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SONABEL launched an online e-recruitment platform to modernize hiring and eliminate manual applications.
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The tool centralizes the full hiring cycle and aims to boost transparency, efficiency and equal opportunity.
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The platform raises cybersecurity concerns as public institutions face increasing digital attacks.
Burkina Faso has launched a broad plan to digitize public services. Public institutions continue to deploy digital platforms to simplify and secure administrative procedures.
The National Electricity Company of Burkina Faso (SONABEL) launched a new online e-recruitment platform on Tuesday, November 11, in Ouagadougou as part of its digital transition. The company designed the platform, named E-recrutement, to make hiring more transparent, faster and fairer by modernizing traditional methods and easing access to job offers at the state-owned utility.
The platform, available at recrutements.sonabel.bf, centralizes, automates and secures the entire recruitment cycle, from job posting to candidate selection. It replaces physical submissions and manual processing and offers each candidate a personal account and notifications throughout the application process.
Company officials said the system “saves considerable time, optimizes resource use and increases the visibility of job postings,” enabling SONABEL to attract more qualified profiles.
The initiative forms part of Burkina Faso’s wider digital public-service reform, as institutions seek to modernize operations, strengthen transparency and improve administrative performance. SONABEL had already introduced a platform for processing technical files and an e-counter for administrative procedures. The new recruitment tool expands the company’s portfolio of digital services.
The digital system aims to reinforce fairness and transparency in hiring by offering equal access to opportunities for all candidates. It also intends to streamline procedures by reducing processing times and centralizing data on a single interface.
However, the rollout raises cybersecurity challenges related to personal-data protection and authentication reliability. As cyberattacks against public institutions increase, authorities must secure data and deploy robust control mechanisms to safeguard the integrity of the recruitment process and maintain user trust.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
- Burundi validated its first National Data Governance Strategy (SNGD) to regulate data collection, management, sharing and valorisation.
- The strategy includes seven structural pillars, from legal frameworks and infrastructure to personal data protection and innovation.
- The plan aligns with Burundi’s Vision 2040–2060 and follows its 2023 adoption of the IMF’s Enhanced General Data Dissemination System.
Burundi moved to strengthen control over its data ecosystem at a time when data increasingly drives public policy and economic decision-making. The government aims to guarantee the security and valorisation of national data assets.
The country officially validated its first National Data Governance Strategy (SNGD) last week. The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) co-led the document through its Data Governance in Africa initiative. The strategy seeks to regulate the collection, management, sharing and valorisation of data generated by the state, businesses and citizens.
The strategy rests on seven structural pillars: governance and leadership; legal and regulatory frameworks; data management, access and interoperability; infrastructure and sharing; security and personal data protection; capacity-building and data culture; and the data economy and innovation.
The government committed to developing a legal framework aligned with international standards, modernising digital infrastructures, promoting local skills and treating data as a public good.
Authorities involved more than 60 national institutions from public, private, academic and civil society sectors in the strategy’s design.
The validation of the SNGD aligns with Burundi’s Vision 2040–2060 and with the African Union’s continental data policy.
After adopting the IMF’s Enhanced General Data Dissemination System (EGDDS) in 2023, Burundi reaffirmed its ambition to modernise its information systems and increase the reliability of public statistics.
Officials expect the implementation of the SNGD to make public administration more efficient, improve transparency, and enhance the quality of public policies.
The strategy aims to stimulate digital innovation and job creation in the data sector and to build a sovereign and inclusive data governance model capable of attracting investment and reinforcing Burundi’s digital resilience.
This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
- The Startup Act aims to ease company creation and support youth employment
- The law includes a national fund of funds, a startup label, and fiscal incentives
- It is part of Vision Djibouti 2035 to build a stronger digital economy
Minister Delegate for the Digital Economy and Innovation Mariam Hamadou Ali (photo, right) presented the “Startup Act Djibouti” bill to the National Assembly on Sunday, November 9. The bill aims to make it easier to create technology companies and encourage youth employment. After extensive discussions, it received a favorable opinion and proposed amendments for review in a plenary session.
The “Startup Act Djibouti” includes several measures to support entrepreneurs and attract investors. It introduces the “Djibouti Startup” label to identify and promote young innovative companies, offering fiscal and financial incentives tailored to their needs.
The law also proposes a national fund of funds to strengthen venture capital and make financing more accessible to start-ups, along with a simplified customs window for technology companies. It also includes a “Startup Visa” to attract international talent and a unified digital platform, “Djibouti Startup,” which will serve as a support and monitoring portal for all start-ups in the country.
The bill aligns with Vision Djibouti 2035, which places innovation and digital transformation at the center of national strategy. It comes at a time when start-ups are growing rapidly but still face challenges in support and financing. It reflects the government’s plan to make Djibouti a regional entrepreneurship hub and unlock the creative potential of its youth.
Once adopted, the law will be followed by implementing decrees detailing practical measures, including label allocation, fund management, and visa eligibility requirements. For Minister Mariam Hamadou Ali, this law goes beyond a regulatory framework and represents a strong signal to young entrepreneurs and investors.
- The federal government deploys 1Gov ECM to digitize internal procedures
- The platform enables workflow automation, unified document management, and e-signatures
- The system supports Nigeria’s goal of a paperless government by the end of 2025
The federal government of Nigeria announced on Monday, November 10, the launch of the “1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM)” platform to modernize document management and digitize internal processes across the public service. The initiative, led by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and state-owned Galaxy Backbone Limited, aims to make the administration more efficient, transparent, and aligned with national digital sovereignty goals.
According to Didi Esther Walson-Jack (photo, left), Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the rollout marks a decisive turning point for Nigeria’s public administration. She said the move toward a digital platform aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP), which seeks to build a knowledge-based administration driven by data-focused decision-making.
The ECM system supports workflow automation, unified document management, and the adoption of electronic signatures. It replaces physical files with a secure digital environment hosted on the 1Gov Cloud, Nigeria’s sovereign infrastructure. According to official sources, more than 59,000 official email accounts have already been created.
For Galaxy Backbone Limited, the launch of the 1Gov ECM platform brings Nigeria closer to its goal of operating a fully paperless government by the end of 2025. The solution will centralize and secure government documents, automate workflows, and reduce reliance on physical records.
In a country with an online administration development index of 0.4815, ranked 144th out of 193 according to the United Nations, the system represents a major step toward modernizing public services, strengthening transparency, and improving access to digital public services for citizens.
- PortailBac centralizes registrations, online payments, and data for exams
- The platform supports automated processing and real-time, integrated management
- It aligns with Senegal’s New Deal Technologique for a fully digital education system
Senegal is advancing the digitization of its education administration with the launch on November 11 of PortailBac, a digital platform dedicated to the centralized management of the baccalaureate and the Concours général. The tool centralizes registrations, online payments, file tracking, and the production of official statistics.
“PortailBac is not only a technical tool, but a gateway that brings together the actors in the education system around a modernized and secure mission to streamline the procedures linked to the organization of the baccalaureate and the Concours général,” said Abdoul Aziz Diouf, director general of Higher Education at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation.
Developed by the Office du baccalauréat in partnership with the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD), PortailBac enables automated registrations, centralized data collection and processing, and a major reduction in human error. The tool, which is interoperable with other public systems such as Campusen, offers integrated, real-time management of applications. Officials say it will help produce reliable statistics essential for planning in the education sector.
This launch is part of the New Deal Technologique, Senegal’s national digital transformation strategy, and continues modernization efforts undertaken in recent years, including the abandonment of USB drives, the digitization of labels, and the electronic archiving of transcripts, introduced as early as 2006.
By strengthening the traceability of procedures and the reliability of data, PortailBac is expected to transform the management of national exams. Beyond administrative simplification, the platform paves the way for more effective education governance built on updated, actionable data. It also marks a key step toward an integrated digital education ecosystem, where institutions, teachers, and students interact through connected and secure tools.
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Kidolé, founded in 2024 in Lomé, offers a web platform for managing and booking out-of-home (OOH) advertising in Africa.
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The platform integrates real-time analytics—such as occupancy rates, pricing trends, and site performance—to optimize ad investments.
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Kidolé aims to digitalize and automate Africa’s fragmented OOH advertising market to boost transparency and efficiency.
Togolese startup Kidolé seeks to become a continental leader in digital out-of-home (OOH) advertising management. The company, based in Lomé, was founded in 2024 by Edem Fiadjoe and Koami Rummenigge Aziabou with the ambition to modernize how outdoor media campaigns are planned and executed across Africa.
The web-based platform offers users a 24/7 interactive map listing available ad spaces—from billboards and posters to building façades. Users can filter options by city, media type, budget, or audience profile. Once selected, advertising spots can be booked and paid for directly online.
Kidolé distinguishes itself by integrating real-time analytics that track occupancy rates, pricing dynamics, and performance indicators. This data-driven approach allows advertisers, agencies, and media operators to optimize campaign spending and improve return on investment.
The platform provides a centralized dashboard where users can plan, track, and analyze campaigns in one place, reducing operational friction in a market still dominated by manual workflows.
Africa’s OOH sector faces long-standing challenges, including manual processes and limited performance measurement tools. Kidolé addresses these gaps by automating and centralizing media management.
By standardizing ad space management and improving inventory visibility, the startup fosters new synergies between physical and digital media. Future updates could include IoT-enabled signage, multi-channel campaign integration, and audience sensors to further enhance campaign insights.
However, maintaining data reliability and service quality while scaling its geographical coverage and inventory base will be among Kidolé’s key operational challenges.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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Badger Analytics, founded in March 2025, uses satellite and drone imagery to create color-coded crop health maps.
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The platform helps farmers identify high- and low-performance areas to guide precise interventions.
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Khanya Nyawo also heads Premier Agric, a consultancy promoting productivity and sustainable farming practices.
South African tech entrepreneur Khanya Nyawo is leveraging visual data analytics to make crop management simpler and more efficient. As the founder of Badger Analytics, he has developed a digital platform that helps farmers monitor and understand crop health through imagery-based data.
Founded in March 2025, Badger Analytics automatically collects data from satellite and drone images. The system cleans and processes this data to generate color-coded crop health maps, enabling farmers to quickly spot areas performing well and those needing intervention.
The results are displayed on an interactive dashboard designed for on-field use. Farmers can view the condition of their plots at a glance and convert complex datasets into practical, daily insights—without requiring technical expertise.
The platform targets commercial and smallholder farms that want to track crop health across seasons and optimize interventions based on measurable indicators. It caters to both producers seeking a comprehensive overview and managers aiming for data-driven decision-making.
Alongside Badger Analytics, Nyawo serves as managing director of Premier Agric, an agribusiness consultancy offering support in crop management, product development, training, and agricultural insurance. The firm focuses on boosting productivity, reducing costs, and promoting sustainable practices across Africa’s farming ecosystem.
Before this, Nyawo led Khathom Agriculture between 2016 and 2020, a company dedicated to agricultural advisory services and farmer empowerment in Southern Africa.
A graduate of Cedara College of Agriculture in South Africa (class of 2013), Nyawo has built his career around integrating technology and agronomy to empower African farmers through innovation and accessibility.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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AgriLogiq, founded in 2020, develops predictive automation systems for greenhouse and tunnel farming.
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The company integrates climate, irrigation, and fertilization controls driven by real-time data analytics.
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Joel van der Schyff combines engineering and technology to enhance resource efficiency and crop yields.
South African entrepreneur Joel van der Schyff is transforming how producers manage greenhouse crops by placing data at the core of agricultural operations. As co-founder, CEO, and head of growth at AgriLogiq, he merges engineering expertise with technological innovation to optimize controlled-environment farming.
Founded in 2020, AgriLogiq designs predictive automation systems for greenhouses and tunnels. These systems help farmers boost yields while optimizing water, energy, and input use.
AgriLogiq’s integrated solutions combine climate, irrigation, and fertilization controls, all powered by data analysis to adjust growing conditions in real time. The company connects farmers to their operations via a comprehensive digital platform that links sensors, hardware, and automation software.
By collecting, processing, and interpreting data, AgriLogiq enables growers to improve precision and efficiency in every stage of protected cultivation.
Before founding AgriLogiq, van der Schyff co-founded Machman in 2011, a firm that provided manufacturing improvement solutions for the agro-processing sector. He served as sales and finance director until 2017.
He later joined LLB Innovative Foods in 2019 as operations director, and became project and third-party distribution manager in 2020. Between 2021 and 2024, he was also a shareholder at TS Tec, a provider of IT security and support services.
Van der Schyff earned a mechanical and electrical engineering diploma from Northlink College in 2011 and an MBA in operations management from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business in 2018.
Through AgriLogiq, he aims to make data-driven agriculture accessible to a wider range of producers in Africa, helping them balance productivity, sustainability, and profitability in a changing climate.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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Juicyway enables users to send, receive, and hold multiple foreign currencies on one platform.
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The fintech claims over $1 billion in transaction volume and more than 12,000 business clients.
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It integrates fiat and stablecoin infrastructure to simplify cross-border payments.
Juicyway, a Nigeria-based fintech startup, aims to establish itself as a leading payment platform by enabling individuals and businesses to send, receive, and store foreign currencies through a single interface.
Founded in 2021 by Ife Johnson, Justin Ziegler, and Idris Ibrahim, Juicyway addresses common constraints across African markets, including limited access to U.S. dollar liquidity, unfavorable exchange rates, and lengthy international payment delays.
The platform offers a mobile app available on iOS and Android, which has already surpassed 10,000 downloads, according to Play Store data.
Juicyway allows users to open multi-currency accounts—including the naira, U.S. dollar, Canadian dollar, British pound, and euro—as well as cryptocurrency wallets. Customers can receive international payments directly into their own U.S. or Canadian dollar accounts, simplifying invoicing for overseas transactions.
The app also supports sending funds and converting currencies at competitive rates within the same ecosystem.
“We identified a clear gap for a B2B-focused payment and exchange platform capable of offering U.S. dollar accounts in company names for international receivables, providing competitive FX conversions through regulated liquidity providers, and enabling instant settlements via stablecoins and fiat rails,” said Ife Johnson in an interview with Disrupt Africa.
Juicyway differentiates itself through the integration of payment, foreign exchange, and stablecoin infrastructures, designed to streamline international settlements.
The company claims to have processed over $1 billion in transaction volume and serves a growing client base exceeding 12,000 enterprises.
With its unified approach to currency management and international transactions, Juicyway positions itself as a single gateway for cross-border payments, foreign currency reception, and multi-currency account management.
The startup’s expansion underscores Africa’s accelerating shift toward digital finance solutions and its increasing reliance on fintech innovation to overcome currency and liquidity challenges.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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Founder and CEO of HyperTech Niger, a digital solutions and electronics firm
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Company develops tools such as Success System and Hypertrack for businesses
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Aims to support Niger’s digital transformation and local tech ecosystem
Mahamadou Abdoul Hairou Djibo is a Nigerien entrepreneur and the founder and director of HyperTech Niger, a company specializing in the sale of electronic devices and the delivery of digital solutions.
Founded in 2023, HyperTech Niger positions itself as a technology partner supporting the country’s digital development. The company offers modern electronic products and digital services tailored to the needs of both individuals and businesses.
Among its flagship products is Success System, a web application that streamlines commercial operations. It provides an interface for managing transaction vouchers and helps improve the processing of business exchanges.
HyperTech Niger has also developed Hypertrack, a geolocation solution designed for Niger’s local context. Aimed at both companies and individuals, the platform enables real-time tracking and management of equipment or vehicles. It is compatible with various devices—including phones, motorcycles, tricycles, cars, and trucks—and centralizes monitoring through an intuitive interface.
Mahamadou Abdoul Hairou Djibo holds a professional bachelor’s degree in electronics, electrotechnics, and automation from the Private University of Sousse in Tunisia. From 2022 to 2024, he served as director of Saratech Niger, an organization dedicated to promoting practical STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education among children, students, and young professionals.
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Initiative aims to integrate Beninese languages into artificial intelligence
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Citizens can record voice samples to train AI models on local languages
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Project supports Benin’s national AI and big data strategy adopted in 2023
The Beninese government officially launched the “JaimeMaLangue” project on November 10 in Cotonou, an innovative initiative designed to integrate local languages into the artificial intelligence ecosystem. Led by the Agency for Information Systems and Digital Technology (ASIN) in partnership with the IIDiA Institute, the project combines culture and technology to promote linguistic inclusion.
Launched under the theme “Benin Speaks to the Future,” the initiative marks the beginning of a nationwide voice collection campaign. Citizens are invited to participate via the platform jaimemalangue.bj, where they can record sentences in their mother tongue. These recordings, validated by a committee of experts, will form a national database to train AI models capable of understanding and reproducing local languages. The pilot phase begins with Fongbé and will later expand to other languages such as Yoruba and Baatonu.
This national initiative is part of the National Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Strategy adopted in January 2023. Its goal is to leverage AI’s potential in sectors such as education, health, agriculture, and tourism, while positioning Benin as a key AI player in West Africa.
Beyond technological innovation, “JaimeMaLangue” reflects Benin’s ambition to be among the African pioneers in promoting an inclusive and culturally grounded digital environment. The project follows several recent initiatives, including the launch of the Beninese Languages Dictionary in July, illustrating the convergence between cultural identity and digital transformation.
By developing AI capable of understanding local languages, Benin aims not only to strengthen citizen participation but also to make digital services more accessible to all, regardless of the language spoken.
- Cookeza, a Togolese foodtech startup founded in 2024, sells ready-to-cook meal kits made from 100% local ingredients.
- The platform partners directly with local farmers to ensure freshness and support the national agri-food value chain.
- The company plans to expand across West Africa and diversify distribution through subscriptions and supermarkets.
Cookeza, a Lomé-based startup, aims to redefine convenience cooking in Togo by offering online ready-to-cook food kits featuring locally sourced ingredients. The company targets busy urban consumers who want quick meals without losing touch with traditional African flavors.
Founded in 2024 by Duphanie Amadou, Cookeza operates an e-commerce platform that sells boxes containing washed, chopped, and seasoned ingredients for authentic African dishes. Customers receive recipe cards and can order delivery to their homes or pick-up points.
“Cookeza was born from a simple observation: modern African families lack time to cook but don’t want to sacrifice quality or forget their culinary roots,” the company states on its website. “We work directly with local producers to ensure freshness and quality while supporting the local economy.”
The platform integrates e-commerce and urban logistics to shorten cooking time. Through its website, users can browse meal kits—such as traditional Togolese recipes—and order online. Each pack includes all necessary ingredients sourced from nearby farmers, ensuring both freshness and traceability.
Cookeza’s model benefits not only consumers but also Togo’s agricultural value chain. By prioritizing local sourcing, the company strengthens ties between food producers and urban markets, offering farmers a steady outlet for their produce.
Although Cookeza has not yet launched a mobile app, customers can order directly via web browsers. The company also offers subscription packages for restaurants, corporate canteens, and households, including a monthly plan priced at CFA40,000 (about $70.70).
With around 20 available recipes, Cookeza plans to expand its offerings and distribution channels. Future goals include partnerships with supermarkets and regional expansion into West Africa.
The startup faces challenges typical of the sector: maintaining quality at scale, optimizing delivery logistics, and competing with fast-food chains and ready-made meal providers. However, its focus on authentic African cuisine and local supply chains could help it secure a strong niche in the growing African foodtech market.
This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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LooseChange, founded in 2019 by Michael Okoye, enables small businesses to accept digital payments directly from smartphones without extra hardware.
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The platform centralizes billing, customer data, and accounting to simplify daily financial management.
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Okoye aims to make LooseChange a one-stop digital tool for SMEs to track sales, manage receivables, and generate financial reports.
Nigerian entrepreneur Michael Okoye is reshaping how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) record and collect payments through LooseChange, a fintech startup that turns smartphones into payment terminals.
Okoye, who serves as founder and CEO, launched the company in 2019 to help business owners manage transactions, invoices, and customer data from a single interface.
LooseChange’s technology allows merchants to accept digital payments, issue invoices, and maintain simplified accounting records using only a smartphone—eliminating the need for traditional point-of-sale terminals.
The solution consolidates financial operations and automates processes such as invoice generation, receipts, and transaction tracking. By doing so, the platform reduces equipment costs, enhances payment traceability, and improves cash flow management for small businesses.
LooseChange’s system integrates sales tracking, receivable management, and financial reporting across all payment methods. The platform positions itself as a digital one-stop shop for business operations, helping SMEs move toward financial transparency and efficiency.
Okoye’s approach reflects a broader trend in Africa’s fintech ecosystem, where startups increasingly focus on low-cost, mobile-first payment solutions to serve the continent’s vast informal and small-business sectors.
Beyond fintech, Michael Okoye sits on the board of the Nur Outreach Programme for Drugs Education & Reintegration, a Nigerian nonprofit focused on drug prevention and mental health care.
A graduate of Caritas University with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering, Okoye began his career in 2012 as executive development manager at Pyrich Group, a software and IT consulting firm.
In 2015, he joined Topaz ICT Solutions as business development manager, a position he held until 2019. He also served as programs head at the National Youth Council of Nigeria in 2018, reflecting his growing involvement in youth and technology initiatives.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
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Founded in 2023, Juboo automates financial reconciliation across banks, mobile money, and accounting systems.
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The AI-powered platform uses OCR and machine learning to detect and match transactions from multiple data sources.
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Co-founder Tanoor Dieng also leads Baamtu Technologies, a Senegalese firm specializing in AI and enterprise software.
Senegalese entrepreneur Tanoor Dieng is addressing a critical yet often overlooked aspect of business finance—data reconciliation. His company Juboo provides an automated platform that enhances transparency in financial operations and strengthens corporate financial management.
Dieng, a trained computer scientist, co-founded Juboo in 2023 and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. The platform enables companies to maintain control over their financial flows by automatically reconciling data from multiple sources, including banks, mobile money operators, and accounting ledgers.
Juboo uses artificial intelligence to extract and compare transaction data from PDF files, bank statement images, and accounting logs. Through optical character recognition (OCR) and computer vision, the platform processes and matches records without manual input.
The system’s machine learning algorithms can identify discrepancies and associate corresponding transactions even when identifiers differ across systems, ensuring consistency and reliability in financial reporting.
Juboo integrates with various financial partners and adapts to each company’s technological setup. Its core users include finance, accounting, and operations departments that handle multichannel transaction flows and require accurate reconciliations between internal systems, banks, and payment providers.
By automating these tasks, the platform reduces human error, saves time, and provides real-time visibility into financial discrepancies—benefits increasingly valuable to African businesses managing diverse payment ecosystems.
Beyond Juboo, Tanoor Dieng serves as Co-founder and Product Director at Baamtu Technologies, a Senegal-based firm specializing in information systems, data science, and artificial intelligence.
Founded in 2008, Baamtu supports organizations in deploying enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and executing digital transformation initiatives across multiple sectors.
Dieng’s career reflects a consistent commitment to building African technology solutions that improve operational efficiency and promote digital sovereignty.
Dieng earned a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Caen Normandy in 2003 and obtained a postgraduate degree in algorithmics and artificial intelligence in 2004. His expertise in AI has guided his mission to leverage automation for financial and business process optimization in Africa.
This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum