Airtel | TechCabal https://techcabal.com/tag/airtel/ Leading Africa’s Tech Conversation Thu, 11 Apr 2024 13:33:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://techcabal.com/wp-content/uploads/tc/2018/10/cropped-tcbig-32x32.png Airtel | TechCabal https://techcabal.com/tag/airtel/ 32 32 Airtel Africa cuts debt, lowers costs through share buyback from Citigroup https://techcabal.com/2024/04/11/airtel-buys-back-8-6m-shares-from-citigroup/ https://techcabal.com/2024/04/11/airtel-buys-back-8-6m-shares-from-citigroup/#respond Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:33:55 +0000 https://techcabal.com/?p=132027 Airtel Africa has bought back 8.6 million ordinary shares from Citigroup Global Markets Limited as part of a share buyback plan that began in February 2024. 

The second largest mobile network operator in Nigeria said the programme’s primary objective was to reduce share capital which in turn cuts down Airtel’s debt obligations and cost of operations which has grown in recent times. 

Segun Ogunsanya, CEO of Airtel Africa, claims Airtel’s businesses have generated significant cash hence the decision of the board to launch a share buy-back programme. 

“The board believes that repurchasing its shares is an attractive use of its capital in light of the Group’s strong long-term growth outlook,” said Segun Ogunsanya, CEO of Airtel Africa. 

The buy-back programme kicked off on March 1, 2024, and involves the repurchase of $100 million worth of the company’s shares in 12 months. 

The programme is divided into two tranches with the first tranche worth $50 million running for a period of 7 months – from March to August 2024.

The latest transaction between Airtel and Citigroup involves the repurchase of 487,985 ordinary shares at a weighted average price of £103.94 ($131.70) per share. 

Airtel Africa has struggled to stay profitable due to macroeconomic challenges in Nigeria, its largest market on the continent. The company’s financial statement showed revenue dropped by 21.96% to $1.24 billion in December 2023, from $1.59 billion due to the fall of the naira affecting Airtel’s conversion rates. Airtel recently took steps to reduce its high operating costs like outsourcing most of its tower operations to IHS Towers. The buy-back programme also helps the company reduce its debt obligations as it seeks other ways to maintain profitability. 

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👨🏿‍🚀TechCabal Daily – Telkom loses 800,000 subscribers https://techcabal.com/2024/03/14/techcabal-daily-telkom-loses-800000-subscribers/ https://techcabal.com/2024/03/14/techcabal-daily-telkom-loses-800000-subscribers/#respond Thu, 14 Mar 2024 05:30:00 +0000 https://techcabal.com/?p=130473

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If you’re often missing TC Daily in your inbox, check your Promotions folder and move any edition of TC Daily from “Promotions” to your “Main” or “Primary” folder and TC Daily will always come to you.

Space

Nigeria’s satellite launch plans put on hold

While Nigeria’s space ambitions face a temporary setback, its achievements shouldn’t be forgotten. Launched in 2003, NigeriaSat-1, Nigeria’s first earth observation satellite supported disaster responses in Argentina, Paraguay, and West Africa before its decommissioning in 2014.

Its impact also extended to vital mapping projects in the Amazon rainforest and Vietnam’s coastlines.

Nigeria’s space programme has a history of reaching out a hand from beyond Earth’s atmosphere. However, ambitious plans to launch a Nigerian astronaut and a domestically-built satellite in 2025 have been put on hold.

Why? The Director-General of Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr Halilu Shaba, disclosed that the agency’s ambitious plan to launch a satellite by 2025 hit a financial roadblock

Additionally, launching an astronaut into space is currently deemed economically unfeasible. NASRDA anticipates it may take up to five years to secure a launch slot, making immediate astronaut training impractical. Despite the delay, NASRDA maintains its 25-year plan to send a Nigerian astronaut into space and launch an indigenous satellite from Nigeria. The agency projects significant growth potential for Nigeria’s space industry, aiming for a valuation of up to $1 billion.

Zoom out: Meanwhile,NigeriaSat-2, another earth observation satellite launched in 2011, remains functional, providing high-resolution imaging for various purposes. NASRDA utilised it for estimating population and partnered with China to monitor earth tremors in Nigeria and across Africa.

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Telecoms

Airtel Money eyes IPO

African mobile mobile money providers have experienced a surge in investment in recent times. Two years after its $100 million investment in Airtel Money, Mastercard acquired a minor stake in MTN’s mobile money arm.

In 2021, Airtel hinted at a possible public offering for its fintech arm after receiving investments from TPG—$200 million—and Mastercard—$100 million—valuing the unit at $2.65 billion.

Now, Airtel’s mobile money arm might be ready to go public. Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that Airtel Africa is exploring taking its mobile money unit public, with a potential valuation surpassing $4 billion. 

Talks of the IPO are in preliminary stages and the company may decide against going public.

Airtel Money is Airtel Africa’s fastest-growing arm. While Airtel 2023 profits plunged by almost 99%—recording $2 million in profits compared with $523 million it made in 2022—due to currency devaluation, its mobile money arm recorded a 31.8% revenue growth. 

The telecom currently offers its mobile money services in 14 African countries. In Nigeria, it competes with MTN Momo, while it is dwarfed by competition from Kenya’s mobile money giant, MPesa. Last year, it received approval to allow customers to transact up to KES 500,000 ($3,400) up from KES 300,000 ($2085) which it was previously allowed to do. 

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Telecom

Telkom loses 800,000 subscribers

Telkom’s race to become Kenyans telecom choice has hit another roadblock. 

Over the years, the telecom has tried to keep pace with Safaricom—who holds the largest market share with 65 million subscribers—and Airtel with 18 million subscribers, for the largest slice of Kenya’s telecom market. However, financial troubles and a declining user count means that the dream is fast becoming out of reach. 

Between March 2022 and June 2023, Telkom lost 1.62 million subscribers due to a crackdown on irregularly registered SIM cards.

New reports show that Telkom has lost about 800,000 more subscribers due to unpaid leasing fees to American Towers Corporation (ATC). 

ATC switched off 246 Telkom towers in February after it defaulted on leasing fees. Currently Telkom owes the ATC about KES 7.1 billion ($51.7 million). Both parties entered an agreement two years before. 

ATC asked Telkom for an initial payment of KES 500 million ($3.6 million) and a monthly payment of KES 150 million ($1.09 million) to reactivate the towers. Telkom said it was unable to pay the debts due to its financial struggles. 

Telkom’s mobile subscribers count as of December 2023 had dropped to 1.3 million down from 3 million.

Before now, Telkom owned and managed its towers before it sold about 723 to the ATC in 2018. At the time, the telecom said the move would “enhance the quality and reliability of our network to benefit our customers.” It now appears the move might have served the wrong purpose. 

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Fintech

Interswitch merges with M-Kudi, eyes PSB licence in Nigeria

Africa’s fintech leader, Interswitch, isn’t content with just being a payments powerhouse. After its surprise foray into Nigeria’s telecom sector via a Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) licence acquisition in May 2023, its ambitions haven’t stopped there.

Its latest move involves a merger with mobile money provider M-Kudi, to acquire a Payment service Bank (PSB) licence from Nigeria’s central bank.

What’s the deal? Currently, Interswitch focuses on processing payments. The merger with M-Kudi—subject to regulatory approval—will allow Interswitch to create accounts and hold customer deposits. With a PSB license, the company will also be able to receive foreign currencies for its customers and offer agency banking services.

Aside getting regulatory approval for the PSB licence, a challenge Interswitch will have to face is convincing Nigerians who are known for being cautious about adopting new financial products.

Heating up competition: Interswitch isn’t alone. Considering its recent foray into the telecoms sector, entering the PSB market means facing established players like MTN MoMo, whose PSB wallet base reportedly has 5.3 million monthly active users. However, Interswitch’s established presence in Nigeria, where it derives 94% of its revenue could be an advantage.


NVIDIA GTC Conference

NVIDIA GTC returns on March 18–21, 2024 to San Jose, California and virtually. It is renowned for being the premier AI event that brings together the brightest minds in the technology industry. 

Register now.

Crypto Tracker

The World Wide Web3

Source:

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Coin Name

Current Value

Day

Month

Bitcoin $73,220

+ 3.01%

+ 46.42%

Ether $3,996

+ 1.16%

+ 51.12%

Tether USDt

$1.00

+ 0.03%

– 0.01%

BNB $607.76

+ 12.81%

+ 87.58%

* Data as of 11:23 PM WAT, March 13, 2024.

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Opportunities

  • In partnership with Spurt!, Oui Capital is hosting the 2nd edition of the African Amazon Masterclass for female founders taking bold steps to build & execute on the African continent.  Apply by March 18
  • In collaboration with AfriGloCal VC, a venture capital firm building the African future by investing in entrepreneurs with global perspectives and innovative solutions, Lagos Innovates unveils its latest initiative, the Female Founders & Funders Program, an incubation and acceleration program designed for women. Female Startup Founders, apply here. Female Funders/Angel Investors, apply here
  • As the world marks the 2024 International Women’s Day, Moniepoint Inc has announced the launch of this year’s edition of the Women-In-Tech initiative. Ten women will take on roles in various teams that include Cloud Engineering, Backend Engineering, Technical Product Management, Data Engineering, Systems Administration, Technical Support and User Experience. These women will be provided with a salary, work tools, merch, the opportunity to work on live projects during the internship and an offer of full-time employment depending on assessment post-internship. Apply by March 17.

Written by: Mariam Muhammad & Faith Omoniyi

Edited by: Timi Odueso

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  • The Next Wave: futuristic analysis of the business of tech in Africa.
  • Entering Tech: tech career insights and opportunities in your inbox every Wednesday at 3 PM WAT.
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  • TC Scoops: breaking news from TechCabal

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Airtel Africa eyes IPO for its mobile money arm https://techcabal.com/2024/03/13/airtel-africa-eyes-ipo-for-its-mobile-money-arm/ https://techcabal.com/2024/03/13/airtel-africa-eyes-ipo-for-its-mobile-money-arm/#respond Wed, 13 Mar 2024 15:18:43 +0000 https://techcabal.com/?p=130449 Airtel Africa is exploring taking its mobile money unit public, with a potential valuation surpassing $4 billion, according to a new Bloomberg report. Talks of the IPO are in preliminary stages and the company may decide against going public.

Airtel Money is Airtel Africa’s fastest-growing arm. While Airtel’s 2023 profits plunged by almost 99%—recording $2 million in profits compared with the $523 million it made in 2022—due to currency devaluation, Airtel mobile money recorded a 31.8% revenue growth

In 2021, Airtel hinted at a possible public offering for its fintech arm within a few years, after receiving investments from TPG—$200 million—and Mastercard—$100 million—valuing the unit at $2.65 billion.

The telco currently offers its mobile money services in 14 African countries. In Nigeria, it competes with MTN Momo, while it is dwarfed by competition from Kenya’s mobile money giant, M-Pesa.  Last year, it received approval to allow customers to transact up to KES 500,000 ($3,400) up from KES 300,000 ($2,085) which it was previously allowed to do. 

Airtel’s planned mobile money IPO follows a trend of investment in African mobile mobile money providers. Two years after its $100 million investment in Airtel Money, Mastercard acquired a minor stake in MTN’s mobile money arm.

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👨🏿‍🚀TechCabal Daily – Canal + MultiChoice https://techcabal.com/2024/02/02/techcabal-daily-kippas-co-founder-exits-kippa/ https://techcabal.com/2024/02/02/techcabal-daily-kippas-co-founder-exits-kippa/#respond Fri, 02 Feb 2024 05:30:00 +0000 https://techcabal.com/?p=127686

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TGIF 🎉

Cheers to surviving another week of work emails, meetings and existential dread. Enjoy your 48 hours of freedom before we do it all again next week!

Startups

Duke Ekezie departs Kippa and embarks on a new venture

Duke Ekezie

Duke Ekezie, co-founder of Kippa, the Nigerian fintech startup, has taken a surprising turn out of Kippa and into a new venture, even as the company embarks on a bold pivot to edtech.

Here’s what you need to know: Founded in 2021 by Duke, his brother Kennedy Ekezie, and Uche Jepthat, Kippa was initially a bookkeeping startup that freed entrepreneurs from the drudgery of spreadsheets. In September 2022, Kippa secured a super agent banking licence and then launched its agency banking product—Kippa Pay— which was overseen by Duke. Jepthat left the company in November 2022, shortly after Kippa announced an $8.4 million funding round.

In October 2023, due to fierce competition and unprofitability, Kippa discontinued Kippa Pay and laid off 40 employees. In December, Kippa transferred the operations of Kippa Pay to Gpay, a payment subsidiary of Bloc, a Nigerian fintech about to launch banking services.

Kippa also struggled to make severance payments to its laid-off employees after it suffered a ₦‎30 million ($33,516) internal fraud, discovered a month after it shut down Kippa Pay.

Knowing when to persevere and when to pivot. On Wednesday, Kippa reportedly pivoted into providing edtech services. One day after the bold new chapter, Duke has decided to step down. While rumours of his departure swirled for months, Duke confirmed his exit and revealed he’s pursuing a new, undisclosed venture. He remains a shareholder and advisor in the company.

Moving forward: According to Duke, after closing the agency banking business, he and Kennedy revisited their strategy and identified two key problems during discussions with SMEs and large businesses. Duke mentioned, “One aligned with my goals, and the other with Kennedy’s, so we’ve decided to solve them individually.” 

He declined to share specifics of the problem he’s looking to solve with his new venture.

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Telecom

Airtel Africa reports a 99% plunge in profits in 2023

Last year, Airtel Africa, a telecom company operating across 14 African countries faced headwinds from Nigeria’s naira devaluation and reported a loss after tax of $151 million in its Q1—April 1 to June 30, 2023 results. 

It seems 2023 continued to prove turbulent for the telecom giant as the company recently released its 9-month financial report ending December 2023, of a profit before tax of $2 million—a significant decline from the $523 million profit it recorded in the same period in 2022.

Currency devaluation’s sting: Airtel witnessed a significant drop in profits last year due to the decrease in the value of currencies in some of its main markets: Nigeria, Malawi, Zambia, and Kenya. Without these currency impacts, the profit before tax for the nine months ending December 2023 would have been $840 million.

The company experienced a 99% decline in profits, mainly due to the devaluation of Nigeria’s naira which cost Airtel $301 million. The country’s apex bank recently injected $500 million to address a lingering FX backlog, as the naira reached ₦1,421 per dollar on the official market this week.

Challenges beyond profits: Overall revenue dropped by 1.4% to $3.8 million from $3.9 million in 2022. Despite these external pressures, Airtel Africa boasts a 9.1% growth in its customer base, reaching 151.2 million. This growth was fuelled by a 22.4% surge in data subscribers and a 19.5% increase in mobile money users.

Undeterred by the profit decline, Group CEO Olusegun Ogunsanya says it won’t impact their growth plans. The company plans to focus on capital allocation priorities, repay debts, and invest in new opportunities like their recently launched data centre business, Nxtra by Airtel. Airtel Africa’s board also intends to return value to shareholders through a share buy-back programme of up to $100 million starting in early March 2024 over 12 months.

Banking

CBN scraps exchange cap for IMTOs

Nigeria’s apex bank is taking a gamble to resuscitate its ailing currency. 

The news: The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday eliminated the cap on exchange rates quoted by International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs). 

What does that mean? CBN previously controlled the exchange rate at which International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) like Western Union and MoneyGram could sell foreign currency to Nigerians. Now, these companies can set their own rates within a certain range. The CBN previously allowed the IMTOs to deviate from the official rate by a maximum of 2.5% (-2.5% to +2.5%).

Per local media, the new development is in response to suspected hoarding of foreign currency by Nigerian commercial banks. The FG earlier gave a directive to commercial banks to release non-essential foreign currencies—currencies not needed for legitimate import payments, overseas travel allowances, or student tuition fees—to tame the naira’s depreciation against the dollar. 

Why is the FG doing this? The latest development represents the government’s attempt to resuscitate its ailing currency. The naira has suffered its worst devaluation in recent times, depreciating over 40% against the dollar since June, when the Central Bank adopted a more relaxed exchange rate policy

By allowing IMTOs set their own rates, the move could bring about increased competition, leading to lower exchange rates for Nigerians receiving money from abroad. This policy change could also incentivise IMTOs to bring in their foreign exchange holdings to Nigeria, potentially boosting domestic forex inflows.

Zoom out: The CBN’s move to scrap the IMTO exchange cap, while aiming for stability, could bring unintended consequences. Cheaper transfers might come at the cost of volatile exchange rates, hurting average Nigerians. Worse, the freedom from the cap could give unruly IMTOs room to charge excessive fees. Only time will tell if this gamble pays off, or if it creates more problems than it solves.

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Streaming

MultiChoice to invest $89 million in Showmax

MultiChoice says it will make a new $89 million cash injection in Showmax, its streaming platform, by the close of March 2024. The latest development comes as Showmax gears up for its February 12 relaunch. 

MultiChoice looks juicy to everyone: As users await the streamer’s upcoming update, investors are also looking to the future. MultiChoice is now in talks to be acquired by Canal+ after the French giant offered to acquire all outstanding shares they don’t already own in the company for R105 ($5.65) per share—an increase from the broadcaster’s current share price of R79 ($4.25). Canal+ began acquiring shares in the South African company in 2020, and steadily increasing its stake to 31.7% by June 2023.

In its 2023 financial results, Vivendi, owners of Canal+ stated that it was increasing its stake in MultiChoice for international expansion. This triggered speculation about a full takeover, fuelled by Canal+’s ambitious expansion plans into sub-Saharan Africa. Per South African laws, a shareholder is mandated to make an offer for a takeover when it reaches a 35% stake in a listed entity.

Zoom out: With Showmax’s relaunch in the works, MultiChoice is betting on it to become Africa’s premier streaming service. MultiChoice has revamped Showmax content offerings with new partnerships. The streamer will now offer a mobile-only English Premier League-only package, data-saving streaming bundles, and content from NBCUniversal’s subsidiaries, SKY and HBO.

The company is betting on Showmax to help it deliver its ambitious goals of having 50 million subscribers, earning $1 billion in revenue within five years, turning a profit by 2027, and making even more money as its business grows bigger.

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TC Insights

Funding tracker

This week, Kenyan agritech startup Apollo Agriculture raised $10 million in debt funding from Swedfund and ImpactConnect, with implementation facilitated by DEG.

Here are other deals for the week:

  • InspiraFarms Cooling, a Kenyan-based cooling solutions provider, secured a $1.09 million investment from investors, including the Foundation for Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion for Africa (CEI Africa), KawiSafi, and Factor[e].
  • Egyptian delivery management startup Roboost closed a $3 million investment round led by Silicon Badia, with participation from RZM Investment, Flat6Labs, and Saudi Angel Investors.
  • Senegalese B2B commerce startup ProXalys, raised $500,000 in a funding round led by 216 Capital, a Tunisia-based seed fund. It also features Haskè Ventures and Digital Africa through its FUZE programme.

Before you go, our much anticipated State Of Tech In Africa Report for Q4 2023 is now out. Click this link to download it.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more funding announcements. You can also visit DealFlow, our real-time funding tracker.

Dive Deeper with Semafor Africa

Dive deeper — our friends at Semafor Africa bring forward original reporting and insight on the world’s fastest-growing economies. Sent to your inbox 3x a week, Semafor Africa discusses the impact African business, politics, tech, and culture have on the world, shedding light on ever-changing power dynamics of the global economy. Subscribe for free.

Crypto Tracker

The World Wide Web3

Source:

OneLiquidity  logo

Coin Name

Current Value

Day

Month

Bitcoin $43,019

+ 1.00%

– 1.62%

Ether $2,299

+ 0.48%

– 1.82%

Tether USDt

$0.9998

– 0.02%

– 0.03%

BNB $300

– 0.22%

– 4.02%

* Data as of 22:02 PM WAT, Febraury 1, 2024.

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Events

  • The 6th Africa Tech Summit Nairobi is set for February 14–15, 2024. The Summit will connect tech leaders from the African ecosystem and international players under one roof. Network with key stakeholders including tech corporates, mobile operators, fintech, Web3 ventures, investors, innovative startups, regulators, and industry stakeholders driving business and investment forward. You can also get a 10% discount when you use the code “TECH10”. Register here.
  • Think securing funding guarantees your startup’s success? Think again! Register for this free webinar by BrandOn on “Why Startups Fail Even After Raising Capital”. On February 10, you’ll get to learn from Gerald Black (Black Ops), Oluwadunni Fanibe (TechStars), and others. Register here

Want more of TechCabal? Sign up for our insightful newsletters on the business and economy of tech in Africa.

  • The Next Wave: futuristic analysis of the business of tech in Africa.
  • Entering Tech: tech career insights and opportunities in your inbox every Wednesday at 3 PM WAT.
  • In a Giffy: business decisions powered by data-driven insights and analysis you can trust.
  • TC Scoops: breaking news from TechCabal

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Latest ways to create virtual NIN 2024 https://techcabal.com/2024/01/18/latest-ways-to-create-virtual-nin-2024/ https://techcabal.com/2024/01/18/latest-ways-to-create-virtual-nin-2024/#respond Thu, 18 Jan 2024 13:20:00 +0000 https://techcabal.com/?p=126722
create virtual NIN 2024

In compliance with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) directive, individuals are now required to create a Virtual National Identification Number (VNIN) to facilitate the integration of their NIN with their mobile numbers. In other words, if you are for example an MTN subscriber who is trying to link your NIN to your MTN number, you will need this virtual NIN during the process.

The Virtual National Identification Number, or VNIN, serves as a digital representation of your NIN, offering a secure method to present this crucial identification information. Its design prevents unauthorised cloning or duplication, ensuring the protection of sensitive personal data. 

How to create a Virtual NIN for use

Firstly, kindly note that Virtual NIN numbers are generated to expire within 72 hours whether used or unused. Therefore, if you do not make use of the number before its 72-hour lifespan elapses, you will need to re-generate another one.  

To initiate the process of creating a VNIN, you should: 

  • Dial *996*3# on your mobile phones. 
  • Upon dialling, you will be prompted to select Option 3 for Virtual NIN. 
  • Subsequently, you will need to enter your NIN to proceed with the virtual number creation. 
  • As part of the authentication process, you’ll be required to input ‘109071’ as your Enterprise ID, establishing a link between their NIN and the virtual counterpart.

For an alternative method, individuals can dial *346*3*your 11-digit NIN*109071# to generate a VNIN. This ensures flexibility in the process, accommodating different preferences. The service usually costs ₦20 per attempt. 

Creating a Virtual National Identification Number not only aligns with NIMC guidelines but also adds an extra layer of security to individuals’ identity information. The virtual format minimises the risk of unauthorised access, providing users with confidence in the protection of their private details.

Final thoughts on creating a VNIN

As the demand for digital identity verification grows, the introduction of VNINs is a significant step toward enhancing the security and efficiency of identity management systems. This innovation allows for a seamless integration of National Identification Numbers with mobile services, fostering a more connected and secure digital environment.

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👨🏿‍🚀TechCabal Daily – A Moonshot Day! https://techcabal.com/2023/10/11/techcabal-daily-a-moonshot-day/ https://techcabal.com/2023/10/11/techcabal-daily-a-moonshot-day/#respond Wed, 11 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://techcabal.com/?p=121391

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Happy Moonshot Week 🌙🚀

The stage is set for TechCabal’s Moonshot Conference, literally! Moonshot kicks off today at 9 AM WAT at the Eko Convention Centre! 

You get empowered GIF

If you’re heading to the venue while reading this, here’s what—and who—you can expect to catch today:

  • A fireside chat between the Nigerian minister for communications, innovation and digital economy, Bosun Tijani, and CEO of Big Cabal Media Tomiwa Aladekomo 🎤
  • A masterclass on building a stellar brand led by CEO of Fourth Canvas Victor Fatanmi. 
  • Some free merch from brands showcasing at Moonshot. 🧢
  • A workshop on how to build and grow your tech career led by Microsoft and engineer Adora Nwodo.
  • TC Battlefield where 10 startups will pitch for $3,200.🤺
  • Over 10 panels on different sectors including AI, investment, and energy led by several ecosystem leaders. 
  • And finally, if you don’t stop at the TC booth to say hi, you will catch these hands too. 👊🏾

You can find the full schedule here. If you don’t have tickets yet, ticket sales will continue at the venue, so don’t let time stop you from giving TechCabal your money.🎉

Regulation

Opay, DHL, Meta in Data privacy violations crosshairs

Let me see GIFF
Image source: ZikokoMemes

Opay, DHL, and Meta may face the full wrath of the law NDPC.

The companies may have their hands in hot water if found guilty of data privacy violations by the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC). 

What is their offence? Opay is being investigated over claims of opening accounts for people without their consent. The fintech has, however, rebuffed those claims. The details around Meta and DHL’s possible infractions are unclear. A highly placed source told TechCabal that Meta customers complained that the company targeted them in behavioral advertisements without their consent. The big tech company said it was working with the NDPC on the inquiry. 

A bowl of consequences: Under the Nigerian Data Protection Act, all three companies may be asked to pay ₦10 million ($1,000) or 2% of their gross revenues in 2022, as fines if found guilty.

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Streaming

Multichoice beats Openview in court fight

GIF source: YungNollywood

A South African high court has ruled out eMedia’s case against Multichoice. 

What’s happening?: On October 1, Openview, DStv’s competitor and owners of eMedia, took the broadcaster to court over a dispute about broadcasting rights for the Rugby World Cup. 

Multichoice had struck a deal—valued around R57 million ($3 million)—with South Africa’s public broadcaster, SABC, to exclusively broadcast the Rugby World Cup matches live in the country. However, MultiChoice prohibited the SABC from airing the games on third-party platforms it doesn’t own, like Openview-owned eMedia. 

Openview deemed this move by Multichoice to be “overtly anti-competitive” and published an open letter to express its displeasure at some Multichoice executives, before finally taking the broadcaster to court. 

However, the jury has backed Multichoice saying that the broadcaster paid heavily to acquire the exclusive broadcasting rights for the Rugby World Cup, and that it would be financially unwise to give out the exclusivity it paid for. 

Zoom out: Multichoice’s victory dashes South Africans’ hopes of watching rugby matches for free on Openview.


Telecoms

Airtel partners with Thunes

Airtel PSB launch
Image source: DMForCredit, Seriously

Smartcash Payment Service Bank (PSB) Limited has unveiled a convenient solution for its customers. 

The PSB, which is a subsidiary of Airtel Nigeria, has announced a partnership with Thunes, a cross-border payments infrastructure provider, to offer international remittances in naira to mobile wallets.

How the service works: The service allows Smartcash PSB customers to receive inward remittances from countries worldwide directly into their Smartcash accounts by simply sharing their phone numbers, which also serve as their account numbers. Funds are sent swiftly, and at no cost to the recipient, and can be accessed across the Smartcash agent network.

This move aligns with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) announcement, made in July this year, regarding the inclusion of the naira as a payout option for diaspora remittances. In response, financial service providers have been actively forging partnerships to facilitate this. In August, MoMo PSB partnered with Saana Capital LLC, a licensed International Money Transfer Operator (IMTO), to facilitate seamless inbound and outbound transfers across Africa.

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Acquisition

Writesea acquires Nigerian AI startup CoverAI


MyCoverAI shot
Image source: MyCoverAI

New York-based company Writesea, has acquired a three-month-old Nigerian AI startup, CoverAI.

Writesea, which provides services to other companies to help them create and manage their online recruitment platforms, acquired CoverAI in a five-figure deal. One source estimated the deal value to be less than $50,000.

Chris Adolphus, CoverAI’s founder, stated that he received 12 bids for his startup on the startup marketplace, Acquire.com, before opting for the acquisition by Writesea. CoverAI is an app that helps people write resumes and cover letters. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create or improve resumes and cover letters in minutes.

Why the sale? Adolphus claims that CoverAI’s user base rapidly grew to 13,000 organic customers and from the very beginning, he had envisioned selling the startup. Considering the technology’s promise, he believes it could have secured a six-figure deal. Adolphus also expresses confidence that Writesea has the expertise to propel CoverAI to new heights.

What’s next? Despite this being Adolphus’s maiden startup sale, he is concurrently involved in managing his crypto project and a subscription-based design studio. Additionally, he’s already in the process of developing another AI product for his next venture, aiming to exit with $200,000 within six months.


Attend the KB4-CON Virtual Summit

KB4-CON EMEA is a free virtual event that focuses on cybersecurity and is designed for CISOs, security awareness, and cybersecurity professionals in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. You can find the full agenda for the event here.

Crypto Tracker

The World Wide Web3

Source:

Coin Market Cap logo

Coin Name

Current Value

Day

Month

Bitcoin $27,079

– 1.96%

+ 5.29%

Ether $1,560

– 1.57%

– 2.91%

Neutron

$0.35

– 1.16%

+ 9.72%

XRP $0.49

– 2.06%

– 1.26%

* Data as of 05:10 AM WAT, October 11, 2023.

OneLiquidity GIF

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Opportunities

  • The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), through the Office for Nigeria Digital Innovation (ONDI), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), are organising a one-week networking visit to Japan by selected Nigerian CleanTech Startups. Apply here.

  • Applications are open for the Aurora Tech Award 2024. The Award is an annual global prize for women founders of tech startups. Winners of the first prize get $30,000, the second prize gets $20,000 and the third prize gets $10,000. Apply by December 1.

Written by – Faith Omoniyi & Mariam Muhammad

Edited by – Timi Odueso

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Telcos in Africa are rushing to adopt e-SIM cards https://techcabal.com/2023/09/25/telcos-in-africa-are-rushing-to-adopt-e-sim-cards/ https://techcabal.com/2023/09/25/telcos-in-africa-are-rushing-to-adopt-e-sim-cards/#respond Mon, 25 Sep 2023 13:25:49 +0000 https://techcabal.com/?p=120533 This story was contributed to TechCabal by Conrad Onyango via bird story agency.

Africa’s telcos have begun an aggressive push to replace traditional plastic subscriber identity module (SIM) cards with virtual alternatives to tap into the fast-growing Internet of Things (IoT) market.

MTN and Airtel are the latest to expand this offering to their subscribers in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. 

In the past month month, MTN South Africa has expanded access to eSIMs to all its subscribers and signed a long-term contract with global IoT connectivity solutions provider, Eseye, to help the telco standardise a global eSIM and IoT platform offering.

“Our strategic partnership with Eseye will enable us to sell diverse IoT services such as connectivity, IoT bundles, and value-added services to help our customers meet their IoT global needs,” said MTN Business Head of IoT Solutions, Lawrence Juku in a joint statement.

The multi-year agreement with Eseye covers South Africa and 18 African countries including Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan, Botswana and Zambia where MTN operates—an indication of a pan-African IoT deployment in the offing.

After enhancement of its existing IoT SIM management capabilities with additional layers to power Global SIMs and manage multi-IMIS, the operator with a customer base of 36.5 million said it is eyeing millions of IoT devices.

MTN introduced eSIM to its subscribers in 2019, but exclusively for post-paid customers. It is now available to prepaid customers, too. The same year, Kenya’s Safaricom also introduced its pre-paid customers to an “embedded SIM” but has since suffered low uptake. Safaricom’s parent company, Vodacom also opened eSIM support for its South African subscribers.

In early February, Airtel, with a presence in 14 African countries, also launched an eSIM in the market.

Handset makers like Apple and Huawei spin-off, Honor, have announced intentions to launch into Africa high-end mobile phones and devices that come with embedded SIMs—their first market on the continent being South Africa.

While Apple launched the iPhone 15—which can support up to eight eSIMs at a ago—earlier in September, Honor is also eyeing the market with a portfolio of IoT devices including headsets, smart screens, tablets and laptops.

UK-headquartered research firm, Juniper has reported that the global eSIM market will increase from US$4.7 billion in 2023 to US$16.3 billion by 2027, driven by the adoption of eSIM-enabled consumer devices. The research singled out Apple’s recent release of an eSIM-only iPhone 14 as the kind of hardware-driven “push” factors that will trigger accelerated adoption.

“Total number of smartphones leveraging eSIM connectivity will increase from 986 million in 2023 to 3.5 billion by 2027 (globally) with manufacturers such as Google and Samsung developing an equivalent eSIM-only Android device to compete with Apple and maintain their global market positioning,” according to the report.

Another report, the IDC Worldwide Semi-annual IoT Spending Guide, shows worldwide spending on IoT could pass US$1 trillion by 2024, listing South Africa among the fastest-growing IoT markets in the Middle East and Africa.

Have you got your tickets to TechCabal’s Moonshot Conference? Click here to do so now! 

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👨🏿‍🚀TechCabal Daily -Airtel Uganda eyes $215 million in unicorn IPO https://techcabal.com/2023/08/30/airtel-is-250-million-away-from-going-public/ https://techcabal.com/2023/08/30/airtel-is-250-million-away-from-going-public/#respond Wed, 30 Aug 2023 06:30:00 +0000 https://techcabal.com/?p=118754

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Good morning ☀

We’ve got news.

After two iterations, we’re unfortunately discontinuing our referral programme. We launched the referral programme in October 2022—and relaunched in June 2023—to reward TC Daily readers, but we’ve hit too many snags to continue the service.

All valid rewards accomplished by August 31 will be fulfilled by September 30. So if you’ve been referring readers to TC Daily, and have qualified for a reward, we’ll be in touch.

Legislation

Kenya calls for comments on new Act

Kenya’s flag

The Kenyan government is seeking public input in its cybersecurity regulations.

The cabinet secretary for interior and national security, Prof Kithure Kindiki, is inviting comments from the public on the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act 2023 draft, which was formulated by a task force appointed by the ministry.

The draft regulations primarily focus on providing a framework to monitor, detect, and respond to cybersecurity threats, protecting critical information infrastructure, and providing recovery plans in the event of a cyber attack.

How to submit comments: The public is invited to submit their comments and submissions via email or to hand deliver them to the task force secretariat at Harambee House. The call for submissions runs from August 29 to September 19, 2023.

The task force is also proposing to establish a National Public Key Infrastructure (NPKI), which would be used to verify the online identities of individuals or institutions.Furthermore, the task force intends to organise inclusive public participation forums in different regions nationwide. 

The public participation phase is an important step in ensuring that the final regulations are comprehensive and effective. 

Zoom out: The draft regulations are a welcome development in light of the increasing number of cyber attacks in Kenya. In July this year, Anonymous Sudan, a pro-Russian hacktivist group, took responsibility for a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack that intermittently took websites belonging to Kenyan media, hospitals, universities, and businesses, including Safaricom, offline. The hackers claimed to be exacting revenge on behalf of the Sudanese regime

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Telecoms

Airtel Uganda moves to raise $215 million from IPO

Image source: Zikoko Memes

Airtel Uganda is going public.

 This week, the telecoms announced plans to raise UGX800 billion—-about $215 million in an initial public offering, which would value the telecom at $1 billion (UGX4 trillion). 

The company is offering eight billion shares, equivalent to 20%of its total stock, on theUganda Securities Exchange, and expects an IPO price of $0.00027 (UGX100) per share, according to an IPO filing Tuesday. The issue opens on August 30, and is scheduled to close on October 13. Trading in the company’s stock is set to begin by October 31.

Airtel launched its Ugandan operation in 2010 after taking over Zain Uganda. The company’s beneficial owners are India’s Bharti family through Bharti Enterprises (Holding) Private Limited. The Bharti family is a majority shareholder in several holding companies overseeing Airtel subsidiaries in South Asia and Africa. These include Airtel Africa plc, listed in London, the majority shareholder in Airtel Uganda; it will retain at least 80% of its stake after the IPO.

Zoom out: Airtel’s IPO is the first on the local bourse since December 2021, when MTN Uganda, its only major local competitor, listed. MTN had also sought to sell 20%of the Ugandan operation on the USE – 4.5 billion shares at UGX200 ($0.00054) each – but the issue was undersubscribed by 40%.

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Artificial Intelligence

Nigeria to develop AI strategy

Nigeria is developing a national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy.

On Monday, Dr Bosun Tijani, the minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy, shared a whitepaper on Twitter. The whitepaper outlined the ministry’s plan to harness the potential of AI while addressing the complex challenges it poses.


Screenshot of Nigeria's AI whitepaper
Image source: Twitter/ Bosun Tijani

What’s the plan? The strategy, divided into two stages, will be co-created with top AI researchers of Nigerian descent from around the world and will focus on ensuring that AI is used in an ethical and inclusive way and that it benefits all Nigerians.

The first stage will involve machine-supported decision-making, using predictive models to narrow down potential researchers of Nigerian descent. The second stage will involve crowd-sourcing, recognising the possibility of false positives and the importance of wider engagement in refining the list of researchers.

The primary objective of this strategy is to build on the foundation that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has laid in developing a national AI strategy.

Zoom out: This is a welcome development and according to Tijani, “Nigeria aims to be at the forefront of ethical and inclusive AI innovation, enhancing citizens’ welfare and expanding opportunities for all.”


Funding

Pretoria Boys High gets bitcoin-funded solar power

soe students of Pretoria Boys High School in South Africa
Image source: South Africa Online

Pretoria Boys High are getting all expense paid power supply. 

Elon Musk’s old high school in South Africa, Pretoria Boys High, will be getting solar power infrastructure courtesy of an unidentified crypto investor through the Sun Exchange solar leasing platform. The company announced on Tuesday that a Bitcoin investor had used some of his cryptocurrency to fund most of a large solar energy project at the school.

“By using the Sun Exchange platform to buy 98% of all solar cells in the project, the individual will earn income for 20 years on the clean energy they generate, while the school gains solar power at zero capital cost,” Sun Exchange stated.

In its announcement about the successful crowdsale, Sun Exchange said the 198-kilowatt solar system would cut 5,800 tonnes of carbon over 20 years, equivalent to taking 210,000 petrol cars off the road for a year. Sun Exchange also revealed that the total value raised during the crowdsale was about R2.8 million ($151,612).

Zoom out: This new development will reduce the school’s energy bills and its dependency on diesel generators during load-shedding.The solar power system will be roof-mounted and supply over a quarter (26.1%) of the school’s total power consumption.


Crypto Tracker

The World Wide Web3

Source:

Tc_insight

Coin Name

Current Value

Day

Month

Bitcoin $27,621

+ 6.09%

– 5.89%

Ether $1,729

+ 4.86%

– 7.99%

BNB

$227

+ 3.93%

– 6.23%

Cardano $0.27

+ 2.52%

-12.37%

* Data as of 00:05 AM WAT, August 30, 2023.

Events

Get early-bird tickets for the Moonshot Conference!

Early-bird tickets are still selling out fast for Moonshot by TechCabal!

Be part of the gathering of the most audacious players in Africa’s tech ecosystem and get your early-bird ticket now.

Get your ticket today.

Opportunities

  • Exciting news for female entrepreneurs and women-led businesses in Nigeria. It’s time to elevate your business through the #NimbusAidProject.Win a share of N40m advertising support to amplify your brand. Apply now at https://nimbus.com.ng/nimbus-aid-project. Entries close on September 8, 2023.
  • Wise Guys SaaS Accelerator Program is looking to help SaaS startups level up through tailored guidance and support from world-class mentors and experts. Apply before September 7.
  • If you are a young (no older than 24 years of age) and emerging photographer looking to embark on a career in the world of photojournalism, the Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant 2023 (up to £10,000) is open for Applications. Apply by August 31.

Written by –

Mariam Muhammad & Faith Omoniyi

Edited by –

Timi Odueso

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Mastercard to buy a minority stake in MTN’s fintech unit, after investing $100m in Airtel’s fintech https://techcabal.com/2023/08/14/mastercard-to-buy-a-minority-stake-in-mtns-fintech-unit-after-investing-100m-in-airtels-fintech/ https://techcabal.com/2023/08/14/mastercard-to-buy-a-minority-stake-in-mtns-fintech-unit-after-investing-100m-in-airtels-fintech/#respond Mon, 14 Aug 2023 08:40:49 +0000 https://techcabal.com/?p=117657 Two years after investing $100 million in Airtel’s mobile money business, Mastercard Inc. has agreed to buy a small portion of the fintech business of MTN Group Ltd., another telecom company in Africa.

Payment processor Mastercard Inc. has agreed to buy a minority stake in the fintech business of MTN Group Ltd., a major telecom company in Africa. MTN’s CEO, Ralph Mupita, says that they’re finalising the investment arrangements, as reported by Bloomberg. The cornerstone of MTN’s fintech endeavours is its mobile money product, MoMo, which has been valued at $5.2 billion, nearly 40% of MTN’s total market capitalisation. 

This follows Mastercard’s $100 million investment in Airtel Mobile Commerce BV, the holding company for Airtel Africa’s mobile money operations. With the investment, Mastercard bought a minority stake in the fintech arm of the telecom, just like it is set to do in MTN.

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Mastercard has previously connected its virtual payment service to MTN wallets, enabling MTN customers to make international payments online without needing a bank account. This puts MTN in competition with established fintech companies such as Flutterwave, and other major telecom contenders like Airtel Africa Plc, Safaricom Plc, and Vodacom Group Ltd. have also ventured into the fintech sector.

MTN had previously shared plans to raise around $1.3 billion by selling assets. These plans include recent actions like selling and leasing back assets in West Africa and South Africa. This involves things like mobile-phone towers and their share in IHS Holding Ltd., a tower company listed in New York. However, the sale of this share has been postponed due to a disagreement with the management of IHS Holding.

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👨🏿‍🚀TechCabal Daily – SA lawyers use ChatGPT…and fail https://techcabal.com/2023/07/10/techcabal-daily-sa-lawyers-use-chatgpt-and-fail/ https://techcabal.com/2023/07/10/techcabal-daily-sa-lawyers-use-chatgpt-and-fail/#respond Mon, 10 Jul 2023 05:30:00 +0000 https://techcabal.com/?p=115587

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Good morning ☀

Threads has now reached 90 million users within five days of launch.

Elon Musk isn’t having it though. The billionaire is threatening to sue Mark Zuckerberg and Meta for hiring Twitter employees—some of whom he fired without due process or severance, and mocked. According to Musk, the ex-Twitter engineers built Threads, but Zuckerberg has responded that no ex-Twitter employee was involved in building the new social media platform.

AI

SA lawyers uses ChatGPT for case, and fail

History is repeating itself, and within a month too!

South African lawyers arguing a case at the regional court in Johannesburg were called out for using fake precedents generated by ChatGPT.

To sue or not to sue: According to Sunday Times, the unnamed lawyers were representing a woman who was suing the trustees of a company for defamation. While the company’s lawyers argued that trustees could not be sued for defamation, the plaintiff’s lawyers argued that South African courts had—in previous cases—judged that trustees could in fact be sued.

The judge then postponed the hearing for two months to allow the lawyers time to find the precedents they needed to prove their case. Unfortunately, the lawyers could not track down the case manually and instead asked ChatGPT for citations. While the citations were for real cases, they had nothing to do with defamation. 

shame meme
Image source: YungNolly

Careless not misleading: In the judgement against the plaintiff, Judge Chaitram called out the lawyers stating that they were, “simultaneously simply overzealous and careless.”

“The embarrassment associated with this incident is probably sufficient punishment for the plaintiff’s attorneys,” said Chaitram. ☠

Big picture: This is the second case where lawyers have used ChatGPT to source for cases, and failed. In May this year, a US law firm was fined $5,000 after one of its lawyers used ChatGPT to cite bogus cases. It’s also one of the many cases where ChatGPT and similar services have provided false information to users.

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Layoffs

Medsaf lays off all full-time staff

In layoff news, Nigerian healthtech Medsaf has laid off all its full-time employees, about 30 employees.

Last week, sources confirmed to TechCabal that the startup, in March, made the layoff announcement via its chief operating officer Rotimi Lawal. Lawal informed staff that the company was experiencing funding gaps and other dismal payment issues in the operation of its business. 

The company—which has raised $3.6 million total since its founding in 2017—has reportedly been facing financial difficulties since mid-2022, and this led to delays in staff and vendor payments. 

Unpaid salaries and benefits: Several laid-off employees also confirmed that they hadn’t been paid salaries since December 2022, despite promises from the company that salaries arrears would be paid by April 2023. 

In response, Medsaf’s CEO, Vivian Nwakah, blamed the situation on investors reneging on funding commitments. Nwakah also noted that staff had been asked “not to come to work in January…So many of the employees that you are speaking with hardly worked in January and are requesting salaries that are owed to them when they were not actively working for the company,” she said.

Vivian Nwakah, CEO of Medsaf
Vivian Nwakah, CEO of Medsaf. Image source: Seedstars

Sources also allege financial misappropriation by the company’s management citing a $100,000 project fee that never made it into the company‘s accounts. 

Medsaf denies the story: A day after the report, CEO Nwakah took to LinkedIn to tag the report as “full of lies, misinformation and slander”. In the post, Nwakah shares a cease and desist letter to TechCabal where Medsaf—through its lawyers—demanded a retraction of the story, and an apology. 

TechCabal, however, stands by its story. We have found no instances of material errors, misrepresentations, falsehoods, or malice in our article. 


Telecoms

Airtel launches 5G in Kenya


Airtel 5G robot
Image source: Airtel

More Kenyans are getting 5G!

Last week, Airtel became the second telecom to launch 5G in the East African country, following Safaricom’s October 2022 launch.

Where is it launching? We don’t know yet, Airtel hasn’t specified. The telecom only mentioned that it has 370 5G sites spread across 16 counties. However, the service is expected to focus on customers in major areas and cities such as Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, and Kisumu.

Ashish Malhotra, the managing director of Airtel Kenya, said, “Airtel 5G will revolutionise various sectors, such as smart cities, education, healthcare, agritech, transport systems, entertainment, and more, shaping the future of Kenya.”

Can anyone use it? Only if your device is 5G-capable. Airtel argues that customers will be moving in and out of 5G areas and will be well-served by 4G bundles, which can access 5G without issues. The telecom also announced 5G Wi-Fi routers and plans which it is offering to businesses and residential areas. Find the pricing here.

Zoom out: More telecoms are shooting to launch 5G in the country including the state-run telecom Telkom. The telecom, however, has been facing financial difficulties, leading to the telco’s failure to pay the American Tower Corporation (ATC) Ksh200 million for tower leasing.


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TC Insights

Unionising Africa’s digital labour

According to the International Labour Organization, there are almost 800 digital labour platforms across the world as of 2022 including ride-haling services and delivery platforms. 

Over the past decade, digital labour platforms have experienced explosive growth globally, with the number of platforms increasing from 142 in 2010 to 777 in 2020. Ride-hailing services have seen the most significant growth among these platforms, expanding 16-fold during the same period.

Data storychart
Image source: TechCabal Insights

Ride-hailing platforms entered various African countries, with Nigeria and South Africa as leading markets, between 2014 and 2016, aiming to provide convenient and affordable transportation services. These platforms have successfully attracted over 25,000 drivers in Nigeria, and 60,000 drivers in SA.

However, the working conditions and status of ride-hailing drivers in Africa have become a contentious issue, leading to a growing trend and increasing number of drivers joining unions to advocate to protect and advance their interests in the ecosystem.

In response to the challenges around commission structure and classification of workers, ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria and other regions have organised themselves into unions. These unions aim to collectively bargain with the platforms, negotiate for better working conditions, and advocate for the recognition of drivers’ rights. This is also precedent in the UK where the battle has been in existence since 2016, with another major battlefront in California earlier this year.

In June 2023, a newly licensed trade union for ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria, Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers Of Nigeria (AUATWON), emerged despite pushbacks, promising to ensure fair compensation, improved working conditions, and representation for drivers in negotiations with the platforms.

In all, the rise of unions among ride-hailing drivers reflects the growing concerns and demands of the digital labour workforce. But the journey ahead is long and far from easy. As the unions gain momentum, it remains to be seen how ride-hailing platforms will navigate the evolving dynamics between drivers, unions, and their own business models. Balancing the interests of drivers and platform profitability will be a crucial challenge in shaping the future of the ride-hailing industry on the African continent.


Crypto Tracker

The World Wide Web3

Source:

Tc_insight

Coin Name

Current Value

Day

Month

Bitcoin $30,120

– 0.52%

+ 16.74%

Ether $1,860

– 0.51%

+ 4.00%

BNB

$233

– 0.83%

– 1.95%

Cardano $0.28

– 0.97%

+ 15.61%

* Data as of 06:00 AM WAT, July 10, 2023.

Events

The Moonshot Conference

This is Moonshot by TechCabal.

Moonshot is a conference that will bring together Africa’s tech ecosystem to network, collaborate, share insights and celebrate innovation on the continent.

Click here to join the waiting list to get more news and updates about this conference. 

Opportunities

  • The SaaS Accelerator Programme: Africa 2023 has opened applications for its accelerator programme to enable early startups in Africa to receive funding. Selected startups will receive up to $70,000 in funding. Apply by September 7.
  • Wise Guys SaaS Accelerator Program is looking to help SaaS startups level up through tailored guidance and support from world-class mentors and experts. Apply before September 7.
  • The AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards 2023 ($5,000 prize)  is now open to applications from reporters doing work for independent news organisations around the world, with articles readily accessible to the public by subscription, newsstand sales or online access, with the submitted work available in English are eligible to Apply by August 1.
  • If you are a young (no older than 24 years of age) and emerging photographer looking to embark on a career in the world of photojournalism, the Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant 2023 (up to £10,000) is open for Applications. Apply by August 31.

Written by –

Timi Odueso & Ayomide Agbaje

Edited by –

Timi Odueso

Want more of TechCabal? Sign up for our insightful newsletters on the business and economy of tech in Africa.

  • The Next Wave: futuristic analysis of the business of tech in Africa.
  • TC Weekender: weekly roundup of the most important tech news out of Africa.
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