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AfICTA e-NEWSLETTER - 09/April/2022 Vol 135

The Report of AfICTA's 1st Quarterly e-Conference 2022 Now Available

On 24 March 2022, AfICTA in collaboration with the Kemitel S.A organized the 1st edition of its Quarterly webinar for 2022 on "Cryptocurrencies in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities".The event provided a platform for professionals from across Africa to discuss issues surrounding 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.

The webinar was a very successful one with panellists and participants from all over Africa...

The 17th Annual IGF Meeting Will Be Hosted By Ethiopia

The 17th annual IGF meeting will be hosted in a hybrid format by the Government of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, under the overarching theme: Resilient Internet for a Shared Sustainable and Common Future. The interactive programme is being developed around five specific themes as listed below:

1. Connecting All People and Safeguarding Human Rights, 2. Avoiding Internet Fragmentation, 3. Governing Data and Protecting Privacy, 4. Enabling Safety, Security and Accountability, 5. Addressing Advanced Technologies, including AI

The meeting will aim at accommodating... Read more

Registration for ICANN74 Policy Forum in The Hague, Netherlands is Now Open

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has announced that the dedicated website for the ICANN74 Policy Forum in The Hague, Netherlands is now live and registration for the meeting is now open.

ICANN74 will be held from 13-16 June 2022 and will take place as a hybrid event to accommodate both in-person and virtual participation. ICANN is committed to ensuring an inclusive Policy Forum that provides equal opportunities for all to engage on important policy matters. The meeting is also expected to have a reduced program to best serve... Read more

MTN Zambia Launches 5G

MTN Zambia has announced the launch of its 5G network pilot platform in the country which promises significant improved technology which will enhance faster connectivity speed, ultra – low latency and greater bandwidth.

“5G technology can connect virtually everyone and everything, including machines, objects, and devices. We are moving into an era of ubiquitous connectivity.” explained Mr. Bart Hofker, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Zambia.

“MTN Zambia will be rolling out 5G... Read more

MTN Joins Global Organisations to Strengthen Child Online Safety in Africa

MTN Group has joined forces with several global organisations, including the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) Meta, ICMEC (the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children) and Child Helpline International, to launch the Help Children be Children campaign and the Child Safety Online Africa Portal.

According to information supplied to the media, the initiative has the backing of the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the objective is to increase public awareness of the impact of Child Sexual Abuse Material and help prevent its spread in target countries on the African continent... 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.

What is Meaningful Internet Access? Conceptualising a Holistic ICT4D Policy Framework

A4AI has worked towards the goal of universal internet access by focusing on the cost of connectivity. However, through this work, we commonly revisit the question of what does ‘universal internet access’ mean, and how do we get there?

This question has led us to develop a theory of meaningful internet access. This theory blends together the work that A4AI has achieved over the past few years in terms of affordability and meaningful connectivity and also scopes out what remains on the horizon for us to understand further... Read more

Malawi to Establish IT Authority to Streamline Telecommunications

Under pressure, the Malawian government says it is planning to revise taxes imposed on telecommunication companies to reduce the high cost of communications, as well as establish the Malawi Information Technology Authority to strengthen governance.

Currently, the government has imposed a 17.5% Value added tax (VAT) on the importation of mobile phones, a 16.5% on internet services and an additional 10% excise duty on mobile phone text messages and internet data... Read more

How KEMSA’S IT Focus Will Cure Procurement Ills

Information Technology (IT) solutions provide limitless opportunities to facilitate much-needed efficiency at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) as part of organisational reforms. Kemsa is mandated to ensure supply chain excellence for Health Products and Technologies (HPTs) to ensure positive health outcomes.

The Authority, like never before, is banking on technology and a fit-for-purpose human resource base to meet its mandate. IT investments at the Authority are also geared at plugging... Read more

Namibia Suspends Awarding New Telecommunications Licences

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) says it will temporarily suspend the awarding of new telecommunications and broadcasting service licences from 1 October 2022 until 30 September 2023. 

CRAN said it wants to use this period to conduct a market research study on fixed data sets linked to licences currently in the market. It added that the objective behind the study is to determine the current level of competition, market saturation and any existing barriers to entry... Read more

CredPal, a Nigerian startup, Has Raised $15 Million in Funding to Expand its BNPL Model Across Africa

CredPal, a Nigerian “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) firm, has received US$15 million to extend its consumer loan operations in Nigeria and beyond Africa.

The bridge round included existing investors such as Greenhouse Capital, as well as new investors such as Uncovered Fund, LongCommerce, First Circle Capital, and Adii Pienaar, co-founder and former CEO of WooCommerce. A small number of financial firms supplied the debt facility.

Additionally, the announcement coincides with the launch of a new partnership with Airtel Nigeria... Read more

Rwanda, WEF Launch Africa’s First C4IR

The Ministry of Information Communication Technology and Innovation of Rwanda, in partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF), have launched the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) in Rwanda. 

According to a statement released to the media, C4IRs “shape new policies and strategies in technology governance that enable agile implementation and iteration via a fast-growing network of national and sub-national centres.” 

C4IR Rwanda will have a particular focus on data governance, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning... Read more

Waspito, a Cameroonian e-Health Startup, Has Raised $2.7 Million in Seed Funding

Waspito, a Cameroonian e-health firm, has acquired US$2.7 million in seed capital to expand its user base in Cameroon and into Ivory Coast.

An oversubscribed US$2.7 million seed investment led by Launch Africa Ventures, Newtown Partners via the Imperial Venture Fund, BLOC Smart Africa managed by Bamboo Capital Partners, Orange Ventures, Saviu Ventures, Plug and Play, and BringCom will fund the first stage of this development, which will see the company expand its coverage across Cameroon and launch in Ivory Coast.

Waspito, founded in 2020 by Jean... Read more

Telecom Egypt Secures €150m Loan to Expand Network

Telecom Egypt has signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to secure a loan of €150-million to expand its 4G broadband network. 

According to EIB, the operator plans to use the money to open a new development facility that will be used to deploy 2, 000 new mobile sites to upgrade coverage and installing additional capacity layers to its existing portfolio of mobile towers.

It added that the partnership, currently the EIB’s largest mobile network loan in Africa, will expand the network to cover less densely populated areas... Read more

Togolese Govt Looks to Spearhead Fibre Optic Deployment with €300m Investment

The Togolese government wants to borrow €300-million to drive deployment of fibre optic infrastructure and expand broadband coverage. This comes a week after the country connected to Google’s Equiano submarine cable, which is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of this year.

Telecommunications infrastructure company CSquared Woezon, already in position to manage the Equiano landing station in Togo, has been selected by the country’s government to deploy fibre optic infrastructure on the high voltage power... Read more

Visa opens its first Africa innovation studio in Nairobi

Visa has opened a new Innovation Studio in Nairobi, its first dedicated innovation site in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

According to the multinational financial services corporation the facility will serve the SSA region and joins a network of innovation centres operated by Visa since 2016, in cities including Dubai, San Francisco and Singapore.

The company said the new facility supports its commitment to promote innovation... Read more