AfICTA e-Newsletter (February 15th, 2021)

 Newsletter Subscription                        Join AfICTA 

AfICTA e-NEWSLETTER

15/February/2021 Vol 103

Africa ICT Champion Award 2020 Presentation to 

Mr. Hassanein Tawfiq in Egypt

The AfICTA's delegation led by the Immediate Past Chairman - IPC, Engr. Hossam Elgamal and the North African Vice Chairman, Engr. Assem Wahby organized a presentation ceremony of the Africa ICT Champion Award 2020 to the Chairman of the Advanced Computer Technology - ACT, Mr. Hassanein Tawfiq on Thursday, 4th February 2021 in Egypt.

Mr. Hassanein Tawfiq won the election that qualifies him as the 2020 award winner with over 75% of the ballots cast in his favour. Please watch the award presentation clip here

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 32 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.

Apply Now for ICANN Leadership Positions

The Nominating Committee (NomCom) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) invites interested individuals to submit applications for key leadership positions within ICANN. Selected individuals will have a unique opportunity to work with accomplished colleagues from around the globe to help shape the Internet's technical coordination and policy development.

The deadline to submit applications is 18 March 2021 at 23:59 Universal Coordinated Time (UTC)... Read more

Social Media Networks Restored In Uganda…Except Facebook

Except for Facebook, Ugandan authorities have announced the restoration of social media networks that were blocked a day before the 14 January 2021 general elections.

While the internet was restored on 18 January after President Yoweri Museveni was declared winner in the disputed polls, social media platforms have remained inaccessible.

Authorities cited security concerns for the shutdown and a move to combat “elements that were a threat to the credibility of the elections.” 

Museveni accused social media platforms of being biased and arrogant following Facebook’s...  read more

Veeam Ups its Stake in Cloud Services for Africa

Veeam Software, an established provider of backup solutions that deliver Cloud Data Management, has announced its expansion of public cloud support with the general availability of NEW Veeam Backup for Google Cloud Platform – completing Veeam’s support for all three major public cloud providers.

According to the company, with the majority of organisations now running hybrid or multi-cloud environments and 72% of those using public cloud currently having more than one vendor in place, Google Cloud is one of the top five-largest public cloud infrastructure providers worldwide.

“With this new offering, Veeam delivers... read more

Airtel Zambia, UNCDF Announce Last Mile Distribution Project

Airtel Zambia and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) have announced a collaboration to roll out the ‘Last Mile Distribution’ project designed to extend Airtel money services to rural areas.

The two organisations said the partnership is integral to building a cashless economy in rural areas, to support government’s efforts to curb COVID-19 and improve the circulation of money and strengthen digital financial services.

According to a statement issued by Airtel, the project will be implemented in the country’s six...  read more

Luno Says Funds are Safe in Nigeria After Crypto Crackdown

South African-founded Luno and other crypto-currency firms have halted deposits in naira after the Nigerian government cracked the whip on crypto-currency players in the West African country.

This after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Friday last week issued a directive to Nigerian banks to close all crypto-currency-related accounts.

It warned that any breach to this directive will “attract severe regulatory sanctions”. In response, Luno says it is aware of the circular issued by the CBN advising financial institutions in the country to close bank accounts held by crypto-currency service... read more

Cameroon Govt Says Cryptocurrencies being Used to Fund Terrorism

Authorities in Cameroon believe cryptocurrencies are being used to finance acts of terrorism in the country. 

According to a recently published report sourced from Cameroon’s Ministry of Finance, the National Risk Assessment for Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, based on intelligence agencies, between 2014 and 2018, at least 160 billion francs CFA was illegally circulated into the country to finance terrorism. The amount is not exhaustive as cryptocurrency operations are encrypted.

The report indicates that the funds were channeled to rebels in the restive English-speaking...  read more

Orange Contracted to Help Cameroon Digitise Tax Payments

Orange Money subscribers in Cameroon and those entitled to pay their tax at Divisional Tax Centres can now process payments via their mobile phones.

This is according to the Directorate General of Taxation (DGI) following a deal secured between the country’s government and Orange Cameroon to utilise the Orange Money platform to assist in tax declaration and payment for the 2021 fiscal year.

Orange Cameroon will collect the tax via its platform and pay the money directly into the state treasury. In line with Cameroon’s 2021 Finance Law, officials plan to recruit the services...  read more

Egypt’s Plan to Tap into Telecoms and Increase GDP

Egypt intends to revamp its telecommunications and technology, through increased investment flows and cooperation with countries such as Belarus and increase the amount the industry contributes towards the country’s GDP.

Buoyed by fast growth rates for the ICT sector in the past two years, the North African country is seeking closer cooperation with Belarus for tech systems and platforms such as cyber-security.

Egypt’s ICT Minister, Amr Talaat, said yesterday that the government has set a target which will see telecommunications contribute up to 8% to GDP in the next three years from the current 4.4%... read more

Lesotho, Zimbabwe Invest in Data Analytics to Combat Network Fraud

The Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) and the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) have begun the implementation of a new system to monitor national and international telecommunications traffic.

According to a statement released to the media, the system will help to increase revenue assurance, combat network fraud and enforce billing integrity across all communication networks available in the country and shall be provided by leading regulatory technology developer and big data analytics organisation Global Voice Group (GVG).

"With these partnerships, GVG enables... read more

Meet the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of Africa’s Digital Marketing

It takes guts to even attempt to become Africa’s ‘go-to people’ in the world of digital marketing. Wizardry in digital technology aside, to be considered a serious contender requires unrivalled knowledge of the dynamics involved in B2B and B2C marketing, in digital transformation and its impact on all types of businesses – not to mention oodles of patience. The South African-born, global independent digital marketing services group Incubeta says it is more than up to the task. 

Since its inception in Cape Town in 1995, Incubeta has expanded rapidly, acquiring several digital and media companies including Clicks2Customers in 2011, as well as UK-based NetMediaPlanet... read more

Vodacom Tanzania Preps to Pay Out M-Pesa Customers

Vodacom Tanzania has announced it will pay a total of TZS 3,928,312,789 (US$1.6-million) in dividend to its M-Pesa customers who have used the service over the past year.

The company said the dividend payment covers the first quarter of the company’s financial year.

Vodacom’s M-Commerce Director Epimack Mbeteni said that the profit will be paid to all individual customers, retail agents and other M-Pesa business partners who will receive payment based transactions made via their mobile wallets. “Our mobile money service, M-Pesa, continues to be a remarkable success... read more

Cyber-Attacks in Kenya Up By Half to Hit 56m in Three Months

Cyber attacks on Kenyan organisations rose by nearly 50 percent in the last three months of 2020 compared to a similar period the previous year, a new data shows. 

This came at a time when organisations adopted remote working systems as well as ecommerce tools amid Covid-19 lockdown measures. The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) data shows that more than 56 million cyber threats were detected nationwide in comparison to 37.1 million in 2019.

“A majority of the threats were malware attacks at 46 million, followed by web application attacks at 7.8 million while 2.2 million Distributed Denial of... read more

The Year (almost) Everything Went Online: Highlights from 2020

2020 was a year like no other. In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, the lack of affordable access and meaningful connectivity prevented billions from keeping children enrolled in school through virtual classes, maintaining business activity, and staying informed on the latest health information and advice. The current public health emergency has revealed the reality of digital inequality – one we at A4AI have been aware of – highlighting that, now, more than ever, urgent action is needed. 

Despite many challenges, A4AI had a busy and productive year, and we are proud of the strides we made in 2020 to achieve internet access for all. Here we share highlights of our. .. read more

Pushing the Boundaries: A4AI’s 2021 Annual Plan

Following the year like no other and recognising that Covid-19 will continue to impact our lives for the near future, A4AI will step up its efforts this year to connect the remaining half of the world still not online. In 2021, we will advocate for affordable and meaningful connectivity, support our policy advocacy efforts with robust research and evidence, and showcase policy in action through our country engagements and technical assistance work.

This year, A4AI will focus on four strategic areas to achieve our mission to work with businesses, governments, and civil society actors globally to deliver the policies needed to reduce the cost. ... read more

Nigeria Minister Outlines Benefits of National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has outlined the benefits the country will get from its National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre.

Speaking at the Ground-breaking ceremony of the Centre, located in Abuja today, Pantami said the centre illustrates another giant leap towards the development of Nigeria’s digital economy and diversification of the country’s economy.

“The Centre will be based on the 'live, work and learn’ concept. The activities at the centre align with 6 out of the 8 pillars of our National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria...  read more

Nigeria active Telephony Subscriber’s Base Falls by 3,306 million in December

Nigeria’s total active number of telephony subscribers has decreased to 204,601million in December compared to 207,907million in November.

This means a slight decrease in 3,306million subscribers. Teledensity also had a slight fall to 107.18% in the month under review when compared to 108.92% in November 2020.

The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) latest monthly industry report indicates a slight fall in market share among the major licensed GSM operators with 204,228,678 subscribers in the month under review ... read more

NetPlus Unveils Android-based POS Devices to Ease Payments for Merchants

Electronic payments company, NetPlusDotCom has unveiled its Android-based Point-of-Sale devices, NetPOS Pro and Mini to facilitate a variety of secure payments for merchants across Nigeria.

The devices were launched at an online event hosted by NetPlus on Wednesday. Both devices come certified by the Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems (NIBSS). 

While speaking during the launch, NetPlus CEO, Wole Faroun explained that the NetPOS devices have been designed to cater to the increased demand for e-payment solutions in Nigeria. read more

Twitter Expenses Grew 19% to $3.69bn in 2020 due to COVID-19 Disruptions

Twitter finished 2020 strongly by adding a revenue of $1.29 billion during the fourth quarter. However, its strong gains were overshadowed by its increasing expenses.

The social media giant generated a total of $3.72 billion during the year but spent a whopping $3.69 billion on running cost and expenditure. Its expenditure was a significant 19% more than that of last year.

The increase in spending was driven by initial disruption and adjustments necessitated by the pandemic...   read more

Nigeria: What the CBN’s Crypto Order Means for You Going forward

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ordered Commercial Banks and other licenced financial institutions to, with immediate effect, stop facilitating transactions for cryptocurrency exchanges in Nigeria.

The apex bank stated this in a circular released on Friday, February 5, 2020, which also orders banks to close the accounts of any persons or entities found making any cryptocurrency transaction or operating a cryptocurrency exchange.

The CBN addressed the directive to Deposit Money Banks, Non-bank financial institutions, other financial institutions, and the public, alluding to the risks involved in cryptocurrency... read more

NIN to Replace BVN, MTN’s $121m Sale, Twitter Subscription Plans

The Update: The Nigerian government has stated that it wants to replace the Bank Verification Number (BVN) with the National Identification Number (NIN). In the words of Dr Isa Ali Pantami, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and the Digital Economy, it is a crime to open a Bank Account in Nigeria without a NIN.

According to the Minister, the BVN is a banking policy while the NIN is backed by law, so he’s urging the CBN to prioritise the NIN over the BVN.

Gazing at recent history? In 2014, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced the BVN, a biometric technology with a secure unique identifier. .. read more

Ghanaian Agritech Startup, Agrocenta Raises $790k Pre-series A

Ghanaian Agritech startup, Agrocenta has raised $790,000 pre-series A funding. The investors that took part in the round include Shell Foundation, FCDO, AV Ventures and Rabo Foundation.

Chief executive officer, Francis Obirikorang, and co-founder Michael Ocansey founded Agrocenta in 2015 and they operate a mobile merchanting platform that provides market information, storage and delivery solutions to smallholder farmers in Ghana.

The company claims the registered farmers on its app, CropChain, has rapidly grown from 3,000 to 48,000. These farmers handle crops like maize... read more

SoftWork is Changing the Game of Freelancing in Africa

It’s quite interesting meeting young Nigerian professionals who are concerned with the rate of unemployment in the country especially among the youths, and now ready to proffer solutions as they have taken time to develop a software that connects freelancers to employers.

It links freelancers to your choice of work or projects at your doorpost. There is also an aspect of the software that protects both freelancers and employers in terms of payment for service.

This is first of its kind trending in the social media space to benefit skilled and qualified Nigerians seeking employment ... read more