Meta is launching the Meta Avatar Store, a digital designer apparel store where you can buy digital outfits for your avatars. In an Instagram Live with Instagram’s Vice President of Fashion Partnerships Eva Chen, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerburg made the announcement. The store will open next week, with digital outfits from Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom…
According to news initially reported by Business Insider, Amazon, a global e-commerce technology company, plans to expand to African countries such as South Africa and Nigeria in 2023. According to leaked documents obtained by Business Insider, Belgium, Chile, and Colombia are among the five markets that the major e-commerce corporation plans to enter next year….
On its photo and video-sharing app, Instagram is experimenting with a new full-screen feed. In a Tweet, the social media network verified the news. On his Instagram story, CEO Mark Zuckerberg also offered a sneak peek of the full-screen feed testing, stating that “pictures are still a vital element of Instagram.” Furthermore, this new Instagram…
Back in 2010, I had an idea! My friend @Tobi and I wanted to develop the first e-commerce platform in Nigeria, we admired what Amazon was doing at the time and wanted to replicate the same here in Nigeria. We did our research, asked a lot of questions, and made a lot of discoveries, however,…
Teacha!, a marketplace where instructors can purchase and sell their teaching resources, has been established by Snapplify, a South African edtech solutions platform. The organization began operations in Kenya in 2016 and has since recruited a number of East African schools and teachers. “There is a great need for CBC resources in Kenya right now,”…
Boyot, a business located in Egypt that provides an end-to-end operating system for payments and financial services focused solely on the real estate industry, has raised a six-figure pre-Seed round headed by a Kuwaiti real estate firm. Boyot, founded in 2020 by Mahmoud El Sabongy (CEO), Khaled El Refaay (CTO), and Mohamed Sayed, allows real…
Ten Kenyan entrepreneurs have been chosen to engage in Hindsight Ventures’ Wazo Challenge, where they will fight for a $10,000 cash prize and other benefits. The Wazo Challenge is being held for the third time by Hindsight Ventures, and it is the first time it is taking place in Kenya. The program is a four-week…
Microsoft is retiring its first version of the Internet Explorer (IE) browser after nearly 27 years. The company is asking customers to convert to its cutting-edge Edge browser, which it believes would provide consumers with a faster and more secure browsing experience. Users will, however, continue to have access to the virtual version of the…
As part of a month-long observance of International Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises Day this June, Google has announced new initiatives to promote small retail businesses in Africa. The initiatives include the Shopping Small Business Summit, a one-hour virtual training session aimed at assisting SMB owners gain skills and resources to compete online. Topics will…
CrossBoundary Energy Access (CBEA), Africa’s first project financing facility for mini-grids, has announced $25 million in new investment commitments from ARCH Emerging Markets Partners Limited, Bank of America, and the Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund. This investment will leverage an additional $25 million in senior debt to invest $50 million in CBEA’s pipeline of solar-powered mini-grids…
Jumba, a B2B construction technology platform located in Kenya, has raised $1 million in a pre-seed fundraising round to fine-tune its technology and expand its reach to capture markets in Kenya’s main towns. Seedstars International Ventures, Chandaria Capital, Future Africa, Logos Ventures, First Check Africa, and a number of angel investors participated in the pre-seed…
According to a recent Open Dialogue poll, young unemployed South Africans spend over $81,34 each month seeking for work, with internet fees accounting for over $29,03. Accessing information, job possibilities, and learning comes at a hefty data cost for many people, especially given that young unemployment is about 60%. However, according to Nicholas Bednall, MoyaApp’s…
Khazenly, a digital storage and fulfillment network located in Cairo, has acquired $2.5 million in startup funding. The funding round was co-led by Arzan Venture Capital, which focuses in innovative, early-stage companies, and Shorooq Partners, which specializes in seed-stage digital investments across MENAP. Other investors included Camel Ventures, Averroes Ventures, and a number of angel…
MFS Africa, a digital payments network, has raised an additional $100 million in equity and debt capital led by Admaius Capital Partners, increasing the total amount raised in the series to $200 million. Vitruvian Partners and AXA IM Alts, as well as current investors AfricInvest FIVE and CommerzVentures, re-invested as a result of the extension….
WhatsApp users may now transfer their discussion chat history, photographs, videos, and voice messages from their Android handset to their iPhone using Apple’s Move to iOS program. Before this upgrade, users could only transfer conversations from an iPhone to an Android smartphone. The beta version of the ability to shift WhatsApp data from Android to…
According to Gozem, a Francophone Africa-focused smart app, 12 million motor vehicle drivers work in informal markets across West and Central Africa. But there’s a catch: these drivers can’t have their automobiles financed through traditional banks or microfinance companies. Instead, many turn to payday lenders, who demand exorbitant interest rates—some as high as 70% yearly….
Africa Data Centres, a subsidiary of the Pan-African Cassava Technologies Group, is thrilled to announce the construction of a second data center in Cape Town, South Africa. The new 20MW facility, which will span 15,000 square meters across eight data halls, will be located on the outskirts of Cape Town’s city center. According to Tesh…
DXwand, an Egyptian firm that specializes in conversational artificial intelligence (AI), has raised $1 million in a pre-series A financing. The funding round was led by Shanghai-based Huashan Capital. Mohsen Abulleil and Ahmed Bakeer, both angel investors, participated in the round. SOSV, a VC firm based in the United States that was one of the…
15 June 2022 Microsoft hosted a virtual roundtable panel discussion about digital transformation in agriculture for food security in Africa. The roundtable explored how accelerating digital transformation in agriculture is leading to agritech developments that have a tangible positive impact on food security in Africa. With agriculture sustaining up to 70% of Africa’s livelihoods, Microsoft is…
Vework, an Egypt-based petcare platform that connects pet parents with pet care service providers in a timely and convenient manner at home, has raised a bridge round with several Saudi Arabian investors and Alexandria Angel Network members, as well as receiving financial support from Nestlé Purina and conducting a POC (proof of concept) together. The…
The 1000 learners in the first cohort of Power Learn Project’s flagship program – “One Million Developers for Africa” Scholarship Program (#1MillionDevs4Africa) to teach 1 million young people and empower them with ICT employable skills – have been announced. The cohort was chosen via a thorough screening and panel selection procedure, which was preceded by…
Telegram is launching a Premium edition, which was previously only a rumor. Telegram Premium is now available, and it’s free! Many rumors about the impending launch of a premium version of Telegram emerged a few weeks ago, but they have now been confirmed. There’s no need to uninstall this software; if you don’t like the…
The Cairo Angels Syndicate Fund (CASF), a micro venture capital fund based in Cairo that invests in early-stage firms in the Middle East and Africa, has announced an investment in CredPal, a Nigerian FinTech firm. CredPal will use the CASF money to extend its services across Africa, with an emphasis on key areas such as…
Toyota Tsusho and CFAO Group’s Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) funds, in collaboration with Bond’innov, have established the Digital Transformation Challenge, which is available to growth-stage businesses in Africa that offer innovative services in the transportation and health sectors. Mobility54 and Health54, two Toyota Tsusho and CFAO Group CVC funds, are giving investments ranging from EUR100,000…
ABUJA; JUNE 11, 2022: Nigerian Software Testing Qualifications Board (NGSTQB), a member board of the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB), has announced the date and theme for its first Webinar. NGSTQB invites stakeholders in the Nigerian software ecosystem to a one-day Webinar under the theme: ‘The Role of Software Testing in Nigeria’s Digital Economy. Register here to participate….
Buyers may now try on their future shoes from the comfort of their own homes, thanks to Amazon. The e-commerce titan is releasing its Virtual Try-On for Shoe function in order to make online fashion purchases easier for its customers. Thanks to an engaging mobile experience, customers can try on and check a pair of…
ADVA, an Egypt-based fintech, has raised an undisclosed “six-digit figure” Seed round from Sawari Ventures in order to extend its product offering and financial services breadth. ADVA is a consumer finance platform founded by Rania Gaafar in 2020 that allows clients to pay for a variety of services and products in installments. “ADVA is unusual…
In this year’s annual Kenya E-Commerce Summit and Awards, sponsored by Finserve Africa, Airduka, a Kenyan online marketplace, knocked out other contenders to earn the overall title of E-Commerce Startup of the Year. The company was nominated alongside almost 200 other businesses in 30 different categories. According to research, more than half of Kenyan consumers…
Uber and other ride-hailing services are revolutionizing the way we get around. With only a few taps on a smartphone, you can be on your way in no time, satisfying the modern consumer’s desire for on-demand, accessible, and convenient services. According to recent research by Genesis Analytics and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), data…
MFS Africa has agreed to buy Global Technology Partners for $34 million in cash (GTP). GTP is Africa’s top prepaid card processor, with UBA, Ecobank, BIA, Stanbic, Coris, NSIA, and Zenith Bank among the over 80 banks that use their platform. GTP’s client base is spread over 34 countries, and the company is fully integrated…