Volkswagen(VW) and Siemens have partnered to launch an electric VW, dubbed the ‘e-Golf’. Rwanda’s Prime Minister, Eduoard Ngirente, was present at the launch. The electric vehicles, are part of a pilot project, adding the fleet to the Volkswagen Mobility Solutions initiative. In yet another first, Rwanda is the first African…
Author: Charity Mbaka
Have you ever wondered what it would be to be completely unplugged from an increasingly connected world. Google is running an experiment to help people use their devices less. The Paper Phone project aims to promote “digital wellness” by tackling smartphone addiction. Those interested would have to give up their…
Apple has warned iPhone 5 users to update their software or risk losing all access to the internet via the devices. Users who will not have downloaded iOS 10.3.4 by the 3rd of November will also be locked out of any and all features that rely on time and date.…
Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Egypt-based bus hailing firm, Swvl, has resigned from the company. The former Swvl COO, Mahmoud Nouh, reportedly left to quote, “pursue personal goals”, which Swvl hinted he was working on a startup. Mr. Nouh is one of three co-founders of Swvl. The remaining two…
Safaricom users now have the option of buying data that is valid for life. The telco giant celebrated its 19th year of service on October 23rd in a colorful ceremony. In a statement, Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph said that the company is committed to provide even better service to its…
Estonian firm Bolt, formerly Taxify, has expanded into four towns in Kenya, namely; Nakuru, Naivasha, Eldoret and Kitale. Bolt Country Manager, Ola Akinnusi, said, “Bolt has had a steady growth across Kenya contributed by our expansion into new markets, which is largely driven by the demand for our quality service.”…
Mr. Adrian Kamotho, a lawyer and ICT practitioner has sued telcos Safaricom, Telkom and Airtel for unfair data bundle pricing. He argued that their pricing practices illegally deprive data consumers of unused data bundles they have already paid for. The complaint was filed before the Communications and Multimedia Appeals Tribunal.…
London Mayor, Peter Estlin announced funding of £10 million towards the Catalyst Fund. The Catalyst Fund provides financing to fintech startups in emerging economies. The funding will enable 30 fintechs in emerging markets such as Africa, to connect with international investors and mentors. Related article: Two African Startups Selected For…
The long awaited merger between the Kenyan operations of Telkom and Airtel has been approved by the COMESA competition commission. The deal ran into a lot of headwind in Kenya, due to ongoing corruption investigation and legal suits by employees and by main competitor, Safaricom, who wanted their cases closed…
As on 2020, Kenyans will no longer be able to import second hand electronic gadgets after the government placed a ban on them. Ayub Macharia, Director of Environmental Education, “The move to ban import of old electronic gadgets will be contained in the Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations. We are putting…
Saudi-Arabian accelerator, MiSK 500 has selected four Egyptian tech startups. The programme will see 20 companies from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) participating. The program will take place in Riyadh, culminating in a demo day in December 2019. The four Egyptian startups are: E-commerce startup In Your Shoe, food…
The 2019 Seedstars Douala ended in Cameroonian startup Digital Renter claiming the top spot and securing itself a chance to represent its country in Seedstars Africa Summit in Johannesburg later this year. Digital Renter is a platform that helps its users advertise, search for and manage rentals. This win will…
The government of Malawi has backtracked on a proposal to levy a 1% tax on mobile money transactions. This is after public outcry from the citizens after the proposal was announced. In its stead, the Malawi government will introduce a 20% withholding tax on interest earned by trust funds created…
The Mara Group has launched the first Made-in-Africa smartphone factory in Rwanda. The launch was made in a bid to establish a brand of African-made smartphones. The factory has employed over 200 people and expects to produce over 2 million smartphones over the span of the year Mara Group founder,…
Safaricom has teased a refreshed logo for its mobile money service, M-Pesa. On Monday, October 7th, the telco giant posted a photo which contained four variations of the logo (pictured). It however did not point out which logo has been selected. All four logos maintain the classic red and green…
Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) has cautioned Kenyans against purchasing electronic devices from sellers without a physical address. The warning, issued on October 6th, stated that should one be found to be in possession of a stolen device, they will suffer the consequences due to be meted on the…
You may soon be able to set a self-destruct timer on messages you post in a WhatsApp Group. This feature is available in the recently availed beta version of the app. In the beta, the feature resides within group settings. A user will set a timer after which the messages…
The 3rd annual Africa Tech Summit is set to take place in February of 2020, in Kigali -Rwanda. The summit brings together over 600 attendees, among them, startups, corporates and investors from all corners of the world to share insights and drive collaboration. The 2020 event will take place between…
Facebook announced the launch of its Libra crypto-currency earlier this year. It also assembled a group of companies that would regulate it. PayPal is the first company to drop out of the Libra Association which comprises almost 30 big name companies. In a press statement, the company said it was…
Multiple service providers based in Iraq blocked several social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and others. The move was made following the anti-government protests taking place in the country’s capital, Baghdad. Citizens are protesting unemployment, rampant corruption and poor public services. The violent protests have led to…