Author: Akin Naphtal

Wema Bank and payment platform, Enza Group, are partnering to provide secure and reliable payment options at a reduced cost for businesses. The partnership would equally boost e-commerce enormously. While announcing the strategic partnership through a statement released by the group, the payment platform said the collaboration would leverage its payment solution to expand Wema’s e-commerce payment capabilities. It added that the partnership would improve the quality of service to merchants, enhance payment security, increase service reliability, and significantly reduce operating costs through transaction optimisation. Speaking on the partnership, Wema Bank’s Executive Director of Retail and Digital Business, Tunde Mabawonku,…

In what has been described as a noteworthy development for the marketing communications ecosystem, Olumide Balogun, a seasoned professional in the space, has been elevated to the position of Director, West Africa at Google. In his new position, Olumide who assumed the role this month, is expected to steer the growth and expansion of Google’s footprint across West Africa, in addition to other strategic responsibilities. Olumide took over the reins of the leadership position for West Africa, succeeding Juliet Ehimuan, who has left the services of the American multinational technology giant known for its contributions in artificial intelligence, online advertising,…

Bosun Tijani, the tech entrepreneur and co-founder of CcHub, has been selected as Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. As a tech expert, his appointment is expected to bring valuable experience to the industry. The appointment also requires more than a tech startup, which may be quite challenging for him. Tijani’s experience as a tech expert cuts across academics and industry. He transformed CcHub from a local tech space to a pan-African tech incubator that is empowering youths across the continent. He also spearheads milestone events with the likes of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg in Nigeria. However,…

OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT have acquired Global Illumination, a digital-product company based in New York with the entire team joining OpenAI to work on core products including ChatGPT. Announcing the acquisition, OpenAI said in a blog post, “The team Global Illumination previously designed and built products early on at Instagram and Facebook and have also made significant contributions at YouTube, Google, Pixar, Riot Games, and other notable companies.” It further adds, “We’re very excited for the impact they’ll have here at OpenAI.” According to OpenAI, Global Illumination leverages AI to build creative tools, infrastructure, and digital experiences. Global Illumination…

Vivo Mobile SA has introduced its latest mid-range model, the Vivo Y36, in the South African market. The phone, which made its global debut in May, is the new addition to the Chinese smartphone brand’s Y series. It is targeted at those seeking a combination of style, functionality and performance at a reasonable price, according to the company. The device is available from Vodacom, MTN and Telkom, and across retailers, with a starting price of R6 999. The handset comes in three variants: 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM and 256GB 8GB. “The Vivo Y offers significant advancements in response…

South Africans are increasingly turning to WhatsApp for calling as the mobile operators struggle with load shedding. More and more South Africans, especially those connected via fixed broadband connections, are turning to WhatsApp for calling as the mobile operators struggle with network quality amid intense load shedding. During power outages, WhatsApp and other voice-over-internet apps often offer superior voice quality than regulator mobile calls as users can route the call over Wi-Fi and fibre. Although there was already a move to using WhatsApp for voice calls, load shedding has accelerated the trend, experts said. This is having a direct negative…

Hisa, a FinTech investment startup based in Kenya has announced Eric Jackson as the new CEO effective immediately. This comes after Eric Asuma, co-founder and former CEO, stepped down from his role to focus on a new venture in partnership with the online financial news publisher, the Kenyan Wall Street as reported by TechCabal. Eric Jackson previously led the product and innovation team at Hisa and has had previous executive roles and entrepreneurial ventures with MediaPal and Nano Digital. Part of a statement released by Hisa reads, “Eric Jackson brings a wealth of experience to his new role as CEO…

Some years ago, recall, in 2011, Visa, a global payments provider, announced that it was acquiring Fundamo, a South Africa-based platform provider of mobile financial services for mobile network operators and financial institutions in developing economies. According to the agreement, the deal, which was sealed at $110 million, had a primary strategy: to be Visa’s route to reaching the low-end consumer market in Africa. As at that time, Visa was doing well as a global payment card provider, but the majority of its consumers were in the middle-upper income range. Millions of people in the lower income bracket needed an…

Recent filings have revealed that Samsung Electronics has decreased its stake in ASML, a semiconductor manufacturing equipment maker, by 50%. In its semi-annual report, the South Korean technology giant stated that it held 2.75 million shares in the Dutch company as of the end of June, a decrease from the 6.3 million shares reported in its first quarter. According to the latest share prices, the stake sold by Samsung is valued at approximately 2.1 billion euros. Reports from local media suggest that Samsung intends to utilize the proceeds for the development of new memory chip production lines. However, the sale…

The Kenyan National Assembly is currently reviewing a petition to ban Tiktok due to concerns about lack of effective regulation and high prevalence of sexual content. The petition was submitted by Bob Ndolo, the CEO of Bridget Connect Consultancy. Ndolo stated that the failure of the country’s communication authority to effectively control the media platform has resulted in escalated violence, hate speech and similar issues among the youths. Ndolo’s petition also highlighted the potential negative consequences of the app’s addictive nature, including a possible decline in academic performance and an increase in mental health issues among Kenya’s young people. Additionally,…