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IST-Africa Week 2022

Hassan Barakat
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IST-Africa Week 2022

IST-Africa Week 2022 is hosted by the Government of South Africa through the Department of Science and Innovation. It is supported by the European Commission (EC) and African Union Commission (AUC). IST-Africa Week 2022 would hold in May. This would be the seventeenth edition of the annual series.

The conference will serve as a world-class international event for showcasing existing technology-enabled R&D, innovation, and ICT4D initiatives and capabilities in Africa, Europe, and other regions of the world. The conference combines strategic keynote talks, a high-level roundtable, technical and policy papers, case studies, and workshops. It also allows possible partners for future Horizon Europe research collaboration to be identified.

IST-Africa Week 2022
IST-Africa Week 2022

The IST-Africa 2022 Program will include Opening and Closing Plenary Sessions, as well as a Scientific Program with Parallel Sessions that will feature presenters from the public, private, education, and research organizations from Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world.

Each conference, which focuses on Information Society and ICT Policy Dialogues, International Development and Research Cooperation, and Community Building, brings together senior delegates from 50 nations to discuss policy, share insights, and discover partnership prospects.

Goals of the IST-Africa Conference Series

– Assist the Development of the Information Society and Knowledge Economy in Africa

– Encourage International Research Innovation, and Policy Cooperation and Coordination

– Demonstrate Africa’s capacity for research and innovation

– Encourage the public and business sectors to use research findings.

IST-Africa 2022’s core thematic priorities include:

– Technology-enabled Healthcare (mHealth/eHealth)

– eSkills and technology-enhanced learning

– Agriculture aided by technology (mAgriculture/eAgriculture) and environmental sustainability

– Energy – Micro-grids, ICT for Power Delivery

– NRENs and eInfrastructures (National Research and Education Networks)

– Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Future Internet, and Internet of Things

– eGovernment and the Delivery of Public Services

– Languages and Content Technologies; Digital Preservation

– Trust, privacy, and cyber security

– Technology-enabled Entrepreneurship and Collaborative Open Innovation (including Social Entrepreneurship)

– Languages and Digital Preservation in Content Technologies

– Trust, privacy, and cyber security

– International Development (including ICT4D)

– Technology’s Social Consequences

 

Online Registration will commence in February 2022.

To read more and register for the conference, click here

Adumo Buys Fintech Startup Switchpay

Sopuruchukwu Elizabeth Mba
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Adumo Buys Fintech Startup Switchpay

Adumo, a South African Fintech company, and one of the biggest payments platforms in South Africa reported today that it has bought SwitchPay, a startup fintech company responsible for providing alternative payment solutions for in-store and online merchants.

According to Adumo CEO Paul Kent, the investment comes at a time when consumer interest in new payment options is at an all-time high.

The amount invested was not disclosed by Adumo.

“The impact of the pandemic and the rise of new, more convenient and value-adding payment options is revolutionizing how South Africans purchase goods and services. The team at SwitchPay has built a world-class suite of alternative payment solutions that brings new forms of value to consumers and retailers alike. We look forward to working with the team as we bring convenient new payments within reach of all South Africans,” Kent stated.

SwitchPay is a digital payment provider that offers merchants a digital platform where customers can utilize an alternative payment service in-store and online including lay-by, customized subscription models, and purpose-based lending.

SwitchPay uses an API system that supports third-party payment products. The company also integrates credit-related products from several credit providers including banks and other fintech.

“We are proud to have built an innovative digital platform that has attracted this investment from Adumo. We now have an established partner in payments that we can learn from whilst leveraging one another to unlock growth opportunities. This investment allows us to shift our focus to scaling the business through delivering on our core purpose of growing our merchant partners by providing their customers access to affordable and responsible financing products,” said Justin Hawkins, CEO at SwitchPay.

Kent added that the alternative payment options provide retailers with a wider range of customers which will help them scale up their revenue.
“By simplifying the in-store payment process and enabling greater choice in how consumers pay for goods, the services offered by SwitchPay can increase basket size and help improve customer retention. As the effects of the pandemic continue to affect consumers and merchants alike, the ability to offer a wider range of payment options can help merchants grow their customer base and revenue at a critical time.”

Adumo has over 50,000 active clients and 90,000 active card machines in thirteen African countries, processing over R80 billion in transaction value.

Sureswipe, iKhokha, Innervation Pan African Payments, Innervation Rewards, Adumo Online, Humble Till, GAAP, and now SwitchPay are among the company’s trusted alternative payment suppliers.

MEST Express Acceleration Program 2022

Abidemi Ogunyemi-Aderibigbe
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MEST Express Acceleration Program 2022

The Ghanian Acceleration program for early and growth stage Startups MEST Express Acceleration Program is now accepting applications for the 2022 MEST Express program.

The MEST Express acceleration program is a 20 weeks program designed to give hands-on expert-led workshops, mentorship, and business interventions to startups that are focused on rapid practical application and realistic business outcomes.

The program collaborates with founders to make sure their businesses are growth assured and have increased impact. Each cohort of the program has the opportunity to participate in a pitching session where the most successful of all receive equity-free grant funding.

The program sessions will be physical and virtual. All participants are expected to participate actively in all required sessions either physically or virtually. The COVID pandemic protocols will be duly adhered to for the safety of all the program participants.

Mest Express Acceleration Program Requirement

  • Ghanaian startups in the early to growth stage
  • About 1-3 years in operation
  • Startups must be tech-enabled or technology related
  • $100,000 or less in funding
  • Proven to be a problem-solution fit
  • Already generating revenues 
  • Ability to demonstrate traction
  • Open to any business model

Focus Area for the Program

  • Funding and Investment readiness
  • Risk Management & Crisis Resilience
  • Product Management and Positioning
  • Business & Revenue Modelling
  • Sales and Customer Acquisition
  • Market Research and Competitive Analysis
  • Brand awareness and Marketing
  • Organizational Structuring

Attached Benefits

Capital: Most successful, the best-performing startup receives equity-free grant funding for sustainable growth.

Know-how: Startups will learn and apply strategies that are focused on rapid application and worthwhile outcomes.

Mentorship: Access to industry professionals and sector experts mentorship.

Network Access: Acess to meet and link up with the community of experts, investors, and founders.

Schedule of the Program

  • Week 0- Onboarding and Orientation
  • Week 1- Assessing participant needs
  • Week 2 to Week 4- Workshops ongoing
  • Week 5- Assigning Mentors
  • Week 6 to Week 9- Workshops ongoing
  • Week 10 – Midpoint debriefs
  • Week 11 to Week 19- Workshops continues
  • Week 20- Restrospective and Final Exhibition

Application Process

  • Fill out the application form on F6S (startups are required to create an account)
  • Startups will be shortlisted for the interview stage
  • Shortlisted startups interview are conducted
  • Finalists receive offer letters

Time Frame

Applications open: Nov. 8, 2021

Applications close: Jan 16, 2022

Program Begins: Feb 21, 2022

Program Ends: June 15, 2022

For more information: Visit the MEST Scale Venture Acceleration Program 2022

Africa Green ICT Forum, 2021

Hassan Barakat
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Africa Green ICT Forum, 2021

Africa Green ICT Forum will be holding its 2nd edition of virtual events. This popular event is running in partnership with Huawei, as part of Africa Tech Festival 2021.

Theme

Providing Insights, Best Practices, and Key Learning on How to Provide the People of Africa and The ICT Industry with Access to Clean, Reliable Energy.

Date

7, December 2021. 10:00 – 13:20 (GMT+1). Virtual.

Event Highlights

More than half of Africa’s 1.2 billion people do not have access to a consistent and stable electricity supply. These communities rely on approximately 30 million diesel generators as their primary power source, with an average operating cost of over 30,000 USD per site and 31 tons of carbon emissions. With a global focus on achieving net-zero emissions, we believe that existing systems may be replaced by creative solutions and new green policies that will play an increasingly vital role in energy conservation and emissions reduction across all industries.

The Green ICT Forum this year intends to share insight, best practices, and critical learnings on how all sectors can collaborate to develop a zero-carbon plan and supply Africa’s people with clean, reliable energy.

  • Implementing green policies in Africa to utilize its rich natural resources
  • Creating eco-friendly business environments all over the continent
  • Optimizing OPEX via lowering CO2 emissions
  • Solar and hybrid energy systems to fuel Africa’s economy.

Sponsors and Exhibitors

  • Huawei

How to Apply

To attend Africa Green ICT Forum, register here

Tanzania Gets Ready to Launch Central Bank Digital Currency

Sopuruchukwu Elizabeth Mba
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Tanzania Gets Ready to Launch Central Bank Digital Currency

Tanzania gets ready to launch Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), a digital legal tender issued by the central bank that is equivalent to fiat currency and may be traded for it.

Florens Luoga, the Governor of the Bank of Tanzania, announced the preparedness of Tanzania’s central bank to launch the digital form of its local currency at the finance conference tagged, “20th Conference of Financial Institutions (COFI).” The event organized by the central bank of Tanzania was held in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Luoga said, “the bank of Tanzania has started preparations for its digital currency to ensure the country is not left behind others in adopting central bank digital currencies (CBDC).”

“The country will follow in Nigeria’s footsteps and launch its digital currency,” Governor Luoga revealed the news at the finance conference.”

Nigeria became the first African country to adopt CBDC when it launched its digital currency. The digital currency, e-Naira was rolled out one month ago. Tanzania’s central bank intends to follow suit in this regard.

In a similar report, Zanzibar, an autonomous Tanzanian region off the coast of East Africa, is also interested in keeping abreast with the new development in the country by adopting the digital currency.

According to the report by Bitcoin.com News, Ghana is another West African country close to launching its digital currency. Other countries like South Africa and Namibia said they still carrying out investigations on the possibility of launching a digital currency.

In 2019, the central bank of Tanzania banned cryptocurrencies, adding the digital currency is not recognized by the local law.

Following the ban of cryptocurrency, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan urged the central bank of Tanzania in June shortly after becoming the President to start preparations for the adoption of cryptocurrencies. In response, the spokesperson for the Bank of Tanzania said the central bank is heeding the call and hinted at the possibility of reversing the ban on cryptocurrency.

According to Bloomberg, Luoga also stated at the conference that the country is still skeptical of cryptocurrencies and that the general people should exercise caution while making crypto-related investments.

 

 

Flutterwave Launches Flutterwave Market to Grow Small and Mid-Size Businesses

Sopuruchukwu Elizabeth Mba
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Flutterwave Launches Flutterwave Market to Grow Small and Mid-Size Businesses

Flutterwave launches Flutterwave Market to grow small and mid-size businesses. 

Flutterwave, one of Africa’s leading fintech companies, launched this e-commerce – Flutterwave Market – to help small and mid-size businesses reach larger customers thus, augmenting sales and revenue. 

Flutterwave Market is poised to bring different collections of merchant stores to customers in one place. The e-commerce service will enable customers to buy a wide range of products from choice businesses at comfort.

Futterwave Market is designed to display merchant stores across a variety of product lines and countries. To make the experience worthwhile for customers, Flutterwave will have features such as country filter, and product search category display.

Beauty, food, men’s and women’s fashion will be among the product categories on display, as these are the most popular among Flutterwave store customers. Customers will be able to buy desired products and have them delivered to their exact location.

Flutterwave launches Flutterwave Market, an e-commerce service that is an extension of the Flutterwave online store established in April 2020 during the wave of COVID 19. 

With the impact of COVID 19 on small businesses – several of which were forced to close as a result – Flutterwave developed an e-commerce platform for them, allowing them to continue doing business by creating online stores. 

Since then, the e-commerce solution for small and mid-size enterprises has recorded rapid growth, accommodating over 30,000 businesses with added features enabling multiple product uploads and discount coupons.

In recent data from Statista, the number of digital buyers increased to 281 million in 2020. In 2021, the number is expected to rise to over 334 million, and by 2025, it will have risen to 520 million, nearly doubling the number of e-commerce consumers in Africa in 2019. 

Flutterwave Market has now introduced a new way of finding and purchasing from these businesses which are quite different from the previous method of just following the store link.

“This is an exciting next chapter for the Flutterwave brand, and we’re excited to introduce this new marketplace experience to our merchants worldwide,” said Olugbenga ‘GB’ Agboola, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Flutterwave.

“Flutterwave Market is a fully functional e-commerce service that serves as a megastore where buyers can purchase a variety of goods from multiple sellers under one roof.”

“Since the successful launch of Flutterwave Store, we have listened to our customers and acted on what they need to scale their businesses. Launching the new marketplace will transform their businesses, taking them to the next stage of growth. Flutterwave Market is for us a way to create endless possibilities for our Flutterwave Store users. We’re not merely aggregating existing stores, we’re positioning them to make more sales,” he added.

 

Africa Startup Initiative Programme (ASIP) 2022

Abidemi Ogunyemi-Aderibigbe
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Africa Startup Initiative Programme (ASIP) 2022

Applications for the Africa Startup Initiative Programme (ASIP) 2022 are now open! The program is for African tech startups with about EUR 15,000 in cash funding.

The Africa Startup Initiative Programme (ASIP) was founded by the CEO of Telecel Group, Moh Damush as a CSR activity. Telecel Group is the anchor partner for ASIP which is an ideal program for tech-oriented startups in Africa looking to scale up corporate and public sector partnerships.

ASIP skillfully scouts and scales early-stage startups through rigorous drilling via intensive coach and exposure to opportunities for pilots and proof of concept projects that eventually open doors for commercial agreement in the long term.

Telecel Group the official anchor partner for the program also partnered with Startupbootcamp (SBC) AfriTech in order for the ASIP accelerator program which has been contributing in a meaningful way to the African community to further reach young African startups whose innovative ideas are making a huge difference in their respective communities. 

SBC Afritech has also recorded incredible success so far. Kickstarted in 2017, the first SBC program facilitated about 40 spectacular African startups that have set a high expectation of subsequent programs.

  • 50% of the startups’ initial funds have closed rounds at evaluations worth more than 10x since Demo day
  • 40% of them have successfully raised follow on rounds of funding
  • 90% are still in operation and soaring at impressive rates

The Africa Startup Initiative Programme (ASIP) 2022 Requirements:

For eligibility, each startup

  • must be formally incorporated 
  • have at least 2 employees working on the project and committed to it by at least 50% of their time
  • must have users already exploring the products or services rendered
  • is presently generating revenue from the product or services

Why you should participate in the Africa Startup Initiative Programme (ASIP) 2022

3- Month intensive course: there is going to be an intense 3- month program designed to assist entrepreneurs to scale their fast industry-changing tech businesses 

Masterclasses: sessions will be led by experts covering all required scaling fundamentals ranging from lean methodology, business model canvas to fundraising.

Corporate Partners: networking to leading corporate bodies in individual industries for pilot projects, partnership privileges, and as customers.

Global Network: access to a global network of mentors, experts in the industry, corporate partners, and alumni across over 40 countries.

Tailored Mentorship: access to 1000+ carefully selected mentors who will be providing hands-on support and worthwhile introductions.

Coworking Space: access to free deks to your team members in a dynamic co-working space for a span of 3-month( depending on the recent pandemic).

Living Expenses: a grant of EUR 15,000 in cash for each team to cover living expenses during the course of the program.

Perks and Discount: over EUR 500k+ with exclusive partnership deals from leading tech providers like Amazon, SendGrid, Hubspot, and others.

Alumni Growth Program: continuous post-program support after the 3-month program through annual alumni-only events, deals, and tailored introductions.

Industry Events: exclusive opportunities to partake in leading commerce conferences and events.

Investor Access: meeting the most active VCs and Angel Investors in the individual industries from across the globe.

Demo Day: a day to celebrate team achievements during the program with over 400 investors, corporates, mentors, and press attendees.

BENEFITS

During the covid pandemic, SBC launched Accelerator Squared as a digital platform that aids startups to access the entire library of content, group workshops, one on one mentoring, collaborative sessions with entrepreneurs in Residence, and invite-only discussion forums with founders across the world.

The program took a hybrid format and begins in Dakar, rounding up in a physical Demo Day where startup founders pitch their soothing solutions to a range of audiences of media, investors, corporate partners, and industry stakeholders.

The successful 10 startups in the program will receive benefits evaluated at about over EUR 500k including, credits from AWS, Google cloud services, Hubspot, and much more. ASIP Accelerator program will also invest about EUR 15,000 in cash to each startup team.

For more information: Visit Africa Startup Initiative Programme (ASIP) 2022 official webpage.

Goldman Sachs Africa and Caribbean Recruiting Programme 2022

Abidemi Ogunyemi-Aderibigbe
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Goldman Sachs Africa and Caribbean Recruiting Programme 2022

The Goldman Sachs Africa & Caribbean Recruiting Programme is open to all African and Caribbean students designed to expose students to the financial world through hands-on experience. 

The program will be an interactive multi-day event for African students and Caribbean graduating students in 2022 and 2023.

Participants will be opportune to:

  • to get tangible resume-enhancing skills as well as tips via interactive workshops
  • closely work with peer groups of like minds to develop technical and soft skills
  • explore the extensive range of engineering career opportunities available in the financial industry
  • collaborate and network  with Goldman Sachs professionals and get informed about their experiences alongside diverse backgrounds

In the previous year, the initiative spread across the continent as representatives of Goldman Sachs visited Nairobi, Kenya for the first time in addition to previously visited cities like Accra, Ghana, and Lagos, Nigeria.

This served as both a recruiting and an educational visit that exposed the students to the opportunities of Goldman Sachs’ culture and careers in Engineering. A total number of 164 students were successfully admitted from over 1,200 applicants.

Application Instructions for Goldman Sachs program

Eligibility: Graduating students of the year 2022 and 2023

Date: TBD

Process: While applying, applicants should select the listed criteria below

  • Recruiting Year – 2022
  • Position – Summer Analyst (London)
  • Division – Engineering
  • Sub Division – Africa Recruiting Programme

For more information, kindly visit the official webpage of Goldman Sach Africa & Caribbean Recruiting Programme

NFTs in South Africa, 8.3% Own, a Further 9.4% Plan to Buy

Hassan Barakat
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NFTs in South Africa, 8.3% Own, a Further 9.4% Plan to Buy

NFTs in South Africa, 8.3% own, a further 9.4% plan to buy in the future. This has been shown by a study carried out by Finder.

According to the results of the online survey, 8.3% of the 1,205 South African internet users polled own a non-fungible token (NFT). These findings have led to South Africa being ranked as the country with the world’s 12th highest NFT adoption rate.

In terms of internet users who intend to acquire NFTs in the future, the survey indicated that 9.4% of those questioned in South Africa intend to do so. When this is added to the number of internet users who already own NFTs, South Africa’s NFT adoption rate could quickly reach 17.8%. This proportion is greater than Vietnam’s (17%), which is now ranked fifth in the world.

According to the findings, in percentage, the Philippines has the most NFT owners (32), followed by Thailand (27), Malaysia (24), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (23). Nigeria, is the top-ranked African country, rated the sixth in the world, with 13.7 % of the surveyed users admitting ownership of an NFT.

Meanwhile, the results suggest that South African men are more likely than women to own NFTs. 10.5 percent of men own one compared to 6.3 percent of women. This gender difference of 4.2 percent points, according to Finder, is larger than the global average of 2.7 percent.

As expected, younger South Africans dominate, with the youngest age group accounting for over 10% of the country’s NFT owners.

According to the survey, “in South Africa, people aged 18 to 24 are the most likely to have NFTs” (11 percent ). People aged 55 to 64 (5.2 percent) are on the other end of the spectrum.

Globally, only Thailand and Venezuela have more women purchasing NFTs than men, while the UAE has the lowest number of women who possess NFTs.

While many expect worldwide NFT adoption to rise, the survey indicated that internet users in Japan had the least knowledge of NFTs. Approximately 90% of them have no idea what NFTs are. With 83 percent of individuals confused, Germany comes in second, followed by the United Kingdom with 79 percent of people undecided.

Job Opening: Market Research Executive at Lisse Africa

Sopuruchukwu Elizabeth Mba
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Job Opening: Market Research Executive at Lisse Africa

Lisse Africa is a dynamic human resource consulting firm with a key interest in recruitment with the aim of providing employees that are professional, verified, and with a good cultural fit.

At Lisse Africa, our aim is to build the world’s most valued recruitment solutions company to clients, candidates, colleagues, and the communities where we work and live with regard to support staff recruitment, background verification, and staff documentation services.

We solely focus on the enhancement of client organizations by providing quality services on various aspects of their human resources and by letting the organization focus on its core issues.

Our client, a trading company is currently in need of a Market Research Executive.

Job Description

We are looking for a Market Research Executive that would conduct in-depth detailed research and feasibility study on the textile/pharmaceutical/agrochemical industry and market opportunities in Lagos and Kano.

Job Title: Market Research Executive.

Job Type: Full Time.

Location: Kano, Lagos, Nigeria.

Job Responsibilities

  • Make detailed retail store expansion plan, implement it into the specific expansion roadmap, and according to the company’s opening and expansion process, do early-stage market research analysis and cost-benefit analysis of new stores, and provide accurate and scientific feasibility analysis report.
  • Responsible for investigating consumer demand and product category demand of the textile/pharmaceutical/agrochemical market.
  • Responsible for commodity retail market research and analysis.
  • Business negotiation with potential customers.

Job Requirements

  • Sc/HND from a reputable university.
  • Familiar with Lagos/Kano wholesale market for textiles.
  • Familiar with Lagos/Kano textile industry or pharmaceutical industry or agrochemical industry.
  • Proficient in using office software (Word, Excel, PPT).

Salary

  • N100,000 to N150,000 monthly.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should forward their CV to lisseafrica@gmail.com using the position as the subject of the email.

 

 

 

 

 

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