South African fintech, Centbee, launched a new feature in its BitcoinSV wallet today that allows you to purchase prepaid electricity, airtime and data. This is the realisation of a dream by co-founders Lorien Gamaroff and Angus Brown, finally making the vision for bitcoin as electronic cash a reality. South African Centbee users have been…
Author: AdeO
Spotify has signed a multiyear deal with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment to produce and distribute an original slate of narrative scripted podcasts, which will be exclusively licensed to Spotify for a period of time. The deal gives Spotify first-look rights to original scripted narrative DC podcasts based on its stable of Super…
20 African startups have been selected for Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 5. The selected pool of startups for this new class of Google for Startups Accelerator Africa 2020 are from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia & Zimbabwe. The startups cut across an array of industries like…
Google has launched a $175 million racial equity fund targetted at supporting black business owners, startup founders, job seekers, and developers. The company divided the package into four categories, with the biggest allocation of $100m being directed towards black-led capital firms, start-ups and organizations supporting black entrepreneurs. “Beyond our products,…
Google has announced that it is testing a new method of selling subscription services with select Android developers that will allow customers to buy a subscription from the Play Store. Google announced the Google Play Billing Library Version 3, an updated set of developer tools for processing Play Store payments and…
Suguba in partnership with Mercy Corps and the French Development Agency (AFD) is organizing its second 6-month investment readiness program in West Africa to support the 8 most promising startups in the digital sector in Francophone West Africa. L’Afrique Excelle, the francophone adaptation of the World Bank’s XL Africa tech accelerator,…
Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments, has launched its new “Where You Shop Matters’ initiative that aims to champion and enable entrepreneurs in Nigeria while encouraging consumers to support small businesses. Alongside a new SMB resource hub, Visa has published the COVID-19 CEMEA Impact Tracker highlighting the recent effect…
The UK- Nigeria Tech Hub is set to launch intervention programs to support Nigeria’s Tech ecosystem, following its recently concluded survey in the country on start-ups & investors, to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other preventive protocols on their businesses. The objective of the survey was to…
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed lecturers not to engage in online lectures for students stating that e-learning cannot work in Nigeria. The President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, gave the directive in a statement. Schools at all levels have remained shut since March following the spread…
US companies will be permitted to work with Huawei on developing 5G standards under a new rule announced by the US Commerce Department. “The United States will not cede leadership in global innovation,” US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a recent statement. “The department is committed to protecting U.S. national…
Facebook has announced the launch of “My Digital World”, a programme designed to equip the youth and general public across Sub-Saharan Africa with digital skills needed to navigate the digital world. My Digital World is a consolidation of all Facebook digital literacy programs including Safe Online with Facebook, Ilizwe Lam, and…
Nikola Stojanow, the co-founder of AEternity Blockchain and creator of AE Ventures investment company, has announced the launch of a 100 Euros Venture Capital Fund focused on opportunities in the blockchain space. Stojanow’s new Meta Change Capital (MCC) will fund blockchain development in emerging markets. “I see the largest potential…
Planet42, an Estonian fintech operating in Africa that focuses on providing access to mobility to the underbanked, has raised $2.4M. The seed round was led by Change Ventures. Private backers include Martin Villig (Bolt), Ragnar Sass (Pipedrive), Marko Virkebau (MeetFrank), Kristjan Vilosius (Katana MRP), and several other Estonian tech entrepreneurs.…
Huawei has reportedly surpassed Samsung as the world’s largest smartphone maker for the first time ever in the month of 2020 despite its recent crises. According to Counterpoint Research, the Chinese smartphone maker managed to surpass Samsung despite a decline in global smartphone shipments. Neil Shah, the VP of Research…
Visa has announced that it is working with Facebook to help power the new payments feature on WhatsApp in Brazil. With the addition of Visa’s trusted payment technology, WhatsApp users will now be able to swiftly and securely send and receive money to family and friends, and to make purchases…
The coronavirus has forced a lot of people to run their businesses from home. This said if you are one of those who are just starting to run their business from home, this writeup is for you. Understand Yourself The first thing you should do is get to know yourself.…
The finalists for the 2020 MEST Africa Challenge, representing the best tech software startups in Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sénégal, South Africa, and Tanzania have been released with 83 companies making the shortlist. Finalists were chosen after a three-month-long search for Africa’s emerging tech entrepreneurs from nine emerging…
Efforts by the administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu to deliver quality learning to pupils across public schools in Lagos State recently got a boost, as the government took delivery of 20,000 digital devices donated by First Bank of Nigeria Plc to aid e-learning. The devices were handed over to Governor Sanwo-Olu…
Netflix, the internet streaming giant has announced its partnership with EbonyLife TV, to create two original television series and several other branded films. Netflix announced this in a statement released on Netflix official twitter handle. Dorothy Ghettuba, Netflix’s Lead for Original Series in Africa, said the partnership with EbonyLife and its…
PayPal Holdings, Inc. today announced a $530 million commitment to support Black and minority-owned businesses and communities in the U.S., especially those hardest hit by the pandemic, to help address economic inequality. As part of its investment, the company is bolstering its internal programs to further increase diversity, equity, and inclusion within the…