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AfICTA e-NEWSLETTER - 21/March/2022 Vol 134

3 DAYS!!! to the AfICTA Q1 Webinar 2022

Register to join AfICTA Quarterly Webinar as we organize public-private dialogue arround the regulation of cryptocurrency in the region, highlighting the vast opportunities that could be beneficial to the economic landscape and proffering recommendations on a suitable regulatory framework for the Cryptocurrency market that would benefit businesses, ensure compliance and preserve their investments.

The theme is Cryptocurrency in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities holding on Thursday, March 24 2021 by 10:00 am (UTC).

AfICTA Chairman Represents the Interest of the African Private Sector at the 

AU-EU D4D Hub Event

At the Africa-Europe D4D Hub Multi-stakeholder Forum, Mr. Thabo Mashegoane, AfICTA Chairman (Africa Private Sector Representative); Engr. Hossam Elgamal, AfICTA Immediate Past Chairman among other speakers from across all stakeholder groups both in Europe and Africa gave an insight into some aspects the Investment/Intervention from EU - European Union could be channeled to ensure the rapid realization of the global connectivity average of 30%.

The session’s main objective is in line with AfICTA’s Vision of fulfilling the promise of the... Read more

ICANN Expands DNSTICR to Monitor Terms Related to Russia-Ukraine War

When global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, capture the world’s concern and human desire to help, bad actors lurk behind the scenes, seeking innovative ways to confuse, distract, and steal from the unsuspecting. 

In response to these security threats, ICANN organization (org), through its Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), developed the Domain Name Security Threat Information Collection and Reporting (DNSTICR) system to report COVID-19-related domain name system (DNS) security threats to the registrar responsible for the domains... Read more

Rwanda Silencing YouTubers with ‘Abusive’ Legal Framework - Human Rights Watch

Opposition leaders and social commentators in Rwanda are being persecuted by the authorities for “their speech and opinions”, intensifying culture of intolerance towards dissent, a human rights group has said.

In a report published on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said it had monitored court documents, verdicts and judges’ arguments against several Rwandans who have ended up behind bars due to the country’s “abusive legal framework”. 

Researchers also pointed to violations... Read more

Cameroon, Kenya Announce Tech Collaboration to Counter Cybercrime

In a bid to stem the rising tide of cybercrime in Cameroon and Kenya, officials from both countries are planning to establish a common platform to be shared between Cameroon’s National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC) and the Communications Authority of Kenya.

The need for inter-state cooperation was raised in Yaounde on 14 March 2022 as interns from Kenya’s National Defence College began a week-long study tour in Cameroon.

Director General of ANTIC Professor... Read more

Register to Join AfICTA  (Africa ICT Alliance) Today

Hi, are you concerned about the realization of a Digital Africa? If yes, AfICTA (Africa ICT Alliance) welcomes you to register and join other group of concerned IT National Associations, Companies, Multinationals and Organisations in Africa to engender the realization of the digital Africa and the Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs.

AfICTA is a 35 member nations' alliance, in partnership with the African Union, with the vision to fulfill the promise of the digital age for everyone in Africa and to connect IT players on the continent.

MTN, Airtel Among Several Firms to Have Secured Fintech Permits in Uganda

Airtel, MTN and a dozen other Fintech companies have secured payment system and payment service permits in Uganda after the country’s National Payments System was gazetted this month.

African countries are fast-tracking the provision of permits to Fintech companies to deepen financial inclusion and allow them to tap into the growing uptake of electronic payments services.

For Uganda, the enactment of the National Payments System Act... Read more

US Denies Hushpuppi Committed Internet Fraud from Prison

The US government has dismissed claims that the detained Nigerian influencer Ramon Abbas, known as Hushpuppi, executed a $400,000 (£304,000) internet fraud from prison.

Hushpuppi, 37, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in 2020 for crimes that cost victims almost $24m and is currently in a US jail awaiting sentencing having pleaded guilty to money laundering.

On Thursday, a document emerged on social media claiming that the FBI filed new... Read more

Zambia Implements Biometric ID Registration System

Zambian has started to implement its Integrated National Registration Information System (INRIS), a national identity management system with enhanced biometric digital security features for national registration cards, as well as birth and death certificates. 

Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu said the development of INRIS has been completed, hardware connectivity set up and the system has been successfully deployed in ten districts across the country. According to Mwiimbu the manual system failed to respond... Read more

Uganda: Writer Prosecuted for "Cyberbullying" the President

Ugandan writer and human rights activist Norman Tumuhimbise and a journalist working for the online media he runs have been charged with "cyber harassment" against President Yoweri Museveni. 

Norman Tumuhimbise, who runs the pressure group "The Alternative Movement" and an online platform called Alternative Digitalk TV, is due to publish a book criticising President Museveni on 30 March.

He is the second writer critical of the government to be arrested... Read more

Safaricom Gains Early Traction in Ethiopia With Strategic Fibre Optic Deal

The newest arrival in Ethiopia’s telecommunications industry, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia, has signed a five-year lease agreement with state-owned power utility company Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) to share fibre optic infrastructure.

Under the deal, Safaricom will use an existing network of fibre optic ground wire cables along high voltage transmission lines owned by EEP.

The utility currently owns over 15 000km of fibre optic lines. According to EEP, the first phase... Read more

We’re Partnering with the PTA to Address the Digital Gender Divide in Pakistan

The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) signed a Cooperation Agreement on March 2, 2022 at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The cooperation agreement encourages mutually beneficial collaboration between the two parties in order to support universal access, ensure affordable and meaningful connectivity and address the challenges of rural connectivity, rural-urban digital divide and the gender digital divide.

The goal of the partnership is to establish... Read more

Malawi Gains Ground in Fintech Adoption

The use of digital financial services has increased in Malawi, according to the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), and reflects the country’s steady progress towards establishing a digital economy.

RBM’s National Payments Systems report shows that the volume of transactions via digital financial services increased by 62.1% to MWK772.7-million during the year ended 31 December 2021, and the total value of transactions increased by 77.5% to MWK101.6-trillion during the same period.

According to the Report... Read more

M-Pesa Africa’s Strategy to Capitalise on Kenya’s Growth

Kenya remains M-Pesa’s most active market and accounts for over 30 million of the service’s 51 million customers, according to Safaricom.

This customer base has been established across several markets including DRC, Egypt, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania.

Safaricom added that the growth in M-Pesa customer usage is driven by the launch of various innovations over the years including financial services such as M-Shwari, KCB M-Pesa and Fuliza... Read more

Paratus Namibia to Launch Armada Datacentre

Paratus Namibia will be launching its carrier neutral datacentre facility in Windhoek, Namibia in August 2022.

According to the company, it is investing N$123-million into the new facility, named Armada Data Centre, and said it will be the first carrier neutral and the largest DC facility in Namibia.

The company said it will complement the Equiano Cable, which lands in Namibia in the next few months and for which Paratus has already built... Read more

Mobility Fintech Moove Raises US$105m to Scale

Mobility Fintech Moove, which provides revenue-based financing to mobility entrepreneurs across Africa, has raised US$105-million in an oversubscribed Series A2 round consisting of equity and debt.

The round was led by existing investors, Speedinvest, Left Lane Capital and the latest.ventures, with participation from new investors including AfricInvest, MUFG Innovation Partners, Latitude and Kreos Capital. 

Moove was launched in 2020 by Ladi Delano and Jide Odunsi... Read more