Brief (434)
The 4th edition of the Cyber Africa Forum (CAF) is set to take place in Côte d’Ivoire on April 15 and 16. This year’s theme, “Cyber risks and artificial intelligence: what defense strategies in the face of new digital threats?” aims to foster strategic discussions on the role of AI in enhancing cybersecurity and the challenges it poses.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced 100 women-led startups selected for its “She Wins Africa” program, designed to provide coaching, training, and financing to accelerate growth in sub-Saharan Africa.
"IFC's She Wins Africa empowers women entrepreneurs through coaching, training, and financing, accelerating their growth and investment readiness throughout sub-Saharan Africa," said Nathalie Akon Gabala, IFC’s Director of Gender and Economic Inclusion.
MoneyHash, an Africa and Middle East-based fintech startup specializing in payment orchestration, last week announced the closure of a $4.5 million seed funding round. The company plans to use the capital to enhance its technology and expand within the MEA region.
Nigerian fintech firm BFREE specializing in credit management, announced on Thursday, February 29, that it has successfully raised $2.95 million in a funding round. The company, which has operations in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, plans to use the new capital to expand its risk management solutions for banks and lenders.
The Somali government inaugurated the Data Protection Authority on Saturday, February 24, in a ceremony led by the country's Minister of Communications and Technology, Jama Hassan Khalif. The initiative aims to safeguard citizen privacy amid rapid daigital transformation.
Burkina Faso approved, on Thursday, a draft bill to establish a unique identifier for all individuals within its borders and a national register of identifiers. The system aims to simplify access to services and will issue government-recognized IDs regardless of nationality or legal status.
British financial technology firm TerraPay announced today an agreement with Diamond Trust Bank Uganda (DTB Uganda). The agreement aims to develop international money transfers and enhance financial inclusion in Uganda.
The third edition of the Africa Digital Finance Summit, organized by pan-African public relations agency Glass House PR, will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Traditionally hosted in Kenya, the event will take place from Wednesday, November 20 to Saturday, November 23, 2024.
Key topics on the agenda include digital transformation, artificial intelligence, climate change, cybersecurity, and financial inclusion.
The World Bank seeks young leaders aged 18-35 to participate in its 11th annual Youth Summit, themed "Powering Progress: Youth Leading the Digital Transformation."
Scheduled for May 30-31 in Washington D.C., the summit will gather thousands of individuals worldwide to raise awareness of development challenges and engage them in developing innovative solutions using digital technologies. Interested young people can submit their applications by March 1 through the following link: https://youthsummit24.wufoo.com/forms/zr587641ladlrn/
Burkina Faso's Ministry of Digital Transition, Posts and Electronic Communications (MDTPEC) has made significant progress in its efforts to dematerialize priority public services, according to an evaluation workshop held recently in Koudougou.
By January 31, 2024, the average completion rate for dematerializing 43 key procedures stood at 83.97%, the ministry said. The workshop also focused on drawing up a roadmap for further digitization in 2024.
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African Leadership Experience (ALX) is now accepting applications for its 2024 cohort, targeting young Africans aged 18-34 interested in tech skills. The program offers online courses in in-demand fields like AI Essentials, software engineering, data analytics, CRM, and AWS Cloud Computing.
ALX, which has trained over 100,000 students since 2021, aims to reach 750,000 by year-end. It partners with organizations like Mastercard Foundation to offer tuition-free access to programs typically costing between $7,500 and $39,750 in Africa, and $14,500 to $79,500 in Europe and North America. Applications are open until February 27.
Hikmatu Bilali
Tunisian venture capital fund 216Capital Ventures participated in a $1.5 million funding round for Logidoo, a pan-African logistics startup, according to a press release issued on Tuesday.
The funds will be used for expansion into key markets across Africa, including Congo, Gambia, Guinea-Conakry, Mali, and Mauritania, the press release stated.
The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) announced on Monday the addition of the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) as its thirteenth member, bolstering efforts to facilitate seamless cross-border payments and promote financial integration across Africa. This move reflects the BCT's aim to support economic growth in Tunisia and the wider region by offering Tunisian businesses and citizens benefits like improved payment efficiency, reduced transaction costs, and expanded opportunities for intra-African trade and payments.
Kenyan health technology startup Ilara Health announced on Tuesday, February 13, the successful completion of a $4.2 million financing round. The funds will be used to develop its technology and expand into new markets in the East African sub-region.