Developed as a digital directory of local artists, the solution was launched, by Gabonese entrepreneur Franck Stéphane Dibault, to promote the works of those artists.
Dengui, a digital platform developed by a Gabonese startup, allows the general public to connect with local artists across all provinces of the country. The startup, launched in 2024 by Franck Stéphane Dibault, aims to simplify the process of finding Gabonese cultural contributors based on user needs and geographical location.
“Dengui, which means "to find" in the Gabonese language Simba, is a platform that facilitates the discovery of Gabonese cultural actors based on the needs of the user and their location. For example, if you are looking for a cameraman in Mouila, the site will display all the cameramen listed in that city, whether they are originally from there or simply residing there,” explains Dibault.
The platform, accessible via a web browser, does not require users to create an account to access an artist’s contact details. It caters to a variety of artists, including musicians, sculptors, painters, photographers, fashion designers, and architects.
To register, artists are required to provide details such as their email address, province of origin or residence, artist name, first and last name, contact numbers, and a profile description. This information facilitates user contact with registered artists, making Dengui a digital directory for arts professionals and enthusiasts.
Users can access an artist’s profile based on their search criteria, providing all the necessary information to contact the artist outside the platform, from social media to email addresses and business telephone numbers.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
An economist turned entrepreneur, she develops digital finance products to meet the needs of individuals and businesses in Zambia.
Evelyn Chilomo Kaingu, a Zambian economist with a background in financial services and technology, is the co-founder and CEO of fintech startup Lupiya. Established in 2016 by Evelyn Chilomo Kaingu and Muchu Kaingu, Lupiya aims to make financial opportunities accessible to all Zambians by simplifying the borrowing process and conditions.
The company offers three loan programs: Personal Loans, Lupiya for Business, and Lupiya for Women. The Personal Loans program provides secured loans and loans backed by a memorandum of understanding, catering to civil servants via Zambia’s integrated payroll and settlement control system (PMEC). Lupiya for Business offers secured working capital loans to help entrepreneurs expand their businesses.
Lupiya for Women serves as a growth partner for women-led small businesses. Under this initiative, women receive management training and best practices for startups, along with financial support through flexible credit facilities. This program provides a financing opportunity for women who lack the financial resources to advance economically.
Kaingu, a 2010 Economics graduate from Cavendish University Zambia, has held various roles in her career. In 2012, she joined The SPAR Group, a South African retailer, as Finance and Administration Manager. She later worked as a data specialist at the World Bank Group in 2015 before dedicating herself full-time to her startup, Lupiya.
Melchior Koba
The Democratic Republic of Congo is modernizing administrative procedures as part of ongoing digital transformation. Through those initiatives, the country seeks to boost economic growth and public well-being with increased efficiency and transparency.
Fonds de Garantie de l’Entrepreneuriat au Congo (FOGEC), the DRC government-backed fund aimed at boosting SMEs’ access to finance, announced on Wednesday, March 6, a partnership with Dutch fintech firm MoneyPhone to digitize the loan guarantee application process for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The collaboration aims to implement a digital solution that will expedite the application process for FOGEC’s financial services, replacing the traditional in-person application method. The project is valued at approximately $2 million.
This initiative aligns with the National Digital Plan 2025 and the National Entrepreneurship Development Program, which aim to raise capital for businesses, facilitate credit access, enhance the business environment, digitize administrative procedures, increase the number of businesses, and reduce unemployment.
The new platform is expected to professionalize FOGEC’s services, thereby fostering entrepreneurship and economic growth in the DRC.
Hélène Gakuru Bukara (photo, right), Managing Director of FOGEC, stated, “This is about the youth. We want to tell them that they no longer have to face any obstacles. With this application, all they need is a phone and a connection to present their business plans and get direct access to finance. No more exclusion, long live cohesion and transparency.”
Samira Njoya
Boasting a career of over two decades, she brings extensive experience in the African ICT sector. Having served in key strategic and managerial roles at the Orange Group, she later transitioned to Schneider Electric, overseeing operations across sixty nations.
Senegalese computer scientist Diaretou Madina Gaye Dieng (photo) has been named President of the French-speaking Africa & Islands Cluster of Schneider Electric, a global firm specializing in the digital transformation of energy management and automation. Her appointment was announced on Friday, March 8, 2024.
From her base in Casablanca, Morocco, Dieng will oversee the group’s operations in sixty countries in the Maghreb, West and Central Africa, and the islands. She will be tasked with steering Schneider Electric’s strategy in this region, with a focus on key sectors such as infrastructure, industry, data centers, and buildings.
On her appointment, Dieng stated, “I am honored to join Schneider Electric in this region, and at a crucial time when nations and businesses around the world are seeking reliable partners for their digitalization, sustainability, and decarbonization journey. I look forward to working more closely with all our customers, partners, and key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, academia, and society to create an impact that leads to a more prosperous and sustainable future.”
Dieng holds a Master’s degree in Management Information Systems (1999) from the Centrale Lille Engineering School, a post-graduate diploma in Information Systems Management (2000) from HEC Paris, and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School Executive Education.
Before joining Schneider Electric, she served as Chief of Staff to the Managing Director of the Sonatel Group, which operates in five countries under the Orange brand (Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone). She joined the group in 2004 as Director of Marketing and Communications for the B2B commercial unit.
During her tenure at Sonatel, Dieng held successive positions as Sales Director for commercial and government customers in the B2B business unit, and Strategy and Business Development Director for the B2B business unit. In 2016, she was appointed President and CEO of Sonatel Business Solutions in Orange Senegal.
Melchior Koba
In Africa, the Chinese tech company is venturing into emerging niches whose potential is becoming apparent with the digital revolution.
Chinese tech giant Huawei is set to establish its new public cloud zone in Africa, located in Egypt. It will be the second on the continent, after the one in South Africa. The project, which has been in the works since last year, is expected to be completed by the end of next year. It was announced by Jeremy Lin, Vice President of Huawei’s Northern Africa region, which spans twenty-eight countries, at a press conference in Barcelona on Tuesday, February 27.
Adnane Ben Halima, Huawei Northern Africa’s Vice President in charge of public relations for the Mediterranean region, elaborated on the decision to choose Egypt as the host for this new cloud zone. Factors include the size of the Egyptian market, which is already a lucrative opportunity for Huawei, and the rapid growth of cloud services in the country, spurred by the government’s digital transformation vision. Egypt’s strategic location, serving as a hub for several terrestrial and submarine broadband connectivity infrastructures, and its geographical position allowing access to West, Central, and East Africa, were also considered.
Ben Halima further explained Huawei’s role as a cloud provider, stating, “We provide infrastructure for customers who want to buy solutions. But we are also public cloud providers. That means we have the same offering as Amazon, Microsoft Azure, etc. We have clouds in China, Ireland, Eastern Europe, and so on. We choose countries in which we have infrastructure that is connected to the region that is going to access it, so that usage is sustainable.”
According to a report by The Insights Partners, a market research and consulting firm, the global cloud computing market, valued at $405.3 billion in 2022, is projected to reach $1,465.8 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.9%. This growth is expected to be driven by the increasing demand for advanced digital solutions and the adoption of technologies such as AI, 5G, IoT, and edge computing. While the Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe regions are currently the main contributors to this growth, Africa is also on a rising trajectory, thanks to its growing adoption of digital technologies and increased government support.
The new cloud zone in Egypt will be an addition to Huawei’s existing 85 zones across 30 regions, enabling the company to cater to the increasing demand for affordable cloud offerings in African markets.
Muriel Edjo
African governments increasingly prioritize digitalization to streamline services and combat corruption inherent in bureaucratic processes. To encourage widespread adoption of digitization, improved internet penetration is essential, catalyzing economic developments across the continent, and unlocking numerous opportunities for growth, innovation, and progress.
The National Assembly of Zambia has received 156 Starlink kits from the Ministry of Science and Technology, in partnership with the Smart Zambia Institute, aiming to enhance digital communication and streamline parliamentary operations.
According to the parliament’s release, the kits handed over on February 29th, aim to “facilitate the full implementation of the recently launched My e-Parliament portal and will go a long way in bringing Parliament closer to the People.”
“My e-Parliament” is an online citizen consultation platform launched to “increase citizen participation in Parliamentary programs.” For Malungo Chisangano, First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, it is a timely gift as the said application requires strong internet connectivity.
Honourable Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Finance, noted the transformative potential of the kits in facilitating communication with constituents, particularly regarding the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), without the need for physical travel.
The donation signals a progressive move towards strengthening democratic processes and promoting inclusive governance in Zambia, enabling efficient and transparent parliamentary engagement.
As of October 2023, according to Mybroadband, Starlink initiated its operations in seven African nations, such as Nigeria, Kenya, and Rwanda, significantly contributing to closing the internet connectivity divide across the continent. Starlink’s provision of dependable, swift internet connectivity to isolated and underserved areas fosters community development through improved educational tools, economic prospects, and communication systems.
Hikmatu Bilali
Angola wants to fast-track the development of its digital sector. Estonia, a country with a proven track record in the sector, is the ideal partner.
Digital Nation, an Estonian consultancy specializing in digital transformation, and the Angolan Institute for Administrative Modernization (IMA) have entered into a memorandum of cooperation. The agreement was signed on Friday, March 8, during a visit to Angola by Estonian President Alar Karis.
The partnership aims to bolster digital governance and administrative modernization cooperation, building on a previous agreement signed on April 14, 2023. The earlier agreement was between Adão de Almeida, Head of the Civil Household of the President of the Republic of Angola, and Kristjan Järvan, the Estonian Minister of Enterprise and Information Technology.
The collaboration will involve a series of initiatives leveraging the digital expertise of both parties. Additional areas of mutual interest for digital development will be identified as the partnership progresses.
This initiative is expected to fast-track the achievement of the Angolan government’s goal of becoming a digital leader in Africa, drawing on Estonia’s experience in digitizing public administration and reducing bureaucracy. The agreement also allows Estonian companies to expand into the Angolan and broader African markets.
Samira Njoya
Initiated by the Ivorian government, the incubator offers young project holders training sessions, partnership opportunities, and dynamic community events.
Fondation jeunesse numérique, an Ivorian incubator established by the Ministry of the Digital Economy, is designed to tackle youth unemployment through information and communication technologies. The foundation provides comprehensive support to startups to enhance their businesses.
Its mission is to promote digital entrepreneurship among young people, identify innovative projects, and provide support. It also seeks to strengthen and improve the startup support ecosystem in Côte d’Ivoire.
The foundation regularly conducts training sessions for the entrepreneurs it supports, covering a wide range of areas to enhance their managerial skills, including project management, accounting, and public speaking.
In addition to training, the incubator assists entrepreneurs with administrative procedures, providing legal guidance through collaboration with legal experts.
The foundation collaborates with investment funds and financial organizations capable of investing in high-potential projects. It organizes pitch sessions for young entrepreneurs to present their projects and has partnerships across various business sectors, aiming to foster synergies that boost the competitiveness of the supported companies.
The foundation also organizes “Caravane jeunesse numérique” (Digital Youth Caravan) to promote new digital professions among the country’s population. It also hosts an annual “inside the start-up” event to promote startups and facilitate networking in a friendly atmosphere.
Fondation jeunesse numérique has incubated several startups, including Etudesk, Cookie Labs, and Lifi-led CI. Etudesk specializes in educational technologies and offers professionally oriented online training courses. Cookie Labs uses drones and artificial intelligence to detect agricultural diseases, while Lifi-led CI aims to address issues of internet inaccessibility and energy deficits in remote areas.
Melchior Koba
The solution was developed by a tech entrepreneur from Senegal, who has studied in France and boasts international experience with firms such as Goldman Sachs, Rothschild & Co, and Deloitte.
Socium, a digital solution developed by a Senegalese startup, facilitates job searches for users and talent discovery for companies. The Dakar-based startup, founded in 2021 by Samba Lo, raised €1 million in 2022 to enhance its technology and spur growth across the continent. It has established hubs in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and Douala, Cameroon, where it relocated in November 2023 to better serve the Central African region.
"Socium comes from personal experience. When I was still living in Paris, I wanted to come back to Africa, and very quickly. The experience was very painful because it was very difficult to find job offers online. I realized that there was a problem around access to employment, even for someone who might have a fairly interesting background," Samba Lo told We Are Tech Africa.
The platform, which does not have a mobile application, allows users to browse various job offers on its website without needing a pre-existing account. Users interested in a job offer can click on the post and submit their email address and CV.
Socium also provides users with video content about the hiring company, including its industry, culture, values, and benefits, before they proceed with their application.
The start-up is positioning itself in the digitalization of human resources processes for companies, aiming to enhance operational efficiency in managing payslips, vacation requests, performance, and more.
To streamline these processes, Socium employs generative artificial intelligence to automate tasks. “Today, when I post a job description on Socium, it's done automatically. When I have candidates apply to my company, I have scoring algorithms that tell me who are the best-fit candidates, etc,” Lo stated.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Africa's digital economy is expected to reach a value of $712 billion by 2050, representing 8.5% of the continent's GDP. This projected growth has spurred digital transformation initiatives across several African nations.
The Guinean Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy inked two significant agreements with U.S. firms Cisco and Cybastion on March 8 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C.
The agreements, signed during an official U.S. visit by a ministry delegation, aim to aid Guinea in executing its national digitization and cybersecurity policies and strategies.
The first agreement with Cisco Systems, Inc. addresses the pressing need to bolster skills within the public administration to modernize public services and secure information systems. It includes provisions for training and qualifying citizens in IT and cybersecurity through Cisco’s Networking Academy program. This initiative originated from a process begun in September 2023, with a visit by Youssouf Mohamed Aribot, Managing Director of the Agence Nationale de digitalisation de l’Etat (ANDE), to Cisco’s San Francisco headquarters to solidify a partnership between the American company and the Guinean government.
The second agreement with Cybastion seeks to provide expertise and aid in identifying and mobilizing the necessary financing to implement several state digitization and cybersecurity projects.
These agreements mark a significant advancement for Guinea in reaching its digitization and cybersecurity goals. They follow closely on the heels of a $60 million grant from the World Bank for various digital projects as part of the West African Regional Digital Integration Program (DTfA/WARDIP).
Samira Njoya
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A serial entrepreneur, he leverages drone technologies to collect farm data and optimize management operations.
Joseph-Olivier Biley (photo) is an Ivorian tech entrepreneur on a mission to revolutionize farm management and broaden the use of drone technologies in agriculture. He is the co-founder of JooL International, a drone startup established in 2021. The startup aims to democratize drone usage to ensure Africa has access to the necessary data for its development, particularly in the agricultural sector.
JooL International provides farmers with the ability to remotely manage their plantations, offering a range of services including Jool Lab, Jool Monitor, and Jool Audit.
Jool Lab, a drone repair and manufacturing laboratory, is proudly “made in Côte d’Ivoire.” Jool Monitor, a software suite, offers features such as agricultural plot delimitation, plant counting, aerial farm views, and plant health analysis.
Jool Audit provides an audit and analysis service, giving plantation owners insights into their plantation’s condition and factors affecting their yield. It suggests an action plan to enhance productivity and ensures transparency throughout the process.
The company has also developed the Jool Box, a smart device that allows drones to be controlled remotely from a computer or tablet. The solar-powered box is rain-resistant and capable of obstacle avoidance.
In addition to his role at JooL International, Biley heads the West Africa hub of ZEBOX, a technology startup incubator and business innovation center. He is also a co-founder of #Ci20, an association comprising Côte d’Ivoire’s most innovative and disruptive startups.
Biley, a graduate of Paris Business College and OMNES Education, was the CEO of WeFly Agri, a startup that utilized drones for remote visualization and control of agricultural plantations, from 2017 to 2021.
The entrepreneur has been recognized both domestically and internationally, receiving the Young African Personality of the Year 2020 award from Africa 35.35 and the ECOWAS Best Startup Award for JooL International in 2021.
Melchior Koba
While misinformation is not a new phenomenon, its scope has been amplified by new technologies. It now disseminates more rapidly, impacts a larger audience, and has a heightened effect.
In its Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2024, the World Economic Forum (WEF) believes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will mark a turning point in the cybercrime landscape. Indeed, beyond attacks on computer systems, information manipulation will be one of the major challenges of the connected world.
Although attacks on critical infrastructures still represent a major security risk, they can be controlled. However, the social and political upheavals that can result from the profound manipulation of information by new technologies are likely to undermine the economic stability of various sectors, countries, and regions of the world over the long term.
Anxiety, fear, identitarian withdrawal, the crisis of public confidence, etc. are all situations that deepfakes can create, maintain, and accentuate across the planet, turning them into weapons against governments and between countries. Through this new approach, it is the hearts and minds of the people who make up political, economic, and social systems that are hacked. In a September 2023 memo, the US Department of Defense described deepfakes as a threat to national security.
Talent Shortfall
Against a global backdrop of cybersecurity skills shortages - 4.7 million people were working in cybersecurity internationally in 2022, but the global deficit stands at 3.4 million according to the non-profit organization International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC2) - the rapid emergence of AI and its impact on reality is putting further pressure on the need for cyber defense professionals.
In 2023, Gartner, the US information and communications technology research and advisory firm, predicted that the number of cyber and social engineering attacks against people will increase by 2025 due to this critical shortage of talent. It asserted that humans will increasingly be seen as the most vulnerable point of exploitation.
While AI is reinventing and intensifying cybercriminal threats, it is also opening up new opportunities for millions of young people on every continent. In Africa in particular, where the start-up ecosystem is currently dominated by the provision of services in finance, commerce, healthcare, education, energy, etc., a new generation of cyber talents capable of identifying and authenticating the real thing could emerge.
States can contribute to their emergence by thinking now about various strategies that prepare them for this new technology and its opportunities, but also for the threats. In its AI Readiness Index 2023, information and communications technology consultancy Oxford Insights reports that only three African countries have already adopted an AI strategy. These are Rwanda, Senegal and Benin. Ethiopia and Nigeria are already working on it.
Muriel Edjo
Through innovative incubation programs, specialized training, and a host of events dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship, ANPT aims to boost Algeria's ICT sector. It has already supported hundreds of projects and startups.
The National Agency for the Promotion and Development of Technology Parks (ANPT), an initiative by the Algerian government, is dedicated to enhancing the country's technological capabilities. Established in 2004, the agency focuses on the validation, implementation, and generalization of information and communication technologies (ICT). Sidahmed Benarbia has been serving as the Managing Director since 2020.
ANPT's primary objective is to stimulate the ICT sector by ensuring the availability of necessary tools, mechanisms, and skills. This aims to foster a national ecosystem conducive to the growth of an ICT industry that serves various sectors of the Algerian economy.
With offices in Algiers, Oran, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Ouargla, and Annaba, the agency offers a free incubation program to assist entrepreneurs and start-ups in creating and developing their products and businesses over an average of four years.
In addition, ANPT has introduced a Virtual Incubation Program (VIP) that provides future innovators nationwide with free access to its online services. The VIP program utilizes digital platforms developed by the agency, such as ANPT Meet for online meetings and ANPT Learn for e-learning and e-training.
The agency also designs training programs focusing on three key areas: ICT, business creation and management, and personal development. Upon request and based on need, the agency offers additional training courses in various fields.
ANPT regularly hosts activities and events centered around ICT and entrepreneurship, including seminars, conferences, workshops, and webinars. To date, it has organized over 200 events, hosted more than 45 companies, and supported over 800 start-ups and projects.
Melchior Koba
To enhance the livelihoods of farmers, technology entrepreneurs have introduced a comprehensive solution designed to optimize production and streamline marketing processes.
Ghanaian start-up Complete Farmer has developed CF Grower, an agritech solution that allows farmers to enhance their productivity, gain access to global markets, and improve their livelihoods through data-driven agricultural tools and techniques. The Accra-based company, founded in 2017 by Charles Ofosuhene, Desmond Koney, and Zoussi Ley, has raised over $20 million since its inception to develop its technology and facilitate growth.
The platform, which does not have a mobile application, requires users to create an account using their email address and password. Once registered, users can access various services and establish a farm within days. CF Grower provides farmland for rent, hires qualified farm managers, and offers agricultural inputs and services for purchase to optimize farm production.
Users who already own farmland can add it to the platform, along with all the necessary information for an agricultural expert to support the project. If a user chooses to engage an expert from the start-up, the expert will provide online and on-site support throughout the agricultural season. The agritech solution leverages collected data and provides information to help achieve consistently high yields and profits across various crop families.
After harvest, users can sell their produce via the Complete Farmer network. The start-up facilitates connections between farmers and local and international buyers. Additionally, CF Buyer provides buyers with access to its network of growers and allows them to track the progress of their orders with complete transparency.
Adoni Conrad Quenum