Telegram has surpassed one billion downloads The instant messaging app, Telegram which is based in Dubai and was launched in late 2013, has been downloaded over 1 billion times globally, according to Sensor Tower. It’s important to note that the number of downloads does not correspond to the app’s active userbase. Telegram, for example, had approximately 500…
Women Peacebuilders lead COVID-19 Prevention Efforts Across Libya Via WhatsApp and Zoom Written by Luis Monzon Separated by their country’s divisions, both geographically and politically, 36 Libyan women have since used their phones to connect, discuss and overcome their differences in the interest of one goal: Peace in Libya. They have been a part of…
The UN & Oracle Launch IT Skills Program for Refugees in Kenya Written By Luis Monzon Oracle on Thursday announced that the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, in Kenya has finalised a workforce development program for young refugees in Kenya, in collaboration with Oracle University. The UNHCR delivers professional learning courses on Oracle Cloud technologies to refugees with a…
APPLY: $24,000 for grab at Seedstars Digital Democracy Hackathon The hackathon is for socially committed innovators, writes Joan Aimuengheuwa Leveraging technology and entrepreneurship to further its mission of impacting the lives of people in emerging markets, Swiss-based group, Seedstars, has launched the application for its hackathon. Themed “Digital Democracy Challenge”, the programme seeks innovative, low-cost, and viable…
e4 launches Girls in STEM programme Written By Yinka Okeowo Fintech specialist e4 has announced its ‘Girls in STEM’ programme to provide girls in underprivileged areas with the support they need to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) post matric. Cognisant of the gender imbalance present in the science and technology industries…
Disrupt Africa to again open-source annual funding report in partnership with key VC firms Written by TOM JACKSON Startup-focused news and research company Disrupt Africa has announced it is to once again make its flagship annual funding report free to all in an open-sourcing initiative made possible through a partnership with Africa-focused VC firms Novastar…
Unitel partners with Huawei to launch a mobile money service in Angola Unitel, an Angola-based mobile operator, has launched Unitel Money, a digital money service in the Central African country. The technology will be available in all of the country’s 18 provinces. Users will be able to make deposits, withdrawals, transfers, and payments using their…
AVCA to upskill Africa-focussed private capital professionals Written by Russel Ayugi The African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association will establish an AVCA Training Academy to provide private investment professional development across the continent. As a first of its kind in the industry, the move is aims to support private investment professionals focussed on Africa through an…
Ghana basks in Twitter’s surprise choice as Africa HQ Written by Ijeoma Ndukwe He has worked in two of the continent’s most vibrant tech hubs, in Nigeria’s main city Lagos, he co-founded the Co-Creation Hub which then acquired Kenya’s iHub – another leading innovation centre. He thinks the proactiveness of Ghana’s president clearly played a…
eSprayMe, revolutionary event management app, goes Live eSprayMe website and mobile application promises to revolutionize the world of event management through virtual conferencing. eSprayMe is a product of eSprayMe Incorporation, headquartered in Texas, USA, and invented by Nigerian-American Information Technology expert, Fisayo Olamigoke. The platform which went Live this weekend, was designed for event hosts and…
The architect behind DC’s African American history museum will design 101 hospitals for Ghana Written by Uwagbale Edward-Ekpu David Adjaye, the British-Ghanaian architect best known for designing the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington DC, is helping Ghana give its healthcare system a massive face-lift. A design created by Adjaye Associates, the architect’s…
Sanwo-Olu set to commission subsidised Cappa hub for Lagos MSMEs in Oshodi As Governor Meets Business Leaders at 7th Corporate Assembly Written by Yinka Okeowo Lagos State Government is set to launch Cappa Hub, a new center for commerce located at Oshodi area to provide subsidised workspaces for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) operating in…
SMEs are crucial to economic growth, stability, DG NITDA reiterates Written by Yinka Okeowo Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are predominantly the backbone of economic growth in any country and have accounted for the successes of most businesses globally, with ICT being a major driving force for enhancing efficiency. This was reiterated by no other than Mallam…
Konga co-CEO speaks on e-Commerce in Africa at Global Conference Written by Yinka Okeowo Prince Nnamdi Ekeh, co-CEO of Nigeria’s leading e-commerce giant, Konga Group and Founder, Yudala.com, has been solely selected to speak on a global conversation on e-commerce in Africa. The session holds today, Friday, August 27, 2021 by 5pm. Specifically, the conference which…
Egypt’s EYouth targets international growth after impacting 750k young learners Written By TOM JACKSON Egyptian ed-tech startup EYouth, which provides online interactive educational programmes for individuals aged between 18 and 35, is targeting international growth after seeing more than 750,000 people complete its courses so far. Founded in 2016 and taken online in 2018, EYouth designs and…
NCC ready to implement Govt’s decision on 5G deployment – Danbatta Written By Yinka Okeowo Following the statement by Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim?? Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, revealing the Federal Government’s position on the deployment of 5G networks in Nigeria, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said…
Here’s why Xiaomi is getting rid of Mi branding for its upcoming products Written by HARISH JONNALAGADDA For the last seven years, Xiaomi has released products in two distinct product lines: Mi and Redmi. The Mi-branded phones were reserved for the mid-tier and high-end categories, while Redmi devices accounted for the budget segment. This strategy…
Egyptian car parts marketplace Odiggo raises $2.2m expansion funding Written By TOM JACKSON Egyptian startup Odiggo, a digital marketplace for automotive spare parts, has closed a US$2.2 million funding round to help it continue to expand into new markets. Founded in 2018 by Ahmed Omar and Ahmed Nasser, Odiggo links customers with vendors in order to purchase…
Facebook Bringing Voice and Video Calls Back to the Main App Written by DAVE LECLAIR Facebook has splintered chat away from the main Facebook app to move people over to its Messenger app. However, the company is looking to bring people back to the primary Facebook app by adding voice and video calls. Bloomberg is reporting that…
The Federal Government of Nigeria, on Monday, unveiled indigenous health social innovations which when developed, would contribute positively in improving healthcare delivery in the country. The unveiling was done by the Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, in Abuja. The innovations were made possible through the Social Innovations in Health (SIHI) Nigeria Hub, a…
Ethiopia hints on launching social networking platforms, rules out Facebook, others from country Writen by Joan Aimuengheuwa Ethiopia has embarked on the development of its own social networking platform in opposition to Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Zoom. Shumete Gizaw, director-general of the Information Network Security Agency (INSA), Ethiopia, accused Facebook of widely spreading a wrong…
African fintech OPay valued at $2B in SoftBank Vision Fund 2-led $400M funding Written by Tage Kene-Okafor Chinese-backed and Africa-focused fintech company OPay raised $400 million in new financing led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Bloomberg reported Monday, valuing the company at $2 billion. The round, which marks the fund’s first investment in an African startup, drew…
Google has apparently been paying phone manufacturers not to install third-party app stores. Written by Tyler Lee Google’s Android operating system is seen as being more “open” compared to Apple’s iOS platform. Users can install apps from outside the Play Store, and if they wanted, they could even download and install third-party app stores like…
Crypto-currency adoption in Africa: The ups and downs Challenges include a lack of reliable internet and a lack of financial literacy. Written by Eugene Yiga Africa is booming in terms of cryptocurrency adoption, according to the 2020 Geography of Cryptocurrency Report by Chainalysis – a blockchain analysis company that provides data, software, services, and research…
South African e-health VitruvianMD raises 8-figure ZAR funding round Written By TOM JACKSON South African e-health startup VitruvianMD has raised an eight-figure ZAR – so at least ZAR10 million (US$659,000) – funding round in order to scale its tech and launch more pilots. Founded last year, VitruvianMD combines biomedical engineering and state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver…
Meet Wale Abba, who designed Interswitch’s Quickteller and several Nigerian banking apps Written By Oluwanifemi Kolawole Nigerian fintech unicorn, Interswitch, has, for the past 19 years, led the way when it comes to digitising payments in Nigeria — where it provides most of the country’s digital banking infrastructure — and other African countries. Interestingly, an…
SA fintech startup Revio set for continental expansion as it powers SaaS businesses Written By TOM JACKSON South African fintech startup Revio, a subscription billing and payments platform that powers software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses, is planning an expansion into other African markets soon. Co-founded in 2019 by venture builder The Delta and a private investor, Revio is a SaaS company…
Wiiqare App disrupts health care services in eastern DR Congo’s Goma Written By Africanews In the Democratic Republic of Congo, access to quality healthcare is expensive and tedious. But Bienvenue Zigabe has managed to create an application to facilitate quick access to medical services. “Wiiqare” helps patients pay for treatment and drugs using their savings…
Zoom is coming to your living room. Why not take your video calls on the biggest screen in your house? Written By Anthony Spadafora After launching Zoom for Home last year, Zoom has been working with its hardware partners to develop solutions to ensure that users have the best video conferencing experience wherever they find themselves working. As organizations are…
Malware attacks in Africa are increasing, reaching 85 million in only 6 months Malware is rife across Africa with various countries exhibiting strong growth in all malware types in the first half of 2021 when compared to the same period last year, Kaspersky research has highlighted. Written By Yinka Okeowo This is a 5% increase in the…