Thursday, November 21

Tag: Ethiopia

Ethiopia is Building Local Social Media to Rival Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp
Africans in Tech, Apps, Social Networks

Ethiopia is Building Local Social Media to Rival Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp

Ethiopia has begun development on its own social media platforms to rival US-based social networks like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. The state communications security agency said on Monday that the country does not have any plans to block the global services, as per Reuters. Instead, according to the director general of Ethiopia’s Information Network Security Agency (INSA), Shumete Gizaw, the government wants its public platforms to “replace” Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Zoom. Shumete also accused Facebook of deleting posts and user accounts that he said were “disseminating the true reality about Ethiopia.” The country has been embroiled in a major armed conflict since last year, which pits the Federal Government against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), an armed gro...
Siemens and Ethiopia collaborate to address urgent energy and infrastructure challenges
East Africa

Siemens and Ethiopia collaborate to address urgent energy and infrastructure challenges

Siemens is currently helping to increase the reliability of energy supply through an interconnector being built between Kenya and Ethiopia Siemens today announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to support the government’s objective of becoming a low middle-income country by 2025. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) addresses the country’s energy and infrastructure sectors. Other key aspects of the agreement include financing concepts that will ensure the long-term sustainability of these infrastructure initiatives; and creating opportunities for local upskilling and job creation during construction and operation. Siemens can make a significant contribution to Ethiopia’s development Ethiopia’s Growth and Tr...
Meet the 19-year-old tech genius coding at Ethiopia’s first AI lab
Africans in Tech, AI

Meet the 19-year-old tech genius coding at Ethiopia’s first AI lab

At 19-years-old, Betelhem Dessie is perhaps the youngest pioneer in Ethiopia's fast emerging tech scene, sometimes referred to as "Sheba Valley."Dessie is coordinating a number of nationwide programs run by robotics lab iCog, the Addis Ababa based artificial intelligence (AI) lab that was involved in developing the world famous Sophia the robot. She has four software programs copyrighted solely to her name - including an app developed for the Ethiopian government to map rivers used for irrigation.And it all began when she was just 9.She recalls: "On my 9th birthday I wanted to celebrate so I asked my father for money." When her father said he didn't have any to give her that day, Dessie took matters into her own hands.Making use of the materials around her - her father sold electronics ...
East Africa Top 10 Tech Startups to Watch
East Africa, List & Guides, Start-ups

East Africa Top 10 Tech Startups to Watch

The tech startup scene in the African continent is experiencing record-breaking growth and increased international attention. In 2017, African tech startups received over $560M in investment according to research by Partech Ventures (a 53% increase from $367M in 2016). While South Africa and Nigeria still lead in attracting tech investments for the continent, East Africa is rapidly grabbing diverting more attention and investment dollars, catalyzed by strong innovation hubs and incubators. Nairobi stands as the pillar and anchor of East Africa’s interest, attracting 26% of total investments into Africa. Results from I-DEV East Africa Tech Survey showed strong evidence that Kenya continues to take a the lead in attracting attention and growing the ‘hottest’ companies to watch in East Afr...