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‘Deep Pockets’ vs. ‘Long Pockets’ in DPI: What Instant Payments and Open Finance Tell Us About Sustainable Funding for Digital Public Infrastructure
Digital public infrastructure (DPI) is gaining traction in emerging markets around the world. But as David Porteous at Integral: Governance Solutions and Rafe Mazer at Fair Finance Consulting explain, while the financial cost of building DPI may be modest, operating it at scale requires ongoing costs to be allocated across the ecosystem over time, making DPI sustainability fundamentally a governance issue centered on pricing policies. They explore how two of the three broadly accepted categories of DPI, instant payment systems and open finance, can develop credible mechanisms to finance long-term costs — while maintaining incentives for participants and trust among users.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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South Africa’s Role in the Broader Conversation About AI in Government
The original draft was released in April 2026 for public comment and was intended to position South Africa as a continental leader in AI innovation while addressing ethical and economic concerns. It was withdrawn shortly after a News24 report exposed that several of its citations were fictitious, references to nonexistent sources and documents that could not be verified.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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inDrive Backs Aurora Ventures to Fund Emerging Market Female Tech Founders
Aurora Ventures is structured to capitalize on a persistent market inefficiency identified over five years of managing the Aurora Tech Award.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Indian Founders Flip Y Combinator’s $25,000 AI Tokens for Quick Bucks
A grey market for discounted AI credits has emerged following Y Combinator's Startup School in India. Attendees are selling free credits for AWS, Azure, and OpenAI at reduced prices, with some facing activation issues and restrictions. These messages are from founders, engineers and student builders.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Analysis: AI Is Killing the Cheap Smartphone
In 2026, the International Data Corporation, which tracks the smartphone market, predicted that worldwide smartphone shipments would fall 13 percent, their largest single-year decline ever.
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- Technology
- Region
- Global
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Nigerian AI Startup Talksign Launches Real-Time Sign Language Translation Models
Talksign said it plans to expand the models’ capabilities in upcoming versions, including support for additional sign languages such as British Sign Language, Deutsche Gebärdensprache, and Nigerian Sign Language.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Viewpoint: AI in Global Health Is a Familiar Story With an Uncertain Ending
Opinion: Without foundational investments in data systems, governance, and capacity, AI in global health risks becoming the latest promising innovation to fail in low- and middle-income countries.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- Global
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Mastercard and Banco Sol Strengthen Collaboration to Drive SME Growth in Angola
This collaboration strategically leverages Mastercard's dedication to fostering financial inclusion through innovative payment solutions and Banco Sol's commitment to strengthening small businesses in underserved communities.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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