At the ongoing Pan African Data Centres conference in Sandton, Johannesburg, Roc Bai, Vice President of Huawei Cloud Southern Africa, emphasized the strides made by African fintech firms in developing innovative digital solutions. However, he also underscored significant challenges hindering broader access to these advancements, particularly Africa’s poor internet connectivity and limited cloud access.
Uganda Airlines has announced plans to expand its reach by launching three new routes to the capitals of Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria in September 2024. This initiative marks a significant milestone for the national carrier, aimed at enhancing Uganda’s connectivity within Africa.
Kenya’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector received a substantial boost in 2023, securing $15 million (Sh1.95 billion) in funding, according to a new report by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA). This impressive figure places Kenya ahead of Nigeria, which garnered $2.9 million (Sh377.9 million) for its AI sector. However, both nations trail behind South Africa, where AI investments reached $123 million (Sh16.02 billion).
Open Society Foundations (OSF), led by Kenyan human rights lawyer Binaifer Nowrojee, has announced a significant $400 million (Sh51.85 billion) investment for global projects aimed at promoting economic prosperity and addressing climate change. This initiative underscores OSF’s commitment to tackling pressing global challenges through its Economic and Climate Prosperity programme.
Over 250 stakeholders from government, civil society, donors, academics, students, and private industry experts have convened in Nairobi for the DataFest Africa 2024 conference, organized by Aga Khan University and Pollicy. This significant event is themed “Opportunities for all: Harnessing Data & Technology for Africa’s Transformation,” and is focused on celebrating the use of data in East Africa. The conference aims to address and overcome challenges that hinder the development of the data ecosystem in Africa.
Zimbabwe is taking a proactive step towards enhancing digital literacy with the launch of a Digital Ambassadors program, aimed at fostering tech understanding across communities. Tatenda Mavetera, Zimbabwe’s minister of information communication technology, postal and courier services (ICTPCS), unveiled this initiative during a recent International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) certification event for school teachers. The minister commended the Computer Society of Zimbabwe for its role in hosting the forum, emphasizing the government’s support for public-private partnerships in advancing digital education.
Salaam Somali Bank, Somalia’s largest financial institution, has partnered with Visa to introduce Visa Debit and Visa Prepaid cards nationwide, marking a significant advancement in digital payment capabilities across the country. This collaboration aims to enhance the speed, efficiency, and security of transactions, benefiting both consumers and businesses in Somalia.
Zambia is leveraging Starlink’s presence to revolutionize its healthcare system, aiming for enhanced service delivery and efficiency, as per Felix Mutati, the Minister of Science and Technology. With Starlink’s satellite internet, the country has transformed 95 post offices into ‘Digital Transformation Centres’, providing free online access to over 300 government services. The goal is to connect all 106 post offices to Starlink, ensuring widespread digital accessibility across Zambia.
