Moove is an African mobility fintech that is democratizing vehicle ownership by providing revenue-based vehicle financing to mobility entrepreneurs across Africa, where limited access to vehicle financing has resulted in the lowest per capita car ownership in the world. The company is Uber’s exclusive vehicle financing and vehicle supply partner in sub-Saharan Africa.
South African mining technology platform Dwyka Mining Services will help Canadian mining firm Trevali roll out the smart mobile scanning unit Hovermap in its mines. That move aims to improve the localization, visualization, and mapping of mining assets and related infrastructure using detection scanners and lightwave telemetry, which will help reduce costs and improve the quality of Trevali’s services.
“Traditionally, [Trevali’s] scanning methodologies were quite time-consuming, and coming into the Trevali operating team was quite a shift to what was done in the past,” comments Jamie van Schoor, Dwycka’s MD.
Hovermap is essential for Trevali’s project to realize the digital twins of its mining asset and infrastructures since it helps scan and compile 3D models. For some time now, the Canadian firm has been modernizing its mines in Africa. For instance, in Namibia, it uses the Slim Gyro system to inspect drill holes at the Rosh Pinah mine. According to Gerhard Louw, Chief Surveyor of Rosh Pinah Zinc Corporation, Slim Gyro significantly improved production strategies and results.
In the same vein, with Hovermap, Trevali wants to apply a standardized method and collect important data-driven information. As it explains, by automating physical processes, digitizing assets, and improving mining processes it ultimately intends to consolidate its status as one of the renowned mining firms.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
With Covid-19, the retail e-commerce market is booming in Africa. Noticing the developing trend, many international players are positioning themselves to meet the needs of clients who are increasingly attracted by the prospect of remotely buying what they need.
Buying online and getting your package delivered to your doorstep, at a drop-off or pick-up point is now possible in Morocco, Kenya, and Nigeria with United Parcel Service (UPS). On Monday, April 4, the US parcel delivery firm announced a partnership agreement with Jumia in that regard.
In the framework of the agreement, UPS will capitalize on Jumia’s e-commerce logistics assets to develop its delivery service and strengthen its presence in Africa. It will also offer clients several payment options including mobile money.
“At the beginning of our journey (launch of the e-commerce platform), 10 years ago, logistics infrastructure was one of the most challenging aspects of our operating environment. This challenge was a catalyst for us to build an unparalleled logistics platform in Africa, offering our sellers and consumers reliable, convenient and cost-effective delivery services. (...) Today, we are helping other businesses overcome these infrastructure challenges by giving them access to our logistics platform,” said Apoorva Kumar, Jumia's senior vice president for logistics.
According to Jumia, after Morocco, Kenya, and Nigeria, the partnership with UPS will extend to Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and all the remaining African countries where it is present. For Apoorva Kumar, it is the opportunity to build “a world-class logistics business in Africa.”
Due to the coronavirus pandemic that began in 2020, urban populations’ consumption habits are changing in Africa. As a result, the parcel delivery sector is growing as much. In its Postal Economic Outlook 2021, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) reports that domestic parcel volume grew by 6.1% in 2020. International parcel volume on the other hand declined by 24.8% due to temporary air transport restrictions.
Muriel Edjo
In July 2018, a diabetes management app entered the Nigerian tech ecosystem with the ultimate mission to educate the population and “reduce the prevalence of diabetes.” Diabetes is not a death sentence, its creator Diekola Sulu (photo) told Ventures Africa.
At age 26, in 2006, Diekola Sulu was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. At the time, he was careless with his lifestyle and had limited information about his disease. He kept his carefree attitude until his condition worsened. Then he started educating himself on his condition. Thanks to the information he got, he realized his disease was not a death sentence, it could be managed.
The realization gave him a new goal: to educate people and help those suffering from diabetes better take care of themselves.
Before founding Self Healthcare Empowerment Initiative (SHEI) he lived in the UK where he acquired a wealth of information on diabetes. He later relocated to Qatar where he worked with the government to deliver healthcare programs. In 2015, he helped the Qatari government develop a National Diabetes program. During his professional career, he discovered that both the Middle East and his native country, Nigeria, had the same problem, namely a lack of education and information about the right tools to manage diabetes.
In 2016, he decided to launch SHEI to raise awareness about the disease. However, realizing that on-the-ground activities were not reaching a larger audience, he decided to use technology to address the problem. “(...) Then we realized that we were not reaching as many people as we wanted because we were limited to only the people we could see. So we sat down and thought about a better way, and the best way was to go through tech,” he recounts. So, in July 2018, he self-funded the launch of ManageAm, a mobile app, with some strategic partners.
With diabetes management requiring a lot of effort between balancing routines, tracking blood tests, planning exercise and diet, medications, and managing blood sugar levels, ManageAM aims to be a dedicated self-management app. It helps users achieve their short and long-term health goals, and efficiently calculate their progress while facilitating healthy lifestyle decisions. It also allows users to effectively engage, discuss treatment, and follow up with their physicians.
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), 24 million Africans were living with diabetes in 2021. In that context, ManageAm aims to position itself as a necessary tool to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and promote self-education.
Aïsha Moyouzame
Launched 10 years ago, the single window for foreign trade is one of the flagship projects in Kenya’s development program, Vision 2030. It has already helped secure millions of dollars in license/permit fees and correct the flaws of the manual system.
In August 2021, Kenya started upgrading the Kenya TradeNet System, its trade facilitation platform. According to Ukur Kanacho Yatani, the country’s Treasury Cabinet Secretary, the upgrade will be completed by the end of April 2022.
The government official made the revelation last March 31, during the first East African Trade Facilitation Summit, held in Nairobi under the theme “Re-imagining Trade Facilitation in an era of Technology.”
For Ukur Kanacho Yatani, with the upgrade, “some of the limitations” will be addressed, and “features that were lacking in the Kenya TradeNet system” will be added. They will then “promote the betterment of intra-regional trade as well as significantly make it easy to carry out trade,” he explained.
“As we launch the upgrade of the Kenya TradeNet System, which is also known as the Trade Facilitation Platform, the next 10 years are indeed promising to the trading community,” he added.
The Kenya TradeNet System is a single online platform through which actors involved in international trade and logistics can carry out various trade-related procedures like submitting documents to clear goods and pay taxes and duties.
Launched in January 2011, the system already includes 23 government agencies out of 38 targeted, 38 active insurance companies, 36 banks, nearly 1,529 clearing agents, 46 shipping agents and shipping companies, 29 container freight terminals, and five freight handling companies.
KenTrade, the agency in charge of the platform, reveals that since 2014, more than 3.3 million permits have been issued through the system while over 2.8 million unique consignment references (UCRs) have been processed. As of December 2021, the system had over 16,000 registered users. Partner government agencies were able to collect a little over Ksh3.5 billion (US$30.3 million) in license/permit fees from traders. Also, from May 1, 2018, to June 30, 2021, a total of 445,146 import declarations with values estimated at Ksh2.9 trillion were registered in the system.
Muriel Edjo
Egyptian fantasy soccer platform Eskab announced last Monday the successful completion of a US$3 million funding round. Led by 4DX Ventures, the funding round saw the participation of several financial institutions and angel investors. Thanks to the funds secured, Eskab wants to make soccer more exciting and interactive for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) fans by developing new products. In that regard, it intends to recruit engineering talents and product teams as well as partner with soccer clubs.
Fantasy soccer is a simulation game where users predict the outcome of soccer matches between virtual teams they create using virtual representations of real-life players. With their virtual teams, users can take part in free or premium competitions and win prizes.
“During my time [in Canada], I got exposed to the rise of DraftKings and FanDuel. My friends were playing these two games and while I didn’t know much about Canadian sports, specifically hockey, I found that playing these games was the easiest way for me to kind of get to know the sports and kind of develop that sense of camaraderie with my friends. (...)I enjoyed the games and realized, ‘Why is no one doing this for the hundreds of millions of football fans in the Middle East and Africa?’ So we did some research and realized there was a massive market gap for this kind of game [fantasy football] in the Middle East and Africa, ” explains Aly Mahmoud, Eskab founder.
Launched in 2018, the platform claims more than 700,000 users in Egypt. Its userbase has been growing steadily since the launch of premium contests in 2021. The platform plans to enter other sports but, with the coming soccer World Cup, Eskab to first explore the soccer world before venturing into other virtual sports.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Kenyan telecom operator Safaricom and Islamic bank Gulf African Bank recently launched a Sharia-compliant mobile loan called Halal Pesa.
Thanks to the solution, users can receive up to Ksh20,000 loans fully repayable within 30 days with a 5% “commodity Murabaha margin.”
For Safaricom, Halal Pesa is “the first Sharia-compliant mobile and digital financial solution” in Kenya.
“Kenya is now a highly innovative, interconnected, and fast-paced community that requires solutions on the go. All our digital offerings, including Halal Pesa, seek to directly address this aspect. Our current strategy is focused on digitization for financial inclusion,” said Abdalla Abdulkhalik, Managing director of Gulf African Bank.
Waste management is currently one of the most important global issues. In 2019, the International Labour Organization revealed that 2.01 billion tons of solid waste were produced in the world annually. Just 16% of the global solid waste is recycled. To address the waste management problem, a Nigerian entrepreneur is betting on technology.
In November 2021, Nigerian entrepreneur Damilola Kadiri (photo) launched Wura, an item-sharing app whose sole purpose is to save the planet. Through Wura, users can share things they no longer need, be they used clothes, books, shoes, jewelry, or even earpieces. So far as they can be useful, they are welcome on Wura.
To post or recover items on Wura, users have to register on the app and abide by its golden rules. The said golden rules were drafted by Damilola Kadiri to avoid bad situations when exchanging items through his platform. All items are free and users are asked to report anyone selling items through Wura. Also, users are cautioned to receive items only from people with profile pictures. The rules also request users to appreciate givers, request items with compassionate words and meetup in public, and follow Covid-19 prevention rules.
With 354 registered users and 47 donations so far, Wura plans to positively impact Nigerians by showing them how everyday actions affect the environment. “For now, we are looking at increasing the number of transactions on the app and sign-ups, then over time, what we intend to do is promote sustainability businesses. So I feel that would be an avenue for us to generate profit. As I said, the idea is to change people’s behavior to be eco-friendly,” says Damilola Kadiri adding that he has no plans to commercialize the app for the time being.
The app is available on android and iOS. Thanks to “an advanced analytical algorithm,” users are made aware of the environmental contribution of the transaction they make. By including such a feature, Wura developers expect users to change their attitude towards the environment once they start noticing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions they help reduce by not throwing away bulk items.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Logidoo is a Senegalese e-logistics platform that lets its users send packages across Africa. Last year, it recorded a 200% turnover growth year-on-year.
The platform was created in 2019 by Tamsir Ousmane Traoré (photo) who wanted to develop logistics solutions that match African realities. The path seems natural for Traoré who comes from a family of entrepreneurs active in the logistics sector.
After taking marketing and management courses in Morocco and a brilliant career in the African supply chain, the Senegalese returned to his motherland in 2011. That is when his entrepreneurial career began. Indeed, before Logidoo, which he launched in 2019, Ousmane Traoré had Tex Courrier, a mailing business, Indilma, an event management business, and Pharma Express, a pharmaceutical distribution company.
With Logidoo, 2WLogistics, the startup founded by Tamsir Ousmane Traoré, manages the reception, storage, shipment, and all the import-export procedures. As for users, through Logidoo, they can compare different shipping options (road transport, air transport, or sea transport) and track their packages.
In 2020, Logidoo entered the Moroccan markets. While this move started Traoré’s expansion in the MENA region, he also wanted to make the Senegal-Morocco axis a route for West African clients seeking reliable logistics solutions.
In just two years, the solution has conquered six markets (Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Morocco, and Mauritania). Ultimately, his ambition is to progressively integrate technology into import-export operations in Africa, as well leverage the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to conquer the African logistics market.
Aïsha Moyouzame
Botswana currently has more cattle than residents. Over 100,000 ranches are registered in the country. However, owners who still use traditional management methods are finding it hard to oversee daily activities.
Motswana Thuto Paul Gaotingwe (photo) developed an offline app to allow livestock farmers to improve the management of their cattle and ranches. Initially, his goal was to help a friend, but he quickly realized that Botswana's livestock farmers have limited control over the farming process.
"We have worked around innovative ways that still allow them to improve production and efficiency with less change from their old ways," he says.
The farm management app is dubbed Modisar, which means ‘livestock caretaker’ in Tswana, one of the oldest Bantu dialects. It allows efficient farm data collection, enabling farmers to act accordingly when things seem to be going wrong.
With Modisar, livestock caretakers and farmers keep livestock, farm, financial, and production records. The app has a built-in "smart farm assistant" feature, which reminds farmers of important tasks and best practices for profitable farming. It also has an "animal management" feature, which keeps track of almost everything concerning the livestock on farms and produces a wide range of operating reports.
By synchronizing farm data collected, the app recommends solutions to optimize profits. It also integrates a feature that tracks farm assets and inventories while reminding of important actions to take. For instance, it can send text messages to caretakers or farm owners reminding them to vaccinate their livestock or proceed to insemination.
In 2014, the app won the Orange Social Venture Prize, known by its French acronym POESAM. In 2015, Paul Gaotingwe’s startup, Modisar also, decided to make the app free for farmers, attracting 1,200 farmers at the time.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
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The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank organized on March 30, a workshop on the development of the digital industry in Cameroon. During the workshop, the various stakeholders and the government discussed issues facing the development of the industry in the country.
According to Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng (photo), it was the opportunity to present the current state of the industry, its challenges, and opportunities, the support programs implemented, and ways to accelerate the development of that industry in Cameroon.
"Digital transformation is at the core of Cameroon’s development strategy. This is why we have decided to support the development of that industry, therefore helping Cameroon operate that transformation as quickly as possible,” said Sylvain Kakou, IFC regional representative in Central Africa.
For the regional representative, the workshop is then a brainstorming session to make sure the policies formulated are coherent and consistent and their execution will have maximum impact.
The attending parties are expected to elaborate a digital development action plan by the end of the workshop. The World Bank, which has invested in various stakeholders like entrepreneurs and fintech actors, also awaits a well-formulated national strategy that defines the specific roles of every stakeholder. Minister Minette Libom Li Likeng for her part assured that Cameroon will implement the recommendations made during the workshop.
In 2020, Cameroon adopted a strategic plan for the development of its digital economy. On September 28, 2021, the World Bank approved funds to finance a project to accelerate the country’s digital transformation.
The US$100 million project aims, among other things, to extend broadband internet coverage in rural areas, and promote an environment conducive to secure and resilient development. It also aims to foster the implementation of data-driven solutions in the agricultural sector, encourage innovation in the said sector, and boost the use of digital solutions by small-scale farmers.
Ruben Tchounyabe
Female genital mutilations (FGMs) are prohibited in most African countries. Regardless, they are still carried out in some regions. In Nigeria for instance, it is still widespread, according to a release issued last February by UNICEF.
To combat such practices, in Nigeria, social entrepreneur Dirug Samuel (Photo) developed SmartRR, a mobile app allowing people to report female genital mutilation and rape cases.
Dirug Samuel is a computer science graduate from Adamawa State Polytechnic, Nigeria. He also holds a human resources certification from the Stallion Academy for Business and Leadership. As the founder and executive director of the Big Family 360 foundation, he has been actively opposing gender-based violence since 2017. The social entrepreneur is renowned for his commitment to the fight against female genital mutilation and the support he helps provide victims of such acts.
His app SmartRR facilitates anonymous reporting of FGMs, using “the UNFPA service mapping program.” For Dirug Samuel, female genital mutilations violate human rights. So, he is set on contributing his computer skills to fight the phenomenon.
Samuel also wants to sensitize communities against the phenomenon. “With awareness and innovations about the dangers of the practice of FGM, about 40 percent to 50 percent of women say they would not want their daughters to experience it [ed.note: FGMs] (...)The UNFPA and other stakeholders are achieving a lot in the fight against FGM in Nigeria,” he said in an interview in 2021.
In September 2021, the Big Family 360 Foundation’s CEO won the UNFPA Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Hacklab and the Spotlight Initiative (SIARP) award.
Aïsha Moyouzame
French telecom group Orange announced, on Wednesday, the launch of a new telemedicine service. Dubbed DabaDoc Consult, it is the outcome of a partnership between the French telecom group and DabaDoc, the Moroccan start-up specializing in medical appointment management.
Launched in Morocco in March 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic was raging, DabaDoc virtual medical consultation booking will expand into all of the Orange African markets with DabaDoc Consult.
With DabaDoc Consult, the African diaspora can book medical consultations for their loved ones residing in their home countries. For that purpose, a "simple and fluid process was developed jointly by the DabaDoc and Orange Link teams," Orange group explains.
"The customer, from the diaspora, wishing to offer a DabaDoc Consult must connect to the Orange ‘Country Transfer’ platform, choose the type of consultation and pay with his/her bank card. The beneficiary will instantly receive a code to pay for the virtual consultation," it adds.
DabaDoc was created by Zineb Drissi Kaitouni (photo) and Driss Drissi Kaitouni. The mobile platform launched in 2014 has already facilitated access to health specialists for thousands of people in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria.
To book an appointment with a health specialist through DabaDoc, the requester must first register on the platform, then select the type of medical service being requested, fill in the city, select the health specialist close to the selected area, and choose a time slot. Once the appointment is validated, a confirmation message indicating the date and time of the appointment is sent by email and SMS to the requester.
In May 2015, the platform became fee-based for health professionals who would like to offer their services. According to Zineb Drissi Kaitouni, the subscription fees are "450 dirhams [122.5 USD] for one month, 300 dirhams/month for a 3-month subscription, and 225 dirhams/month for one year" subscription.
In April 2021, Orange Africa and the Middle East acquired a stake in the start-up through a fundraising operation. The telecom company immediately contributed its technological expertise and payment solutions to develop digital solutions that quickly proved beneficial for the entire African healthcare ecosystem.
DabaDoc, available in French and Arabic, has already received numerous awards such as the third prize for the best start-up in Morocco at Seedstars World in May 2014. It also won the top prize for GIS, a competition organized by the US Department of State in October 2014.
In 2016, its co-founder Zineb Drissi Kaitouni was named one of the top three female entrepreneurs in Africa.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Sattelite internet access has become a popular alternative for operators that want to provide internet in remote communities. However, it has limitations that AST SpaceMobile tries to overcome.
Orange, the French telecom group, is moving to test space-based cellular broadband internet in one of its African markets. The group signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with AST SpaceMobile on March 25 in this framework.
Under the terms of the agreement, AST SpaceMobile will deploy its services through the BlueWalker 3 satellite with no additional ground. It will thus allow internet access to Orange users in the targeted market, through standard 3GPP frequency bands.
For Chris Ivory (photo), AST SpaceMobile chief commercial officer, with its space-based cellular broadband internet solution, "AST SpaceMobile seeks not only to fill cellular broadband coverage gaps for millions of existing subscribers but also to extend mobile service to areas which currently have little to none at all."
Like most telecom operators, Orange is currently taking new initiatives to meet the growing demand for quality telecom services in Africa. Satellite is one of the options it looks into. It has its limitations, however. For instance, sometimes, ground equipment transmitting satellite signals fails to effectively cover remote areas.
Thanks to AST SpaceMobile's space technology, Orange will be able to bring the signal everywhere it is needed. Its users will be able to directly receive satellite signals. The memorandum of understanding signed by the two parties paves the way for discussions on a potential agreement for Orange to use the BlueBird satellite network being built by AST SpaceMobile.
Adoni Conrad Quenum