Verto, a cross-border payments company, has launched new US-dollar business accounts aimed at simplifying banking for companies operating between the United States and Africa.

• The accounts offer a more stable way to receive, hold, and move funds for businesses working across multiple jurisdictions.
• Key person involved is Ola Oyetayo, CEO of Verto.
• This initiative addresses the challenge of African market-operating businesses struggling to maintain banking relationships, particularly those that are properly registered and investment-backed.

Truecaller has opened its Business Chat platform to channel partners globally, aiming to capture Africa's enterprise messaging market as an alternative to less trusted SMS.

• Truecaller, a Swedish caller identification company, is now allowing partners like Sling Africa to offer its verified messaging services to businesses.
• This move represents a strategic pivot for Truecaller, focusing on long-term growth after a shift away from an exclusive partnership model.
• The platform offers businesses verified, media-rich messages within the Truecaller app, reaching consumers on a platform they use daily, with verified identities and branding.

WhatsApp has begun a limited rollout of usernames for Android and iOS users, a significant privacy update that allows for communication without sharing phone numbers.

• Users can now create a unique handle for contact instead of their phone number.
• This feature is being tested with a small group of users by WhatsApp (owned by Meta).
• Usernames are restricted to lowercase letters, numbers, periods, and underscores, with a length of 3 to 35 characters.