Author: Akin Naphtal

Orange Botswana celebrates the business’ CEO, Nene Maïga, on her prestigious Female Innovator of the Year Award 2023, received at the Africa Tech Festival Awards in Cape Town, South Africa. This distinguished accolade recognises the exceptional contributions of women in the fields of technology, media, and telecommunications across the African continent. Having assumed the role of CEO at Orange Botswana in 2021, Nene Maïga is widely regarded as a trailblazer in the telecom industry. Her selection as one of the six outstanding women contending for this award underscores her exceptional leadership, unwavering dedication, and ceaseless efforts in propelling innovation and…

Five thousand three hundred (5,300) small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) from across South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria have graduated from Google’s Hustle Academy. Google launched the Hustle Academy back in 2022 and has since empowered over 10,000 entrepreneurs across Africa. More than 3,000 of these SMBs are from Kenya. The Hustle Academy program focuses on addressing the challenges faced by African SMBs and provides practical skills and resources that are essential for business growth. Business owners undergo five days of hands-on training and receive 3,000 hours of training on fundamental aspects of business to help them navigate the challenges faced…

VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions, appointed Jose Manuel Aisa Mancho as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Jose joins VFS Global from Cellnex Telecom and will report to Zubin Karkaria, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, and will be based in Dubai, UAE. He has over two decades of experience across the suite of finance sub-functions, including mergers and acquisitions, financial planning, investor relations, management control, treasury, and tax. He has previously worked in different organisations including Abertis Infrastructures, CriteriaCaixa and Cellnex. He was also a Non-Executive Officer in infrastructure companies…

Patsnap, the world’s leading AI-powered innovation intelligence platform, has made successful inroads into the Japanese market in a bid to catalyse a surge of innovation in the East Asian country. At the recent Growth Industry Conference (GRIC) 2023 held in Tokyo, Guan Dian, Patsnap’s co-founder, unveiled the company’s strategic plans in Japan for the future. GRIC 2023 is Japan’s largest hybrid global conference and community specialising in the growth industry with the goal of elevating the country’s startup ecosystem to global standards. During a panel session at the conference moderated by Nikkei’s Tsubasa Suruga, Guan and Carmen Yuen, general partner…

In a move towards positioning Nigeria as a global leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has revealed that the Ministry has identified over 6,000 Artificial Intelligence researchers of Nigerian descent across the globe. The announcement came during the Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2023 held recently in Lagos. Speaking at the event, Dr Tijani emphasized the strategic importance of these Artificial Intelligence researchers, stating that they will play a crucial role in the country’s ambitious plan to integrate AI across all sectors, contributing to economic growth and job creation. The initiative…

Albantsho, a fast-growing Nigerian creative tech startup, has announced the launch of “The Scriptwriter”, a suite of easy-to-use screenwriting tools for African creators, which is currently available free of charge for users across Africa. It is a robust screenwriting tool created by Africans for Africans, offering a platform that enables screenwriters to create polished stories that meet formatting requirements. The platform rivals similar tools, with its block-based script editor that is user friendly and free. Easing the Strain Screenwriting Demands “The creative aspect of screenwriting can be very mentally demanding, but that doesn’t mean professionals can afford to focus on…

Brazil-based ransomware group N4ughtySecTU has threatened to leak the data of South African consumer credit reporting agencies, TransUnion and Experian within 72 hours unless its demand for a $60 million ransom is met. N4ughtySecTU says it gained access to data from the aforementioned agencies after an initial attack in March 2022, claiming to have extracted 28 million credit records and 54 million identity numbers from TransUnion’s files. TransUnion, refused a $15 million ransom at the time, and faced the threat of having at least 3 million South African customers’ details being released. However, TransUnion denied the breach, attributing it to…

Johannesburg-based startup Eagle-Eye Defence is revolutionising vehicle security by introducing biometric authentication which offers car owners enhanced control over their vehicles. The company’s innovative technology is designed to prevent vehicle theft and curb unsafe driving, providing owners with peace of mind and a robust security solution. Biometric Authentication for Vehicle Control Eagle-Eye Defence utilises biometric fingerprint or facial recognition technology to ensure that only authorized drivers can start a car. This advanced authentication process offers an additional layer of security beyond traditional key-based systems. Car owners can remotely control their vehicles through a dedicated mobile app, adding convenience to the…

Kenyan’s M-KOPA, specialising in pay-as-you-go models for solar panels and smartphones, has extended its services to address South Africa’s (SA) electricity crisis after securing $250 million in debt and equity to fuel its expansion initiatives across Africa. South Africa’s Electricity Challenges South Afica has been experiencing electricity challenges for over a decade now, marked by incidents of load shedding. In July, reports highlighted a 12-hour-long power outage in January, which temporarily eased up in May. However, Eskom, South Africa’s power utility, warned in September that load shedding might worsen in 2024, projecting a failure in electricity generation capabilities to meet…

The Kenyan government has announced the adoption of Microsoft’s cloud-first strategy in a shift that will prioritise Microsoft’s cloud services over traditional on-premises solutions, aiming to elevate public service delivery. Microsoft will collaborate with the government, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) through the ICT Authority to establish a joint working framework. The framework, slated for finalisation by February 2024, sets the stage for a comprehensive integration of Microsoft cloud services across Kenya’s various government entities. The agreement between the Kenyan government and Microsoft is geared towards expediting the nation’s digital transformation initiatives. Aligned with the objectives outlined in the Kenyan…