Author: Akin Naphtal

Uber and Safaricom have joined forces to introduce a new payment option for Uber riders in Kenya. As part of their collaboration, customers can now pay for their trips through Safaricom’s widely used mobile money transfer platform, M-PESA. This move comes after a successful arrangement between Safaricom and UberEats, enabling consumers to pay for deliveries using M-PESA, and delivery personnel to receive their earnings through the platform. The latest venture is especially beneficial for Uber drivers who do not have bank accounts, as Uber’s data indicates that approximately 20% of their drivers in the region fall into this category. By…

India has announced the immediate imposition of a licensing requirement for laptop, tablet, and personal computer imports. This move could impact companies like Apple, Dell, and Samsung, urging them to boost local manufacturing. The government aims to promote domestic production under the “Make in India” plan. The new regime may lead to longer wait times for launching new models and coincides with the festive sales season. READ ALSO: South African telco to unveil locally manufactured smartphones in September 2023 Laptops, tablets, and personal computers account for about 1.5% of India’s total annual imports, with a significant portion from China. The…

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riyadh has introduced an Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) system for citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland who plan to visit Saudi Arabia. This new measure allows British nationals to enter the Kingdom without obtaining a visit visa beforehand and stay for up to six months on a single entry. The EVW is applicable for various purposes such as business, tourism, study, and medical treatment. It offers advanced facilitation for entry procedures, presenting one of the channels UK citizens can use to visit Saudi Arabia. READ ALSO: Google broadens…

Kenya’s interior ministry has said to the public that it had suspended the local activities of cryptocurrency project Worldcoin while government agencies assess potential risks to public safety. According to the announcement, the project was founded by OpenAI Chief Executive Officer, Sam Altman which was launched last week. It requires users to give their iris scans in exchange for a digital ID, and in some countries, users also get free cryptocurrency as part of plans to create a new “identity and financial network”. Speaking according to the Interior minister Kithure Kindiki in his statement; “Relevant security, financial services and data-protection…

With the cybersecurity landscape continually evolving, it is more important than ever for local businesses to keep pace with the changes. The increasing prevalence of threats like phishing, business email compromise (BEC), and ransomware, underscores the need for innovative solutions that span both virtual and physical realms. Furthermore, physical security technology is no longer confined to conventional devices. The advent of smart security is transforming the way we protect assets. Cameras, beams, motion detectors, and sensors are now imbued with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities. These technologies analyse real-time threats, offering predictive insights and playing a proactive role…

YouTube Shorts, short-version video sharing platform of YouTube has announced it has crossed 2 billion views by logged-in users monthly, this was quoted according to its blogpost recently. According to platform, seeing the rise in short-format portrait videos, the Google-owned online video sharing platform has launched new features to lure more creators on its platform. The company is testing a mobile-first vertical live experience for creators to get discovered on the Shorts feed. YouTube Shorts has also launched six new tools such as collab for remixing videos in side-by-side format, suggestions for remixing videos and replying to comments with a…

The future is digital, and intelligent cloud platforms are the best way for businesses to achieve their growth and optimisation goals. Huawei Cloud understands this and has designed its cloud platform to be useful to organisations of all sizes – from start-ups to large enterprises. This is possible thanks to its cloud solutions being delivered under the umbrella of “Everything as a Service”. This ensures that all organisations can experience the full benefits of digital transformation. “Public cloud is the future of ICT and the foundation of digital transformation,” says Jay Zhou, the MD of Huawei Cloud South Africa. “My…

The National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) has announced that it has successfully built the capacity of over 3 million Nigerians, the Agency’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa said. Speaking at the Council on Global Partner Summit held at Orlando, Florida, United States of America, the Director General provided a glimpse into Nigeria’s burgeoning digital economy as well as its vision of equipping Nigerians with relevant digital literacy skills. Inuwa said the move was geared towards realising the 95 percent digitally literate population by 2030, He said, “NITDA has empowered 3.3 million Nigerians with several digital literacy and skills through multi-sectoral…

With Lamide Akinola at the helm of Glovo, an online delivery platform, a fresh gust of change is sweeping across the dynamic landscape of Nigerian e-commerce and technology. As the recently appointed Country Head and General Manager, Lamide hopes to bring a powerful blend of vision, strategy, and passion to transform how Nigerians access goods and services while advocating gender inclusivity in the tech industry. I’m super excited about the role. I’m excited about the growth potential in Nigeria. We’re already the number one delivery app in Nigeria. We know that we’re just at the very beginning of our growth…

Network-as-a-service (NaaS) start-up, Nile, which debuted in 2022, announced its successful completion of a new funding round, raising a significant USD 175 million. The funding round was led by March Capital and Sanabil Investments, with STC also joining as a prominent participant. Notably, other investors contributing to the operation include 8VC, Geodesic Capital, U First Capital, and Valor Equity Partners. With this recent influx of funds, Nile’s total funding now stands at a substantial USD 300 million. Co-founded by former Cisco top executives Pankaj Patel and John Chambers, Nile is dedicated to aiding enterprises in streamlining network operations, effectively reducing…