AfICTA e-Newsletter (June 2nd, 2021)

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AfICTA e-NEWSLETTER

02/June/2021 Vol 110

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 34 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.

First Egyptian Virtual Matchmaking in 2021!

Dear African companies,

EiTESAL, representing the Egyptian ICT industry, is calling the African companies to connect with the Egyptian industry.

Join our international matchmaking event to meet the Egyptian ICT companies:

 - Create Win-Win partnerships 

 - Export your products/services

Our Intercontinental cooperation will empower the African ICT industry. 

Join Now and be a part of this huge matchmaking.

Call for Expressions of Interest: ICANN 2022 NomCom Chair and Chair-Elect

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) organization is seeking Expressions of Interest for the Chair and Chair-Elect of the 2022 Nominating Committee (NomCom).

Expressions of Interest, which will be maintained as confidential, should be sent to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than 23 June 2021. A suggested form for submitting an Expression of Interest is available here.

The NomCom Chair is responsible for organizing the NomCom in its activities to select certain... Read more

NextGen@ICANN Application Round for ICANN72 has been extended

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) today announced that the deadline to submit applications for the NextGen@ICANN program at ICANN72 has been extended through 14 June 2021. 

ICANN wants to hear from regional university students who are interested in the future of the Internet and participating in the ICANN72 Annual General Meeting. ICANN72 is scheduled to be held in Seattle from 23 to 28 October 2021. If ICANN72 is held as a virtual meeting, all NextGen@ICANN program activities will be conducted online. ... read more

IGF 2021 Call to Apply for Remote Hubs

Online participation, and specifically the hubs structure, have been successful in previous IGFs. This time again you can follow the discussions from home or office; watch the webcast of the event; follow real-time closed captioning; and participate live. You can register as an individual online participant. Or you can also expand the discussions and organize an IGF HUB in your city!

DISCLAIMER: Remote Hubs are the responsibility of the local organizers and should be held in accordance to the local rules, regulations and advice of the local health authorities with... read more

Nigeria’s Gokada Speeds Up Growth to Tap into Potential US$20bn Market

Nigeria-based last mile delivery, logistics and transportation start-up Gokada has launched a ‘Super App’ where customers can access food delivery, ecommerce, and ride hailing services in one app. 

According to the start-up, it has crossed over the USS$100-million in annualised transaction value, having completed over one million food delivery and ecommerce orders on behalf of over 30,000 merchants in the last 12 months alone.

The company said with increasing... read more

Tanzania Launches Tender as it Looks to Cement Smartphone Assembly Plant

In a bid to reduce the high cost of smartphones and extend the national optic fibre backbone to 80% internet users by 2025, Tanzania has released a tender inviting mobile phone manufacturing companies to apply for accreditation to establish a smartphone assembly plant in the country.

According to the tender, the plant will be set up under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement between the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) and a single company or a consortium of companies... read more

Angolan Government Looks to Sell Majority Stake in Net One

The government of Angola has initiated plans to sell the 51% stake it indirectly holds in telecommunications firm Net One. The Angolan Institute of Assets and Participations of the State (IGAPE) officially opened a tender limited by previous qualification to sell the government’s stake.

IGAPE said the government is choosing to achieve privatisation of the telecommunications firm and that the process is guided by Law No. 10/19 of 14 May - Law of Privatisation Bases. ... read more

Central Bank Digital Curency Disruption

The increased adoption pace of digital technologies is forcing countries to adapt Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

This has made many decision-makers to set up mechanisms for change in the past five months. A move that will completely disrupt the financial systems.

A special report by Fitch Rating insinuates that the rise of private digital payment platforms with strong network effect could “create oligopolies among payment-system providers... read more

Burkina Faso Switches from IPv4 to IPv6

Burkina Faso, a West African nation of 21.2 million people, will begin switching from IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) to IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6), reports from the capital Ouagadougou said last week, ahead of the signing Friday by the digitalisation ministry of a memorandum of understanding with the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), aimed at launching the process.

Launched in 1990 and adopted afterwards to replace IPv4 in 1998, IPv6 will help internet users (individuals and organisations) in Burkina Faso to... read more

Ghana: Re-registration of SIM Cards and SIM Enable Devices Starts in June

The re-registration of SIM Cards and SIM-enabled devices are expected to start in June and end in December this year, according to the Minister of Communication and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.

This means subscribers of the various networks in the country will have seven months window to have their SIM cards and SIM-enabled devices re-registered to enjoy usage.

Announcing the upcoming development at the just ended 5th CEO summit in Accra... read more

US Dollar Mobile Wallets Key to Ethiopia’s Mobile Money Future

The World Bank believes that the availability of US Dollar denominated mobile money accounts will be key for Ethiopia - which has just licensed its first mobile wallet - given the high levels of inflation and exchange rate volatility, as well as high demand for mobile remittance receipts.

Safaricom, part of the consortium that won a bid to build and operate Ethiopia’s first private mobile network, expects to roll out a mobile wallet one year after its licensing, in line with the Ethiopian government’s position... read more

Tackling Digital Inequalities Needs a People Centred Approach – Here’s How

Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, we have seen the impact of deep inequalities within and between countries. While some countries are rolling out vaccines and preparing to open up their economies, others are facing a devastating resurgence of Covid-19 with no vaccines to distribute. Similarly, while meaningful connectivity has allowed many of us to enjoy the internet’s most powerful features, almost half the world has been without this lifeline. Today, with more essential services online, people need meaningful connectivity to access vaccines, healthcare, education and commerce. 

That is why the UN’s first-ever High-Level... read more

Can Free Phones Close the Digital Gender Divide?

The gender gap in mobile phone ownership is well-documented. For years now, the financial inclusion community has been trying to get phones into the hands of more women at the last mile — spurred on by mounting evidence that mobile money can increase women’s financial resilience, expand their economic opportunities and improve their intra-household bargaining power. While these efforts have undeniably increased women’s access to phones, it’s less clear to what extent the beneficiaries of these programs are using phones to improve their lives.

A common approach to improving... read more

Further Hike in Tech Prices Forecast as Chip Shortage Lingers

Global chipmaker Intel says it could take a couple of years for the electronic component shortages in the semiconductor ecosystem.

A huge global demand for tech products, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic – combined with supply chain disruptions – has led to massive shortages in the semiconductor ecosystem that has placed a huge strain on global supply chains around the world.

In some areas, the decrease in ICT supply has been caused by manufacturers redirecting their... read more

Germany Launches DeveloPPP Ventures to Invest in Kenya’s Start-up Ecosystem

Germany’s Federal Development Ministry (BMZ), together with Seedstars and NaiLab, is launching an entrepreneurial support program, DeveloPPP Ventures, that will avail grant of up to €100,000 to start-ups in Kenya.

Via a matching-funds model, Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG) provides grant financing for growth investments of start-ups that have achieved a proof of concept and are ready to scale.

Development Minister Gerd Müller... read more