• Rwandan entrepreneur Benoit Ngabonziza co-founded CityMoshi, a mobile platform launched in 2024 for discovering and organizing local events.
• The application targets tourism, hospitality and social networking through physical community experiences.
• Ngabonziza also leads consulting and cultural ventures focused on intellectual property, investment and African heritage promotion.

Ngabonziza co-founded CityMoshi and currently serves as the platform’s chief executive officer.

Founded in 2024, CityMoshi operates as a mobile application designed to help users discover, create and join physical events organized around them. The platform seeks to connect individuals through real-world experiences while supporting tourism, hospitality and social interaction at regional and international levels.

The application offers a broad range of tools for both users and event organizers. Individuals can search for cultural activities and social outings, while organizers can plan private or community gatherings, manage invitations and monitor participant feedback. In addition, CityMoshi includes a dedicated memory-storage feature that allows users to revisit and preserve past experiences.

Alongside his technology activities, Ngabonziza serves as managing partner at BeneDico Consult, a consulting firm specializing in intellectual property, trade and investment. He also founded Ikiringo Africa Culture Hub, a social enterprise focused on promoting the cultural heritage of sub-Saharan Africa.

Ngabonziza earned a master’s degree in international economics and intellectual property in 2014 from Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University. He later obtained a doctorate in international management in 2024 from Geneva Business School.

Ngabonziza started his professional career in 2015 at Rwanda’s Ministry of Youth and ICT, where he served as director of youth empowerment and program coordination. In 2017, he continued his work within the Ministry of Youth as director of youth economic empowerment. His expertise later led him toward international organizations.

In 2021, he became a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Between 2022 and 2023, he also worked in Rwanda as a national entrepreneurship expert for Expertise France.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum

• Tunisia Customs integrated an artificial intelligence module into its national customs selectivity system to improve fraud detection and cargo screening.
• The system uses machine learning algorithms to analyze customs data and identify high-risk transactions automatically.
• Tunisian authorities recorded nearly 4,000 customs cases in the first quarter of 2026, involving seized goods worth more than 51 million Tunisian dinars ($17.6 million).

Tunisia Customs has continued its digital transformation by integrating an artificial intelligence-based module into the country’s national customs selectivity system, as authorities seek to modernize border controls and improve trade processing efficiency.

The Directorate General of Customs announced the measure in a statement published on Saturday, May 16, following a meeting of the central customs risk management commission held in Tunis.

The new system relies on machine learning algorithms capable of processing large volumes of customs data to identify transactions that present elevated fraud risks automatically.

In practice, the platform analyzes several variables, including the nature of goods, their origin, declared value, import histories and the profiles of economic operators.

Through those predictive models, customs authorities aim to improve the accuracy of suspicious cargo targeting, reduce systematic manual inspections and accelerate the processing of compliant shipments.

The initiative comes as Tunisian authorities pursue a broader modernization of the customs chain to support foreign trade and improve administrative efficiency.

The Directorate General of Customs is also developing “Sinda 2,” a next-generation digital platform designed to connect the various government agencies involved in customs operations. Authorities expect the first phase of the project to enter service by the end of 2026.

At the same time, Tunisia has expanded international partnerships to accelerate customs digitalization efforts. In April, Tunisia Customs launched, in cooperation with South Korea, an integrated electronic system project aimed at further digitizing customs procedures and strengthening transparency in administrative exchanges with economic operators.

The modernization effort also reflects growing economic and security concerns. According to data released by Tunisia Customs, authorities registered nearly 4,000 customs-related cases during the first quarter of 2026. The value of seized goods exceeded 51 million Tunisian dinars ($17.6 million).

Authorities seized foreign currencies, gold, cartridges, clothing and smuggled goods during those operations. Through the integration of artificial intelligence, Tunisian authorities aim to improve customs risk management, reduce processing times and strengthen the country’s logistics competitiveness.

The initiative also reflects a broader trend across customs administrations, where automated analytics technologies increasingly serve as strategic tools to secure trade flows while facilitating legitimate commerce.

Samira Njoya

• Ugandan entrepreneur Hakiza Ronald co-founded Vestafi, a real estate co-acquisition platform launched in 2025.
• Vestafi allows members to pool capital to acquire apartments and receive shares of rental income.
• The platform operates through an invitation-only model designed to maintain network quality and investor selection standards.

Hakiza Ronald co-founded Vestafi in 2025 and currently serves as the company’s chief executive officer.

Vestafi operates through a private-circle model in which members pool financial resources to acquire residential properties and receive proportional shares of the rental income generated by those assets.

According to the company, several properties in its portfolio already operate commercially and distribute dividends to participants.

Vestafi adopted an invitation-only structure to preserve the quality of its network and investor base. The registration process remains relatively straightforward. Applicants submit membership requests, and Vestafi’s team manually reviews each profile before granting access.

Once the company validates a profile, members gain access to a private platform where they can review detailed apartment listings and freely select both investment assets and contribution amounts.

Hakiza Ronald also serves on the board of Golden Boots Uganda, an organization that develops community programs focused on healthcare, sports and professional integration. Before launching Vestafi, he co-founded UgaBus in 2016, a startup specializing in travel technology solutions. Hakiza Ronald graduated from Makerere University and started his professional career in 2010 as a project manager at Straight Talk Foundation, an organization specializing in communication for social change. From 2017 to 2025, he also served on the advisory committee of Mr. Gift Uganda, a last-mile flower delivery platform.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum