Author: Kaluka wanjala

Safaricom Ethiopia launched M-Pesa back in 2023 after obtaining the necessary license from the National Bank of Ethiopia. Uptake was quick reaching over 3 million M-Pesa users out of over 5 million total subscribers. Even with the impressive numbers, M-Pesa’s growth in Ethiopia is still slow as the country relies on cash for most transactions. Safaricom says the use of cash for small transactions is quite a big challenge to its expansion. This is the opposite of what is seen in markets like Kenya where M-Pesa is embraced even for small transactions. The telco said this during the second investor…

By Christopher Saul, Territory Sales Lead for East Africa at Red Hat East Africa has a growing appetite for software. Whereas, previously, software was just another component of enterprises’ IT infrastructure, it has become the bedrock on which entire industries are being built. We see this appetite in the number of software developers in the region, as well as how institutions and industries are setting new goals. Like, for example, the launch of Kenya’s national e-commerce strategy that aims to promote trusted and secure services across the country. A byproduct of this strategy is easier market entry for smaller players…

Summary HiiL’s Justice Accelerator Programme 2024 calls innovative minds in Africa to apply to be part of the programme. This year’s theme, “Tech the Justice Gap,” underscores the potential of technology in creating accessible, affordable, and easily understood solutions for justice-related challenges. The call for applications is now open until April 4, 2024. Why Join the Justice Accelerator Programme? The HiiL Justice Accelerator Programme offers a 4-month journey to selected startups, equipping them with essential tools and resources: Who are the Game-Changers in 2024? The Justice Accelerator is actively seeking startups from Kenya, alongside MENA and Nigeria, with specific criteria:…

Summary Infinix has clinched multiple Best of MWC 2024 awards, stealing the spotlight with its flagship-level gaming technology at ShowStoppers MWC 2024. Recognized by renowned media outlets, Infinix’s cutting-edge smartphone gaming technology, amplified by AI, promises to reshape the mobile gaming landscape. Infinix’s General Manager, Tony Zhao, expressed his joy, “We are overjoyed to have pushed the boundaries of mobile gaming technology to unprecedented heights at MWC. The tremendous honor of winning the esteemed Best of MWC 2024 awards from globally renowned media outlets underscores our unwavering dedication and passion to deliver the cutting-edge mobile gaming technology that captivates and…

Summary Mastercard and MTN have partnered to introduce a prepaid virtual card to 13 African markets, including Benin, Nigeria, South Africa, and Rwanda. This card expands international reach for remittance services, and enhanced solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). One of the main outcomes of this partnership is the launch of a prepaid virtual card tailored for MTN’s MoMo customers. This provides MoMo users with access to over 100 million acceptance points worldwide. This move helps advance financial inclusion in Africa, where only 43% of the population is banked, and the majority of payments are still conducted in cash.…

Summary Appetite for enterprise apps in kenya propelled Zoho’s growth in Kenya last year. The company reports that in 2023, it grew by 41% in kenya. This makes Kenya one of the fastest growing markets in Africa. Zoho attributes this growth to localization of its services and competitive pricing. The company shared through its Country Head, Veerakumar Natarajan, today at the Zoholics Kenya conference in Nairobi. Zoho is renowned for its software and business tools, specifically the office suites that include word processing, spreadsheets, CRM, invoicing and other applications. Zoho opened a new office in Kenya last year but had…

Summary Airtel Africa has announced the launch of Airtel Ads. This integrated Demand-Side Platform (DSP) is set to empower advertisers and agencies, providing them with better control over their marketing campaigns. A DSP is a software type that allows an advertiser to buy advertising with the help of automation. With such a platform, you can purchase mobile ads on apps, banner ads on search engines, and video ads on Facebook, Instagram, Google, and even more platforms. It is designed to efficiently manage, purchase, and optimize digital ad inventory across multiple exchanges in real-time. Airtel Ads is powered by Intent.ai and…

Summary At MWC 2024 yesterday, Kenya won the bid to be the next host of the 2024 Transform Africa Summit (TAS). The summit is organized by the Smart Africa Alliance, a Pan-African agency for ICTs, and is set to take place from August 20th to 30th. The Transform Africa Summit is an annual forum bringing together global and regional leaders from government, business and international organizations. It seeks to encourage them to collaborate on new ways of shaping, accelerating and sustaining Africa’s on-going digital revolution. Eliud Owalo, the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, said the achievement…

Summary LogRhythm has expanded its partnership with e-finance, a subsidiary of e-finance Investment Group to deliver secure digital transformation in Egypt. The strategic expansion of the partnership sees the integration of LogRhythm into e-finance’s cloud computing platform. e-finance’s customers across critical industries including fintech, government, and healthcare gain access toLogRhythm SIEM to uncover threats, mitigate attacks, and scale their business with confidence. The integration of LogRhythm into its platform enables e-finance to strengthen its support for Egypt’s Vision 2030 initiative to achieve digital transformation and improve operational efficiency within the country. Organizations across public and private sectors benefit from LogRhythm’s intuitive, high-performance analytics, automated…

Summary At Mobile World Congress 2024 (MWC), OPPO introduced the world to its latest innovation—the OPPO Air Glass 3. This next-gen augmented reality (AR) device marks a significant leap in Extended Reality (XR). The OPPO Air Glass 3 Weighing at 50 grams, the OPPO Air Glass 3 is a lightweight binocular AR glasses prototype. The device features a self-developed resin waveguide with a refractive index of 1.70, ensuring a wearing experience similar to regular glasses. With a peak eye brightness exceeding 1,000 nits and a display brightness uniformity of over 50%, the Air Glass 3 offers the best full-color display…