Author: Akin Naphtal

Yoco has joined forces with MediaTek to point of sale terminal machines for small businesses across Africa. The collaboration has resulted in the creation of the Yoco Neo Touch range, a series of user-friendly card machines powered by MediaTek’s Genio series of Internet of Things (IoT) chipsets. The Yoco Neo Touch card machine, priced at R899, is designed to connect to 4G networks, offering unparalleled speed and unlimited data. It can process tap, chip and pin, and mobile payments in less than three seconds. With an all-day battery life, an intuitive touchscreen, and the capability to accept payments immediately upon…

Zambia’s government has begun distributing Starlink kits to the country’s 150 constituencies, with each constituency getting one kit, just two months after Starlink launched its satellite internet service in the nation. This move is part of the government’s desire to address Zambia’s dire state of internet access. The southern African country faces a challenging internet landscape, with a mere 21% penetration rate, leaving over 20 million people, particularly in rural areas, with poor or no access. The high cost of maintaining internet infrastructure has deterred many traditional internet service providers from reaching these remote populations. Starlink’s founder, Elon Musk, has…

Kenya launched a national e-commerce strategy on 13 December to fortify its position as a digital frontrunner in Africa by fostering inclusive and widespread utilization of trusted and secure e-commerce services based in the country. Its Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy and the Ministry of Trade, Investments and Industry spearheaded the strategy, supported by UNCTAD. “Kenya’s e-commerce strategy lays the foundation for trust-building among businesses and consumers, making e-commerce more accessible and beneficial for all, including marginalized groups,” said Shamika N. Sirimanne, director of technology and logistics at UNCTAD. “I would like to commend the government on the strong…

Kenya’s M-PESA, a widely-used mobile money platform with 51 million users, has partnered global digital payments giant, Visa, in a collaboration that will see M-PESA being introduced to physical debit cards, marking a departure from its previous virtual-only offerings. Previously, M-PESA users were limited to virtual cards, such as the GlobalPay powered by Visa, which could only be used for online purchases. The new physical debit cards will extend M-PESA’s reach into the cash-centric retail sector, presenting a pivotal shift for the platform that has been a leader in Kenya’s digital payments landscape. Credit and debit card usage is relatively…

Second-largest streaming platform in Africa, Netflix, has released its first biannual report detailing viewership patterns for the period from January to June 2023 globally, with the report covering over 18,000 titles and more than 100 billion hours of streaming. The report showed the first season of South African series, Unseen, topping the charts for Africa, and ranking 229th globally. Unseen has accumulated over 60 million viewing hours on Netflix so far. South Africa also dominated the top 10 most-streamed movies in Africa with eight representations, while Nigeria had two with Shanty Town and Far From Home ranking 750th and 2,088th,…

African e-commerce giant Jumia has announced the impending shutdown of its food delivery business, Jumia Food, by the end of 2023, as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative as the company focuses on core business segments with higher potential for profitability. With a reported loss of $19 million in Q3 2023, Jumia has been realigning its strategic focus under the leadership of CEO Francis Dufay, who assumed the role last year. Dufay cited challenging unit economics and substantial losses in the food delivery segment as key reasons for its closure. He also attributed the decision to increased competition and rising…

In a significant move toward fostering digital transformation across the African continent, Smart Africa has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Economy of Trust Foundation. The agreement aims to empower African policymakers and decision-makers through a range of initiatives. These include capacity building, forums, training programs, events, and networking opportunities bridging Africa and Europe. This strategic collaboration marks a key step in advancing the digital landscape and connectivity in Africa. It reflects a commitment to supporting the journey of digital transformation by providing crucial resources and fostering meaningful exchanges between key stakeholders. The partnership is poised to…

Susan Bowen, the former Hewlett Packard executive, has been appointed as the new CEO of Digital Catapult, a business support organization, effective from March 2023. Bowen joins the not-for-profit from cloud provider Aptum Group, where she held the role of president and chief executive. She replaces Dr Jeremy Silver, who held the chief executive role from June 2016. Brief Profile of Susan Bowen Susan Bowen is a Senior Advisor to DigitalBridge and the Chief Executive Officer of Aptum. Ms. Bowen has over 20 years of experience in the technology industry and understands the importance of transformational leadership to stay at…

Infinix has officially introduced the HOT 40 SERIES Free Fire Limited Edition, developed in collaboration with Free Fire, the world’s most downloaded mobile battle royale game. Comprising the HOT 40 Pro and HOT 40, the series features significant upgrades in processor, camera, display, and software performance, carefully designed to provide its users with an unparalleled gaming experience. “We are excited to continue our collaboration with Free Fire and announce the HOT 40 SERIES, which features unique combinations of characters and pets in our co-branded lineup. The series offers outstanding performance and an exceptional gaming experience for mobile gamers worldwide, all…

With the rapid growth of digitalization and the race by governments not to be left out in the fourth industrial revolution, African countries such as Kenya have placed key priority on ICT and digitalization – The Kenyan government has in the recent past invested in the ICT and Digitalization sector, the sector takes centre stage in the East African Nation’s government’s Bottom-up Economic Transformation agenda – with the Digital Super Highway. Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies are at the forefront of the Kenyan Digitalization Agenda one such is the Kenya ICT Authority – a State Corporation established in August 2013 under the…