🚚💼 TechCabal Daily: How Logidoo is Revolutionizing the Haul Business!

Senegalese logistics innovator Logidoo has secured a controlling interest in Kamtar, a road freight company based in Côte d’Ivoire. Both firms have opted not to reveal the financial terms of the transaction.

Strategic insight: This acquisition signals Logidoo’s intent to merge digital freight solutions with tangible transport assets, enhancing its footprint and operational capacity across West Africa’s burgeoning logistics market.

What it means: While Logidoo’s platform efficiently connects shippers with carriers, it relies on third-party trucking firms for actual deliveries. By integrating Kamtar’s fleet and driver network, Logidoo gains direct control over logistics execution, reducing intermediaries and improving service reliability.

Impact on scale: This move expands Logidoo’s vehicle availability and regional coverage, positioning it to attract larger clients seeking end-to-end logistics management, transforming the company from a digital facilitator into a full-service logistics powerhouse.

Investor highlight: Saviu Ventures, which launched a $26 million fund earlier this year to support startups in Francophone Africa, successfully exited by selling its stake to Logidoo, demonstrating the maturation of its portfolio companies into acquisition targets.

Broader perspective: Logistics, traditionally a challenging sector, is emerging as a vibrant industry in Francophone Africa, driven by increased trade, e-commerce growth, and cross-border demand. This trend is attracting global investor attention.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), a 21-member trade bloc including Kenya and Egypt, has unveiled a Digital Retail Payments Platform aimed at facilitating cross-border transactions in local currencies, reducing dependence on the US dollar.

Limited details: COMESA has yet to disclose its technology partners, only mentioning two digital financial service providers and a foreign exchange firm. The platform is currently undergoing trials between Malawi and Zambia, with plans for broader regional rollout.

Existing solutions: This initiative complements the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which already enables local currency cross-border payments and recently introduced a foreign exchange marketplace to enhance liquidity.

Why it matters: Intra-COMESA trade remains under 10% of total trade, hindered by currency conversion fees, limited financial integration, and reliance on the US dollar for settlements.

Expected benefits: The new platform aims to reduce transaction costs to under 3%, down from the current average of 8%, potentially accelerating trade and lowering fees for SMEs that dominate regional commerce.

Looking ahead: If successful, this pilot could unlock significant liquidity for COMESA’s 640 million residents and demonstrate the viability of local currencies in regional trade corridors.

South Africa’s Absa Bank has announced plans to become a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), leasing network infrastructure from established mobile operators like MTN or Vodacom and offering services under its own brand.

Why would a financial institution enter the telecom space?

Firstly, banks aim to embed themselves deeper into customers’ daily digital lives, which increasingly revolve around mobile devices. Secondly, mobile networks generate valuable data on user behavior, enabling banks to refine financial products and cross-selling strategies. Controlling the SIM card means gaining richer insights.

Being a late entrant might be advantageous: Although Absa trails behind competitors like Capitec, FNB, Standard Bank, and Nedbank, CEO Nick Nkosi believes the market is now more receptive. South African consumers are familiar with banking-branded mobile services and eager for affordable data plans and user-friendly bundles. With the right offerings-such as family plans and app-based management-Absa could turn its timing into a strategic edge.

Challenges ahead: MVNOs operate on thin margins and require seamless coordination with network providers. Any service disruptions or lackluster offerings could drive customers back to established players like Capitec Connect.

Success would mean embedding mobile connectivity at the heart of Absa’s ecosystem, making payments, loans, and savings accessible with a single tap. The ultimate goal is not just airtime sales but capturing customer attention.

Uber’s dominance in South Africa is waning amid growing dissatisfaction from passengers, drivers, and regulatory bodies.

Customer grievances: In cities like Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Cape Town, users report frequent trip cancellations, inflated fares, unsafe driving, and lost packages, signaling a decline in service quality.

Regulatory clampdown: New transport regulations require e-hailing drivers to possess valid operating licenses, vehicles to display clear branding, and installation of panic buttons. Non-compliance could result in fines up to R100,000 ($5,714) or imprisonment. However, gig workers argue these rules are impractical.

Uber now faces a critical juncture. Its decade-long success built on convenience and scale is challenged by the need to comply and regain trust. Competitors like Bolt, inDrive, and local startups such as Wanatu are poised to capitalize on Uber’s struggles by adhering to new regulations.

Coin Name	Current Value	Day	Month
Bitcoin	$114,660	– 0.04%	– 1.06%
Ether	$4,349	+ 2.21%	– 0.83%
APX	$1.35	– 3.95%	+ 1704.67%
Solana	$220.94	+ 3.37%	– 0.94%

* Data accurate as of 06:40 AM WAT, October 13, 2025.

Written by: Emmanuel Nwosu and Opeyemi Kareem

Edited by: Emmanuel Nwosu & Ganiu Oloruntade