Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

The prices of bitcoin, dogecoin, and other digital currencies have plunged more than 40% in recent weeks. While Elon Musk isn’t the only reason for the crypto carnage, he certainly isn’t helping. Whether it’s going on “Saturday Night Live” and joking that dogecoin is a “hustle” or having his epiphany that bitcoin mining may not be…

Cape Town-based AgriTech startup, swiftVEE an agri-platform addressing water scarcity, food security, and market efficiency for the livestock sector has joined forces with South African non-life insurer Old Mutual Insure to launch an industry-first digital solution for the South African livestock buyer and auction market. Titled VeeSure, the digital insurance product is…

Africa’s crypto, wallet, and exchange platform Safcoin will undergo an Initial Exchange Offering (IEO) this month, followed by an international listing in June. SAFCOIN is now available in South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, and Nigeria, for Fiat deposits, transactions, and withdrawals. The startup announced the offering on 13 May. the IEO…

Italian supercar maker Lamborghini has been reticent about going into all-electric vehicles, but it’s now finally breaking from its stance and has announced an upcoming all-electric car in the second half of the decade. For a long time, Lamborghini has dismissed the idea of battery-electric vehicles being an option for…

The University of Cape Town GSB Solution Space, in partnership with ayoba, has entered phase two of their annual E-Track Accelerator Programme and has announced the 10 selected startups to participate in the programme. The accelerator aims to support startups and entrepreneurs across Africa with a three-phase venture acceleration programme.  Eero Tarjanne,…

After months of teasing, and even divulging photos and select specifications of the car, Kia has officially and completely taken the wraps off its first dedicated electric vehicle, the EV6. The sporty crossover is the first of 11 new electrified models promised by Kia globally by 2026. Offered in rear- and all-wheel-drive…

According to the latest inaugural African Tech Ecosystems of the Future, 2021/22 report by fDi, a division of the Financial Times, South Africa has ranked highly in numerous categories recognising business friendliness, tech innovation, and an established digital startup ecosystem. The City of Cape Town Mayco Member for Economies Opportunities, James Vos…

US Venture Capital fund, Enygma Ventures has announced a strategic investment into the development of the African startup ecosystem by investing R2.1-million in the South African company Startup Circles, an innovative practical business school for entrepreneurs that assists entrepreneurs in scaling their business and becoming investor-ready. Sarah Dusek Managing Partner of…

Village Capital, with support from Moody’s Foundation and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has announced the 23 early-stage startups that have been selected to take part in Future of Work Africa 2021. The prestigious programme is an accelerator for startups that are working to help young people find jobs,…

Wednesday MTN South Africa announced that it has entered into a $2-million (R28 million) partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to expand the company’s Mobile Money (MoMo) business. The partnership will target the unbanked and underbanked population by establishing a strong network of MoMo…

The 2021 edition of Catapult: Inclusion Africa has announced the 14 fintech startups that will take part in the bi-annual programme. Developed by the LHoFT Foundation, the program targets companies focusing on financial inclusion in Africa, aiming to build bridges between Africa and Europe, highlighting their initiatives and very much aligned with…

South African-based medtech startup and disruptor hearX which offers the world’s first clinical smartphone hearing test solutions has announced its Lexie Hearing aids will be sold at Walgreens retail stores in the US from 13 May 2021. Its award-winning products are used in over 25 countries. Their aim is to impact on an…

Championing Africa’s mobility revolution. Kenyan-based electric vehicle (EV) mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) startup Mazi Mobility is transforming the transport sector in Africa by charting the future of electric vehicles in the continent. The startup has officially launched its electric motorcycle service as a clean, affordable, and efficient form of public transport for local commuters.…

Earlier this month, we wrote that eBay was examining the possibility of bringing NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to its platform. eBay has announced it’ll soon allow people to sell nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, on its website. NFTs will unlock new ways for eBay customers to complete their collections. According to a recent announcement by Jordan…

Wednesday in a Tweet, Tesla CEO Elon Musk dropped a huge surprise on both his electric carmaker and the world of cryptocurrency, announcing that Tesla has stopped accepting payments for car purchases in Bitcoin. The change of heart, Musk said in the post, is because of the cryptocurrency’s significant environmental…

Djassi Africa, a venture building company focused on African innovators, has launched a ground-breaking new programme that is tailored to empowering female entrepreneurs in Africa through personal development. Titled sheLEADS, the programme is focused on providing African female entrepreneurs with the tools to grow their personal brand and develop themselves…

GirlCode South Africa aimed at empowering women through technology and is the largest all-female hackathon in South Africa has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to create a free joint learnership training programme targeted at 30 unemployed women for a career in tech and IT. Titled GirlCode’s Software Development Learnership, the programme aims to…

South African edtech startup WeThinkCode has opened a campus in Durban and is encouraging interested locals to apply for its maiden cohort software programme that starts in July 2021. Selection bootcamps to recruit students for its first cohort began last week and are being hosted at Convention House in Durban. WeThinkCode is offering…

Next week, May 19 at 9:30 p.m. EDT (03:30 am Wednesday South African time/ 02:30 am Wednesday Nigerian time) in a milestone moment for electric vehicles, Ford will unveil a fully electric version of the Ford F-150 pickup truck called the F-150 Lightning, a name used by the automaker for…

Microsoft is giving Windows 10 a fresh coat of paint. But it’s not just getting a touch-up — Microsoft is doing all the fine details, getting under the switch plates and sanding the molding. Windows gets periodic visual updates, with constantly changing recycling bins, Start menu colors, taskbar icons, and other…