Author: Akin Naphtal

In a move aimed at fostering women-focused entrepreneurship within the science, technology, engineering, mining, and manufacturing sectors, two new EDGE centres have been launched in South Africa. The collaborative initiative between tech giant Cisco and South African incubator WomHub will provide access to business mentoring, incubation, and advanced training opportunities. Supporting women in STEM The acronym EDGE (Experience, Design, GTM [Go-to-Market], and Earn) epitomises the initiative’s goal of leveling the field for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The event was also attended by Heather Merrit, the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the United States Embassy. In…

In a press to the public, it revealed that hundreds of elementary school students in South Africa now have access to clean water and sanitation thanks to the commercialization of technology built at USF. The solar-powered NEWgenerator provides off-grid sanitation technology and generates nutrients, energy and water by safely recovering them from human wastewater. It’s the first unit to be manufactured by WEC Projects since the USF Technology Transfer Office signed a licensing agreement in 2020. Inventor Daniel Yeh, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and his team recently traveled to Bizana, a rural community in the Eastern Cape province…

Uber announces its new audio recording feature in Ghana. This is because the drivers need it for their roundtable session feedback. The feature will help record audio during trips for both the drivers and the passengers. This feature which has been successfully launched in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa is such that the drivers can leave the feature on while seeking rides. Also, both the rider and driver will know the feature is available to others but then the driver will not know when the feature is being used, only the rider will be notified when the driver set up…

It was reported by the Wall Street Journal on Sunday that the Meta platform is set to launch the web version of its X viral Threads within days. This will help the app to remain competitive among other microblogging platform. Since its record-breaking sprint to 100 sign ups in four days, Thread has been trying all it can to retain its users by presenting new features. Thread team has used user engagement incremental feature deployment to endure ease for the users but has gone on to develop functional features that will aid more user engagement. The features include a chronological…

Jio, the telecom arm of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries made it known on Friday, 18th August that it has launched a Netflix subscription on prepaid plans. This is to help promote competition among telecom companies and to provide more sources of revenue for the company. According to Jio, two different packages that are valid for up to 84 days are available to about 400 million customers. One is priced at 1,099 rupees ($13.23) which gives access to Netflix on mobile platforms and the other at 1,499 rupees, which gives access to basic package for a large screen. Tony Zameczkowski, the…

John Warnock, the Co-founder of Adobe has reportedly passed away on Saturday 20th August. The death of the 82-year-old Photoshop Maker was revealed by the company in a statement. In an email sent to the company’s employees, Shantanu Narayen, Adobe CEO said “It is a sad day for the Adobe Community and industry for which he has been an inspiration for decades.” In 1982, Warnock and Charles Geschke founded Adobe. He retired as the CEO in 2000 and assumed position of the Chairman of Board alongside Geschke till 2017. The underlying cause of Warnock was not revealed.

In a recent report, it discloses that Africa’s fintech startup ecosystem has experienced remarkable growth, expanding by almost 20 percent in the last 24 months. According to the title of the report; “Finnovating for Africa,” it tracks the development of the fintech ecosystem across the continent, providing insights into regional trends, startup activity, funding, acquisitions, and a comprehensive list of African fintech startups. Over the past two years, the number of fintech startups operating in Africa has grown by 17.7 percent, reaching a total of 678. This growth is widespread across the continent, with markets like Egypt and Nigeria experiencing…

Moniepoint, a Nigerian Fintech company has launched a consumer app and debit card in a bid to enhance personal banking market. Moniepoint Microfinance Bank debit card and consumer app will make transaction easy and simple for over 1.5 businesses that utilizes the bank. This effort has also set Moniepoint in a competitive state with OPay and PalmPay. This is because the company previously offered an all-in-one platform for all transactions but now its services will be available to everyone. With the consumer app, users are able to transfer money, pay bills, and buy airtime. The debit cards, issued by Mastercard…

Bolt, a prominent ride-hailing and gig economy firm, has announced surpassing 250 million rides in Nigeria since its inception in 2016. The company has also logged an impressive 3 billion kilometres in total travel distance by customers. Bolt Nigeria reported a remarkable seven-fold growth since its launch, marking a significant milestone as it celebrates its tenth year of global operations. Yahaya Mohammed, the Country Manager of Bolt Nigeria, emphasized the company’s unwavering commitment to providing excellent service and collaborating with stakeholders for the advancement of the ride-hailing industry in Nigeria. He reiterated the company’s focus on delivering safe, affordable, and…

Zeepay, a trailblazer in cross-border payments, has announced a remarkable surge in both its total processed volume (TPV) and revenue, showcasing its strong performance in the financial sector. Within just one year, TPV has surged from US$1.9 billion in 2021 to an impressive US$2.9 billion in 2022. This exponential growth in TPV is mirrored by the rise in revenue, which has soared from GH¢39.4 million in the previous fiscal year to an outstanding GH¢96.4 million in 2022. The driving force behind this exceptional achievement is Zeepay’s diversified portfolio of services, with remittance services emerging as a key catalyst for its…