IT news – Page 3 – Africa Tech Digest

What will commerce look like in Africa over the next decade?

25Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, ecommerce

What will commerce look like in Africa over the next decade?

With Covid-19 restrictions forcing more people to shop online, e-commerce companies and platforms on the continent have enjoyed a surge in activity. Jumia, for instance, saw a significant uptick in major indicators in the second half of last year. Also, retailers that did not previously have an online presence were compelled to do so. The pandemic essentially propelled widespread growth in African e-commerce. However, there are questions of whether that growth can be sustained in the long run. Juliet Anammah, Group Chief Sustainability Officer and Chairperson of Jumia Nigeria thinks it can. Continue reading Image: Business Fights Poverty

KFC South Africa Launches Own Delivery Service – KFC Delivery PLUS

25Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa

KFC South Africa Launches Own Delivery Service – KFC Delivery PLUS

KFC South Africa has launched its very own in-house delivery service – KFC Delivery PLUS, enabling consumers to place their orders via the KFC mobile app or website. To get the service off to a running start, KFC is also offering free delivery until the end of the year. People wanting to get KFC delivered would usually have to turn to 3rd party services like Uber Eats or Mr D, but now it seems the Kentucky Fried Powerhouse is set to launch its own delivery service similar to that of McDonalds. This addition is a key expansion of the brand’s eCommerce commitment and comes just a month after the launch of its WhatsApp ordering platform – a first for the QSR sector locally. Continue reading Image: Business Tech

Nigerian businesses can now accept Apple Pay on Paystack

23Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

ecommerce, Mobile Transfers, Nigeria

Nigerian businesses can now accept Apple Pay on Paystack

Paystack, the African fintech company that powers and processes payments for businesses, today announced that it is launching Pay with Apple Pay on its platform. The company, in a statement, called the integration “the fastest, secure way for Nigerian businesses to accept international payments.” Apple Pay, Apple’s mobile payments and digital wallet service, provides users with a secure and private way to pay on their iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and Macbooks. Despite having a presence in almost every continent since 2014, Apple Pay only made its way into Africa this March through South Africa. Users in the country with Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards can access the payment service from five banks — Nedbank, Absa, FirstRand Bank, Investec and Discovery. Continue read...

Tesla backed ZOLA Electric is solving Africa’s energy shortage by digitising energy

21Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa, Energy

Tesla backed ZOLA Electric is solving Africa’s energy shortage by digitising energy

Access to reliable, affordable, and constant power supply has continuously been a problem in sub-Saharan Africa for a long time, impairing economic growth. As the population in the region increases, the enormity of the problem becomes more evident. InEnergy in Africa Challenges and Opportunitiesby Manfred Hafner and Simone Tagliapietra Lucia de Strasser, in 2018, about 600 million people out of 1.07 billion in sub-Saharan Africa did not have access to electricity. While there are efforts to increase access to electricity, population growth outpaces these efforts. Interestingly, some parts of Africa have high connection rates. According to Afrobarometer, Egypt has a 100% connection rate, South Africa, 95%; and Nigeria, 90%. Continue reading Image: techpoint.africa

A Nigerian fintech startup serving solar providers secures $2m funding

20Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Fintech, Nigeria, Start-ups

A Nigerian fintech startup serving solar providers secures $2m funding

Infibranches Technologies Limited, a Nigerian startup that provides digital payment services to solar energy providers, on Monday said it has secured a $2 million funding from All On, an impact investment company backed by oil major Shell. Through its flagship products – OmniBranches and Green Energy Plug – Infibranches helps companies with large distribution networks, particularly Solar Home System (SHS) distributors and mini-grid developers, manage their operations. According to Infibranches CEO, Olusola Owoyemi, OmniBranches has served over a million customers. Its features include agent hierarchy management, commission tracking, transaction records, transaction analytics, and profile management. Continue reading Image: Guardian Nigeria

Online Learning & Working Sees Increase in ADHD Symptoms – Expert

19Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Health Tech

Online Learning & Working Sees Increase in ADHD Symptoms – Expert

Technology has enabled remote working, learning and social connections during the Covid-19 pandemic, but increases of up to 80% in time spent in front of screens has seen a rise in ADHD symptoms such as lack of focus, poor concentration, and restlessness among both adults and children. Excessive screen time, either watching television or using devices including laptops, mobile phones and tablets, negatively affects concentration, memory and learning and contributes to problems with sleep, obesity, depression and anxiety – and aggravates the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Psychiatrist Professor Renata Schoeman, convenor of the ADHD special interest group of the SA Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP), said studies in a number of countries, including China, I...

54gene’s Series B, Vilsquare’s founder’s journey, Techpoint Africa’s Privacy Roundtable

18Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africa

54gene’s Series B, Vilsquare’s founder’s journey, Techpoint Africa’s Privacy Roundtable

On Thursday, September 16, 2021, African genomics research startup 54gene, announced a $25 million Series B round. The funding will be used to expand the startup’s sequencing, target identification and validation, and precision medicine clinical trial capabilities, enabling drug discovery in Africa for Africans and the world.Advertisement Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund led the round. Existing investors like Adjuvant Capital, KdT Ventures, Plexo Capital, Endeavor Capital, and Ingressive Capital participated in the round. Launched in 2019 by Dr Abasi Ene-Obong (CEO), 54gene is a healthtech company centred around unlocking scientific discoveries and enhancing diagnosis and treatment outcomes across Africa and the rest of the world. Continue reading Image: techpoint.africa

Glovo is officially in Nigeria, redefining tech-driven on-demand delivery!

18Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Africans in Tech, Nigeria

Glovo is officially in Nigeria, redefining tech-driven on-demand delivery!

Customers nowadays would rather order food and other items from an app and have them delivered, than walk into a neighboring restaurant or store. The concept of on-demand delivery service has redefined comfort, efficiency, and convenience for users across every consumer service, product category or just anything. A global technology company Glovo has recently launched its multi-category on-demand delivery platform in Nigeria! This app connects users and couriers, allowing them to order any product or food item with a simple tap on their smartphone and have it delivered to them fast by a specialist Glovo rider, called a Glover. The app works in 6 unique categories where users can order items from supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, drinks, specific package deliveries, and an inte...

Vodacom SA Launches Coding Programme to Inspire More Women in STEM

17Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Southern Africa, Telecommunications

Vodacom SA Launches Coding Programme to Inspire More Women in STEM

One of South Africa’s big 4 telecoms, Vodacom, has announced the launch of a programme that will see over 600 young girls between the ages of 14 and 18 receive coding training virtually from 4-7 October 2021. The initiative is called the #CodeLikeAGirl programme and aims to encourage more girls to explore careers that require coding skills to help them get a start in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and industries. Women in STEM Female participation is lagging in a field that is expanding globally and men continue to dominate the number of STEM graduates in most countries. Continue reading Image: itnewsafrica

Absa, Tigo & JUMO Join Forces to Expand FinTech in Tanzania

16Sep

By Africa Tech DigestNo Comments

Fintech

Absa, Tigo & JUMO Join Forces to Expand FinTech in Tanzania

Mobile fintech platform services provider, JUMO today announced a new partnership with Absa Bank Tanzania and Tanzanian telecom firm Tigo to increase the availability of the existing short-term credit product Tigo Nivushe in the country. The new tripartite agreement reached with Absa will pave the way for more funds to be disbursed through JUMO’s intelligent banking platform, from September 2021, says JUMO. Tigo Nivushe is a mobile lending product that is an easily accessible, short-term loan option available to Tigo Pesa’s customers and funded by Absa Bank. Customers who are registered and sufficiently active on Tigo Pesa can borrow amounts ranging from TZS2,000 ($0,08) to TZS1-million ($431,22) depending on their requirements and eligibility. Continue reading Image: Wikiwand...