Category: Q&A

Women VCs investments explains the inequality in their field

Editor

Female venture capitalists (VCs) have made steady progress over the past few decades, but still make up a small percentage of VCs overall. Data released today (Mar. 25) by grassroots initiative Women in VC reveals the limitations that female VCs are working under, and how they affect the progress of women in VC as well as female founders. The vast majority of female VCs are investing primarily in early-stage startups, in the seed and series A funding rounds. Part of the reason they are investing mostly in the early stages…

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How prepared are African businesses to tap AI benefits?

Editor

The world is becoming a consumers’ market where future trends are now determined by an impatient customer with a smart phone. The modern shopper wants the best for less right now. They also demand that brands speak to and about their unique individuality. These conversations are taking place online in real time, feeding research, design and development teams with enough data to make accurate predictions of what will sell in the future. How this information is collected and collated is being made possible by technology. What does Artificial Intelligence mean…

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SMEs Digitization in Africa

Editor
Fuji Xerox

Gartner, the global research and advisory firm, defines digitalisation as “the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities; the process of moving to a digital business”. Digital technologies include social technology platforms, Mobile, Cloud, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Analytics, Virtual Reality, and Blockchain, amongst others. All these technologies can be harnessed to introduce new digital business models by changing and enabling better internal processes, customer experience and operating models. Digitalisation can be a source of unapparelled competitive advantage when adopted…

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How AI could bring a difference in 2019

Staff Writer

In 2019, artificial intelligence (AI) will increasingly become a mainstream presence in our work and personal lives, inspiring our purchase decisions and digging deeper into business outcomes and events. At the same time, expectations surrounding AI will also grow, as calls for transparency and fair play become too loud for businesses to ignore. Here are four ways we see AI making a difference in our lives in the new year: AI gets warm and fuzzy. Conversational AI is fast becoming a fact of life; already, 20% of U.S. adults have access to smart speakers in their homes. Google…

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Disruptive technology emerging markets in Africa could leverage to transform utilities

Editor

The entire installed generation capacity of Africa’s 48 Sub-Saharan countries is just 68 gigawatts, no more than Spain; this is according to the Africa’s Infrastructure report conducted by the World Bank. Up to one-quarter of that capacity is unavailable because of aging plants and poor maintenance. In Sub-Saharan Africa, just one person in five has access to electricity. If current trends continue, fewer than 40% of Sub-Saharan African countries will reach universal access to electricity by 2050. Per capita consumption of electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) averages only…

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Distribution Is The Real Disruption, Mobile phones game-changing agri-tech in Africa

Editor
Farmers

While emerging technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence can capture our imagination, some of the most game-changing innovations for smallholder farmers are more modest. Seeds. Roads. Electricity. While such technologies may seem mundane, they are anything but. Reaching smallholder farmers in rural areas takes a nuanced combination of appropriate innovations, sophisticated distribution systems, and a human touch. One organization celebrated for its approach is One Acre Fund, a non-profit social enterprise working with 600,000 farmers in East Africa. I spoke with Ilana Kessler, Impact Ventures Growth Director, about scaling innovative approaches to help…

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Sky.Garden: Revolutionizing Kenya’s E-Commerce Sector

Dianne Jacobs

Upon noticing that the economic sector in Kenya only caters for the top tier in the economic pyramid which leaves little room for individuals and businesses that exist within the lower segments of the economy to reap the benefits of online transactions, Sky.Garden decided to come up with a sophisticated eCommerce platform that they can use to expand their geographical reach. ITBusinessDirect spoke to Isaac Hunja the Chief Marketing Officer about their work. How can you define the technology sector in Kenya? I would describe the technology sector in Kenya…

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JuuBike: Streamlining the Kenyan Bodaboda Transport Sector

Dianne Jacobs

The Boda Boda Safety Association of Kenya recently launched a new app called JuuBike that will connect riders to customers in what the Association says will streamline the industry and inject discipline. The IBCA caught up with its founder who told us more about it. How can you define the technology sector in Kenya? JuuBike: The technology in Kenya has been improving rapidly and being adopted by very many different sectors eg, communication,Transport, manufacturing and many others. It has the engine that is driving the Kenyan economy as today almost everything is…

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Panacea:Transforming the Education Sector in Africa

Dianne Jacobs

After recently launching its Android App, Panacea, a Nigerian e-library startup, is geared towards revolutionizing the education sector in Africa. The IBCA caught up with its founder who shed some light on what it is all about and their future plans. How can you define the technology sector in Nigeria? Panacea: Technology in Nigeria is growing and growing fast. Both government and private sectors are embracing technology as quick as possible. Technology adoption across Nigeria has also been very encouraging lately.This is evident in the number of tech startups springing…

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Q&A: Leti Arts bringing authentic Africa to the world through games & digital comics

Dianne Jacobs
Leti Arts

Caption: (inset) Leti Arts Co-founders, Eyram Tawia (Ghana) and Wesley Kirinya (Kenya) Africa is at the verge of global stardom, with the latest box office stunner movie featuring African superheroes in their fictional Kingdom of Wakanda. There is no doubt that Africa is starting to create its own imagery and endearing the world. It is through such that companies like Let Arts are focusing on. The IBCA caught up with Leti Arts to find out just what the founders are working on to bring an authentic Africa to a worldwide…

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