Brief_One (131)
Last Tuesday, U.S tech multinational Mastercard launched its "Tap on phone", "QR Pay by link" and "Payment link" contactless payment solutions in Nigeria.
"As we navigate the evolving landscape of payments in Nigeria, Mastercard is proud to launch its contactless payment solutions. We understand the importance of seamless, secure, and cost-effective digital payment solutions, particularly for small businesses and consumers," said Kari Tukur, Vice President of Customer Solutions for East and West Africa at Mastercard.
US-based satellite broadband provider Starlink announced its rollout in Eswatini on Monday, December 18th, via a post on social media platform X. Accessing the services in Eswatini requires a one-time hardware purchase of 12,000 Rand (~$648) and a monthly subscription fee of 950 Rand, plus a 120 Rand regulatory fee. Shipping and handling costs 450 Rand. This rollout marks the eighth African country to welcome Starlink's high-speed internet services this year.
The Smart Africa alliance, a policy initiative for the promotion of digital in Africa, announced on Wednesday, December 13 the signing of a three-year memorandum of understanding with the EoT Foundation.
The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the Digital Sovereignty Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland, aims to support African decision-makers on their digital transformation journey through capacity-building, forums, training, events, and networking between Africa and Europe.
Following a phone call on Tuesday, December 12, between Benin's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, and his Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita, Morocco has announced that Benin is now eligible for its e-visa program. The decision will become effective on January 1, 2024
Kenyan e-mobility startup BasiGo has announced the completion of a $5 million financing round. The funds, raised in the form of debt from British International Investment (BII), a British development finance institution, will be used to expand the assembly of electric buses in Kenya.
From December 21 to 22, Morocco's economic hub, Casablanca, will host the 3rd edition of the "Digital Now!" conference. Organized by the business network Club des Dirigeants (CDD), this event has established itself as a pivotal gathering for professionals driving Morocco's digital and entrepreneurial landscape. This year's edition will delve into critical topics shaping the digital landscape, including digital transformation, the impact of artificial intelligence on businesses, tackling cybersecurity challenges, and safeguarding data.
MPost, a Kenyan startup that revolutionizes postal services by converting phone numbers into virtual addresses, announced on Wednesday, November 29, its decision to relocate its headquarters to Kigali, Rwanda. The company will establish its base within the coworking space of the Norrsken Foundation, a prominent investment fund operating across the African continent.
“Our relocation to Kigali, Rwanda marks a significant step in our journey towards a broader international footprint. We are enthusiastic about the opportunities this move brings, as it sets the stage for MPost to deliver innovative postal solutions to a wider audience,” the startup wrote on its LinkedIn page.
LemFi, a Nigerian fintech company specializing in money transfers, recently announced the suspension of its operations in Ghana. The decision follows a recent announcement by the Bank of Ghana which identified several entities operating in the country without the required licenses
In a statement issued on Monday, November 27, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reiterated its support for Ethiopia's digitization efforts. "We work in tandem with the government as the country has a national digital strategy. We work with them and then we address all of the specific requests that come to ITU and that is how we actually work in Ethiopia and the entire continent," explained Anne-Rachel Inné (pictured), ITU Regional Director for Africa.
Cameroonian e-health startup Waspito has completed a $2.5 million funding round, we learn from a LinkedIn post by founder, Jean Lobe Lobe. The funds will finance tech upgrades and expansion into new markets. "We intend to continue expanding in Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire, and launch our activities in Senegal and Gabon," explained a Waspito executive.
More...
Kenyan fish farming startup AquaRech announced last week the successful completion of a $1.7 million funding round. "The funding and partnership provided by our investors will promote the growth of our mobile-enabled platform, which is unlocking barriers faced by smallholder fish farmers and bringing the various value chain actors together while remaining farmer-centric," explained Dave Okech, who founded the startup in 2019.
Nigerian agritech startup UfarmX, announced on Tuesday, November 14 its expansion into Senegal. The operation was facilitated by a $1.7 million investment from the Senegalese subsidiary of United Bank for Africa.
Last November 2, DRC Prime Minister Sama Lukonde Kyenge officially inaugurated a data center built by Huwaei at the Ministry of Finance headquarters in the framework of a project to modernize ICT infrastructure.
The data center, financed by the Export-Import Bank of China, will centralize, merge, secure, and store the activities of the country's financial authorities.
Pan-African payments gateway MFS Africa, founded in 2009 by Dare Okoudjou (photo) and based in Johannesburg, South Africa, announced on Wednesday, November 1 its name change to Onafriq. The change comes as the firm embarks on its North American expansion after several acquisitions.
"As we embark on this next phase of our journey, we wanted a name that reflects our aspiration of wiring up the whole continent into one network of networks with pathways from and to every African and every African business," explains Dare Okoudjou.