News & Views

Content posted in April 2024

Google opens applications for its Africa startup accelerator

Matshepo Sehloho
4/30/2024

Google has officially opened applications for its Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program's eighth cohort.

Cameroon seizes Starlink kits at the border – reports

Matshepo Sehloho
4/29/2024

Cameroonian authorities have reportedly enforced a ban on the importation of SpaceX's satellite Internet service Starlink kits into the Central African country.

Interview: Deborah Asmah from Npontu Technologies on e-governance

Connecting Africa Video
4/26/2024

Deborah Asmah from Npontu Technologies spoke to Connecting Africa's Associate Editor Matshepo Sehloho at the Africa eGovernance Conference (AfreGov) in Kigali, Rwanda, about the importance of e-governance on the African continent.

Madica funds three African startups

Matshepo Sehloho
4/26/2024

Madica, an Africa-focused pre-seed investment program, has selected three African startups as its first portfolio companies to receive investment funding.

Ghana's NCA approves Starlink's application for broadband services

Matshepo Sehloho
4/26/2024

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has approved the application of Space X Starlink to offer satellite broadband services in Ghana.

Interview: AFF Director Munyi Nthigah on digital financial inclusion

Connecting Africa Video
4/25/2024

Africa Fintech Festival (AFF) 2024 Festival Director Munyi Nthigah spoke to Connecting Africa Associate Editor Matshepo Sehloho at the Africa eGovernance Conference (AfreGov) in Kigali, Rwanda, about the importance of financial inclusion on the African continent.

MultiChoice chairman steps down

Matshepo Sehloho
4/25/2024

South African pay-TV and streaming company MultiChoice Group has announced that its chairperson, Imtiaz Patel, will step down immediately.

Hot startup of the month: Kenya's Ketha Africa

Matshepo Sehloho
4/24/2024

Connecting Africa's hot startup this month is Ketha Africa, a Kenya-based agrifin platform that seeks to automate agriculture ecosystems by connecting the value chain actors and providing a robust network to ensure the security of transactions.

Ethiopia's ECA cuts mobile termination rates

Matshepo Sehloho
4/23/2024

The Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA) has cut mobile termination rates (MTR) for the next five years to encourage more competition in the nation's telecommunications industry.

Nigeria launches own LLM, Kenya accelerates fiber rollout

Matshepo Sehloho
4/22/2024

Nigeria's Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy has launched the country's first multilingual large language model (LLM), while Kenya speeds up its fiber rollout.

Omdia View: March 2024

Guest Perspectives
4/19/2024

The failure of four out of the five submarine cables deployed on the western shore of Africa in March 2024 led to a massive Internet outage across several countries. The outage fueled demand for satellite broadband, with SpaceX's Starlink becoming increasingly popular - that and more 5G and streaming news in the latest Omdia View.

Canal+ edges closer to MultiChoice takeover

Matshepo Sehloho
4/19/2024

French pay-TV company Canal+ is edging closer to fully acquiring South African pay-TV and streaming company MultiChoice Group by increasing its stake to 40.83%.

AMN's Starlink cellular backhaul connectivity is live in Nigeria

Matshepo Sehloho
4/19/2024

Africa Mobile Networks Group (AMN) announced that its first basestation in Nigeria connecting to SpaceX’s Starlink constellation is now live.

Four agritech startups to watch in 2024

Matshepo Sehloho
4/18/2024

Connecting Africa has compiled a list of four agritech startups that are making a difference in the communities they serve.

Orange, EU and GIZ launch digital transformation project in Côte d'Ivoire

Matshepo Sehloho
4/17/2024

Orange, the European Union and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) have launched the 'DigiGreen & Agri' project toward digital transformation in Côte d'Ivoire.

Paratus express route from Johannesburg to Europe goes live

Matshepo Sehloho
4/16/2024

Connectivity solutions provider Paratus Group has launched what it calls the fastest 'fiber express route' from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Europe, making use of Google's Equiano undersea cable infrastructure.

Mastercard, Onafriq partner to bring secure payments for SMEs

Matshepo Sehloho
4/15/2024

Global payments firm Mastercard and pan-African payments company Onafriq have partnered to bring secure payments to consumers and small and medium enterprises (SME) across the continent.

TikTok deletes 1.7M videos by Nigerian users in Q4 2023

Matshepo Sehloho
4/12/2024

The short video social media platform TikTok has deleted 1.7 million videos by Nigerian users during the fourth quarter of 2023.

Canal+ buys more MultiChoice Group shares

Matshepo Sehloho
4/12/2024

French pay-TV company Canal+ has increased its current stake in South African pay-TV and streaming company MultiChoice Group to 40%.

I&M offers free mobile money transfers to SMEs in Kenya

Matshepo Sehloho
4/11/2024

Pan-African banking group I&M is offering free M-Pesa and Airtel Money transfers to solo business owners.

SA regulator publishes draft plans for radio frequency spectrum

Matshepo Sehloho
4/10/2024

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has published a draft radio frequency migration plan (RFMP) and a draft International Mobile Telecommunication roadmap (IMT-R) for public consultation.

Ericsson, Orange Egypt sign digital transformation deal

Matshepo Sehloho
4/9/2024

Ericsson and Orange Egypt have signed a multi-year deal to collaborate on accelerating the telco's bid to build a resilient architecture across its network.

Canal+ makes formal offer to buy MultiChoice Group

Matshepo Sehloho
4/8/2024

French pay-TV company Canal+ has made an all-cash mandatory offer to buy all shares it does not already own of South African pay-TV and streaming company MultiChoice Group for R125 (US$6.70) per share.

Connecting Africa Podcast: S3 Ep. 2 – Nigeria's king of micro-payments

Paula Gilbert
4/5/2024

On this episode, we speak to Touch and Pay Technologies Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer Michael Oluwole about how the startup is digitizing and processing micro-transactions in Nigeria's transport sector and his aspirations to grow the service across the continent.

Ghana, Benin to implement free roaming initiative

Matshepo Sehloho
4/5/2024

Benin and Ghana's free-roaming initiative, aimed at reducing communication costs for their citizens traveling between the two countries, will go into effect on July 1, 2024.

Telecom Namibia deactivates almost 200,000 unregistered SIMs

Matshepo Sehloho
4/4/2024

Namibian state-owned telecommunications operator Telecom Namibia (TN) has deactivated 191,598 unregistered prepaid subscriber identity module (SIM) cards.

Paymentology looks to strengthen its African roots

Paula Gilbert
4/4/2024

Global issuer-processor Paymentology's CEO Jeff Parker spoke to Connecting Africa about the company's African roots and aspirations to work with more banks, fintechs and enterprises both on the continent and globally.

Algérie Télécom to distribute Thuraya skyphone

Matshepo Sehloho
4/3/2024

UAE satellite operator Yahsat has partnered with Algérie Télécom Satellite to become the authorized distributor of Thuraya direct-to-device (D2D) satellite smartphone in Algeria.

Blue Label's Cell C takeover gets SA CompCom approval

Paula Gilbert
4/3/2024

Blue Label Telecoms has received approval from South Africa's Competition Commission to take control of telecom operator Cell C, which it is already a major shareholder in.

MultiChoice chair stays on to conclude Canal+ deal

Matshepo Sehloho
4/2/2024

South African pay-TV and streaming company MultiChoice Group has extended chairperson Imtiaz Patel's tenure until the ongoing French pay-TV company Canal+ deal is completed.

Women & technology: impacts of the digital gender divide

Connecting Africa News
4/2/2024

Connecting Africa correspondent Chiti Mbizule investigates the state of Africa's digital gender gap and the impact this divide is having on access, education and entrepreneurship opportunities for local women.

View Content by Month

[close this box]

Latest resources

More Information resources

Innovation hub

Story

VC investment into South African ICT startups rises

Venture capital (VC) investment for startups in South Africa reached $178.8 million in 2023, with investments in the ICT sector almost doubling compared to 2022, according to a new report from SAVCA and VS Nova.

Story

Connecting Africa Podcast: S3 Ep. 4 – Africa's future as a tech talent powerhouse

In this episode, Utiva CEO Eyitayo Ogunmola returns to the podcast to talk about Africa's opportunity to become a tech talent powerhouse. The discussion covers upskilling African talent for the global job market and how outsourcing local tech professionals can provide opportunities for the youth, with a focus on growing female talent.

More Innovation hub

Latest video

Guest Perspectives

Story

Leadership Lessons: Networking towards career advancement

By Nollie Maoto

Nollie Maoto, First Rand Group's compliance chief data and analytics officer and Africa Tech Festival Leadership Council member, reflects on the importance of networking for career growth especially for African women in data analytics.

Story

Leadership Lessons: The importance of mentorship for career growth

By Nollie Maoto

Nollie Maoto, First Rand Group's compliance chief data and analytics officer and Africa Tech Festival Leadership Council member, reflects on the importance of mentorship for career growth for African women in data analytics.

More Guest Perspectives