A serial entrepreneur, she is mainly active in the digital and telecommunications sectors. Her latest innovation is an online platform designed to streamline hotel check-ins.
Franco-Gabonese finance expert and entrepreneur Selena Souah is the founder and CEO of REGCARD, a startup that launched its digital check-in card for express online hotel check-ins worldwide in 2022. The platform, which operates like a travel diary, allows hotels to perform express check-ins and check-outs for their guests at no cost and has a database of over 19,900 travellers.
Souah is also a co-founder and head of business development at International Schools Engineering, a management, investment, and consultancy group in the education sector established in 2013. In 2015, she co-founded Odyssey Education, a global French international education group offering education from nursery to sixth form.
In addition, Souah founded and presides Revolution’Air, a Rwanda-based telecommunications operator and internet service provider established in 2018. The company aims to establish a truly pan-African network and address connectivity and access issues in rural areas. Since January 2024, Souah has been a board member of Institut Aspen France.
Souah, a graduate of Maisons d’éducation de la Légion d’honneur in France, earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce and international business in 2008 and a master’s degree in general finance from ISC Paris in 2012. She began her professional career as a credit analyst at BGFIBank Gabon in 2011 before joining the French branch of Portuguese banking institution Banco Espírito Santo in 2012.
Melchior Koba
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as a key technology of the fourth industrial revolution. While offering significant opportunities, AI also presents potential risks that require proactive mitigation.
Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has called on African nations to fully embrace artificial intelligence (AI). She made these remarks at a conference in Accra, Ghana, on March 18, 2023, co-hosted by the IMF and the Ghanaian Ministries of Finance, Communications and Digitisation.
"Artificial Intelligence is our best chance to overcome the long-term low productivity. When we think of what can lift productivity, by far, our best chance is in investing in green transition and in the adoption of AI. It (AI) can be the big bang that allows us to live longer, healthier, better educated, [and] more productive lives. We face, urgently, the necessity to embrace AI, and make the best out of it," she said.
The advent of generative AI, such as ChatGPT in November 2022, has raised public awareness of both the advantages and potential risks of this technology. Several African countries have implemented national AI strategies and are taking steps to regulate its widespread use. Seydina Moussa Ndiaye, a member of the United Nations’ 38-strong AI advisory body, expressed concern that Africa could become a testing ground for new AI solutions without adequate control over the technology.
According to Ghana’s Finance Minister, Mohammed Amin Adam, AI could potentially generate nearly $1,200 billion for the African continent by 2030. However, as Georgieva noted, achieving this goal requires building more digital infrastructure, investing in human capital, fostering entrepreneurial innovation, and establishing a robust regulatory framework.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Africa's rapid technological growth underscores the need to educate young people about online risks and promote safe internet use. Organizations are working to provide safe access to digital opportunities for African youth.
The Women, Gender, and Youth Directorate (WGYD) of the African Union Commission and TikTok, the popular short video sharing app, have recently entered into a partnership. The collaboration aims to promote digital safety on the internet through the “SaferTogether” campaign, targeting teenagers, teachers, and parents.
As part of this initiative, educational videos on online safety, along with content creator recommendations, will be published on TikTok. Additionally, TikTok and the African Union Commission will distribute digital safety toolkits to assist teachers and tutors in addressing key digital safety issues. These resources will be available on a dedicated microsite on TikTok, serving as an interactive guide for safer online practices.
This campaign is a component of the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa and its “1 Million Next Level” initiative. The goal is to enhance young people’s access to digital platforms and promote their safe use to mitigate internet-related risks.
The partnership is expected to equip young people with the necessary tools and confidence for safe internet surfing, fostering a more inclusive and safer online community for young Africans. Nonkululeko Ngwenya, Head of the African Union’s WGYD, stated, “While access to internet can help children and young people stay connected, improve their digital literacy, and diversify their livelihoods, it is crucial that they are provided with a safe environment to reap the benefits of digital platforms.”
Samira Njoya
The tech entrepreneur specialized in education founded Nyereka Tech to provide innovative educational tools for African students and teachers. The company aims to play a significant role in the continent's educational and technological advancement.
Rwandan tech entrepreneur Shadrach Highflyer (photo) is the founder and CEO of Nyereka Tech, a startup that supplies experimental kits. Established in 2019, Nyereka Tech focuses on education and technology, specializing in the development and supply of innovative educational tools like IoT kits, STEM hardware, and robotics equipment.
The company offers a range of training services in areas such as IoT or microcontroller coding, circuit design, testing, electricity, electronics, software design, and robotics. These services are available to individuals, schools, companies, and centres.
"Nyereka Tech is a company founded on the purpose of resolving the pain points that our future and current innovators are experiencing. We’re collaborating with some of the top technology businesses on the planet to deliver the latest goods and ideas to more people all around the world in order to establish the ICT Innovation Journey. We’re constructing the company that will serve as the continent’s innovation hub," Highflyer explains.
Since 2022, the tech entrepreneur has been a mentor at The Cortex Hub, a British incubator for ICT companies in Rwanda. He also serves as an ambassador for Arm, a company that specialises in the construction of IP solutions.
Highflyer, a holder of two degrees in electrical and electronic engineering from Tumba College of Technology (2017) and the Institute of Information Science and Technology in Kobe, Japan (2019), served as a business mentor for the OIP Mentoring Program in August 2022, a program that supports young entrepreneurs in developing their startups.
Melchior Koba
Nigerian financial technology startup Kuda has secured operating licenses in Tanzania and Canada, tech news platform Techcabal reported on Monday. These licenses will allow Kuda to offer money transfer and multi-currency wallet services to users in these new markets.
Zone, a Nigerian fintech company specializing in blockchain-based payment processing, announced the completion of an $8.5 million funding round on Monday.
"With the support of our new investors, we will enhance our technology, launch new use-cases and expand our network coverage. We will also complete preparations to conduct a comprehensive pilot program to test our cross-border capabilities in 2025. This will further solidify our position as a pioneer in decentralized payment infrastructure for Africa," the startup said.
Gabon's transitional government has revitalized the country's information and communication technology (ICT) sector. The move includes relaunching stalled projects, signaling a new dynamic in the sector.
Gabon is set to revive the construction of a cybercity on Mandji Island, aimed at becoming a hub for the country’s digital economy. On March 13, a delegation led by Bonjean Frédérik Mbanza, Minister for the Digital Economy, and an investor from Korean holding company M.K. International Inc., visited the site.
The project, first announced in 2012 by the previous government, plans to consolidate eight technology parks into one location. These include Gabon Internet City (GIC), Gabon Hosting Zone (GHZ), Gabon Outsourcing Zone (GOZ), Gabon Media City (GMC), Gabon Studio City (GSC), and Gabon Tech Zone (GTZ).
The GIC is expected to be an attractive platform for global ICT firms, fostering the growth of e-commerce and teleservices. Companies such as Google, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, IBM, HP, Dell, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, Telemedicine.com, RAFT, and Resintel are expected to establish their presence there.
The revival of the cybercity aligns with the transitional government’s objectives of economic development through digital and technological innovation, providing a conducive environment for start-ups.
In January, the government secured a $68.5 million loan agreement with the World Bank for various digital initiatives. These include the provision of online public services, the introduction of a unified identity system for all citizens, and the construction of a data center.
Samira Njoya
After her studies and several years working as a software engineer in the United States, she returned to Kenya to help her community by establishing an education organization to help children learn about technology.
Nelly Cheboi (photo), a Kenyan computer scientist and entrepreneur, co-founded TechLit Africa, a non-profit organization aimed at promoting technological literacy in Africa. The organization, established in 2018, provides basic computer skills education to Kenyan students aged 5 to 14.
“Digital skills provide global opportunities,” Cheboi said in 2023. “These kids are doing so much. They have Zoom calls with NASA. They are so open to the world.”
TechLit Africa facilitates the establishment of computer labs in African schools by distributing recycled and refurbished computers. It currently serves 4,000 students across 10 computer labs and plans to construct an additional 100 labs to accommodate 40,000 more students.
After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from Augustana College in the U.S. in 2016, Cheboi joined New World Van Lines, a U.S.-based domestic and international household goods removal company. She held various positions, including business analyst and software engineer, between 2016 and 2018.
She later took on multiple software engineering roles at companies such as logistics firm ShipBob, children’s coding program Kodable, and User Hero, a tech company that assists businesses in conducting and organizing user research.
Cheboi’s contributions through TechLit Africa have earned her several accolades. In 2021, she received the Richard Swanson Humanitarian Award from Augustana College and was named in the Forbes 30 under 30 list for her social impact. In 2022, she was honored with the CNN Hero Award.
Melchior Koba
Egyptian healthtech firm 30Med, which seeks to connect pharmaceutical companies and doctors by simplifying the introduction of new drugs through iterative videos, announced last week that it has successfully closed an undisclosed funding round.
The company plans to use the funds to enhance its platform and expand its presence in the medical community.
The Senegalese entrepreneur leverages robotics to streamline operations for businesses and institutions. He leads a company that enables users to remotely control autonomous robots from any location.
Senegalese innovator, education expert, and serial entrepreneur Sidy Ndao (photo), born in 1987, is the founder and CEO of Caytu, a startup specializing in participatory assisted teleoperation for autonomous robotics.
Established in 2021, Caytu provides a participatory robotics platform that enables autonomous robots to be remotely piloted by outsourced pilots worldwide. The platform assists companies in task creation, robot assignment, deployment management, and fleet data analysis. Its software can integrate any robotics hardware or application through its API.
Caytu also offers a virtual training platform to cultivate a global workforce of autonomous robot operators. The digital platform equips operators with the necessary skills to operate robots safely and efficiently.
Ndao is also the founder and president of the Dakar American University of Science and Technology. Established in 2017, the university offers teaching and research opportunities in engineering and technology for undergraduate and graduate students, aimed at developing technological solutions to address Africa’s societal needs and challenges.
An education consultant with the World Bank Group, Ndao founded the Pan-African Robotics Competition in 2015. The competition brings together robotics teams from colleges and high schools across Africa and its diaspora.
Ndao earned his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from The City College of New York in 2007. He is also a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he defended his doctoral thesis in mechanical engineering in 2010. He spent a year (2011-2012) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a postdoctoral associate. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an assistant professor and then associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Melchior Koba
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Available in several countries on the continent, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Côte d'Ivoire, Seychelles, Kenya, Nigeria, and Benin, the startup wants to conquer the continent with its solutions and educational kit.
Congolese startup Labes Key has developed Schoolap, a digital solution that allows school administrators to centralize their management, students, and teachers to access textbooks and educational materials online, and parents to stay informed about their children’s progress.
Founded in 2017 by Pascal Kanik and Guy-José Leta, the Dubai-based startup raised $500,000 in 2019 to accelerate its growth.
The solution, accessible via an Android-only mobile app, requires users to fill out an account creation form to access the platform’s content. Depending on the learner’s level of study, they can access online courses available in video and text formats, designed for primary and secondary school students and teachers.
Schoolap also offers sign language content for deaf-mute learners and cartoons for younger learners. Notably, the content can be accessed offline. The startup provides a comprehensive kit to enable users to access educational content anywhere, anytime.
According to Schoolap’s data, over 23,361 pieces of educational content are available on their web and mobile platforms, which have recorded over 7,612,109 visits since their launch. The mobile application has been downloaded over a thousand times on the Play Store. In April 2019, Schoolap won the prize for the best online education platform at Seedstars, a competition focused on emerging market startups.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Scattered patient data hampers public health efforts across Africa. To address the situation, many countries are turning to digitization to improve care coordination, reduce medical errors, and bolster healthcare systems.
Senegal’s Minister of Health and Social Action, Marie Khémesse Ngom Ndiaye (photo), officially launched a new digital platform for single patient record at the Abass Ndao Hospital in Dakar on Thursday, March 14. The platform aims to eliminate paper use in hospitals and enhance coordination between doctors and health facilities.
“This project promises significant benefits, such as the centralisation of medical data, the security of personal information, the reduction of waiting times, the facilitation of appointments via SMS, and the improvement of health statistics,” the ministry said in a press release.
The pilot phase of the project has been initiated in six hospitals across the country, including Abass NDAO, Hôpital Idrissa POUYE in Grand Yoff, and hospitals in Matam, Kaolack, Kaffrine and Cheikh Ahmadoul Khadim in Touba with plans to extend it nationwide later.
The initiative is part of Senegal’s National Health System Digitisation Programme (PDSS), supported by the World Bank to the tune of XOF30 billion ($49.8 million). The program also aims to equip, connect, and interconnect the country’s hospitals.
Once fully operational, the initiative will align Senegal with international standards in medical information management. With the digitization of information, doctors will have access to a patient’s medical history, test results, medical prescriptions, allergies, vaccinations, previous consultations, and hospitalizations, along with any other relevant medical information.
Samira Njoya
With AI increasingly being used for data analysis in digital services offered to citizens, there is an urgent need for collaboration to optimize administrative processes. In that regard, a growing number of institutions are partnering to make the jump.
Senegal Numérique SA (Senum SA), the state agency responsible for managing Senegal’s digital infrastructure, announced on Wednesday, March 13, a partnership with Galsen AI, a community of data science and IoT enthusiasts in Senegal. The collaboration aims to host Galsen AI’s AI platforms on Senum SA’s infrastructure, launch dedicated programs, and co-develop innovative AI-based services.
“Senegal and Africa should not be left behind in this technological revolution and should contribute to the AI revolution. This agreement will generate innovative projects and useful solutions for Senegal,” said Cheikh Bakhoum, Director of Senum SA.
The initiative is a part of GalsenIALab, a division of the community committed to innovative AI projects. It coincides with Senegal Numérique SA’s establishment of InnovLab, a laboratory for technology surveillance and innovation research.
Under the three-year partnership, the two entities will explore use cases related to artificial intelligence, aiming to apply them in contexts that will add value for Sénégal Numérique. Among other initiatives, the organisation is contemplating the creation of a sentiment analysis system to collect information on the quality of its public services by analysing data from social networks.
According to a press release from Sénégal Numérique SA, “in the long term, the partnership will help accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence in Senegal, contributing to the country’s digital transformation and technological sovereignty.”
Samira Njoya
Last Wednesday, Guinea's President Mamadi Doumbouya reshuffled his cabinet. Rose Pola Pricemou, previously Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, was named Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy.
Guinean IT expert and politician, Rose Pola Pricemou (photo), has been appointed as the country’s Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, taking office on March 16, 2024, under the chairmanship of Benoit Kamano, Minister and Secretary-General of the Government.
“In the continuity of progress, my team and I are determined to continue the efforts undertaken by my predecessors,” Pricemou said in her inaugural speech.
Pricemou pledged to continue the digitization of public services for increased efficiency and to bolster the security of electronic transactions. She also plans to ensure the safety of public and private information systems to foster a secure and resilient Guinean cyberspace. Additionally, she aims to expand the services of the Guinean Post for broader national coverage, with a focus on financial services and e-commerce.
Before her latest appointment, Pricemou served as the country’s Minister of Planning and International Cooperation since November 2022. She joined the government in 2021 as Minister of Information and Communication, and from August to November 2022, she held the position of Minister of Trade, Industry and SMEs.
Pricemou, a graduate of the University of Montreal, Canada, earned a master’s degree in computer science in 2008. She also holds a master’s degree in information technology management from Laval University in Quebec City, obtained in 2010.
Pricemou’s professional career began in 2009 at the Ministry of Revenue of the Republic of Guinea as a functional analyst. In 2010, she joined Nurun, an IT services and consultancy company, as an IT systems development and integration consultant. She also served as the director of the strategy and development office of the ministry responsible for investment and public-private partnerships from March 2019 to January 2022.
Melchior Koba