Kenya’s DTB shakes up leadership as it targets 10 million customers by 2026
Kenya’s DTB Group, the country’s fifth-largest bank by assets, has restructured its management team as it eyes a bigger share of the East African market. As part of its reorganisation, DTB Kenya CEO Nasim Devji, who has led the company for over two decades, will become group chief executive as the lender hunts for a new CEO for DTB Kenya. The new structure will see regional units in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi have separate heads reporting to Devji, one of the longest-serving chief executives in Kenya. The changes are key pieces in DTB’s plans to expand in the East African region and grow its customer base to 10 million by 2026. The strategy mirrors competitors like Equity Group and KCB Group, lenders seeing growth in regional subsidiaries as growth slows in Kenya. “The Country CEO for DTB Kenya, along with the current Country CEOs for DTB Uganda, DTB Tanzania, and DTB Burundi, will report to and work closely with me [Nasim Devji] to ensure the smooth functioning and continued success of DTB in each country,” Devji said in a statement sent to TechCabal. “We believe this decision will bring immense value to our organisation, enabling us to seize new opportunities, develop new relationships, and navigate the ever-evolving banking landscape more effectively.” The renewed push comes just a month after the bank appointed Godfrey Sebaana, former head of commercial banking at Standard Chartered, CEO of its Uganda subsidiary. The depreciation of the shilling, increased taxes, and high interest rates in the local market have seen Kenyan banks increase their investment in the region. Equity Group, KCB Group, NCBA, and I&M have extensive presence in neighbouring countries. In the financial year ending December 2023, Equity’s and KCB’s performance was boosted by regional subsidiaries. For DTB, Kenya generated nearly three-quarters of its 2023 net profits. The lender’s net earnings for the full year increased by 13.4% to $51.4 million on higher income from transactions and interest.
Read MoreBreaking: Lesaka to acquire fintech platform Adumo for $85 million
Lesaka Technologies, the NASDAQ-listed fintech company with a market capitalisation of R4.5 billion ($242 million), is acquiring payment platform Adumo for R1.59 billion ($85 million) in cash and equity. The deal is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2024 and will extend Lesaka’s payment footprint in the southern African region to five countries. Founded in 2019, Cape Town-based Adumo provides card-acquiring POS devices, integrated payments and reconciliations services to merchants and consumers. The company claims to process over R24 billion ($1.3 billion) annually and has 23,000 merchants and 240,000 consumers using its services respectively. Lesaka currently owns EasyPay, South Africa’s largest payment switch not owned by a bank and Kazang, a widely popular card-acquiring POS device company. A combination of the services will enable the company to grab a significant market share in the southern African region, where competing startups like YOCO are still only based in South Africa. The land of mergers and acquisitions: how South Africa continues to strike gold with tech exits In February, Lesaka acquired Touchsides, a data analytics and merchant services company with over 10,000 point-of-sale terminals across South Africa, for an undisclosed amount. Touchsides was previously owned by international beverage giant Heineken. According to Lesaka, the acquisition will give the company a footprint of 1.7 million active consumers and 119, 000 merchants across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Kenya. “The acquisition reinforces Lesaka’s position as a natural consolidator of Southern African Fintech and will enhance our strengths in both the consumer and merchant markets,” the company said in a statement.
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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Nigeria rounds up forex traders again
In partnership with Share this newsletter: Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Good morning You may have heard rumours on social media that Ghana, like Nigeria, is planning to implement a 1% cybersecurity levy on digital transactions in the country. It’s fake news. The Bank of Ghana (BoG), Ghana’s apex bank, yesterday, dismissed the news as false stating that it has not enacted any such levy. Nigeria’s 0.5% cybersecurity levy still stands though, and Nigerians can expect to see changes from May 20. In today’s edition Amazon finally launches in South Africa Nigeria’s forex traders are in hiding again Nigerian officials ask for $150 million bribe from Binance executives SEC meet fails to quell Nigeria’s crypto ban fears The World Wide Web3 Opportunities E-commerce Amazon finally launches in South Africa Amazon is finally open for business in South Africa! Yesterday, after two years of waiting and wading, the American e-commerce finally opened up its second African marketplace with 3,000 pickup points and free deliveries for South Africans who are making their first purchase. The long haul: News of Amazon’s launch in South Africa started spreading in 2022 after the company started constructing a headquarters in the country. Amazon, however, didn’t make it official until October 2023 when it revealed the amazon.co.za URL. The launch should have happened earlier, but the e-commerce behemoth, since January 2022, was landlocked in a court battle with South Africa’s First Nations group which argued that the site where Amazon’s HQ now sits belongs to indigenous people and should be protected. The case went all the way to the Court of Appeal which ruled in favour of Amazon. The platform’s launch in South Africa was also stalled because it needed to comply with local regulations. Amazon’s big deal in South Africa: The US e-commerce giant is entering a market where it will face stiff competition from Naspers-owned Takealot, which accounts for 48% of South African online sales. The retail giant will also face South Africa’s strict competition regulations, which have already forced established players to make significant changes to their business models. Reactions to the launch: For some South Africans, the launch is a bit of a letdown. While there’s a marketplace with competitive prices and delivery options, none of the popular Amazon products Kindle, Fire devices, Ring doorbell or services Prime Music are available. This stands in contrast to their biggest competitor, Takealot, which already sells these Amazon products. Amazon now has two African locations: Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t Amazon’s first rodeo in Africa. In 2021, four years after Amazon acquired Souq.com—the largest e-commerce company in MENA—the platform launched in Egypt using Souq’s platform and existing subscribers. Since then, the platform has employed over 2,500 staff and has reportedly helped local Egyptian businesses grow their businesses by 40% Y-o-Y. Last year, it also announced expansion plans in Egypt which include tripling its fulfillment capacity. Read Moniepoint’s case study on family-owned businesses Family-owned businesses are everywhere, shaping our world in ways you might not expect. We’ve found some insights into how they work, and we’d love to share them with you. Dive in right away here. Economy Forex traders in Nigeria sent into hiding again If you were unable to reach your favourite bureau de change trader yesterday, it’s because they went into hiding. Why? Yesterday and the day before, Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), conducted fresh raids on foreign exchange traders who trade on the street across major Nigerian cities. Yesterday’s raid was the second in two months. In February, the EFCC arrested over 100 currency traders in Lagos. One month later, the Central Bank revoked the operating licences of more than 4,000 Bureau de Change operators (BDCs) and banned street trading. Why the clampdown? In May, the federal government unified its exchange rate in a bid to find stability for the value of the naira. Since then, the currency has lost about 70% of its value. The naira briefly rebounded to become the world’s best-performing currency in March after experiencing huge gains, which were shortlived against the dollar and other currencies. The government believes currency speculators—like foreign exchange traders—drive up the prices of the naira, but some experts cite a lack of liquidity as the real issue. Since the start of the year, the government has maintained this belief and implemented a raft of decisions—including the ban of the global crypto exchange platform, Binance, over suspicion that crypto traders use peer-to-peer trading to manipulate the price of the naira via a pump-and-dump strategy—to rein in FX volatility. Enjoy hassle-free transactions with Fincra Collect payments without stress from your customers via bank transfer, cards, virtual accounts & mobile money. What’s more? You get to save money on fees when you use Fincra. Start now. Crypto Nigerian officials ask $150 million bribe from Binance executives Welcome to another instalment of the Nigeria-Binance saga. The arrest of Tigran Gambrayan and Nadeem Anjarwallar by the Nigerian government is probably not news to you anymore. What’s new is that one month before the arrest, Nigerian officials allegedly asked for bribes worth $150 million from Gambrayan. A $150 million bribe: According to reports from The New York Times and Bloomberg, Nigerian officials gave Gambrayan and his colleague Nadeem Anjarwallar a 48-hour ultimatum to make deposits of $150 million in crypto as bribe payments. Upon receiving the request, Gambrayan upped and left the country and drafted a three-page document describing his ordeal to Binance lawyers and the company’s contacts in the Nigerian government. Is Nigeria punishing the executives? Gambrayan would return to the country a month later with Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa. What followed was the arrest of both men for “tax evasion” and money laundering charges. Although Anjarwalla fled custody in March, Gambrayan has appeared in court twice and is awaiting his next trial. Per TechCabal, Nigerian officials also threatened to arrest Richard Teng, the CEO of Binance. Since the arrest, Binance has stopped trading the naira pair
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New JAMB results 2024 updates
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released vital information regarding JAMB results 2024 updates. In a recent post via their official X (formerly Twitter) handle, in response to a candidate’s inquiry, JAMB emphasised that the only way to access your 2024 UTME results is through SMS verification. This update signifies a shift from previous years where candidates could access their JAMB results 2024 online through the JAMB portal. Here’s what you need to know: SMS Verification Only: To check your JAMB results 2024, you must send the SMS command “UTMERESULT” (without quotes) to either 55019 or 66019. Registered Phone Number Essential: Ensure you use the same phone number you employed during JAMB profile code generation. This ensures the results are delivered to the authorised candidate. No Online Access: Unlike previous years, JAMB results 2024 will not be accessible through the JAMB website. The board is solely relying on SMS verification for this year’s exercise. JAMB encourages all candidates who participated in the 2024 UTME to access their results using the SMS verification method. Other things to note about the UTME updates 2024 These are some things you may want to bear in mind about checking your JAMB results 2024: Lost or Damaged Sim Cards: If the phone number you used in registering for JAMB has somehow been misplaced or spoilt, you may need to retrieve it according to JAMB. Possibility of checking your results on JAMB portal: This method may eventually become available, however, it may come at a very much later date when the knowledge of your JAMB score can no longer help you take the required steps for your admission. Do not pay for result checking on the JAMB portal: Some candidates in, a bid to use the JAMB portal to access their results, have made payments as the portal stipulates, but ended up getting error prompts regarding the check. JAMB, through their X channel, has made it clear that students are not asked to make any payment on the portal for result checking as of 2024, May 7th. As such candidates who have made such payments may have forfeited their money. Final thoughts on new JAMB results 2024 updates If you need to retrieve your phone number due to loss or damage, you must act fast because 2024 admission processes such as Change of Institution are underway. The SMS option remains the only provision made by JAMB at the moment to access your JAMB 2024 results. Remember, JAMB may release further updates regarding the results, so staying informed through their official channels and verified platforms like TechCabal is recommended.
Read MoreChipper Cash resumes US operations two months after pausing services
Chipper Cash, a pan-African fintech startup, has resumed operations in the US after a two-month pause, and after a restructuring exercise that saw the company remove all US and UK roles, focusing its staff presence in Africa. Now, US-based customers can once again send money to friends and family in Chipper Cash’s African markets in Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, and Uganda. The company said in a statement that its “optimised account top-up experience now provides customers with dedicated bank account details. Sending money family and friends across Africa has never been easier.” Chipper has also asked customers to update the Chipper app on Apple app store and Google Play to effect the changes. A year ago, Chipper Cash launched operations in the US and secured money transmitter licenses in all 50 states in the country. Connor Headrick Chief of Staff, said that “these 40 licenses, in addition to the 15 we hold across the continent, further strengthens our global licensing portfolio to 55 licenses worldwide and is a testament to our global reach and commitment to regulatory compliance,” The push to expand its services was however halted in January when an unspecified banking partnership fell through, forcing Chipper Cash to pause its US money transfer services. With over $305 million raised in funding across 6 rounds led by Ribbit Capital and Bezos Expeditions, Chipper told TechCabal that it has 5 million verified users, with 1.4 million customers actively using the platform every quarter.
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UTME Conversion to DE 2024
Many students interested in pursuing higher education in Nigeria consider the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) pathways. UTME conversion to DE 2024 allows UTME candidates who meet specific criteria to leverage their UTME 2024 scores for direct entry applications. This conversion process benefits those who have the necessary qualifications for DE after registering for UTME. For instance, a candidate might have registered for UTME while awaiting their A-Level results, which qualify them for DE. UTME conversion to DE 2024 allows them to use their UTME scores to apply for admission directly into the second year of their chosen program. However, it’s important to note that the official process for UTME conversion to DE 2024 has not started yet. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will announce the official commencement date and provide detailed guidelines. Regularly checking the JAMB website, their social media channels, and news platforms like TechCabal will help you stay updated. In the meantime, acquainting yourself with the specific requirements for your desired institutions for DE conversion is recommended. Next steps once UTME conversion to DE 2024 begins Here’s a glimpse into the possible steps for UTME conversion to direct entry based on procedures from previous years (Please note these are not confirmed steps for 2024, but are likelihoods based on recent years): 1. Wait for JAMB’s announcement of UTME conversion to DE 2024 JAMB will officially announce the commencement of UTME conversion to direct entry. Pay close attention to the official dates and deadlines. 2. Visit a JAMB Office Once the process opens, proceed to your nearest JAMB office. These offices are the only designated locations for UTME conversion to direct entry. 3 Present Required Documents Have your UTME result slip, certificates or diplomas that qualify you for DE application, and any other documents specified by JAMB readily available. 4. Complete the Conversion Process JAMB officials will guide you through the conversion process, which might involve an online application or form filling. Ensure you follow the instructions carefully. 5. Pay Conversion Fee There will likely be a processing fee associated with UTME conversion to direct entry. Be prepared to settle this fee at the JAMB office. Final thoughts on UTME conversion to DE 2024 Please bear in mind that this is based on previous years, and the official process for UTME conversion to direct entry 2024 might differ slightly. Therefore ensure you stay informed and prepare the required documents to ensure a smooth transition from UTME to direct entry for the 2024 admissions cycle.
Read MoreNigerian officials allegedly asked for $150 million bribe before arresting Binance staff
One month before Tigran Gambrayan, a compliance officer for the global cryptocurrency exchange Binance, was arrested in February, he was asked by Nigerian officials to pay $150 million in crypto, according to a report from the New York Times. The report suggested that the money was a bribe. Gambrayan and his colleague Nadeem Anjarwallar were given 48 hours to make that payment after meeting with Nigerian legislators. Following the payment request, Gamabaryan left Nigeria hurriedly and shared a three-page document describing the request with Binance lawyers and the company’s contacts in the Nigerian government. He came back to Nigeria a month later with Nadeem Anjarwalla, his colleague at Binance. That was the last time both Binance staff were free men after they were arrested in February for tax evasion and money laundering charges. Anjarwalla fled an Abuja hotel where he was held before the trial in March. Nigerian officials also threatened to arrest Richard Teng, the CEO of Binance. The arrest of Gambrayan and Anjarwalla set off a series of events in Nigeria after the country declared crypto a “national security” issue. Binance has since left the country as the company’s website has been blocked in Nigeria. Since then, Nigerian authorities have clamped down on cryptocurrencies as they believe that crypto traders use centralised exchanges to manipulate the country’s exchange rate. The SEC also told crypto traders on Monday that they should stop peer-to-peer trading on crypto platforms.
Read MoreForex traders vanish on the streets of Nigeria’s major cities after EFCC raids
Forex traders who trade on the street across major cities in Nigeria went into hiding today after a raid by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The raid comes two months after the Central Bank banned street trading of FX and tightened regulations for Bureau De Change operators. “The EFCC guys came in the morning, I was not there when they came, but many of the traders who came in the morning were arrested,” an FX trader in Port Harcourt who asked not to be named for safety reasons told TechCabal. Another Forex trader in Gbagada, Lagos, confirmed that all the FX traders in the area were in hiding. “They arrested people in Shitta and Lagos market,” he claimed. In February, the EFCC arrested over 100 currency traders in Lagos. One month later, the Central Bank revoked the operating licences of more than 4,000 Bureau De Change operators (BDCs). Today’s raids and arrests are part of several policy actions by Nigerian authorities to restore confidence in its volatile FX markets. While the naira briefly became the world’s best-performing currency in March, it weakened again as the US dollar strengthened against most major currencies. This week, Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) met with blockchain players and asked pleaded with them to stop p2p trading, days after TechCabal reported that a ban was imminent. The office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) also designated crypto a national issue last week and ordered five fintechs to stop onboarding new customers.
Read MoreJumia lowers operating losses 70% in Q1 2024 even as profit remains elusive
Jumia, a leading African e-commerce platform, lowered its operating losses by 70% in Q1 2024 after brutal cost-cutting measures that saw it trim advertising costs to $3.8 million, a 30% drop compared to Q1 2023. Despite these cuts, profitability remained elusive as macroeconomic conditions in most of its markets squeezed consumer purchasing power. Key takeaways: Jumia’s reported revenue of $48.9 million for the quarter It cut its operational losses to $8.3 million Quarterly active users shrank to 1.9 million “Significant currency devaluations in some of our largest markets impacted both purchasing power and supply availability making for a difficult operating environment,” said Francis Dufay, Jumia’s CEO, on a Tuesday earnings call. The e-commerce giant recorded revenues of $48.9 million in Q1 2024, 18.5% higher than Q1 2023 and credited the increase with the sales of big-ticket items such as electronics and home and living items, partially offset by the impact of foreign exchange. “Our ability to secure sufficient inventory and offer a diversified product assortment at competitive prices continues to keep consumers engaged on our platform.” The company’s Gross Merchandise Value, a measure of the value of all goods bought on its platform, increased to $181.5 million by 5%, driven by corporate sales, improved marketplace margins, and a reduction in spending on customer incentives and promotions. The company also shared plans to attract a stickier and higher-quality customer base. “Jumia’s cohort data shows that 39% of the company’s fourth quarter 2023 cohort of new customers completed a second purchase within 90 days as compared to 36% in the fourth quarter of 2022 cohort re-ordering in first quarter of 2023,” the company said. The company will undergo a disciplined and targeted approach to marketing spend focused on targeting more efficient marketing channels, such as search engine optimization (SEO) and customer relationship management (CRM). In terms of runway, Jumia has a cash balance of $28.6 million and a liquidity position of $101.5 million. The company said 79% of its Liquidity Position was held in USD, helping to limit risk and Jumia’s exposure to shifts in local currency valuations. A bright spot in its report is the growth in JumiaPay transactions which reached $2 million in the first quarter of 2024, up 51.8% year-over-year. The growth was driven by the rollout of JumiaPay on delivery in one of Jumia’s largest markets. Dufay had earlier said the company was exploring plans to rollout Jumia Pay delivery in Nigeria as he estimates that 50% of transactions could be cashless by 2024 ending. Over the past month, Jumia’s share price has grown 5%, demonstrating some shareholder confidence. The stock currently trades at $5.47 at the time of this report. .
Read MoreIdentity startup, Seamfix, raises $4.5 million in first funding round to expand outside Nigeria
Seamfix, a 17-year-old identity solutions startup, has raised $4.5 million in funding from Alitheia IDF, its first institutional investor as it looks to expand its business outside Nigeria. Chimezie Emewulu, the company’s co-founder and CEO, told TechCabal that the company raised the funding to expand into more stable African markets as the fluctuation of the naira has impacted the dollar growth of company revenue. Seamfix will expand to Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. “From a naira perspective, we see that we are growing year over year but from a dollar perspective, we’re going backwards,” he said. In the past year, the Naira has sharply lost its value against the greenback following two devaluations by the Tinubu administration. “That’s why we deliberately decided to start expanding to other countries so that we can earn more in forex,” Emewelu added. Seamfix creates digital identities and verification for large organisations and governments in Africa. The company also provides transaction accreditation solutions for these customers. It is already present in Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire and Ethiopia, and also leverages its partnership with the MTN group to provide its identity solution in countries where the telco is present. Digital identity remains a significant problem in Africa, as 542 million people do not have identity cards. Solving the identity problem in Africa would help countries boost GDP growth by as much as 7% but it will cost an estimated $6 billion. Since its inception, Seamfix has built identity solutions for Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission [NIMC], MTN, Glo, Airtel and financial institutions like United Bank for Africa, Interswitch and Union Bank. Its partnership with NIMC helped over 100 million Nigerians acquire national identification numbers, while it helped telcos register their 200 million customers in compliance with regulatory standards. Seamfix makes money by selling its identity solution to organisations, charging customers for verifying their identity, selling yearly licenses to organisations that access its database of identities, and charging for API calls. Emewelu told TechCabal that the company has processed more than 500 million identities. Founded by Chimezie Emewulu and Chibuzor Onwurah, classmates who wanted to ‘seamlessly fix’ problems with technology, Seamfix initially built custom products that digitised the workflow of organisations but pivoted to building identity management solutions in 2015. Emewulu told TechCabal that a client project, which involved building a solution that allowed university students to take exams online, made Seamfix realise the identity problem on the continent after students were caught impersonating other students during papers. “We implemented a biometric system that took pictures and fingerprint data. Anytime the students show up again under capture, the fingerprint system will generate evidence that this person has come before,” he said. After initial success with the identity verification solution, Seamfix partnered with 9 Mobile to register its customers. However, it took until 2015, when Seamfix helped MTN Nigeria reduce an initial $5.2 billion fine to $1.7 billion by bringing its customer registration process up to regulatory standard, that the company’s solution achieved significant market penetration.
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