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Zipline launches on-demand drone deliveries in Ghana after Rwanda

April 26, 2019 Editor

Zipline, the San Francisco-based UAV manufacturer and logistics services provider, has launched a program in Ghana today for drone delivery of medical supplies. Working with the Ghanaian government, Zipline will operate 30 drones out of four distribution centers to distribute vaccines, blood and life-saving medications to 2,000 health facilities across the West African nation daily. “We’ll do 600 flights a day…and serve 12 million people. This is going to be the largest drone delivery network on the planet,” Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo told TechCrunch on a call from Accra. Zipline…

WorldRemit joins mobile money provider Paga to allow direct pay to 11 million Nigerian accounts

April 24, 2019 Editor

International cash transfer company WorldRemit signed an agreement with mobile money provider Paga to allow direct payments to 11 million additional accounts in Nigeria. In a statement the global remittance company said the move “considerably grows” its footprint in the country, which opened new channels to its users in more than 50 countries transferring money to citizens in Nigeria. According to figures cited by WorldRemit, Paga is the country’s widest-reaching mobile money company with more than 14,000 agents present across 36 states. Approximately $26 billion was transferred into Nigeria during…

Jumia hits US$196-million in landmark New York IPO but investors may regret funding an elusive dream

April 17, 2019April 17, 2019 Editor

Jumia billed as Africa’s first “tech unicorn”, is a venture-capital funded company valued at more than $1bn on the New York Stock Exchange. Its lack of a profitable model didn’t seem to matter much on the first day of trading on Friday, as the stock surged by 75%. Jumia filed S1 documents with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last month to launch its IPO, which was underwritten by banks such as Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. The stock went on sale on Friday 12 April 2019, initially valued at…

Opera introduces Reborn 3, a desktop browser, freeVPN, ad blocker and Crypto Wallet

April 10, 2019 Editor

Opera Software has launched a new version of its desktop browser and it’s something a little outside the norm. Opera Reborn 3 (aka Opera 60) comes with a built-in cryptowallet, a free unlimited VPN, and a Web 3 explorer for accessing blockchain apps. Reborn 3 also retains all the handy extras that make it stand out from most mainstream browsers, including a built-in ad-blocker, the ability to send links, videos and notes to other devices via Flow, a currency converter and a raft of customization options. “The web has transformed…

Digital now makes up 51% of US advertizing spending – Magna Report

April 8, 2019 Editor

Magna released a bullish assessment and forecast for US ad revenue in 2018 and 2019. The report covers all the major advertising and media categories including both digital and traditional media. Ad sales up, especially digital. Magna says that “net advertising sales” will grow by 6.9 percent this year to reach $207 billion, which is “a new all-time high.” And, for the first time, digital ad revenues surpassed 50 percent of total ad spending in the US. The company said that digital ad revenue in 2018 will reach $106 billion,…

Bitcoin cash latest huge price gains outstrips those made by its more famous rival bitcoin

April 3, 2019 Editor

Bitcoin cash has experienced huge price gains that have outstripped those made by its more famous rival bitcoin, amid a major revival of the cryptocurrency markets. The bitcoin spin-off rose in value by around 45 per cent over the last 24 hours, taking its market cap above $4 billion for the first time since November 2018. One unit of the cryptocurrency is now worth $262 (£200), which is still a long way off the peak it reached in late 2017 of around $4,000. Bitcoin’s recent gains of around 25 per cent appear…

Kenya accounts for 60 per cent of private equity investments to East Africa

April 2, 2019 Editor

Kenya accounted for more than half of funds pumped into the region by private equity (PE) and venture capital firms. A new report shows that Kenya received 59 per cent of the funds that private equity firms pumped into the region between 2013 and 2018. The report by the Africa Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA) indicates that there were 110 reported deals during the five years valued at Sh130 billion. Most of the money was invested in the consumer goods and technology sectors. Reports have in the recent…

Online Marketplaces has potential to create 3 million jobs in Africa by 2025

March 29, 2019June 19, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Online marketplaces such as Jumia, Souq, Uber, and Travelstart could create around 3 million new jobs by 2025 across Africa. This is according to findings of a new report released today by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Titled ‘’How Online Marketplaces Can Power Employment in Africa’’ the report notes that these digital platforms, which match buyers and providers of goods and services, could also raise incomes and boost inclusive economic growth with minimal disruption to existing businesses and workforce norms. Speaking during the launch of the report, Patrick Dupoux, a senior…

MTN launches ‘world first’ WhatsApp-based Airtime Top-up service

March 26, 2019March 26, 2019 olivia Craig

MTN says it will become the first mobile network in the world to let customers buy airtime and data bundles and check their balances directly on Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp. The service, MTN Chat, will help customers manage their accounts “off a secure and convenient platform they already know and love”, said Mapula Bodibe, MTN SA’s consumer business executive. “It’s imperative that companies focus on improving self-service experiences to retain and grow customers and this is an important step for MTN,” Bodibe said. Calling it a world first for the…

Miss.Africa Digital Celebrates International Women’s Day With its Annual Seed Fund Application Drive

March 14, 2019March 14, 2019 Staff Writer

DCA Trust celebrated the Women’s Day by launching the 2019 Miss.Africa Digital Seed Fund Application Drive. Parallel to my advocacy on the philosophy of positive “tech disruption”, and how it has the ability to create a welcome change in our societies, if we regularly engage in doing something out of our comfort zone for our mind, body and spirit, I’m a great believer that we will find ourselves in a much better space as human beings, as well as be more effective in our work.” 2019: Year of work-life-balance, –…