Yango Ventures launches to back African startups with $20M fund

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Victoria from Techpoint here,

Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

Yango Ventures launches to back African startups with $20M fund
Social media’s impact on teenagers
NDPC investigates TikTok and Truecaller

Yango Ventures launches to back African startups with $20M fund

Yango Group, a tech company, has launched Yango Ventures, a corporate venture fund aimed at helping promising startups across sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and other fast-growing regions.

The goal? To provide funding, mentorship, and access to Yango’s vast network so startups can scale and create real impact in their communities. In Zambia, Yango Ventures plans to boost local innovation and entrepreneurship, giving startups the tools they need to succeed.

According to Daniil Shuleyko, CEO of Yango Group, this isn’t just about investing, it’s about building an ecosystem where startups can thrive.

The fund starts with $20 million, focusing on early-stage startups (seed to Series B) in O2O (online-to-offline), B2B SaaS, and fintech. But this is just the beginning. Yango Ventures is designed to scale alongside the startup ecosystem, with plans to increase its capital base in the future. The goal is to back tech-driven solutions that accelerate digitalisation and economic development across Africa.

The fund is backed by a team of experts with a track record of building and scaling products in mobility, entertainment, fintech, AI, and more. Kabanda Chewe, Yango Zambia’s Country Head, highlighted Zambia’s huge entrepreneurial potential and Yango’s commitment to being more than just an investor.

Beyond funding, Yango Ventures is all about hands-on support. The company plans to run networking events, mentorship programs, and collaborations with educational institutions to equip future entrepreneurs with practical skills. Initiatives like Yango Education, Yango Fellowship, and urban mobility hackathons will give startups more than just capital; they’ll get the right guidance to grow.

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At its core, Yango Ventures is a global initiative with a local focus. By combining cutting-edge technology, business expertise, and deep community engagement, Yango is setting the stage for a new wave of tech-driven innovation and economic growth across Africa and beyond.

Social media’s impact on teenagers

Ever seen a teenager without a phone? Neither have I. A new study from two Kenyan universities found that African teens spend over 5 hours daily on social media. With 85% owning a phone and 80% actively using social platforms, it’s no surprise that apps like TikTok and Snapchat have them hooked. These platforms are designed to keep users scrolling, which is messing with their focus, sleep, and even their grades.

Social media isn’t just a distraction, it’s changing how teenagers think and behave. The never-ending feed of short videos trains their brains for instant gratification, making it harder to concentrate on tasks that require patience. Research from the University of Delaware even links excessive social media use to lower academic engagement and poor performance.

But that’s not all. Social media exposes teens to cyberbullying, stalking, peer pressure, and harmful content. In 2022, a 13-year-old Egyptian boy was left quadriplegic after attempting a dangerous TikTok challenge. Incidents like this have sparked debates on whether some platforms should be banned altogether.

The impact isn’t just digital; it affects relationships too. Many parents feel disconnected from their kids, like Femi’s mum, who occasionally confiscates their phones just to get them to talk. “Even when they’re in the same room, it’s like they’re not there,” she says. But the irony? Many parents are just as glued to their screens.

With concerns growing, social media platforms are under pressure to do more. Some have introduced features like screen time limits and content warnings, but are they enough? The reality is, tech companies gain from keeping users hooked, so real change will take more than just a few app updates. But what are platforms doing about this? Find out in Delight’s latest story.

NDPC investigates TikTok and Truecaller

Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission (NDPC) is investigating TikTok and Truecaller over alleged data privacy breaches. The agency, which enforces the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), wants to see if these companies are playing by the rules.

The NDPC’s boss, Vincent Olatunji, made this known during a press conference in Abuja, saying they’re closely examining how platforms handle user data.

Olatunji explained that while data privacy compliance in Nigeria was initially low — only 4% of organisations followed the rules — that number has now jumped to over 55%, thanks to tighter enforcement and engagement with stakeholders.

But rather than slamming companies with fines straight away, the NDPC prefers a remediation approach, where companies get a chance to fix their lapses before facing tougher penalties.

If TikTok and Truecaller are found guilty of data breaches, they’ll be given corrective steps to follow and will be monitored for six months to a year to ensure compliance. However, if they don’t cooperate, the NDPC won’t hesitate to take stronger action. It’s all part of Nigeria’s evolving digital policy, ensuring global tech companies respect local data laws.

At the same press conference, the NDPC introduced the Nigeria Data Protection Act-General Application and Implementation Directive (NDP Act-GAID). This guideline lays out exactly how data controllers and processors should operate under the law. It covers key areas like data subjects’ rights, lawful data processing, and cross-border data transfers, helping businesses stay compliant.

A major highlight of the directive is the Standard Notice to Address Grievance (SNAG), a tool that allows Nigerians to demand action from companies handling their data without needing to go through the NDPC first. With over 230 million Nigerians, this move puts power directly in the hands of citizens, letting them push for their data rights instead of waiting for regulators to step in.

The full implementation of this directive kicks off in September 2025, with a six-month transition period for companies to adjust. Meanwhile, all fee-related provisions will take effect from January 2026. The NDPC has promised to keep providing guidance and capacity-building programmes to help organisations and the public understand data protection laws better.

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Have a fun weekend!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.

Yango Ventures launches to back African startups with $20M fund