News & Views

Content posted in June 2023

Connecting Africa Podcast S2 Ep. 8 – Empowering the African diaspora

Paula Gilbert
6/30/2023

In this episode the team speaks to Rahim Diallo, founder and CEO of fintech Jawudi, which is shaking up the money transfer space by using 20% of the profits from its remittance service to launch a fund to invest directly back into startups across Africa.

Hot startup of the month: South Africa's GotBot

Matshepo Sehloho
6/30/2023

This month's hot startup is a South African artificial intelligence chatbot solution that automates and improves business responses to business audiences.

Cyberattacks in Kenya, SA & Zambia grew 76% in 2022 – Liquid C2

Paula Gilbert
6/29/2023

The number of cyberattacks on businesses in Kenya, South Africa, and Zambia increased by 76% during 2022, according to a new report from Liquid C2.

Internet Society, Meta partner to grow local Internet ecosystems

Paula Gilbert
6/28/2023

The Internet Society has announced a partnership with Meta to develop and strengthen cross-border interconnections globally, including in Africa.

Safaricom Ethiopia appoints Wim Vanhelleputte as new CEO

Matshepo Sehloho
6/28/2023

Safaricom Ethiopia has appointed Wim Vanhelleputte, who will take over the reins from September 1, 2023, amid Anwar Soussa's departure.

Uganda to give refugees free Internet

Matshepo Sehloho
6/27/2023

The Ugandan government has partnered with the World Bank to launch the Universal Digital Acceleration Program that will provide Internet connection to refugee camps.

Flutterwave, Microsoft ink 5-year technology deal

Matshepo Sehloho
6/26/2023

Payment platform Flutterwave has signed a five-year technology deal with tech giant Microsoft.

Vodafone Foundation expands M-Mama healthtech service into Kenya

Paula Gilbert
6/26/2023

The Vodafone Foundation is expanding life-saving mobile healthcare service M-Mama into Kenya through a public-private partnership with the Kenyan government and USAID.

SA's MultiChoice to invest heavily in Showmax future

Paula Gilbert
6/23/2023

SA's MultiChoice plans to invest heavily in growing its streaming platform Showmax with aspirations to make it the leading streaming service in Africa.

Safaricom Ethiopia CEO to step down

Matshepo Sehloho
6/23/2023

Safaricom Ethiopia has announced that its first-ever CEO, Anwar Soussa, will be leaving the company once his secondment comes to an end on July 31, 2023.

SA's Cell C network 100% migrated to partner towers

Paula Gilbert
6/22/2023

South African operator Cell C has successfully completed a planned network migration, deactivating its own physical tower and radio access network to roam instead on partner towers.

Airtel Kenya expands network, 5G coming soon

Matshepo Sehloho
6/22/2023

Airtel Kenya is expanding its mobile network and will launch 5G services in July 2023.

Ericsson: Sub-Saharan Africa will have 1B mobile subs by 2028

Paula Gilbert
6/21/2023

Sub-Saharan Africa's mobile subscriptions are expected to reach over 1 billion by 2028, according to the June 2023 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report, which also showed great potential for 5G growth in Africa over the next few years.

Huawei 5G technology assists African mines

Matshepo Sehloho
6/21/2023

Chinese multinational Huawei has partnered with technology solutions providers, telcos and mines to provide 5G technology in Africa.

25 African startups receive $4M from Google

Matshepo Sehloho
6/20/2023

Google has selected 25 Africa-based startups for its third cohort of Google for Startups Black Founders Fund (BFF) for Africa.

Liquid Intelligent Technologies' subsea cable connects SA to Mauritius

Paula Gilbert
6/20/2023

Liquid Intelligent Technologies has successfully installed the Mauritius Telecom T3 subsea cable connecting Mauritius to South Africa.

SA's Cell C appoints Jorge Mendes as new CEO

Paula Gilbert
6/19/2023

Former Vodacom exec Jorge Mendes has been appointed the new CEO of South African mobile operator Cell C.

MTN faces headache in Cameroon over bizarre bank account seizure

Paula Gilbert
6/15/2023

Pan-African operator MTN is facing serious challenges in Cameroon where its bank accounts have been frozen for ten months due to a dispute it says it doesn't have anything to do with.

Salesforce commits to South Africa skills development

Matshepo Sehloho
6/15/2023

Cloud-based software company Salesforce is committing to solving South Africa's digital skills shortage and boosting job creation, execs said during the Salesforce World Tour Essentials conference in Johannesburg.

VodaPay super app adds free cash deposits for unbanked

Paula Gilbert
6/14/2023

Vodacom's super app VodaPay has now added a free cash deposit service to expand its reach to unbanked users in South Africa

Telkom SA reports flat revenue

Paula Gilbert
6/13/2023

Telkom South Africa recorded revenue growth of less than 1% as unprecedented levels of load shedding, constrained consumer spending and a sluggish economy bit into earnings.

Airtel Nigeria to roll out 5G, Orange trials 5G in DRC

Matshepo Sehloho
6/13/2023

Airtel Nigeria has announced that it is going to roll out 5G services soon and Orange DRC has begun testing 5G technology in the country.

IFC invests $157M in Safaricom consortium in Ethiopia

Paula Gilbert
6/12/2023

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is investing $157.4 million in Safaricom Ethiopia's consortium, along with a $100 million loan.

Elon Musk's Starlink gets license in Zambia

Matshepo Sehloho
6/12/2023

Zambia's government has awarded Elon Musk's satellite connectivity company Starlink an operating license.

QCell launches 5G in The Gambia

Paula Gilbert
6/9/2023

Gambian mobile operator QCell has launched the West African country's first commercial 5G service

Paratus Botswana completes metro fiber ring in Gaborone

Matshepo Sehloho
6/9/2023

Paratus Botswana has completed its new metro fiber ring around the capital of Gaborone that will provide fully secured, high-speed connectivity.

Eskom's energy crisis, the best thing to happen to SA – Zubair Suliman

Matshepo Sehloho
6/8/2023

Pundits reflected on how Eskom's energy crisis has accelerated South Africa's move to renewable energy during a panel discussion at Huawei's ICT Editor's Xchange this week.

MTN tackles SA power woes with wind & solar hybrid project

Paula Gilbert
6/8/2023

MTN South Africa has launched an integrated wind and solar renewable energy generation project as part of its Net Zero efforts.

SpaceX's Starlink goes live in Mozambique

Paula Gilbert
6/7/2023

SpaceX's satellite broadband provider Starlink is now officially available in Mozambique, after previous launches in Nigeria and Rwanda.

Cross-border payment solution LemFi expands to Kenya

Paula Gilbert
6/6/2023

Cross-border payment solution LemFi is expanding its services in Africa with a launch in Kenya.

Senegal shuts down mobile Internet

Matshepo Sehloho
6/6/2023

Senegal's Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy said mobile Internet was cut off because of what it calls 'deadly rioting'.

Ghana disconnects unregistered SIMs

Matshepo Sehloho
6/5/2023

Ghana has disconnected all services to unregistered SIM cards and only given users access to numbers linked to SIM registration.

Interview: Qualcomm execs on mentorship for African startups

Connecting Africa Video
6/5/2023

Qualcomm Technology VP for Engineering, Sudeepto Roy, and Elizabeth Migwalla, VP for Government Affairs, join Connecting Africa for a video interview about Qualcomm's Make in Africa Mentorship Program.

Togo regulator warns telcos to improve services, or get fined

Paula Gilbert
6/2/2023

Togo's telecoms regulator, ARCEP, has warned the country's two operators that they will face penalties if they don't improve quality of services to their customers in the next six months.

Senegal calls for 5G license applications

Matshepo Sehloho
6/2/2023

Senegal's telecommunications regulator, ARTP, has issued a call for applications for 5G licenses and interested applicants have until July 14, 2023.

Liquid Dataport fiber route connects Kenya, DRC

Matshepo Sehloho
6/1/2023

Liquid Dataport, a business of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, has launched its newest fiber route connecting Kenya to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Fintechs Centi, Centbee to launch blockchain-based remittances for Africa

Connecting Africa News
6/1/2023

Swiss fintech company Centi and global digital cash wallet Centbee are launching a new blockchain-based remittance service between Switzerland and Africa.

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Innovation hub

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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