We have prepared context and insights about this week’s leading news. The stories are:
- Flutterwave secures approval for inward remittance service in Ghana
- Elon Musk blames Ukraine for cyberattack on X
- South Africa is thinking about e-voting
Flutterwave secures approval for inward remittance service in Ghana
Flutterwave has received the green light from the Bank of Ghana to provide inward remittance services, strengthening its presence in Africa’s fintech markets. The approval means Ghanaians can now receive funds from abroad through Flutterwave’s platform, adding another player to the country’s mobile money ecosystem.
With over 60% of foreign exchange in Ghana processed through mobile money, Flutterwave sees a significant opportunity to simplify cross-border transactions. The company’s CEO, Olugbenga ‘GB’ Agboola, called the approval a major step toward financial inclusion, ensuring that Ghanaians in the diaspora can send money home more efficiently.
Context: This is just one of Flutterwave’s recent regulatory wins. Last year, it secured a Payment Service Provider license in Ghana, and just last month, it got approval to operate in Zambia. Now, in over 35 countries, the company is steadily expanding its footprint across Africa.
Meanwhile, back home in Nigeria, the government has been nudging Flutterwave to list on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). If it happens, the fintech will be one of the biggest companies on the NGX.
South Africa is thinking about e-voting
South Africa could be gearing up for a major change in how people vote. The Electoral Commission (IEC) is considering electronic voting (e-voting), and a recent study shows that 79% of South Africans would be more likely to vote if it were an option.
Right now, the IEC is just testing the waters. Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo made it clear that nothing is set in stone yet, but the conversation is worth having. The big questions are whether the country’s digital infrastructure can handle it, how much it’ll cost, and whether voters are truly ready to ditch paper ballots.
Supporters say e-voting could mean shorter queues, faster results, and even cost savings in the long run. Plus, it could make voting more accessible for people with disabilities. But there are challenges too—cybersecurity risks, technical failures, and making sure every voter has fair access to the system.
Context: Some countries, such as Estonia, India, and Brazil, have tried e-voting with mixed success. Some made it work, while others returned to paper voting after encountering problems.
Suppose South Africa moves forward with its e-voting plan. In that case, it will join Egypt, which introduced e-voting and government service monitoring apps earlier this year to streamline elections and improve citizens’ accessibility and transparency.
Elon Musk blames Ukraine for cyberattack on X
X (formerly Twitter) went down on Monday, leaving users across Asia, Europe, and North America locked out. Over 40,000 people reported issues, and naturally, everyone started asking, What happened?
Elon Musk wasted no time pointing fingers. In a series of posts on X, he claimed the outage was a cyberattack and hinted that Ukraine was involved. “We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources,” he wrote. Later, in an interview with Fox News, he doubled down, saying the hackers had “IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area.”
But cybersecurity experts tell a different story. Check Point Research (CPR) says the attack was likely the work of The Dark Storm Team, a pro-Palestinian hacker group known for causing digital chaos. They specialise in DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, which flood websites with traffic until they crash. In fact, Monday’s attack was just one of at least three recent DDoS strikes on X.
This isn’t a one-off. The Dark Storm Team has been active for months, taking down everything from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Israel’s Haifa Port and even the UAE’s Ministry of Defence. And they’re not alone—other hacker groups have been busy too. RedJulliett, a group linked to China, has reportedly hacked Kenya’s finance ministry and even the president’s office. Meanwhile, Anonymous Sudan brought Kenya’s eCitizen platform to a standstill in retaliation for the country’s alleged interference in Sudanese affairs.
By the Numbers
7%
The global smartphone market rebounded in 2024, growing 7% to 1.22 billion units after two years of decline. While Apple and Samsung saw slight drops, Xiaomi jumped 15% to 168.6 million units, TRANSSION (maker of Infinix, Tecno, and Itel) broke into the top four with 106.7 million units, and OPPO grew 3% to 103.6 million units, according to new research by Canalys.