👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Jumia shuts down Jumia Food
In partnership with Share this newsletter: Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية TGIF Twiga Foods’ CEO, Peter Njonjo, is taking a breather from the hustle. His company is grappling with a hefty debt collection lawsuit from Incentro Africa, of over $200,000, but he is taking a six-month sabbatical amidst the court drama. This is your sign to take that break from work if you need it. Also, If you are a founder, please take this survey. In today’s edition Jumia shuts down Jumia Food MAKA raises a $2.65 million pre-seed funding CCHub finds a new leader to replace Nigerian minister Techstars funds 12 startups in second cohort Funding tracker The World Wide Web3 Job openings E-commerce Jumia shuts down food delivery business across seven markets Image: courtesy of Jumia Jumia has shut down its food delivery business to cut costs. The African e-commerce company has decided to shut down its food delivery business, Jumia Food, across several African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Uganda, and Algeria by the end of December 2023. Why? Jumia, facing a Q3 2023 loss of $19 million, has been reevaluating its business segments to navigate challenging market dynamics since Q4 2022, where the company made a full-year loss of $207 million and a Q4 loss of $49.2 million. Jumia CEO, Francis Dufay highlighted the food delivery sector’s tough unit economics and substantial losses, attributing the closure to increased competition and rising operational costs. Over recent months, Jumia has implemented significant cost-saving measures, including a 20% reduction in its workforce (900 employees), relocation of 60% of top management from the United Arab Emirates to the respective African countries, and substantial cuts in advertising and marketing spending. Despite Jumia Food contributing 11% to Jumia’s overall gross merchandise value, it has consistently operated at a loss in the 11 North, East, and West African countries where it operates. While the company initially shifted focus to small-ticket everyday items in 2021, Dufay has redirected efforts and expanded into smaller Nigerian cities. Zoom out: The decision to shut down Jumia Food follows a trend, with the company previously discontinuing the service in Egypt, Ghana, and Senegal due to sub-scale operations and challenging economics. Access payments with Moniepoint Moniepoint has made it simple for your business to access payments while providing access to credit and other business tools. Open an account today here. Funding MAKA raises $2.6 million pre-seed MAKA CEO Diana Owusu-Kyereko What I ordered vs what I got? MAKA has got you. MAKA, an African fashion and beauty e-commerce platform, has raised a $2.65 million pre-seed. MAKA will use the funding to grow its workforce, streamline its operations, upgrade its technology, and strengthen its presence in Ghana and Nigeria The funding round was led by 4DX Ventures and Janngo Capital. Palm Drive Capital, angel investor Jonathan Shipman, founder of EVP and Twitch founding member, and executives from delivery platform Wolt also participated in the round. TikTok but for fashion: Think of MAKA as an upgraded version of TikTok where you can buy and review clothes that fit your style. Diana Owusu-Kyereko, ex-CEO of Jumia Ghana, launched MAKA in 2021 as an interactive social commerce platform, that allows both creators and customers to discover products tailored to their styles through live try-on hauls, reviews, and user-generated content. MAKA aims to solve the trust issue from buying clothes online—what I ordered vs what I got. To combat the trust barrier, MAKA leverages video testimonials from trusted creators. Seeing creators they admire recommend and demonstrate products firsthand builds trust and confidence for these users. Introducing Virtual Accounts, with Paystack-Titan Reliably accept 99% of your bank transfer payments in under 8 seconds with Paystack-Titan. Learn more → Startups CcHub gets new leader Image source: CcHUB Ojoma Ochai has been appointed Managing Director of Africa’s largest innovation centre, Co-creation Hub (CcHUB). Ochai takes the helm from Bosun Tijani, who now serves as Nigeria’s minister of communications, innovation and digital economy. Who is Ojoma? Ojoma Ochai has over 20 years in the creative and technology sectors. She was previously the Managing Partner at the Creative Economy Practice of CcHUB. Ochai held key positions at the British Council including Regional Director of Arts and Creative Economy Programmes, Sub-Saharan Africa, Director of Arts, Nigeria, Director of Arts, West Africa, and Director of Programmes. She was also a Board Member of BTrust—an organisation set up by Jay Z and Jack Dorsey to support blockchain development on the continent. She was an Entertainment Sector Specialist at the World Bank Growth and Employment Project. She is also a member of the UNESCO Global Expert Panel on the 2005 Convention on Cultural Expressions where she has delivered projects in a range of locations around the world particularly in Africa and the Caribbean. Ochai is also co-founder of Pixel Ray Studios, a global film and audio-visual content infrastructure development company currently developing projects in Africa and the Caribbean. Lights out: With almost 20 years of progressive experience in the creative and technology sectors, Ojoma Ochai takes over the helm at CcHUB which has been instrumental in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. CcHUB with roots in Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, and Namibia launched in 2010, as a frontier for digital innovation in Nigeria. How do Nigerians save and spend? Did you know that 64% of Nigerians save a portion of their monthly income? Read PiggyVest’s first-ever savings report to see more about how Nigerians save and spend here. Funding Techstars and ARM Labs to invest $1.4 million in 12 African startups Image source: Techstars Techstars, an African startup investor has partnered with ARM Labs, a Nigerian accelerator, in its second cohort for its Lagos-based accelerator programme. The cohort comprises 12 startups from Ghana, East Africa and Nigeria, and has four teams with at least one female co-founder in each startup. Funding and support: Each startup receives $120,000 in funding, along with valuable benefits like $400,000 in cash equivalent hosting, accounting, and legal support, with the comprehensive package, exceeding $5 million in
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🚀Entering Tech #52: How to become a comms professional
Here’s how you can talk your way into tech! 14 || December || 2023 View in Browser In partnership with #Issue 51 How to become a comms professional Share this newsletter Greetings ET readers In today’s edition, we’re taking a look at one of the more subtle ways to enter tech: comms. Many tech companies, or tech-enabled ones, have communications or content teams with different goals from content marketing and sales, to public relations. PiggyVest, for example, has a pretty nifty content team with skilled comms professionals who help people understand what the business does. If you’d like to learn more, then hang on tight. P.S: In next week’s edition, we’re bringing you 2024 predictions—and yes, one of them is that you will, unsurprisingly, discard your New Year resolution after one week. Faith Omoniyi & Timi Odueso. Tech trivia questions Some trivia before we begin. Answers are at the bottom of this newsletter. What was the world’s first digital and programmable robot? Who is a communications professional? Being a communication professional in tech is not the most popular skill out there, but it is a surefire way of entering into tech. Joyce Imiegha, a PR and communications professional, says that if you’re looking for significant room for creativity, autonomy impact and recognition for your work, then being a communications professional is the right way to go. Joyce Imeigha You must have heard the terms “content creator,” “content writer,” and “social media manager“, and while these roles appear eerily similar to what a communications professional does, they are different. Joyce defines it as having the expertise, training, knowledge, and skills to effectively convey messages, build relationships, manage perceptions, and drive results to enhance organisational and individual goals through communication strategies and interactions. Phew, you must be wondering all of these things for one person. Image source: YungNollywood Put simply, a communications professional is someone who helps people understand and connect with a company. They act as the company’s voice, ensuring clear and consistent messaging across all channels. Communication professionals do this by using language, design, and other tools to create clear, concise, and engaging messages. Now that we know who a communications professional is let’s delve into the skills you need to become a badass communications professional communicator. Communications is an umbrella that covers all forms of an organisation’s internal and external communications. PR is just one slice of the cake that focuses specifically on enhancing the organisation’s image or reputation. So, a PR personnel ensures that the company looks good on the outside at all times, while a communications professional ensures the communication of a company’s message regardless of the circumstances. “In terms of functions, communications roles centre around creating content for specific channels and audiences, while PR roles involve media relations, storytelling, reputation management and crisis management,” Joyce said. Comms professionals take on different titles like Communications Manager, Public Relations Officer, Engagement Manager, or even Director of Strategic Communications. Simplify with Rowvar Simplify property investment with Rowvar. Start here. How it works Skills needed: Writing, listening, public speaking, creativity, strategic, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills. Gadgets needed: Laptop, internet access, pen and paper, and lots of coffee. So now that we know who comms professionals are, what kind of tasks do they do? Here’s teh five most important things communicators do. Developing communications targeted at employees or external stakeholders: This includes writing newsletters, announcements, and other materials for employees to keep them informed, motivated, and aligned with company goals. It may also involve developing press releases, social media content, and other materials to reach target audiences like customers, investors, or the general public. Managing messaging across channels and audiences: Comms professionals maintain a consistent voice and message across all internal and external communication channels to build brand recognition and trust. They also adapt communication to different audiences and platforms to ensure it resonates effectively with each group. Building engagement, trust, and loyalty for brands: This may involve using various communication channels and formats like podcasts or videos to make information accessible and engaging for different audiences. Overseeing all internal and/or external communications strategy and messaging: A communications professional acts as a bridge communicating effectively between leadership and staff, ensuring both sides are heard and understood within a company. A comms professional also represents the company, serving as a spokesperson for the company to external audiences, such as the media or the public, upholding its values and reputation. Finally, comms professionals liaise between leadership and staff or serve as public-facing representatives for all inquiries to the company. Money matters So how much do comms professionals earn?Raise your hands if you’re not learning a tech skill for the money. No hands, of course . “Generally, communication professionals can have competitive compensation packages, but they may not always match the salaries in certain technical or high-demand fields like software engineering, marketing, and so on,” Joyce tells me. While the salaries may not always match the salaries of high-demand fields, “the level of experience and expertise you bring to the role can impact your earning potential.” Senior or specialised roles often attract higher salaries and the level of education and relevant training can also influence earning potential. So, Joyce’s advice to you is to embrace continuous learning. Read Piggvest’s Grown Ups for free Experience a journey of friendship, financial twists, and the hilarious chaos that comes with being a Grown-Up in Nigeria. Read Grown Ups for free. You can learn comms too Check out some of these resources that can upskill you into a great communicator. Internal Communications Fundamentals on Udemy Price: $13 (Paid Certificate available) Duration: 2 hours Tools Needed: Internet + phone Level: Beginner Get Course Strategic Communications on Udemy Price: $13 (Paid Certificate available) Duration: 2 hours Tools Needed: Internet + phone Level: Beginner and Intermediate Get Course Understanding Corporate Communications on Coursera Price: $49/Month Duration: 3 weeks Tools Needed: Internet + laptop Level: Beginner Get Course How to Implement and Evaluate Communication Campaigns on Coursera Price: $49/Month Duration:
Read MoreJumia shuts down food delivery segment in race to profitability
In its continued cost-cutting spree, e-commerce company Jumia has shut down its food delivery business in Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Uganda, and Algeria. Jumia, an African e-commerce company, will shut down Jumia Food, its food delivery business, by the end of 2023 in a new round of cost-cutting. The unprofitable e-commerce company, which lost $19 million in Q3 2023, has changed its strategic focus and doubled down on its ambition to reach profitability since it named Francis Dufay as CEO last year. Dufay told Reuters that the food delivery segment has challenging unit economics and big losses. He also blamed the closure of Jumia Food increasing competition and cost of operations. “There is downward pressure on the commissions that we make and upward pressure on marketing costs because everyone is fighting for customers.” He also described the segment as not offering the same “upside potential” as the company’s physical goods business Dufay is choosing pragmatism “Our priorities need to change,” Dufay told TechCabal in September. Since then, Jumia has laid off 900, or 20%, of its employees and moved 60% of its top management team from the United Arab Emirates to the respective African countries to save costs. It has also drastically cut its advertising and marketing spend. Closing Jumia Food, an unprofitable business segment since its launch in 2013, is another push to focus on business segments that can drive profitability. While Jumia began focusing on small-ticket everyday items in 2021, Dufay has changed that, and he has also begun a push into smaller Nigerian cities. Jumia Food’s struggles By the end of Q3 of 2023, Jumia Food has a gross sale of $84 million—11% of Jumia’s overall gross merchandise value. However, the food delivery business has never been profitable in any of the 11 North, East and West African countries it operates in. The shutdown of the food delivery arm has been years in the making. Before this complete shutdown, the e-commerce giant discontinued food delivery in Egypt, Ghana, and Senegal “where this activity was sub-scale, resulting in unit economics dilution with limited consumer lifetime value upside.” In Jumia’s press release about the shutdown, Antoine Maillet-Mezeray, EVP of Finance & Operations of Jumia, said, “Food delivery remains a business with very challenging economics, in Africa and across the world, and we want to focus our efforts on our physical goods e-commerce business in the eleven markets where we operate.” The company, with a liquidity position of $166.3 million per its Q2 2023 reports, is cutting off the food delivery segment to allocate its resources to more promising segments like its core physical goods delivery and payment service, Jumia Pay.
Read MoreBreaking: Techstars and ARM Labs partner to invest $1.4 million in 12 African startups
Techstars, one of Africa’s most active startup investors, has unveiled 12 startups in its second cohort for its Lagos-based accelerator programme. The startups will receive $120,000 in funding. Techstars, a global accelerator with over 3,000 companies in its portfolio, has announced the second cohort of its Africa-focused accelerator programme in partnership with ARM Labs, a Nigerian accelerator. The cohort includes a dozen startups operating in Ghana, Nigeria, and East Africa and has four teams with at least one female co-founder. The selected startups will receive $120,000 in funding and $400,000 in cash equivalent hosting, accounting and legal support and other benefits worth more than $5 million. “The current market dynamics means that founders need a combination of financial support as well as technical assistance and access to networks in order to build resilient businesses,” Oyin Solebo, managing director, ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator, said. After a record-breaking 2022, with almost $5 billion raised, Africa’s tech funding party fizzled in 2023. Depending on where you consult for data, they all suggest a slowdown in funding for each quarter of this year compared to last year. This funding winter meant that investors became more conservative and applied measured investing. Nevertheless, several investors and investment funds are still backing startups on the continent. Techstars, which has invested in more than 70 African startups, is broadening the scope of startups it is investing in with its second cohort. The first cohort’s focus was on fintech and proptech startups, but this cohort has selected startups in fintech, logistics, e-commerce, healthtech, renewable energy, and the future of work. “Our second cohort truly showcases, and perhaps also epitomises, the wealth of talent, innovation and ingenuity that can be found within the African tech ecosystem,” Solebo added. In addition to the funding, the cohort will receive mentorship sessions from notable experts in Africa’s tech ecosystem, like Tunde Kehinde, the CEO of Lidya; Bode Abifarin, the Chief Operating Officer at Flutterwave; Tingting Peng, the Chief Capital and Strategy Officer at Moove; Kevin Simmons, a partner at LoftyInc; Lola Esan, a partner at EY; and Yischai Beinisch, the Head for Shell’s West African Emerging Market Power. These experts will provide the startups with comprehensive guidance and specialised services to support their growth journey. The startups will also access Techstars’ 10,000 founders, alumni, and mentors network. Meet the selected startups in this cohort: 24Seven: founded by Olufemi Idowu, is an asset-light marketplace that enables small businesses and convenience stores to order inventory on credit with one-hour doorstep delivery. Beauty Hut: founded by Subuola Oyeleye, is an e-commerce startup that allows users to shop from their favourite beauty brands in their e-commerce web store and mobile app. Eight Medical: an end-to-end platform that connects users in need to emergency medical resources (such as hospitals, ambulances, personnel, information, and credit), reducing waiting times from an average of 3 hours to 10 minutes or less. GetEquity: facilitates access to investment opportunities by SEC-accredited providers, reducing entry barriers through investment aggregation across various asset classes. JumpnPass: founded by Tunde Ademuyiwa and Qudus Quadry, is a mobile self-checkout platform that enables shoppers to use their smartphones to scan product barcodes, pay for items, and skip long queues One Plan: helps workers in Africa’s informal economy create affordable financial plans, making it easier to start a retirement plan, access low-interest credit, and access health and life insurance coverage. PBR Life Sciences: founded by Ayodeji Alaran, offers pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare, and medical device companies fast and easy access to high-quality market data and insights, helping them make objective decisions on product pricing, volumes, and company strategy. PressOne Africa: provides African businesses with deeper insights into phone conversations with customers through a communication platform that provides conversation intelligence and call monitoring. Rana: founded by Abraham Mohammed and Mubarak Popoola, democratises access to clean and reliable solar systems for SMEs and residential customers through affordable long-term solar subscriptions, replacing the need for expensive, unreliable, and toxic backup generators. Surge Africa: founded by Kumar Shourav and Ebrahim Essop, allows African individuals, micro-entrepreneurs and MSMEs to make instant cross-border transfers and pay up to 80% less in fees. Swoove: empowers logistics companies in emerging markets to digitise and scale their businesses with dispatch automation, fleet management, tracking, telematics, and a wide delivery network. Veend: founded by Olufemi Olanipekun and Ebenezer Ajayi, enables individuals and businesses with verifiable income to access funds on-demand, addressing their needs for emergency funds or working capital The program will conclude with an invite-only Demo Day on February 22nd, 2024, where founders will showcase their progress.
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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – MTN and IHS Towers fight
In partnership with Share this newsletter: Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Happy pre-Friday Flutterwave, an African fintech giant, has named five new executives across its risk, compliance, and expansion departments one month after Oneal Bhambani, its former CFO, abruptly left the company. Find out who the new guys are! Also, our insights team is researching founders’ outlook for 2024. If you are a founder, please take this survey. In today’s edition MTN and IHS Towers fight attract federal warning American billionaire backs $1 billion Congo carbon plan Clean stove distributor gets $10 million backing Kenya introduces electronic travel authorisation Cell C promotes two executives The World Wide Web3 Opportunities Telecom MTN and IHS Towers fight attract government intervention From L to R, Sam Darwish; IHS Tower CEO $ Karl Toriola; MTN NG CEO MTN Nigeria and IHS Towers are locking horns. The federal government of Nigeria has issued a stern warning to telecommunications giants MTN NG and IHS Towers, asking them to not disrupt telecom services amidst their ongoing collocation dispute. What dispute? The conflict revolves around the lease of telecom towers. In September, MTN NG announced that its tower operations would be run by the Nigerian subsidiary of the American Towers Corp (ATC) from 2025. ATC will be taking over from IHS Towers—whose lease to run MTN’s 2,500 network sites—will expire in 2024 and 2025. MTN NG recently finalised the deal with ATC asserting that this transition would not disrupt the country’s network connectivity. However, IHS Towers has expressed concerns, suggesting potential disruptions, and offered improved commercial terms to MTN in an attempt to retain the contract. MTN NG has not budged, reiterating the finality of the agreement. There was a boardroom fight: Prior to this development, there was an ongoing boardroom fight between IHS Towers and MTN Group over MTN’s request for more control of the tower company. MTN Group holds 26% of IHS Towers but only controls 20% of the voting share. MTN had said that it could not sell its non-voting shares and wanted its stake in the company to be reflected in its voting power. However, IHS Towers said in response that the proposals were not in the company’s best interests. What now? Concerned about the lingering collocation dispute, the government is threatening severe sanctions in case of service quality degradation. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has also issued a gag order, restraining the disputing parties from making inflammatory public statements. Access payments with Moniepoint Moniepoint has made it simple for your business to access payments while providing access to credit and other business tools. Open an account today here. Climate American billionaire backs Congo’s $1 Billion Carbon credit project Investor, Mark Cuban Renowned billionaire investor Mark Cuban has backed Congo’s $1 billion carbon project. What project? The project, spearheaded by climate startup dClimate, aims to generate carbon credits worth $1 billion by preventing deforestation in the Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest tropical forest. This initiative will help combat the alarming rate of deforestation and mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. Reducing emissions: The initiative, led by climate startup dClimate, intends to produce $1 billion worth of carbon credits by stopping deforestation in the Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest tropical forest. This programme will lessen carbon dioxide emissions and contribute to the fight against the startling rate of deforestation in the Congo Basin. Climate has also signed a deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo to capture and store 100 million tons of carbon dioxide for 10 years. The startup plans to achieve this by safeguarding approximately 500,000 hectares of peatlands from deforestation. To guarantee that deforestation is effectively stopped, dClimate will carefully monitor the protected territory. The vital information gathered from this monitoring will help build a carbon-credit registry and make it easier to sell carbon credits on the open market. Lights out: According to World Bank estimates, Congo’s forests absorb 822 million tons of greenhouse gas annually, worth billions of dollars. In addition to assisting in the fight against climate change, this project will benefit local communities and promote sustainable economic growth by protecting the Congo Basin’s rich biodiversity and halting deforestation. Introducing Virtual Accounts, with Paystack-Titan Reliably accept 99% of your bank transfer payments in under 8 seconds with Paystack-Titan. Learn more → Climate BURN secures $10 million for expansion Image source: BURN In more climate news, BURN, a Kenyan cook-stove maker has secured a $10 million investment from the Africa Go Green Fund (AGG), managed by Cygnum Capital Asset Management. The funding will enable BURN to distribute clean cook-stoves across Mozambique, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Per TechMoran, the plan is to provide cook-stoves to 50,000-150,000 customers in each country. Launched in 2011, BURN uses funding like this—carbon funding—to subsidise the cost of cook-stoves, making them affordable for low-income households. BURN’s latest funding aims to reduce approximately 6.9 million tons of carbon oxide (CO2) emissions—the continent’s leading cause of CO2 emissions. According to its site, BURN has sold over four million stoves to low-income African households who rely on charcoal and firewood for cooking. Zoom out: This week, BURN sold Africa’s first cook-stove carbon credits futures, allowing the company to get funding in the future based on the expected emissions reduction from their cook stoves. The move will also help them provide more of the cook stoves to families across Africa. How do Nigerians save and spend? Did you know that 64% of Nigerians save a portion of their monthly income? Read PiggyVest’s first-ever savings report to see more about how Nigerians save and spend here. Tourism Kenya to scrap visas for all visitors, introduces e-travel authorisation Travellers will no longer need a visa to visit Kenya. The country has introduced a digital platform that eliminates the need for traditional visa applications. Starting January 2024, international travellers can obtain an electronic travel authorisation in advance. This comes merely two months after Kenya scrapped visa requirements for Africans, to boost economic growth, intra-African trade, tourism and investment. A
Read MoreFlutterwave names new executives a month after CFO’s departure
Flutterwave, Africa’s fintech giant, has hired several high-profile executives to help lead its risk and compliance efforts one month after the abrupt exit of its CFO. Flutterwave, the African fintech giant widely believed to be considering an Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the NASDAQ, has named five new executives across its risk, compliance, and expansion departments one month after Oneal Bhambani, its former CFO, abruptly left the company. Today, Flutterwave shared the profiles of its new executives. Amaresh Mohan, Chief Risk Officer, joins from GoTo Group, one of Indonesia’s largest startups. Amresh also had leadership positions at Stripe and Paypal. Stephen Cheng, who has held C-level positions at American Express and First Data, is the EVP for global expansion and payment partnerships, a role he has had since July. Amanda Ortega, an experienced regulator in Wyoming, will lead Flutterwave’s regulatory standards and compliance in North America as Head of Compliance for the United States. Flutterwave recently acquired money transfer licences for 13 states in the United States. Steven Huynh has also joined as VP of global expansion and payment partnerships, while Chris Davis joins as VP of risk and compliance operations. Adewale Ayantoye joins as VP of risk management. These new executives could help transmit confidence to the public market and further fuel speculation that Flutterwave remains serious about its IPO plans. In August, Olugbenga Agboola, Flutterwave’s CEO, shared that the company was moving ahead with its IPO plans on the NASDAQ but declined to give a timeline. While that provided fuel for the speculative fire, the exit of Bhambani, the company’s CFO and two other finance executives, in October, may have called those plans into question. Today’s announcement of new hires may provide much-needed confidence as Flutterwave recovers from legal troubles in Kenya and allegations of workplace bullying that called its reputation into question. In February and March 2023, TechCabal reported that Flutterwave lost a little over N3 billion in three security incidents. While Flutterwave denied all three incidents, it obtained court orders to freeze several Nigerian bank accounts within the same period. In 2022, Flutterwave was sued by the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA), over money laundering and compliance concerns. Last month, the case was formally withdrawn, opening the door for Flutterwave to apply for a Kenyan payments and remittance licence. Last month, Flutterwave acquired an international transfer license in Malawi; the startup also expanded into India recently, and it received an Egyptian payment service license in June.
Read MoreIn conversation with Yacine El-Mahdi Oualid, Algeria’s minister of knowledge economy, startups, and micro-enterprises
Algeria, the North African country that sits at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, wants to become one of the biggest players in Africa’s tech ecosystem. And its government is backing this big ambition. Through its ministry of knowledge economy, startups, and micro-enterprises, Algeria isn’t only hosting arguably the biggest government-backed startup event on the continent—the African Startup Conference—, but also implementing a strategic playbook to drive its local tech ecosystem and foster collaboration across Africa. In a chat with Tomiwa Aladekomo, CEO of Big Cabal Media, on the sidelines of the three-day conference, Yacine El-Mahdi Oualid, Algeria’s minister of knowledge economy, startups, and micro-enterprises, disclosed that the country has a goal to build a strong and interconnected startup ecosystem across Africa. That explains why government delegations from several African countries—notably Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, and Tunisia—were in attendance at the event, the minister shared. “I believe that if we want to succeed, we have to work together. Some issues can best be addressed on a continental level and everyone should make enough efforts,” he said. Oualid shared that the growth of Algeria’s tech ecosystem is largely driven by government support, citing the creation of a dedicated ministry for startups which has worked on putting in place legal frameworks to support startups. The Algerian government has also given incentives for startups including tax exemptions—startups in Algeria are exempted from tax for the first five years after their formation. There is also the Algerian Startup Fund, which the minister describes as “one of the largest state-backed funds ever created in Africa.” While acknowledging that some foreign capital has flowed into the Algerian tech ecosystem, the minister noted that the government’s goal is for Algerian startups to be able to raise money locally. The thinking is anchored on the belief that there is a huge potential for funding investments in the African market and government intervention is needed to unlock it. “The African startup ecosystem hasn’t reached its full potential. There are still lots of things to do at the policymaking level and the incentives government can offer startups. We have to move from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy. We can do this by investing more in startups, innovation, and research and development,” the minister shared. Click here to watch the full interview.
Read MoreScramble in SA crypto market ahead of licencing round
This article was contributed to TechCabal by Conrad Onyango via bird story agency. South Africa is witnessing an expansion in cryptocurrency offerings as the country gets closer to issuing its first operational licences to financial service providers. Payment firms and fintech companies are driving the move, with commercial banks expected to follow suit. One of the latest offerings enables users to purchase goods and services using cryptocurrency, while another allows them to withdraw digital currency as cash from automated teller machines. Stitch, a South African payments infrastructure company, has launched a new payment method called “Pay with Crypto,” which allows customers to use cryptocurrency directly when purchasing goods and services in South African rand. Customers using ‘Pay with Crypto’ have the choice to make a deposit or check out using cryptocurrency. “Cryptocurrency adoption in South Africa has been one of the highest in the world. There’s a massive audience that would prefer to use their crypto to make payments,” said Stitch president Junaid Dadan. “We’re excited to offer Stitch clients an opportunity to reach and serve this audience, without the need to take on direct volatility risk, thanks to our ‘Pay with Crypto’ method,” Dadan added, Another fintech company based in South Africa, Paycorp, has launched an app called CryptoExpress that enables users to withdraw their cryptocurrency as cash in South African rands, at over 3,000 ATMs across the country. The app is seamlessly integrated with multiple cryptocurrency wallets, and withdrawals can be made at Cash Express ATMs operated by Paycorp subsidiary and ATM Solutions. According to a statement released by Paycorp, to withdraw cash, users need to convert their cryptocurrency from any crypto wallet through the app, authorise the transaction in their crypto wallet, and receive a withdrawal voucher PIN generated by CryptoExpress. “Paycorp remains committed to advancing financial inclusion in South Africa. The introduction of the CryptoExpress app, facilitating cardless withdrawals from crypto wallets at Cash Express ATMs, coupled with our Smart ATM rollout, which combines drop safe and ATM functions, underscores this unwavering commitment,” said Paycorp Group CEO Steven Kark. Payout in local currency is available for Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD Coin, and Tether. In early December, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa announced that it had completed assessments of 36 firms out of the 74 that had been under consideration. These 36 firms are to be presented at the Licensing Executive Committee meeting. Another 22 applications will be presented on February 13, while the remaining 14 will have to wait until March 12. As of November 30, 2023, the FSCA had received a total of 128 applications for crypto asset service provider licenses. As part of new regulations, South Africa will require crypto companies with foreign headquarters to have a local office. “For the 10% of entities that have an off-shore head office, consideration will need to be given to the requirements relating to having a local branch. This is important because it, amongst other things, creates a physical presence that would allow the FSCA to have appropriate oversight over and ensure accountability of the institution conducting activities in South Africa,” the regulator said in a recently launched Crypto Assets Market Study. According to the FSCA, only a small proportion of Crypto Asset FSPs operating in South Africa have their head offices in foreign countries. The Crypto Assets Market Study drawn from 47 Crypto financial service providers showed that more than half of the Crypto Asset FSPs have built their businesses around retail customers, with crypto exchanges (49%) being the most common business. The highest monthly transaction value on the South African cryptocurrency market was recorded in November 2022, when it peaked at over 8 billion rand ($427 million). Foreign-based cryptocurrency firms are also expanding their services in Africa, starting with countries with the highest cryptocurrency adoption rates, combined with progressive regulation. Dubai-based investment platform, The Open Platform (TOP) in November announced the global rollout of Wallet, a third-party Telegram bot allowing users to buy and sell crypto. The rollout targets South Africa and Kenya in 2023 with plans to launch in Nigeria in the first quarter of 2024, to capitalize on a huge Telegram user base and high crypto adoption numbers in these markets. Kenya is also on the path to regulating cryptocurrency transactions after recently introducing a bill defining crypto assets as securities and imposing capital gains tax on them. The Capital Markets (Amendment) Bill of 2023, amending the country’s tax code to impose taxes on cryptocurrency assets stored on crypto exchanges and digital wallets, made it through a Kenyan parliamentary committee in early December. Kenyans will pay capital gains tax on increased cryptocurrency market value when they sell or use it in a transaction. The bill also proposes deducting a 20% excise duty on all commissions and fees charged on transactions.
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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Google loses antitrust trial
In partnership with Share this newsletter: Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Good morning Nigeria will start building assembly plants for electric vehicles in the near future. The country’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, announced this when he inaugurated 50 four-seater electric taxis in the city of Maiduguri. In today’s edition Google loses antitrust battle Egypt considers digital currency Google greenlights crypto ads South Africa eyes nuclear power South African crypto platforms merge with Austrian rival The World Wide Web3 Job openings Big Tech Google loses antitrust battle Google has lost its antitrust trial against Epic, maker of the video game Fortnite. This ruling could change how Google manages its app store, Play Store. What happened? In 2020, Epic Games accused Google of using its position as the dominant app store on Android to engage in anti-competitive practices. Google forced app developers to use Google’s payment system and charged them a 30% commission on in-app purchases. Epic argued that this stifled competition and harmed consumers by limiting their choices and raising prices. Google defended itself, arguing that it needed to do so to maintain a secure and high-quality platform for users. What did the jury decide? After hours of deliberation, the jury concluded that Google violated antitrust laws and engaged in anticompetitive conduct that harmed the video game maker. This is a major blow to Google and could force it to change its business practices in the Play Store. Zoom out: While the court will decide the remedies needed to address Google’s conduct next year, this antitrust battle is not a first. Epic Games also filed a similar lawsuit against Apple’s App Store in 2020, alleging similar anti-competitive practices. However, in that case, the judge ultimately ruled in favour of Apple, finding that the company did not violate antitrust laws. The long-term impact of the jury’s decision on the mobile app market remains to be seen. Access payments with Moniepoint Moniepoint has made it simple for your business to access payments while providing access to credit and other business tools. Open an account today here. Cryptocurrency Egypt considers digital currency Central Bank of Egypt’s headquarters. Image source: Reuters Egypt wants to roll with the big boys. The East African country is considering issuing a digital Egyptian pound that will allow residents to settle payments with their mobile phones. The Central Bank of Egypt is partnering with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to make this a reality. But why? The Egyptian digital pound, intended to be a digital equivalent of the traditional paper currency, offers a stable alternative to volatile cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. Also, using the digital pound could minimise the use of cash and facilitate faster electronic and cross-border payments. The introduction of the digital pound also aligns with Egypt’s goal of improving financial inclusion. Egypt joins other African countries that have adopted digital versions of their currencies or are considering its adoption. Nigeria launched its e-naira in 2021, while Ghana launched its e-cedi last year. Others, like South Africa and Senegal, are piloting their own Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), while Kenya is testing a commercial digital currency through KCB M-Pesa. Zoom out: While the Egyptian government has yet to issue digital currency guidelines, it remains to be seen if the digital pound will be fully utilised in the country as Nigeria’s e-naira failed to take off after implementation. According to Bloomberg, less than 0.5% of Nigerians are using the digital currency. Reports also suggest a slower-than-expected adoption rate of the e-cedi. Introducing Virtual Accounts, with Paystack-Titan Reliably accept 99% of your bank transfer payments in under 8 seconds with Paystack-Titan. Learn more → Cryptocurrency Google to allow crypto ads after five-year ban Google is allowing a cautious re-entry into the crypto advertising landscape. Starting in January 2024, the tech giant is lifting its ban on advertising for US-based cryptocurrency coin trusts, five years after it banned all crypto-related ads on its platform amid growing scam concerns. Further details regarding the rules and extent of this allowance will be disclosed in January 2024. What is a crypto coin trust? It is a form of crypto investment that allows investors to trade shares in trusts holding digital currency. Conditions to advertise: Google’s policy states that all advertisers must adhere to local laws for the regions or countries their ads target to ensure users have the necessary information to make informed financial decisions and protect them from harmful practices. Google also permits advertising for educational content on crypto, and for businesses that accept virtual currencies or sell mining hardware, provided they comply with existing Google Ads regulations. NFT-based games advertising in-game purchases are allowed, but limited to in-game exchanges. However, direct marketing promoting buying, holding, or swapping cryptocurrency remains prohibited. Zoom out: Google’s decision to reverse its crypto-related advertisement ban in January 2024 can be perceived by many as a strategic move to capitalise on the growing crypto market and boost advertising revenue, being that the crypto market has seen a notable 35% increase in total market capitalisation from October to November 2023. How do Nigerians save and spend? Did you know that 64% of Nigerians save a portion of their monthly income? Read PiggyVest’s first-ever savings report to see more about how Nigerians save and spend here. Electricity South Africa to build nuclear power South Africa’s Minister of Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa South Africa is working on a long-term fix to address its crippling nationwide blackouts. The country’s electricity minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has announced a procurement process for an additional 2,500 megawatts (MW) of nuclear power to alleviate the severe electricity crisis that has hampered South Africa’s economy. The first of the new nuclear units is anticipated to be operational by 2032 or 2033. South Africa’s energy crisis: This year, Eskom reported a severe electricity crisis which is largely attributed to frequent breakdowns in Eskom’s ageing coal-fired plants. According to the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), persistent power cuts cost South Africa an estimated $47 million daily, impacting businesses
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👨🏿🚀 TechCabal Daily: Lagos’ LagRide under fire
In partnership with Share this newsletter: Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Good morning Google has released 2023’s Year in Search—it’s like Spotify Wrapped—but for web search. The report shows trending topics, and what’s keeping people across the world clicking on the Google browser. Plus, we’re cooking up our report on recent tech layoffs. If you are a founder, please share your insights in just a minute through our form! In today’s edition LagRide’s asset financing model under criticism Nigeria says illegal loan apps can’t be banned Bolt riders to take selfies before a ride request Africa’s first cook-stove carbon credit futures The World Wide Web3 Opportunities Mobility LagRide asset model faces scrutiny Image source: TechCabal LagRide needs to reexamine its playbook. The Lagos state-owned ride-hailing company has faced renewed criticism from the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) over the viability of the asset financing model. According to the union, LagRide’s partners take advantage of the model to demand unrealistic returns from the drivers. Zoom in: LagRide’s original model is a lease-to-own model that allows drivers to make a downpayment of ₦750,000 ($948) and make a ₦8900 ($11.25) daily instalment for a four-year period to own the vehicle. However, drivers who cannot make the initial down payment resort to a partner arrangement in which said partner pays the down payment, and the driver is then tasked with paying the partner and repaying the daily ₦8900 instalments. This takes a toll on the drivers’ profits. A new model? LagRide is reexamining this model because some of these partners hold on to the vehicles after making down payments for them and do not lease them out to drivers. This means losses for LagRide who secured the cars on loans from Polaris Bank. One Idris Shonuga who owns IOS Holdings, one of LagRide’s major partners who hires drivers and provides them with cars to drive for LagRide, had 21 cars in his custody unused for six months. Shonuga blamed the fuel scarcity as part of the reasons why drivers abandoned their vehicles with him. Lights out: This is not the first time that the asset financing model has been put for debate in the Nigerian mobility sector. Moove drivers, in February, protested against the model’s steep repayments. Access payments with Moniepoint Moniepoint has made it simple for your business to access payments while providing access to credit and other business tools. Open an account today here. Fiintech Nigeria says illegal loan apps cannot be banned Image source: Zikoko Memes Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says illegal digital money lenders (DMLs) are slithering through regulatory cracks. The commission revealed that illegal DMLs, also known as loan apps, bypass regulations by transferring their transactions to Payment Solution Service Providers (PSSP) wallets when their bank accounts are frozen, making it difficult for the FCCPC to curb their activities despite its efforts. What activities? In October, Fidelity Bank blocked transfers for two weeks to neobanks like Opay, Kuda, and Moniepoint due to rising fraud and customer verification concerns. Also, Nigerian fintechs have lost over ₦5 billion ($6.3 million) to hackers in the first eight months of this year as cases of hacks and frauds increase within the ecosystem. ICYMI: The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) recently directed banks to stop enabling payments into financial entities that are not authorised to receive deposits. This is one of the regulator’s moves against companies facilitating potentially illicit financial activities. This follows the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) recent instruction to financial institutions asking them to implement stricter Know Your Customer (KYC) measures. Zoom out: The FCCPC has also dismissed recent posts on social media platform X, alleging that its officials are allowing the illegal loan apps to continue to operate because they were taking bribes from them. Introducing Discount Codes Accept online payments on your Zoho Commerce store with Paystack. Get started here → Mobility Bolt introduces new safety measures in South Africa Image source: Zikoko Meme Say cheese! In South Africa, ride-hailing service provider, Bolt, rolled out a new safety measure that requires riders to take a selfie to verify their ID before accessing the service. The company says that it is to improve the safety of a secure environment for both riders and drivers. Rising safety concerns in South Africa: This initiative comes as a proactive response to the tragic incidents involving Bolt drivers in South Africa. In October this year, three teenage boys stabbed a Bolt driver to death and burnt his body in Limpopo. Also, in June this year, Bolt and Uber drivers were banned from dropping off or picking up passengers inside malls in Soweto for three months, following violent activities which saw some Bolt and Uber vehicles burnt by taxi drivers who accused the operators of stealing their customers in the malls. It’s happening in other places, too: In Kenya, the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) initially rejected Bolt’s licence renewal request for reasons including safety concerns. Bolt drivers in Kenya have been associated with instances of assault and sexual harassment. In September, a Bolt driver reportedly cut the hand of a female passenger over an argument regarding the trip fare. The NTSA later granted the renewal after Bolt met stringent demands, which included outlining plans to improve driver relations and address challenges faced by drivers and riders in their day-to-day operations. Although the selfie safety system is not yet available in Kenya, the ride-hailing company has set up driver engagement hubs for drivers to voice out their concerns. Zoom out: Uber, another ride-hailing service has a similar feature. The company launched a facial recognition system that uses users’ selfies to identify drivers in 2017. How do Nigerians save and spend? Did you know that 64% of Nigerians save a portion of their monthly income? Read PiggyVest’s first-ever savings report to see more about how Nigerians save and spend here. Climate Africa’s first cook-stove carbon credit futures Image source: Burn BURN, a Kenyan cook-stove maker, has
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