“I was the kid who learned coding in school, only to abandon it for writing stories about people who were building businesses by writing code.” Rest of World reporter @tarykuh.bsky.social tries vibe coding to see what all the fuss is about: restofworld.org/2025/vibe-co...

If you speak to an AI bot in an African language, it will most likely not understand you. If it does manage to muster a response, it will be rife with errors. A new project from Google is trying to help fix the problem, while making a move toward digital sovereignty. New from @tarykuh.bsky.social

“If you build a product where 90% of a key component is controlled by one country, you’re not very comfortable.” EV makers struggle to break free from China’s stranglehold on rare earths https://restofworld.org/2026/chinas-rare-earth-dominance-is-hard-for-ev-makers-to-escape/

Nearly a year after Bhutan launched a nationwide crypto payment system for tourists, merchants say hardly anyone is using it — raising questions about who the experiment really serves https://restofworld.org/2026/bhutan-bitcoin-tourism-payment-adoption-failure/

Kenya’s unemployment crisis has allowed Chinese AI companies to tap into a workforce of young people willing to label thousands of videos for around $6 a day, report @tarykuh.bsky.social and Tessie Waithira for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/kenya-c...

Great read from @tarykuh.bsky.social and @restofworld.org: "These satellite dishes .... symbolize a technological coup in Africa’s most populous nation." restofworld.org/2025/starlin...

Facing a penalty for data breaches, Meta is threatening to pull WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram from Nigeria New from @tarykuh.bsky.social: restofworld.org/2025/meta-ni...

Transsion built a smartphone empire in Africa. Now it wants to do the same with EVs. Read @tarykuh.bsky.social's reporting from Lagos for @restofworld.org — restofworld.org/2025/transsi...

A breach of 16 billion login credentials is putting Facebook and Google users at risk. The impact will hit hardest in countries with fast-growing digital economies and limited cybersecurity protections, reports @tarykuh.bsky.social for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/google-...

Why Big Tech is threatened by a global push for data sovereignty By @tarykuh.bsky.social restofworld.org/2025/big-tec...

Developing countries are pushing back on Big Tech’s control of user data. The countries want tech giants to store their citizens’ data locally instead of overseas, to reclaim digital sovereignty and have more control, reports @tarykuh.bsky.social for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/big-tec...

Nigeria is spending big on a program to train 3 million tech workers by 2027, part of an effort to become an outsourcing hotspot. But as AI takes over more coding and call center tasks, will the demand still be there? New from @tarykuh.bsky.social & Stephanie Wangari restofworld.org/2025/nigeria...

U.S. tech giants are spending big on “AI for good” in Africa. But Africa could become a testing ground for AI models and a vast source of data collection in the U.S.-China tech rivalry, eroding local control, local experts warn. @tarykuh.bsky.social @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/africa-...

Google, Meta, and Microsoft are investing in “AI for good” tools to tackle problems like wildfires, hunger, and maternity deaths in Africa. But some experts say such projects could exploit the continent for data and erode local control. New from @tarykuh.bsky.social

Rest of World’s @tarykuh.bsky.social spoke to Jumia CEO Francis Dufay about how the African e-commerce company restructured its business to withstand competition from Chinese companies, while seizing opportunities from the U.S.-China trade war. Read the Q&A: restofworld.org/2025/jumia-t...

What you need to know about Africa’s first AI factory New from @tarykuh.bsky.social restofworld.org/2025/nvidia-...

Tesla is finally set to debut in Saudi Arabia, years after a dramatic fallout between Riyadh and Elon Musk New from @tarykuh.bsky.social: restofworld.org/2025/tesla-s...

In the sprawling electronic market of Lagos’ Computer Village, one item is flying off the shelves: Elon Musk's Starlink kit. People are desperate for reliable, high-speed internet, which local providers have failed to deliver New from @tarykuh.bsky.social restofworld.org/2025/starlin...

Starlink is on track to become the top internet service provider in Nigeria, the continent's largest internet market. Read @tarykuh.bsky.social report on the success of the satellite internet company @restofworld.org . restofworld.org/2025/starlin...

a zimbabwean billionaire, who made his fortune from telecoms, is venturing into his most ambitious project yet. in partnership with nvidia, one of his companies is giving africa its first AI factory. here’s what you need to know about what this means.👇🏿👇🏿

I met with Mudassir Sheikha, the CEO and co-founder of Careem, to talk about why it’s an exciting time to be a tech company in the Middle East, what Western companies get wrong in emerging markets, and how he plans to turn Careem into "everyone’s digital butler." restofworld.org/2025/careem-...

How a Japanese entrepreneur built Ethiopia’s fastest-growing EV maker restofworld.org/2025/dodai-e... — by @tarykuh.bsky.social

Mastercard Foundation’s big withdrawal from Africa’s top VC firm leaves a gap in support for early-stage startups, as Africa’s tech funding has been declining since 2022. Read the latest from @tarykuh.bsky.social: restofworld.org/2025/masterc...

At @restofworld.org, we've regularly written about how three-wheelers are leading the EV revolution in emerging markets. Today's story is from Pakistan, where the country's top rickshaw maker is pioneering e-rickshaws, hoping to make them a mainstream option. restofworld.org/2025/sazgar-...

Teens across Asia are migrating to Taiwan in hopes of finding semiconductor jobs Hsiuwen Liu's reporting from Taipei — restofworld.org/2025/taiwan-...

Syria’s economy is in a state of turmoil. But the country just hosted its first tech conference, which it put together in less than a month. The aim? To help create 25,000 new jobs in Syria's tech sector over the next five years, reports Danny Makki @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/syria-i...

They’re supposed to be students, but they’re working long hours for low wages in Taiwan’s semiconductor factories: “The time spent in school is very, very little — in some cases, just one day or less. What’s the reality? Most of their time is spent working.” restofworld.org/2025/taiwan-...

in rural kenya, where safaricom services are either too expensive or unreliable, starlink is becoming a choice internet provider for households. @khadijaalam.bsky.social and i reported on how starlink cost less than local isps in some african countries. restofworld.org/2025/starlin...

Elon Musk's Starlink is now cheaper than the leading internet provider in some African countries Reporting by @khadijaalam.bsky.social & @tarykuh.bsky.social restofworld.org/2025/starlin...

Kenyan ride-hailing service Little knew it could not beat Uber and Bolt at offering discounts, so it found an alternative: corporate transport. Little now has over 5,000 corporate clients — more than Uber and Bolt combined. @tarykuh.bsky.social reporting from Nairobi restofworld.org/2025/uber-bo...

Kenya's Little is emerging as a strong contender to Uber and Bolt, which currently dominate the country's ride-hailing market, with a focus on corporate transport. Read from @tarykuh.bsky.social reporting for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/uber-bo...

for my first story of the year for @restofworld.org, i looked at the growth of kenyan ride-hailing company and super-app hopeful little app, and how it's thriving in the face of deep pockets competitors like uber and bolt. restofworld.org/2025/uber-bo...

Thrilled to share that Kate Bubacz from WSJ is joining @restofworld.org as our new Head of Visuals. Follow her if you don't yet! restofworld.org/inside/kate-...

China’s elite AI workers are at a crossroads: Come to the U.S. to work at a top tech company, or stay in China due to visa uncertainties and other hindrances

to add to to this: I want journalists to know there are countless “content creators” using your reporting, misrepresenting it, erasing your existence & profiting from it. i found this podcast that literally PHOTOSHOPPED MY NAME OUT of my own fucking story. are we going to take this shit lying down?

Matchmaking, praying, celebrity engagement, marriage counseling, coordinating blood donations, teaching, banking, running business — our new feature explores some of the most vital and surprising ways the world uses WhatsApp restofworld.org/2024/how-wha...

When emergency strikes, the world opens WhatsApp. Read our new feature on how WhatsApp has transformed communication in conflict and disaster areas like Syria, Palestine, and Afghanistan. restofworld.org/2024/whatsap...

With Uber Shuttle, Uber is re-inventing the bus for South Asia restofworld.org/2024/uber-sh...

In 2024, tech pushed people to start businesses, take on new majors, and move across the Pacific to seek better job prospects. By @tarykuh.bsky.social, @violazhou.bsky.social and Lam Le. restofworld.org/2024/tech-trends-global-change-2024

yesterday, german global perspectives initiative invited me to come yap about digital infrastructure and data sovereignty (the complexity of africa owing and banking its data on the continent while working with international partners).

The US isn't the only country with China tariff fever. Great breakdown from @restofworld.org on how governments around the world are fending off the Chinese tech behemoth

Call center workers say AI tools are monitoring their calls, assisting with customers, and scoring their performance. “AI is supposed to make our lives easier, but I just see it as my boss” restofworld.org/2024/ai-resh...

As China tightens up its grip on online speech, online communities banned from the Chinese internet have found a refuge on Reddit https://restofworld.org/2023/reddit-china-online-communities/