Google’s SVP of Research, Technology & Society Argues that what Africans Choose to do in the Near Future regarding AI will be Crucial
James Manyika says the types of questions he hears most often are: “What is the AI opportunity for Africa? Will there be broad participation in the development and use of AI, or will it be limited to a few countries and companies? And what will it take for Africa to capitalise on the opportunity presented […]
Nairobi-based Alcohol Startup African Originals Faces Regulatory Hurdles that Threaten to Push it Out of the Kenyan Market
This follows a dirty tricks campaign it alleges has been waged by Diageo subsidiary East African Breweries Limited (EABL). The seven-year-old startup is known for its “Kenyan Originals” range of ciders, gins, and iced teas. EABL, the region’s largest brewer, launched a competing range of ciders in December last year. Since then, African Originals claims […]
Domestic Companies could Own more Oil Licences than Foreign Groups for the First Time in Nigeria’s History
A chief economist at Shell once described Nigeria as the “jewel in the crown” of the oil major’s empire. Yet in recent years the jewel has lost its lustre. Early this year Shell, which has been pumping oil in Nigeria for nearly seven decades, agreed to sell its onshore subsidiary to a consortium of mostly […]
Ethiopia’s Largest Bank is Struggling to Recoup Millions of Dollars after a Glitch
More than $40 million was reportedly withdrawn from the state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia or transferred to other banks, as customers discovered they could withdraw more than their total balance. Transactions were halted several hours later. The bank’s President Abie Sano told a press conference earlier this week that a large portion of the cash […]
South Africa’s Troubled State-owned Airline is Seeking a New Strategic Partner
South African Airways (SAA) chief executive John Lamola said in an interview that, “You can’t have an airline run entirely by the government. The best scenario would be to list SAA on the stock market, in which the South African government would still have a ‘golden share’ to ensure the country’s strategic economic interests are […]
The Economic Impact of the Recent Internet Disruption in Africa
Since last week, Africa has faced unprecedented internet outages. Reports from Netblocks, an internet observatory, revealed that the disruptions are due to several damaged subsea cables. The damage has impaired essential subsea fibre networks, notably WACS, MainOne, SAT3, and ACE, leading to a significant downturn in the telecom sector. The affected countries include Benin, Burkina […]
Investment in Green Hydrogen Industry could Transform Namibia’s Economy
Germany aims to designate an ambitious green hydrogen project in Namibia as strategically significant, paving the way for additional financial support and bringing a plan that could transform the economy of the African nation closer to reality. Enertrag SE, which holds a stake in the $10.8 billion Hyphen project on the south coast of Namibia, […]
There’s been a Spate of Proactive Startups Focused on Revolutionizing the Food System across Africa
Farming and selling produce can be inefficient and costly for farmers in Africa, despite being one of society’s oldest practices. Nile, a B2B marketplace, wants to change this. By connecting farmers directly with commercial produce buyers, Nile is reshaping produce trading while empowering farmers across southern Africa. Sand to Green focuses on agroforestry for arid […]
Kenyan Startup which Helps SMEs Build their Online Identity through a Chat Tool Expands into Ivory Coast
Founded by Kenfield Griffith and Louis Majanja, tappi allows SME owners to download its app, add their “look and feel”, and promote their business through a three-step process that goes to Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads using airtime credit or mobile money. Since its inception in 2022, tappi has been on a rapid […]
Scarcity of Monitoring Stations across Africa Means Underrepresentation in Air Quality Data
A recent World Air Quality Report by IQAir provides a global review of air quality data for the year 2023. It compiles PM2.5 air quality data from 7,812 cities across 134 countries, regions, and territories. The report gathers information from over 30,000 air quality monitoring stations. In 2023, 10 out of the reporting 134 countries […]
