Author: Akin Naphtal

Pan-African technology company, Liquid Intelligent Technologies has launched two new terrestrial fibre links across Africa – connecting Kenya with Ethiopia and linking Zambia to Malawi. The over 1,000-kilometer Kenya-Ethiopia route provides Ethiopian businesses cloud access in Kenya, enabling regional data to stay on the continent. Liquid Kenya’s CEO Adil El Youssefi said this route aligns with the Kenyan government’s Digital Superhighway Initiative to strengthen ICT infrastructure. It is Liquid’s first contribution to the public-private flagship project. In partnership with Kenya Electricity Transmission Company and Ethiopia Electric Power, the high-capacity fibre connects Nairobi with southern Ethiopia’s Mega town. It complements existing…

Kenya stands as a shining beacon of innovation and digital transformation. As this East African nation embraces the future, it does so with a resounding commitment to inclusivity and diversity. In recent years, Kenya’s technology sector has witnessed a remarkable shift, not only in its rapid growth but also in the increasing prominence of women at the forefront of this dynamic industry. In our exploration of Kenya’s tech landscape, we delve deep into the stories and achievements of remarkable women who are not just breaking glass ceilings but shattering them into a million pieces. These pioneering women are steering the…

Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, has entered into partnership with Atlas AI, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) analytics platform, aimed at maximising the positive impact of connectivity and digital services across Africa, using data-driven insights to accelerate digital transformation and economic growth. Through this partnership, Cassava will be able to deliver cutting-edge AI development capabilities custom-built for its enterprise customers, catering to the unique needs of businesses on the African continent. “AI and data analytics are a core part of our digital transformation journey across all Cassava Technologies business units. Our clients across Africa will benefit from access to quality…

Capitec recently announced that its prepaid mobile service Capitec Connect has issued 1.3 million SIM cards to subscribers by the end of August 2023. The banking group launched its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in September 2022. Capitec Connect piggybacks on Cell C’s mobile network infrastructure. Capitec GlobalOne transaction accounts can become Capitec Connect subscribers by connecting to the mobile virtual network by purchasing a SIM card from Capitec, which has been provisioned and activated on the mobile network. Meanwhile, Capitec also recorded headline earnings growth of 9% to R4.7 billion in its August 2023 Interim financial results. The bank’s…

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms, has introduced new AI products for consumers. These include bots that can generate photo-realistic images, smart glasses that can answer questions, and an updated virtual reality headset. Zuckerberg emphasized that these products combine the virtual and real worlds, and highlighted that Meta offers low-cost or free AI that can merge into daily routines. Meta’s Quest, currently the top-selling VR device, is considered the best value in the industry, especially with the upcoming release of a more expensive headset from Apple. During a speech at Meta’s Silicon Valley campus, Zuckerberg announced that the latest…

Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is set to update investors on his plan to build the immersive metaverse during the two-day Meta Connect conference which launched Wednesday, 27th September. The 2023 Meta Connect conference is the company’s first physical conference since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Zukerberg intends to delve more into the creation of the metaverse, which he has maintained is the future of computing. Meta Connect, which is the organisation’s biggest event of the year, will also show how Zuckerberg plans to convince investors to shift from augmented and virtual reality (VR) technologies, to artificial intelligence. Stakes for the event…

Indonesia has banned e-commerce transactions on social media platforms, in what the government says is a move to protect offline merchants, marketplaces, and small and medium-sized businesses from predatory pricing on social media. The ban comes as a blow to some major social media platforms, especially Chinese short video app, TikTok, which pledged a billion-dollar investment in Southeast Asia just three months prior, in its bid to use Indonesia’s economy to boost its e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop. The ByteDance-owned social media platform, has 125 million active monthly users in Indonesia. A TikTok Indonesia spokesperson has since stated that the social…

British electric vehicle supplier, Bedeo, has launched a service in France to convert thousands of diesel vans to electric hybrids, benefiting from the French government’s subsidies for retrofitting fossil-fuel models. France provides EV retrofitters with a 9,000-euro ($9,509) subsidy, but has a requirement that each retrofitted model must first pass the government’s vehicle tests before being considered eligible to receive the subsidies. The matter of climate change has caused a growth in the conversion of fossil-fuel vehicles to EV status, with companies like Bedeo and France’s Transition One being among the retrofitting services doing so. France is the only country…

JPMorgan’s digital retail bank in the UK, Chase, has revealed its decision to ban crypto transactions made by customers from 16th October, stating an increase in crypto fraud and scams as the reasons for the restriction. The US-owned digital bank informed its customers of the upcoming restriction on Tuesday 26 September. Since the mobile app-based service was launched in England in 2021, it has attracted more than 1.6 million customers. Parent company, JPMorgan, has already planned to roll out the consumer bank in other international markets over time. A spokesperson from the bank, who commented on the issue stated that…

Nigerian technology company, Pixels Solution Ltd., has been adjudged Africa’s Most Outstanding Technology Company of the Year 2023 at the African Brands Congress 2023. The awards ceremony, which was held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, on Friday, 14th September, saw industry leaders, dignitaries, and technology professionals across Africa attending to offer their insights on technology advances. Pixels Solution was selected for its role in pioneering software innovations across the education, law, real estate, fintech, aviation, and telecommunications sectors. The company’s zealous work in these areas snagged it the award. Pixels Solution Ltd., CEO, Okey Udeogu, stated that the “award…