Africa – Page 4 – Africa Tech Digest

Samsung Galaxy Z Series Foldables Now Available for Pre-Order in SA

8Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Samsung Galaxy Z Series Foldables Now Available for Pre-Order in SA

Samsung has announced that its newly launched Galaxy Z series is now available for pre-order in South Africa. The highly anticipated device series includes the foldable smartphones Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G. The South Korean tech juggernaut is also adding in some pre-order bonuses for its South African customers, which include the Galaxy Buds 2 earbuds, the Galaxy Smart Tag key finder and the Samsung Care+ warranty package. “When you pre-order or purchase during the 1 September to 20 October 2021 promotional period, you will receive an exclusive offer, that includes the new Galaxy Buds2, the must-have Galaxy Smart Tag and the peace of mind of Samsung Care+, all valued at R5,200,” the company says in a statement. Continue reading

Arise B.V invests $75m in Ecobank in “landmark” transaction

7Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Telecommunications

Arise B.V invests $75m in Ecobank in “landmark” transaction

Arise B.V, a leading equity investor in Africa, has made an Additional Tier 1 (AT1) investment of about $75 million in Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), the Togo-based parent company of Ecobank Group. A statement from ETI reveals that the AT1 instrument is the first to be issued by Ecobank, adding that Arise’s investment is Basel III-compliant. Basel III is an international regulatory accord rolled out by the Basel Committee, which introduced a set of reforms intended to minimise risk and promote stability in the international financial system. Developed in response to the 2007-2009 financial crisis, it requires banks to maintain proper debt ratios and keep certain levels of reserve capital on hand. Continue reading

ICASA Cancels Spectrum Auction in Attempt to Avoid Lengthy Court Battle

7Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

5G, Africa, Telecommunications

ICASA Cancels Spectrum Auction in Attempt to Avoid Lengthy Court Battle

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the country’s communications regulator, has announced that it will not be publishing invitations to apply (ITA) to participate in the long-awaited auction of high-demand spectrum in South Africa. ICASA says that the move was made to avoid a lengthy court battle against several litigators that had issues with how ICASA was handling the auction. The regulator is likewise withdrawing an ITA for the licensing of the planned wholesale open-access network (WOAN), pending court approval. “ICASA has now decided to consent to an order setting aside its decision to publish the invitations to apply (ITAs) in order to avoid a long, drawn-out litigation, the effect of which would only be to delay further the licensing of high-deman...

Nigeria’s Autochek acquires Cheki Kenya and Uganda from ROAM Africa

6Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Nigeria, Telecommunications

Nigeria’s Autochek acquires Cheki Kenya and Uganda from ROAM Africa

Nigerian automotive tech company Autochek today is announcing the acquisition of Cheki Kenya and Uganda from Ringier One Africa Media (ROAM) for an undisclosed amount. Per a statement, Autochek will finalize the deal in the coming weeks. With the acquisition, Autochek completes its expansion into East Africa and follows the first acquisition made almost a year ago when it acquired both Nigeria and Ghana businesses from Cheki. In 2010, Cheki launched as an online car classified for dealers, importers, and private sellers in Kenya. The startup, headquartered in Nairobi, expanded operations to Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Continue reading

With Awabah, Tunji Andrews wants to make pensions as popular as banking

4Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Fintech

With Awabah, Tunji Andrews wants to make pensions as popular as banking

Between November and December 2020, Tunji Andrews co-piloted a project to help informal workers save for the future. Those efforts culminated in the January rollout of Awabah, a digital platform that provides micro pension access to self-employed Nigerians and informal workers. “Many people in Nigeria and Africa do day-to-day financial transactions in markets but don’t have access to the benefits that the formal financial system offers,” Andrews told TechCabal. “So when I wanted to get into the fintech space, it had to be something that would drive financial inclusion on a very strong basis.” Continue reading

Zip acquisition of Payflex means Africa is ripe for BNPL disruption

4Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, ecommerce

Zip acquisition of Payflex means Africa is ripe for BNPL disruption

Australian buy now, pay later (BNPL) company Zip this week acquired South Africa-based BNPL player Payflex for an undisclosed amount. It’s a piece of news that once again highlights the hype around BNPL services and the quest for global dominance among the leading players. This year we have covered BNPL services from the likes of Afterpay, Klarna and Affirm. And tech and payments giants Apple, Square, PayPal and Visa have joined in the action, too, massively funneling cash to their respective BNPL initiatives (for one, Square acquired Afterpay). Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. are key markets for BNPL services. The U.S. market is so big that the number of BNPL service users is expected to hit 45 million by year’s end, representing an 81% growth from last year. But despi...

Building Shopify for Africa: Nigeria’s Bumpa plans to digitise thousands of African businesses

3Sep

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Africa, ecommerce, Nigeria, Start-ups

Building Shopify for Africa: Nigeria’s Bumpa plans to digitise thousands of African businesses

Nigerian eCommerce startup, Bumpa, has raised a $200,000 pre-seed to digitise thousands of African businesses on its platform. Greencap Equity, HoaQ club, Rizq Investment Group, Microtraction, DFS Lab, Aidi Ventures, Prosper Otemuyiwa, Oo Nwoye, Perfect Makanju, Whogohost’s venture arm, and a few other angel investors took part in the round. Bumpa, formerly known as SalesCabal, was relaunched in February 2021 by Kelvin Umechukwu (CEO) and Adetunji Opayele (CTO). The company helps retailers manage and grow their businesses using their smartphones. Continue reading

Ridelink raises $150k pre-seed to build e-logistics technology for East Africa

1Sep

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Africa, Africans in Tech, East Africa, Start-ups

Ridelink raises $150k pre-seed to build e-logistics technology for East Africa

Ridelink, an Ugandan e-logistics platform, has just closed a $150k pre-seed investment round to improve its technology and double down on its marketing efforts. The investment was birthed from the startup’s partnership with Ortus Africa Capital, Omidyar Network and African Leadership Academy’s Young Entrepreneurs Fund(Anzisha). This round brings Ridelink’s total fund raised to US$250k, having previously received funding from seedstars last year. Founded in 2017 by Daniel Mukisa, Ridelink operates an e-logistics platform developed to seamlessly connect SMEs to a network of transport operators. Uganda’s population grew by 6.8% from over 44 million in 2019 to over 47 million in 2021; this population uptrend has also led to the rise of SMEs across the co...

EZE Wholesale is taking on Africa’s challenging used smartphone market

31Aug

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Mobile, Telecommunications

EZE Wholesale is taking on Africa’s challenging used smartphone market

Africa has been one of the fastest-growing mobile phone markets in the world over the past decade and a major contributor to the growth is the second-hand smartphone industry. Current unfavorable economic conditions in African countries, such as high poverty rates, make them viable markets for used phones. Thousands of retailers in Nigeria, for instance, sell refurbished mobile devices from popular brands like Samsung and Apple, catering to the demand of an increasingly digital-savvy but poor population. The devices are shipped from advanced countries and sold at cheaper rates in markets like Lagos-based Computer Village. Continue reading

Top 4 Most Trending Stories – Week in Review

28Aug

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Africans in Tech, Telecommunications