Author: Akin Naphtal

Family Bank and DigiFarm have entered a financing agreement to provide digital credit for inputs and insurance to over 1,000 smallholder maize farmers in Embu County. The partnership aims to boost agricultural production by offering farmers access to funds through the Safaricom-owned agri-tech platform, Digifarm. The financing will be based on the size of the farmers’ land and crop cycle, with a focus on promoting farming resilience and increasing yields. In addition to financial support, the farmers will also receive training on sustainable agricultural practices, market linkage, and financial literacy. This initiative is particularly important for counties like Embu, which…

InstinctWave, the organizer of Ghana’s premier technology industry awards, the Ghana Information Technology & Telecom Awards (GITTA), has officially announced an indefinite postponement of the 13th edition of the Ghana Information Technology & Telecom Awards GITTA. This decision is attributed to the subdued level of competition within the sector in the last one and a half years. The GITTA Awards, which would have marked its 13th consecutive year since its inception in 2010, has been pivotal in recognizing and celebrating outstanding ICT initiatives that drive innovation in Ghana’s private and public sectors. Described by many as the ‘Oscars’ of the…

Microsoft, through its Africa Transformation Office, has partnered with Nigeria’s Terragon to support its cloud capabilities as Terragon makes plans to leverage Microsoft’s cloud technologies to provide brands with powerful consumer insights. The partnership, which will stand for three years, will afford African business owners’ access to a wide range of powerful customer insights. It will also drive Terragon’s work in the marketing technology space, while also assisting Microsoft’s ambition of enabling digital transformation through the cloud. Terragon deals in data and marketing, as it strives to build Africa’s largest and most unique data-powered marketing cloud ecosystem to help businesses on…

Amazon has launched its first pair of prototype satellites into space for its planned Kuiper internet network, as the e-commerce company positions itself to beam internet service globally and compete with SpaceX’s Starlink. The prototype satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida last Friday, 6th October. The company plans to deploy over 3,000 more Kuiper internet network satellites into orbit over the next few years. Rival, SpaceX plans to launch 5,000 satellites. The launch live stream was hosted by the United Launch Alliance, but did not show the deployment of the satellites. Amazon later said the two satellites had deployed…

Tech investors and analysts say Israel’s technology sector could face setbacks following Sunday’s attack from militants from Palestine group, Hamas, which left hundreds dead, and saw Israel’s stock and bond prices deflating. High-tech industries have, in recent decades, been the fastest growing sector in Israel. These companies have been crucial for economic growth, accounting for 14% of jobs and almost a fifth of gross domestic product. The Hamas attack has, however, disrupted this growth. “It is a huge disruption to business as usual,” chief investment officer and founding partner at US company, Cresset Wealth Advisors, Jack Ablin, said. He added…

Apple has reportedly held discussions with DuckDuckGo to potentially replace Google as the default search engine for the private mode on Apple’s Safari browser. The details of these talks are expected to be made public later this week, following a ruling by judge Amit Mehta in a federal antitrust suit against Google. Mehta has decided to unseal the testimony of DuckDuckGo CEO, Gabriel Weinberg, and Apple executive, John Giannandrea. The discussions between Microsoft and Apple, as well as DuckDuckGo and Apple, will also be revealed, as stated in Mehta’s order. Apple, DuckDuckGo, and Google have not yet responded to a…

Canadian technology company, BlackBerry, has announced plans to separate its internet of things (IoT) and cybersecurity business units, as it looks to pursue a subsidiary initial public offering for the IoT business in the next fiscal year. This move follows a trend among companies in recent years, as they opt for a more streamlined corporate structure to enable investors to assess their individual businesses more effectively. Notable examples include the recent spinoff of the packaged food giant formerly known as Kellogg, as well as the spinoffs by health-care giant Johnson & Johnson and industrial conglomerate General Electric. BlackBerry CEO, John…

The Competition Commission has stated that Webafrica can acquire rival, Mweb, but must first address public interest concerns by implementing an employee share ownership program and a transaction involving historically disadvantaged individuals. Specific details on how these schemes will be implemented have, however, not been provided. Dimension Data, which owns Mweb, has been attempting to sell the Mweb business since 2021. The commission has determined that the acquisition is unlikely to result in a significant reduction in competition in relevant markets. Webafrica’s Managing Director, Sean Nourse, has confirmed the deal and stated that it will double the company’s workforce without…

ChatGPT creator, OpenAI, has begun exploring ways of making its own artificial intelligence chips, going as far as evaluating a potential acquisition target. According to recent internal discussions, the OpenAI has not yet decided to move ahead with its plan, however, it has discussed various options to solve the shortage of expensive AI chips that it relies on. Sources from OpenAI say the options discussed include the company working more closely with other AI chip developers including Nvidia to build its own AI chip, and also diversifying its suppliers beyond Nvidia. Demand for specialized AI chips has soared since the…

In response to increased levels of load shedding, MTN South Africa has implemented measures to reduce the impact, including the deployment of 20,000 batteries and nearly 900 generators in its network. The company had previously announced an investment of between R4.5 billion and R5 billion to safeguard its network from the unreliable power supply from Eskom. MTN South Africa also highlighted that crime and vandalism remain ongoing issues that hinder their ability to provide uninterrupted services. MTN South Africa CEO, Charles Molapisi, explained that despite a temporary decrease in load shedding during the second quarter of 2023 compared to the…