December 17, 2019 - itbusinessdirect

Big tech companies accused of Child labor

December 17, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Apple, Google, Microsoft, Tesla, and Dell have all been named in a federal lawsuit from parents who say their children were injured or killed in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, The Guardian first reported. International Rights Advocates , a human rights litigation and advocacy group, filed the suit yesterday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of 14 Congolese children and parents, accusing the five major companies named in the suit of “knowingly benefiting from and aiding and abetting the cruel and brutal use of young…

Mali based insurtech startup OKO Finance helps rural farmers access crop insurance

December 17, 2019

Malian insurtech startup OKO Finance has helped many rural farmers to access crop insurance for the first time ever. Founded in 2017, OKO develops affordable mobile-based crop insurance products to provide smallholder farmers with the financial security they need, regardless of unstable climate trends. CEO Simon Schwall, spoke to ITBusinessDirect about their plans and activites, here is the conversation What is the story behind OKO Finance? Before starting OKO I worked for a very successful micro-insurance provider called BIMA. I was their local CEO in Papua New Guinea and Fiji…

How Technology can be used to ensure safety

December 17, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

The role of technology in addressing some of the most pressing challenges in the world cannot be understated. Public-private cooperation will play a pivotal role in creating an enabling environment for this to come to fruition. Uber hosted the Tech for Safety summit in Nairobi to deliberate with entrepreneurs, businesses, the government and the private sector on how to tap technology to address challenging personal safety concerns, including safety within communities, road safety, or the safety of individuals using online platforms. During the summit, keynote speaker Philip Thigo, a tech,…

New tax on Digital Markets under new law

December 17, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Kenya will start levying new tax on digital markets under a new law signed by the President early in November. The Finance Act seeks to broaden the Income Tax Act net to include income accruing through a digital market place. The law defines the digital marketplace as “a platform that enables direct interactions between buyers and sellers of goods and services through electronic means.” In addition, a similar change has been made to the VAT Act making digital market services subject to value-added tax. It’s not clear yet who will be affected or how the…

Spotify new feature encourages listening of Podcasts

December 17, 2019December 17, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Early this year, Spotify acquired Gimlet Media, a podcast network and producer which hosts shows like Startup, Homecoming, Mogul, The Pitch, Reply All, The Cut, Science VS and Anchor which was a DIY podcasting startup that provides a set of tools that make it super easy for anyone(beginner and Pro) to create and monetize their own podcasts and for free for reportedly $300 million. Spotify also acquired Parcast, a producer for crime, mystery and sci-fi podcasts for $100m. The audio streaming giant also partnered with BBC Studios and P&G to create more podcasts.…