program supports digital payment innovators by making it simple to collaborate with Mastercard and its partners to launch new fintech products.
It is designed for fintechs looking to add payment solutions to their suite of products, tech-savvy startups looking at serving a new segment as well as established players with ambitions to innovate through partnerships.
Becoming an Express Partner helps brands simplify the launch of payment solutions, shortening the process from a few months to a matter of days. Express Partners will also enjoy all the benefits of becoming a Qualified Mastercard Engage Partner.
Gaurang Shah, senior vice president, Digital Payments & Labs, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard, said “Startups are forming diverse collaborations with traditional financial institutions, and in the process manage to enhance competitiveness, while also bringing services and products to market that can have a real impact on consumers.
“Mastercard is playing a central role in making fintech partnerships a reality as a single technology provider. Technological advancement and innovation are steering the digital financial services industry, where fintech players are becoming globally mainstream and an increasing influx of fintech players are competing with large traditional players.
“With today’s announcement we are taking the next step in further empowering them to fulfil their ambitions of scale and speed”.
In Africa, fintech startup funding is one of the most active business investments and Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya represent the lion’s share of investment.
The MEA region also currently has over 1,200 fintech players, covering everything from credit to insurance to wealth management offered through a centralized cloud-based platform.
Some of the early players to have joined forces and created alliances under the new Express Partner program across Sub-Saharan Africa are Diamond Trust Bank, DPO Group, Selcom and Tutuka.
“We are excited to partner with Mastercard under the Fintech Express program. The world has changed dramatically over the last few months and we are fast embracing a fully digital economy.
“As a bank driven by innovation, DTB is looking forward to collaborating with emerging fintechs in the region and providing them with the necessary support on their payment solutions,” said Farouk Khimji, Head of Products & Innovation at Diamond Trust Bank Kenya.
“We are delighted to be Mastercard’s preferred payments partner of choice on this exciting new initiative. Fintech Express will accelerate the ability of fintech firms to commercialize their operations and payments processes, driving financial inclusion and boosting business growth in Africa.
“We work with more merchants across more markets than any other payment service provider on the continent. The DPO Store, our e-commerce solution which is powered by Mastercard, enables merchants to set up integrated payments and a free e-commerce business website within 72 hours.
“The demand we have seen for the DPO Store demonstrates the appetite from business owners for effective, fast technological solutions,” commented Eran Feinstein, CEO and co-founder of DPO Group, a leading African payment service provider operating in 19 African countries.
“Our seven-year partnership with Mastercard has enabled us to go the extra mile and achieve unmatched scale in key African markets, while focusing on product-market fit for our innovative payment offerings.
“The strategic partnership has helped us to not only share our learnings with other Mastercard partners, but also to enable Mastercard to attain local expectations and needs with our brand association and presence.
“During our three-year run in this programme, we’ve discovered that such partnerships are critical in order to deliver products that enhance customers’ lives,” stated Sameer Hirji, Executive Director, Selcom, the largest payment service provider in East Africa.
“Tutuka and Mastercard share a common goal – to allow fintechs to easily issue Mastercard payment tools whether virtual, physical or mobile.
“Through those fintechs, customers across Africa and the Middle East will have a simple route to use Mastercard, often for the very first time. This is true financial inclusion,” said Rowan Brewer, CEO, Tutuka, a global payments enabler that powers millions of transactions every day.
Other players across Middle East and Africa are:
• Middle East & North Africa (MENA): Network International and First Abu Dhabi Bank
• South Africa (SA): Ukheshe and Nedbank
Mastercard Fintech Express falls under the umbrella of Mastercard Accelerate – Mastercard’s overarching fintech platform that gives start-ups and emerging brands support and assistance for every stage of their growth and transformation, from market entry to global expansion. Mastercard Accelerate is comprised of four main programs: Fintech Express, Start Path, Engage and Developers.
Telecom
Tarana, Microsoft Enhance Africa’s Broadband Connectivity

Tarana, provider of next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) broadband technology, is collaborating with Microsoft to expand internet access in rural and underserved communities across Africa.
Together, the companies will help service providers in rural and underserved Africa deploy government-approved telecom equipment, along with training and technical support.
This comes as access to secure; affordable telecom equipment remains a major barrier to internet connectivity in Africa. Despite progress, high infrastructure costs and limited rural coverage have allowed the digital divide to persist.
Tarana stated that in some areas, fewer than 30% of people have dependable internet connectivity.
To that end, it said its collaboration with Microsoft will help reduce the cost of ngFWA equipment for African internet service providers while also assisting with deployment logistics, enabling them to give internet access more faster and more cost-effectively.
The company went on to say overcoming two primary limitations of traditional fixed wireless access) technology, ngFWA delivers high-speed broadband service in both non-line-of-sight conditions and heavy radio interference, making it an ideal solution for hard-to-reach and underserved markets.
More than 250 operators worldwide are deploying ngFWA to deliver better broadband more efficiently, said the company.
Basil Alwan, CEO of Tarana, added: “We look forward to making significant progress on the digital divide together.”
“Access to affordable, secure broadband infrastructure is essential for unlocking economic opportunity through digital access across Africa,” said Vickie Robinson, general manager, energy, connectivity, and sustainability at Microsoft. “By working with Tarana, we’re helping local operators overcome cost and deployment barriers so they can bring high-speed connectivity to the communities that need it most.”
Telecom
Mobile Industry Emissions Down 8%, But Pace Must Double to Hit Net Zero

The mobile industry’s operational emissions fell by 8% between 2019 and 2023, even as mobile connections grew by 9% and data traffic quadrupled, according to the GSMA’s fifth annual Mobile Net Zero report released this week.
The findings show the mobile industry has successfully started to decouple emissions from data and connectivity growth – a stark contrast to global emissions, which have increased 4% since 2019. However, to continue progress and reach net zero by 2050, emissions must fall by 7.5% annually until 2030 – more than twice the average annual rate achieved to date.
Key findings from the report include:
- Preliminary 2024 data suggests a further 4.5% drop in emissions – an acceleration on previous years, but still short of the 7.5% annual reduction needed to 2030.
- 37% of electricity used by operators disclosing to CDP came from renewables in 2023, up from 13% in 2019 – avoiding 16 million tonnes of emissions.
- 81 mobile operators (covering nearly half of global connections) have set or committed to science-based targets.
- The GSMA Climate Action Taskforce now includes 77 operators, covering 80% of mobile connections worldwide.
- Europe (-56%), North America (-44%), and Latin America (-36%) lead the way in operational emissions reductions between 2019 and 2023.
- New analysis of China shows operational emissions likely fell by 4% in 2024 – the first decline after a 7% rise between 2019–2023 – alongside a more than quadrupling of renewable energy use.
Global, collaborative climate action gathers pace
The acceleration in decarbonisation is driven by operator actions to improve network energy efficiency and transition to clean energy, including solar and battery storage. Many operators are phasing out less efficient legacy networks and reducing their reliance on diesel generators.
Some markets are seeing better renewable electricity access through policy support and market reform, but the GSMA warns that the accelerated reductions needed by 2030 will require greater access across more markets.
Regional momentum is building globally, with Europe and the Americas leading emissions reductions, while Asia and Africa show increasing engagement. China, representing the world’s largest mobile market with more than one billion 5G connections, shows promising progress in 2024.
New analysis published today to frame discussions at MWC25 Shanghai indicates China’s operational emissions declined for the first time in 2024, with preliminary data showing a 4% reduction year-on-year driven by a more than quadrupling in renewable energy use by operators. As the industry’s largest single market, China’s progress is instrumental in achieving global net zero targets.
Steven Moore, Head of Climate Action at the GSMA comments: “Our findings show the mobile industry isn’t greenwashing or greenwishing – it’s green acting. Emissions are trending in the right direction, but the pace of progress must now double.
“This is a global effort, and it’s encouraging to see momentum building across every region – from Latin America to Europe and especially to China.
“But to sustain this progress, we need broader support: better access to renewables, more policy certainty, and stronger collaboration across the ecosystem. Supply chain emissions, which make up most of our industry’s footprint, must also be addressed – and climate transition plans will play an increasingly important role in navigating what comes next.”
Focus on Scope 3 and circularity sharpens
The report emphasises that Scope 3 emissions – mostly from supply chains and manufacturing – account for more than two-thirds of the industry’s total carbon footprint and require attention. While transparency is improving, Scope 3 emissions remain a blind spot compared with operational emissions (Scopes 1 and 2), making them a critical challenge for operators with science-based targets, which require reductions across full value chain emissions.
Additionally, the report points to growing momentum around circular economy initiatives. Consumer appetite for sustainable devices is rising, with around 90% of users surveyed by GSMA saying they value longevity and repairability, and nearly half considering refurbished for their next phone purchase.
Buying refurbished instead of new can save consumers money and reduce environmental impacts from manufacturing, with refurbished phones generating 80-90% fewer emissions than new ones. While new device sales have slowed in recent years, the second-hand device market is growing rapidly, and projected to be worth $150 billion by 2027.
Many leading operators are now developing climate transition plans to assess climate risks and map out credible, long-term strategies toward net zero. These plans are expected to become a key focus of the GSMA’s Climate Action Programme over the coming year.
Telecom
MTN’s Ikenna Ikeme Urges Responsible AI Use @Pan African Data Policy Conference

The use of local content in Artificial Intelligence systems is essential for delivering accurate, region-specific results, according to MTN Nigeria’s General Manager for Regulatory Affairs, Ikenna Ikeme.
He shared this perspective at the recently held Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA) Conference, held in Abuja recently.
The conference convened industry leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss the role of data and AI in shaping Africa’s future. Key discussions focused on balancing innovation with risk, safeguarding data in AI systems, promoting responsible data use, and enabling cross-border data flows.
During a panel on “Data Governance for Responsible and Beneficial Use of AI,” Ikeme highlighted data’s dual nature. “Data can be transformational by bringing efficiency to businesses, but it also presents risks, ranging from privacy to investment,” he stated. He warned against relying too much on external data.
Adewale Adene, Google’s Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager, also spoke at the session. Adene projected AI and data governance could add $30 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030. “All relevant authorities and stakeholders must ensure Africa is positioned to capitalise on this new economy,” he urged.
Other panelists included Nonye Ujam, Government Affairs Lead at Microsoft; Ololade Shyllon, Director of Privacy Policy for Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey at Meta; Oliver Patel, Head of Enterprise AI Governance at AstraZeneca (who joined remotely); Femi Daniel, Senior Counsel, Privacy and Data Protection at Mastercard; and Adewolu Adene, Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager at Google.
The conference stressed the urgent need for African stakeholders to create strategic policies. These policies should support both growth and safety.
Participants called for collaboration, investment in local data infrastructure, and strong legal frameworks. This is to ensure AI technologies are developed and used responsibly.
The NADPA Conference served as a timely call to action. It urged governments, companies, and regulators to prioritise trust and transparency. Homegrown solutions are key in shaping Africa’s digital destiny, the conference concluded.
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