Senegal is poised to join the exclusive group of African nations that have already adopted 5G technology. In line with its drive to implement a successful digital transformation, the country aims to upgrade to ultra-fast internet connectivity to realize its objectives.
Senegal will effectively proceed to the commercial employment of 5G in July 2023. The date was announced by the director general of the telecom regulator ARTP, Abdou Karim Sall (photo), last Friday, during the 6th edition of a forum that brings together the regulator and media professionals.
"Before the end of July, we would have already completed the license awarding and extension process. [...] We have already discussed with operators and shown them the need to provide 5G in Senegal,” he said.
In December 2021, Sonatel carried out a second 5G test, confirming its ability to offer broadband services in the country. In June 2022, Free, its rival, launched an experimental phase with technical support from Ericsson. About a month later, in July 2022, Orange also inaugurated its first African Orange 5G Lab in the country.
In Senegal, the 5G technology is expected to help develop some economic sectors, including e-sport, a revenue-generating activity driven by the increasing availability of affordable mobile devices, improved Internet access, and the birth of online gaming platforms.
Africa has great e-sport potential, which can generate important revenues for companies that have the right marketing strategies. According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the African gaming market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of about 12% between 2021 and 2026.
Senegal is one of the first Sub-Saharna African countries to have adopted a legal framework for the promotion of esports.
Samira Njoya
Krystal Digital was founded by an experienced entrepreneur in the information and communication technology sector, who recognized the need for better information management in Nigerian schools after facing issues getting his college transcript.
In Nigeria, Temitope Ogunsemo is one of the leading figures in the booming edtech segment. He is the founder and CEO of Krystal Digital Network Solutions, which develops edtech solutions to help reduce absenteeism and enhance the skills of Nigerians.
Krystal Digital was founded in 2010 as a result of the founder's difficult and frustrating experience in retrieving his college transcripts. In response, he launched MySkool Portal, a web application that allows efficient school information management by ensuring proper documentation of school data. This marked the birth of Krystal Digital.
"Krystal Digital emerged as a result of my difficult and frustrating experience when I attempted to get hold of my academic transcript. In a bid to tackle such issues, I developed a school information management system for government-owned secondary schools, spearheaded by King’s College, Lagos. By virtue of the value proposition offered by my organization, the principal of the school liked the product so much, he asked other principals in his network to adopt a similar technology, and Krystal Digital was born," said Temitope Ogunsemo in 2019.
MySkool Portal is now used in more than 20 states in Nigeria, with over 50 institutional clients, including public high schools. It has more than 75,000 active students, bringing Krystal Digital's annual revenue to more than NGN1.1 billion ($2.4 million).
Mr. Temitope Ogunsemo is a graduate of the University of Ibadan, where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 2008. He also graduated from the University of Salford in the UK, where he earned a master's in information technology. He has worked as a software engineer on several projects and has received several national and international awards.
In 2017, the ECOWAS Youth Council distinguished him as the West African Personality of the Year. In 2018, he was named by Forbes magazine as one of the 30 most promising young African entrepreneurs, and his MySkool Portal app was chosen as the school management software of the year at the Nigeria Technology Awards. He also received the Most Entrepreneurial Organization in Information and Communication Technology award for his company at the 2018 Nigeria Entrepreneurs Awards.
Melchior Koba
Healthtech solutions proved useful during the coronavirus pandemic by addressing healthcare accessibility concerns, which has led to increased popularity and encouraged more entrepreneurs to enter the sector.
Estshara is a digital solution developed by an Egyptian startup. Through its web platform and mobile application, it allows users access to health services.
Users need to create an account on the web platform or the Android/iOS apps to access the services offered by the solution. Depending on their symptoms, they can consult with a general practitioner or a specialist. To aid the diagnostic process, users can attach the results of their various tests. They can also communicate with the doctors via text or audio messages.
Estshara offers various packages to users. Its first package is for single consultations, which costs EGP50 (about $1.62). It also has monthly (EGP100) and yearly (EGP1,000) packages. The startup also offers alternative employee health insurance policies to small businesses and startups.
In 2021, it was claiming more than 200,000 consultations. The Android version of its mobile application has been downloaded more than 10,000 times. It dreams of becoming a reference in Egypt and the MENA region. For that purpose, in 2021, it raised about $500,000 in seed funding.
At the time, founder Amin El-Hemaily said: “The investment will help us scale our organization with exceptional talent and enhanced resources, as well as further increase our marketing and sales outreach to support our focused go-to-market strategy and achieve our expansion goals.”
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Formerly ToLet.com, it merged with Jumia House in 2017 to become PropertyPro. The platform aims to become one of the most important proptech companies in Africa.
PropertyPro is a proptech platform created by a Nigerian startup that helps individuals in Nigeria find properties for rental or purchase.
By using its web and mobile (Android and iOS apps) platforms, PropertyPro enables users to browse through a wide range of listed properties available for rent or sale across the country. With the help of the search bar, users can filter the properties based on location, number of rooms, and minimum and maximum budget. While visitors can view the details of the properties without an account, they must register or log in to proceed further.
The platform generates its revenues from commissions on transactions. It also charges subscription fees for real estate agents that list their properties. With over 60,000 listings, it claims to be Nigeria’s largest real estate platform. Its Android app has been downloaded more than 10,000 times. Since its launch, the startup has raised $1.4 million to support its growth in Nigeria.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
He is a tech and marketing professional with years of experience. As the head of the marketing firm Nendo, he assists African companies with their digital marketing processes.
Mark Kaigwa (photo) is a Kenyan writer and entrepreneur with a degree in Information Technology and Business from Strathmore University. He is the founder and CEO of Nendo, a digital marketing company based in Nairobi.
His marketing company, founded in 2013, supports ambitious leaders and teams that are ready to engage Africa's connected audiences. It offers a fresh approach that includes training, research, strategies, and solutions useful to its clients, industry… Its experienced team offers companies a digital framework to study data, survey customers, evaluate competitors, and get quick results to maximize their revenues. It also offers a system to quantify brand impact using data, qualitative research, and communication.
Nendo also provides digital landscape mapping to allow companies to assess mobile, digital, and social media opportunities, future growth opportunities, and existing benchmarks to allocate resources. It currently covers over 20 African countries.
Its founder, Mark Kaigwa, is a member of the Kenyan chapter of the non-profit organization Entrepreneurs' Organization and an alumnus of its acceleration program. He is also the non-executive director of FinCredit Ltd, a Kenyan microcredit institution, and the course director of Media Leaders Africa, owned by the broadcasting corporation BBC.
An animator and creative consultant for Warner Bros in 2008, he worked for Brainwave Communications Ltd as a senior copywriter from 2009 to 2010. Between 2010 and 2013, he was a partner in the African Digital Art Network where he supported the research, writing, and curation of African animation. He was later a partner at Afrinnovator, a digital media and analytics company focused on business, economics, and investments in Africa. In 2017, for five months, he was a mentor for XL Africa, an acceleration program launched by the World Bank.
The entrepreneur has received several awards and recognitions including a nomination in the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2013. In 2018, he made it to the Top 25 Men in Digital issued by DigiTalk Kenya. In 2022, he was the 2nd runner-up of the Global Compact Network Kenya (GCNK) SDG Pioneer.
Melchior Koba
In 2020, Nigeria adopted a 10-year strategic plan to boost blockchain adoption. The plan banks on the blockchain to foster growth and prosperity in the years to come.
The Federal Executive Council of Nigeria approved, Wednesday (May 3), the National Blockchain Policy, according to a press statement from the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. The said approval follows a memo presented by Digital Minister Isa Ali Pantami, we learn.
“The vision of the Policy is to create a Blockchain-powered economy that supports secure transactions, data sharing, and value exchange between people, businesses, and Government, thereby enhancing innovation, trust, growth, and prosperity for all. The implementation of the National Blockchain Policy will have a positive effect on both the public and private sectors of the country,” the press statement reads.
The executive believes that blockchain technologies can accelerate the development of the country’s digital economy. To capitalize on the said technologies, in 2020, the country launched a blockchain adoption strategy. The country hopes the strategy will lay the groundwork to generate around $10 billion in revenues from the blockchain by 2030.
Nigeria bases its revenue estimates on a recently published PricewaterhouseCoopers report which states that blockchain happens to be one of the "fastest growing technologies in the world." The report explains that by 2030, the technology could generate $1.76 trillion in revenues worldwide, representing 1.4% of the global GDP.
According to the federal government, the implementation of the National Blockchain Policy will have a positive effect on both the public and private sectors in Nigeria. It will revolutionize many sectors, from finance and healthcare to transportation and supply chain management.
It can also make “transactions more transparent, trustworthy, and efficient and it can result in considerable cost savings and better user experiences.”
“Furthermore, Blockchain Technology can boost innovation, improve public services, create job opportunities, and drive economic growth,” the press statement informs.
Samira Njoya
Lillian Barnard has been the managing director of Microsoft South Africa since 2019. Kalane Rampai will replace her.
Microsoft appointed South African Lillian Barnard (photo) as president of Microsoft Africa. The US tech giant announced on May 2.
Barnard has been working in the ICT industry for more than 25 years. She has held local and international leadership positions at companies such as IBM and Vodacom before becoming the CEO of Microsoft South Africa in 2019. She held the position since and will now be replaced by Kalane Rampai.
The appointments align with Microsoft's digital transformation efforts in Africa. The tech behemoth opened its Africa Transformation Office (ATO) in November 2021 and put it under the leadership of Nigerian Kunle Awosika. Microsoft's investments in Africa include digital infrastructure, connectivity, training, cybersecurity, cloud, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and startups. According to an International Data Corporation (IDC), Microsoft and its partner ecosystem will spend about $3.7 billion in Africa on services and products over the next three years.
“As African organizations of all sizes, and across every sector, pivot and adapt to changing business and customer needs, they are looking for partners who can accelerate their agility, flexibility, and competitiveness, while also cutting costs and driving efficiencies. I am deeply passionate about unlocking the growth potential, using technology to deliver real impact for businesses, communities, and economies across the continent,” says Barnard.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
On Thursday (May 4), Vesicash, a Nigerian escrow payment system, announced the launch of its new Merchant of Record (MoR) product, as well as its expansion into new African markets. The MoR product aims to simplify the process for companies to enter new markets, and the startup is utilizing it to facilitate its expansion.
"We are thrilled to launch our Merchant of Record technology in multiple African markets. Thus, expanding our reach to businesses in Ghana, Rwanda, Zambia, and Egypt," stated Vesicash co-founder, Tomisin Adeshiyan.
In Nigeria, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) recently partnered to develop the digital economy. The partnership aims to develop the digital economy in Nigeria by increasing awareness and encouraging the youth to adopt emerging technologies. Under the agreement, training will be offered to youth corps members interested in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics.
The QR code technology was democratized in the 2000s but, it recently gained popularity in the Covid-19 period that facilitated the boom of the contactless economy. By adopting the technology, Kenya joins the few African markets that have standardized QR code usage to facilitate payments.
Last Wednesday, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) launched the "Kenya Quick Response (KE-QR) Code Standard 2023" aimed at improving digital payment services.
According to CBK governor, Dr. Patrick Njoroge, “the payment system will provide Kenyans with additional secure payment solution methods, increasing usability and consumer adoption of digital payment channels.”
The launch of the KE-QR Code Standard 2023 is one of the several initiatives taken by the CBK under its 2022-2025 National Payment Strategy to support the adoption of key standards and align Kenya's national payment system with global standards.
The effective implementation of the standard and the use of standardized QR Code payments will enable customers to make digital payments in a simple, fast, convenient, and secure manner using the QR code as opposed to the manual system used in the past. It will also promote financial inclusion by allowing institutions of different sizes and customer focus to
By effectively implementing the standard and utilizing standardized QR Code payments, customers can conveniently, quickly, securely, and easily make digital payments using the QR code instead of the manual payment system used in the past. Additionally, it will enhance financial inclusion by enabling institutions of various sizes and customer focus to expand the adoption of digital payments.
QR Code is a universal technology that can be scanned by specialized equipment and apps like the MPESA mobile app and banking apps similar to the ones offered by Equity Bank and the CBK. Thanks to the new standard, merchants can now have QR codes that contain their details as well as the unique identifiers of payment service providers. This technology also provides information about the transaction that has taken place.
Samira Njoya
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Its founder, Doaa Abdel Hameed, was the head of operations for a food delivery firm. When her entrepreneurship drive was awakened, she decided to launch a solution in the sector she knows well.
Bonbell is a digital solution developed by an Egyptian start-up. It allows people to order and have food delivered wherever they want. The founding startup is based in Cairo but has partnerships with restaurants in most governorates in Egypt.
“We aim to help restaurants to offer an easier food ordering experience to their customers, either through food delivery, table reservations, takeout orders, or even special orders made by customers within their establishments,” said Doaa Abdel Hameed, co-founder, and chief business officer of Bonbell.
Users can access Bonbell’s services through its Android and iOS apps. Once registered, they can check the various restaurants listed on the platform and place orders if they want. “We strive to provide Egyptian users with a more enjoyable experience when it comes to meal ordering. We see a lot of potential and opportunity to do that by continuously developing the App based on users’ feedback. We will also expand our restaurant offerings across all of Egypt’s governorates,” Ms. Doaa Abdel explains.
Bonbell has raised $350,000 in funding to develop its technology and support its growth, among other things.
Bonbell wants to become a super app. For that purpose, it is integrating a growing number of services such as hotel booking or even services to sports clubs, universities, and companies. Ms. Doaa Abdel Hameed reveals that the solution started “dine-in and takeaway food ordering,” but, it believes that both food ordering and delivery “need more innovation and service enhancement.”
“...The food delivery business is somehow moving towards saturation and high competition, and it is not smart to go and dance with the wolves while we are still at this early-stage startup,” she indicates.
This year, Bonbell has been selected among the 13 startups to participate in the Top-up acceleration program organized by Orange Digital Center Egypt, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Sprints (an accelerator that supports innovative tech startups). To accelerate its growth, it has raised $350,000.
Its Android app has been downloaded more than 10,000 times, according to Playstore’s data. In 2022, it was claiming over 22,000 clients and readying itself for the next stage of its growth. It then launched preparations for a $10 million funding round. Once completed, the proceeds are expected to help upgrade infrastructure and systems as well as fund expansion in the MENA region.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
He has over 12 years of experience in various fields such as humanitarian aid, finance, and entrepreneurship. With Naledi Services, he supports SMEs and start-ups in their digitization process.
Patrice Binwa Aganze (photo) is a Congolese entrepreneur who graduated from the University of Goma in 2011 with a degree in finance and financial management services. He also holds certificates of Professional Competence from Trust Merchant Bank and HavardX. He is renowned as the founder and CEO of tech company Naledi Services.
The company was founded in DR, in 2014. It develops custom web and mobile apps, and offers and maintains security systems, among other things, to help entrepreneurs in their management tasks.
"Naledi Services was created to provide solutions that improve the management of SMEs and startups. Our slogan says it best: “Think IT, Get IT”. We have noticed that many people start their businesses with the buzz around entrepreneurship, but the vast majority of Congolese SMEs do not have management tools adapted to their business," said Patrice Binwa Aganze on what prompted him to create the company, during an interview with TechCabal on May 2, 2023.
The digital solutions he provides SMEs and startups include Reflet, a store management software that offers the possibility to create loyalty programs to reward customers when they visit points of sale. There is also Akiba, a savings management software designed for microfinance institutions and establishments.
Naledi Services is also a communications agency that offers its clients advertising, media, print, marketing, press, and public relations management. It also manages professional and leisure events. To date, Naledi Services has 2,351 active users and has worked with over 375 SMEs and NGOs.
Its founder, Patrice Binwa Aganze, is a UN Capital Development Fund Business Development Support Expert since 2020. He entered the professional world, in 2009, by joining Radio Kivu One as a columnist. At the same time, he was working for APROFIME (Action pour la promotion de la fille-mère) as a senior accountant. He was also a customer service agent for Trust Merchant Bank from 2013 to 2014.
Melchior Koba
Nestcoin, a Nigerian company that makes modern finance borderless, recently announced the launch of "Onboard," a platform aimed at providing modern digital financial services that connect Africans to the global economy.
Among other things, the new platform will allow users to store and move digital assets directly to and from their bank accounts.
Last weekend, Congolese Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Leon Juste Ibombo (photo, right) granted an audience to Guinean Minister of Transport, Evita Oma Honorato (photo, left).
The two officials discussed future agreements to develop the ICT sector in their respective countries. The envisaged cooperation will focus on mobile money interoperability and the implementation of the Oyola training project.