AfICTA e-Newsletter (August 26th, 2021)

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AfICTA e-NEWSLETTER

26/August/2021 Vol 117

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.

Attend the 25th Cairo ICT Event

Fast approaching!

The 25th Cairo ICT Event is set to hold at the Egypt International Exhibition Center, New Cairo from Nov 15-18, 2021 with the slogan "The Digital Challenge". Kindly register now and mark your calendar for adequate plan to attend.

What makes Cairo ICT unique is its magical blend of technologies, industries, audience, spearheaded with a far-sighted vision about what is needed in the Middle East & Africa. Cairo ICT is the Tech event that serves national objectives, businesses, development, and human resources.... Read more

ICANN 2021 Nominating Committee Announces Leadership Selections

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) 2021 Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the selections for nine leadership positions as follows:

ICANN Board of Directors: Edmon Chung (Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands) Danko Jevtović (Europe) Tripti Sinha (North America) 

At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC): Raymond Selorm Mamattah (Africa), Laura Margolis (Latin America and the Caribbean), Rao Naveed Bin Rais (Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands), ... Read more

Call for Nominations for the ‎2022 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) and the MAG Chair

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) established by the ‎United Nations Secretary-General in 2006, is ‎instrumental in planning the programme of the annual ‎IGF.‎ 

On behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General, we are inviting nominations from all ‎stakeholder and regional groups for the 2022 IGF MAG and the MAG Chair according to the ‎established ‎principles and practices of MAG rotation and selection of its members. The MAG terms ‎of reference, including individual member responsibilities... Read more

Revised Dates for ICANN72 Virtual Annual General Meeting

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced that the ICANN72 Virtual Annual General Meeting, initially scheduled to begin on 23 October 2021, will now be held from 25 to 28 October 2021. ICANN72 Prep Week is scheduled for 12-14 October. Registration for ICANN72 is open and you must register to participate.

The ICANN72 schedule will be published on 4 October 2021 and registration is required to view the schedule. Those interested in attending the virtual meeting are encouraged to visit the event website to learn more about the meeting time... read more

Huawei, Mondia Pay ink deal to focus on Algeria, Tunisia

Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) has inked a partnership with digital payment services provider Mondia Pay to provide Ooredoo Algeria and Orange Tunisia users with payment options.

According to the companies, Huawei device users can now pay for their monthly services, latest games, and favourite applications seamlessly on Huawei AppGallery using Direct Carrier Billing services (DCB). 

With over 2.1 billion global monthly transactions, Mondia Pay aims to provide users in North Africa with secure, convenient, and contactless... read more

Register for the Third IGF 2021 Open Consultations and MAG Meeting

The third IGF 2021 Open Consultations and MAG Meeting would be hosted in a hybrid format from the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland from 29 September to 1 October 2021.

To attend register Now

UN Presses Cameroon to Fast-track Digital Plans

Cameroon has to move quickly with financing in order to strengthen the country’s broadband connectivity. This is according to Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). 

Songwe recently met with Cameroon’s Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, to help chart plans to foster innovative financing, digital transformation and industrial clustering. In its Digital Economy Strategy Plan developed in 2015, Cameroon already laid emphasis on the construction... read more

Botswana Intros Mobile Device Verification Guidelines to Stamp out Fraud

The Botswana Communication Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) has issued type approval verification guidelines for SIM-enabled devices to regulate access to the country’s telecommunications system network. 

BOCRA spokesperson Aaron Nyelesi said the guidelines are meant to protect the ICT networks and the consumers against adverse effects of widespread “non-type approved counterfeit and substandard devices.” The intention is to ensure that only registered devices are used on public networks. “All interested parties involved in the SIM-enabled device... read more

Botswana Looks to Fast-track e-Learning Strategy

Botswana’s has announced plans to get senior secondary schools ready for e-learning during the 2021/22 financial year.

The country’s Minister of Basic Education, Fidelis Molao told parliament that the government has partnered with various stakeholders, including the Botswana Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) and the Universal Access and Service Fund, to build and supply ICT infrastructure to connect schools to high-speed internet. 

“We are currently working on a project to procure ICT devices for all learners and teachers in... read more

New Alliance Looks to Bolster Financial Inclusivity in Cameroon

Mobile financial services technology company VYZYO, and the national provider of postal and financial services in Cameroon CAMPOST have entered into a partnership to deploy and operate digital payment and mobile financial services throughout Cameroon. 

According to information supplied to the media, VYZYO will initially deploy its VYZYOPay solution for CAMPOST.

The mobile financial services technology platform will enable CAMPOST to securely rollout and manage digital payments for government services... read more

Tanzania Advances on Regional Tech Hub Ambitions

Tanzania has initiated feasibility studies to ascertain the possibility of connecting the DRC to its National Information and Communications Technology Broadband Backbone (NICTBB). 

Tanzania’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr Faustine Ndugulile said the objective was to establish the East African country as a communication hub for the East and Southern African regions. The NICTBB has already been extended to Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda... read more

Kenya Looks to Scale Broadband Connectivity Across all Schools by 2030

Nokia has linked up with Safaricom, UNICEF and the Kenyan Ministries of Education and ICT, to connect close to 90 schools to the internet in the East African country.

The initiative aims to ‘connect the unconnected’, with the ultimate goal of supporting the Kenyan government’s plans to scale broadband connection to all schools by 2030. The connected schools are spread across rural and informal urban settlements in Kenya, serving an estimated 32,670 students... read more

Zambia’s New Administration Reinstates Banned Channel

Less than a week after Zambia announced a change in government after the general elections, the country’s Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) has agreed to reissue a broadcasting licence to Prime Television Zambia after it was withdrawn in April 2020 after allegedly refusing to air COVID-19 massages free of charge.

At the time, former Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya issued a directive that all government entities cease business with the station and that it be closed. It was subsequently... read more

Five Reasons Companies Should Use Hybrid

This year is being defined by businesses attempting to recover, build better resilience and restructure their operations following change as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The ability to adapt to the new world of work and the additional challenges that now lie ahead will be the defining factor for those who will maintain business success – and those who won’t.

Although companies had previously set long-term goals for their digital transformation, the pandemic... read more

Rwanda Jails 8 Kenyans in Equity Bank Hacking

Eight Kenyans arrested in Rwanda for hacking Equity Bank have been handed eight-year jail terms and fined Sh5.6 million.

The eight are part of a 12-man gang arrested in 2019 by the Rwandan Investigation Bureau (RIB) that included three Rwandese nationals and a Ugandan. 

Regional security teams had trailed the gang linked to bank hacking attempts in Kenya and Uganda and had notified Rwandan officials when they set... read more

Digitisation to be Fast-tracked as Botswana Post’s CEO Gets PAPU Appointment

Botswana Post Chief Executive Officer, Cornelius Ramatlhakwane, has been appointed Vice Chairperson of the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) CEO Postal Forum for a 2-year tenure.

With this elevation, Botswana and sub-Saharan Africa is expected to benefit immensely especially in the areas of stakeholder cooperation.

Speaking on this development the entity’s communications manager Tshepo Maphanyane said his presence at PAPU is expected to... read more

Nokia Connects 90 Primary Schools to the Internet Across Kenya

Today it was announced that Nokia has come together with multiple stakeholders, including Safaricom, UNICEF and the Kenyan Ministries of Education and ICT, to connect close to 90 schools to the internet in Kenya. 

Both rural and disadvantaged urban settlements have benefitted from the initiative, which also supports digitization and digital literacy. The initiative aims to ‘connect the unconnected’, with the ultimate goal of supporting the Kenyan Government’s plans to scale broadband connection to all schools by 2030... read more

Why Adoption of IoT Technology Rises in Nigeria

Executive Chairman of IoT Africa, Lare Ayoola, has said that the number of companies across different sectors of the Nigerian economy adopting emerging technologies like the internet of things (IoT) will continue to grow due to the immense capabilities the technology bring into business operations.

Ayoola said that many business executives and managers have assessed and accepted the increased awareness IoT create to the security and efficient running of their businesses. The industries keen on the adoption of IoT, according to him, include agriculture... read more