Other notable stories July 2026

Togo’s drone deal opens a hardware innovation pathway

Togo moved to build a domestic drone industry through a US$27.3 million partnership with Poland, supported by Cyber Defence Africa. The project aimed to develop local design, assembly and deployment capabilities across agriculture, logistics, industry and critical infrastructure monitoring. Beyond its technology value, the deal raised important commercial considerations around technology transfer, public procurement, cybersecurity safeguards and ownership of drone-related IP.

Kenya and Mauritius strengthen cybersecurity trust layers

Cyber resilience gained a stronger regulatory footing in the second quarter as Kenya approved a National Cybersecurity Agency to coordinate protection of critical digital infrastructure, incident response, resilience audits and sector-specific cyber units. Mauritius also advanced critical information infrastructure cybersecurity regulations, giving designated operators 12 months to comply. These developments demonstrate that digital trust is becoming a formal compliance issue for organisations scaling fintech, cloud and public platforms.

Kenya tests copyright limits for AI-generated works

In July, Kenya’s Copyright Tribunal ruled that machine-produced works could not attract copyright protection or be registered as original creations. The tribunal found that AI-assisted works may still qualify where sufficient human intervention and originality can be proven. The ruling reinforces the need for clear authorship records, commissioning terms and IP ownership clauses when generative AI is used in content creation, software development, marketing or design.

Closing note

As Africa’s mobile technologies and fintech landscape moves from adoption to architecture, the commercial opportunity is increasingly shaped by regulation, infrastructure and trusted partnerships. Adams & Adams supports clients navigating this complex environment through market entry strategy, regulatory compliance, IP protection, technology contracting, fintech structuring and cross-border expansion across African jurisdictions.