Nigeria’s central bank governor under investigation following suspension
After two recessions, a botched naira redesign scheme, and different economic policies that saw Nigerians counting their losses weekly, Godwin Emefiele, Nigeria’s central bank governor, has been suspended by the president. Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has been suspended from office by the country’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The suspension takes immediate effect, as contained in a statement from the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF). According to the statement, the office of the central bank governor is under investigation in relation to the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy of the new administration. Emefiele’s suspension comes 11 days after the inauguration of Nigeria’s new president. Read more: President Tinubu’s suspension of CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele raises legal questions Emefiele has been directed to hand over affairs of the CBN to Folashodun Shonubi, deputy governor, Operations Directorate. “Mr Emefiele has been directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the deputy governor (Operations Directorate), who will act as the central bank governor, pending the conclusion of investigation and the reforms,” the statement reads in part. The suspended CBN governor served under the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, for eight years. Before his suspension, Nigeria went through two recessions and an inflation rate that steadily increased to about 22.04%. Emefiele also instituted a naira redesign policy meant for Nigerians to swap old naira notes with newly redesigned notes. This policy caused a cash crunch in the country bringing the country to its knees due to the unavailability of cash for transactions. It was not stated how long the suspension will last or how when the investigations are expected to conclude. What do you think about our stories? Tell us how you feel by taking this quick 3-minute survey.
Read MoreIsraeli AI startup Ravin launches operations in South Africa
Israeli AI startup RavinAI is pursuing expansion of their fleet management product offering with entry into the South African market. Israeli-based AI startup RavinAI is launching operations in South Africa through a partnership with Alder Grove Automotive, a South Africa fleet management company. RavinAI offers AI-powered visual inspection across the fleet, rental, used car, and insurance industries. Using computer vision and AI, Ravin’s technology claims to automate the vehicle inspection process, ensuring fleet managers run more profitably, more efficiently, and with reduced risk. It then produces a condition report which allows for a more efficient fleet repair maintenance process. “We are excited to be partnering with Ravin on their entrance into the South African market,” said Vernen Pillay, managing director at Alder Grove Automotive. “Ravin’s technology has so much potential for the market, even beyond fleet management which itself is very important. It can be used for car buyers to inspect vehicles for purchase, insurance claims inspections, port and shipping monitoring, etc. and we aim to assist in maximising its usage here in South Africa.” For Ravin, co-founder and CEO Eliron Ekstein stated that the demand for AI vehicle inspection was the reason for the decision to enter the South African market. “Our entry into the South African market – following our recent launch in Australia and New Zealand – is further proof of the need for solutions such as ours, which brings the vehicle inspection process firmly into the 21st century. We look forward to working closely with Alder Grove Automotive to improve the experience for its customers across South Africa,” he said.
Read MoreCan streaming platforms solve Nollywood’s distribution problem?
In recent years, international streaming platforms have placed Nigerian films in front of global audiences, yet filmmakers still grapple with piracy and a local audience that cannot afford their films. The Nigerian film industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, with about 2,000 movies produced yearly. However, the industry’s high productivity does not necessarily translate to real financial benefits for its professionals as its distribution problem makes it difficult for filmmakers to recoup their investment in filmmaking. Nollywood has transitioned through various forms of distribution, from the VHS to VCDs and then cinemas, each channel coming with its own challenges. Now, the industry has the opportunity to distribute its movies via international streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and Showmax. Streaming services vs the box office Netflix pays Nigerian filmmakers between $10,000 and $90,000 for streaming rights per film, on average, although the amount occasionally goes up, depending on the director, film budget, and projected numbers. For originals, Netflix pays as high as ₦1.4 billion ($3.8 million), like in the case of Genevieve Nnaji’s 2018 film, Lionheart. In contrast, the highest-grossing movies in cinemas, like Omo Ghetto, made up to ₦636 million ($848,000). Rather than pay for individual films, Prime Video strikes licensing deals with production companies. Between December 2021 and January 2022, the platform struck multi-year deals of undisclosed amounts, with leading production companies Inkblot Productions and Anthill Studios giving it exclusive rights for all theatrical productions by these companies. Showmax employs a different tactic where they share revenue from advertising and sponsorship rather than an upfront payment. Xavier Ighorodje, a writer and producer in Nollywood, shares that, while cinema releases generate more money, compared to the VHS and VCD distribution model, the direct-to-streaming route has put even more money in the pockets of filmmakers. “To make money in film, before now, you had to go to the cinemas to have your films played. You had to pay the cinemas a certain percentage for showing your film as well as the distributors who take your film to these cinemas. For example, if you budget ₦150 million on creating a movie that makes ₦300 million, you haven’t made a profit because the cinema alone takes a large percentage—up to half—and the distributors also take about 20–25%. However, with streaming platforms, you can go straight to the platform to have them stream your film and pay only your middlemen. This means that you get to keep more of the net profit,” Ighorodje explained. There are thousands of films produced daily, but only very few of them make it to the big streaming platforms. This leaves a large number of other—often smaller—filmmakers without many viable options for distributing their films. While cinemas are an option, foreign movies get more attention in them, taking over 75% of the market share. International platforms and Nigerian problems Crime will evolve to the level of innovation, and piracy has proven that. While, in the past, filmmakers struggled with pirated VCDs and DVDs, their new-age counterparts have to deal with another form of crime: illegal streaming and download sites. With platforms like Netflix and Showmax charging a monthly subscription as low as ₦1,200 ($2.5) to access films on their platforms, there is still a large percentage of the Nigerian population who find that too expensive. This has given rise to illegal streaming websites and Telegram groups in Nigeria where popular films are recorded from streaming platforms and then uploaded for other users to download straight to their devices. This costs the industry about $2 billion in losses annually. Karima, who enjoys watching Nollywood films, gets a lot of the films she watches from Telegram. “There are different Nollywood movies now on different platforms that you have to pay for. How many platforms am I going to subscribe to? I can’t afford to pay for multiple streaming channels and so, sometimes, I just download from Telegram.” Alheri, another film enthusiast in her mid-40s, says her problem is subscription payments. “I can afford to pay for Netflix, but I don’t know how to pay for it. When I downloaded the app, my card kept getting declined and I do not know why. I heard that only people with dollar cards can successfully pay, but I don’t have one.” Netflix revealed in January 2023 that it has lost 39,000 already-active subscribers and about ₦250 million ($330,000) as Nigerian banks suspended international transactions from naira cards. Unlike in the case of DVD retailers who receive payments directly in cash, these illegal streaming sites get paid in internet currency—traffic. This traffic translates into revenue through ad placements. Has streaming impacted Nollywood’s stories? Being able to have Nollywood films on global streaming platforms has propelled the industry into placing its best foot forward in terms of the quality of movies released. Ighorodje believes that filmmakers have had to improve the quality of their films in order to be on global streaming platforms, which is great for the industry. “We have improved our shooting style and cinematics in order to measure up to international standards and compete on a global scale which is good for the business,” he shared with TechCabal. Donald Tombia, a screenwriter, agrees with Ighorodje and believes that filmmakers now tell more daring stories, all thanks to international streaming platforms. “Now we can create the kinds of films we want without being afraid of censorship. There are stories you want to tell and you already know that the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) will put restrictions on them. An example is Gangs of Lagos, which did fantastic on Prime Video. If that movie was released to cinemas alone, it wouldn’t have gone as far without being banned or having some parts censored, considering the central themes.” Netflix launched in Nigeria as a streamer in 2016, as part of its plan to expand into 130 countries. Fifty, a drama directed by Biyi Bandele, was among the first set of films to be streamed on the platform
Read MoreTingo Group denies Hinderburg reasearch allegations, appoints independent counsel
Nigerian fintech, Tingo Group, says the allegations made by Hindenburg research group are false and a deliberate attempt to damage its reputation. The company has also appointed an International law firm, White & Case LLP, to manage the situation. Tingo Group, a NASDAQ-listed agri-fintech company accused of being an “exceptionally obvious scam” by the Hindenburg research group, has publicly denied all the claims. In a press release shared on its website, the company said, “Tingo categorically refutes all the allegations and misinformation outlined in a report published by Hindenburg Research earlier today,” the statement reads in part. “The report, which contains numerous errors of fact, together with misleading and libellous content, appears to be a deliberate attempt to undermine the positive work that Tingo Group is undertaking across various worldwide markets.” In another press release, Tingo also announced that it has engaged White & Case LLP, a leading international law firm, to conduct an independent review and report to its independent directors concerning allegations contained in the report published by Hindenburg on June 6, 2023. The fintech company also maintains that it complies with the laws of every country it operates in and “maintains the highest standards of corporate governance.” Tingo also claims that Hindenburg Research did not attempt to verify the allegations made against the company. “The Company can confirm that no attempt was made by Hindenberg Research to verify the allegations or otherwise make genuine inquiries concerning the information provided in the report before its release,” the press release read. While Hindenberg Research spotted “red flags” in Tingo’s financial statements, the company [Tingo] maintains that its “accounting records are accurate and correct and that its financial results are accurately reported within its financial statements and its SEC filings.” “Tingo Group will respond in detail to the allegations made by Hindenburg Research in due course, but for the avoidance of doubt, the company believes the report published [yesterday] is a deliberate attempt to damage its reputation maliciously and unlawfully through the issuance of false, misinformed and distorted information for Hindenburg Research’s own financial gain and at the expense of the Company’s shareholders,” the statement concluded. In a move to lend credibility to some of Tingo’s operations, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), per a Sun report, noted a noteworthy progression in its lease and service agreement with Tingo Mobile Limited, a significant provider of mobile and fintech solutions in Nigeria. As of today, AFAN reports that an estimated 11 million of its members have adopted Tingo Mobile’s smartphone and fintech applications, including the Nwassa platform, as part of their daily operations. What do you think about our stories? Tell us how you feel by taking this quick 3-minute survey.
Read MoreStriking ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria say Bolt’s new N6,000 daily bonus is unimpressive
As the nationwide strike by ride-hailing drivers lingers, Bolt has introduced new incentives to drivers operating on its app, but they aren’t impressed. This week, ride-hailing drivers began a strike to ask for an increase in the base fares charged by Uber and Bolt in Nigeria. Bolt has now offered a bonus of N6,000 to the striking drivers. The bonus comes with conditions like completing between 9 to 11 trips, working at least 7 hours and accepting up to 90% of orders. The ride-hailing company also increased its surge pricing—a strategy used to motivate drivers to work during periods of high demand—–by 5%. Despite these new offers by Bolt, drivers who spoke to TechCabal say they’re unimpressed. “Do the right thing” For the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transport Workers of Nigeria (AUATWON), Bolt’s move still falls short. “The N6000 bonus is not bad in itself, it’s just an approach to justify their error,” Comrade Idris Shonuga, a national trustee of the union, told TechCabal. “The operating costs of drivers have increased. It’s a simple mathematics, you don’t need to dash anybody money. Do the right thing.” Shonuga also pointed out that Bolt is yet to recognise the AUATWON as a representative of ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria. He believes Bolt should organise a dialogue with the ride-hailing union to address the price dispute. “Bolt is just a moderator, they can’t determine the price of the service without carrying the stakeholders along. The price being dished out by them in response to the fuel hike does not reflect on the profit of the drivers and partners (car rentals),” he said. “The position of the union is to have a round table discussion with all the stakeholders of ride hailing platforms.” Celestine Finbar, a Bolt driver, told TechCabal that if Bolt truly wants to help drivers with incentives, they should eliminate the conditions. “Don’t give me conditions on what you claim to be a bonus,” he says. “Is the N6000 even free? You have to do a lot of trips to get that money, with what fuel? “ Finbar believes that Bolt could enhance their approach by reducing their commission. “Since they [Bolt] have N6000 to give, why don’t they reduce their commission? Everybody will be pumped to hit the road. The lower the commission, the more drivers will be willing to drive,” he said. Finbar has stopped working till Bolt reviews its prices. Felix, another driver who asked to be identified by his first name, says the conditions to be met for the bonus are ridiculous. “All we are saying is that Bolt increase the base fare. Setting conditions for that small bonus is funny when you consider the fact that they will still collect their own commission after the many trips. So I don’t see the point,” he told TechCabal. Struggling Ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria reject Bolt’s revised pricing For Bolt, the incentives aren’t about the protests Bolt claims the incentives were unconnected to the ride-hailing drivers’ strike. “Drivers are well within their human rights to engage in peaceful demonstrations, and Bolt respects this,” Yahaya Mohammed, Country Manager, told TechCabal in an email. “We offer recurring bonuses to our drivers, completely independent of the current circumstances. On the other hand, surge pricing is determined by market factors such as supply and demand.” Bolt maintains its position of being wary of decreased patronage if fare prices are too high, but the ride-hailing company adds that it is open to review the situation in the best interest of both passengers and drivers. “The welfare of our drivers is at the forefront of Bolt’s decision. We adjusted the fares taking into account the issue of demand and supply. Excessively high prices will discourage passengers from ordering rides, thus negatively impacting drivers’ earnings. Therefore, our revised fares aim to strike a balance between better compensation for drivers and manageable prices for passengers,” Mohammed said. “Bolt is committed to analysing and conducting extensive reviews to ensure that we continue to provide the best earnings for drivers on our platform and remain the most affordable and preferred platform for passengers.” What do you think about our stories? Tell us how you feel by taking this quick 3-minute survey.
Read MoreCellulant bullish on Zambia’s payments ecosystem, according to GM
Having entered the Zambian market in 2011, Cellulant is bullish on the country’s payments ecosystem, a sector the company pivoted to after dabbling in banking. TechCabal talked to Gilbert Lungu, general manager of Cellulant Zambia, to find out more about the fintech startup’s motivation for pivoting, the overall state of payments in the country, challenges they have come across in their operation, and more. Please give us a brief overview of Cellulant’s operations since it entered the Zambia market. Gilbert Lungu: Cellulant has been in Zambia since 2011. Primarily, at the time, the business was in a phase where the focus was on banking and providing mobile banking platforms, and then also doing what we call merchant aggregation, which is essentially just layering the mobile banking platforms with the actual merchants to enable payments to happen. In terms of that phase of the business, I think it went fairly well. We acquired 15 out of 18 banks, providing services in one form or the other for them. Around 2017 and 2018, there was a view that there were other opportunities in the market that spoke to payment collections and there were hypotheses around it. The main one was that there was no dominant mobile network operator in the market. The second one was that the primary product that the mobile network operators were pushing was peer-to-peer payments. Number three was that there was a clear cut case in terms of being able to do merchant acquisition, and provide digital payments for them based on the ecosystem that existed, either with the mobile network operators, as well as the banks. The fourth one was the view that there was general fragmentation in the market as a result of hypothesis number two. So the market was fragmented, because there was no one operator that was ahead of the other, and we realised that the fragmentation provided an opportunity to get into payment collections. After considering all those hypotheses, we then decided to pivot to payments. The banking business kind of took a back seat and we pushed the payments business more. Since that pivot, Zambia continues to be quite exciting as a market and we continue to experience growth month on month. Where do you think the payments landscape in the country is headed in the next 2-3 years? GL: The way I see it, Zambia is definitely poised to be a significant tech hub. There’s a lot of innovations that are going on with respect to young startups in ecommerce which I think will be big in the coming years. I think with the additional interest in terms of potential prospective investors looking for all sorts of opportunities, including in tech, when some of that money starts landing in terms of fundraising, we are going to see significant growth of the ecosystem. For a lot of these startups, I think what will then happen is that scale will begin to show. From a macro environment point of view, stability will see the economy start to take shape in terms of the growth plans that the government has put in place. I see that also being an accelerant to many sectors, including tech. There is significant consultation between the government and the ecosystem which is well needed. We are having quarterly engagements with the minister and presenting ideas and papers to him about how we can accelerate digitization in our country. In short, we are putting across ideas and he’s driving it from a policy point of view, to ensure that some of those ideas become a reality. For instance, there is an idea from a payments point of view that if the government takes a decision to start compelling some of the government departments to do payments via digital platforms and then puts the relevant policy framework to guide that, it will guide customer behaviour towards using digital means for transactions. I think over the next two to three years, opportunity size is also going to grow in terms of what else the tech startups can actually do. From a product point of view, I think payments is the thing right now. I see payouts, disbursements being the next big thing, as well as remittances, inward remittances, and then the relevant rails to be able to receive those remittances, and make sure that they’re flowing in the economy. So I see a positive picture overall. Which challenges would you say have been prominent in the Zambian tech ecosystem? GL: I think for Zambian startups, capital is still pretty much a challenge. I mean I’ve seen that there is activity now with angel investors trying to invest in these young tech startups but there is still some way to go because raising money is very difficult because of the nature of the places from which you can obtain that money. If you go into the banking sector, the cost of money is extremely high especially for startups. Challenge number two is in terms of incubation. People have a lot of ideas. I meet all sorts of youngsters that walk in here or find me on LinkedIn, and they’re telling me about very, very nice ideas, that if they got the right level of attention and training, they would become really grand ideas. The incubation to move from ideation to a point where they implement the ideas into scalable businesses is still relatively lacking in my opinion. We don’t have a lot of incubation hubs where these youngsters can take the ideas to be stress-tested. The third challenge, in my opinion, is the fact that tech businesses typically thrive and scale in the context of an ecosystem. They don’t work in isolation. Unfortunately, the ecosystem in Zambia has not developed to a point where there is sufficient trust between each of the ecosystem players in terms of who should play in what space. The bigger guys are always suspecting the smaller guys of trying to sabotage what they are doing and vice
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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Twiga prunes its staff
Lire en français Read this email in French. 9 JUNE, 2023 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TGIF TC Daily will not be in your inboxes on Monday. We’re taking the long weekend—with June 12 being Nigeria’s Democracy Day—to squash some bugs. We’ll be back in your inbox by 7AM WAT on Tuesday, June 13, with a brand-new look and our referral system. In today’s edition Twiga prunes its staff MTN SA turns to alternative energy Ride-hailing drivers banned from Soweto malls TC Insights: Funding tracker The World Wide Web3 Event: The Moonshot Conversations Job openings TWIGA PRUNES ITS STAFF Twiga Foods has done a lot of pruning in the last year, and it doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon. In a cost-cutting move last year, the B2B agritech startup laid off its entire internal sales team—about 211 people. Now, instead of full-time salespersons, it works with several independent agents. That’s a lot of firing, but Twiga defended it saying that it is converting the salespeople to “free agents”. Are they really free? It depends on who you ask, but what is apparent is that Twiga is free to immediately fire an agent that isn’t performing as well as the company would like. So are the free agents truly free? Well, they are free to work for other employers while working for Twiga Foods, as long as they are able to juggle it with the agritech’s expectations. It recently laid off some of these free agents for underperformance. Another layoff? Yes. Twiga assesses the agents monthly. If they do not serve the clients Twiga assigns to them satisfactorily, they are replaced by another agent on Twiga’s waiting list of new applicants. Currently, there are 2,000 people on that waiting list. MONIEPOINT RANKED 2ND FASTEST-GROWING AFRICAN COMPANY Moniepoint is Africa’s second-fastest growing company, as shown in FTs latest report. We also processed 1 billion transactions worth $43 billion in Q1 alone. Read all about it here. This is partner content. MTN SA TURNS TO ALTERNATIVE ENERGY TO ESCAPE LOAD-SHEDDING MTN has stated that it is actively investigating off-grid renewable energy alternatives to Eskom as it continues to battle the impact of load shedding on its operations. The launch forms part of a six-month plan, with completion targeted for the third quarter of 2023. It will involve a small-scale field trial in the Western Cape, to be followed by another one in the Eastern Cape. The company estimates that load-shedding cost its South African operations R695 million (~$37 million) in 2022 alone. Towards zero grid reliance: According to MTN, the project will allow seamless integration with MTN South Africa’s telecommunications equipment to provide hybrid renewable energy generation for [base stations] and other asset classes with low workloads. “It [will] also increase power security per site, mitigating the effects of load shedding in line with MTN’s plans to bolster network resilience,” the company said in a statement. Zoom out: Load shedding is forecasted to worsen this winter, with stage 8 expected. There is even some chatter about a total grid collapse. MORE FROM TECHCABAL Sudan’s war is crippling its budding tech ecosystem. Unity Bank’s Q1 2023 results raise questions about the bank’s financial health. SOWETO RIDE HAILING AND TAXI DRIVERS REACH TRUCE E-hailing drivers, including Uber and Bolt, have been banned from dropping off or picking up passengers inside malls in Soweto for a period of three months. This ban follows violent activities over the past few days which saw some Bolt and Uber vehicles burnt by taxi drivers who accused the operators of stealing their customers in the malls. The ban was introduced as a form of a ceasefire agreement between the taxi operators and ride-hailing drivers. A fair compromise: The discussions between the e-hailing association and the Soweto Taxi Services (STS) were facilitated by the City of Joburg. The ban will be in place until a permanent solution is found. The city of Johannesburg states that discussions for a more permanent solution will take place this Friday to plot a way forward. TC INSIGHTS: FUNDING TRACKER This week, Helium Health, a Nigeria-based health tech company, received $30 million in Series B funding in a round led by AXA IM Alts. Other participating investors included Anne Wojcicki, co-founder and CEO of 23andMe, Capria Ventures, Angaza Capital, Flat World Partners, Global Ventures, Tencent, Ohara Pharmaceutical Co, LCY Group, WTI, and AAIC. There’s only one more deal this week: Nigerian logistics company Haul247 raised $3 million in seed funding. The round was led by Alitheia Capital, with participation from Investment One. That’s it for this week! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more funding announcements. You can also visit DealFlow, our real-time funding tracker. EXPERIENCE VIVA TECHNOLOGY Book your pass to Europe’s biggest Startup and Business event here. This is partner content. THE WORLD WIDE WEB3 Bitcoin $26,663 + 1.02% Ether $1,852 + 0.66% BNB $264 + 1.58% USD Coin $1.00 + 0.01% Name of the coin Price of the coin 24-hour percentage change Source: CoinMarketCap * Data as of 22:10 PM WAT, June 8, 2023. EVENT: THE MOONSHOT CONVERSATIONS Moonshot Conversations is a mini-series of discussions about some of the most critical problems in African tech, and what radical solutions exist. This is part of the programs preceding and heralding our new flagship conference, Moonshot by TechCabal. The conference holds in October and will gather the most audacious players in the African tech industry. Check it out here. In the first episode of this series, we’ll be discussing AI in Africa, its impact and use cases, as well as the challenges faced in building an AI tool for the African continent. Our world is constantly evolving, and it is crucial for us to stay ahead of the curve. With this event, we aspire to create an environment where innovative ideas are shared, collaborations are fostered, and powerful insights are gained. Signup here to join the conversation. JOB OPENINGS Project Growth – Digital Marketing Associate – Africa (Remote) Bridge Talent Management – Human
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After winning a $1 million prize, here is what’s next for Tanzanian agritech startup NovFeed
Tanzanian agritech startup NovFeed co-founders Diana Orembe and Otaigo Elisha speak on NovFeed’s victory in the Milken Institute and Motsepe Foundation Innovation Prize. Last month, Tanzanian biotech startup NovFeed won the Milken Institute and Motsepe Foundation competition’s $1 million grant prize money for agritech innovation. NovFeed’s product offering involves the use of biomass to produce fish feed. The feed is cheaper to produce and offers more nutritional value compared to current products in the market, the company claims. TechCabal spoke to Diana Orembe and Otaigo Elisha, co-founders of the startups, to learn more about the product, their success in the competition, as well as their thoughts on the state of agritech in Africa. Please tell us more about NovFeed and the problem you are trying to solve through your solution. Diana Orembe: NovFeed was born back in 2019 with the goal to help to promote sustainable aquaculture by producing alternative protein to replace the unsustainable fish meal and soybean in the aquafeed. The aim of this was to produce an affordable feed that can help the farmers increase their profitability. The scale of the problem is in the fact that currently, aquafeed globally is produced by using fish meal. Fish meal is unsustainable but it still accounts for over 70% of production costs as it is mostly exported from Vietnam and Netherlands. So we saw this challenge and we researched it. We then decided to apply science as a tool to help overcome this challenge and find a way to help the farmers.Our biotechnology solution involves collecting the organic waste that was supposed to end up in the landfills and then using bacteria to turn this organic waste into a renewable protein ingredient with a very high protein profile of around 70% and other valuable and important nutrients. Along the process, we also identified that the byproduct that we had after harvesting the protein ingredient is a liquid biofertilizer with a lot of probiotic bacteria that has huge potential in regenerating the soil and supporting the organic farming of fruits and vegetables. What challenges would you say you have faced in trying to scale up the solution? Otaigo Elisha: To start with, our solution is very novel and has high-tech aspects. This makes accessing the equipment we need to scale to an industrial scale, both in terms of production and research and development, rather expensive. Remember that we are continually trying to discover other products like enzymes and additives which can be produced through the system and that requires constant research and development. DO: In addition, scaling biotech companies in Africa is also another challenge that we faced because it’s an industry that has not yet grown extensively. So sometimes you need inspiration, mentorship, etc, but that’s not available. Also, talent is also hard to come by too in the form of scientists. Most of these would rather work with established companies than a startup. In terms of traction, how much would you say you have attained so far? DO: We have been able to continue to do R&D and discover a consortium of microbes that can convert this organic waste into protein biomass. Secondly, we have tested the solution on real customers, the farmers and we have collected a lot of metrics in terms of the growth performance, survival rate and in terms of digestibility of the product. Additionally, we have also increased economic value for farmers in terms of reducing cost and also reducing the maturation period of the fish. We have attracted several other partners that are working with us in different capacities, from coaching to mentorship training and other areas. How was your experience with the competition from deciding to enter to eventually winning the $1 million prize money? OE: The Milken competition runs for almost one year. So we started by submitting our idea on the platform which also has resources to improve it. This also came with the Stanford course that we attended for two weeks. We also got a mentor with a background in biotechnology which was key for us to utilise in developing our business model. We then made it to the top 25 and submitted the research protocols and proceeded to conduct our field trials. We collected a lot of valuable information from the animal feed manufacturers, farmers, and consumers of fish. Those insights helped us to develop a final report that showed how this type of alternative feed helped farmers cut costs, increase the performance at the farm level in terms of the fish growth rate, and also in terms of cutting the maturation period from eight to seven or six months. Once we were done in that phase, we submitted all the documents plus the data that we collected and other information that helped the judges to decide the top five and eventually the grand prize. NovFeed intends to use the prize money to expand production capacity. (Image source: Provided) What will you use the $1 million prize money for? OE: We are planning to use the prize money to pilot NovFeed and make sure that we are producing the final product at a bigger capacity so that we can reach more farmers and increase our impact across Tanzania and beyond. But also, we plan on investing in continuous R&D so that we can continue to improve the efficiency of our product and also innovate new products. DO: We also plan on using the prize money to build out our own lab. So far, we have been utilising the university lab for the production of the biomass and also trialling it. In that way, we can greatly accelerate our turnaround time. What role do you think biotech innovations like NovFeed’s can play in growing agriculture in Africa? DO: Speaking on a broader scale, agriculture in Africa employs a significant portion of the population. For example, in Tanzania, it employs almost 70% of the population. We see currently that the same sector is facing a lot of challenges including
Read MoreTaxi drivers ban Uber, Bolt from Soweto malls for three months
A compromise agreement has been reached between ride hailing drivers and taxi drivers following violence over customers in the last few days. E-hailing drivers, including Uber and Bolt, have been banned from dropping off or picking up passengers inside malls in Soweto for a period of three months. This ban follows violent activities over the past few days which saw some Bolt and Uber vehicles burnt by taxi drivers who accused the operators of stealing their customers in the malls. The ban was introduced as a form of a ceasefire agreement between the taxi operators and ride-hailing drivers. “Whether the solution is the best now is uncertain, but it is a solution nonetheless. At the end of the day, we must try something to ensure the safety of the community and us,” said Vhatuka Mbelengwa, national spokesperson for the South African E-hailing Association. The discussions between the e-hailing association and the Soweto Taxi Services (STS) were facilitated by the City of Joburg. The ban will be in place until a permanent solution is found. For the taxi drivers, chairperson Myekeleni Madlala also welcomed the agreement. “This is an agreement and not a final one. We are doing this for the safety of everyone and to ensure everyone is protected. We have agreed they will not enter the malls and will only stop at the gates of the malls. A permanent solution will still be discussed at a later stage,” he added. The city of Johannesburg, on the other hand, states that discussions for a more permanent solution will take place this Friday to plot a way forward. “We will meet again on Friday to finalise the last solutions. However, for now, we have agreed that all the e-hailing services/cars must do their drop off at the gates of the malls but when they are carrying elderly people or people with disabilities, they can then drop them off inside the mall and leave,” said Kenny Kunene, a member of the mayoral committee.
Read MoreSudan’s war is crippling its budding tech ecosystem
Sudan’s tech ecosystem is caught in a crossfire between militants. But operators are daring to hope. The streets of Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, now feel like a graveyard. Made quieter by the thousands of people escaping its latest war, which broke out on April 15, Sudan’s commercial centre is no more the hotbed for innovation, technology, and a forceful tech ecosystem. Today, Khartoum is an arena for shellings that have forced several tech operators out of their offices. Tech operators are fleeing to other regions and neighbouring countries while holding out hope for the country’s future. Even banks have joined startups in their flight, leaving thousands of individuals and businesses stranded. “We abandoned everything in Khartoum, all of our inventory, everything,” says Awab Habiballa, CEO of Tolivery, a fleet management SaaS startup that operates in the war-torn capital city. Habiballa spoke to me from Dubai, where he now lives with his family. He recounts that Tolivery’s business operations came to a standstill as the war escalated. “It was especially bad for us because a lot of our products are hardware components, and we had to abandon them.” As part of its services, Tolivery provides telematic devices for startups and enterprises to track and manage their mobility operations. The startup will now operate from Port Sudan, a tranquil city in the eastern part of the country. Tolivery’s business troubles are compounded by the failing connectivity infrastructure in Sudan. Telecom operators struggle with electricity and maintenance while fintechs that process payments for internet-dependent services are unreliable. “We completely shut down in the first month,” says Ahmed Elmurtada, managing partner at 249Startups, Sudan’s leading accelerator for idea to early-stage companies. “The goal at that point was to be alive and safe. So the majority of our team found ways to leave Khartoum and Sudan. Now, we are distributed across neighbouring countries like Ethiopia, Egypt, and UAE,” he said. Elmurtada, whose accelerator has incubated more than 150 startups in Sudan, expressed painfully how many of these startups have lost almost all they’ve struggled to build within the past few years. “Inventory gone, offices deserted, digital infrastructure down, and bank accounts inoperative. That’s the story of Sudan’s tech ecosystem.” A familiar quip in the tech world is: “Software will eat up the world.” Sudan’s story proves that war is the more ravenous carnivore. Troubled, but not destroyed Sudan is the third largest country in Africa by land size with a population of over 45 million people—68% of which are under the age of 30. Judging from this only, one might conclude Sudan is a prosperous pro-technology market—which, of course, it should have been, if not for the consistent civil wars and militant uprisings that have bedevilled the country since its independence in 1956. Since independence from Britain, Sudan has witnessed two civil wars and over 15 military coups, including the 1989 coup that ushered in Omar al-Bashir, an extremist that ruled the country for 30 years, before he was forced to resign in 2019. After this, the move to transition to civilian rule was busted by another coup by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo. The duo are now at the centre of Sudan’s present conflict, raging at each other for control of the country and recording thousands of casualties. Al-Bashir’s time as prime minister attracted punitive measures from the US. The Bill Clinton-led administration unleashed sanctions that prohibited US investments in Sudan. And the UN security council followed suit. These sanctions would later starve the tech ecosystem of capital and blacklist Sudanese entrepreneurs from global investment opportunities. In 2020, the sanctions were lifted, marking what seemed to be a rebirth for the Sudanese business ecosystem. Funds began to flow in, with alsoug’s $5 million and Bloom’s $6.5 million among the notable ones. Accelerators like 249Startups and Impact Hub were also actively churning out cohorts. Business in Sudan was beginning to look attractive to investors—until the current war erupted in April. As at the end of May, the war has killed about 1,800 civilians and injured over 5,000 others. “We’re sort of used to the ups and downs of the Sudanese market,” Habiballa explains. “Before the war, we had to deal with a government that showed almost zero support for our businesses. Building in such an environment makes you tough. That’s why founders in the region somehow manage to push things forward. And this war will not be an exception.” Building from the diaspora Founders who have fled Sudan may have lost their startups, but not the spirit that forged those businesses. For many of them, the countries they are fleeing to will provide not only safety but also market opportunities for their ideas. Elmurtada told TechCabal that 249 Startups have continued to connect its portfolio companies to tech networks in countries like the UAE and Egypt, where many founders have now moved to. “In our five years of operating in Sudan, we built connections with tech ecosystems across these countries, including accelerators like Flat6labs and Plug and Play. Now, we’re pushing for support for Sudanese entrepreneurs. I believe that Sudanese entrepreneurs will flourish in these new markets if given the opportunity. They have made things work in one of the toughest economies globally. Think of what could happen in a more stable market,” he said. For Elmurtada, the sentiment is that these founders will build stable businesses in these countries that could eventually expand into Sudan. Having a stable Sudan-in-diaspora tech community does a lot of good for the country. It opens accessibility to funding for these entrepreneurs, creating a pathway for funding to Sudan as the diaspora ecosystem matures. For context, the African diaspora contributes over $95 billion yearly to the African economy. Awab Habiballa, whose startup has struggled to raise institutional funding, told TechCabal that raising money for Sudanese startups mostly involved registering the business in other countries to reassure investors. “It will naturally be hard for
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