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The NITDA will use the AfCFTA to expand the digital economy.

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), as part of Nigeria’s efforts to diversify its economy through technology, has proposed a collaboration with the Republic of Namibia in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The reason for this, according to NITDA, is that Africa as a continent missed out on the First, Second, and Third Industrial Revolutions owing to large capital investment needs, but the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings with its limitless potential.

“All it needs is talent and a vibrant, young technological-driven generation. It is therefore imperative for African countries to encourage “Made in Africa” products by exploring and exploiting opportunities provided by emerging technologies to build an enviable global market standard.” NITDA said.

When the High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Humphrey D Geiseh, paid a courtesy visit to the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja, they reached an agreement on establishing a feasible avenue for digital trade resolution.

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director-General of NITDA, expressed his satisfaction at the High Commissioner’s eagerness to work with NITDA to strengthen the connection and create technical goods between the two nations.

According to Abdullahi, the agency was responsible for executing the National IT Policy until the Ministry’s remit was expanded to include the Digital Economy in 2019. This, he claimed, was due to the fact that communications were not a goal in itself, but rather a means to an end.

He stressed the need of calibrating efforts and aligning them with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), which demanded the creation of a new Strategic Road Map and Action Plan by the Agency.

The DG added that Africa should leverage ‘Emerging Technologies,’ a key pillar in the road map, to develop and capture technical values.

Exclusive Networks And Networks Unlimited Partners to Eye Sub-Saharan Africa Expansion

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Exclusive Networks, a global trusted cybersecurity expert for digital infrastructure, has signed an exclusive agreement with Networks Unlimited to begin talks about a possible purchase.

Networks Unlimited is a significant regional value-added distributor focusing primarily on the cybersecurity and infrastructure industries, and the two companies share a number of critical vendor connections.

Its partner network offers them access to 38 national markets throughout the continent, with operations in South Africa, Kenya, and Mauritius. Exclusive Networks’ position in the region would be bolstered by the deal, which would increase the company’s worldwide reach and provide new options for both companies’ vendors and customers.

“Our global strategy continues to seek like-minded national and regional specialists like Networks Unlimited who possess strong leadership, deep expertise, and a proven track record of growth that chimes with our vision,” said Exclusive Networks CEO, Jesper Trolle.

“The synergies in services offerings and vendor portfolios are both clear and compelling. We are also excited by the possibilities of serving more of the African market, building on our existing operations that border the Networks Unlimited footprint.”

Fortinet and F5 Networks are the primary vendors for Networks Unlimited, and both companies have strong vendor connections with Exclusive Networks internationally. Rubrik, Mellanox, SentinelOne, and Tintri are just a few of the other firms with whom the two companies have partnered.

Aside from suppliers and technology, the two firms share a forward-thinking approach to high-value services and a strong commitment to certified personnel. Networks Unlimited is mostly owned by the individuals who run the company and work there, giving it an innovative and entrepreneurial ethos similar to that of Exclusive Networks.

“We believe this is an exciting development with the potential to build on our 27-year history as a fixture of the African IT landscape by beginning a new chapter as part of a global relationship,” said Anton Jacobsz, CEO of Networks Unlimited Africa.

“Exclusive Networks would be, in our view, a great fit for our customers and partners, and provide many new opportunities for our fantastic and committed team. We have highly skilled engineering resources throughout the region to assist with global implementations, while our partner ecosystem would benefit commercially from the global scale opportunities afforded by us being part of the worldwide Exclusive Networks organization.”, Eyes Sub-Saharan Africa Expansion

Kenya’s Wapi Pay Has Raised $2.2 Million in Pre-seed Funding for Cross-border Payments Between Africa and Asia

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Wapi Pay, a Kenyan startup has raised $2.2M pre-seed for cross-border payments between Africa and Asia. The $2.2 million pre-seed investment will be vital to scaling up global payments and remittances between Africa and Asia.

Wapi Pay, a payments gateway that enables African businesses to receive and send money from Asia via mobile money platforms and bank accounts, was founded in 2019 by brothers Paul and Eddie Ndichu. Since then, they have carved a market for themselves by facilitating payments between both extreme remittance worlds of Africa and Asia.

Despite the growing trade relationship between the Africa and Asia, the remittance cost is still high and Wapi is doing a great job to create a window to alleviate these fees. With Wapi Pay, you can now process payments within a day and pay charges as low as 3%.

In the first quarter of 2021, trade between Africa and China increased by 27% to $52.1 billion, compared to the same period in 2020. Despite the pandemic’s economic recovery, African merchants still find it difficult to send and receive money. These expenditures might be as high as 20% in some circumstances, particularly in Southern African countries. The wait period can be excruciating, with some customers waiting up to a week for payment to be completed.

The CEO in a statement said that “Wapi Pay bypasses traditional payment networks, optimizing efficiency and cost for our customers. Users choose the delivery channels they want, such as bank to bank, wallet to wallet, bank to wallet and wallet to bank options to transfer funds as well as make merchant payments, with settlement done within 24 hours.”

Wapi Pay plans to use the funds to engage regulators in Africa for licensing, as well as scalability, product, and regional expansion.

“These funds will help Wapi Pay diversify our products range and drive growth so that we can evolve remittances into real-time global cross-border payments, starting with Africa and Asia. All while minimizing the cost of transactions, it needs to be as easy as sending M-PESA,” Eddie added.

Mauritius Rolls Out Its 5G Network

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Mauritius Telecom mobile network (MyT Mobile) has become one of the first African countries to launch their 5G network. This is coming one month after it obtained its license for 5G mobile telephony.

Speaking at a press conference, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mauritius Telecom, Sherry Singh, stated that the operator is the first operator to deploy the 5th generation of mobile network in Mauritius and the whole of Africa.

According to the CEO, MyT Mobile subscribers will get a message inviting them to register to connect to the 5G network in the Cybercity regions of Ebene, Trianon, Bagatelle, and Reduit.

The telecommunications company explained in a press release that “with the deployment of its MyT 5G Experience Zones, Mauritius Telecom propels Mauritius on the world map of countries that have deployed 5G and at the same time joins the Top 10 African countries that have launched this technology.”

The CEO of MyT also said that in spite of a challenging business environment, we have to take a step and get our country ready for tomorrow’s Technology today. It is a question of laying the foundations to prepare the country today to face the technological challenges of tomorrow, he add.

The 5G technology is described as a technology that empowers the network of the future. According to the Telecom giant, Ericsson, 5G will take automation to the next level, bringing high speed mobile internet and using IoT to improve road safety – just to name a few use cases.

They predict that 5G will penetrate every region by 2026 and will open up future business opportunities for the region. Statista also stated that 5G is expected to reach 1 billion users in 3.5 years, compared with 4 years for 4G and 12 years for 3G.

Paypal joins US-based accelerator, Catalyst Fund as it announces 9th cohort of its inclusive fintech programme

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The 9th cohort of the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Fintech program has been announced by Catalyst Fund, a global fintech accelerator managed by BFA Global.

Over the following two cohorts, it will investigate the role of digital finance in promoting climate resilience with a limited group of firms.

PayPal, a payment provider, has joined the fund as a new supporter in its Inclusive Fintech initiative, according to the accelerator. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) have been previous supporters.

“At PayPal, we think that financial technology can assist disadvantaged individuals and communities develop resilience to climate-related calamities and exploit economic possibilities in the global climate transition,” says Franz Paasche, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at PayPal.

“We are proud to partner with Catalyst Fund to support these innovative startups at the forefront of developing new tools and technologies focused on the intersection of financial inclusion and climate resilience,” he concludes

Catalyst Fund has a history of investing in African companies in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa through its Inclusive Fintech program, with savings and investment platform Cowrywise being the first Nigerian firm in its accelerator portfolio.

In 2020, JP Morgan and UK Aid will invest $15 million in the accelerator to support 30 fintech businesses in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This rise was to be applied over the next three years.

This batch has accepted six financial startups. HealthDart from South Africa, Kazi from Kenya, Crop2Cash from Nigeria, Ohm Mobility and PocketFin from India, and Verqor from Mexico are among them.

People or smallholder farmers in low-income regions can use all six fintech to get financial services.

Anthemis, Quona Capital, Better Tomorrow Ventures, Flourish Ventures, Accion Venture Lab, and Gray Ghost Ventures were all authorized by Catalyst Fund’s Investor Advisory Committee (IAC).

Google Launches Game Developer Program with Maliyo, in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana

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In conjunction with the Nigerian mobile game producer, Maliyo Games, Google has announced the introduction of a new five-month training program for game creators in Africa to effectively design, scale, market, and promote the next generation of outstanding mobile games.

Maliyo has a number of Android and iOS games, including Niger Delta Commando, a side-scrolling action game.

A Virtual Training Program

Accepted candidates will take part in a virtual training program from August 16 to December 23, 2021, during which they will be assessed on three levels of instruction: Game Development Fundamentals, Game Development Intermediate, and Game Development Advanced. Publish Your First Game on the Play Store if You Succeed on the Play Store.

Only applicants who complete level one are allowed to move to stage two.

“With over 500 million mobile phone users, the African continent represents a significant business opportunity for persons with creative and technological skills. With this Bootcamp, we’re addressing that need,” states Hugo Obi, founder of Maliyo Games.

“Our goal is to incorporate Africa’s vivid culture into video games through storytelling, character development, immersive landscapes, fascinating sounds, and strong visuals.”

“We started this program because we’re always looking for exceptional people to join our team as a game development studio,” Obi explained.

Coding/Programming Skills Needed

According to Maliyo Games, anyone with basic programming abilities or a computer science background is welcome to apply to the Bootcamp. Potential candidates must also be familiar with one of the following programming languages, according to the organization: PHP, C#, or C++.

Participants will learn to develop mobile games for the Google Play store using a contemporary self-paced and project-based learning style. During the Bootcamp session, they will polish, package, and build casual Android games.

The program, which began on Monday, July 19, 2021, includes mentorship, training seminars and clinics, and networking activities. On August 2, 2021, the program will come to an end.

Visit the website for additional information or to apply.

NEC XON appointed ICT Veteran, Johann Coetze as Executive VP

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South African technology integrator and managed service provider, NEC XON appoints ICT veteran, Johann Coetze to take over from Eugene le Roux as Executive VP of the organization. Johann formerly worked with HPE, Dimension Data, and Datacentrix.

“Johann Coetzee will provide support for NEC XON’s ambitious growth strategy in Sub-Sahara Africa, this also will include activities to increase the company’s market sector penetration.,” the company says.

“Carel Coetzee, CEO of NEC XON, says, “Our company now primarily focuses on offering sophisticated solutions to telecommunications, mobile network operators (MNOs), and network service providers.”.

“Johann will reinforce our position by supporting our solution clusters and enhancing our carrier-grade enterprise solutions, which will be backed up by services at the levels required by clients to minimize business disruption and improve quality of experience,” he says.

“NEC XON provides a complete and highly integrated solution set spanning infrastructure, safety, communication, and digital clusters, as well as enterprise-grade service levels to back them up,” says Johann Coetzee.

“NEC XON’s substantial systems integration skills and knowledge are in complete alignment with the commercial cooperation of the NEC Global. We rely on NEC’s more than 110 000 global workforces, over 49 000 patents, and a history of assisting African organizations dating back to 1963. We provide a compelling value proposition for carriers, mobile operators, service providers, and enterprises, backed by relationships with the top vendors in their categories around the world, combined with automated services capabilities and deep African innovation.”

The new Executive VP will kick off his responsibilities for sales engagement and solutions across NEC XON’s regional head offices in East, West, and South Africa.

Meanwhile, Le Roux joins NEC XON’s global partner, NEC, focusing his work with NEC America (NECAM) in the United States. He is currently in South Africa, where he is passing on his knowledge and gradually integrating into the US team.

“We are excited to have Johann join our team and bring his talents and experience to the enterprise industry and our broader customer base, allowing us to offer our comprehensive carrier and networking capabilities to the enterprise market and our broader client base,” says Carel Coetzee.

Kuda Bank Raises a Series B Funding of $55m at a $500m Valuation

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Kuda Bank has raised a Series B funding of $55 million at a valuation of $500 million. The funding was secured via its London entity and comes on the back of some impressive early growth for the startup.

This latest Series B was a relatively quick inside round since it’s coming from existing investors. The series B funding was co-led by Valar Ventures and Target Global with previous angel investors like SBI and a host of others also participating.

Valar Venture’s co partner, Andrew McCormack, said that he was really impressed with Kuda’s approach to the still-nascent potential of the market and that was what informed their decision invest in the startup.

“Kuda is our first investment in Africa and our initial confidence in the team has been upheld by its rapid growth in the past four months,” Andrew said. “With a youthful population eager to adopt digital financial services in the region, we believe that Kuda’s transformative effect on banking will scale across Africa and we’re proud to continue supporting them.”

“We felt that Babs and Musty” — Musty Mustapha, the co-founder and CTO — “are ambitious on another level. For them, it was always about building a pan-African bank, not just a Nigerian leader,” said Ricardo Schäfer, the partner at Target who led the round for the firm. “The prospect of banking over 1 billion people from day one really stood out for me at the beginning.”

Kuda Bank’s main objective is to build a new take on banking services for “every African on the planet.” According to the co-founder and CEO Babs Ogundeyi, the funding will be used to double down on new services in Nigeria and also prepare its launch into more countries on the continent.

Kuda now has about 1.5 million registered users, which is more than double the amount it had in March when it around 700,000 registered users – a statistic it shared when announcing its Series A of $25 million led by Valar Ventures.

Speaking to TechCrunch at a recent interview, Kuda Bank’s CEO, Ogundeyi, said: “We’ve been doing a lot of resource deployment has been in our operational entity, in Nigeria. But now we are doubling down on expansion and the idea is to build a strong team for the expansion plans for Kuda Bank.”

The CEO further said that “we still see Nigeria as an important market and don’t want to be distracted so don’t want to disrupt those operations too much. It’s a strong market and competitive. It’s one that we feel we need to have a strong hold on. So this funding is to invest in expansion and have more experience in the company with relation to expansion.”

According to TechCrunch, Ogundeyi wouldn’t reveal the countries Kuda Bank would be targeting next, but he did note that its most recently-launched product, Kuda’s first move into credit by way of an overdraft allowance, is a sign of the great things ahead.

Ola Williams Emerges Microsoft’s New Country Manager

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Ola Williams has emerged as the new Country Manager for Microsoft Nigeria. The former Enterprise Voice Technology Specialist and Specialist Sales Leader will take over from Akin Banuso who will now serve as the Enterprise Commercial Lead for the Middle East and Africa– Multi market region.

Her new role will see he leading Microsoft to accelerate Nigeria’s Digital transformation and cloud adoption across all their customer segments. Furthermore, she’ll identify new opportunities and mobilize internal organization resources as well as external stakeholders.

Ola who has spent 21 years in IT has expressed optimism about the positive growth of IT in Africa. She believes that Africa has a lot of potential regarding the use of technology to better our lives and transform our businesses.

Speaking after the announcement was made, Ola said: “it’s a great honour to be taking on this exciting journey at a time when the organisation is focused on growing and accelerating Africa’s transformation.”

Ola who holds an MSc at the University of Liverpool will join Microsoft’s Middle East and Africa – Multi market region’s Leadership team and will report to the Multimarket region’s General Manager, Ibrahim Youssry.

Nigeria’s Ready to Deploy 5G, NCC says.

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The Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta recently says that Nigeria is now set to roll out 5G services across the country.

This NCC’s push for the 5G rollout is part of the fulfillment of its commitment to “put Nigeria on the frontline as a technology-driven economy,” as highlighted by Vanguard Nigeria.

Nigeria cannot afford to fall behind some other countries that have implemented services in line with the sector’s dynamics and global demand for emerging technology.” Danbatta remarked.

He continued that the Commission had finally completed its preparations – “crossed all the Ts and dotted all the Is” – and is currently awaiting approval from the Federal Government to begin rolling out 5G services.

Prof. Danbatta made this announcement during a public inquiry on the draft frequency spectrum (fees and pricing, and annual operating levy regulations) held on Thursday in Abuja.

The justifications for this NCC’s decision commenced as rollout plans across the country were sealed after series of pre-trial 5G rollout exercises were conducted by Airtel and MTN Nigeria. The NCC point man furthered that the Commission is now ready for the rollout and had already submitted a proposal to the Federal Government for approval.

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