The 2Africa consortium, comprised of China Mobile International, Facebook, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, STC, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC, announced today the addition of a new segment to its subsea cable system – the 2Africa PEARLS branch – extending to the Arabian Gulf, Pakistan and into India. This extension will bring the total length of the…
An investment of about $280-billion will be needed for 35 cities across South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia to cope with the harmful effects of climate change by 2050, according to new research. A report released on Monday by the Coalition for Urban Transitions, which advises governments on economic development and climate change, says that Africa is…
A major new consumer and market insight report from multinational networking and telecommunications firm Ericsson titled Mobile Financial Services on the Rise reveals that nearly half of all consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa use mobile financial services in 2021 – a more-than three-fold increase in the last six years. The Mobile Financial Services on the Rise report also highlights the impact of…
WhatsApp is found to be working on expanding its multi-device feature to let users access the instant messaging app on multiple devices based on Android and iOS. At present, the feature works in beta as an opt-in offering designed for WhatsApp on the Web, desktop, and Facebook Portal. It allows users to access WhatsApp on…
LinkedIn earlier this month unveiled a new push around creators to bring more original content (and engagement) to its platform, but that’s not the only effort they are making to bring more activity to its networking site. TechCrunch has learned and confirmed that LinkedIn is also running a test around events — specifically, paid events. We were…
Mobile spyware is one of the most invasive and targeted kinds of unregulated surveillance, since it can be used to track where you go, who you see and what you talk about. And because of its stealthy nature, mobile spyware can be nearly impossible to detect. But now one Y Combinator-backed startup is building an app with the aim…
In the summer of 2019, Timilehin Ajiboye became intrigued with the idea of building a travel app after conversations with a circle of friends. One friend reached out to Ajiboye asking if he knew of any platform where she could find new, aesthetically pleasing places to dine in, visit and take pictures. And then, during a trip to Miami, he and…
Egyptian startup Sa3ar Technology Solutions, a platform that digitises auto-auctions deals, has been acquired by automotive marketplace Contactcars, a subsidiary of Contact Financial Holding. Founded by Adham Hosny and Hussein Hosny, Sa3ar Technology Solutions provides car valuation technology and a dealer-specific auction platform. The startup has just been acquired by Contactcars, Egypt’s leading automotive marketplace, in…
Moroccan e-heath startup DataPathology has raised MAD2 million (US$$223,000) to help it transform the pathological diagnosis system and improve services provided to practitioners and patients. Founded in 2020 by Hicham El Attar and Mohammed El Khannoussi, DataPathology fights shortage and delays of diagnosis of cancer patients in rural areas, providing healthcare practitioners with a complete solution to…
It appears that the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja are set to commence a regime of licensing ride-hailing drivers and ensuring compliance from October 1st, 2021. This follows a series of clampdowns targeted at operators in the city for about 3 months now and a subsequent outcry. This is according to documents and materials…
Zoom has added a new feature called ‘stop incoming video’ that allows users to block video feeds of other participants in a meeting. With the latest feature, Zoom users in a meeting can easily disable all incoming videos. If you are using a restricted connection, this feature will help preserve bandwidth for shared content. Zoom has…
Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, has published research, “Phishing and Malware Actors Abuse Google Forms for Credentials, Data Exfiltration,” describing how cyber attackers – from entry-level scammers to advanced adversaries – abuse Google Forms to implement a wide range of attacks, targeting both organizations and individuals. “The extent to which cyberattackers abuse Google Forms…
The lifeline of every business is enmeshed in the number and interactions of stakeholders as well as their activities in relation to the business. These stakeholders include the suppliers of the raw materials needed for the business to manufacture its offerings, the employees or human resources who engage in the production and the customers who are the end…
Foremost ICT infrastructure and systems integrator in Sub-Saharan Africa, Inlaks Africa, last Friday announced the appointment of Kyari Abba Bukar as the new MD/CEO, Africa Operations. Inlaks specialises in the deployment of dynamic and highly scalable ICT Infrastructure solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. In his role, Bukar oversees Inlaks’ operations spanning Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, and other African countries managing the…
YouTube is currently testing an official way to download videos on your desktop web browser saving you the hassle (and danger) of having to install sketchy 3rd party mods and having to go through 3rd party websites just to download your favourite songs. Users who want to see if they are eligible to be part…
Cryptocurrency became a mainstream term when Bitcoin exploded in the early twenty-tens, a term that continues to gain relevance as more and more virtual currencies seem to be popping up in recent years, steadily racing towards a fever pitch. There were around 5800 different types of cryptocurrencies recorded around the world in August of this…
Input Output has launched a six million dollars (USD) blockchain fund in Africa, to invest in the most innovative blockchain projects, who are building on Cardano in Africa. The fund focuses on blockchain technology because the lack of deeply embedded legacy infrastructure means that African governments and businesses have fewer obstacles to adopting next-generation technology than the…
Absa, one of South Africa’s largest banks and a pan-African lender, has officially launched facial recognition technology in its Android and iOS apps, which some users will need to utilize to authenticate certain transactions through facial scans. “Technology is leaping ahead faster than ever, and it’s up to us to ensure that you stay right…
Facebook recently announced its highly anticipated wearable sunglasses that can record video from a user’s perspective. Despite many of our legitimately squeamish reactions to this new product, one of Facebook’s decisions in this launch is likely to make it a success where Google Glass failed. Taking a page from the business school curriculum, Facebook leveraged an effectual approach to…
When it comes to gender equality in the business world, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg hit the nail on the head: “Knowing that things could be worse should not stop us from trying to make them better.” While access to opportunities, funding and support has improved for women in the startup space over the last couple of decades,…
Thirty-one African tech startups have been selected to take part in the Smart Cities Innovation Programme, which will help them scale up their products and services to boost urban transformation. Launched by the Rwandan Ministry of ICT and Innovation and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fu?r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the six-month Smart Cities Innovation Programme is designed to help…
Nigerian startup NucleusIS is building the technology to deepen insurance adoption, drive access to healthcare and improve health outcomes. Founded in 2019, NucleusIS has built a robust enterprise technology base for health insurance companies and care providers, which has so far on-boarded seven clients. The startup is also leveraging this technology to distribute health insurance via distribution …
When it comes to online calendars and calendar apps, services like Google Calendar and Outlook from Microsoft rule the roost with hundreds of millions of users globally. Now another company is hoping to ruffle some feathers with its own move into the space. TechCrunch has learned and confirmed that Yahoo is working Day, a new standalone…
Dopay, the B2B2C payments platform serving 1.7bn unbanked workers in emerging markets, has closed a US$ 18 million Series A funding round. Dopay meets a strong and growing demand from businesses for cashless payroll and from employees for access to digital banking and electronic payments. Worldwide, an estimated 200 million businesses still rely on cash…
MTN’s new deal with payments technology firm, Flutterwave is set to deliver cash to mobile wallets of more Africans via MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) with the planned expansion in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. This digital move is primed to plug millions of unbanked people in those countries into mainstream financial services and prop up businesses especially…
Nigerian startup Infibranches Technologies, which helps solar energy providers manage their operations and receive payments, has secured US$2 million funding from All On, an impact investment company backed by oil major Shell. Founded in 2019, the Lagos-based Infibranches has developed two flagship products – OmniBranches and Green Energy Plug – that help companies with large distribution networks,…
Ed-tech startup eLearn Africa has partnered the Association of African Universities (AAU) to design, build and deploy learning management systems across the continent, giving university students access to free online courses. Launched in 2016, eLearnAfrica is an online marketplace for education that aims to simplify the process of finding and enrolling for online courses, degrees and professional…
Developing an innovation process can boost the long-term value of a company. Businesses are more than ever realizing the importance of the innovation process. The creation of an imaginative idea or even the alteration of an existing idea to create a modified solution is both examples of innovation. The value of innovation to a company’s long-term…
Mastercard has announced the creation of a new Sustainability Innovation Lab, which will lead the company’s continued development of environmentally sensitive digital products and solutions. As the global economy quickly digitizes, the Lab will focus on methods to empower businesses and consumers to revolutionize how they produce, distribute, and purchase products and services, guaranteeing that both people…
KFC South Africa has launched its very own in-house delivery service – KFC Delivery PLUS, enabling consumers to place their orders via the KFC mobile app or website. To get the service off to a running start, KFC is also offering free delivery until the end of the year. People wanting to get KFC delivered…