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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.
KaiOS targets merchant market for growth, digital inclusion
KaiOS Technologies, the creator of a mobile operating system for smart feature phones, is piloting affordable merchant payment terminals - which look like feature phones - in Africa to help underserved merchants and transport providers accept digital payments solutions.
Tanzanian fintech Nala secures $40M Series A funding
Tanzanian payments company Nala has raised US$40 million in Series A funding to be used for its global expansion plans and enhancing its payment systems on the continent.
Orange Energies opens digital platform to African producers
Telecom operator Orange is opening its digital platform, Orange Smart Energies, which provides prepaid access to energy through solar kits and smart meters to all energy producers in Africa.
Nigeria's ThriveAgric partners with Visa to expand into Kenya
Nigerian Agritech startup ThriveAgric is partnering with Visa to support its expansion into Kenya as it launches more hubs to support up to 10,000 local farmers.
Mastercard invests $2M to support African content creators
Mastercard has announced a US$2.04 million investment in partnership with African influencer marketing platform Wowzi and Masria Digital Payments (MDP).
The state of digital transformation in African banks
The 2024 African Banking Digital Transformation Report has found that 60% of African banks have now digitally transformed most of their operations, while 76% of banks in Africa rank digital transformation as either their top priority or among the top three.
Visa shortlists fintech startups for accelerator program
Payments giant Visa has announced the 18 startups from sub-Saharan Africa that were shortlisted for the second cohort of its Africa Fintech Accelerator program.
Pyypl plots African fintech growth
Blockchain financial services and remittances company Pyypl is rapidly growing its operations across the Middle East and Africa with ambitions to triple its monthly active user base by the end of 2025.
Zimbabwe to allow mobile money agents to operate again
Zimbabwe has reportedly announced that it would allow mobile money agents to operate in the country again to boost the use of its new gold-backed currency.
Tanzania bans unlicensed digital lenders
The Bank of Tanzania has announced that it will no longer allow unlicensed digital lenders to operate in the East African country.
Egypt, Ethiopia impact Vodacom earnings
Vodacom Group reported strong revenue growth in the past financial year, boosted by the addition of Vodafone Egypt, but earnings were pulled down by startup costs in Ethiopia, higher finance and energy costs, and inflationary pressure.
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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.
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.
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Guest Perspectives
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Leadership Lessons: Networking towards career advancement
By Nollie MaotoNollie 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 MaotoNollie 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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Industry announcements
- New develoPPP Ventures funding program for SA startups
South Africa, Friday, June 21, 2024 - Registration opens for Africa Tech Festival 2024
Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, June 11, 2024 - New Africa eGovernance Conference comes to Rwanda
Kigali, Rwanda, Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Upcoming events
Cyber Revolution Summit
August 9, 2024Gaborone, Botswana
Africa Tech Festival 2024
November 12-14, 2024Cape Town, South Africa
Africa Tech Perspectives
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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.
