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Editor’s Note
Week 32, 2023
Read time: 5 minutes
Happy new month
Here is your weekly update on Africa’s tech ecosystem!
We value your feedback, so please take this quick 3-minute survey to tell us how we can make TC Weekender even more exciting for you.
Pamela Tetteh Editor, TechCabal.
Editor’s Picks
Kenya suspends Worldcoin’s operations
The Kenyan government has suspended Worldcoin, a crypto project which is offering Kenyans tokens worth about $54 or KES 7,000 in exchange for their eye scans.
Senegal shuts down its internet again
Once again, the Senegalese government has shut down access to the internet. If this feels like like déjà vu, it is probably because this happened twice in June. They hve also banned a really popular social media platform this time.
Nigeria really banned Binance
Nigeria’s Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has clarified that the crypto exchange it banned is the Binance we all know, and not an entity called “Binance Nigeria Limited.”
Y Combinator bets on food delivery again
There are three African startups in Y Combinator’s summer 2023 class. One of them, ChowCentral, a food-delivery startup in Nigeria, extends Y Combinator’s bet on food delivery in Africa.
Event: Africa Social Impact Summit
This August, join key players and leaders across the African private and public sectors, the government, donor and civil society communities, as they discuss policy-shaping ideas and new impact investing strategies for Africa at the 2nd edition of the Africa Social Impact Summit.
Anonymous Sudan attacks Nigeria
Anonymous Sudan, a pro-Sudan hacktivist group, is claiming responsibility for cyberattacks on MTN Nigeria and Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Big Cabal Media lays off workers
Big Cabal Media, the parent company of TechCabal, Zikoko and Citizen, has cut its workforce by 19% across its business units.
GSK exits Nigeria
Global pharma and biotech company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced its exit from Nigeria after 51 years of operations in the company.
Flutterwave’s $end Mobile rebrands to Send App
Payments company Flutterwave has rebranded its $end Mobile product to Send App, and has has expanded its recipient countries to include Egypt and Sénégal.
Who brought the money this week?
Nigerian health tech company Remedial Health raised $12 million in Series A funding in a round co-led by QED Investors and Ventures Platform.
Traction, a Nigerian-based fintech company, secured $6 million in a seed round; the round was led by Pan-African investor Ventures Platform and Multiply Partners; other participating investors included P1 Ventures and other investors.
Emtech a Pan-African fintech company, raised $4 million in seed round.
What else to read this weekend?
Tanzania ignores digital IDs as East Africa pushes for wider adoption
Seven months after its launch, CBN’s fintech sandbox has made no real progress
Gender inequality is obstructing Ghana’s path to a larger digital economy
EXCLUSIVE: Zambia is ready to be Africa’s next major tech hub, says tech minister
Written by: Ngozi Chukwu
Edited by: Pamela Tetteh