Beyond Checklists: What New AML/CFT Regulations Mean for Banks, Fintechs and SACCOs
In September 2025, Kenya’s financial regulator issued compliance notices to 35 savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs), warning of sanctions for failures in anti-money laundering controls. The message was clear across East Africa’s financial sector: the era of light-touch supervision had come to an end. From amendments to Kenya’s Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act to...
East Africa’s Export Surge: Momentum or Transformation
While global trade struggles through headwinds of protectionism and geopolitical tensions, East Africa is chartering a different course. In Q2 of 2025, exports from the East African Community (EAC) rose by 40.5% year-on-year to $18.6 billion.
Fragmented Rules, Shared Markets: The Evolution of Digital Financial Services Regulation in East Africa
East Africa’s DFS landscape is transitioning from a narrative of inclusion to one of complex integration. Once the global pioneer of mobile money, the region’s platforms have scaled massively; one major provider alone now processes an annualised transaction value approaching $200 billion.
Fintech Independence: MTN Uganda’s Structural Shift
Following board approval in March 2025, MTN Uganda shareholders consented to the unbundling of MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) at an extraordinary general meeting on 22nd July 2025. This follows a broader pattern. In neighbouring Kenya, persistent pressure continues to build for the separation of the country’s largest mobile money platform, M-Pesa, from its telecom parent, Safaricom.
From Savings to Securities: A Case For Tax-Free Investment Accounts
In 2024, MTN Uganda’s mobile money platform recorded a daily transaction volume of UGX 435 billion – approximately $123.1 million. On the other hand, in August 2025, the Uganda Stock Exchange recorded a daily trading volume of just UGX 17.63 million – approximately $5,000. The gaps highlight a disconnect in East Africa at large.
Brick by Brick: Evaluating The Merit Of Real Estate As East Africa’s Favourite Asset
Across Uganda and Kenya, real estate is more than just an investment – it’s a symbol of identity, security and legacy. From gated communities in the suburbs of Kampala to Airbnb rentals on Kenya’s coast, the region’s property boom has been fuelled by a perfect storm of demand from demographics, tourism and the diaspora.
Bridging the Gap: The Rise of Digital Lending Platforms in East Africa
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platforms have transformed global shopping, expenditure and credit access patterns. In East Africa, the impact of these platforms is most clearly illustrated by the purchasing power they have unlocked: from financing the purchase of modern-day essentials like airtime and smartphones to enabling the acquisition of solar panels and electric bikes.
The End of the Beginning: Kenya’s M-PESA Revolution Enters a New Phase
Starting as a simple tool to transfer money and buy airtime via text messages, Safaricom’s M-PESA ushered in a financial revolution that took all of East Africa by storm. The service has transformed into Kenya’s financial backbone with 59% of the country’s GDP flowing through it, unlocking financial services for millions along the way.
Unlocking Excellence: The Progress and Future of Customer Service in Uganda
In the Pearl of Africa, a silent revolution brews – not of politics, but of expectations. A growing middle class, one of the world’s youngest populations and an increasingly connected society; have fuelled expectations for fast, reliable and consistent service. However, while the country has made significant economic strides in recent years, the quality of customer service remains inconsistent.
