Since 2020, the number of edtech startups operating in Africa has been growing steadily. Their adoption is also rising due notably to the alternatives they offer, allowing learners to learn at their own pace and make better use of their time.
Mara Academy is a digital platform developed by a Beninese start-up. It allows users to access online training in various fields, including digital marketing and social media management.
The edtech startup behind the app is based in Cotonou. It was founded in 2021 to offer every African a unique learning experience. Its digital solution has no mobile app for the time being. To submit applications for one of the training courses it offers, users have to visit its web platform and fill out a dedicated form. Once an application is accepted, the applicant has to take an entrance test. After the test, there is a third step, which consists of an interview with the startup’s team and the signing of enrollment documents.
To be accepted for its courses, applicants need to meet certain conditions. They must be 18 to 30 years old, live in Benin, Togo, Niger, or Côte d’Ivoire, be unemployed, be available for training and employment, and have at least two years of higher education.
Mara Academy wants to give quality education to every African. It also wants to serve as a bridge to the labor force. This is why it set up the Youth Employment Accelerator YEA program. This program allows users to get trained and pay when they get employed. "No loans, no hidden fees. We get paid when you get paid. After you get your job you will pay us 30% of your salary over 12-24 months," its platform reads.
Through partner companies, it helps learners land a decent job after a 52-week training. In addition, throughout the training, learners spend time in companies where they each have mentors who follow their progress.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
He is a business leader experienced in digital payments, channel development, and market segmentation, among others. He will contribute his expertise in those fields to further develop Cellulant.
Ibrahim Gbolahan Aminu (photo) is the new general manager of Cellullant Nigeria. The Obafemi Awolowo University graduate was appointed to this position on February 23, 2023.
Cellulant is a pan-African payment company that provides alternative and locally relevant payment methods for global, regional, and local merchants. The company operates in 18 African countries, with a payment platform that connects thousands of businesses to 154 payment options in 35 countries. The platform handles the payments of some 220 million consumers on a single, inclusive network.
As the new head of Nigerian operations, Ibrahim Gbolahan Aminu will oversee the day-to-day operations and lead the national expansion of Tingg, Cellulant's digital payments platform.
Commenting on his appointment, the general manager said: “I am honored to join the team of innovative thinkers at Cellulant and I am eager to bring my expertise to the table to enhance the payments landscape in the country. I am confident that our efforts in increasing the quality of services and products we offer our customers will lead to greater financial inclusion, accessibility, and stability for all Nigerians.”
His professional career began in 2002 at Adol Pharmaceutical Industries when he was hired as a Senior Sales Officer. In 2006, he joined the Nigerian Gas Company Limited as a budget officer. Two years later, he was appointed Market Segment Manager by Bank PHB Plc. In 2011, he joined Keystone Bank Limited as Product Manager. Then, in 2014, he became head of communications channels and services for Interswitch Group, an integrated digital commerce and payments company focused on Africa. After a month in this role, he was promoted to Head of Partner Channels.
Before his appointment at Cellulant, between 2021 and 2022, he was the general manager of VigiPay, where he managed the company's cross-border payment platform.
Melchior Koba
Last December, the Biden administration announced $55 billion of new investments in Africa, including plans to expand digital access on the continent. About two months after that announcement, some projects are underway.
Last Friday, U.S. tech company Cisco announced a memorandum of understanding with the Thabo Mbeki Foundation for the realization of several projects, including the construction of a technology and education center in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Prioritizing digital skills in young people is the first step to realizing South Africa’s potential as a forward-facing, technological powerhouse. We must step up our efforts to give learners the resources and support they need to become digitally savvy and inspire them to explore the potential of the technology they’re using,” said Smangele Nkosi, General Manager of Cisco South Africa.
Under the memorandum, Cisco will digitize the center’s end-user experience, sustaining and automating the infrastructure, cloud operations, data center, and implementing a holistic technology strategy that will position the center as a world-leading information and training repository.
In December 2022, at the U.S-Africa Summit, Cisco Systems announced a $200 million in-kind contribution to Africa for resources such as programs, tools, schools, and instructors. The U.S. company said the contribution would, among other things, extend digital skills and cybersecurity training to 3 million Africans.
So, in addition to the technology center, Cisco will build a digital skills platform that will complement the Thabo Mbeki Foundation's education programs and offer international certifications in cybersecurity, an in-demand skill that is essential for South Africa's digital transformation.
Samira Njoya
A physician by training, she served her country for 20 years before launching a healthtech startup that leverages artificial intelligence to detect and treat diseases.
Jaishree Naidoo (photo) is a South African pediatric radiologist and one of the pioneers of pediatric radiology in her country, graduating from the University of Cape Town in 2010. In 1999, she got a bachelor's degree in surgery from the Medical University of South Africa.
After a one-year internship at King Edward 8th Hospital in 1999, she served as Chief Medical Officer at Johannesburg General Hospital in 2000. The following year, she held the same position at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital before going back to the Johannesburg General Hospital as a radiology registrar. Four years later, in 2005, she joined the Donald Gordon Medical Center as a part-time radiologist.
In 2008, she was appointed as a Senior Radiology Specialist at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. From 2009 to 2010, she was a Pediatric Radiology Fellow at the Red Cross War Memorial Hospital before joining the Sandton Medi Clinic as a Radiology Specialist. In 2011, she was appointed head of pediatric radiology at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, and in 2017, she became head of radiology and chair of the academic committee at Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital.
Aside from her fulfilled professional career, Dr. Jaishree Naidoo is also a tech entrepreneur. In 2019, she co-founded Envisionit Deep AI, a healthtech startup she is leading as the CEO.
The startup uses artificial intelligence to streamline and improve medical imaging diagnosis. It designs various products including the Radify AI platform, which is said to provide fast, accurate, high-quality, and affordable medical imaging diagnostics needed to detect and treat diseases.
“RADIFY for chest x-rays was developed primarily because pneumonia is the number one cause of morbidity and mortality in children under the age of 5 in Africa.
A senseless statistic when it is a disease that is so easy to treat. With RADIFY, diagnostic healthcare can be made available where there is a lack of specialist expertise,” Dr. Naidoo explained in 2021.
The CEO is also a notable conference speaker. She has been invited to speak and chair sessions at many local and international radiology and healthcare conferences, such as the 2020 Forbes Women Africa event, where she was one of the speakers.
According to Forbes, Dr. Naidoo is one of “UK-Africa’s Top 15 African Female Tech Founders and as such was honored by MPs at the UK Houses of Parliament in January 2020 in London.”
In 2020, her startup, Envisionit Deep AI, won two categories (Healthtech and social impact) at Apps Africa Innovation Awards. It was also one of the Season 2022 Regional Winners of the African Startup Awards. On February 23, 2023, it raised $1.65 million to continue its development in South Africa and beyond.
Melchior Koba
After his studies in the UK, Libyan-born Ammar Hmid returned to his home country to set up a food delivery startup. A few years later, despite the challenges it is facing, the startup is proving to be a useful tool for populations in Tripoli.
Presto Eat is a digital solution developed by an eponymous Lybian start-up, based in Tripoli. It allows its users to have food and groceries delivered.
Through its mobile app -available for Android and iOS devices, its users can create their accounts to access the listed restaurants, place orders and get them delivered anywhere in Tripoli and its surroundings.
Presto Eat claims more than 250,000 orders delivered since its launch. The startup behind it employs more than 500 Libyans. It also has 13 stores and departure points in Tripoli and over 380 partner businesses that use its services. Thanks to its departure points, it ensures fast deliveries and allows users to monitor the state of the deliveries in real-time.
According to PlayStore’s data, the Android version of its application has been downloaded over 100,000 times. Despite this success, Presto Eat is struggling to attract investors. The reasons cited include the political instability, in the country since 2011, and the lack of a proper technological ecosystem in the country. Nevertheless, the startup wants to extend its services to other cities in the country, namely Benghazi and Misrata.
For the time being, this expansion plan is just hopeful wishes for Presto Eat founder Ammar Hmid who points at investors’ seeming disinterest in the Libyan tech ecosystem. “We want to be the app for everything for Libyans. […] But […] Despite the growth, VCs and other investors aren’t keen on investing in the business. The ones that replied wanted me to do risk analysis on the Libyan market for them. But that’s not my job, my job as a founder is to grow my business. [Also], Libyans don’t have a strong startup mindset because there are other profitable sectors to work and invest in, like importation and FMCG, or even civil service,” he told TechCabal earlier this month.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The fund aims to support women in their bid to advance tech innovation in Africa where they still face significant access to finance challenges.
Last Monday, the Women in Innovation Fund (WiNFUND), a nonprofit accelerator supporting women-led and women-focused businesses, announced the public launch of the WiNFUND NFT Africa Collection, a collection of unique digital artworks designed by Rwandan artist Christella Bijou.
The fund, launched in 2022, also disclosed its aims. “WiNFUND is an innovative model that will help entrepreneurs grow by building an engaged, global community that will provide business support and financing through the sale of unique NFTs,” said Patricia O'Hayer, co-founder of WiNFUND.
Co-founded by consumer goods company Reckitt, the Health Innovation and Investment Exchange (HIEx), Kofi Annan Foundation, and the Ecobank Foundation, it aims to address two major inequalities, namely women’s uneven access to essential health care and finance.
It will be partly financed by the sale of WiNFUND NFT while WiNFUND NFT holders will have access to invitation-only events on the Sustainable Development Goals and will be invited to join a mentoring program to directly support successful women entrepreneurs.
In the second half of 2022, it opened applications for women entrepreneurs seeking its support. Up to now, it has received 300 applications from seven African countries. The applicants shortlisted will receive business support to help them grow, while the best will receive direct funding from WiNFUND.
Samira Njoya
He is an experienced engineer in the energy industry and a fintech entrepreneur. He is also the founder of Copal, a fintech startup that allows families to track and manage their expenses.
Ahmed Refaat (photo) is an Egyptian entrepreneur who graduated from Cairo University with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and from Said Business School at Oxford University with a Master's degree in Business Administration. He is also the CEO and a co-founder of fintech startup Copal.
The startup, founded in 2021, develops solutions to improve expense management. Using its eponymous AI-based app and personalized prepaid cards, its users can buy, pay, transfer, withdraw and save money with just one click. On February 15, the startup, which recently graduated from the Flat6Labs accelerator program in Cairo, entered into a strategic partnership with Mastercard to launch Egypt's first family payment and expense management app.
The new solution allows parents and guardians to track and manage their young dependents’ finances. It comes with simplified financial education tools that promote youth inclusion in the digitized payment ecosystem and help them become financially savvy.
“Copal’s vision is to fill the gap for the un- and under-banked through introducing a product that is tailored specifically for their every need. […]We are proud to partner with Mastercard, and we are confident that, with their leadership and support, Copal will grow and expand as fast as we ambitiously planned,” said Ahmed Refaat.
Before Copal, in 2016, the CEO had co-founded Odqa Renewable Energy Technologies, an “engineering spin-out from Oxford Thermofluids Institute.” He served as the company's chief technical officer until 2021 and as chief operating officer between 2020 and 2021.
His professional career began in 2007 with Schlumberger, a technology company unlocking energy access for the benefit of all. He joined the company as a field engineer before being promoted to general field engineer in 2013. In 2014 he was named technical and sales support engineer and in 2015, he became the company's wireline account manager.
Melchior Koba
In Tanzania, the ICT sector is growing rapidly. But, to quicken the pace of growth, authorities want to attract foreign entrepreneurs.
Tanzanian Vice President Philip Mpango recently invited investors from around the world to explore and invest in Tanzania's ICT and digital transformation sector.
On Thursday, February 23, while opening the first Tanzania-European Union (EU) Business Forum in Dar es Salaam, he praised his country’s digital sector while reminding investors that the country's national ICT policy supports investments in digital infrastructure such as data centers and digital technology institutes.
"ICT and digital transformation are among the key drivers of rapid development...This is aimed at improving skills and leveraging cutting-edge digital innovations such as robotic engineering and artificial intelligence," he said before adding that the Tanzanian government was focused on building a dynamic economy based on four pillars, namely reform, reconciliation, resilience, and reconstruction.
To pave the way for domestic and international investors, the government has taken steps to strengthen and modernize the sector, including the establishment of the Tanzania Investment Centre and the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority. The centers are intended as one-stop shops for investment promotion and facilitation.
Attracting investments is just one of the actions being implemented by the Tanzanian government to develop the ICT sector. In October, the government inaugurated a $3.4 million infrastructure package. The infrastructures covered include 11 ICT centers in the 11 districts of Unguja and Pemba, the two main islands forming the Zanzibar archipelago, as well as 42 communication towers across the archipelago.
Samira Njoya
A few months ago, Tunisia kicked off the digitalization of its public services. The aims were, among others, to end unnecessary bureaucracy and guarantee the quality and efficiency required for the services.
Tunisia’s mobile ID project will target over 100,000 citizens this year, ICT Minister Nizar Ben Néji indicated last Friday.
During a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of mobile ID, the official explained that his ministry was working to reach more than 100,000 Tunisians this year and increase the number to the thousands in the years to come.
"The Ministry is working with banks to introduce mobile IDs in the banking sector,” he said pointing at the upcoming introduction of electronic contracts in car sales and purchase procedures.
The country launched its Mobile ID service on August 3, 2022. The ID was introduced as a universal and unique authentication method to access some public services online. The aim is to gradually replace cumbersome administrative procedures with digitized, simple, and fairly secure procedures.
Earlier this year, the official website dedicated to digital identity in Tunisia announced that as of Monday, January 2, 2023, the number of applications for digital identity not activated had reached 86,000 while the number of digital identities activated was 36,474. For the Minister of ICT, this is a good start. However, the country wants to generalize the use of the mobile ID and introduce other online services, in cooperation with other ministries. Hence the awareness campaign.
Samira Njoya
The startup behind the solution was founded in Senegal in 2015. Since then, it has expanded its reach to six countries, providing more than 1,000 businesses with various tools to optimize their performance.
Paydunya is a fintech solution developed by a Senegalese startup. It allows individuals and businesses to easily and securely collect payments online from a variety of payment methods, including e-wallets and bank cards.
"Paydunya offers businesses and financial institutions a suite of multi-channel digital solutions that facilitate the issuance and receipt of payments on websites or mobile applications, as well as the collection and disbursement of bulk payments," according to its website.
Once users register through its website or mobile app - available for Android and iOS devices - they can access the financial services it offers. For example, they can send and receive funds via mobile money or bank cards such as Visa and MasterCard.
Depending on the country, it charges between 1.5% and 2.5% commission for monthly flows below CFAF 10 million and between 1.4% and 2.4% for monthly flows above CFAF 10 million.
It currently claims more than 50,000 transactions processed daily, over 1,000 corporate clients, and a presence in six countries. According to PlayStore data, the Android version of its mobile application has been downloaded over 100,000 times.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
More...
In sub-Saharan Africa, the chronic absence of civil servants tends to undermine many institutions. To address this growing phenomenon, governments are turning to digital technologies to provide adequate solutions.
The Gambia recently called on ministries, departments, and agencies to install biometric tallying systems to confirm the presence of civil servants at work. According to a memo issued by The Gambia's Ministry of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination, and Implementation, the call is merely a reiteration of an earlier memo issued by the Secretary-General and Head of the Public Service in February 2021.
The memo instructs the concerned institutions to acquire and install the biometric attendance system, per the specifications, by the end of February 2023.
Recently in Kenya, the Nairobi County government made a similar decision. It announced that it would introduce a digital employee registration system and biometric identity cards to identify "ghost" employees at the town hall.
Johnson Sakaja, the governor of Nairobi, said the county had budgeted Ksh10 million ($79,000) for the project, which will identify irregular workers among the approximately 13,000 civil servants working for the city council.
Meanwhile, in Gambia, the government plans to replace ID cards with an electronic biometric tallying system, with data to be printed weekly and transmitted monthly to the secretary general and head of the civil service.
The new reforms aim to combat the ills that plague the sector (including absenteeism), modernize the administration, and reduce the huge wage bill that ghost workers impose on the government.
Samira Njoya
The Egyptian government has made citizen-centric digital transformation a key factor in its development. To achieve its goals, it has increased investment in the ICT sector.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi (photo, center) recently called on his government to provide all necessary support to build and develop the skills of Egypt's youth, support start-ups and encourage their expansion in the ICT sector.
Last Saturday, during his meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat, the Egyptian president issued "directives to continue the state's efforts in digital transformation and the automation of administrative and governmental procedures." According to the presidency, the directives aim to "assist citizens and reduce time, effort and costs [...] while keeping up with the state-of-the-art technological applications in the field of artificial intelligence, whose importance and added value steadily increase globally."
In recent years, thanks to its digital strategy "Digital Egypt", the country has made significant progress in the digital sector. It has implemented several initiatives and projects, including "Egypt Digital Cubs", and digital innovation centers, as well as the development of Egyptian post offices, real estate registration offices, technology parks, and applied technology schools.
In July 2022, the government announced the allocation of a budget of EGP 6.025 trillion ($319.1 million) for digital and cybersecurity projects in the fiscal year 2022-2023. Specifically, EGP 5.4 trillion will be allocated to digital transformation projects and the development of digital skills.
The initiatives and efforts directed by the President of the Republic are in line with Vision 2030, the country's development strategy, which aims to strengthen economic and social development in all sectors and make the country a digital pole of excellence in Africa.
Samira Njoya
Most people unknowingly believe that only wealthy individuals and large corporations have access to legal counsel. To change this perception and help as many people as possible, tech entrepreneurs decided to launch a digital solution.
Miabéloya is a digital solution developed by a Togolese start-up. It facilitates access to legal services and professionals for individuals and businesses.
On its web platform, users can submit their cases to legal professionals. They can either fill out an online form detailing the case, or they can choose to have an instant discussion with the professionals on Whatsapp.
The startup supports businesses in their fight to protect their rights. It also assists in the development of real estate acquisition strategies. In short, it specializes in commercial law, corporate law, real estate law, labor law, and tax law. For legal situations in these sectors, it can be a strong ally in finding viable solutions.
At Miabéloya, the first consultation is always free of charge and the lawyers act quickly to resolve the cases as soon as possible. After the first free consultation, users can choose from several packages, including a basic package that costs CFAF10,000 (about $16) and a premium package that costs CFAF50,000. To set up a business, the legaltech charges CFAF 80,000 for a limited liability company and CFAF 200,000 for a simplified joint stock company or a limited liability company.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
After five years managing projects for telecom operator MTN, he teamed up with another entrepreneur to launch Djamo, which aims to fill the gaps left by traditional financial institutions.
Régis Bamba (photo) is an Ivorian computer scientist and tech entrepreneur. A graduate of Towson University (USA), where he earned a bachelor's degree in computer science in 2011, he is the chief product officer and one of the co-founders of fintech startup Djamo.
Founded in 2021, Djamo helps people improve their money management. Through its eponymous app, it enables underbanked individuals to manage their daily expenses and plan for their future with savings and investment plans. In short, it helps them regain control of their finances.
The startup also issues VISA cards to its users and does not charge any fees or commissions. It is the first Ivorian startup to join the prestigious US incubator Y Combinator.
Explaining the startup's no-fee, no-commission policy, Régis Bamba states, "In our region, users pay amongst the highest fees in the world but do not always receive adequate service in return and that can be extremely frustrating. The one thing that we want to achieve is to offer a product where customers get real value for their money."
In November 2022, the startup announced that it had raised $14 million from Y Combinator and three other lead investors (Enza Capital, Oikocredit, and Partech Africa), with Janngo Capital, P1 Ventures, Axian, and Launch Africa as participating investors.
Before launching the startup, Régis Bamba worked for the telecom operator MTN as a mobile money project manager (2014-2016) and product manager (2016-2020). In 2014, he founded Code.ci, a network of developers who pool their expertise to address socio-economic challenges in Côte d'Ivoire. This network, together with the government, is the originator of the first open data platform in Côte d'Ivoire.
Melchior Koba