Telecom
Meta Launches its Africa Day Campaign Spotlighting and Celebrating Africans Making a Global Impact
As part of its Africa Day celebrations on 25 May, Meta on Monday announced the return of its global campaign ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’, which was first launched in 2021.
Aimed at amplifying the voices and stories of people and businesses from across Africa that are impacting the world, this year’s campaign spotlights eight creators, innovators and SMBs who are making a name for themselves not only in Africa, but globally, and are changing the way Africa is viewed on the international stage.
As part of the on-platform and marketing campaign, Meta has partnered with local filmmakers to bring to life eight phenomenal stories. Alongside this will run a dedicated global and local Instagram campaign featuring partnerships with African content creators, a community Reels challenge, the development of a specially designed AR filter inspired by #AfricaMade, as well as a series of free open virtual training sessions via the Meta Africa page, dedicated to all SMBs and Creators from across Africa.
Speaking about the campaign, Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, said, “I’m truly excited to be bringing back ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ for the 2nd year running. This campaign is about showcasing the incredible talent we have here on the continent, and the African people and businesses that are not only contributing to the global agenda, but are forging their own paths. At Meta we remain invested in Africa, and know that this is home to some of the world’s most talented and inspired individuals, and we look forward to hero’ing just some of these stories through our ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ campaign.”
Partnering with five local filmmakers Tarryn Crossman (South Africa), Kofi Awuah (Ghana), Joan Kabugu (Kenya), Bardia Olowu (Nigeria) and Nelson Makengo (DRC), these series of inspirational and beautifully shot short films will live on a dedicated Africa Day microsite and focus on the stories of:
● Trevor Stuurman (South Africa): An award winning contemporary multimedia visual artist who has cemented himself as a creative force to be reckoned with, collaborating with international brands and global stars
● Ferre Gola (DRC): An award winning Congolese musician who has earned international accolades as a true icon of Congolese rumba
● Mosope Olaosebikan (Nigeria): Founder of Africa’s first digital museum devoted to shaping the narrative of culture and people using immersive and innovative methods of curation such as AR/VR
● Rich Mnisi (South Africa): A contemporary multi-disciplinary brand specializing in high-end fashion and furniture designs, with his clothing featured in global media outlets and his designs worn by global names
● Selina Beb (Ghana): A multiple award-winning fashion brand specialising in African inspired accessories and clothes
● Black Rhino VR (Kenya): An award-winning Extended Reality Agency working with local and international brands
● Bonita Foods (Nigeria): A healthy snacks company producing a range of delicious snacks from fruits, nuts and vegetables, with a global footprint across the UK, USA and Germany
● Pixel Chefs (South Africa): An innovative creative agency, using emerging digital tech to create immersive impactful experiences for both local and global clients
Celebrating Africa Day on Instagram
As a platform for self-expression, in the lead up to Africa Day and beyond, Instagram will be celebrating and highlighting the incredible talent and diversity of the African continent:
● Instagram AR Filter: Partnering with a South African immersive digital solutions company (Pixel Chefs) to create an interactive AR filter to provide the Instagram community with a tool to celebrate the occasion, with the vibrancy and liveliness of Africa at the heart. [https://we.tl/t-uxnMsPgTaR]
● Instagram Reels Challenge: Working with content creators from across Africa and the diaspora, Instagram will launch a Reels community challenge under the hashtag #ShareYourAfrica, encouraging its community to celebrate and share with the world what’s uniquely authentic and African to them, whether fashion, music, food or dance.
● African Designers Guide: Throughout the week of Africa Day and beyond, Instagram has invited @mizliz, the founder of @offtomag, to highlight 12 African designers and artists who are forging their own paths and redefining culture in the process
● IG Creators Q&A with DanceGod Llyod on 25th May: Continuing to spotlight African creators, Instagram will host a live Q&A with Ghanaian dancer sensation and content creator DanceGod Lloyd
Free Virtual Training Sessions
As part of Meta’s continued investment across the continent, it will also be hosting a number of free open training sessions throughout the week and post Africa Day via the Meta Africa page, focused on providing other upcoming creatives and entrepreneurs with the digital know-how to take their ideas global. Training topics include:
● Reels school: Learn all about Reels on Facebook and Instagram, as well as top tips and best practices to help connect with more people
● Cross Border Business: Discover how to explore different markets, reach new customers, localise marketing and optimise campaigns
● Monetization 101: Discover ways to monetise owned content on Facebook and Instagram, as well as learn more about best practices and eligibility requirements
● Branded Content – Get future-ready: Find out more about creator marketing on Meta platforms including best practices, creative tips, and media and measurement guidance.
● Step into AR: Dip into the world of the Metaverse through the lens of Augmented Reality (AR) and explore the what, why and how of AR to help create incredible AR experiences people will love
Meta Culture Series
As an extension of the Metaverse Culture Series Black Future experience exploring embedding Black culture, creativity and community, Meta will host a fireside chat with Ime Archibong, Head of New Product Experimentation at Meta, Dylan Fiala (Co-Founder of Pixel Chefs), Winifred Isichei (Founder of Bonita Foods) and diaspora based Walla El Sheikh (Birthright Africa).
Hosted on Meta Africa FB Page, the conversations will focus around early innovation and adoption across the continent, and how this has contributed to global trends, whilst exploring what the world can learn about African Culture.
In the wake of increasing geopolitical tension, Cassava Technologies has unveiled its National Sovereign Cloud offering for African governments.
The solution, the company claims, will help the continent’s governments ensure data is kept on infrastructure that remains under local legal and operational jurisdiction.
According to the official announcement, made yesterday, the solution provides “secure, locally-governed digital infrastructure that enables the deployment of AI-enabled public services”.
The overarching solution encompasses cloud, cyber security, AI computing infrastructure, as well as local language AI models and skills support for governments.
The announcement comes amid increasing uncertainty over the hosting of sensitive national data on cloud services operated by foreign hyperscalers, which are subject to legal frameworks, such as the U.S. CLOUD Act. The CLOUD Act opens the door to allow American authorities to access data stored on the servers of US hyperscalers, wherever those servers are physically located.
Cassava has claimed separately that currently, “approximately 33% to 45% of the world’s data is hosted in the USA”.
The company added: “A sovereign cloud reduces exposure to extraterritorial laws, improves cyber resilience, and ensures that model weights and training data for public AI remain under national custody.”
The Africa Data Centres Association’s 2026 Economic Report states that “data sovereignty has evolved from a legal aspiration into a strategic policy lever”.
Ahmed El Beheiry, Group COO and Group Chief Technology and AI Officer, Cassava Technologies said: “Across Africa, governments are accelerating their digital transformation agendas and are increasingly focused on ensuring that data and digital infrastructure remain secure and sovereign.”
Announced at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona, this week, the Sovereign Cloud offering launch accompanied the launch of Cassava’s Cloud Partner programme.
The partner programme targets mobile network operators and system integrators across Africa to resell and distribute AI, cloud, and other digital services using Cassava’s infrastructure and technology platforms.
El Beheiry added: “We are expanding Africa’s sovereign AI ecosystem to build solutions that address the continent’s unique challenges while creating new opportunities for growth and digital inclusion.”
The programme offers partners access to NVIDIA Cloud Partner solutions, Cassava’s AI Factory, its own native AI solutions and its AI Multi-Model Exchange, which supports both Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini models.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
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