Africa – Page 3 – Africa Tech Digest

Liquid Intelligent Technologies connects the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo Brazzaville with high-speed connectivity using wireless optical communication technology

16Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Telecommunications

Liquid Intelligent Technologies connects the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo Brazzaville with high-speed connectivity using wireless optical communication technology

LONDON, United Kingdom, September 16, 2021/APO Group/ -- Africa’s leading technology group, Liquid Intelligent Technologies (Liquid.Tech), is now delivering affordable high-speed connectivity to communities in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) using state-of-the-art Wireless Optical Communication technology (WOC) from Project Taara at X, Alphabet’s moonshot factory. This achievement marks a robust high-capacity communications bridge between Kinshasa and Congo Brazzaville. Despite being just 4.8 kilometres apart, internet is more expensive in Kinshasa than in Brazzaville. The reason being, the two cities are separated by the Congo River, the second fastest and deepest river in the world, making it difficult to lay fibre across it. Historically this had resulted in ope...

African genomics startup 54gene raises $25M to expand precision medicine capabilities

16Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Start-ups

African genomics startup 54gene raises $25M to expand precision medicine capabilities

Less than 3% of genetic material used in global pharmaceutical research is from Africa. The staggering gap is quite surprising because Africans and people of African descent are reported to be more genetically diverse than any other population. Since launching in 2019, African genomics startup 54gene has been at the forefront of bridging this divide in the global genomics market. Today, the company has secured $25 million in Series B funding to bolster its efforts. This round comes a year after the company, founded by Dr Abasi Ene-Obong, raised $15 million in Series A and two years after closing a $4.5 million seed round. In total, 54gene has raised more than $45 million since its inception. Continue reading Image: 54gene

UN Launches the First Regional Online Portal to Bring Together all African Countries with Data and Evidence on Sustainable Development

14Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Telecommunications

UN Launches the First Regional Online Portal to Bring Together all African Countries with Data and Evidence on Sustainable Development

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, September 14, 2021/APO Group/ -- Measuring and evaluating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa became much easier as a group of regional UN entities launched the first online data portal that brings together statistical data harvested across all countries on the continent. Today, 17 regional UN entities, under the Africa Regional Collaborative Platform (RCP), unveiled the Africa UN Data for Development Platform. This is the first platform to serve as a one-stop-shop repository that captures high-quality data and evidence on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs from all the African countries. It is also the first of its kind to raise the profile of statistical progress toward the African Union vision – Agenda 2063. “With barely nine years left...

Technology giant Olympus hit by BlackMatter ransomware

13Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Cybersecurity

Technology giant Olympus hit by BlackMatter ransomware

Olympus said in a brief statement Sunday that it is “currently investigating a potential cybersecurity incident” affecting its European, Middle East and Africa computer network. “Upon detection of suspicious activity, we immediately mobilized a specialized response team including forensics experts, and we are currently working with the highest priority to resolve this issue. As part of the investigation, we have suspended data transfers in the affected systems and have informed the relevant external partners,” the statement said. But according to a person with knowledge of the incident, Olympus is recovering from a ransomware attack that began in the early morning of September 8. The person shared details of the incident prior to Olympus acknowledging the incident on Sunday. Continue...

12Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, ecommerce

ECOWAS Member States Meet to Review Development of the African Trade Observatory

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso, September 12, 2021/APO Group/ -- The ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC), organized the 2nd virtual Regional Workshop on the African Trade Observatory (ATO) on 8 September 2021 for Experts from Ministries of Trade and National Statistics Agencies, as well as representatives of Customs Authorities to review status of development of the Observatory.The African Trade Observatory, is one of the five African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) operational instruments along with the rules of origin; the online negotiating forum; the monitoring and elimination of non-tariff barriers; and the digital payment system, that was launched at the African Union 12th Extraordinary Summit held in July 2019 in Niamey – Niger. Continue ...

What will it take to build the future of e-commerce in Africa?

12Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, ecommerce

What will it take to build the future of e-commerce in Africa?

From the early days of trade by barter to the days of online shopping, commerce has come a long way. Consumers no longer have to wait long periods to get their goods delivered or limit themselves to trading within their environs. Now, consumers can place orders from the comfort of their homes and have them delivered in a short time, ranging from a few hours to a few days. This increase in convenience has led to a corresponding increase in consumer spending. In Africa, the average spending by online shoppers has risen steadily over the years. How much progress has the industry made? In 2020, the African e-commerce market was estimated to be worth $20 billion, and between 2014 to 2018, the number of online shoppers on the continent increased annually, at an average growth rate of 18...

How Unmanned Drones Are Delivering Medical Supplies Across Botswana

10Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Health Tech

How Unmanned Drones Are Delivering Medical Supplies Across Botswana

A collaborative project in Botswana is getting essential and emergency healthcare products to remote communities quicker than ever before through leveraging unmanned drones. The Drones for Health project sees a partnership between the country’s Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), the United Nations Population Fund, and Dutch drone company Avy. Launched in May of this year at the BIUST campus in Palapye, the pilot project aims to demonstrate how drones can expedite the delivery of essential and emergency medical supplies to far-flung communities. Continue reading

CBN’s new directive, Flutterwave X MTN MoMo, MTN Nigeria’s licence renewal

10Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Telecommunications

CBN’s new directive, Flutterwave X MTN MoMo, MTN Nigeria’s licence renewal

What’s the news? The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed banks and payment service providers (PSPs), via a circular, to begin processing end-to-end bulk payments or transfers on their platforms and to track accounts that receive credits in the custody of the sender’s bank. How were things done before? Originating banks and PSPs passed a debit entry through the initiating customer’s account and multiple credits to beneficiaries without keeping adequate records of the credit entries in their system. This, reportedly, altered the audit trail and reduced transparency. But with the new method, all end-to-end bulk payments or transfers for customers are processed on the platforms of banks or PSPs, with a detailed breakdown of the accounts that receive the credits held in the sender’...

TECNO’s CAMON series to be the first to release MediaTek’s latest Helio G96 chips in the African market

9Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Mobile, Telecommunications

TECNO’s CAMON series to be the first to release MediaTek’s latest Helio G96 chips in the African market

Lagos, Nigeria, 9th September 2021 – International smartphone brand, TECNO just confirmed that it will feature MediaTek’s Helio G96 chipset in its CAMON 18 series to launch in Oct, making it the first smartphone brand to do so for the African market. The newly launched MediaTek Helio G96 chipset is ideal for powerful 4G smartphones for the mainstream market, and is equipped with enhanced technology features which boost display and photography experiences. TECNO CAMON series was first launched in 2015 with a dedication to bring pioneering camera technologies to African consumers. It has grown to be one of the most popular camera phones. The Helio G96 chipset will allow the TECNO CAMON series to further enhance its position and provide cutting edge display and photography capabilities. Co...

How AI Can Improve Your Driving Under SA’s New Demerit Laws

9Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, AI

How AI Can Improve Your Driving Under SA’s New Demerit Laws

South Africa’s Department of Transport announced the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act, which will introduce a new licence points demerit system geared towards imposing stricter penalties for road rule infringements. It’s estimated that between 15 and 20 million fines a year will be issued countrywide once the new system is fully implemented, with the first phase coming into effect on 1 July 2021. Unfortunately, the AARTO Act could prove detrimental to South African drivers, fleet operators, and businesses alike, even if similar systems have been successful in other countries. Continue reading