AfICTA e-Newsletter (March 14th, 2020)

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AfICTA e-NEWSLETTER 

14/March/2020 Vol 84

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 join other group of concerned IT National Associations, Companies, Multinationals and Organisations in Africa to engender the delivery of the digital age for everyone in Africa.

AfICTA is a 32 member nations' alliance, recognized by African Union, with the vision to fulfill the promise of the digital age for everyone in Africa and to connect IT role players on the continent.

Edtech Summit 2020: Stakeholders to Fully Integrate Digital 

Technology into Learning Process

The Edtech Summit and Awards 2020 edition was organized by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with AFRITEX and partnership with AfICTA (Africa ICT Alliance) from 3rd - 4th of March, 2020 @ the Exhibition Pavilion by ICC, Abuja, Nigeria. The theme of Nigeria’s Largest Educational Summit was “Educational Technology and It’s Practical Application”

Educational Technology (EdTech) is Nigeria’s leading annual professional development conference and exhibition, focusing on Technology Integration Strategies, digital tools and resources, and emerging trends for teachers, administrators, and...  read more

Call to Join AfICTA Committee(s)

Dear AfICTA Members, I hope this finds you well. Upon review by the Board, it was agreed that the current committees should be reviewed. This is a notification to those who wish to contribute to the growth of the Alliance by show of interest to join a committee.

Pls click here to fill the AfICTA Committee form online.

Africa Information & Communication Technologies Alliance (A fICTA) is a concerned private sector led allicance of concerned ICT Associations, Multi-national Corporations, Companies, Organisations and Individuals in ICT sector in Africa.

Not a member yet? register here for free.

IGF 2020 Call for Workshop Proposals

All stakeholders are invited to submit proposals for workshops at the 15th Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) through the workshop application e-form. The deadline is 15 April 2020, 23:59 UTC.

Four Thematic Tracks in the IGF 2020 Programme

At its first face-to-face meeting in January, and following extensive discussions on a strategic, thematic direction for IGF activities in 2020, the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) identified four priority thematic tracks on which to build a focused and...  read more

NGO Community Urges ICANN to Exercise Independent Judgment as 

It Reviews the .ORG Sale

ICANN is reviewing the Internet Society's proposed sale of Public Interest Registry, the .ORG registry operator, to private equity firm Ethos Capital. ICANN effectively has the power to stop the sale by terminating PIR's Registry Agreement. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, NTEN, Consumer Reports, Americans for Financial Reform and several other organizations joined Monday's Public Forum at ICANN67 to ask questions about how ICANN plans to review the change of control of the .ORG registry to protect noncommercial users' interests.

To date, over 25,000 people and 839...  read more

To Grow a Digital Economy, Build an Internet for Everyone

Good broadband policy today is the key to a strong, thriving digital economy in the future. Broadband policy issues are often discussed as an afterthought or as a promising proposal for technological revolution with minimal investment.

Broadband policy is a smart investment – when done right. Done wrong, it leaves unaffordable data and handset costs – keeping people offline and limiting network coverage for entire communities or regions.

Broadband policy can help economies grow and address societal issues, but it needs. ..  read more

Coronavirus Knocks Smartphone Supply to Africa

Experts have said the continued embargo on China’s manufacturing sector over the COVID-19 outbreak (Coronavirus) will see a drop in smartphone shipments to Africa.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), the overall African smartphone market will shrink by 8.4% in Q1 2020 resulting in 48.7 million smartphone units.

“The closure of factories in China following the COVID-19 outbreak has severely disrupted the supply chain for components used in the production of...  read more

Ethiopia’s Internet Shutdown Triggers Response

Global NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the Ethiopia government should immediately lift its shutdown of internet and phone communications in the Oromia region of the country. 

The shutdown has been in place since 3 January 2020 and has affected mobile phone networks, landlines and internet services in western Oromia. 

According to HRW, the situation has prevented families from communicating and has contributed to an information blackout during government counter-insurgency in the area...  read more

2020 IWD: Google to train 20,000 women across Africa

In honour of 2020 International Women’s Day, Search Engine platform, Google, Monday, announced plans to double commitment to African women and aims to train 20,000 women this year.

According to Google, its new programme tagged: ‘Women Will,’ will train 5,000 women in 17 cities across Africa including Abeokuta, Abuja, Ado Ekiti, Ibadan, Yaba, Uyo and 5 other cities in Nigeria. Through this program, Google will empower participating women with Entrepreneurship, Workplace Readiness, Leadership and Technology Skills, starting with an empowerment drive in March and April... read more

New US$86-m Cable Lands in Kenya

The Djibouti Africa Region Express 1 is expected to bolster connectivity capacity within East Africa.The Djibouti Africa Region Express 1 is expected to bolster connectivity capacity within East Africa.

The fifth submarine cable, the Djibouti Africa Region Express 1 (DARE 1), has landed in Mombasa to bolster connectivity capacity within East Africa. The US$86-million cable, developed by Djibouti Telecom, Somtel and SubCom, features a 3-fibre pair offering 36Tb each and will offer redundancy to international internet traffic. It will be accessed via an express route from Djibouti to Mombasa, as well as another terminating ... read more

Google Advises all Employees to Work from Home due to Coronavirus

Google has advised all employees in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to work from home starting March 12th, expanding a recommendation sent Tuesday to North America-based employees to work from home until at least April 10th, Business Insider reported.

Google confirmed to The Verge that it has indeed sent this recommendation to its employees. Google had previously told employees in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dublin, and Seattle to work from home.

Google’s North America offices will remain open to workers if they... read more

Camtel Targets Greater Market Share with First GSM Rollout

State-owned telco Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel) is ready to fully deploy its first GSM network in a bid to secure more share of the market.

Camtel has a grip on just under 3% of the local telecommunications market, and has been overtaken by competitors MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroun and Viettel (Nexttel).

The telco offers Mobile CT-Phone based on CDMA technology since it began operations in 1998.

The government, via the Telecommunications Regulatory Board, recently granted the company three concession agreements... read more

MTC Namibia Pushes Network Modernization Agenda

The N$1.1-billion project was initiated in August 2017 and involves 17 local companies with the objective to improve access to telecommunications services.

The goal is to construct 524 telecom sites across the country, focusing on the provision of 3G in rural areas and 4G in urban areas.

The target for the first phase was to establish 111 sites, but this was surpassed with the successful deployment of 132 sites according to Tim Ekandjo, director of institutional affairs and spokesperson for MTC Namibia

“Of the 132 sites, 122 are in service and carrying traffic, ten others are already fully... read more

‘Customers Deserve more but Operators are Challenged’

Telecommunications subscribers, and indeed customers deserve the best of services for the sector to move forward, but operators are seriously challenged. 

This was the view of the Executive Vice-Chairman Signal Alliance, Collins Onuegbu, in a chat with The Guardian on Monday.

Onuegbu noted that customer service in the sector is still poor, “but if you look deeply into the industry, you will discover that no operator wouldn’t want to offer the best of service, but this terrain is tough, challenges everywhere ... read more

Ghana Set to Introduce QR Code end of March this year

Ghanaians will by the end of this month to enjoy the use of a universal QR (Quick Response) Code in transacting business as part of the country’s digital payment agenda, according to Ghana’s Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.

Giving his government’s firm assurance this time round at the maiden Mobile Technology for Development Conference in Accra, Dr. Bawumia reiterated that when officially launched, the new Universal QR Code will not only provide customers with an easy option for digital payment, but also allow merchants to receive digital payments without the use of Point of Sale ... read more

Nigeria NCC: 5G to Boost Socio-economic Development

Nigeria could derive huge socio-economic benefits from commercial deployment of 5G Networks, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said during a panel discussion hosted by the Commission at Social Media Week Lagos. 

At the NCC panel discussion which focused on, "5G Networks: Socioeconomic Benefits and Challenges", which was also attended by the Chairman, Board of Commissioners of NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande, participants had a lively conversation as they asked rational and piercing questions from the...  read more

Sisi Orders Expansion of Technological Universities in Egypt

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi ordered on Monday the expansion of technological universities across the nation, which he said provide the labor market with highly-skilled graduates.

The president made the remarks during a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar.

The meeting tackled means to develop the sector of higher education and scientific research in Egypt, as well as the establishment of governmental, international and technological universities, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said ... read more

Egypt Launches e-Waste Management System

The government has started setting a strategy to safely get rid of electronic waste and agriculture leftovers, simultaneously while launching its new solid waste collection system in different governorates.

The Ministry of Environment sets out the strategy in coordination with a number of concerned ministries. 

Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad stated that the ministry is working to solve the problem of different types of waste in parallel. She said that the ministry is coordinating with the Ministry of Telecommunications on a strategy to safely get rid of the electronic waste, which will be announced within two months... read more

World’s Largest Gaming Event E3 2020 Officially Cancelled

IT News Africa previously reported on the supposed cancellation of the Electronic Entertainment Expo – E3 – for 2020, with many publications stating that companies close to the event were in the process of pulling out as the cancellation announcements were soon expected. 

Not a few hours after the article was posted, E3 released a statement confirming the massive gaming and entertainment expo was officially canceled.

“After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our...  read more

Revoke SAFARICOM Airports WiFi Deal, Firm Says in Suit

An Internet Service Provider has sued the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) for contracting Safaricom to provide WiFi connections at airports.

Internet Solutions Limited, with a presence in African countries, has filed the suit at the High Court demanding that the Public Procurement and Administrative Review Board be ordered to revoke the tender.

It claims Safaricom was offered the deal and bid for the contract when its licence as an ICT service provider had expired.

The company has listed KAA... read more

Coronavirus: Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi Calls for Skype and VoIP Ban Lift

The ban on free Internet calling should be reconsidered as schools start using e-learning and companies allow people to work remotely, an Emirati academic and art collector said.

Lifting restrictions on Skype and voice over internet (VoIP) services would minimise the impact coronavirus could have, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi said on Wednesday.

“I highly recommend that the UAE now re-visits its ban on VoIP video calls in light of the spread of coronavirus," he wrote on Twitter, where he has almost 500,000 followers. .. read more

Emirati Zoo to use AI Technology to Save Rare Wildlife

Animal-identification software using skin and facial-recognition technology is being tested at Al Ain Zoo to help conserve vulnerable species.

Thousands of photos of the zoo’s collections of rare Arabian sand cats, Humboldt penguins and Dama gazelle have been taken to be fed into a new artificial intelligence-powered recognition programme.

The software allows zookeepers to take a mobile-phone photo of an animal that can then be paired with existing information within a zoo database.

The system will help keepers determine...  read more

African Fintech Startups to Benefit from $203m Accion Quona Inclusion Fund

Quona Capital, a venture firm focused on financial inclusion in emerging markets, has announced the final close of the Accion Quona Inclusion Fund at US$203 million in commitments from an array of leading investors.

Quona Capital, which has supported more than 20 financial technology companies expanding access for underserved consumers and small businesses in Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, has a strategic relationship with Accion, a global non-profit focused on microfinance and fintech impact investing ...   read more

Why African Tech Startups are Increasingly Domiciling Overseas

Debate rages over what constitutes an “African tech startup”, and one of the many reasons why an exact definition is so hard to agree on is a very simple one. Many of Africa’s most innovative tech startups are not actually incorporated on the continent.

From Andela and Flutterwave to Paga and Paystack, Africa’s quickest-growing companies, especially fintech ones, are choosing to domicile elsewhere. But where are they choosing to go, and what are the factors, both push and pull? 

Delaware calling. ..  read more

Ugandan Moto-taxi Startup SafeBoda Expands to Nigeria with Ibadan Launch

Ugandan on-demand motorcycle taxi app SafeBoda haas made Nigeria its third market with a launch in Ibadan, the country’s third city.

Initially launched in Kampala, SafeBoda connects passengers with motorcycle taxi drivers, while also offering additional financial services.

The startup expanded to Kenya in 2018, and raised an undisclosed Series B funding round in the middle of last year to help it deepen its platform and expand to additional new markets

Nigeria was always the primary target in that regard, and though the process has taken. .. read more

Ivory Coast e-Commerce Startup Afrikrea Raises $1m Funding Round

Ivory Coast-based e-commerce platform Afrikrea has secured a US$1 million funding round to grow its team and expand its online mobile marketplace.

Founded in 2016, Afrikrea is a marketplace for all things African-made, from fashion, art and handicraft to beauty and fabrics. Its community of over 5,000 designers have so far made US$5 million worth of sales across 101 countries.

The startup, which was one of the 10 from across the continent that competed in last year’s edition of Jack Ma’s Netpreneur Prize, has a partnership...  read more

YouTube Users can now Continue Playing Videos after Closing the App

Youtube on Wednesday launched two features in Nigeria that enable users to continue playing a YouTube video after the app is closed on their phones.

The new services – YouTube Music and YouTube Premium – is targeted at helping YouTube users experience music streaming and an ad-free experience. 

“We are excited to launch YouTube Music and Premium in Nigeria, giving fans and artists more opportunity to connect in a dedicated music experience,” says Dan Chalmers, Head of Music, YouTube EMEA. ..  read more

Free Cross-Border Payments App Chipper Cash Launches in South Africa

The payments company, which lauds itself for supporting no-fee cross-border payments, has been eyeing the South African market, following a Nigeria launch in September 2019.

This makes South Africa its sixth base in the content, having started operations in 2018. Besides Kenya, Chipper Cash is also present in Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ghana.

Chipper Cash has main offices in Nairobi and Ghana. Headquartered in San Francisco, Chipper Cash offers P2P payments. ..  read more

Cameroon Bets on Tech Apps for Road Safety

Tech start-ups are offering smart solutions to tackle poor road safety track records in Cameroon, but it's not an easy journey ahead.

Achiri Arnold Nji, 30, founded the app, Traveler in 2016. It uses sensor and GPS technology to monitor the safety standards of vehicles.

Companies running fleets of buses or taxis have shown interest in the app to monitor their drivers.

Passengers, on the other hand, can alert authorities in case of an accident... read more