17th November 2021: In February 2022, Saudi Arabia will host the largest technology event ever launched, LEAP, bringing together the global technology community under one roof to tackle the world’s most pressing socio-cultural challenges. LEAP, which will take place in Riyadh from the 1st to the 3rd of February 2022, is set to become a…
According to Cellulant, the growth seen in Kenya is reflective of the payments landscape in the rest of Africa, with a noticeable shift in consumer behavior. As more consumers prefer digital platforms as their primary payment method, digital payments have evolved from a nice-to-have for businesses to a requirement. According to Faith Nkatha, Cellulant’s Kenyan…
The doors to the exhibition halls of Gallery B57 are open a few streets away from Eko Atlantic City, revealing a black and white portrait of Instagram Influencer, Sanchan. During the global lockdown last year, Ade Adekola, a Nigerian-born international visual artist, put out an open call on Instagram for people interested in having their…
Did you know that your company’s data privacy practices can be a differentiator in the marketplace? Typically, competitive differentiators revolve around the level of service you provide, the quality of your products, or even the price point for your solutions. However, regardless of industry, if you participate in the personal data ecosystem, how you handle…
It’s a Silicon Cape to Cairo, as Egypt’s rapidly growing startup population and ability to attract growth capital sees the north African country take its place in a north-south, east-west startup “axis.” Egypt’s arrival also introduces new competition to the more well-known startup ecosystems of Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. Egypt has appeared out of…
Evolve Credit, a Nigerian lending marketplace, has launched Configure, a new cloud lending software that it claims will power thousands of new loan providers over the next five years. The Evolve Credit marketplace connects lenders and borrowers in one location, making comparison easier. Just over a year ago, the startup raised pre-seed funding and has…
Traka, the global leader in intelligent key and equipment management solutions, today opened its first Experience Centres in Brisbane, Australia, and Johannesburg, South Africa, within the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APACMEA) division. The Centres will provide an environment for Traka employees, technology partners, and end-users to immerse, educate, empower, and innovate through industry…
Black Friday sales are a fantastic experience for both shoppers and retailers. Shoppers receive massive discounts on products, while retailers smile from ear to ear as a result of massive sales. According to an online poll, the average customer is prepared to spend N62,250 during this year’s Black Friday sales. This is approximately 58 percent…
Telegram has announced the introduction of Sponsored Messages on its platform, a tool that will allow anyone to promote their channels and bots. Sponsored Messages will be visible in Telegram public channels with over a thousand subscribers. It will also be limited to 160 characters. The feature is currently in testing mode. The app will…
With the holiday season quickly approaching, South Africans and consumers worldwide may find fewer gift options on store shelves as a result of product shortages and delays caused by pandemic-related closures of ports and factories. According to a new global Oracle retail consumer research study, more shoppers are concerned that supply chain and delivery delays…
A group of state attorneys general is investigating Instagram and its effects on children and young adults, alleging that its parent company Facebook — now known as Meta Platforms — ignored internal research about the physical and mental health risks it posed to young people. A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky,…
Career 180, a Cairo-based ed-tech platform, has raised US$200,000 from EdVentures to expand its services and user reach. Career180, which was founded in 2016, assists young people in developing their skills for the labor market through counseling services, workshops, and theoretical or practical training programs in a variety of specialties. The startup, which provides career…
“Something good is a frontier; something better is also a frontier and something excellent is just another frontier! You can always go beyond these frontiers! And so what is excellent? Just a frontier!” — Mehmet Murat ildan “There exist limitless opportunities in every industry. Where there is an open mind, there will always be a…
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a $150 million facility for ETC Group Limited to address the company’s working capital needs and to develop its agriculture value chain, which will benefit smallholder farmers. The AfDB stated that the investment would take the form of a trade and agri-finance package, including a $75 million…
MTN Group announced today that it is ceasing operations in Yemen, in the Middle East. The company has been steadily withdrawing from its Middle Eastern operations, having left Syria in August due to “intolerable” operating conditions. MTN is also in talks to sell its operations in Afghanistan. MTN’s exit from Yemen, according to the company,…
Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that Apple is pushing to launch its electric car as early as 2025 and refocusing the project on full self-driving capabilities, citing people familiar with the matter. Following the report, the iPhone maker’s stock rose nearly 3% to a new high. According to the report, Apple’s ideal car would lack…
Google Meet has introduced new immersive backgrounds and styles, allowing Web users to change their backgrounds while on a video call. The platform has introduced two new animated backdrops, Cafe and Condo, to help users represent their current time zone and climate. Both interiors will have multiple iterations, including rain, sun, and snow, as well…
Mobile FinTech Tingo has announced its collaboration with the decentralized cloud computing network Cudos to tackle the poverty premium through mobile monetization applications which will lead to the empowerment of over 9 million Nigerians, enabling them to earn an income from their smartphones. The significance of this collaboration extends to the whole industry as Cudos…
Facebook announced on Thursday that it is conducting a test that will give users a smidgeon more control over what they see on the platform. The test will be available for English-speaking users on Facebook’s app. It incorporates three sub-menus into Facebook’s menu for controlling what appears in the News Feed: friends and family, groups…
Millions of small businesses around the world have operated offline over the past decade, especially in emerging markets. As a result, most of them still rely on pens that use pen and paper or a list to store and store important information. In Nigeria, some people keep information on their head. All of these failures,…
Cellulant, a leading Pan-African payments firm, has teamed with Lake Harvest, one of Zambia’s leading fish distributors, to enable mobile payments using the Tingg one-stop digital payment platform in all of their shops. Lake Harvest has prioritized taking all types of mobile money to provide their consumers with a seamless payment experience as consumer shopping…
Egyptian fintech start-up KIWE has been working on venture capital strategies to support key investments to drive growth. Founded in March 2021 by Fatma Khalifa, Omar Kamel and Mohamed Khalifa, KIWE is a peer-to-peer currency exchange app that allows users to transfer money between themselves at a time. The startup said in a statement that…
Grammarly, the popular editing tool for writing beginners, has raised $ 200 million out of $ 13 billion from new investors, including funds and financings from Baillie Gifford and BlackRock. The company plans to use the capital to drive product innovation and team development. “I think this funding is a good testament to the strength…
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is taking a decisive regulatory move to ensure sustainability, profitability and fair competition in the Special Numbering Service (SNS) segment of the nation’s telecommunications sector. This move informed the decision of the Commission to hold a Stakeholders’ Forum on the ‘Determination of Call Termination Rate for Special Numbering Service Providers in Nigeria. ‘ The…
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Accelerator Labs and AfriLabs announced their partnership and the way forward with live and virtual events hosted by AfriLabs as part of Unified Outreach 2021. Year on October 29, 2021. AfriLabs Executive Director Anna Ekeledo and UNDP Nigeria Accelerator Lab Focal Point Senior Advisor William Tsuma attend a private…
Telecom26 today announced that longtime end users of SystemOne have chosen it to provide connectivity to new clinics across Angola and Nigeria. The two companies have previously worked together in Ghana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and SystemOne has used the Telecom26 network to test more than 1.3 million blood samples for tuberculosis, HIV and COVID. These…
Instagram Badges has now officially started rolling out. The feature allows creators to earn money from their followers. Badges allow users to show support for creators during a Live video on the platform. Starting Wednesday, users aged 18 and above with more than 10,000 followers in select regions will be able to use Instagram Badges. Once…
Ozow, the South African payment gateway, raised $ 48 million in a Series B funding round to expand the availability of payment solutions. The financial environment has been led by Chinese internet giant Tencent and includes other investors such as Endeavor Catalyst and Endeavor Harvest Fund. Tencent, a major investor, donated $ 20 million, accounting…
Four African blockchain startups have been selected to participate in the CV Labs global incubation program run by venture capital firm CV VC, securing $ 125,000 in funding and additional support. CV VC, based in Switzerland, funds the seed and incubation program, CV Labs, for its global technology team in exchange for a stake. The…
Nigerian tech-enabled mobility startup Shuttlers has raised a US$1.6 million seed round and shared plans to scale operations across cities in Africa. Founded in 2016 by Damilola Olokesusi, Shuttlers allows commuters to move in comfort along selected routes at affordable rates, with trips along fixed routes going for up to 80 per cent lower than other ride-hailing…