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Digital Inclusion

Content tagged with Digital Inclusion

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Hot startup of the month: Kenya's Ketha Africa
  • Matshepo Sehloho
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
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.
Canal+ edges closer to MultiChoice takeover
  • Matshepo Sehloho
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%.
Paratus express route from Johannesburg to Europe goes live
  • Matshepo Sehloho
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.
Canal+ makes formal offer to buy MultiChoice Group
  • Matshepo Sehloho
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
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
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.
Paymentology looks to strengthen its African roots
  • Paula Gilbert
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
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.
MultiChoice chair stays on to conclude Canal+ deal
  • Matshepo Sehloho
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
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.
Hot startup of the month: Nigeria's Tech Herfrica
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Connecting Africa's hot startup is Nigeria's Tech Herfrica, a social impact organization that focuses on the digital and financial inclusion of women and girls in rural areas of Nigeria.
Interview: JUMO's Joe Mucheru on AI's role in fintech
  • Connecting Africa Video
JUMO President Joe Mucheru joined Connecting Africa Editor Paula Gilbert for a video interview to talk about the fintech company's work across Africa and how it's using artificial intelligence (AI) to provide credit to millions of Africans.
Hormuud Telecom launches 5G in Somalia
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Somali telecommunications operator Hormuud Telecom has launched its fifth-generation (5G) network in key locations in the East African country.
West Africa has become mobile money powerhouse – GSMA
  • Paula Gilbert
The GSMA's new 2024 State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money shows that in 2023, over a third of new mobile money accounts globally were from West Africa and the region has doubled its overall number of mobile money accounts over the past ten years.
Omdia View: February 2024
  • Guest Perspectives
Highlights in February 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included 5G launches in Senegal and 5G trials in Egypt as well as Kenya's first 5G MVNO.
African governments must be enablers of innovation
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Panelists at the Africa eGovernance Conference (AfreGov) urged African governments to become enablers and create environments that allow citizens to participate in the digital economy.
Bolt expands into Egypt
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Ride-sharing platform Bolt has expanded into Egypt's capital city of Cairo to compete with other platforms like Uber, inDrive and Careem.
Connecting Africa Podcast: S3 Ep. 1 – Trending topics in 2024
  • Paula Gilbert
The Connecting Africa Podcast is back for season three. In this episode, we discuss startups and companies making their mark across emerging trends like social commerce, AI and smartphone affordability, and we venture into the hot topic of climate tech.
MWC 2024: African telco deals
  • Paula Gilbert
Connecting Africa has compiled a list of all the major deals that African operators announced at MWC 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
AI's impact on African telcos
  • Connecting Africa News
Many African telecommunications companies are turning to artificial intelligence as a differentiator to improve their mobile networks and enhance customer service and experience as they transition from traditional telco offerings into new tech-first verticals.
Four AI trends to look out for in 2024
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Connecting Africa has compiled a list of four artificial intelligence (AI) trends to look out for on the African continent in 2024.
The ethical considerations of AI in Africa
  • Connecting Africa News
ICT analyst Francis Hook delves into the adoption and ethical use of artificial intelligence in Africa and issues around regulatory readiness, human rights, privacy, data protection and social inclusivity for users on the continent.
New Africa eGovernance Conference comes to Rwanda
  • Industry Announcements
The Africa eGovernance Conference (AfreGov) will host its maiden event in Kigali, Rwanda from March 12-14, 2024 under the theme 'Digital Governance for Social Inclusion and Sustainable Development.'
Intelsat, AMN expand rural connectivity in Madagascar
  • Paula Gilbert
Satellite operator Intelsat and Africa Mobile Networks (AMN) are working to connect 500 sites in rural Madagascar, while Intelsat has also announced it will modernize more than 900 sites for Openserve in South Africa.
Hot startup of the month: South Africa's Botlhale AI
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Connecting Africa's hot startup this month is South Africa's Botlhale AI, which creates conversational AI tools for African languages while helping businesses engage customers in languages they understand and trust.
Omdia View: January 2024
  • Guest Perspectives
Highlights in January 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included a $200 million fintech deal between MTN and Mastercard as well as 5G network trials by Telecom Egypt – that and more in this month's Omdia View.
SA's Teraco to power data centers with 120MW solar plant
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Teraco, the vendor-neutral data center provider, is planning the construction of a 120 megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) energy facility in the Free State province of South Africa.
SA's iKhokha invests $105M in small businesses
  • Matshepo Sehloho
South African fintech firm iKhokha has distributed more than 2 billion South African rands (US$105 million) in working capital to its small and midsized enterprise (SME) customer base.
Mastercard appoints new West Africa head
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Global payments firm Mastercard has appointed Folasade Femi-Lawal as its new country manager and area business head for West Africa.
Interview: Orange's Brelotte Ba on digital inclusion
  • Sponsored Video
Orange's Middle East and Africa Deputy CEO, Brelotte Ba, spoke to Connecting Africa at Africa Tech Festival 2023 about the operator's work across Africa to improve digital inclusion. He shared how Orange is focused on expanding beyond just connectivity solutions, to provide digital services that are relevant to the communities it serves, including key areas like mobile money and energy services. #sponsored
Interview: Bayobab's Mohammed Aliyu on bridging Africa's digital gaps
  • Sponsored Video
Mohammed Aliyu, Chief FibreCo Officer at Bayobab spoke to Connecting Africa at Africa Tech Festival 2023 about Bayobab's presence in sub-Saharan Africa, which includes access to 18 subsea cables around Africa – six of which it is a major investor in – and 112,000 kilometers of fiber. #sponsored
IHS Cameroon to build tower kiosks in rural areas
  • Matshepo Sehloho
IHS Cameroon has committed to provide connectivity and digital services to rural communities in the Northwest and Southwest of Cameroon through its 'Tower Kiosk' initiative.
Interview: Hans Geldenhuys on Intelsat's mission to connect Africa
  • Sponsored Video
Hans Geldenhuys, Director of Sales at Intelsat, spoke to Connecting Africa at Africa Tech Festival 2023. As a featured sponsor of the Changing Lives category for the Africa Tech Festival Awards, Geldenhuys spoke about Intelsat's dedication to connecting people across the globe, especially in Africa. #sponsored
Interview: Huawei's Chang Yong on connectivity, cloud & sustainability
  • Sponsored Video
Chang Yong, CMO of Huawei sub-Saharan Africa sat down with Connecting Africa at Africa Tech Festival 2023 to talk about Huawei's strategy to support digital transformation across the continent, focusing on three core areas: connectivity, cloud computing, and sustainable development. #sponsored
Satellite key for African connectivity in 2024 – Hughes
  • Paula Gilbert
Vaibhav Magow, VP of the international division at Hughes Network Systems, spoke to Connecting Africa about the satellite trends Africa can expect in 2024 and how service providers aim to connect more underserved regions.
Starlink cuts off users in South Africa
  • Matshepo Sehloho
SpaceX's satellite Internet service, Starlink, has cut off hundreds of South African users over alleged trademark and copyright violations.
SA mobile data prices likely to increase – Africa Analysis
  • Paula Gilbert
South Africa has seen major reductions in mobile data prices over the past two decades, but ICT market research and analysis firm Africa Analysis warns that local prices will likely increase in the short-to-medium term.
Safaricom users in Ethiopia tick up
  • Paula Gilbert
Kenyan-headquartered Safaricom now has 9 million mobile customers in Ethiopia and just over 3 million M-Pesa users after a year of operating in the Horn of Africa nation.
Comment: Agriculture Digitisation - Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum KESSFF - 2/4/2024
Oracle to open cloud facility in Kenya
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Tech company Oracle has announced that it will establish a public cloud region in Kenya's capital city of Nairobi, its second cloud region in Africa.
Four African cloud startups to watch in 2024
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Connecting Africa has compiled a list of four cloud-powered startups that have been making an impact on the lives of the communities they serve and are worth watching in 2024.
Cassava Tech Talks Ep. 5: Harnessing the power of data centers
  • Paula Gilbert
In the latest Cassava Tech Talks podcast we discuss how African businesses can harness the power of data centers and the importance of data residency. Guests are Africa Data Centres CEO Tesh Durvasula and Dan Thompson, principal research analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence. #sponsored
Eutelsat OneWeb signs satellite deal with Paratus South Africa
  • Paula Gilbert
Satellite operator Eutelsat OneWeb has announced a deal with specialist connectivity provider Paratus South Africa to enhance Paratus' connectivity offering in South Africa and provide satellite connectivity to more rural areas.
Vodafone, Microsoft partner to move M-Pesa to the cloud
  • Paula Gilbert
Vodafone and Microsoft have announced a $1.5 billion, ten-year strategic partnership across Europe and Africa, which includes housing mobile money platform M-Pesa on Azure and enabling generative AI services.
Telecom Egypt, Zain to build digital corridor
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Telecom Egypt and Zain Omantel International (ZOI) have partnered to establish a new digital corridor connecting the Mediterranean to the Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf.
Togocom lands $60M IFC loan
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Togocom signed a financing agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for around US$60 million towards upgrading its infrastructure and expanding its 4G network.
Interview: Vodacom's Mariam Cassim on the evolution of MFS
  • Connecting Africa Video
Vodacom's CEO of Financial and Digital Services, Mariam Cassim, joined Connecting Africa Editor Paula Gilbert for a video interview to talk about the evolution of Vodacom's mobile financial services (MFS) portfolio.
Bolt Kenya adds feature to stop offline trips
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Ride-sharing platform Bolt in Kenya has introduced a new feature on its app called 'Driver Asked to Pay Off-the-App' to discourage riders from taking trips offline and paying off the app.
Algerian telco rivals agree to share infrastructure
  • Matshepo Sehloho
Algerian operators Algérie Télécom (AT) and Ooredoo Algeria have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to exchange ideas on innovative services and share infrastructure.
ATF 2023: Uber's Marjorie Saint-Lot on women in tech
  • Connecting Africa Video
Uber's Country Manager for Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Pakistan, Marjorie Saint-Lot, spoke to Connecting Africa's Associate Editor Matshepo Sehloho at the Africa Tech Festival about her experience navigating a male-dominated industry on the continent.


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Hot startup of the month: Kenya's Ketha Africa

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.

Story

Four agritech startups to watch in 2024

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

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Africa Tech Festival 2024
November 11-14, 2024
Cape Town, South Africa
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Uber's Marjorie Saint-Lot on inclusion and sustainability in Africa

Uber's Country Manager for Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, Marjorie Saint-Lot, shares how the ride-hailing company is approaching public-private partnerships, environmentally friendly initiatives and gender inclusion in Africa.

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The 100 most influential African leaders in 2023

A new report from Africa Tech Festival and Connecting Africa puts a spotlight on the top 100 African leaders in the telecoms and technology sector in 2023.

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Deep dive into East Africa's tech startup ecosystem

New survey reveals a lack of access to investors, reliance on international VCs and global recession trends as the biggest barriers for East African tech startups to access funds.

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Omdia View: February 2024

By Omdia Analysts

Highlights in February 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included 5G launches in Senegal and 5G trials in Egypt as well as Kenya's first 5G MVNO. Airtel also launched a new wholesale connectivity business while MTN and Huawei are planning a joint Innovation Technology Lab in South Africa – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

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Omdia View: January 2024

By Omdia Analysts

Highlights in January 2024 in the Middle East and Africa included a $200 million fintech deal between MTN and Mastercard as well as 5G network trials by Telecom Egypt – that and more in this month's Omdia View.

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