Rwanda-based electric motorcycle company Ampersand has secured a US$9 million loan facility from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to expand its operations in Rwanda and Kenya. Launched commercially in May 2019, Ampersand assembles and finances electric motorcycles that cost less to buy and operate, and perform better than the five million petrol motorcycle taxis in…
The Federal Government has approved the extension of the deadline for National Identity Number (NIN)-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data verification to “the end of the year 2021”. This is according to a recent statement by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) . This is coming just 3 months after the last extension and barely a day to the expiration of…
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has raised significant concerns about a plan to use spectrum for 5G wireless networks on aviation safety and is planning to issue a formal warning about the issue, according to sources and a letter seen by Reuters. The aviation industry has voiced alarm about the plan to use C-Band spectrum…
KnowBe4, the provider of one of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, has announced the results of its Q3 top-clicked phishing report. “Social engineering attacks continue to be one of the top ways malicious hackers breach organizations and/or cause damage,” said Stu Sjouwerman, CEO, KnowBe4. “We are seeing a continued increase…
Generation Z is rapidly stepping onto the world stage. They are graduating from high school, entering the workforce, and studying at tertiary education institutions. Referred to as digital natives, this generation grew up with technology and has no knowledge of life without it. They are globally connected, incredibly mobile, entrepreneurial, and crave autonomy – especially…
Kaspersky, with the support of the DiploFoundation (a non-profit educational foundation), has developed an online simulation game to help diplomats and other cyber-professionals without a technical background understanding what’s happening during a cyberattack and developing an effective response to it at the international level. When ensuring cyber-stability, it is necessary to have a solid understanding of how…
KongaPay, a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-licensed fintech platform, is on course to grow its active subscriber base to over three million by 2022, data released by the company has shown. The mobile money platform, the leading provider of digital services for e-commerce shoppers in Nigeria, is one of the thriving subsidiaries within the Konga…
More tech entrepreneurs and innovators every day are throwing their weight behind cryptocurrency. Steve Wozniak, a computer scientist and programmer, who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs, has endorsed cryptocurrency, saying crypto has “an awful lot of promise” through blockchain technology. He also said that Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, is “just mathematically…
Apple lost its crown as the world’s most valuable public company to Microsoft on Friday, as the iPhone maker’s shares fell about 2 percent. Apple took a $6 billion hit to its sales during the fiscal fourth quarter due to persistent global supply chain problems, leading to a miss on Wall Street expectations. Top boss Tim…
Facebook’s rebranding as Meta has been followed up with the acquisition of Within, the company behind VR workout service Supernatural. As per The Verge, Meta recently revealed that the studio behind Supernatural will be joining the company, adding to the roster of studios owned by what used to be known as Facebook’s Oculus division. The company said that Within will continue…
Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with a presence in 14 countries across Africa, has launched a comprehensive sustainability strategy which sets out its detailed plans to improve the lives of millions of people across Africa through digital and financial inclusion and access to education. The strategy also includes specific goals around environmental…
Twitter is rolling out the ability for all iOS users globally to Super Follow select creators. The option was previously only available to users in the U.S. and Canada. Super Follows allow users to subscribe to accounts they like for a monthly subscription fee in exchange for exclusive content. It’s Super Following time –– everyone globally on…
During Facebook’s Connect 2021 conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company would be renamed from “Facebook” to “Meta,” and according to a statement from the firm, “Meta’s focus will be to bring the metaverse to life and help people connect, find communities and grow businesses.” More specifically, the company’s new name is “Meta Platforms…
Zipline, the global leader in instant logistics, has celebrated five years in flight since its launch in Rwanda in 2016. The company, which on average makes a delivery every four minutes, recently surpassed 200,000 commercial deliveries, the most of any unnamed aircraft system (UAS) company to date. This marks a significant acceleration over the last…
Facebook on Thursday announced it was changing the parent company’s name to “Meta.” Following the move, many people saw the rebranding exercise as an excuse to have a go at the social media giant. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was among them. He suggested that the new name of the company was confusing and it was…
A new strategic partnership has been announced in Africa’s telecom space as South African Liquid Intelligent Technologies (Liquid) and Orange, a French telecom and one of the largest telecom companies in Africa, sign a deal to leverage each other’s existing networks in Africa, allowing them even greater access and opportunity to build their businesses throughout…
Meta Platforms, the company formerly known as Facebook, is developing a smartwatch with a front-facing camera and rounded screen, according to an image of the device found inside one of the tech giant’s iPhone apps. The photo shows a watch with a screen and casing that’s slightly curved at the edges. The front-facing camera —…
The Africa Blockchain Centre (The ABC), a Kenyan startup focused on building technology capacity and offering blockchain solutions to key sectors announced today that it has raised an undisclosed investment from Next Chymia Consulting HK Limited, an Asian based company that provides blockchain solutions, consultancy services and training to global entities. Founded in September 2021, The Africa…
The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) announced that Flutterwave, a global payments technology company, has launched two new remittance corridors between Europe and Africa on the Stellar network. Working with TEMPO, Flutterwave is leveraging the Stellar network and Stellar USDC to simplify remittances in Africa. Opening these new corridors will greatly benefit businesses focused on building more efficient, cost-effective remittance services, contributing to a stronger, more inclusive…
The Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator welcomed four Ghanaian digital commerce companies, OZÉ, Shopa, Swoove, and Tendo, as the second cohort to receive funding and support. The Accelerator, managed by BFA Global in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST), focuses on building the resilience of Ghana’s micro and small enterprises (MSEs). The companies selected for the second…
Villgro Africa, in partnership with Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures (JJIV) on behalf of the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, is initiating a call for East African healthcare innovations and startups that strengthen the capacity of frontline healthcare workers while improving access and quality of care. Frontline healthcare workers, which include community health workers, midwives, pharmacists,…
Forty inclusive businesses from across Africa have been selected for the Social and Inclusive Business Camp (SIBC), a yearly acceleration programme designed to help the most promising high-impact African entrepreneurs scale up their businesses. The SIBC aims to support entrepreneurs and create long-lasting connections with a wide range of ecosystem stakeholders through innovative training sessions…
South African online healthcare marketplace and booking platform RecoMed has raised a US$1.5 million funding round as it prepares to expand to Kenya next year. RecoMed allows patients to easily book appointments with a diverse selection of healthcare practitioners in their area, driving more patient volume to healthcare practices by integrating several patient booking channels into…
A failed entrepreneur turned pretty successful investor, Brian Odhiambo is West Africa director and part of the leadership team at Novastar Ventures, which manages more than US$200 million across two venture funds, with 22 companies in its portfolio. Odhiambo grew up in Nairobi, and after a childhood spent travelling between boarding school in Kenya and…
Estonian on-demand transport firm Bolt is set to roll out electric taxi options in South Africa four months after introducing e-bike food delivery services in the country. Bolt’s plan follows the introduction of a ‘green category’ – which lets riders hail an electric or a hybrid vehicle. This comes as the company expands its services to environmentally…
With the hybrid workplace becoming the new norm as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, attempts and spates of attacks on individuals and corporate bodies by hackers have been on the rise. Cyber thieves, a band of premeditated and dangerous criminals, are unleashing a reign of terror of unimaginable proportions on individuals, underscoring the need…
African entrepreneurs with promising climate-focused solutions have been invited to apply for Africa ClimAccelerator, which will provide selected companies with funding, expertise and mentorship to help them scale. Partner organisations GrowthAfrica and Carbon Trust are seeking 15 startups to participate in the Africa ClimAccelerator, which is supported by the Climate-KIC International Foundation and funded by GIZ. The pan-African programme aims to enhance the…
South African API fintech startup Stitch has extended its seed round to US$6 million from the US$4 million announced earlier in the year, and at the same time confirmed its expansion into Nigeria. The Stitch API allows developers to connect apps to financial accounts within minutes, allowing their users to share their transaction histories and balances, confirm…
In recent years augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have become increasingly popular. Images captured with a camera, frequently a smartphone camera, are enhanced with augmented reality software to add digital shapes to the real-world image. When it comes to virtual reality, the emphasis is on immersion, thus special glasses and headphones are used to…
A recent survey by Outsized found that many business leaders are open to this idea of a ‘blended workforce’ to help them become more agile and efficient. They expect that 15-30% of their future staff will be short-term or project-specific hired hands rather than full-time employees. That backs up research by McKinsey in September 2020…