Glass House PR has partnered with the Fintech Association of South Africa (FINASA) to host the 3rd Africa Digital Finance Summit (ADFS) in Johannesburg.

The summit will discuss regulatory advancements, technological innovations, and fintech investment opportunities. It will take place from November 20th to 22nd.

With over 17 years of experience in communication and team management, particularly in sales, he currently leads WenaData. His role involves assisting businesses by providing them with valuable information and statistical data.

Nuno Soares is a Mozambican entrepreneur with a degree in Information Sciences from the Instituto Superior Miguel Torga in Portugal. He is the co-founder and CEO of WenaData, a technology company offering solutions and services to citizens and organizations.

Founded in 2017, WenaData provides a web platform, software, a mobile application, and research tools. It collects statistical data for the government, the private sector, and other institutions, serving as an educational barometer and aiding in information gathering and strategic decision-making.

Discussing the origins of his company, Nuno Soares explains, "The idea came from a group of people with common projects. We wanted to create a company in a field that was not sufficiently explored in our country, with a different market approach that truly makes a difference. It took us about a year to develop the entire project. A trial version was released in July 2017, and the final version was published on December 18."

In addition to WenaData, Nuno Soares is the co-founder and CEO of Veludo & Mentol, an advertising and new technology company founded in 2014. Since January 2018, he has been the director of Revista Xonguila, a monthly magazine available online and in print that highlights Mozambique's tourism, culture, entrepreneurship, and environment.

Before venturing into entrepreneurship, Nuno Soares gained experience working for several companies. In 2003, he was hired by NOS Lusomundo Audiovisuais, an audiovisual company, as a cinema technician. In 2006, he joined Guimasete, a Portuguese telecommunications company, where he worked as a customer service specialist until 2015.

Melchior Koba

Affordable internet access is one of the top priorities of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite efforts by organizations and governments across Africa, the high cost of internet remains a significant barrier to widespread use.

Africa remains the continent with the highest fixed internet costs in the world, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). On the continent, users pay five times more than the global average for 5 gigabits (5 GB) of data. Globally, the price of broadband internet services averages 2.9% of monthly gross national income (GNI) per capita, while in Africa, it stands at a staggering 14.8%. The Broadband Commission, a specialized ITU body, considers internet costs affordable if they are equal to or below 2% of GNI.

In its June 2024 report, "The State of Broadband 2024: Leveraging AI for Universal Connectivity," the Broadband Commission attributes Africa's high internet costs to low purchasing power. "The lack of financial means remains a major barrier to internet access, especially in low-income economies. A significant gap persists between high-income economies and the rest of the world," the report states.

Beyond the issue of low purchasing power, the high cost of internet in Africa is also due to insufficient telecom infrastructure, which forces some markets to charge high prices to recoup investments. "Fixed broadband networks are very expensive to deploy, maintain, and upgrade, depending on the geography and extent of the territory to be covered," the ITU explains.

The Broadband Commission's October 2019 report, "Connecting Africa Through Broadband: A strategy for doubling connectivity by 2021 and reaching universal access by 2030," estimated that approximately $100 billion is needed to fully cover the continent with internet by 2030. Africa's reliance on foreign cables, with high international transit costs, remains a challenge for accessible fixed broadband on the continent.

This situation negatively impacts small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa, as the internet is essential in the digital transformation era. According to a survey by the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank, internet use for business purposes among 3,325 microenterprises in seven African countries averaged 7%, ranging from 24% in South Africa to 1% in Rwanda.

The Broadband Commission's primary goal is to make broadband affordable in developing countries by 2025. While achieving this goal in Africa next year remains uncertain, the commission notes that "ICT services tracked by the ITU have become more affordable in 2023 than ever before."

In 2022, the cost of fixed internet in Africa was 16.3% of monthly GNI per capita, down from 18.3% in 2021 and nearly 483% in 2009. Despite these improvements, much work remains to make internet access truly affordable and widespread across the continent.

Adoni Conrad Quenum

E-health solutions are rapidly expanding across African nations, establishing themselves as preferred alternatives and significantly improving access to healthcare for populations. 

eSiha is an e-health solution developed by an Algerian startup, enabling users to access various healthcare services through its mobile application. Founded in 2019 by Hachi Bilal, the Algiers-based startup offers a comprehensive platform available on both iOS and Android, with over 50,000 downloads reported on the Play Store.

Users can create an account with their personal information after downloading the app. Healthcare professionals can identify themselves by checking a box at the end of the registration form.

eSiha connects users with a wide range of healthcare professionals, including doctors, specialists, paramedics, pharmacists, and radiologists. The platform features a search bar where users can input the type of healthcare professional they need and the region (wilaya) for the search. Within a few clicks, users receive a list of healthcare professionals to address their medical needs.

Beyond geolocating healthcare professionals, eSiha simplifies online appointment scheduling, audiovisual teleconsultations, and the creation of digital health records. The latter service is particularly useful for tracking patients with chronic illnesses. Healthcare professionals can manage their schedules conveniently through their dashboard.

Alert systems via messages and emails remind patients and professionals about upcoming appointments. Since its launch, the healthtech startup boasts 10,850 practitioners, approximately 77,000 users, and nearly 4,000 daily connections on its platform.

eSiha is making significant strides in improving healthcare access and efficiency in Algeria, demonstrating the impactful role of digital solutions in modern healthcare.

Adoni Conrad Quenum