Teaming up to fight fraud is not a new idea. What’s stopping Nigerian fintechs?
Data protection rules are one reason prior attempts at forming an anti-fraud posse failed. But everyone knows the real reason is that leaders of fintech firms simply don’t trust each other. After an ₦11 billion fraud case hit eTranzact in 2018, several senior leaders of the online payments company—one of Nigeria’s oldest—elected to resign. eTranzact’s managing director, Valentine Obi, chief technology officer, Richard Omoniyi and head of operations, Kehinde Segun stepped down from their roles alongside two executive directors. The eTranzact affair—which was perpetrated by the chief executive of a client firm—bears little resemblance to the numerous fraud attempts payments companies in Nigeria face today. Instead, the significance of the news in 2018, to anyone paying attention, was that tech-enabled financial services fraud could be very costly. ₦11 billion in 2018 was the equivalent of almost $31 million. It also highlighted the fact that fintech firms could not be too vigilant. Between 2020 and 2021, fraudulent activity recorded by deposit banks in Nigeria rose to 211,713 —a 44.8% jump, according to data from the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Scheme (NDIC). According to Smile Identity, a KYC provider, fraud attempts increased by 50% between the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2022. The first half of 2022 alone recorded a 30% increase compared to the same period in 2021. In the first nine months of 2020, cybercriminals had an astounding 91% success rate from over 46,000 attempts. The growing complexity of cyber fraud Cyberfraud risks are a constant headache as more people use digital channels for transactions. In June 2022, MTN’s mobile money service sued 18 Nigerian banks after it lost ₦22.3 billion ($53.7 million) to mobile money fraud. MTN’s loss dwarfs what eTranzact lost in 2018 and involved more people—MTN says the amount was transferred in error to 8,000 accounts—a pointer to the growing scale and complexity of cyber fraud. Last year, Union54, a Zambian fintech was forced to halt operations over an attempted $1.2 billion chargeback, TechCrunch reports. More recently, Flutterwave lost N2.9 billion ($6.3 million) and another N550 million ($1.2 million) per reporting from Techpoint Africa and TechCabal. The company says it only discovered unusual trends in several user accounts during a routine check of its transaction monitoring system, but claimed it did not lose any funds. However, it asked banks to block hundreds of bank accounts amidst legal action to recover an undisclosed amount from the affected accounts. The Flutterwave incident is at least the equivalent of a generous seed round, or two — in today’s sour venture market. Now Flutterwave and 12 other firms that receive or process payments online are reportedly creating a data-sharing initiative to prevent fraud incidents by sharing data. Project Radar, Semafor reports, will “enable companies to pool details, including banking and government identity data, of individuals and groups that have attempted or made fraudulent transactions.” Will data sharing among fintechs stop fraud? Esigie Aguele chief executive of VerifyMe, a KYC software provider is emphatic, “Absolutely, yes! The way to solve it, even if you look at developed ecosystems [is that] private sector creates federated environments for fraud reporting,” he says when asked if he believes if fraud networks can help prevent fintech fraud. “The definitive answer to the question is yes, and it literally is the only way. The question now is what type of network? What is the infrastructure of the network? How is it built? What is the regulation under it?” he adds. Sharing data to stop fraud has been discussed since at least 2018, possibly earlier, with little to show for it. “When financial service providers (FSPs) share data, they are positioned to better identify patterns that suggest transaction fraud, leading to fewer false positives in the detection of financial crime,” says Jacqueline Jumah, Director of Advocacy and Capacity Development at AfricaNenda, a digital payments-focused research and advocacy group. While the benefits of sharing fraud detection data is clear, Ademola Adekunbi, a data protection lawyer and compliance professional says fintechs “are reluctant to share [fraud data] because of data privacy concerns,“ but also because they do not want their peers to discover the true state of fraud attacks they face. Payment companies are also wary about data sharing initiatives because they do not want to expose their fraud detection methods, Adekunbi adds. Nigeria’s fintech space is intensely competitive as a result. “It is not in the interest of fintech firms to share data that might potentially expose their fraud detection system to their competitors,” says Adekunbi, and Jumah agrees. “A majority of FSPs are not comfortable with disclosing valuable competitive intelligence on their customer transactions, nor creating tensions with data privacy regulations.” “Nigeria’s new open banking rules will allow anyone to build fraud prevention solutions,” Omoniyi Kolade, founder and chief executive of SeerBit, a payments software company tells TechCabal. SeerBit’s CEO, however, wants the push for fraud data sharing to come from a regulating body. But it is not clear if the rules which allow customers to give third parties access to their banking information extend to allowing financial services institutions to trade data on cyber fraud. Service providers will also have to contend with Nigeria’s data privacy laws. Institutionalising data sharing to prevent fraud According to Semafor, Project Radar is currently in talks with the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) and commercial banks in Nigeria to track and report fraudulent bank transactions in the country. But there are pitfalls to be aware of. For example, a transaction can be suspicious without being fraudulent. There is also the risk that fraud and defaulting on digital loans may both be treated as cybercrimes. As a result, users who default on loans could, in theory, be locked out of digital financial services, especially if these anti-fraud lists are shared by credit providers and payment companies. Unlike seeking to fraudulently pilfer funds from unsuspecting users or financial firms, failing to pay back a loan is not a criminal activity. But financial services practitioners point out that serial defaulting
Read MoreINC Consulting Africa launches with a drive to improve innovation in Africa’s healthcare sector
Irene Nwaukwa and Dr Philip Ikeme have collaborated to build INC Consulting Africa, a healthcare consulting company poised to facilitate innovation in the healthcare space. The pair, both healthcare professionals, with Irene being a healthcare marketing expert, have over 45 years of combined experience working in the healthcare sector in sub-Saharan Africa and are passionate about driving improved access to quality healthcare in Africa. INC Consulting Africa is offering healthcare startups and companies tailored solutions to improve their operations. This includes marketing and business development, project implementation, on-ground market research, and competitor tracking. lNC Consulting Africa will also offer medico-marketing communications for healthcare stakeholders, wellness and patient education, and training of commercial teams for healthcare companies. Healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa is currently the worst in the world due to ravaging poverty levels and lack of investment in the space, and there have been concerns about the business of healthcare on the continent further excluding poor people who are unable to afford private healthcare. However, INC shares that have already partnered with healthtechs like WellaHealth to design a strategy that deepens its penetration among the country’s poorer, underserved population. Wellahealth is focused on providing affordable and accessible healthcare to the underserved population According to Dr. Philip Ikeme, the co-founder, the partnership with Wellahealth has exposed them to the impact of using technology and innovative solutions to build solutions for the underserved population. “We are excited about the potential impact our tailored solutions can have on the healthcare industry in Africa. Through our work with Wellahealth, we have seen the impact of using technology and innovative solutions to address challenges faced by underserved populations. We believe our expertise and experience will enable us to support more healthcare companies in improving access to quality healthcare across the continent,” he shared. Their launch comes at a time when the healthcare scene in Africa is plagued with many challenges, and there have been calls for more investment -both attention and financial- into the sector. According to a report by Brooking, Africa’s health sector is one of the most lucrative and would be worth an estimated $259 billion by 2030. “We are dedicated to building and supporting robust programs and channels to enhance healthcare quality in African communities. Our mission is to increase the penetration and scale of healthcare innovation for every target customer while delivering value to our clients. With our extensive experience and expertise, we are positioned to deliver value and impact to the healthcare ecosystem in Africa,” shared Irene Nwaukwa.
Read MoreINC Consulting Africa launches with a drive to improve innovation in Africa’s healthcare sector
Irene Nwaukwa and Dr Philip Ikeme have collaborated to build INC Consulting Africa, a healthcare consulting company poised to facilitate innovation in the healthcare space. The pair, both healthcare professionals, with Irene being a healthcare marketing expert, have over 45 years of combined experience working in the healthcare sector in sub-Saharan Africa and are passionate about driving improved access to quality healthcare in Africa. INC Consulting Africa is offering healthcare startups and companies tailored solutions to improve their operations. This includes marketing and business development, project implementation, on-ground market research, and competitor tracking. lNC Consulting Africa will also offer medico-marketing communications for healthcare stakeholders, wellness and patient education, and training of commercial teams for healthcare companies. Healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa is currently the worst in the world due to ravaging poverty levels and lack of investment in the space, and there have been concerns about the business of healthcare on the continent further excluding poor people who are unable to afford private healthcare. However, INC shares that have already partnered with healthtechs like WellaHealth to design a strategy that deepens its penetration among the country’s poorer, underserved population. Wellahealth is focused on providing affordable and accessible healthcare to the underserved population According to Dr. Philip Ikeme, the co-founder, the partnership with Wellahealth has exposed them to the impact of using technology and innovative solutions to build solutions for the underserved population. “We are excited about the potential impact our tailored solutions can have on the healthcare industry in Africa. Through our work with Wellahealth, we have seen the impact of using technology and innovative solutions to address challenges faced by underserved populations. We believe our expertise and experience will enable us to support more healthcare companies in improving access to quality healthcare across the continent,” he shared. Their launch comes at a time when the healthcare scene in Africa is plagued with many challenges, and there have been calls for more investment -both attention and financial- into the sector. According to a report by Brooking, Africa’s health sector is one of the most lucrative and would be worth an estimated $259 billion by 2030. “We are dedicated to building and supporting robust programs and channels to enhance healthcare quality in African communities. Our mission is to increase the penetration and scale of healthcare innovation for every target customer while delivering value to our clients. With our extensive experience and expertise, we are positioned to deliver value and impact to the healthcare ecosystem in Africa,” shared Irene Nwaukwa.
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Five Infinix phones you can try in 2023
In recent years, Infinix has become a household name in the smartphone industry, thanks to their innovative designs and impressive features. The company has had a number of offerings over the years, but for the sake of people looking for affordable phones with great features, we picked five Infinix phones from their Hot, Smart, and Note series for you to make a choice in 2023. Those we’ll be looking at may not be their latest releases but they are quality with friendly price tags that should fit a normal budget range for a good smartphone. We will be highlighting the Infinix Smart 5, Infinix Hot 10 Play, Infinix Hot 12 Play, Infinix Note 10, and Infinix Note 12. These smartphones offer a range of exciting features that make them stand out in the crowded market. 1. Infinix Smart 5 The Infinix Smart 5 is a budget-friendly smartphone that boasts impressive features. It comes with a large 6.6-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio A25 processor and has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It also has a 5000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a triple rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a low light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Other features of the Infinix Smart 5 include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 10 operating system and has the XOS 7.0 user interface. Read 2023 updated specifications of this device alongside the Infinix Smart 6 and 7 phones here. The article contains the price range too. 2. Infinix Hot 10 Play The Infinix Hot 10 Play is another budget-friendly smartphone that packs a punch among Infinix phones in 2023. It features a large 6.82-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1640 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G25 processor and has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a dual rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor and a low-light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. More features of the Infinix Hot 10 Play include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 10 operating system and has the XOS 7.0 user interface. Read more on the Infinix Hot 10 Play specifications here and see the price range too. 3. Infinix Hot 12 Play The Infinix Hot 12 Play is a mid-range smartphone that offers excellent value for money. It comes with a large 6.82-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1612 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 processor and has 4GB of RAM and a 64GB minimum of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a dual rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor and a low-light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Some other features of the Infinix Hot 12 Play include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Like most latest phones, the Infinix Hot 12 Play runs on the Android 11 operating system and has the XOS 7.6 user interface. Find more details about the Infinix Hot 12 Play specifications here, including the price range too. 4. Infinix Note 10 The Infinix Note 10 is a fairly priced smartphone that is packed with powerful features. It comes with a large 6.95-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 processor and has 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. It also has a 5000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. The phone has a quad rear camera setup, which includes a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a low light sensor. The front camera is a 16-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. As expected of most contemporary phones in 2023, the Infinix Note 10 runs on 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone also runs on the Android 11 operating system and has the XOS 7.6 user interface. Read more about this phone and its pricing here. 5. Infinix Note 12 The Infinix Note 12 is one of the latest additions to the Infinix family and is one of the most powerful Android phones you’ll find around in 2023. It comes with a large 6.7-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G95 processor and has 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. The phone has a quad rear camera setup, which includes a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The front camera is a 16-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has an in-display fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Other features of the Infinix Note 12 include 5G connectivity, Bluetooth 5.2, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 12 operating system and has the XOS 8.0 user interface. 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Read MoreFive Infinix phones you can try in 2023
In recent years, Infinix has become a household name in the smartphone industry, thanks to their innovative designs and impressive features. The company has had a number of offerings over the years, but for the sake of people looking for affordable phones with great features, we picked five Infinix phones from their Hot, Smart, and Note series for you to make a choice in 2023. Those we’ll be looking at may not be their latest releases but they are quality with friendly price tags that should fit a normal budget range for a good smartphone. We will be highlighting the Infinix Smart 5, Infinix Hot 10 Play, Infinix Hot 12 Play, Infinix Note 10, and Infinix Note 12. These smartphones offer a range of exciting features that make them stand out in the crowded market. 1. Infinix Smart 5 The Infinix Smart 5 is a budget-friendly smartphone that boasts impressive features. It comes with a large 6.6-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio A25 processor and has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It also has a 5000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a triple rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a low light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Other features of the Infinix Smart 5 include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 10 operating system and has the XOS 7.0 user interface. Read 2023 updated specifications of this device alongside the Infinix Smart 6 and 7 phones here. The article contains the price range too. 2. Infinix Hot 10 Play The Infinix Hot 10 Play is another budget-friendly smartphone that packs a punch among Infinix phones in 2023. It features a large 6.82-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1640 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G25 processor and has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a dual rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor and a low-light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. More features of the Infinix Hot 10 Play include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 10 operating system and has the XOS 7.0 user interface. Read more on the Infinix Hot 10 Play specifications here and see the price range too. 3. Infinix Hot 12 Play The Infinix Hot 12 Play is a mid-range smartphone that offers excellent value for money. It comes with a large 6.82-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1612 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 processor and has 4GB of RAM and a 64GB minimum of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a dual rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor and a low-light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Some other features of the Infinix Hot 12 Play include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Like most latest phones, the Infinix Hot 12 Play runs on the Android 11 operating system and has the XOS 7.6 user interface. Find more details about the Infinix Hot 12 Play specifications here, including the price range too. 4. Infinix Note 10 The Infinix Note 10 is a fairly priced smartphone that is packed with powerful features. It comes with a large 6.95-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 processor and has 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. It also has a 5000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. The phone has a quad rear camera setup, which includes a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a low light sensor. The front camera is a 16-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. As expected of most contemporary phones in 2023, the Infinix Note 10 runs on 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone also runs on the Android 11 operating system and has the XOS 7.6 user interface. Read more about this phone and its pricing here. 5. Infinix Note 12 The Infinix Note 12 is one of the latest additions to the Infinix family and is one of the most powerful Android phones you’ll find around in 2023. It comes with a large 6.7-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G95 processor and has 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. The phone has a quad rear camera setup, which includes a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The front camera is a 16-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has an in-display fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Other features of the Infinix Note 12 include 5G connectivity, Bluetooth 5.2, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 12 operating system and has the XOS 8.0 user interface. You can read more about this
Read MoreFive Infinix phones you can try in 2023
In recent years, Infinix has become a household name in the smartphone industry, thanks to their innovative designs and impressive features. The company has had a number of offerings over the years, but for the sake of people looking for affordable phones with great features, we picked five Infinix phones from their Hot, Smart, and Note series for you to make a choice in 2023. Those we’ll be looking at may not be their latest releases but they are quality with friendly price tags that should fit a normal budget range for a good smartphone. We will be highlighting the Infinix Smart 5, Infinix Hot 10 Play, Infinix Hot 12 Play, Infinix Note 10, and Infinix Note 12. These smartphones offer a range of exciting features that make them stand out in the crowded market. 1. Infinix Smart 5 The Infinix Smart 5 is a budget-friendly smartphone that boasts impressive features. It comes with a large 6.6-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio A25 processor and has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It also has a 5000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a triple rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a low light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Other features of the Infinix Smart 5 include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 10 operating system and has the XOS 7.0 user interface. Read 2023 updated specifications of this device alongside the Infinix Smart 6 and 7 phones here. The article contains the price range too. 2. Infinix Hot 10 Play The Infinix Hot 10 Play is another budget-friendly smartphone that packs a punch among Infinix phones in 2023. It features a large 6.82-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1640 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G25 processor and has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a dual rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor and a low-light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. More features of the Infinix Hot 10 Play include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 10 operating system and has the XOS 7.0 user interface. Read more on the Infinix Hot 10 Play specifications here and see the price range too. 3. Infinix Hot 12 Play The Infinix Hot 12 Play is a mid-range smartphone that offers excellent value for money. It comes with a large 6.82-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1612 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 processor and has 4GB of RAM and a 64GB minimum of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a dual rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor and a low-light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Some other features of the Infinix Hot 12 Play include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Like most latest phones, the Infinix Hot 12 Play runs on the Android 11 operating system and has the XOS 7.6 user interface. Find more details about the Infinix Hot 12 Play specifications here, including the price range too. 4. Infinix Note 10 The Infinix Note 10 is a fairly priced smartphone that is packed with powerful features. It comes with a large 6.95-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 processor and has 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. It also has a 5000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. The phone has a quad rear camera setup, which includes a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a low light sensor. The front camera is a 16-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. As expected of most contemporary phones in 2023, the Infinix Note 10 runs on 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone also runs on the Android 11 operating system and has the XOS 7.6 user interface. Read more about this phone and its pricing here. 5. Infinix Note 12 The Infinix Note 12 is one of the latest additions to the Infinix family and is one of the most powerful Android phones you’ll find around in 2023. It comes with a large 6.7-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G95 processor and has 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. The phone has a quad rear camera setup, which includes a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The front camera is a 16-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has an in-display fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Other features of the Infinix Note 12 include 5G connectivity, Bluetooth 5.2, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 12 operating system and has the XOS 8.0 user interface. You can read more about this
Read MoreFive Infinix phones you can try in 2023
In recent years, Infinix has become a household name in the smartphone industry, thanks to their innovative designs and impressive features. The company has had a number of offerings over the years, but for the sake of people looking for affordable phones with great features, we picked five Infinix phones from their Hot, Smart, and Note series for you to make a choice in 2023. Those we’ll be looking at may not be their latest releases but they are quality with friendly price tags that should fit a normal budget range for a good smartphone. We will be highlighting the Infinix Smart 5, Infinix Hot 10 Play, Infinix Hot 12 Play, Infinix Note 10, and Infinix Note 12. These smartphones offer a range of exciting features that make them stand out in the crowded market. 1. Infinix Smart 5 The Infinix Smart 5 is a budget-friendly smartphone that boasts impressive features. It comes with a large 6.6-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio A25 processor and has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It also has a 5000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a triple rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a low light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Other features of the Infinix Smart 5 include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 10 operating system and has the XOS 7.0 user interface. Read 2023 updated specifications of this device alongside the Infinix Smart 6 and 7 phones here. The article contains the price range too. 2. Infinix Hot 10 Play The Infinix Hot 10 Play is another budget-friendly smartphone that packs a punch among Infinix phones in 2023. It features a large 6.82-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1640 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G25 processor and has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a dual rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor and a low-light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. More features of the Infinix Hot 10 Play include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 10 operating system and has the XOS 7.0 user interface. Read more on the Infinix Hot 10 Play specifications here and see the price range too. 3. Infinix Hot 12 Play The Infinix Hot 12 Play is a mid-range smartphone that offers excellent value for money. It comes with a large 6.82-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1612 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G35 processor and has 4GB of RAM and a 64GB minimum of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that provides long hours of usage. The phone has a dual rear camera setup, which includes a 13-megapixel main sensor and a low-light sensor. The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Some other features of the Infinix Hot 12 Play include 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Like most latest phones, the Infinix Hot 12 Play runs on the Android 11 operating system and has the XOS 7.6 user interface. Find more details about the Infinix Hot 12 Play specifications here, including the price range too. 4. Infinix Note 10 The Infinix Note 10 is a fairly priced smartphone that is packed with powerful features. It comes with a large 6.95-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 processor and has 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. It also has a 5000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. The phone has a quad rear camera setup, which includes a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a low light sensor. The front camera is a 16-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. As expected of most contemporary phones in 2023, the Infinix Note 10 runs on 4G LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone also runs on the Android 11 operating system and has the XOS 7.6 user interface. Read more about this phone and its pricing here. 5. Infinix Note 12 The Infinix Note 12 is one of the latest additions to the Infinix family and is one of the most powerful Android phones you’ll find around in 2023. It comes with a large 6.7-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio G95 processor and has 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. It also has a massive 6000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. The phone has a quad rear camera setup, which includes a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 5-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The front camera is a 16-megapixel sensor that takes excellent selfies. The phone also has an in-display fingerprint scanner and supports face recognition for added security. Other features of the Infinix Note 12 include 5G connectivity, Bluetooth 5.2, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs on the Android 12 operating system and has the XOS 8.0 user interface. 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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Copia Global goes domestic
Lire en français Read this email in French. 20 APRIL, 2023 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Happy pre-Friday If you’re in meetings a lot, we’ve got good news. Google has launched a new feature that will allow users turn off individual video feeds. If you’re in a meeting with your team, you’ll be able to choose whose face you want to see and whose is too annoying distracting. For African users, this means we’ll be able to connect better to Google Meet, which requires better networks and more data if videos are turned on. In today’s edition Copia Global goes domestic Meta lays off 4,000 more workers Flutterwave in East Africa South Africa leads in cybercrime The World Wide Web3 Opportunities COPIA GLOBAL GOES DOMESTIC More African startups are feeling the heat of the global economic downturn. After two years of operation, Kenyan e-commerce company Copia Global yesterday announced that it was shutting down its Ugandan arm and doubling down on its Kenya operations. Providing clarification about the decision to leave Uganda, CEO Tim Steel said, “This is the right move for Copia, given the market environment.” He says Copia will work hard to reach the point where it can “restart our Pan African plan”. “By focusing our resources on our Kenyan business, we can assure short-term profitability and long-term success. This means pausing our international expansion plans, including suspending our Ugandan operation,” Steel added. Layoffs included: Over 350 staff will be impacted by Copia’s decision, but the company says it has provided them with severance packages. Zoom out: This move comes a year after the company raised $50 million to ramp up its expansion into Africa. So far, since its founding in 2012, Copia has raised $106 million across seven funding rounds. WORK WITH MONIEPOINT At Moniepoint, we’re creating the best workplace for global talent using the 4M framework- Meaning, Membership, Mastery and Money. This isn’t an ad designed to convince you to join us, but it has all the reasons why you should. Watch it here. This is partner content. META LAYS OFF 4,000 EMPLOYEES It’s layoffs upon layoffs at Meta. After laying off 11,000 employees in November 2022, Meta, the parent company of the renowned social media platform Facebook, laid off approximately 4,000 employees yesterday. The downsizing affected technical teams working on Facebook, Instagram, Reality Labs, and WhatsApp. It remains unclear which African countries were affected by yesterday’s layoff, but the company has offices in South Africa and Nigeria, where some of its engineers work. Lori Goler, Meta’s head of people, mentioned in the memo about the layoff that “some countries will not be impacted” but did not specify further. More layoff anxiety: The memo mentioned that the notice of layoff would be communicated via email, so the employees were left in a state of uncertainty, anxiously waiting to possibly receive layoff notifications between 12 and 1 PM WAT yesterday, Wednesday. However, the uncertainty does not end here, as Meta has also planned another round of cuts for May, which will impact the business side of the company. FLUTTERWAVE TO SET UP HEADQUARTERS IN KENYA Flutterwave is moving on from the legal drama in Kenya but not moving out. Per Techweez, the company has set up shop in Nairobi, Kenya, where it plans to set up its East African HQ. This is an interesting move considering the hard times the company went through in the country, Flutterwave’s past troubles: The fintech was previously and allegedly accused of taking part in money laundering activities in Kenya. The country’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) shut down several of its bank accounts in the country, freezing over $52 million of Flutterwave’s funds. The case was dropped only a couple of weeks ago. The unicorn’s dreams of getting payment services from the Central Bank of Kenya were dashed! But hey, with plans to open a regional office in Nairobi, it might happen soon. Good news in other countries: The fintech industry seems to be on a roll, after recently scoring two licences to expand to Rwanda. Flutterwave is now a fully licensed payments firm in Rwanda, having secured an Electronic Money Issuer licence that allows customers to access payment instruments and services, such as money deposits and withdrawals, electronic transfers, as well as outbound and inbound remittance services, to more than 13 million people in Rwanda. EXPLORE FINTECH WITH TEMPLARS Join African law firm TEMPLARS and international law firm Clifford Chance for their tech roundtable Perspectives on Fintech in Nigeria. Explore the latest fintech trends with global investors, policymakers, and leaders. Register now for insightful discussions and networking. This is partner content. SOUTH AFRICA LEADS IN CYBERCRIME A new report by Interpol has revealed that South Africa is at the heart of cybercrime in Africa. In 2022, the country had 230 million threat detections, a far cry from second place Morocco’s 71 million. South Africa also reportedly has the third highest number of cybercrime victims worldwide, at a cost of R2.2 billion ($121 million) a year. Email scams and ransomware: Of the 230 million detected threats in the country, 219 million were e-mail-related threats. South Africa also had the highest targeted ransomware and business email compromise (BEC) attempts. According to the report, South Africa was also the country most heavily affected by targeted ransomware in the first quarter of 2021, with a variety of families such as Crysis, Nefilim, Ryuk, Clop, and Conti ransomware noted in the attacks. Egypt was the next hardest-hit country with a similar profile of targeted ransomware detection, while Tunisia was the third most affected country. Leading crypto crime: The report also highlights how South Africans have fallen victim to some of the world’s largest cryptocurrency frauds. In 2021, Africrypt scammed investors of about $3.6 billion of bitcoin. Later on in the same year, South African Mirror Trading International (MTI) defrauded hundreds of thousands of people of about $589 million. Is SA fighting? Last month, the South African government called for global cooperation to aid its fight against
Read More👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Copia Global goes domestic
Lire en français Read this email in French. 20 APRIL, 2023 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Happy pre-Friday If you’re in meetings a lot, we’ve got good news. Google has launched a new feature that will allow users turn off individual video feeds. If you’re in a meeting with your team, you’ll be able to choose whose face you want to see and whose is too annoying distracting. For African users, this means we’ll be able to connect better to Google Meet, which requires better networks and more data if videos are turned on. In today’s edition Copia Global goes domestic Meta lays off 4,000 more workers Flutterwave in East Africa South Africa leads in cybercrime The World Wide Web3 Opportunities COPIA GLOBAL GOES DOMESTIC More African startups are feeling the heat of the global economic downturn. After two years of operation, Kenyan e-commerce company Copia Global yesterday announced that it was shutting down its Ugandan arm and doubling down on its Kenya operations. Providing clarification about the decision to leave Uganda, CEO Tim Steel said, “This is the right move for Copia, given the market environment.” He says Copia will work hard to reach the point where it can “restart our Pan African plan”. “By focusing our resources on our Kenyan business, we can assure short-term profitability and long-term success. This means pausing our international expansion plans, including suspending our Ugandan operation,” Steel added. Layoffs included: Over 350 staff will be impacted by Copia’s decision, but the company says it has provided them with severance packages. Zoom out: This move comes a year after the company raised $50 million to ramp up its expansion into Africa. So far, since its founding in 2012, Copia has raised $106 million across seven funding rounds. WORK WITH MONIEPOINT At Moniepoint, we’re creating the best workplace for global talent using the 4M framework- Meaning, Membership, Mastery and Money. This isn’t an ad designed to convince you to join us, but it has all the reasons why you should. Watch it here. This is partner content. META LAYS OFF 4,000 EMPLOYEES It’s layoffs upon layoffs at Meta. After laying off 11,000 employees in November 2022, Meta, the parent company of the renowned social media platform Facebook, laid off approximately 4,000 employees yesterday. The downsizing affected technical teams working on Facebook, Instagram, Reality Labs, and WhatsApp. It remains unclear which African countries were affected by yesterday’s layoff, but the company has offices in South Africa and Nigeria, where some of its engineers work. Lori Goler, Meta’s head of people, mentioned in the memo about the layoff that “some countries will not be impacted” but did not specify further. More layoff anxiety: The memo mentioned that the notice of layoff would be communicated via email, so the employees were left in a state of uncertainty, anxiously waiting to possibly receive layoff notifications between 12 and 1 PM WAT yesterday, Wednesday. However, the uncertainty does not end here, as Meta has also planned another round of cuts for May, which will impact the business side of the company. FLUTTERWAVE TO SET UP HEADQUARTERS IN KENYA Flutterwave is moving on from the legal drama in Kenya but not moving out. Per Techweez, the company has set up shop in Nairobi, Kenya, where it plans to set up its East African HQ. This is an interesting move considering the hard times the company went through in the country, Flutterwave’s past troubles: The fintech was previously and allegedly accused of taking part in money laundering activities in Kenya. The country’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) shut down several of its bank accounts in the country, freezing over $52 million of Flutterwave’s funds. The case was dropped only a couple of weeks ago. The unicorn’s dreams of getting payment services from the Central Bank of Kenya were dashed! But hey, with plans to open a regional office in Nairobi, it might happen soon. Good news in other countries: The fintech industry seems to be on a roll, after recently scoring two licences to expand to Rwanda. Flutterwave is now a fully licensed payments firm in Rwanda, having secured an Electronic Money Issuer licence that allows customers to access payment instruments and services, such as money deposits and withdrawals, electronic transfers, as well as outbound and inbound remittance services, to more than 13 million people in Rwanda. EXPLORE FINTECH WITH TEMPLARS Join African law firm TEMPLARS and international law firm Clifford Chance for their tech roundtable Perspectives on Fintech in Nigeria. Explore the latest fintech trends with global investors, policymakers, and leaders. Register now for insightful discussions and networking. This is partner content. SOUTH AFRICA LEADS IN CYBERCRIME A new report by Interpol has revealed that South Africa is at the heart of cybercrime in Africa. In 2022, the country had 230 million threat detections, a far cry from second place Morocco’s 71 million. South Africa also reportedly has the third highest number of cybercrime victims worldwide, at a cost of R2.2 billion ($121 million) a year. Email scams and ransomware: Of the 230 million detected threats in the country, 219 million were e-mail-related threats. South Africa also had the highest targeted ransomware and business email compromise (BEC) attempts. According to the report, South Africa was also the country most heavily affected by targeted ransomware in the first quarter of 2021, with a variety of families such as Crysis, Nefilim, Ryuk, Clop, and Conti ransomware noted in the attacks. Egypt was the next hardest-hit country with a similar profile of targeted ransomware detection, while Tunisia was the third most affected country. Leading crypto crime: The report also highlights how South Africans have fallen victim to some of the world’s largest cryptocurrency frauds. In 2021, Africrypt scammed investors of about $3.6 billion of bitcoin. Later on in the same year, South African Mirror Trading International (MTI) defrauded hundreds of thousands of people of about $589 million. Is SA fighting? Last month, the South African government called for global cooperation to aid its fight against
Read MoreUber and Bolt vs drivers union: are drivers employees or independent contractors?
On Monday, April 17, 2023, the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transport Workers of Nigeria (AUATWON)—the union for ride-hailing drivers threatened a million-man protest in response to Bolt and Uber’s move to revoke the new union’s licence. AUATWON was established this year after years of continuing friction between ride-hailing apps and drivers. A primary source of contention is driver earnings and the commission that the apps take. Many drivers argue that companies like Uber and Bolt refuse to reduce their commission—both companies charge 20% commission on each ride—and price wars have significantly decreased their earnings. But the most recent fallout between the drivers and ride-hailing companies centres on Uber and Bolt are challenging the legality of the newly formed AUATWON. According to the union’s secretary general, Comrade Ibrahim Ayoade, “Uber and Bolt wrote to the Ministry of Labour to withdraw our certificate because they didn’t employ us therefore we don’t have a right to form a union. They are crossing their boundary. They are playing with fire this time. And very soon we shall lead a million-man protest against them.” In a statement to Technext, Uber admits that it wrote to the Registrar of Trade Unions at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment but insists that its letter does not “close the door on dialogue” but seeks to clarify “incorrect claims that drivers are employees, not independent contractors.” Uber and Bolt’s letter to the Ministry of Labour will highlight a legal question that both companies have across the countries they operate: are drivers full-time employees or independent contractors? Both companies have argued in US and UK courts that their drivers are independent contractors, not employees. This distinction is important because in the US, for instance, independent contractors cannot form unions or bargain collectively. In Africa, there have been a string of lawsuits against Uber in Kenya and South Africa, with drivers contesting the independent contractor status the ride-hailing company has ascribed to them. In Nigeria, the ride-hailing drivers finally scored a major victory in January 2023. AUATWON’s legality will be contested The Nigerian Trade Unions Act grants AUATWON legal authority to participate in making decisions about the working conditions of ride-hailing drivers. Despite the Trade Unions Act, Uber and Bolt’s letter to the Ministry of labour suggest that AUATWON’s legality will be questioned. According to Ayomide Ogunsanwo, a legal practitioner, “If the Nigerian Trade Unions Act (which is an overriding law backed by the Nigerian Labour law) empowers the union to have a say in determining the terms and conditions of drivers, there is nothing Uber and Bolt can do about it.” According to Ogunsanwo, Bolt and Uber should engage in dialogue with the union rather than resorting to license revocation threats. On December 4, 2018, the National Industrial Court (NIC), Lagos division, delivered a landmark judgment in Suit NO. NICN/LA/546/2017 between Oladapo Olatunji & Daniel John v Uber Technologies System Nigeria Ltd & Taxify Technology Nigeria Limited. The Plaintiffs, Olatunji and Daniel, sought declaratory reliefs and urged the court to hold that they were employees of the Defendants, Uber and Taxify (now Bolt) and not independent contractors. The court dismissed the Plaintiffs’ claim because they failed to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate an employment relationship between the parties (Taxify and Uber). However, the court did not also pronounce that the Plaintiffs were independent contractors. Following the court judgment, the drivers filed an appeal which is yet to be determined. Even though the court is yet to clarify the position of the drivers, if Uber or Bolt file a suit, the court may be forced to make a ruling. Ibitayo Reju, a Senior Counsel at Dentons Acas Law, told TechCabal, “Although the court is yet to ascertain the position of the Nigerian drivers, if Uber and Taxify had filed a counterclaim and asked the court to pronounce that they were independent contractors, the court would have been constrained to take a position.” Ibitayo expressed optimism in the Nigerian Court of Appeal making a pronouncement as to whether the Plaintiffs are indeed employees of Uber and Bolt or independent contractors. “Given the decision of the NIC in this matter, I hope that the Court of Appeal will invoke its statutory powers under section 22 of the Court of Appeal Act and emphatically make a pronouncement as to whether the Plaintiffs are indeed employees of the Defendant or independent contractors,” he concluded.
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