All Clear for Ride Hailing Firms in Tanzania
Tanzania’s government has announced the resumption of Uber and Bolt ride-hailing services after weeks of controversy over the fate of the two companies. Uber suspended their services in April, whereas Bolt decided to switch to only-corporate clients in August, after the government’s regulatory changes were enforced in March. Tanzania’s transport regulatory authority (Latra)’s director Habibu […]
What M-Pesa is doing in East Africa, Touch and Pay is attempting in West Africa
Nigerian fintech startup Touch and Pay is planning expansion into a number of other African markets after securing a seed funding round worth US$3 million. Founded in 2019, Touch and Pay has developed a suite of near field communication (NFC) based payment solutions for all sorts of situations. Co-founder Michael Oluwole said the startup was […]
African Migrants Fight Uber in France
Some 500 African delivery drivers of the Uber Eats platform, many of them undocumented, demonstrated in Paris in front of the French headquarters of the American firm, after the disconnection of 2,500 worker accounts identified as fraudulent. Uber says that the numerous deactivations are the consequence of an audit carried out after the signature of […]
Africa and the SDGs
As the UN general assembly prepares to meet in New York next week, the annual Goalkeepers Report makes clear that most of the 17 sustainable development goals agreed by member countries in 2015, a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet”, will miss their 2030 deadline. Bill Gates fears generosity towards […]
Africans Deal with Plastics and their Impact
More than 50 African environment ministers are gathering in Senegal this week for the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment. Plastics and the harmful burning of waste are high on the agenda. The conference is taking place in the wake of major flooding and drought throughout the continent, which have aggravated food insecurity, damaged vital […]
Zimbabwe is Working with Agencies to Provide Food Aid
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) is planning a food relief programme targeting 700,000 people in Zimbabwe who are affected by a poor harvest and the Ukraine war, an official said. The southern African country has been struggling to feed itself since 2000 when former leader Robert Mugabe championed the seizure of white-owned farms to […]
Ruto Sworn In as Kenya’s 5th President
Tens of thousands of people cheered as William Ruto was sworn in as Kenya’s president at a ceremony in the capital Nairobi following his narrow election win last month. Mr Ruto hailed it as “a moment like no other”, adding that a “village boy” had become president. Defeated candidate Raila Odinga did not attend. He […]
Critical Skills: The Empowerment Wake-Up Call
According to Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), small businesses have been growing steadily from generating 16% of total turnover in the formal business sector in 2013 to 22% in 2019. At the same time, the contribution of large business waned, from 75% to 68%. Says Michael Pretorius, founder and managing director of CT Floors: “This trend […]
Uber Announces Expansions And New Products In Kenya
Uber has today announced new products, updates, and features focused on travel, safety and delivery in Kenya. Uber has announced its expansion into four new cities in Kenya; Eldoret, Nakuru, Naivasha and Kisumu. This makes Uber available in eight cities across East Africa, which means more drivers have access to earning opportunities and more riders […]
