Africa Tech Digest

Paga partners with Untapped Global to digitise payments for 120,000 Nigerian SMEs

4Oct

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Mobile Transfers, Nigeria

Paga partners with Untapped Global to digitise payments for 120,000 Nigerian SMEs

Paga, a Nigeria-based mobile payment company, has partnered with investment firm, Untapped Global, to provide financing of point-of-sale (POS) devices for small businesses and merchants in the country. Paga’s POS devices enable merchants to accept cards, mobile payments, and other forms of digital payments, making it easy for them to get paid while enabling them to provide other value-added financial services to customers. The financing, provided via Untapped Global, is structured to lower the overall cost of entry for merchants to acquire handheld POS terminals, with payments recovered from the revenues earned on the devices. After a successful pilot programme, which saw 2,000 merchants provided with financed POS devices earlier this year, both companies have, accord...

How Nigerian edtech startup, Tuteria, is connecting learners to tutors in Nigeria

4Oct

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Nigeria, Start-ups

How Nigerian edtech startup, Tuteria, is connecting learners to tutors in Nigeria

Over the years, education has evolved from self-education through self-directed play and exploration, acquiring a vast knowledge of plants and herbs for agricultural purposes to teaching certain expectations and behaviours to children. In recent years, education has changed into a tool for children to learn and apply their talents or skills and for young people and adults to understand the competitive nature of the workforce. Similarly, with the advancement of technology, students are no longer restricted to the four walls of a classroom to learn a new course, acquire a skill, or advance in a specific field of interest. Globally, technology is rapidly transforming education. While edtech in Africa is moving slower due to power shortage and low Internet penetration, some African e...

Nigerian Businessman Appointed CEO of Airtel Africa

4Oct

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africans in Tech, Nigeria

Nigerian Businessman Appointed CEO of Airtel Africa

The Airtel Africa Group has announced the new appointment of Olusegun “Segun” Ogunsanya, as its Managing Director (MD) and CEO. Ogunsanya took the helm of the group as of 1 October 2021. This comes as former CEO, Raghu Mandava, who led Airtel Africa since 2016, was announced to be stepping down from the company’s board of directors in October 2021. “We are delighted to appoint Segun Ogunsanya as the Group’s next Chief Executive Officer. He has displayed significant drive and energy in turning around the Nigeria business by focusing on network modernisation, distribution, and operational efficiency,” said Airtel Chairman, Sunil Bharti Mittal, when Ogunsanya was first announced to replace Mandava. A Businessman of Some Repute Previous to his appointment as CEO of Airtel Africa, ...

Why Digitisation is Key to Rescue SA’s Water Infrastructure

3Oct

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa

Why Digitisation is Key to Rescue SA’s Water Infrastructure

South Africa’s water system is in trouble. In the 2020/21 financial year alone, there were over 55,800 pipe bursts, over a third of reservoirs have supply problems, and years of underfunding of infrastructure replacement and maintenance have drastically reduced the lifespan of around a quarter of the country’s asset base. If there’s one lesson we can take from South Africa’s electricity crisis, it’s that we can’t wait until it’s too late before we act. And yet, it nearly is too late. By 2025, South Africa is expected to experience water scarcity. By 2030, a water deficit. With the rapid increase in urbanisation and the rising demand for our water infrastructure, we don’t have the luxury of time. There’s a sense of urgency that we must jump on now, starting with what we do&...

Ramaphosa Announces Vaccine Passports for SA + All The Details

3Oct

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Health Tech

Ramaphosa Announces Vaccine Passports for SA + All The Details

During his address to the nation on Thursday evening, SA President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the Department of Health would begin rolling out vaccination certificates as the government made its final effort to reach its goal of vaccinating over 33-million people by December 2021. Currently, 17-million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, with the government targetting inoculating 16-million more people by mid-December. In line with this, Ramaphosa announced the ‘Vooma Vaccination Weekends’ campaign which will see the government ramp up its vaccination drive by opening more vaccination sites over weekends. According to Independent Media, Ramaphosa said that the Department of Health would roll out the vaccine certificates to be used as a form of proof of vaccinatio...

Airtel Money users in Kenya to receive funds from 129 countries, free of charge

2Oct

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Mobile Transfers

Airtel Money users in Kenya to receive funds from 129 countries, free of charge

Airtel Money has partnered with WorldRemit to allow Airtel customers to receive money from 129 countries, without a charge. World Remit, which in August rebranded as Zepz after raising $292 million at a $5 billion valuation, is a UK-based cross-border mobile payments firm that enables people to move money across multiple locations. Airtel Money is a Mobile Commerce service powered by Airtel, one of Africa’s largest telecommunication companies, that allows customers to use their mobile number as a digital wallet (e-wallet). Airtel Money e-wallets can be funded and used to make and receive payments. Through this partnership, Airtel Money customers in Kenya will be able to receive money directly into their Airtel Money wallets from 129 countries. In addition to rec...

Should you worry if Twitter succumbs to Nigerian government’s demands?

2Oct

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Social Networks

Should you worry if Twitter succumbs to Nigerian government’s demands?

Again, Nigerians have been promised the lifting of the four-month-long Twitter ban. After the last promise in August of ‘a few days’ given by the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, President Muhammadu Buhari, in his Independence Day speech, today mentioned that the ban would be lifted conditionally based on the fulfilment of some obligations by the social media giant. Recall that in early June 2021, the Nigerian government indefinitely suspended Twitter after the platform removed a Tweet by the president for violating its rules. An infringement on citizens’ right to free speech, this move has drawn reactions from human rights advocacy groups across the country. Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), for instance, filed an appeal at the ECOWAS court in Abuja askin...

Lagos Angel Network appoints new board of governors with Kola Aina as chair

2Oct

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Nigeria

Lagos Angel Network appoints new board of governors with Kola Aina as chair

The Lagos Angel Network (LAN) has appointed a new Board of Governors (BoG) to oversee its affairs, effective from today October 1, 2021. According to a LAN statement, the new board, chaired by Kola Aina, General Partner at Ventures Platform, has the mandate to reposition the organisation with a focus on recruiting and educating local angel investors and championing advocacy for early-stage investing in Nigeria. Other members of the BoG are Biola Alabi, founder, Biola Alabi Media, who will sit as Deputy Chair of the BoG; Yemi Keri, co-founder, Rising Tide Africa; Olumide Soyombo, co-founder, Voltron Capital; Iyin Aboyeji, founder, Future Africa; and Gerrad Olisa-Ashar, co-founder, Diaspora Angel Network. LAN was created to facilitate the development and emergence ...

eNaira: Five things Nigerians can do on the new website

1Oct

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Cryptocurrency, Nigeria

eNaira: Five things Nigerians can do on the new website

The website of Nigeria’s official digital currency, eNaira, went live on Monday, four days before its planned launch on October 1, as disclosed by Central Bank governor, Godwin Emefiele. Developed by Barbados-based fintech company Bitt Inc., eNaira is a legal tender just like the naira. According to the apex bank, it must be accepted by all merchants and business outlets as a form of payment in Nigeria. A welcome note on the website describes the eNaira as a “Central Bank of Nigeria-issued digital currency that provides a unique form of money denominated in Naira.” The website is a central repository where users can find comprehensive information about the official digital currency, but it offers much more than just details of the eNaira. TechCabal reviewed the website and here a...

Review: iOS 15 features give iPhone users more control over their lives

1Oct

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Gadgets, Mobile

Review: iOS 15 features give iPhone users more control over their lives

Apple released the iOS 15 on September 20, 2021, and it’s a super-smart operating system. We think Apple is taking a minimalist approach to building a more effective operating system. Unlike the flashy update that happened from iOS 6 to iOS 7, iOS 15 debuts with subtle updates that form a more significant upgrade of iOS 14. iOS 15 is the perfect example of being loud without screaming: the new operating system improves your overall experience without altering your phone visually. iOS 15 has a lot of hidden updates that are easy to miss and that’s why we’ve compiled some of our favourite features below: Focus mode in iOS 15 is a gift to humanity This has to come first because it is transformative and will make the human race more productive. Sounds dramatic, but yo...