January 2019 – Africa Tech Digest

20Jan

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Nigeria, West Africa

Nigeria ends 2018 with 172m subscribers, 31.5% broadband penetration

Nigeria’s telecommunications sector ended the year 2018 with 172 million subscribers, with teledensity rising to 123.4 per cent from 105 per cent in January 2018. Telephone density or teledensity is the number of telephone connections for every hundred individuals living within an area. It varies widely across the nations and also between urban and rural areas within a country. Subscribers’ statistics released yesterday by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed that service providers including MTN, Globacom, Airtel, 9Mobile, among others got 25.5 million new subscribers in the course of the year. In the same vein, broadband penetration in Nigeria rose from 30.9 per cent in November to 31.5 per cent as at December 31. Broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission, wh...

20Jan

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Southern Africa

Zimbabweans Are Calling For Help, But No One Can Hear Them

NAIROBI — WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have been blocked in Zimbabwe amid huge anti-government protests and a brutal police crackdown. Zimbabweans have been unable to access nearly all social media platforms since Tuesday, when the government issued a total internet shutdown. Doctors say they have treated nearly 70 people for gunshot wounds, with reports of random arrests by the police and military, and demonstrators being beaten in the streets. The internet blackout caused thousands of Zimbabweans to rely on location-masking virtual private networks (VPNs) in order to stay connected. Those who managed to get online made desperate calls for help. Continue reading photo Jekesai Njikizana / AFP / Getty Images

20Jan

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Apps, Central Africa, East Africa, Trends

Uber launches UberASSIST to help elderly and disabled riders in Nairobi

Uber in Kenya has announced the launch of a new product; UberASSIST a platform that caters for senior riders and riders with access needs in the wake of World Disability Day last week. Drivers driving on UberASSIST have attended dedicated information sessions and are better equipped to help senior riders and those with access needs to travel more effectively and more frequently thus enabling them to enjoy the freedom they deserve. “Everyone deserves an opportunity to travel freely within their own city, and with UberASSIST, we are able to provide reliable transportation to senior citizens and riders with access needs,” says Loic Amando, General Manager of Uber in East Africa. Continue reading Photo: Laura Dale / AAP

19Jan

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Central Africa, East Africa, Nigeria, Southern Africa, Tech Policy, West Africa

Zimbabwe’s internet blackout shows how powerless major telcos are against governments

Internet access was restored in Zimbabwe late on Wednesday, but on Thursday WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter remained inaccessible. More than 600 people were arrested this week as police armed with AK-47 rifles rounded up protestors, according to the Associated Press. At least six people were killed when the military was deployed to quell protests against high fuel prices on Monday. Amnesty International reported eight deaths, while the Association of Doctors for Human Rights reported treated 68 cases of gunshot wounds and more than 100 other cases of assaults. A tense calm returned on Thursday. Zimbabweans were protesting a fuel hike that would see the price of petrol and diesel rise by 150%in a country that already had fuel shortages. Amid the violent crackdown on pro...

18Jan

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Central Africa, East Africa, Nigeria, Southern Africa, Tech Policy, West Africa

Internet Switched Back On Again In Zimbabwe After A Total Blackout For The Second Time In A Week

The Zimbabwean story continues to be crazier at every turn. Around mid day on Tuesday the government ordered internet service providers to block all citizens from the internet. The nation was switched back on yesterday after 30 hours of darkness. When we thought that it was all done, the government issued another directive at Nicodemus time last night around 10 pm instructing total shut down again. Zimbabwe woke up to no internet today and Econet subscribers had the following message in their SMS inbox: At 22:05 17/01/19, we were served with another directive for total shutdown of the internet until further notice. Our lawyers advised we are required to comply with the directive pending the Courts decision on its legality. The earlier directives are already the subject of a pendin...

15Jan

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Apps, Trends

Here’s how tech is revolutionising transport for low-income communities in urban Africa

The transport and mobility sector have undergone significant change in recent years. Disruptive technology and the sharing economy have completely transformed the mobility space, creating new markets with a more on-demand, consumer-centric model. Taxi apps like Uber and Lyft have revolutionised notions of accessibility, convenience and predictability in public transport. But in South Africa, approximately 42.4 million people still rely on traditional modes of public transport. In the Western Cape province, 52 percent of households use minibus taxis (unscheduled privately-operated minibus services carrying passengers), while almost 22 percent of households use trains. Historically, the previous apartheid regime segregated South Africans by racial group and assigned specific race grou...

Rwanda emerging as a key tech and investment hub in Africa

15Jan

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East Africa

Rwanda emerging as a key tech and investment hub in Africa

As South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria dominate the African tech ecosystem, Rwanda is slowly, yet assuredly, emerging as a key tech and investment hub with its ease of doing business. Partech Ventures’ 2017 report revealed that South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria accounted for 76 percent of total funding in 2017 and was the top three tech startup ecosystems to have highest number of startups funded per country. Whilst the trio continue to dominate, Rwanda, despite its small population, is positioning itself as a profitable commercial hub through its ease of doing business [Rwanda ranks 29th globally in World Bank’s annual ‘Doing Business Report’], and by implementing a lenient visa policy. Much of the partnership work has been undertaken by the Rwanda Development Board, whose mission is to stimul...

Africa at CES 2019 Series: African technologies showcased at Las Vegas

14Jan

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Events

Africa at CES 2019 Series: African technologies showcased at Las Vegas

African technology is a making significant appearance at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The CES is the largest international technology exhibition and it is held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The showcase is aimed at showcasing the latest technology in electronics, computers, mobile devices, home automation, Internet of Things, Robotics, E-health, connected cars and a lot more. Organised by the Consumer Electronics Association, the event houses technological advancements from around the world. It is highly competitive as most tech companies and individuals look to it to showcase their innovation. Africa Tech Now is one of foremost initiatives for African innovation to be showcased on a global stage. Hence Its collaboration with the CES. The e...

Nigeria’s tech startups have become a political talking point to sway young voters

14Jan

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Start-ups, West Africa

Nigeria’s tech startups have become a political talking point to sway young voters

Nigeria’s tech ecosystem has come in for praise over the past decade given the rise of startups solving problems and serving addressable market needs using technology. Investment—running into hundreds of millions of dollars—has flowed in and several startup and tech hubs have launched, ensuring a pipeline of innovative ideas. But tech startups are increasingly becoming political fodder too. With Nigeria’s general elections barely a month away, candidates looking to sway young voters—a majority of the electorate—are name-dropping tech companies in a bid to appear friendly to the ecosystem. In a recent debate for governorship candidates in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve center, leading candidates made sure to tout their support to the local ecosystem—Africa’s mo...

The fastest growing types of online stores in South Africa

6Jan

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ecommerce, Southern Africa, Trends

The fastest growing types of online stores in South Africa

Online retail in South Africa is expected to pass the R14 billion mark in 2018 as e-commerce begins to go mainstream. This is one of the major findings from the latest Online Retail in South Africa study, conducted by World Wide Worx with the support of Visa and Platinum Seed. The 2018 figure – which represents 25% growth over 2017 – comes as a surprise given predictions that online retail growth would slow down to below 20% by 2018. Forecasts have been beaten as a result of massive investments in online retail, aggressive marketing, and the rapid uptake of new shopping channels like mobile shopping and Instagram. Further, the report found that most established online retailers have enhanced their digital presence, and refined their fulfilment models, while many traditional re...