In recent years, Kenya has established itself as a leader in digital transformation on the African continent, with one of the most dynamic ICT ecosystems in the world.
In the coming months, Kenya will establish a Centre of Excellence for digital skilling of the public workforce. Indeed, on September 4, 2023, ICT Minister Eliud Owalo (photo, center), met with a delegation from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Microsoft Corporation. During the meeting, the three parties “deliberated on the development” of that center whose aim is to equip civil servants with the digital skills required to reinforce digitization.
The center aligns with one of the objectives of Kenya’s Digital Master Plan 2022-2032. It is announced three months after the signing of a partnership between the Kenyan government and the UNDP. The partnership focuses on key areas essential to driving an inclusive digital transformation, including training and skills enhancement, data governance, e-government, jobs, and digital businesses.
Once developed, the center will improve public workers’ ability to use digital technology for the delivery of public services. The aim is to accelerate the digital transformation of the economy and significantly reduce unemployment. According to Accenture's Africa iGDP Forecast, by 2025, Kenya's digital sector will add KES 1,400 billion ($9.5 billion) or 9.24% to the country's GDP.
Samira Njoya
She left the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Pasteur to fully devote herself to her passion: fashion. Her startup is now an industry leader in the Middle East and Africa, with a presence in Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt.
Ameni Mansouri (photo) is a young Tunisian entrepreneur better known as the co-founder and CEO of Dabchy, a fashion marketplace inspired by the European platform Vinted.
With a degree in biomedical engineering and biotherapy, she left her job at Sanofi-Pasteur to devote herself to promoting fashion and creating a community of fashion enthusiasts.
In 2016, she officialized Dabchy and, currently, the company boasts over a million users in the MENA region, offering the opportunity to sell and buy new and second-hand clothes at affordable prices, while being a sort of social network encouraging interaction between users. The platform generates revenue through commissions on transactions and offers secure delivery and payment services.
Ameni Mansouri wants to make her platform the leading reference for circular fashion in the Middle East and Africa, contributing to ecological transition in the textile industry. With that purpose in mind, in August 2023, Dabchy expanded operations into Egypt, consolidating its position as a major regional fashion player.
“This expansion fills us with pride, as it symbolizes Tunisia’s influence through its young and promising startup scene. We are determined to uphold the Tunisian values that have propelled us this far: innovation, creativity, and above all, trust in our community,” said Ameni Mansouri.
Over the course of her entrepreneurial career, the latter has won several awards. In 2018, she was selected among TechWomen and her start-up was recognized as one of Africa's top 100 at the Africa Forum.
In 2019, Dabchy became the first Arab and African company to be selected by Look Forward, a French incubator specializing in technological fashion. The same year, Ameni Mansouri was named one of Forbes' "30 under 30" in the Middle East.
Melchior Koba
Cameroon's Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng, recently announced the Cameroon Digital Week.
The event, to be held in Yaoundé from October 16 to 20, aims to highlight the country’s digital ambitions for its private and public sectors.
Guinea intends to digitize its public administration, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, Ousmane Gaoual Diallo (photo, left), recently announced on social media.
According to the official, the government will invest $10 million to create a database and implement a Digital Territorial Development Plan, with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Over the years, she acquired extensive professional experience working for various marketing and consulting firms. She now heads her startup, which enables customers to conveniently save towards the purchase of expensive goods.
Juliet Shiro Njoroge (photo) is a Kenyan entrepreneur and experienced marketing professional. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor's of Law in 2016.
In 2021, she co-founded Mosmos, a goal-based savings-to-purchase platform that helps people in emerging markets buy expensive items without stressing over going into debt and even earning cash rewards for their purchase.
Through its platform, Mosmos enables its users to save to buy several items, from electronics and home appliances to decor supplies. With its flexible payment system, it allows its clients to avoid debts. It even rewards its most active and regular clients.
In March 2023, on the sidelines of International Women's Day, the company was selected to be part of the first cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders (Africa). Five months later, in August, it was selected as one of 20 African startups to take part in the fourth edition of The Future is Female Mentoring program. In the same month, it raised $66,000 from Catalytic Africa.
Throughout her career, Juliet Shiro Njoroge has held several positions in many different fields. Brand Ambassador of the YUSUDI professional skills development training program, between 2015 and 2016, she worked for Trinc Media as an account manager. In 2017, she joined the Catapult Brand Consulting agency as a digital account manager. The following year, she was hired by Ogilvy, an advertising company, as an account manager.
In 2019, she became head of marketing and key accounts at Turaco, a micro-insurance tech company. A year later, she was appointed marketing and communications consultant at BFA Global, a consulting firm specializing in financial and digital innovation. Between 2021 and 2022, she successively held the positions of Marketing Manager and Head of Partnerships and Offline Growth at Koa Technology.
Melchior Koba
In various sectors, AI is constantly pushing the boundaries of knowledge. In Africa particularly, tech entrepreneurs are leveraging it to offer tailor-made and innovative solutions to identified challenges.
Baby Cry Insights is a mobile application developed by Nigerian start-up Ubenwa. It helps parents interpret their babies’ cries.
“Ubenwa is building a diagnostic tool that understands when a baby’s cry is a cry for medical attention. [...] Ultimately, our goal is to be a translator for baby cry sounds, providing a non-invasive way to monitor medical conditions everywhere you find a baby: delivery rooms, neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, nurseries, and in the home,” explains Charles Onu, CEO and co-founder of Ubenwa.
Baby Cry Insights is available for Android and iOS devices. Using any of those versions, a user can create a profile and record the cries of the baby to be monitored. The embedded AI-powered system then analyzes the cries to pinpoint the potential triggers identified. Whether it's fear, pain, discomfort, or hunger, the user will know the baby’s sentiment at that moment and act accordingly.
Baby Cry Insights sends a "report to better understand acoustic markers such as pitch frequency and intensity, and track which soothing technique worked best for your little one,” we learn.
The application also enables a user to share a baby’s profile with a second parent or nanny to make babysitting easier. With features like routine monitoring and health information, it facilitates the monitoring of babies’ daily routines such as sleeping, eating, breastfeeding, and any disturbances in their state of health. Users can thus anticipate medical assistance and better manage their baby's state of health.
Since its launch in 2017, the startup behind the solution has raised about $2.3 million to develop its technology and support growth. The Android version of its app has been downloaded more than a thousand times.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The entrepreneurial landscape in Africa is thriving, offering startups opportunities for funding and increased visibility. Africa's Business Heroes plays a pivotal role in achieving this objective by identifying entrepreneurs and actively supporting their growth journey.
Kigali recently hosted two days of intense competition among 20 African innovators at the Africa's Business Heroes (ABH) Semi-Finals. Three female-led startups stood out among the contest’s top 10 finalists, a significant achievement for gender diversity.
The three women are Bola Bardet (pictured) from Benin, Christina Gyisun from Ghana, and Nthabiseng Mosia from South Africa. They respectively operate in the healthcare, agriculture, and energy sectors.
Bola Bardet is the CEO and Co-Founder of Susu, a startup that revolutionizes healthcare by offering healthcare packages and insurance that diaspora Africans can finance for their relatives in three African countries - Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Gabon.
Christina Gyisun is the CEO and Co-Founder of Sommalife Limited. Her company empowers smallholder farmers in Ghana through advanced software technology, connecting them to global food and cosmetic manufacturers.
Meanwhile, Nthabiseng Mosia is the CMO and Co-Founder of Easy Solar, a startup that provides financing for high-quality solar systems and appliances to those without grid access, with flexible payment options. Mosia operates Easy Solar in Sierra Leone.
These women join other finalists from Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa, spanning diverse industries.
The top 10 finalists will compete for a share of $1.5 million at the ABH Grand Finale in Kigali in November. The winner gets $300,000, the first runner-up $250,000, and the second runner-up $150,000. The remaining seven finalists will each receive $100,000, with $100,000 for additional training programs.
Africa's Business Heroes (ABH) is the Jack Ma Foundation's program that aims to nurture African entrepreneurs. Launched in 2019, it identifies, trains, and provides grants to outstanding African entrepreneurs. Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba Group and the Jack Ma Foundation, created the initiative after witnessing Africa's entrepreneurial potential during his 2017 visit.
“At ABH, we have long recognized the potential of entrepreneurs as engines of economic and social growth. Now in the fifth year of the competition, we are encouraged to see that ABH has grown into a truly pan-African initiative that is positively impacting the continent’s entrepreneurship landscape,” said Zahra Baitie-Boateng, ABH head of partnerships and programs.
As the ABH Grand Finale approaches, the world eagerly awaits the impactful solutions and innovative visions these finalists will present, shaping a brighter, more inclusive African business landscape.
Hikmatu Bilali
TOogueda strives towards the creation of an entrepreneurial ecosystem conducive to growth in Guinea. It supports the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs, therefore contributing to the creation of added-value and decent jobs as well as wealth generation.
TOogueda is a platform focused on the development of start-ups, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Guinea. Founded in 2018, it is led by Fanta Diaby Sidimé, a Guinean-born investor and entrepreneur. It supports entrepreneurs, which boosts the real economy, to help foster the sustainable growth of their businesses through innovation.
The organization offers a range of solutions to support business growth. These include acceleration programs such as Boost, which helps entrepreneurs structure and solidify their business models, and facilitates networking. This program has already supported 53 companies and is currently monitoring 10 entrepreneurs.
TOogueda also facilitates access to business financing. In partnership with financing players both within and outside Guinea, it offers tailored solutions such as grants, recoverable advances, or simple loans. To date, it has financed over 100 companies in sectors like technology and the digital, the cultural industry, crafts, tourism, and catering, among others.
The organization has set up a platform, called NOos, for the companies it supports. This platform is structured as a community of creators and entrepreneurs from various sectors of the Guinean economy, offering an environment and essential resources to guide its members towards success.
It also provides entrepreneurs and business leaders with coworking services, individual offices, brainstorming or meeting rooms, and even relaxation areas to boost productivity. TOogueda also offers event space for conferences, workshops, exhibitions, presentations, seminars, and networking evenings.
Melchior Koba
Upon returning to her native Ethiopia after her engineering studies in India, Samrawit Tarekegn discovered the challenges faced by women who were passionate about their careers but still needed to take care of their children. She then decided to set up what she describes as "The Uber for Nannies" to address those challenges.
Mogzit In-Home Care is a technological solution developed by an Ethiopian start-up. It connects nannies with parents looking for people who will look after their children. The Addis Ababa-based start-up behind the app was founded in 2021 by Samrawit Tarekegn, Tigist Alene, Rahel Tarekegn, and Biniam Asnake. It aims to provide “flexible and convenient home service [...] at an affordable cost.” Its nannies are trained to, among other things, prepare meals, help with homework, tidy up children's areas, or administer medication with parental consent.
“As the youngest child in my family, I witnessed my older sisters, who are married and passionate about their careers, struggling to find reliable and consistent childcare when they returned to work after giving birth. [...] One of my sisters was forced to leave her child with neighbors whenever she went to work,” explains Samrawit Tarekegn, the originator of the Mogzit In-Home Care idea.
For the time being, the startup has no mobile app for its solution. Users must therefore access its services through its web platform. They can browse the profiles of the over 350 nannies listed on Mogzit In-Home Care. To book one, a user needs to press the "Book a Nanny" button and click on the profile of one of the many nannies on the page. They then click on the "See details" button to see all the information on the chosen nanny. This includes name, surname, age, languages spoken, neighborhood, rates, etc.
If the user validates the profile, he or she can go ahead and book the nanny. Then, the user needs to provide all their information on the platform, including the number of children to be looked after and their place of residence. "Following the booking, our team arranges an in-person or virtual interview in our presence to go over the needs of the parent as well as the services to be provided by the nanny. If an agreement is reached, a legal contract is signed between the two," says Samrawit Tarekegn.
In addition to the on-demand nanny service, the startup also offers on-demand cooks, tutors, and housekeepers services. It wants to introduce other profiles to provide even more comprehensive services.
"Currently, Mogzit is actively registering college graduates in Clinical Nursing, Social Work, and Psychology onto our platform, thereby expanding our workforce. Such graduates can come aboard Mogzit if they meet the criteria," said Samrawit Tarekegn.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The debate on the impact of artificial intelligence on development in Africa gathered pace late last year. The opportunities and threats it represents are now being scrutinized by experts and organizations.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a formidable asset for international peace and security, according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The UN body supports this position given the rapid pace at which conflicts are evolving, and the vast amount of data generated, which human beings are unable to process efficiently for effective decision-making processes.
The UNDP believes that "artificial intelligence can help us understand and even anticipate the onset and evolution of a crisis." But it must be combined with a human touch. Indeed, the international body is certain that Human-in-the-loop AI (HITL) –a process that combines the power of machine learning with human intelligence to solve complex problems– can improve data analysis in radically changing circumstances.
In Africa, where social networks have become privileged tools of expression, and where misinformation and hate speech are on the rise, as is communication from extremist groups, AI will help enhance watchfulness. Especially on platforms such as "Facebook and Twitter, which have been unwilling or unable to address these fundamental vulnerabilities," says the UNDP.
"These companies are often unable to consider the cross-platform impacts of their policies and user behaviors. They lack the resources (and internal incentives) to understand the impact of technology in a non-Western context and, to date, have been unwilling to share the metrics needed to properly assess the effects of their policies and interventions," laments the organization in the August 2023 issue of its "Development Futures Series".
After the start of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict on February 24, 2022, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook were actively used to report on events in real-time. They were also used as “weapons” to influence and shape opinions online. However, they have also proved useful for studying many aspects of the conflict, such as attacks on health facilities, minefields, and the use of banned weapons systems (e.g. cluster munitions).
For the UNDP, artificial intelligence systems can be tested within the UN, in a small number of country offices, or in other field operations to meet the needs of each context. The initial objective could be to expand prevention efforts in places where tensions are rising or to identify disinformation campaigns targeting humanitarian personnel. These tests could lead to the creation of a cutting-edge global platform for sharing artificial intelligence tools, tags, models, and algorithms.
Muriel Edjo
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Last May, the government imposed new taxes aimed at increasing national revenues and reducing the budget deficit, in response to the current cash crunch.
The Blockchain Association of Kenya (BAK) announced on Friday, September 1, that it had officially filed a petition, in the High Court of Kenya, challenging the implementation of the Digital Asset Tax (DAT) introduced by the Finance Act 2023.
The new regulations, which came into force on September 1, impose a 3% tax on revenues generated by the transfer or exchange of digital assets in the country.
"Our petition aims to address concerns about the DAT’s impact on both our industry and the broader economy. Enforcement of this harsh DAT could potentially lead to adverse effects on the industry’s growth and innovation. The core focus of the petition is to thoroughly examine the legal and constitutional dimensions surrounding the imposition of this tax on digital assets. The matter will be mentioned before the court on September 28, 2023," states a BAK press release.
The petition introduced by the BAK comes a few months after a press release issued by the same organization, in which it set out seven reasons for opposing the digital asset tax. Among other things, BAK criticized the unclear classification of digital assets, the ambiguity surrounding transfers of digital assets, and the failure to take into account loss-making transactions.
According to Allan Kakai, BAK's legal and policy director, DAT was introduced as an income tax, but it is taxed on the gross value of the asset, not on gains and profits. This means that those in a loss-making position will still pay the tax.
The new tax regulations also require crypto exchanges, as well as those facilitating the exchange or transfer of digital assets, to retain tax deductions, and transmit them to the country's tax authority within 24 hours of the transaction.
For BAK, the government should review the texts, hence the request. Kenya is ranked 5th worldwide for peer-to-peer crypto transactions and 19th for cryptocurrency adoption, according to the Chainalysis 2022 report.
Samira Njoya
In Tunisia, legal actions will be taken against those who publish fake news on the Internet, the Ministries of Justice, the Interior, and Information Technology announced in a joint press release issued last August 23. The aim is to combat social media crimes and to dissuade the authors of fake news. "Anyone who contributes to or participates in the publication of a website or page subject to judicial control, in any way whatsoever, inside or outside Tunisian territory, is exposed," reads the press release.
Broadband Internet service provider Starlink has expressed its interest in conquering the African market by 2024. So far, the company has launched operations in five countries on the continent and is looking to do the same in Zimbabwe with plans to extend its reach to 23 African markets.
Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, will have to comply with applicable regulations if it is to operate in Zimbabwe. The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) recently issued a warning to users and resellers cautioning them against using unlicensed operators and internet service providers based abroad.
According to the telecoms regulator, to launch operations in the country, Starlink can either apply for a license or partner with a local company registered as a public network operator. In this case, "the Satellite Operator and the local network Operator enter a Virtual Network Operator (VNO) agreement, that must be approved by the authority, to ensure that the public network operator meets legal and regulatory requirements stipulated in the license," POTRAZ wrote in a public notice.
In December 2022, Starlink announced the launch of its activities in Zimbabwe. On its website, Starlink indicated it was planning to start serving the region in the fourth quarter of 2023. So, for the regulator, if this timetable remains unchanged, the company should have submitted a license application by now.
Starlink's arrival in Zimbabwe is expected to boost the digital sector and provide high-speed Internet connection to the population, who constantly complain about the poor quality and high cost of Internet in the country.
Samira Njoya
Public service digitization is one of the goals that Nigeria has set its sights on in line with its digital economy development strategy. All Nigerian States have been working towards achieving that goal, to provide the people access to digital public services.
Edo State has fully digitized its administration, thus becoming the first State to do so in Nigeria. Godwin Obaseki (photo), Governor of Edo, recently broke the news to the State’s Assembly, urging them to follow the movement.
“Around six million documents have been digitally archived and the aim is for state operations, including interfacing with the public, to be launched and completed online,” said Obaseki.
“In the area of digitization, one of the conversations we'll have with you in a few weeks will be to ask what the legislative arm of this administration is doing in terms of digitizing the legislature. The executive branch is already wrapping up the digitization process,” he added.
The Federal government started the digitization of the Nigerian administration some years ago, and in January 2022, the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, declared that the government had taken steps through the National Policy for a Digital Nigeria to ensure migration to paperless government by 2030.
Edo State, by taking the lead ahead of the country’s other states, hopes to become Nigeria’s digital hub. To this end, the State’s administration has been equipped with over 5,000 computers and fiber-optic connections have been installed in all government offices. It also plans to train its executives in digital skills.
Transitioning to the digital will make Edo’s administration faster, both relative to procedures and decision-making.
Samira Njoya