Tech (695)
With the open innovation framework, Algerian authorities want to boost the number of cleantech operating in the country, address various challenges and ultimately export local expertise.
Algeria Venture (A-Venture) and Schlumberger signed Wednesday (May 1) an open innovation framework for technical support to Algerian energy startups.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Minister of Startups Yacine El-Mahdi Oualid explained that the innovation framework would encourage more startups to enter the energy sector, which is vital for the national economy. It will also increase the number of projects and cleantech developed in the sector while helping address the energy transition challenges facing Algeria.
Ultimately, thanks to the innovation framework, Algerian energy startups will be able to export their expertise in the North African sub-region and beyond.
Under the open innovation framework, “international, private, state and parastatal groups will collaborate and help startups and project owners address Algeria’s future challenges in sectors like digital transformation and energy transition,” indicated Redha Kelkouli (photo, left), MD of Schlumberger North Africa.
Startups play a key role in the improvement of access to various vital services. In Africa where businesses and households are still affected by the energy deficit, startups can offer alternative solutions. For that reason, the volume of investments they attract yearly is growing steadily. In its report “2021 Africa Tech Venture Capital,” Partech estimated the volume of investments attracted by cleantech in 2021 at US$193 million, up by 30% year on year.
Ruben Tchounyabe
In Africa, digital transformation is on the rise but so are cybersecurity threats. However, the continent does not have enough cybersecurity professionals to face the threats. Various partners are moving to bridge the skill gap.
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and Deloitte Morocco Cyber Center (Deloitte MCC) signed Monday (May 9), a cooperation framework agreement to promote high-level scientific and technological research in cybersecurity.
The partnership was announced in a release published the same day on UM6P’s website. According to the release, the aim is to build cybersecurity talents and create new solutions. To do so, the three pillars will be prioritized. The first pillar is the development of a certification program recognized by international cybersecurity standards bodies. The second is the creation of a research and development program aimed at encouraging innovation and preparing for major changes (post-quantum cryptography, artificial intelligence, etc). The last one is the development of a professional integration pathway at Deloitte MCC and Deloitte as a whole.
“I am confident that our partnership with our colleagues at Deloitte MCC will contribute significantly to sealing the link between research and the professional world in Morocco and Africa,” said Hicham El Habti (photo, right), President of the UM6P. According to the latter, UM6P’s digital adoption has led to positive outcomes. For instance, the university’s startup ecosystem is growing steadily while its computer science, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence academic programs are renowned nationwide. However, students need to apply their knowledge in the professional world. The partnership with Deloitte MCC will facilitate that transition.
“This new ambitious partnership allows the construction of a bridge between the academic world and the business world, thanks to the support of public institutions and the State. We believe that this is the only way to create ecosystems that can train and retain high-level talent while fostering the emergence of new business models that are attractive to start-ups, scale-ups, and specialized investment funds,” commented Imane Elbaraka (photo, left), Managing Director of Deloitte MCC.
Ruben Tchounyabe
With the acceleration of digital transformation in Africa, the continent will need more human resources with adequate digital skills. With Academia Raqmya, Morocco intends to develop those skills.
Morocco’s Digital Development Agency (ADD) launched, Tuesday (May 10), the country’s e-learning platform, Academia Raqmya. By launching the platform, Morocco wants to boost digital skills and e-learning.
For Minister of Digital Transition Ghita Mezzour (photo), who presided over the launching ceremony, Academia Raqmya is a key step in the operationalization of the country’s digital transition. It is “in line with instructions given by Mohammed VI for human capital development,” she added.
Academia Raqmya is launched in a context marked by accelerating digital transformation in most African countries. As a strategic sector for socio-economic development, training is one of the areas prioritized. Through the platform, Morocco will offer a range of digital courses allowing learners to acquire new skills and actively participate in the development of the digital economy. With the platform, Morocco also wants to boost digital inclusion.
To introduce learners to the digital world, the platform offers two programs, namely “digital enhancement,” and “digital literacy.”
The platform aims to teach 12,500 learners in its first year with 173 courses that make up a total of 1,200 training hours. In its first three months (the pilot phase), it will train 1,350 learners and in the active phase (fourth to twelve months), it will train 11,150 learners to reach its target.
Ruben Tchounyabe
When the AfCFTA became effective in January 2021, it boosted the business opportunities available for actors. Yet, some players are still left out because they have poor or no access to market information. Ancestral House Eastern Africa wants to address that issue.
Online trading platform Ancestral House Eastern Africa recently launched its activities to facilitate intra-African trades. With offices in Abuja, Nigeria, and Nairobi, Kenya, the platform acts like a facilitator offering administrative, technical, logistics, and commercial assistance.
According to Ancestral chairman Ose Imoukhuede (photo), although most African SMEs can easily export or import goods from other continents it is hard for them to carry out intra-African trades despite the yearly US$1 billion potential of the market.
Ancestral House Eastern Africa, therefore, wants to make intra-African trades easy for those firms by addressing a certain number of challenges. The said challenges are namely “lack of market information, inexperienced exporters/importers, poor logistics infrastructure, inefficient cross-border payment systems/infrastructure, cultural differences, gaps, and trust deficit, as well as varied Competitive landscapes.”
For the time being, the online trading platform will connect East and West African traders with services like business matchmaking, market research, logistics, consumer trends, and behaviors.
Ancestral connects “producers and consumers of goods and services across Africa through technology-driven go-to-market information and expertise,” explains chairman Ose Imoukhuede.
In January 2021, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) became effective in a market of 1.2 billion people covering 55 countries with combined GDP estimated to be some US$2.5 trillion. In those countries, SMEs represent 80% of the economic fabric but they are still struggling to penetrate overseas markets. With Ancestral’s trading platform, they can capitalize on regional markets to reach buyers outside the continent.
Ruben Tchounyabe
In five years, the African gaming community has recorded outstanding growth. The industry now appears like a strong job and wealth creation catalyst on the continent.
Goethe Games Station -a gaming tour- was launched in Burkina Faso last May 7. Organized by Goethe-Institut Ouagadougou and Enter Africa, a creative African organization initiated by 15 Goethe-Institutes, it aims to teach “young people about the ins and outs of digital and virtual reality.”
Over seven months, in the framework of Goethe Games Station, a caravan will be organized at selected popular places in Ouagadougou on the first weekend of every month. During the events, the national gaming community will be introduced to the youth.
For Evelia Gadegbeku, president of Enter Africa, the project is aimed at giving the “Burkinabe youth the opportunity to discover gaming, the opportunities it offers, and its career paths.”
The caravan will also educate participants on how to make good use of digital technologies and avoid the dangers of gaming addiction, notably social division and aggressive behaviors.
Last year, a Newzoo report revealed that of the 1.14 billion residents in Sub-Saharan Africa, 186 million (16% of the overall population) were video game players. 95% of the game players (177 million) play mobile games. According to the report, with an annual growth rate estimated at 9.2% yearly between 2020 and 2024, the region has the fastest-growing mobile gaming community in the world.
Also, 34% (63 million) of Sub-Sarahan African gamers pay for games. Sub-Saharan African gamers are also expected to be the fastest-rising in the world.
According to Newzoo, the gaming industry generated US$590 million in 2021, with promising growth prospects. With democratization actions, Burkinabe youth can capture part of those revenues in the same way South Africans, Nigerians, Ghanaians, Kenyans, and Ethiopians are already doing.
Muriel Edjo
Based on three factors, StartupBlink ranked the top 100 countries that had a conducive ecosystem for startup development in 2021. Three African countries have joined the top 100, and all of them are located in West Africa.
In 2021, the number of African countries in the best 100 countries for startups rose to 14, up from 11 in 2020. The ranking was presented in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2021 published by StartupBlink.
Though minimal, the progress demonstrates a certain dynamism in the investments made by African countries to offer the youth an appropriate innovative entrepreneurial framework. In Africa, most countries are aware that startups are important players they can rely on to improve residents’ access to various services and curb unemployment.
In the 2021 ranking, there were no Central African countries. East Africa was represented by six countries (up from four in 2020) against three countries for North Africa.
Southern Africa was represented by two countries, including South Africa which won a spot in the best 50 countries for startups. The region that achieved the most notable progress is West Africa with three countries (Nigeria, Ghana, and Cape Verde), which were absent from the top 100 last year.
StartupBlink bases its ranking on the three factors notably, quantity, quality, and business environment. The quantity factor measures the number of startups, co-working spaces, accelerators, and “Startup related Meetups” in a said country. As for the quality score, it takes into account several elements including the number of employees per startup, private sector investments, and the presence of unicorns.
The third factor (business environment) “focuses on general indicators connected to infrastructure, business environment, ecosystem critical mass, and the ability to freely operate as a startup founder.”
Even though their countries are absent from the best 100 ranking, some African cities are among the best 1000 cities for startups. For StartupBlink, it is “a testament to their entrepreneurs’ ability to disconnect from geopolitical barriers, inefficient governments, or the painful lack of national resources available to support their growth.” Those cities are notably Luanda, Dakar, Douala, Buea, Yaoundé, Kinshasa, Cotonou, Alger, Ouagadougou, Bamako, and Conakry.
Muriel Edjo
Urban mobility is a real challenge in large African towns. To address the situation, startups like GoMetro are developing alternative solutions.
South African logistics startup GoMetro secured ZAR16.3 million (US$1 million) in pre-A funding from Kalon Venture Partners, Hlayisani Capital, and several others.
According to the release published Thursday (May 5) by Kalon Venture Partners, the funds raised will help GoMetro “accelerate its growth, bolster its commercial team and rapidly expand into the South African, UK, and American markets.”
GoMetro was founded in 2011 by Julien Coetzee. It helps manage bus and car fleets and improves operational efficiency, security, and predictability. Unlike on-demand transportation, with GoMetro, trips depart and arrive at specific points.
“By using our mobility management platform and digitizing their entire fleet, operators can save up to 30 percent in operating costs by increasing overall vehicle utilization, controlling excess mileage, and managing back-office costs. We have also seen our customers increase the certainty and accuracy of their delivery windows by 50 percent,” said the CEO of GoMetro, Justin Coetzee.
GoMetro’s Android and iPhone apps show pickup points, departure and arrival points, routes, and the schedule of available shuttles. Users can therefore choose the closest locations and save time. Payments are made with the integrated wallet.
The startup also has a mobile app specially made for drivers. On that platform, drivers can view pending tasks, check their driving scores and perform vehicle inspections.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The coronavirus pandemic accelerated digital transformation across the globe. In Africa, about 230 million jobs will require “some level of digital skills” by 2030, according to the International Finance Corporation (IFC). However, there is still a huge digital skill gap on the continent. Hence the importance of such programs.
Pan-African organization Power Learn Project (PLP) announced, Thursday (April 28), the launch of its "One Million Developers for Africa" program. As its name implies, the program aims to train one million Africans in software development by 2025. In its first phase, launched this year, the program will train more than 10,000 learners in six countries, namely Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Zambia.
According to Ms. Mumbi Ndung'u, PLP Chief Growth & Operations Officer, the project’s “goal is to drive transformative change for the youth of Africa through technology skilling.”
“The program will offer online junior software development training, consisting of curated programming languages as well as a soft skills component in employability, and entrepreneurship to enable the learners to acquire entry-level smart technology jobs. Through support from partners, the course will be covered on full scholarships, so the learners’ only concern is to learn and absorb as much as they can, as they prepare to navigate the digital revolution with us, ” she added.
The coronavirus pandemic proved how important digital transformation is for Africa. However, there is still a shortage of digital skills required on the continent. Meanwhile, about 70% of the population in Africa is aged between 18 and 35 and 60% of that population is underemployed or unemployed. Digital skill training can thus become an important tool in addressing that situation and at the same time providing the skills necessary for digital transformation on the continent.
For John Kamara, chairman of the board of PLP, the pan-African organization is “working towards the Pan African dream of building relevant capacity to extract value from the fourth industrial revolution."
During the 16-week training, learners will be taught courses like Python programming, Dart programming with the Flutter framework, introduction to blockchain technologies, web technology (PHP, HTML, JAVA), databases (SQL programming), and employment and entrepreneurship skills.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The online training platform has already convinced several investors with its innovative model. Its ambition is to enter new African markets and prepare millions of residents for the digital economy.
Malagasy start-up Sayna raised, Thursday (April 28), US$600,000 from Orange Ventures, Launch Africa Ventures, and MAIC Investors Club, to develop its operations.
The startup created Sayna Academy, a computer skills training platform, and Sayna Works, a micro-task platform. With the funds raised, it wants to upgrade its platforms to be able to host 257,000 microtasks and attract more than 3,000 active freelancers and 12,000 learners by 2024.
In 2021, its founder, Matina Razafimahefa, unveiled the startup's plan to enter the Ivorian, Ghanaian and Senegalese markets.
“This fundraising is both a crucial step for SAYNA’s international development and a strong symbol for the Madagascar tech scene. Our team is today composed of 25 people split between France and Madagascar. This is also a sign of hope for hundreds of thousands of young African talents who, until now, have not had the opportunity to become professionals to take advantage of the fourth industrial revolution underway on the continent,” she said commenting the fundraising.
Sayna was founded in 2018 and quickly attracted ambitious young people looking to acquire soft skills to improve their living conditions.
For Zach George, managing partner of Launch Africa Ventures, “Sayna, with its focus on soft skills training, mentorships, and a peer-to-peer learning environment, stands a good chance of becoming a direct gateway to projects, experience, and income for youth across the African continent.”
In 2021, the startup obtained over US$105,000 from I&P Acceleration Technologies, a program that funds startups in sub-Saharan Africa thanks to support from the French Development Agency (AFD), through the Digital Africa Initiative. To date, it claims 450 learners trained and over 609 corporate partners and clients served.
Muriel Edjo
With the digital library created, Moroccan authorities want to encourage reading and contribute to the development of new skills.
The Moroccan Ministry of Youth announced, Monday (April 25) the creation of a digital library with more than 36,000 books, freely accessible to every citizen. The books are categorized by age group and subject. Every week, the digital library will be updated with new books published by more than 400 authors, we learn.
According to the Ministry, the library is created to diversify the digital services offered by media libraries and contribute to the vulgarization of new information technology standards in the publishing sector.
With its digital library, the country wants to encourage the population to read, learn and acquire new skills. They can access it anywhere they are. As for users of media libraries and cultural centers supervised by the Ministry of Youth, they will receive a username and password to visit the digital media library anytime they are within the premises of those cultural centers.
The digital library is launched just days after World Book and Copyright Day (April 23) and just weeks before the national reading day (May 10).
In 2019, the Morrocan High Commission for Planning (HCP) revealed that only 0.3% of the Moroccan population read daily and the average daily reading time is two minutes. The HCP also stressed that 55% of the young population have never read a book while 33.8% reads occasionally and 11.2% read regularly.
Ruben Tchounyabe
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The Port Authority of Douala is set on making digital transformation its choice weapon to improve efficiency, security, and revenues. In that regard, in the past five years, it implemented several projects with more to go.
In Cameroon, the entrance fees generated by the Port of Douala rose fourfold thanks to digitalization. According to Lieutenant Colonel Bertrand Mekinda, deputy MD of Douala Port Security -the firm in charge of securing the Port of Douala- entrance revenues jumped from XAF250 million in previous years to XAF1 billion currently. The revenues may rise further to XAF2 billion yearly when new entrance booths become operational, he estimates.
To digitize the entrance fee collection system, the port created an access badge system for users, the official revealed during a press conference on Friday 15, 2022.
The badge costs XAF1500. It stores users’ information on a server allowing QR code readers to read it when they return . Therefore, users can not resell them once they are within the port and the 24 hours validity period is still on. Unlike the old system that consisted in selling paper tickets, entrance revenues are more secure with the digital system because port authorities now have a clear view of the number of people who access the port during a specific period.
In the past five years, the Port Authority of Douala (PAD) implemented several projects to secure its operations, and improve port security and efficiency. For instance, it installed more than 400 HD video surveillance cameras and built a security task force building that houses a data center and a CCTV operations and control room.
The PAD also plans to buy a management software that will facilitate the digitalization of all the port operations and services. Ten departments are concerned, namely customer relationship management, performance monitoring, incoming and outgoing ships’ management, and cargo tracking.
Ruben Tchounyabe
Training is a crucial economic development issue in Africa. The continent currently has the highest unemployment rate, the youngest population in the world, and a high NEET population. The initiative launched by Trace aims to bridge the education gap.
French media group Trace launched, Thursday (April 21), Trace Academia, a free training platform for young Africans.
The mobile app was officially presented during a virtual press conference hosted on April 21, in Johannesburg. It offers technical and cross-cutting courses covering 15 industries and skills including energy, beauty, fashion, DIY, digital marketing, hospitality, creative arts, journalism, film, technology, entrepreneurship, public speaking, and well-being.
The courses are developed in partnership with well-known international groups like Orange Visa, and Google.
The courses already available are notably Entrepreneurship developed by Valued Citizens and the University of Johannesburg, Becoming a DJ developed by Trace, and Introduction to the Electrical Trade by Schneider Electric. There is also DIY by Leroy Merlin, Tech the Power by MasterCard, Sexual Wellness by Durex, and Introduction to Digital Marketing by Google. French telecom group Orange will also offer ten training modules to showcase digital professions in Senegal, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“To build Trace Academia, we’ve combined our expertise and experience in entertainment with cutting edge learning approaches adapted to the realities and cultures of Africa…We believe that Trace Academia has the potential to positively impact the lives of millions of young people in South Africa and across the continent,” indicated Olivier Laouchez, Trace Co-Founder and Executive Chairman.
With Trace Academia (available on PlayStore and AppStore), Trace wants to offer professional and cross-cutting skills to 26 million Africans by 2025. In its 2020 “Report on Employment in Africa (Re-Africa),” the International Labour Organization reveals Africa is the only continent where the labor force is expanding quickly. In 2020, 34.2% of the continent’s working-age population was constituted of young people aged 15-24 against a global average of 23.6%.
The ILO also estimated that the continent’s unemployment rate (6.8%) was higher than the global average (5%). Africa’s unemployment population was close to 34 million at the time, including 12.2 million people aged between 15 and 24. The organization added that between 2010 and 2020, the unemployed population aged 15-24 grew by 6.4 million in Africa.
At the same time, in Africa, the number of young people not in employment,
education or training (NEET) was four times (53.5 million actually) higher than the number of unemployed youth (aged between 15 and 24).
Ruben Tchounyabe
Large U.S. tech firms are increasingly investing in Kenya. A few days ago, Microsoft inaugurated its tech talent hub in the country. It is now followed by Google, the world’s third-largest tech company by market capitalization.
Google announced, Tuesday (April 19), the launch of its first African development hub in Nairobi, Kenya. The U.S. tech firm also launched the recruitment of various tech skills to endow the product development center with skills necessary to contribute to innovation on the continent.
“We’re looking for talented, creative, and collaborative people who can help solve difficult and important technical challenges, such as improving the smartphone experience for people in Africa, or building products that will help everyone to thrive together,” reads a Google blog post announcing the vacancies.
According to the post, applicants must have great technical knowledge, a “passion for solving hard problems together with others” and “understand how people across the continent use their phones every day and the challenges they face.”
The African Product Development hub in Nairobi is part of Google’s efforts to support digital transformation in Africa.
In October 2021, during Google for Africa, a virtual event, Google CEO Sundar Pichai (photo) unveiled a US$1 billion investment to be rolled out over five years. The plan includes projects to provide fast, reliable, and affordable Internet access across the continent, create useful local products, and support entrepreneurs and small businesses that sustain African economies.
Muriel Edjo
The video game industry is rapidly growing in Africa. It offers employment opportunities to millions of young enthusiasts and, on November 24, 2021, by approving the organization of the international cup, Beninese authorities proved their ambitions to capitalize on the opportunities offered by the industry.
The International Africa Gaming Cup, a competition bringing together African video game enthusiasts, will take place in the coming days, in Benin. The competition was unveiled during a press conference held, Wednesday, April 13, by the co-organizers Mike Hessabi (photo, right) and Médard Djékété (photo, left), respectively founder of Nicecactus Gamer and President of Africa Gamers.
Officially, the competition will be launched next April 23 with the regional qualifying and final phases between several Bennese gaming communities. After the regional phases, the continental phase will be between the best African teams at Cotonou Congress Center during a weekend-long show in July 2022.
According to Médard Djékété, three games will be played during the competition. They are namely Clash Royal, the most played mobile e-sport game in Benin, Tekken 7- a reference game, and Battlegrounds Mobile- a widely popular action and adventure game.
The organizers were authorized, on November 24, 2021, during a press briefing, to host the first edition of that gaming cup in Benin. During the press briefing attended by the Beninese Minister of the Digital Economy, Ms. Aurelie Adam-Soule Zoumarou, the organizers claimed the competition aims to make Benin the hub of E-sports in Africa.
For Mike Hessabi, with its internationally-renowned gaming community, Benin has what it takes to become the champion of that continental competition. Indeed, many young Beninese are illustrating themselves in international gaming cups.
“We have carried out a survey on the ground and we know that there are many active gaming communities in Benin,” he explained.
Nicecactus Gamer is an “all-in-one platform for gamers of all levels worldwide.”
It can host up to 2,000 online tournaments monthly.
Ruben Tchounyabe