Trends – Page 2 – Africa Tech Digest

20Jan

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

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

15Jan

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

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 group...

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 ret...

How Africa’s Tech Generation Is Changing the Continent

30Dec

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Trends

How Africa’s Tech Generation Is Changing the Continent

DESIGNING FOR AFRICA is the objective of many new technology ventures. The continent is still a largely untapped market, particularly in remote, off-the-grid places. Mark Kamau, director of user-experience design for BRCK in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, holds a prototype for a mobile weather station.PHOTOGRAPH BY CIRIL JAZBEC Inspired by Silicon Valley, young entrepreneurs are bringing life-improving innovations to sub-Saharan communities. ONE DAY IN 2004, in the Kenyan farming village of Engineer—so named because an Englishman once ran a mechanical repair shop there—a slight and nearsighted boy was walking past the only printing shop when his eyes fell on something he had never seen: a computer. The boy watched as the owner stabbed at his keyboard. Edging closer, he saw pages s...

Venture capital, global expansion, blockchain and drones characterize African tech in 2018

29Dec

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Trends

Venture capital, global expansion, blockchain and drones characterize African tech in 2018

2018 saw Africa’s tech sector become more dynamic and international. VC firms on the continent multiplied. There were numerous investment rounds. And startups pursued acquisitions and global expansion. Here’s a snapshot of the news that shaped African tech over the last year. Surge in VC funds A notable 2018 trend was Africa’s VC landscape becoming more African, with an increasing number of investment funds headquartered on the continent and run by locals, according to Crunchbase data released in this TechCrunch exclusive. Drawing on its database and primary source research, Crunchbase identified 51 viable Africa-focused VC funds globally with at least 7-10 investments in African startups from seed to series stage. Of the 51 funds, 22 (or 43 percent) were head...

The big tech and innovation trends in Africa for 2018

28Dec

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Trends

The big tech and innovation trends in Africa for 2018

This year, as is the case almost every year, the availability of funding proved a major talking point among African tech founders and innovators. In 2018, however, there was reason to cheer as halfway through the year, startup funding had reached $168.6 million—surpassing last year’s total. Crucially, there was more venture capital closer to home for startups as Partech Ventures launched a $100 million pan-African fund. Indeed, much of that increased investment was largely thanks to the hot streak of fintech companies, including big-ticket investment deals like Cellulant’s $47.5 million Series C round. Fintech companies across the continent providing key services in loans, savings and payment, have been increasingly rewarded with inv...