X video call
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Elon Musk’s X to Feature Video Calling Support

Future additions of X video calls to the app have been confirmed by the platform’s CEO in an interview. As part of the billionaire’s strategy to make X into an “everything app,” Elon Musk is attempting to introduce support for new features to the microblogging platform he runs that was formerly known as Twitter. Users…

SA Innovation Summit
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The SA Innovation Summit Unveils the Blockchain Innovation Challenge

The  SA Innovation Summit has launched the Blockchain Innovation Challenge, a ground-breaking competition that is a part of a comprehensive collaboration encompassing Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Education, Economy, Dialogue, and Networks, all aimed at examining blockchain’s potential to become the next frontier in African innovation and establish a new benchmark in the African tech ecosystem. Five months…

African fashion

The Power of Digital Innovation in Opening up New Markets for African Fashion Creatives

The African fashion industry pulsates with vibrancy and diversity, boasting a rich cultural heritage and an abundance of creative talent. From traditional textiles to contemporary designs, African fashion has earned widespread global recognition for its unique aesthetic and remarkable craftsmanship. Indeed, Africa has become a compelling new frontier for fashion, offering the industry a fresh…

MTN ICT

MTN ICT and Business Skills Training Call for Applications (N90 Million Grant for 300 Participants)

A youth development program called MTN ICT and Business Skills Training aims to give young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35 the tech-enabled skills they need to keep their small enterprises competitive and relevant. A 5-week online program will be used to give the training, and it will feature Masterclasses from important business…

Threads - Twitter

Meta Releases 3 New Features for Threads This Week

The social media competitor to Elon Musk’s X (previously Twitter), Threads, is having trouble keeping the users it attracted right away. As it has lost more than half of its user base in the weeks following its launch, Meta is reportedly preparing new methods. This week, Meta unveiled a number of new capabilities for Threads…

Y Combinator

2 More African Startups Join the S23 Batch of Y Combinator

VaultPay from the DRC and Chow Central from Nigeria have joined Eden Care from Rwanda in being chosen for the S23 batch of the famed Y Combinator accelerator in Silicon Valley. Disrupt Africa reported last month. The only African company thus far confirmed as a participant in the S23 batch of Y Combinator, which contributed…

Data Literacy
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SAS launches free Data Literacy course to help people thrive in AI-driven world

The explosion of generative AI has accelerated the need for data literacy in what was already a fast-paced, data-driven world. Data literacy is no longer a nice-to-have skill but a must-have in any field. To help more people develop these critical skills, SAS has launched its second, free Data Literacy e-learning course, Data Literacy in Practice, that empowers individuals and…

Pter French - GM MEA & South Asia, Acronis

Surviving in a Digital World: Why Cyber Protection is the Ultimate Defense for African Enterprises

In the wake of today’s highly interconnected digital landscape, African enterprises are increasingly battling a ballooning number of cyber threats that have enormous potential to cripple their day-to-day operations, expose sensitive data, and inflict irreparable financial losses. Driven by the acceleration of technological advances and the relentless malicious actors becoming more sophisticated, it is now becoming crucial for businesses in the region…

Grinta

Cairo-based Pharma Startup Grinta Acquires Auto-Cure

To increase its presence in the nation, Cairo-based startup Grinta, a fintech-enabled B2B digital platform that is digitizing the pharmaceutical supply chain, has acquired Alexandria’s online pharmacy Auto-Cure. Grinta, a controlled marketplace founded in 2021 by Mohamed Azab, Yosra Badr, Ali Youssef, and Hamza Mohamed, modernizes the pharmaceutical supply chain by empowering independent pharmacies. The…

WhatsApp

WhatsApp Releases Screen Sharing and Landscape Mode for Video Calls

A new feature is being rolled out to WhatsApp users. The social media site that is owned by Meta now lets you share your screen during video calls. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, posted updates about this functionality on his Facebook and Instagram accounts. With this inclusion, Meta advances in its strategy to take on…

Component Development - Joshua Praise

Streamlining React Component Development and Optimizing Workflows – Developer Insight

In the ever-evolving world of frontend development, UI frameworks have become a double-edged sword. Developers are constantly bombarded with an overwhelming array of choices—from battle-tested libraries like Material UI to emerging solutions like ShadCN UI—each promising to be the one-stop shop for interface design. This proliferation of options creates a paradox of choice: teams find…

11 of the 25 businesses chosen for the first NextGen Accelerator by Harvard Innovation Labs and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are African.

The Harvard-AWS Accelerator Program Accepts 11 Student-owned African Startups

11 of the 25 businesses chosen for the first NextGen Accelerator by Harvard Innovation Labs and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are African. The NextGen Accelerator, a two-week founder boot camp, is open to early-stage student entrepreneurs from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Every day, founders attend courses at the…

Future is Female Mentorship Program

20 Start-ups Join the 4th Edition of the Future is Female Mentorship Program

The fourth iteration of The Future is Female Mentorship Program, a PR and communications mentorship program dedicated entirely to African female tech founders, has picked twenty African female-founded digital businesses. The Future is Female Mentorship Program, which will be launched on Africa Day in 2020, is the first and only PR and communications program dedicated…

InfraCredit

Nigerian Green Initiatives Bag $13 Million From FSDAi and InfraCredit

FSD Africa Investments (FSDAi) has announced a £10 million (almost $13 million) investment in a groundbreaking risk-sharing backup facility in conjunction with InfraCredit. The project intends to increase local currency investment for long-term infrastructure development in Nigeria. The new facility’s (RSBF) purpose is to solve the low credit enhancement problem. It attempts to accomplish this…

Womenpreneur Her Perfect Pitch

SA Female Entrepreneurs can now Apply for the Womenpreneur Her Perfect Pitch 2023 

For Women’s Month, Jacaranda FM and Access Bank South Africa have teamed to help professional women in South Africa perfect their “Her Perfect Pitch” and compete for a share of R2 million in incentives. Womenpreneur Her Perfect Pitch 2023 is open to all female business owners who have been in operation for at least a…

Dr. Obadare Forbes award-crop

Dr Obadare Adewale, Emerges Forbes Best of Africa Outstanding Digital Trust Leader 2023

A Nigerian, Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale, Co-founder/Chief Visionary Officer (CVO), Digital Encode Limited, has emerged as Forbes Best of Africa Outstanding Digital Trust Leader of the Year 2023. The award is another testament to Dr. Obadare, a well-recognized subject matter expert with numerous successful engagements to his credit in Africa. A letter of notification of his…

Sophos Active Adversary Report

CryptoRom Scammers Add AI Chat Tool, Like ChatGPT, and Fake Hacks on Crypto Accounts to Their Toolset, Sophos Finds

 Sophos, a global leader in innovating and delivering cybersecurity as a service, today released new findings on CryptoRom scams—a subset of pig butchering (sh? zh? pán) schemes designed to trick users of dating apps into making fake cryptocurrency investments—in its latest report, “Sha Zhu Pan Scam Uses AI Chat Tool to Target iPhone and Android Users.” Since May, Sophos…

Wema Bank
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FG Partners Wema Bank To Establish Digital and SkillNovation Hubs Across States

Wema Bank, Nigeria’s leading innovative bank, has partnered with the Federal Government of Nigeria to establish digital and skill innovation hubs across states in the country, with a target to empower one million youths with digital and other relevant skills. The initiative, known as FGN/ALAT Digital and SkillNovation Hub, was agreed upon during a meeting…

OST Grow

OST Grow investment readiness programme opens up application

OST Grow 2023, a pan-African investment readiness program aimed to fuel the growth of startups across the region, is now accepting applications. The 12-month OST Grow initiative, developed in collaboration with Africagrow, Bpifrance, GO Ventures, and AfricInvest Group, is geared towards African companies seeking to raise their first $1 million and expand into new markets….

FarmWorks
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Kenyan Agritech Startup, FarmWorks Secures $4.1 Million in pre-Series A Round to Promote AI-driven Production

FarmWorks, a Kenyan agritech startup, has announced its $4.1 million pre-Series A funding round to advance its data analytics skills and apply AI to enhance production and influence planting and loan decisions. The financing was led by the Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund and included the Livelihood Impact Fund, Vested World, multiple family offices, and angel…

Ugandan government

Ugandan Government Slashes Internet Costs by 50%

In an effort to encourage the use of digital services and boost the digital inclusion of vulnerable populations, the Ugandan government has offered a 50% price cut on internet access. Dr. Chris Baroymunsi, Minister for ICT and National Guidance, said that the government will reduce the price of data it delivers through the national backbone…

Meta

Meta Introduces Open-Source AI Tool AudioCraft to Create Music and Audio

On Wednesday, Meta Platforms unveiled AudioCraft, an open-source AI application that enables users to produce music and audio based on text suggestions. According to Meta, the AI tool works for music, sound, compression, and generation and is included with three models: AudioGen, EnCodec, and MusicGen. The company’s own and specially licensed music is used for…

Startup Wise Guys

The B2B SaaS Startup Wise Guys accelerator is now accepting applications.

For the third iteration of the Startup Wise Guys accelerator, which provides chosen B2B SaaS firms with access to EUR100,000 (US$110,000)  in funding and five months of rigorous mentoring, applications are now open. Startup Wise Guys, which was founded in Tallinn, Estonia in 2012, also oversees cybersecurity programs out of Cosenza and SaaS accelerator programs…

Women Who Build Africa

Women Who Build Africa to hold 1st annual Assembly in Kenya

An open invitation has been issued by Women Who Build Africa (WWBA), a group established to bring together and support women working in technology across Africa, as well as investors and ecosystem partners, to express interest in attending their first annual Assembly, which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 13–14. Gwera Kiwana (MFS…

Meta

By September, Meta will release AI-powered chatbots with various personalities.

The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that Meta Platforms is prepared to introduce a variety of chatbots driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that have distinct personalities as early as September. According to a source citing people with knowledge of the plans, Meta has been developing chatbot prototypes that can interact with users in a way…

Content creation

Olukowe is Changing How Professionals and Authors Approach Content Creation

Content creation has always been a multifaceted process, demanding both creativity and technical prowess. Professionals and authors often face challenges that can hinder their productivity and impact. Olukowe emerges as a transformative force in this landscape, offering sophisticated solutions tailored to the nuanced needs of modern content creators. Let’s explore how Olukowe is redefining the…

UNI:NNOVATORS applications

The CcHub-led student entrepreneurship program is now accepting applications.

The Uni:novators Startup-in-Residence program, which aims to spur innovation in a few postsecondary institutions in Africa, is now accepting applications. Disrupt Africa reported In collaboration with the Make-IT in Africa project run by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), CcHub had…

Cyber Conference

Malawi to Host Debut Women in Cyber Conference

From August 1–4, 2023, Malawi will hold the inaugural Women in Cyber Conference with the subject “Breaking the Glass Ceiling and Bringing the Gender Gap.” The First Lady, Madam Monica Chakwera, will attend the summit in Lilongwe. According to Mary Botomani, vice chair of the organizing committee, there is a significant disparity between the representation…

AlphaExpo Micro-Accelerator
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The 6th AlphaExpo Micro-Accelerator cohort for the Africa Fintech Summit is now accepting applications.

The sixth cohort of the AlphaExpo Micro-Accelerator has opened for submissions at the Africa Fintech Summit, the largest biannual fintech event in Africa. Up to 15 African businesses will be able to attend and exhibit at this year’s event in Lusaka, Zambia, on November 1-2 thanks to the AlphaExpo program, which is at the core…

health supply chains
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African governments and tech entrepreneurs are working together to improve the health supply chains

According to recent study, African governments are working with tech entrepreneurs to boost regional health supply chains. Nearly 50 partnerships between health startups and African governments were found to be aimed at streamlining supply chains and enhancing health outcomes throughout the continent. The new annual market intelligence report from healthcare consulting firm Salient Advisory highlights…