Google Hustle Academy

The Google Hustle Academy Bootcamp Program 2024 (for Young African Entrepreneurs) is now accepting applications.

The Google Hustle Academy‘s 2024 Bootcamp is currently accepting applications. The Hustle Academy is a free five-day virtual bootcamp that focuses on building future-proof corporate success for small businesses in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Get ready to: Program Overview Day 1 – Optimise: Business Strategy Day 2 – Boost: Sales & E-Commerce Day 3…

e-commerce

Africa’s E-commerce Revolution: Opportunities for Logistics, Financial, and Marketing Services

Africa is undergoing a digital transformation, and e-commerce is one of the key drivers of this change. The continent’s young and growing population, coupled with rising incomes and increasing internet penetration, is creating a surge in demand for online goods and services. As a result, the African e-commerce market is expected to grow from $120…

Africa Game
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Gamers in Africa are aiming for global inclusion, everyone’s paying attention

The growth trajectory of an average African child is usually linear. Take Zuga, an ambitious young man who grew up in the interiors of East Africa with an adventurous mind and a love for gaming. His closest encounter with mobile games would be listening attentively to country folk discuss medieval adventures and combat series while…

Africa tech trends

5 Top Trends That Will Shape Africa’s Tech Landscape in 2023

Africa is undergoing a digital revolution at the rate at which various countries keep harnessing emerging technology. More people now have better internet access, making it easier for the younger generation to become tech-savvy. But the continent will continue to lag if we overlook challenges such as outdated policies and weak technology infrastructure. Decision-makers and…

Ibrahim Toyeeb
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Fintech Startup Leatherback Completes $10m Pre-seed Funding For Expansion

Leatherback, a cross-border payments network based in the United Kingdom, has received a $10 million Pre-Seed fundraising round from Zedcrest Capital, a major pan-African principal investment group. The funding will allow the growing Fintech company to focus on critical activities, including hiring strategic roles, elevation in its marketing and branding strategy, and traction and visibility…

Kudi-Nomba
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African Fintech Company, Kudi, Rebrands to Nomba

Kudi, an African payment network, has rebranded as Nomba. This was announced in a press release as part of the company’s transition from a single payment platform to an omnichannel payment platform. Payment collections, trade finance, company reporting, and multiple location administration are among the new business capabilities produced by the new omni-channel payment platform,…

PAL
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Ghana’s PAL Announces Proprietary Payment Processing Platform

Founded in January 2020 by Dady Maël and Kader Saka, PAL creates its own payment infrastructure for cash-in and cash-out to mobile wallets, without the need for a third-party technology component integration. It offers this service as an open API with a web interface that can be used for inbound remittance, payment, loans, and many financial…

UCT Upper Campus landscape view
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Apply: e-Track Programme by UCT GSB Solution Space, ayoba

The last e-Track Programme concluded earlier this month with seven of the graduating startups pitching their businesses to an audience at a hybrid event hosted on the GSB campus, which was run by UCT GSB Solution Space – a specialized centre of the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business focused on high-impact early…

Elloe
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Kenyan AI-Driven Conversational E-commerce Startup Elloe Raises $1m Pre-Seed Round

Elloe is a first-of-its-kind AI-powered conversational commerce platform that allows SMEs to buy and sell products online across any messaging platform. It was founded by Owen Sakawa. Mad Ventures, located in the Philippines, led the US$1 million pre-seed fundraising round, which would help Elloe expand across Kenya and other emerging economies. “The opportunity to engage…

Khumbudzo Ntshavheni Huawei
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Huawei to Empower 100,000 People Across Sub-Saharan Africa With New Programme

At Huawei’s ICT Competition Awards Ceremony on April 9, 2022, the company announced the commencement of its LEAP digital skills development program. According to the Chinese tech conglomerate, the LEAP program seeks to help over 100,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa improve their ICT abilities in three years. LEAP (Leadership, Employability, Advancement, and Possibilities) is a…

pylon
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Egyptian Startup Pylon Receives $19M to Enhance Software for Water and Electricity Distribution

Pylon, an Egyptian infrastructure management business for emerging market water and energy utilities, has raised a $19 million seed round to advance water and electricity software. Endure Capital of the United States led the round, which was a mix of debt and equity, and was backed by British International Investment (previously CDC Group), the UK…

MTN
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MTN Nigeria Obtains CBN’s Approval to Operate Mobile Money Bank (MoMo)

The Central Bank of Nigeria granted MTN the permission to operate Mobile Money (MoMo). Since its inception in 2019, MTN Nigeria’s Mobile Money (MoMo) service has attracted over 9 million subscribers. According to TechCabal, the license means MTN Nigeria would be able to provide practically all the services provided by traditional commercial banks, except for…

Webfleet Solutions

How Fleet Managers Can Keep Their Trucks and Cargo Safe on SA Roads

Truck hijackings in South Africa continue to affect the country’s economy. These crimes have been on the rise for some years now, with Police Minister Bheki Cele reporting one of the most considerable increases (31.7%) in truck hijackings just over a year ago. Arrive Alive outlines several factors to help reduce the risk of hijackings, including the importance…

sprints
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Egyptian Edtech Startup Sprints Secures $1.2 million in Series A Round

The Alexandria Angels Network, along with members of MED Angels and AUC Angels, Cubit Ventures, Challenge Fund, EdVentures, Falak Startups, and Cairo Angels, led a $1.2 million Series A fundraising round for Egypt-based edtech Sprints. “The organization has successfully given 20,000 learning sessions in the last two years.” Sprints’ co-founder and CEO, Ayman Bazraa, stated,…

EatSafe Innovation Challenge
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Nigerian, Ethiopian Startups can now Apply for the EatSafe Innovation Challenge

The EatSafe Innovation Challenge, organized by Feed the Future in collaboration with the SUN Business Network (SBN) and the Innovative Food System Portal, is searching for businesses, students, researchers, and other innovators in Nigeria and Ethiopia who are concerned about food safety. The EatSafe Innovation Challenge invites innovators to offer their thoughts on how existing…

MarkHack 1.0
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Eko Innovation Centre Announces Nigeria’s First Marketing and Media Hackathon With $20,000 Star Prize

Nigeria’s first marketing and media hackathon, dubbed MarkHack 1.0, has been established by Eko Innovation Centre, a growth and development hub for startups and entrepreneurs in Nigeria. The luncheon, which took place at D’Podium Event Centre in Lagos, was attended by innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, marketers, and media professionals, as well as many more from across…

ShapShap Riders
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Nigerian On-Demand Delivery Startup ShapShap Completes Seed Round for Expansion

V8 Capital Partners has given ShapShap, a Nigerian on-demand delivery firm, a seed extension investment to help it expand its capabilities and penetrate new markets. The fresh funds will be used to improve the startup’s last-mile delivery capabilities for businesses and individuals in Nigeria, with ambitions to expand to other African countries in the near…

ImaliPay Founders
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Nigerian gig Economy Fintech, ImaliPay Secures $3m Seed Round

ImaliPay, a $3 million seed fundraising round has been finalized for a Pan-African fintech start-up that focuses on boosting the gig economy through its one-stop-shop financial services platform. ImaliPay was founded in late 2020 in Nigeria after Tatenda Furusa (Co-founder) noticed problems with e-ride hailing drivers’ access to working capital and emergency savings in Nairobi. Upon…

Didi Chixung
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DiDi Chixung, Chinese Ride-Hailing Startup Ceases Operations in South Africa

Didi Chixung, the Chinese ride-hailing behemoth, has announced the closure of its operations in South Africa (SA), a year after it first opened its doors on the continent. A Didi representative in South Africa confirmed the closure to TechCrunch but did not elaborate on the reasons for the shutdown. “We have made the tough choice…

Nigeria's Lemonade Finance
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Nigeria’s Lemonade Finance is now Live in 7 new markets

Lemonade Finance, founded in 2020 by Ridwan Olalere and Rian Cochran and a participant in Y Combinator’s W21 batch last year, allows Africans living abroad to send and receive money from their home nations in a cost-effective, timely, and efficient manner. Its software lets users keep their balances in the currencies that are important to…

Stitch Startup Showcase
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10 African fintech startups pitch at Stitch Startup Showcase

Stitch, a South African API finance business, announced in January that it would conduct a “startup showcase” to allow early-stage fintech from across the continent to share their solutions with local and global investors and receive support, according to Disrupt Africa. The event was part of a Stitch-hosted meetup for global fintech investors interested in…

African tech startup
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African tech startup funding crosses the $1bn mark in first 2 months of 2022

Over the course of a record-breaking 2021, total funding in the African digital startup ecosystem trebled, passing the US$2 billion – and even the US$1 billion – threshold for the first time. In 2021, 564 businesses raised a total of US$2,148,517,500, according to the seventh edition of Disrupt Africa’s annual African Tech Startups Funding Report,…

susu
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Susu, a health tech startup, secures €2m to promote affordable healthcare for every African

Susu, a global health-tech business dedicated to making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Africans, has raised €2 million in a pre-seed round. Angel investors, grant financing from BPI France, the French government’s public investment bank, and debt were used to raise the funds. Bola Bardet, Laurent Leconte (Chief Technology Officer), and Sandrine Egron (Chief…

MEST Africa
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Apply: MEST Africa’s 12-month Training Program (Class of 2023)

Every young aspiring digital entrepreneur in Africa is encouraged to apply for MEST Africa’s 12-month technology and entrepreneurship training program. With the Class of 2022 in full swing, it’s time to get back into the recruiting swing of things and formally open up applications for the Class of 2023. MEST Africa receives around 4000 applications…

Milango
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Milango, community management platform acquires Egyptian prop-tech startup, Circle

Circle, founded in 2020 by Nancy Kamal and Essam Maged and sponsored by 500 Global, makes it easy for real estate developers and property owners to interact with tenants. Milango, on the other hand, was founded by Amr Mostafa in 2021 and provides business clients with a suite of community management solutions to help them…

SA Bitcoin
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South African Company Bags $50-Million in Africa’s “Largest-Ever” Crypto Raise

VALR.com, a South African cryptocurrency exchange, said today that it has raised $50 million (about R750 million) in Africa’s largest-ever cryptocurrency fundraising round. The company is now worth $240 million. Pantera Capital led VALR’s oversubscribed Series B equity funding round, which included Alameda Research, Cadenza, CMT Digital, Coinbase Ventures, Distributed Global, GSR, Third Prime, Avon…

Createch Accelerator Programme
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Nigeria’s CcHub Unveils Createch Accelerator Programme

  The Createch Accelerator focuses on businesses that employ innovation or technology to improve value chains in Africa’s creative industries or to address market problems in these value chains. The program’s goal is to provide knowledge, networks, and assistance to companies operating at the interface of technology and creativity, allowing them to accelerate their route…

Marsha Wulff
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LoftyInc Capital Management, Nigerian VC firm made up to 65 African investments in 2021

  LoftyInc Capital Management is a venture capital business with the goal of “creating an ecosystem of Africans investing in Africans solving African problems.” The business announced the first closing of its US$10 million LoftyInc Afropreneurs Fund 3 (LAF3) in September, as it ramped up its participation in the African startup area. This followed after…

Africa’s new futures were showcased at this year’s Art X Lagos

Africa’s new futures were showcased at this year’s Art X Lagos

“How will Africans protect our culture in unexplored places?” This was one of the questions David Alabo, a Ghana-based artist with Moroccan heritage, was thinking about when he created “One Africa Three Futures”. Alabo, an afro-surrealist, used 3D and virtual reality (VR) to help his audience at the recently concluded Art X Lagos to see and interact with…

Ghana basks in Twitter’s surprise choice as Africa HQ
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Ghana basks in Twitter’s surprise choice as Africa HQ

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…