Author: Akin Naphtal

Kenya is making significant strides in its digital transformation and smart governance initiatives, as seen by a recent meeting between key stakeholders from the Kenyan State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), and GIZ Kenya. The meeting, chaired by Kenya’s Principal Secretary for the State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, focused on enhancing collaboration and synergy between the involved partners. Discussions revolved around the progress of various collaborative projects, including the Digital Transformation Centre, Smart Governance initiatives, and capacity building programs for civil servants. Eng. Tanui, in a LinkedIn…

The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) has overseen the graduation of 530 participants of its DigSMART Scale-Up training, themed “Fast track digitisation for service delivery,” as part of the government’s efforts to enhance digital skills in the public sector. The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, delivered the keynote address, emphasising the critical need for public servants to be adept in using digital tools. “We realised that digital competence was very crucial, which led to the launch of this program,” she stated. The training, divided into three cohorts—leaders, managers, and officers—was launched in February 2024 with a comprehensive…

Huawei has unveiled Smart Village project in quest to provide solar energy, telecoms networks and internet services to approximately 150,000 pupils across Zambia. The company’s project, Smart Village which was in collaboration with the Zambian government underscores its commitment to enhancing connectivity in rural communities. The project will be progressively rolled out across nine provinces, ensuring that rural areas are prioritized. The Vice President at Huawei Southern Africa, Phil Li, emphasized that the project would not only enhance connectivity but also provide reliable and sustainable energy to these communities. The Chinese embassy’s chief of mission, Wang Sheng, urged Chinese companies…

Chinese electronics maker, Hisense has expressed satisfaction in its immense contributions to South Africa’s economy, highlighting the company’s achievements since the opening of its Western Cape factory in 2013. The company’s deputy general manager in South Africa, Luna Nortje, emphasized that the Atlantis facility has become Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest television production plant, manufacturing an impressive 4.5 million televisions and 2.9 million refrigerators. Nortje highlighted these accomplishments during a corporate social responsibility event hosted by Hisense in Atlantis, north of Cape Town. The event aimed to spark students’ interest in technology, demonstrating the company’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and community empowerment.…

IHS Holding Group has announced its third annual sponsorship of the National Web Art Creativity competition, organized by the Ministry of National Education and Literacy in Ivory Coast. The competition provides a platform for students and educators across Côte d’Ivoire to express their creativity using computers and related technologies such as tablets, smartphones, and drones. Organized by the Directorate of School Life of the Ministry of National Education and Literacy, the competition is an integral part of the annual National Festival of Arts and Culture in Schools. Since 2022, when IHS began its sponsorship of the competition, more than 205…

YouTube has introduced an eraser tool that enables creators to remove copyrighted music from their videos while preserving other audio elements such as dialogues and sound effects. This new tool aims to simplify the process for creators who want to address copyright claims without compromising the quality of their content. The video sharing platform’s chief Neal Mohan announced the eraser tool was release on X (former Twitter), highlighting its enhanced capabilities. The tool uses an AI-powered algorithm to accurately detect and remove copyrighted songs while leaving the rest of the audio intact. This update follows a period of testing during…

Google Translate has added two more South African languages, TshiVenda and SiSwati to its language suite, bringing the total number of the country’s languages appended by the multilingual machine translation service to nine. This update was announced by Google and marks a significant step in making digital tools more inclusive and accessible. Approximately 1.2 million South Africans speak TshiVenda, while SiSwati, an Nguni language, is spoken by around 1.5 million people living in Eswatini and South Africa. With these additions, Google Translate now supports Afrikaans, English, Sepedi, Sesotho, isiXhosa, and isiZulu as well, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the region.…

The value of cryptocurrency stolen in hacks worldwide has more than doubled in the first six months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, according to blockchain researchers, TRM Labs. This surge is attributed to a few large-scale attacks and the rising value of cryptocurrencies. Hackers stole over $1.38 billion worth of cryptocurrency by June 24, 2024, up from $657 million during the same timeframe in 2023, TRM Labs reported. The median theft size also increased by one-and-a-half times compared to the previous year. “While we have not seen any fundamental changes in the security of the cryptocurrency…

In an inspiring turn of events, 9mobile has ushered in a new chapter by appointing a telecommunication industry leader and an Africa Digital Economy Award winner, Obafemi Banigbe as its Chief Executive Officer. This strategic decision is a germane part of the company’s vision to propel business transformation and strengthen its market position, currently marked by under 12 million active subscribers as of March 2024. The Board of Directors of Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Limited (EMTS), operating as 9mobile, announced Banigbe’s appointment, succeeding outgoing CEO Juergen Peschel. This transition reflects 9mobile’s unwavering commitment to ensuring business continuity and a seamless…

Amazon has announced that it will discontinue its security robot, Astro for Business, which was designed for small and medium-sized businesses, as the company shifts its focus to developing household robots. The e-commerce giant initially launched the canine-like Astro robot for household use in 2021. Last November, Amazon expanded Astro’s application to business environments, targeting sectors such as retail, manufacturing, and health and wellness. “To accelerate our progress and ongoing research to make Astro the best in-home robot, we’ve made the decision to wind down support for Astro for Business,” an Amazon spokesperson said, according Reuters. Astro was designed to…