News (1352)
In Africa, the agriculture sector is essential to sustaining the livelihoods of people living in rural areas and providing them with income, but most smallholder farmers do not have access to new technologies. This slows their activities in the digital age where new technologies play key roles in the development of every economic sector.
Heifer International, an international non-governmental organization that fights poverty and hunger in the world, will collaborate with Mastercard to facilitate access to e-payment for farmers in Africa, Mastercard announced in a press release issued on Wednesday, January 25.
Under the partnership, Heifer International and Mastercard will connect millions of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa to Mastercard's Community Pass, a digital platform that will provide visibility to farmers and make it easier and faster for them to get paid for their products and create a digital presence.
“We remain committed to ensuring that smallholder farmers have the right resources and support required to thrive by leveraging innovation and key partnerships. We firmly believe that smallholder farmers play a foremost role in ensuring the continent’s agricultural food resilience and self-sufficiency," said Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President for Africa Programs, Heifer International.
Indeed, smallholder farmers play an important role in African economies. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), agriculture contributes about 30% of the continent's GDP. However, these farmers, mostly living in remote areas often not covered by internet services, cannot easily market their products and conduct digital business transactions.
The partnership between Heifer International and Mastercard aims to advance the digitization and financial inclusion of these farmers. Mastercard's Community Pass will address infrastructure challenges that arise when digitizing rural communities, such as unreliable connectivity, low smartphone ownership, and lack of consistent identification or accreditation.
Samira Njoya
Last October, Nigeria enacted its startup act, joining the list of the few African countries with such acts. It now wants to draw on the experience of countries that have already implemented such acts to develop its ecosystem.
Since Monday, January 23, a delegation of the Office For Nigerian Digital Innovation has been carrying out a working visit in Tunis, Tunisia, at the invitation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The visit aims to let the representatives explore the Tunisian startup ecosystem and learn how public and private actors collaborate to develop the said ecosystem.
According to the members of the delegation, it is important to learn from the Tunisian experience that could be beneficial for Nigeria during the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act, enacted on October 19, 2022. "We came to learn from the experiences of the actors in the Tunisian ecosystem throughout the pre-and post-implementation phases of the Startup Act," said Fuwa Naonobu, the JICA consultant accompanying the Nigerian team.
The delegation led by Oswald Guobadia Osaretin, Senior Special Assistant (Digital Transformation) to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, met with officials of the Tunisian Ministry of Technology and Communications. In coordination with the JICA office in Tunisia, the delegation also met with several start-ups and accelerators such as Smart Capital, Africinvest, Flat6labs, Technopole El Ghazala, and Instadeep.
It should be noted that the working visit is part of the NINJA project (Next Innovation with Japan) launched by JICA to provide comprehensive and tailored support to entrepreneurs at different stages of development. The project, which covers 19 African countries, is launched to encourage the creation of innovative startups.
Samira Njoya
The project aims to bridge the widening digital skill gap that is likely to affect digital transformation in Mali and Africa as a whole.
Last Monday, Danew Talla Electronics, the Malian joint venture between the French company Danew and the Malian company Talla Telecom, signed a partnership agreement with the higher education institution Complexe numérique de Bamako to train more young people in digital professions and accelerate the digitization of the country.
According to Hamed Salif Camara, general manager of Complexe numérique de Bamako, the partnership will help his institution achieve one of its objectives, namely unlocking the potential of ICT in Mali. He also invited Danew to not only partner with Complexe numérique Bamako but also with local startups to help build a better and brighter country.
On the sidelines of the signing ceremony, Malian authorities inaugurated the center of excellence CEDEX built by Danew Talla Electronics. CEDEX, which started its free training on November 2022, has already hosted a cohort of 47 young people from the Dutch NGO consortium of the Local Governance Accountability Plus Program (PGLR+). Between January and March 2023, it will train over 150 young people in digital professions.
Through all these actions, the participating companies are contributing to the implementation of "Mali Digital 2020," a national strategy that aims to position Mali as a technology hub in West Africa.
Samira Njoya
The partnership will contribute to the automation and digitization of the entire payment cycle to save time and reduce the various costs and efforts needed from grocers and small retailers in the country.
Last Monday, X-ERA Egypt, a leading provider of financial technology and logistics solutions in the Middle East, and Paymob, the leading financial services provider in the MENA-P region, announced a partnership agreement that aims to digitize B2B payments for tens of thousands of grocers and small retailers in Egypt.
"This cooperation aligns with X-ERA strategy to redevelop Egypt’s informal commercial market, by providing a package of diversified fintech tools and payment solutions to small grocers, corner shops, small and medium-sized merchants in different governorates throughout Egypt," said Mahmoud ELenani, CEO of X-ERA.
In Egypt, grocery stores represent 96.6% of the total outlets and account for 74% of overall sales in the food sector, according to data shared in January 2023 by BNP Paribas. With more than 116,000 grocery stores and stalls, this segment accounted for 73% of sales in 2021, or US$23 billion, according to the latest estimates from the USDA.
With the new partnership, Paymob's payment acceptance technology will now be integrated with X-ERA's fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) ordering application, creating an end-to-end digital commerce solution for merchants who previously only had the option to pay for their goods with cash on delivery.
According to a joint statement from the two companies, the partnership will digitize the operation of grocers and small businesses and fuel their growth in the digital economy. Using Paymob's technology, X-ERA merchants will also be able to pay their utility and telecom bills to further digitize their operations.
Samira Njoya
Like many African countries, Senegal is facing the thorny issue of electrical and electronic waste pollution. The situation recently worsened with the massive importation of electronic devices from other continents
The e-waste collection and dismantling center Senegal has been planning for years now will soon become effective, according to Cheikh Bakhoum, director general of state IT agency SENUM SA
" SENUM has decided to create a full-fledged entity that will be exclusively dedicated to this extremely important issue for our Environment and for our citizens. It will dismantle [...] electronic and electrical devices", said Cheikh Bakhoum.
"SENUM already has a section specifically dedicated to the management of electronic and electrical waste. It exclusively sorts them into green waste for recovery or red waste to be sent to a safe location for destruction," he added.
The e-waste (computers, phones, televisions, cables, batteries, etc.) issue is of great concern to the Senegalese government. In 2019, Senegal produced more than 4 million tons of e-waste according to the Solid Waste Coordination and Management Unit (UCG). Its average yearly e-waste production has surely risen due to population growth. From 16.3 million in 2019, Senegal's population was estimated at 17.3 million in 2022.
The dismantling center will significantly reduce the impact of electronic waste on the environment and health, improve income for informal collectors, and promote the creation of green jobs for the youth, among other things.
The country plans to recycle up to 90% of its e-waste by 2025. For that purpose, it is currently preparing a new legal framework for the activity.
Samira Njoya
The project, which is almost completed, will reinforce Senegal's position as an ICT hub in West Africa and accelerate the development of the region's digital and innovative ecosystem.
Senegal Horn of Africa Regional Express (SHARE), the optic fiber interconnection project connecting Senegal and Cabo Verde will soon be completed, according to Cheikh Bakhoum (photo), director general of the state IT agency. The official made this revelation last Friday, during a press briefing.
"We have deployed nearly 95 % of the subsea cable SHARE connecting Senegal and Cabo Verde, two West African countries, [...] The cable will allow access to a better internet connection of up to 16 terabits in the future in Senegal. Once the cable becomes operational, 100 gigabits will be available for the administration and for operators who will need large internet capacities," he said.
The 720-kilometer cable will have landing points in Dakar and Praia. The broadband infrastructure, deployed by Huawei Marine Networks (HMN), will be the first direct link between Africa and Cabo Verde islands, which are located are located approximately 570 kilometers off the coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean.
The project funded by Senegal will introduce an upgraded international bandwidth route to West Africa. According to Cheikh Bakhoum, it will probably be inaugurated in the next few months as works are being accelerated.
Samira NJOYA
After securing initial funding in 2020, the company wants to continue its expansion with additional capital.
Moroccan e-logistics start-up Cathedis recently secured US$735,000 in pre-series A funding from an investor cohort consisting of Afrimobility, a venture capital fund of AKWA Group, and CDG Invest.
According to Imad El Mansour Zekri, founder and CEO of Cathedis, the renewed support from CDG Invest, its old investor and partner, as well as the entrance of Afrimobility into its Cathedis' capital will help the startup consolidate its performance, develop its innovation platform and accelerate its growth.
In 2020, the startup secured MAD3 million (US$296,000) through CDG Invest's 212 Founders, raising the resources to achieve over 300% growth between 2020 and 2022.
In its four years of operation, the start-up has built a fully digital platform that manages all deliveries, based on a system that easily handles every operation from production to delivery, payment, and complaint handling with real-time or near-instantaneous tracking.
Cathedis has also deployed an automated 4,000-parcels-per-hour sorting center, thanks to which it serves more than 160 cities and regions in Morocco. To successfully achieve its goals, the startup turned to the association R&D Morocco, which promotes and drives innovation.
According to its CEO, it is one of the leading e-logistics operators in Morocco, with proprietary industrial and tech solutions. Its goal is to reach an annual flow of 3 million packages by 2024.
Samira Njoya
During the multi-month suspension, the California-based company, which entered the country in 2016, developed new offers and services.
U.S ride-hailing Uber announced, Wednesday, the resumption of its activities in Tanzania, marking an end to the dispute opposing it has with local authorities.
In the release announcing the resumption, it said it was delighted to relaunch its operations in the country after nearly 10 months of suspension: "We are excited to kick off the year on such a positive note by re-entering the Tanzanian market[...]It is our priority to provide a platform where drivers can make substantial earnings while providing convenient and reliable options for riders in Tanzania," the release read.
The U.S. company was forced to suspend its services in Tanzania in April 2022 due to changes in government regulations that capped commissions from drivers to 15 percent, down from 33 percent. After months of negotiations, last month, Tanzania's transport regulator allowed ride-sharing companies to charge up to 25 percent commission and 3.5 percent booking fee.
While relaunching operations in Tanzania, Uber has also introduced a new safety check-up technology that the company says will give passengers and drivers more confidence during their rides. "Based on research, most riders seem to be unaware of the safety features available to them. As a result, Uber is launching Safety Check-up across SSA which will encourage riders to complete their safety profile by turning on and utilizing the available features such as Trusted Contacts, PIN verification, and RideCheck," the company added.
The new safety feature also allows for direct reporting of sudden vehicle stoppages due to accidents or breakdowns of any kind, in which case a report is shared with the company, and assistance is requested.
Samira Njoya
Tunisia's digital transformation strategy provides, among other things, the creation of a regulatory framework and suitable governance and security environment. For that purpose, it is multiplying cooperations between national institutions.
Last Wednesday, in Tunis, the Tunisian Ministries of ICT and National Defense signed an agreement to complete the second phase of the Ministry of National Defense's National Public Key Infrastructure.
In the statement disclosing the agreement, Imed Memmich (photo, left), the Tunisian Minister of Defense, said that this agreement is in line with the national strategic ICT plan, "Tunisia Digital 2020", which aims to develop the administration by adopting digital technologies and promoting their use to ensure efficiency and transparency of policies and decisions.
To develop their National Public Key Infrastructure [which ensures the security of the digital networks of an administration or company by guaranteeing the confidentiality of communications as well as their integrity, authentication and non-repudiation], Tunisian Ministries are assisted by the Ministry of ICT and the National Agency for Electronic Certification (Tuntrust).
Samira Njoya
The financial support aims to encourage inclusive growth and accelerate the development of sustainable economies.
The Netherlands will provide US$10 million to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to help developing countries, including many in Africa, take greater advantage of e-commerce and the digital economy to facilitate business and investment.
An agreement relating to that financial support was signed on Tuesday, 17 January, by UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan (photo, left) and the Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Liesje Schreinemacher (photo, right).
"The Netherlands appreciates UNCTAD’s contribution to global digitalization and linking it to improving business and investment opportunities. We are therefore happy to continue our support and hope other donors will follow the Netherlands in its support for this important program," Ms. Schreinemacher said.
According to the agreement signed by the two parties, US$6 million will be devoted to research and technical cooperation activities under UNCTAD's e-business and digital economy program.
An additional US$4 million will "fund UNCTAD’s efforts to strengthen digital government services for micro- and small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and international investors. It will also support enterprise development, accounting, and reporting for MSMEs to strengthen business facilitation."
In a release dated January 18, the UNCTAD explains that the Netherlands has been supporting its e-business and digital economy program for years now. The support has helped build more inclusive digital economies for women and promoted partnerships to support the development of e-business in low-income countries. It has also helped strengthen digital business and facilitated investments in six African countries and one country each in Asia and Latin America, we learn.
Samira Njoya
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The initiative is in line with the Ivorian government's plan to make the country an energy hub by building an energy mix constituted of at least 42% renewable energy by 2030.
Telecom operator Orange and engineering group Butec announced, Tuesday (Jan 17), the solarization of Groupement Orange Services (GOS), an IT services company based in Côte d'Ivoire.
According to a release published by the telecom company, by solarizing the GOS, Orange will reduce its data center's carbon footprint in Côte d'Ivoire, decrease the share of non-renewable energy and avoid using generators powered by fuel since fossil energy emits carbon dioxide.
For Brelotte Ba, deputy managing director of Orange Middle East and Africa, the energy generated by the solar plant connected to GOS and the energy supplied by electric utility Compagnie Ivoirienne d’Electricité will increase the percentage of renewable energy in the energy used by GOS to 48%, in line with Orange's goals. "We plan to go further by solarizing the Yamoussoukro-based Assabou data center. The solar plant connected will cover more than 46% of the data center's energy consumption in the daytime," she added.
The solar plant connected to GOS comprises 781 latest-generation photovoltaic solar modules and provides the data center with an estimated 527MWh/year of renewable energy. It is designed to operate 7 days a week in self-consumption mode, i.e. by using the solar energy produced by the data center during the day, which currently covers 50% of the data center's daytime consumption (7 am-6 pm).
According to Armand Seya, Butec Energies & Services' regional director in West Africa, the project is of paramount importance both for Orange Group and for Butec" since it is in line with its ambitions to develop the energy services business in Africa, specifically in renewable energies."
Samira Njoya
Over the past few years, Côte d'Ivoire has made a number of investments to advance remote education. With the new platform, the country positions itself as a regional leader in the digitalization of education.
Last Tuesday, in Abidjan, the Ivorian Minister of National Education and Literacy, Mariatou Koné, inaugurated the platform "Mon école à la Maison," dedicated to remote education.
The new platform aims to support both students in and out of school in their daily learning. For Mariatou Kone, its launch carries several meanings.
"The first is that Côte d'Ivoire has been involved in distance learning initiatives for several years and the government intends to stay the course to develop this digital and innovative educational offer. Secondly, the Ivorian government offers free lessons, exercises, films, and even textbooks to students, parents, and teachers who will regularly visit the platform." "This is essentially educational but it is also a tool for interactive dialogue," she added.
For several years now, Côte d'Ivoire embarked in the digitization of its education sector. After the political and military crisis, which shook the country in 2004 and led to the closure of schools, the government started dematerializing education by launching several projects. In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic accelerated the projects being implemented.
The "Mon école à la Maison" platform is one of the initiatives born from Covid-19. It is a directory of all the resources of the national education system. It has nearly 4,000 lesson sheets, 5,000 exercises and primary school textbooks, 624 educational clips of 15 minutes maximum, entire courses, 2,000 interactive exercises (Quizzes), and at least 150 practical worksheets.
According to Marc Vincent, UNICEF representative in Côte d'Ivoire, this platform will benefit more than 6 million children in preschool, school, and general secondary education. "This initiative is the first on the African continent. Côte d'Ivoire is now the leader in Africa in the use of technology," he added.
Samira Njoya
For months now, Yassir has faced a number of accusations in Tunisia. The latest is the unfair competition accusations leveled against its cab services.
Last Monday, Algerian transportation startup Yassir received a warning from the Tunisian Ministries of Transport and Technology. In a joint statement, the two ministries accused Yassir of violating the law by calling out to individuals to earn money by transporting passengers.
"This type of irregular cab service is exercised outside the legal framework. It is a dangerous innovation because such types of transport services are subject to authorization. It is an infringement of the rules of fair competition. The competent ministries will end this phenomenon to protect the public," reads the statement.
The warning comes after several complaints by the Tunisian individual cab drivers' Union. Last Monday, Fouzi Khabouchi, the union's chairman, said he filed two complaints against Yassir. One of the complaints was filed with the Public Prosecutor's Office and another to the Financial Analysis Commission of the Central Bank of Tunisia to warn against multiple offenses including money laundering.
Following those accusations, the start-up that provides cab and food delivery services declared that only official Tunisian institutions could request explanations about its activities or mediate to resolve any dispute that may arise between the start-up and other professional or private bodies.
Let's note that in November 2022, Yassir became the most-valued North African startup after raising US$150 million, an incredible amount for its development stage.
Samira Njoya
With the support of telecom operator Orange, Morocco, which plans to become a major tech hub in Africa, will benefit from modern networks and socioeconomic opportunities that are expected to reinforce its regional position.
Orange Morocco recently signed a deal with Medusa Submarine Cable System for the construction of a subsea cable that will enhance digital interconnection between Morocco and Europe.
In a release dated January 16, 2023, Hendrik Kasteel (photo, right), CEO of Orange Morocco, explains that the interconnection will reinforce Morocco's position as a digital gateway to Africa while confirming the country's digital sovereignty.
"Thanks to the project, Orange Morocco will contribute to the construction of the first subsea cable to interconnect the main Mediterranean countries, in partnership with Medusa. Specifically, the system will connect the two shores with 16 landing points in countries like Morocco. Under its open innovation policy, Orange Morocco will share the new infrastructure with operators that wish to use it," the release informs.
The cable system will also include segments that will offer up to 24 fiber pairs and a capacity of 20 Tbps per fiber pair. The 8,760 kilometers long cable will be the first and longest submarine cable to connect five Mediterranean countries (Cyprus, Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal) to four countries in the European Union's southern neighborhood (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt) at a total cost of €342 million. The system will be partially operational in Europe by the end of 2024, and in the Eastern Mediterranean region during the first half of 2025.
Orange Morocco also plans to integrate the first African fiber optic backbone, Djoliba, which is the result of the interconnection of more than 20,000 km of Orange Group's terrestrial and subsea infrastructure in West Africa, for a secure end-to-end link between eight countries in the region.
Samira Njoya