Author: Akin Naphtal

South African telco, Bam Telecoms, has announced plans to launch its locally manufactured smartphone line in September 2023. One report shows that 43.48 million South Africans (72.3% of the population) use the Internet as of January 2023. The black-owned telco intends to close the digital divide in South Africa by giving the local market affordable, quality, 4G-enabled phones, tablets, and smart technologies. The telco says it will realise this via partnerships. It has partnered with local and international players, including ZTE, Dahua Technology, Digit, Bam Forensic Institute, and Providence Software Solutions. Currently, Bam Telecoms runs two factories in South Africa,…

Two years ago, Etornam Fianoo-Vidza set out to learn Swahili but found online materials ineffective. This experience motivated the French and Spanish teacher to start her interactive language learning platform, Spiika, to help provide more engaging resources. Unlike other apps limited to offering just text and audio lessons, Spiika provides users with live tutoring, engaging video lessons, student community features, and interactive activities. This immersive approach helps African users better master languages practically. Fianoo-Vidza has long been passionate about languages, already speaking five fluently – English, French, Spanish, Twi, and Swahili. She also plans to add German and Chinese to…

REdimension Capital, a South African real estate venture capital firm, has announced the first close of its inaugural fund, the REdimension Real Estate Technology and Sustainability Fund I. The fund will focus on investing in early-stage innovative technology companies that deliver demonstrable improvements in the way property is developed, managed and engaged with. By strategically aligning with sector stakeholders, the fund has built an ecosystem of mutual value, aiming to deliver both investment and operating returns while accelerating technology adoption and driving sustainable outcomes. The fund received total commitments of over $10 million. The funding round was led by Investec…

Flutterwave, a leading African payments technology company, recently announced the enhancement of its $end Mobile product, to Send App by Flutterwave. The app will facilitate affordable money transfers from people in the diaspora to their families, friends, and loved ones in Africa. Send App now supports transfers from US and Canada and has added new recipient countries namely Egypt and Sénégal in its network. With the app, you can send and receive money from 35+ countries. Launched in 2021, Send by Flutterwave provides a fast, transparent, and secure way for the Africans Diaspora to bridge the distance, strengthen the bonds…

Nigerian health-tech startup , Remedial Health has achieved a significant milestone by securing $12 million in Series A equity-debt funding. This funding will aid the company in expanding its operations within Nigeria. Previously, Remedial Health had also raised $4.4 million in a seed round in September 2022. The funding round was co-led by prominent Fintech VC firm QED Investors and Ventures Platform. Existing investors such as Y Combinator, Tencent, and Gaingels also participated in this round. Remedial Health’s platform is crucial in empowering pharmacies and hospitals by enabling them to source pharmaceutical products directly from reliable manufacturers and verified distributors.…

Opay Nigeria, one of the largest fintech companies in Africa, with over 30 million users, about 500,000 agents and more than 300,000 merchants, is contemplating growth in the Egyptian market. This move comes after it reportedly sought a license to form a digital bank in North Africa. Mahmoud Khedr, the Head of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at Opay, shared his enthusiasm via an email statement sent to Techloy: “We look forward to securing a license to launch a digital bank in Egypt and to collaborate closely with the Central Bank of Egypt and all related authorities. This step marks…

Uber has announced the launch of emergency in-app support for drivers and riders in Nigeria in partnership with Sety, signalling a deeper commitment to leveraging technology to raise the bar on safety. The company has also announced that it will soon launch Audio Recording in the country. At an event in Lagos, Tope Akinwumi, Country Manager for Uber in Nigeria emphasised that safety is a core priority for the business. “Safety is at the heart of what we do at Uber and over the years, we have invested heavily in technology and other measures to help keep drivers and riders…

Innovative technology brand, TECNO today launched a groundbreaking upgrade to its popular SPARK 10 Series – the SPARK 10 Pro Magic Magenta Edition. The special edition illuminates the youth’s brilliance with an industry-first “Luminous Eco-Leather Technology”, allowing magical color-changing on a sustainable eco-leather. With eye-catching magenta, it encourages every user to unleash their true, brilliant self. The SPARK 10C and SPARK 10 are also upgraded with new color versions. The SPARK 10 is now available in a magenta color, while the SPARK 10C boasts a fresh new orange hue, giving consumers more ways to show their fearless individuality. Illuminating the…

Zipline Ghana has been recognised as the ‘Most Digitised Logistics Provider of the Year’ at the Africa Procurement and Supply Chain Awards ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria. The gala event held in a dazzling display of recognition for outstanding achievements in the logistics industry, saw Zipline rise above its peers to clinch the coveted award for dedication to innovation and efficiency. Mawuli Atiemo, the General Manager of Zipline Ghana said, the award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Zipline team adding that; revolutionising logistics through digitisation and cutting-edge technologies, has led to great improvements in…

Sony Group Corp, a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, has sold more than 40 million PlayStation 5 consoles, its gaming division citing the easing of supply chain problems. “It took months for supply chains to normalise so we could have the inventory to keep up with demand,” Sony Interactive CEO Jim Ryan wrote in a blog post. “Now PS5 supply is well-stocked and we are seeing that pent up demand finally being met.” READ ALSO: Rare Apple computer trainers on sale for $50,000 The Japanese tech and entertainment conglomerate has said it expects to sell 25 million PS5 units this year,…