Author: Akin Naphtal

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has addressed a video circulating on social media asking people who find missing Ghana Cards to use the short code, *402#, to identify the owners of the misplaced cards. In a publication on its website, posted on Tuesday 6th February, the NCA advised against using the *402# short code for such purposes. The Authority clarified that it is solely designed to display a list of SIMs linked to a Ghana Card and cannot be used to check for any other SIM not associated with that specific Ghana Card. As such, the content of the video…

Angola has initiated negotiations with Freiberg University of Mining and Technology in Germany to establish a scholarship program for Angolan students, bolster its mining sector and cultivate a skilled workforce. The Memorandum of Understanding signed between HE Diamantino Pedro Azevedo, Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas of Angola, and Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Barbknecht, Rector of Freiberg University, set the stage for this collaboration. Following a recent visit by a delegation from the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas (MIREMPET) to the University, negotiations have gained momentum. Led by Eng. Domingos Francisco, MIREMPET National Director for Training and Local…

In its latest quarterly earnings report, digital music service, Spotify revealed a 4% increase in its paid user base, reaching 236 million subscribers, and a 5% growth on the free ad-funded tier, which rose to 602 million users. The company also achieved a record net addition of 28 million users in the fourth quarter, contributing to a total of 31 million net additions for the full year. Additionally, revenue increased by 16% year-on-year. Despite these gains, the company is still struggling with losses in Q4, which is a cause for concern. Spotify posted a profit of €65 million in Q3,…

The Digital Economy Magazine has named the CEO of MTN Ghana, Selorm Adadevoh as the CEO of the Week (4th to 10th February 2024). Serlorm Adadevoh is a distinguished figure in the corporate space, renowned for his exceptional leadership. He built this reputation from his experiences as SRC Chairman at St. Peter’s Secondary School, President of the Civil Engineering Students Association (CESA) at KNUST, and as President of the Wharton African Students Association (WASA) at The Wharton School, US. Now with over two decades of experience, spanning humble beginnings as a technology consultant at Hewlett-Packard (HP), to service in Africa,…

In the aftermath of Apple’s Vision Pro launch on Friday, 2nd February, there have been security concerns regarding the product, following MIT PhD student, Joseph Ravichandran’s discovery of a critical kernel vulnerability within the device’s operating system, visionOS. Ravichandran, who specialises in microarchitecture security, noted that the identified vulnerability within visionOS can potentially enable jailbreaking and the creation of malicious software targeting the Vison Pro. In a demonstration conducted on the day following the headset’s release, Ravichandran showcased the device’s response to an attempted kernel exploit through a series of photographs, showing the severity of the uncovered flaw. This discovery…

MTN Group has signed definitive agreements with Mastercard for the payments firm to stake a minority investment of up to $200 million into MTN Group Fintech B.V., at a valuation of $5.2 billion on a cash and debt-free basis. The agreement, signed on 5th February, and revealed by MTN on Tuesday, 6th February, follows an announcement MTN Group’s President and CEO, Ralph Mupita, made in August 2023 regarding the telco’s intention to sell a 30% stake in its fintech division. This investment, though not categorised under the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Listings Requirements, is subject to customary closing conditions. It…

The GSMA 2023 State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money showed that since 2022, over 184 million people across Africa have embraced mobile money. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) now boasts 763 million registered accounts, nearly half of the 1.6 billion users globally, with transaction values jumping 22% in the reported period, reaching $832 billion. These figures are significantly influenced by Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, which dominate the mobile money and digital wallet landscape. Kenya, which has wholly embraced M-PESA, or Nigeria, with a staggering 120 million users do not necessarily reflect the reality in markets like South Africa (SA), which…

Global payments technology company, Mastercard, has announced a strategic partnership with Boost, to provide digital payment wallets and embedded supply chain finance to empower and expand small businesses in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector in Africa. This collaboration aims to provide support to distributors, wholesalers, and retailers in the FMCG sector, all of whom will be provided with Boost’s innovative platform as a service to access essential working capital and Mastercard’s acceptance solutions. As part of the partnership, Mastercard will allow Boost to offer digital payment and credit solutions to their micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) customers across…

The Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Masubir Mahama, has revealed that the ECG’s PowerApp has acquired 3.5 million users, growing from the initial 250,000 users when the app was launched two years ago. Speaking during a radio interview on Peace FM, Mahama attributed the app’s success to its user-friendly interface. He noted how it has facilitated convenient access to ECG’s services for customers, allowing them to manage electricity-related matters from the comfort of their homes. He expressed appreciation for the positive response and urged all customers to actively participate in the ongoing nationwide meter…

Executive Chairman of IBURU, Ebenezer Essoka, has been appointed Chairman of MTN Cameroon’s Board of Directors, with the company’s directors electing him during a Board Meeting held in Johannesburg on Friday, 2nd February 2024. A post on MTN Cameroon’s LinkedIn page stated that the new Board Chairman will be replacing outgoing Chairman, Colin Mukete, who has been Chairman since 2002. Mukete had previously announced to the Board his intention to step down as Chairman, feeling that after 21 years, “now was the right time to step aside.” He’ll, however, be working with Essoka “to ensure a smooth transition,” and will…