Author: Akin Naphtal

Nigerian full-service fintech and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) infrastructure provider Bloc has announced its acquisition of Getwallets, the wallets-as-a-service provider that has now recently pivoted to become payments orchestration company Orchestrate. Formed in 2021, Bloc is a fintech infrastructure company that helps any company offer fintech solutions to their customers via an exhaustive set of building blocks – infrastructure, licenses, compliance, and capital – that allows them to increase their value to their stakeholders, be they customers, investors or employees. Orchestrate, formerly Getwallets, considers itself the fastest way to add new payment methods to fintech products, expand into new markets and provide…

The Vodacom Lesotho Foundation in partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) launched Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) at the event held in Maseru on Tuesday. The EWC is open and accepting applications until 15th August 2022. The program offers a chance to pitch on a global stage for a share of US $1 million in global prizes, access to international mentors and investors plus M1 million in local prizes and local incubation. Speaking at the event, Vodacom Corporate Affairs Executive, Head, Mr. Tšepo Ntaopane said EWC is a national initiative aiming to curb the high unemployment rate. He noted that…

After a successful edition in 2021, West Africa Connect (WestAfricaConnect.com) is back with a new event on September 20 and 21, 2022. This time, the focus is placed on promoting mangoes, cassava, and ICT services from West African suppliers to agribusiness buyers from West Africa, Africa, and other continents. Buyers can connect to over 150 selected fresh and processed mango and cassava suppliers as well as ICT service providers from 16 countries. Throughout the event and thereafter, the platform will offer B2B meetings with partners and access to exhibitors’ digital profiles. At West Africa Connect, buyers can source from a…

Binance, the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider, is celebrating its 5th anniversary by eliminating trading fees on a wide range of bitcoin spot trading pairs. While Binance has long maintained one of the lowest spot trading fees in the industry, it is establishing itself as the global leader in pricing with this latest move. From July 8, users will be able to enjoy fee-free trading on thirteen stablecoin and fiat combinations including BTC/USDT, BTC/BUSD, BTC/USDC, BTC/EUR, BTC/TRY, and more. The new trading fees will be in effect until further notice, allowing Binance users globally to enjoy the…

Having missed the April 2022 deadline to launch its network and services, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia now says it will begin with the phased commercial launch of its network and services in August this year. The company said the plan is to achieve 25% coverage by April 2023, beginning with Dire Dawa in the East, close to neighbour Somalia. Safaricom said Dire Dawa is almost ready and once completed, it will move on to other cities. The company said it has invested US$1-billion in Ethiopia, which includes a licence fee and imported equipment worth over US$300-million, tower and wholesale agreements for…

The Togolese Republic has announced the completion and re-launch of its electronic visa issuance system (e-Visa), Togo VOYAGE. The system is designed to simplify the entire visa and health check application process for visitors to the country. According to a statement released by the country’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Transformation, the website marks an important milestone in the government’s Digital 2025 Strategy. It added that the new system will allow applicants to complete the application process (including submission of the application, payment, and withdrawal of the e-Visa) electronically without needing to visit an immigration office or embassy in person.…

The Administrator (CEO) of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Prince Ofosu Sefah, has reiterated that 200 more ICT laboratoriess will be established this year, as part of its Cyber-lab programme. He said this when he inspected selected Cyber laboratories, Community ICT Centres (CICs) and Rural Telephony Sites in the Western Region. The Administrator, together with a Technical Support Team, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Amenfi Central – P.H. Amponteng and Lord Nana Tandoh – Municipal Chief Executive of Amenfi West Municipality, visited newly-constructed Community ICT Centres (CICs), new Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Cell Sites…

Ghanaian e-mobility company SolarTaxi has raised funding from Persistent to further scale its offering. Launched by Jorge Appiah in 2018, SolarTaxi is an e-mobility company that designs, locally assembles, and distributes electric two-wheel (e-2Ws) and four-wheel (e-4Ws) vehicles for transportation and delivery services. Notable customers in Ghana include e-commerce companies like Jumia and Bolt, which both use SolarTaxi’s e-2Ws to deliver customer orders around Accra, while the company also has operations in Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale. SolarTaxi’s electric vehicles are designed for home charging but, as the market grows, the company plans to build and deploy solar charging stations to…

Tunisian fintech startup Paymee has secured a six-figure US dollar round of funding as it looks to accelerate its product development and grow its enterprise offering. Founded in 2020 by Marwen Aamou, Paymee delivers innovative payment technologies that help merchants increase their revenues by accepting digital payments. The startup offers online payment acceptance solutions through cards, while its solution can be easily integrated into any website or mobile application. The startup saw significant growth in 2021 and is planning further expansion in 2022 after raising funding from P1 Ventures, a venture capital firm specialised in early-stage African fintech that has…

MTN Ghana is urging all customers who are yet to register their SIM cards to make use of its dedicated MTN SIM Registration Web Portal to complete their registration ahead of the 31stJuly 2022 deadline. The SIM Registration Web Portal URL is: https://simregistrationportal.mtn.com.gh. The portal can be found on the MTN website. The SIM Registration Web Portal will enable customers to link their Ghana cards to their SIM card(s) before visiting the service center or any authorized agent point for the biometric capture. The portal provides customers with a web version of the USSD process (*404#) for the linking of…