In the Hausa language, Kaomini loosely translates to “bring me…”. The platform was launched to promote financial and social inclusion. It is gradually carving its niche, attracting a growing number of merchants and customers.  

Kaomini is a virtual marketplace launched, in 2017, by Niger Poste, the public postal service operator in Niger. It enables merchants to sell products using unconventional channels.  It also enables populations to purchase various products without having to travel. 

"Kaomini has vouched to meet the needs of Suppliers who don't have the means to travel to exhibit their products internationally. [...] On Kaomini, products are ordered online via handheld devices. To order, [buyers] need to first set up an account [...] to secure the merchant’s products on our e-commerce site,” says Nasser Salifou Seyni, operations manager at Kaomini.

The solution currently has an Android app. Once registered, buyers can log in and directly access the various products available on the marketplace, such as groceries, food supplements, livestock, and more. It is also possible to order meals in restaurants or send laundry to the dry cleaner.

To back Kaomini, Niger Poste has set up a delivery service and has around a hundred relay points throughout the country to facilitate various commercial transactions. Payment can be made on delivery or via the site's integrated payment methods. Among others, buyers can opt for mobile money solutions or bank cards.

The platform claims between 70 and 80 orders per month. In the medium term, Niger Poste aims to cover around 50% of the national territory. What's more, most of the products marketed on the platform are "Made in Niger", which facilitates access to the specialties of remote regions by residents in major cities.

Adoni Conrad Quenum

He is passionate about using technology to solve key challenges. After his studies and a few years after working in the United States, he returned to his native country, Senegal, where he launched a healthtech company to solve challenges. 

Mouhamed Ndoye (photo) is a Senegalese computer scientist who graduated from the Texas McCombs School of Business with a master's in information technology and management. He is the CEO and one of the co-founders of medtech startup Tanél Health.

The startup, founded in 2020, builds modern platforms for African healthcare companies, notably pharmacies, and insurers. Its goal is to build an integrated tool that connects all healthcare stakeholders. 

The company has developed easy-to-use, affordable, and reliable software to streamline pharmacy management. The software enables pharmacy owners to optimally manage inventory, monitor sales, manage cash flow, track inventory, and manage their teams. It features a modern interface compatible with all types of devices. From its dashboard, users have access to detailed reports revealing actionable data for better decision-making. 

In 2019, the CEO of the startup behind it co-founded Anythng, a company that reinvents the way modern restaurants communicate with their customers. He served as the CEO of that company till 2020. Still, in 2019, he co-founded Tékkil, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting and promoting Senegalese-American professionals to become leaders in their careers and communities. He also served as the CEO of that organization till 2022. 

In 2021, he took part in the startup acceleration program On Deck. The serial entrepreneur entered the professional world, in June 2010, as a software engineer for Tech Corps, a U.S. tech company. From 2014 to 2018, he was a consultant for Cardinal Solutions, a U.S. IT solutions provider. 

Melchior Koba

Africa's digital revolution allures investors and cybercriminals alike, presenting both prospects and risks. In response, numerous countries are ramping up security measures to bolster trust in their information and communication systems.

South Africa and France have signed a cooperation protocol agreement to combat cybercrime and enhance anti-corruption efforts. The agreement, signed by South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola and French Minister for Europe and foreign affairs Catherine Colonna on Monday, June 19, aims to bolster South Africa's Special Investigating Unit (SIU) by establishing an anti-corruption academy in Tshwane. This academy will benefit the SIU, as well as other law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and beyond.

The collaboration focuses on enhancing the SIU's cyber-forensic investigations, financial crime expertise, and analytical skills. Ronald Lamola highlighted that this training initiative will bring the country's forensic cyber capabilities up to global standards, essential for addressing transnational cyber threats effectively. "This kind of cooperation will be of great value and help to enhance our skills to deal with cybercrime in the country," said Lamola.

Lamola also emphasized the vital role of this collaboration in fortifying South Africa's cybercrime-fighting prowess and revitalizing investor confidence. With cybercrime incidents on the rise, it is crucial to ensure a secure digital environment. During a hybrid information session hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on April 4, 2023, Billy Petzer, research group leader, highlighted that cybercrime causes a significant loss of R2.2 billion to the South African economy annually, emphasizing its substantial impact.

Catherine Colonna, the French Minister, also expressed optimism about the partnership's benefits for South African citizens and the broader SADC region. The SIU has already gained expertise through exchanges with French professionals, with 22 trainers now capable of instructing other investigators.

She also stressed the importance of further collaboration and knowledge sharing in the field of cyber investigations. The agreement represents a significant stride in strengthening cyber forensic capabilities and anti-corruption measures, to protect citizens and foster a secure digital environment in South Africa and the SADC region.

“Since the very early stages of our cooperation, members of the SIU have been to France and have had opportunities…to see and experience the French expertise in the field of mostly cyber investigations. I call for those exchanges to grow,” she said. 

Hikmatu Bilali

In Madagascar, the lack of newborn registration is a nationwide problem. By leveraging new technologies, the government wants to address the problem soon.  

On Friday, June 15, the authorities of the urban commune of Toamasina in eastern Madagascar launched the trial phase of the digitized civil registration and identity system.

The new solution, which has been two years in the making, will be launched in the next few days in Toamasina, and by the end of 2023, it will be launched in several other communes in the country. 

“... The official launch is scheduled for the end of June. Digitizing civil registration data means that birth information can be stored securely, to protect it from fire and loss,” said Volana Rakotonirina, Director General of the National Civil Registration Center at the Ministry of the Interior and Decentralization.

In Madagascar, as in many African countries, the identification of individuals remains a real problem. According to UNICEF data, nearly a quarter of children under the age of 18 in Madagascar have no birth certificate, i.e. some 2.5 million children. An estimated 1 million adults are unregistered and therefore invisible. The reasons for this shortfall lie partly in ignorance of the procedure, but also in structural problems such as administrative malfunctions.

Thanks to the new system, hospital data will be transferred directly to the communes, and the information will be validated by the registrar. Maternity wards will be equipped with connected tablets for this purpose. The aim is to interconnect at least 30 communes by the end of the year.

This digitization project is part of the Malagasy Digital Governance and Identity Management Project (Prodigy), launched in 2019 and financed by the World Bank. The project aims to increase inclusive access to legal identity for all Malagasy citizens and improve access to and the quality of key public services.

Samira Njoya