👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Coup!
In partnership with Share this newsletter: Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Happy pre-Friday There’s been a coup in Niger. The country’s military has ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and overthrown the parliament. The soldiers took to national TV, late last night, to announce the coup. All national borders are now closed and a curfew has been enforced. This is the seventh coup in Africa since 2020, following behind coups across Burkina Faso, Chad, Tunisia, Guinea, and Mali. In today’s edition Namibia regulates crypto with new laws CBN unfreezes bank accounts of BetNaija, Risevest and others Copia’s third round of layoffs Google allows Nigerian use Verve cards The World Wide Web3 Event: TC Live Opportunities Cypto Namibia signs law to regulate crypto exchange Image source: TechCabal Good news for crypto lovers in Namibia: the country has officially approved the licensing of crypto exchanges. The Namibia Virtual Assets Act 2023 was successfully passed earlier this month. The Act is a bill to regulate digital assets, cryptocurrencies, and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) in the country. This new legislation marks a reversal of Namibia’s previous stance on the ban on cryptocurrency in 2017. Although the specific enforcement date for the new set of laws remains unclear, the country’s ministry of finance is responsible for determining a date to make them effective. The new law: The main objective of the new law is to regulate the virtual asset market, safeguard consumers, prevent market abuse, and combat money laundering activities. Additionally, the law requires individuals or entities involved in providing virtual asset services to register with the regulatory authority. Those who do not register appropriately and continue their operations could be subject to severe penalties. These penalties include fines of up to N$10 million ($570,000) and imprisonment for a maximum of 10 years or both. Zoom out: Despite the bill, the country’s central bank, the Bank of Namibia (BoN) warns the public that because virtual assets like cryptocurrencies are not legal tender, people who transact with them do so at their own risk. Secure payments with Monnify Monnify has simplified how businesses accept payments to enable growth. We are trusted by Piggyvest, Buypower, Wakanow, Fairmoney, Cowrywise, and over 10,000 Nigerian businesses. Get your Monnify account today here. Policy CBN unfreezes bank accounts of BetNaija, Risevest and others Image source: Zikoko Memes Nigeria’s central bank unfroze 440 bank accounts of some individuals and companies that it previously accused of “illegally trading” in foreign exchange in Nigeria. The apex bank froze the accounts two years ago to investigate the firms. The affected firms included tech startups like BetNaija, RiseVest, Bamboo, Chaka, Trove, Fliqpay and Yellow Card. Why are they being unfrozen? The account freezing directive was originally issued by the former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele. However, he has since been replaced by the acting CBN governor, Folashodun Shonubi. Interestingly, Shonubi swiftly ordered the banks to lift the restrictions on the frozen accounts within 24 hours of raising the interest rates to 18.75%. Some of these firms bring foreign exchange to the country so experts think that the apex bank is unfreezing their accounts to keep more doors open for forex to come in. Layoffs Copia lays off staff for the third time Image source: Copia Copia, a Kenyan e-commerce platform, has laid off 25%—350 members of its workforce. This is the third time this year that Copia has trimmed its headcount. Earlier in the year, the company laid off 50 Kenyan workers, and in April, they closed down their Ugandan operations, resulting in 300 employees losing their jobs. With this most recent layoff, the total number of people let go now stands at about 700. Why all the layoffs? The job cuts are coming over a year after Copia raised $50 million in a Series C round. The company says it is laying off staff due to money problems but that it is taking these measures to reduce the costs of operation, especially because of the state of the economy. This move aligns with the broader trend among many companies that have been prioritising cost-cutting strategies for over a year now. Reducing labour costs has become a common approach adopted by numerous companies facing economic uncertainties and challenges. Fintech Google Play Store introduces Verve payment option in Nigeria Image source: BusinessDay Google has announced its partnership with Verve to make digital transactions on Google Play Store easier and more accessible for Nigerians. What is Verve? Verve is a pan-African payment card scheme owned by Interswitch that can be used to make payments at merchants, withdraw cash from ATMs and transfer money between accounts. Nigerians can now use their Verve cards to make purchases on the Google Play Store, Google will conduct the transactions in Naira (₦), and banks will treat these transactions as local transactions. How to use the Verve card on Google Play Store:Open the Google Play Store app, choose the app you want to purchase and click on the price of the app, select “add credit or debit card” and enter your Verve card details. You can also visit pay.google.com and log in with your Gmail account, select “Add a payment method” and enter your Verve card details. Once you have saved your card details, you can return to the Google Play store and make purchases. Nigerians can now access the apps they need without stress which contributes significantly to a more inclusive digital environment for them. Crypto Tracker The World Wide Web3 Source: Coin Name Current Value Day Month Bitcoin $29,430 + 0.59% – 3.20% Ether $1,876 + 0.93% + 0.18% Worldcoin $2.27 – 7.90% + 36.10% Kaspa $0.03 + 2.46% + 58.41% * Data as of 05:00 AM WAT, July 27, 2023. Events TC Live: The State of Tech in Africa, Q2 2023 Join us on Friday, August 4, 2023, for a special edition of TC Live, as TechCabal Insights will be launching The State of Tech report, the Q2 2023 edition. This is our flagship report offering a bird’s eye
Read MoreCopia fires 350 employees in third round of layoffs
Copia, a Kenyan e-commerce platform serving low-income households, has laid off 25% of its 1,800 workforce. The company blamed labour costs and a need to improve profitability for the layoffs. Copia, a Kenyan e-commerce platform that serves low-income households, has laid off 25% or 350 members of its workforce. The e-commerce company confirmed the layoffs in a statement to TechCabal. Part of the company’s statement said, “The limited restructuring process will likely impact less than 25% (about 350) of the permanent workforce. The majority of Copia’s employees are not affected by this,” says Copia. In compliance with Kenyan labor laws, the employees will be given a one-month notice and leave Copia before September. “Copia management will decide on the affected staff, who will then be informed of their employment status after one month,” the statement from Copia adds. It is the third time this year that Copia has trimmed its headcount after it laid off 50 Kenyan workers at the start of the year. In April 2023, Copia closed its Ugandan operations making 300 employees redundant. In 2023 alone, Copia has sacked 700 people. What’s driving the layoffs? In January 2022, Copia raised $50 million in a Series C round. And while the company says its in a good position financially, it claims that the layoffs are a way of reducing labour costs while it keeps its eye on boosting profitability. Copia currently employs 1,800 workers, but the company’s headcount will be 1,450 after today’s redundancies. Employees impacted will receive a severance package and other benefits. TechCabal confirmed that regular operations continued despite the layoffs, with Copia claiming that it is “optimising a number of key processes in its operations to enable it become more efficient in serving its Customers and partners.” Official Copia statement to TechCabal Given that the economic downturn and the constrained capital markets are likely to continue for some time, Copia is optimising a number of key processes in its operations in Kenya to provide a better service to its customers and to drive sustained operating profitability. These changes require Copia to undergo a limited restructure of its operations. While improving our operating model through digital, tech-led initiatives to drive faster profitability, this restructuring process will likely impact less than 25% of the permanent workforce and will be undertaken in full compliance with Kenyan labour law and with sensitivity to all employees affected by the process. Copia’s Kenyan operation is rapidly growing, providing e-commerce services to middle income consumers through an unrivaled high-quality, low-cost distribution network of over 50,000 agents. In addition, its service also provides local manufacturers with a unique, efficient route to market. This limited restructure process is intended to ensure that during these economically challenging times, we will continue to focus our resources on the critical levers of business success and remain a lean and sustainable business for the long-term. This decision is consistent with many of the best companies in Africa and across the world which are responding to the market environment and prioritizing profit. We are committed to working hard to achieve our goals and deliver sustainable profitability faster.
Read MoreHow to fix the Nigerian economy according to the World Bank
The June 2023 edition of the Nigeria Development Update (NDU) by the World Bank contained key macro-fiscal policy recommendations for the Nigerian economy. Since he assumed office, President Bola Tinubu has implemented several reforms including the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the foreign exchange rate, albeit with far-reaching effects on the Nigerian economy. In the June 2023 edition of the Nigeria Development Update (NDU) [pdf], the World Bank said these reforms are crucial measures to begin to rebuild fiscal space and restore macroeconomic stability. The report also highlighted key macro-fiscal policy recommendations to help rejig Nigeria’s economic growth in the second half of the year. Following the subsidy removal, the Nigerian government is projected to achieve fiscal savings of approximately N2 trillion in 2023, equivalent to 0.9% of GDP, according to the report. These savings are expected to reach over N11 trillion by the end of 2025. But the policy has led to higher fuel prices and attendant hardship for citizens. To this end, the World Bank recommended that the government provide immediate cash compensation to Nigerian households to cushion the price impact of the subsidy reforms. Earlier this month, President Tinubu asked the National Assembly to approve N500 billion for palliatives. To build on the PMS reform and rebuild fiscal space, the World Bank recommended the removal of tax exemptions on petrol products: simply put, Nigeria should start charging taxes on petrol. Also on taxation, the World Bank advised an improvement in tax administration to “ensure the collection of the newly introduced excises on telecommunication, single-use plastics, and high-polluting vehicles” and a data-driven approach to tax audit. After a series of recently announced tax policies, President Tinubu this month set up a committee on fiscal policy and tax reforms headed by Taiwo Oyedele, a former Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader at PwC. To sustain and deepen FX policy reform, the World Bank recommended the removal of the restrictions for the list of 43 items. Despite collapsing all forex windows into the Investors & Exporters (I&E) window last month, the CBN had insisted that importers and exporters can’t get FX from official windows for these 43 items. Experts have said the ban negates the idea of the unification of the exchange rates and creates a demand for the parallel market. As journalist, Mayowa Tijani put it in this article, “If CBN and President Bola Tinubu are really serious about unification, the 43 items situation needs to go”. In the NDU report, the World Bank also harped on the need for active communication and clarity about the “clarity about the new FX policy with the focus on a unified, market-reflective, transparently-determined rate”. The acting CBN governor yesterday said the apex bank is encouraging the FX market to be efficient as it looks to ease the demand for FX. Nigeria’s headline inflation hit a seven-year high of 22.79% in June, driven by a rise in the prices of food. Yesterday, Nigeria’s Central Bank raised the benchmark lending rate to 18.75%, extending its months-long fight against rising inflation. In the NDU report, the World Bank urged the CBN to continue reducing its subsidised lending to medium and large firms and end government borrowing. Two days before the start of Bola Tinubu’s Presidency, the Nigerian Senate raised the federal government’s threshold for borrowing money from the CBN from 5% to 15%, raising concerns over rising debt. The Buhari administration, for instance, borrowed a record N22.7 trillion from the CBN. While it remains to be seen if the Tinubu government will do the same, chances are the history of government lending will most likely be retained.
Read MoreAs M-PESA plans to enter Ethiopia, it faces a stiff rivalry from Ethio Telecom’s Telebirr
Safaricom launched in Ethiopia in 2022, yet its lucrative mobile money service, M-PESA, is yet to launch. It faces competition from Ethio Telecom’s Telebirr, with 34.3 million subscribers. Both services will seek to appeal to Ethiopia’s mobile money users. In October 2022, Safaricom officially launched operations in Ethiopia after months of lobbying and bidding, which cost $850 million in license fees. However, the launch is just the beginning of its story. Safaricom’s biggest revenue driver in its home country, Kenya, is yet to be introduced in its latest market—the popular mobile money product, M-PESA. The imminent launch of M-PESA in Ethiopia, which will cost the telco an extra $150 million in fees, raises the question – can it compete against a recently established rival, Telebirr, offered by the state-owned Ethio Telecom? M-PESA’s dominance in Kenya Before looking into the potential rivalry in Ethiopia, it is worth examining M-PESA’s performance in its home turf, Kenya, where it has been operational since 2007. To say the least, M-PESA has been and continues to be a success, attracting millions of users and generating billions in revenue for Safaricom. While there is room for improvement in transforming the platform into a revolutionary product, M-PESA has successfully sealed partnerships in the financial space over the past few years. One notable M-PESA-based product is a super app, which integrates services from various companies. By integrating mini apps in the M-PESA ecosystem, such as movie ticketing services, customers no longer need to download multiple apps for each service. M-PESA also offers loan and savings products (M-Shwari and KCB M-PESA), an overdraft facility (Fuliza) in collaboration with two banks (KCB and NCBA), and a service tailored for teens (M-PESA Go). It has expanded globally through partnerships with companies like VISA (M-PESA Global) and remittance services such as TerraPay. These offerings have allowed M-PESA to amass a substantial and loyal user base. As per Safaricom’s full-year report, the mobile financial service reported 32.1 million customers by the end of the financial year in March 2023. The service recorded an 8.8% year-on-year growth in revenue, reaching KES 117.19 billion ($824 million), and an increase in transaction volumes, with 21.4% growth to KES 35.86 trillion ($252 billion) and 33.5% growth to 21.03 billion, respectively. M-PESA’s reach extended to businesses and consumers, with one-month active customers rising by 5.2% to 32.11 million. The Safaricom report further showed growth in agents, recording a slight jump of 0.1% to over 262,000, and active merchants under Lipa na M-PESA, its payments service, grew by 23.1% to over 606,000. The mobile money service continues to be the primary revenue generator for Safaricom, accounting for a significant 39.7% of the company’s service revenue. Telebirr’s emergence in Ethiopia Contrastingly, Ethiopia’s digital financial landscape has changed with the introduction of Telebirr, a mobile money product that Ethio Telecom runs. Telebirr was launched in August 2021 in collaboration with Dashen Bank to meet the country’s increasing demand for digital financial services and drive financial inclusion. Telebirr has gained popularity, attracting an extensive user base of 34.3 million subscribers, and has facilitated transactions worth ETB 679.2 billion ($12.3 billion). The development shows its early success in Ethiopia’s financial market. The product covers three digital financial services: Telebirr Sanduq, Telebirr Mela, and Endekise. Telebirr Mela and Endekise have successfully provided over 4.1 billion Birr ($74.4 million) microloans to 2.4 million customers. Over 768,000 customers have used Telebirr’s micro-savings, adding up to more than 3.6 billion Birr, through Telebirr Sanduq. Telebirr partnered with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia to further expand its services to introduce more financial services similar to those offered by M-PESA, such as loan and savings products. Telebirr has developed a network involving 615 service centres, 136 master agents, and over 107,300 agents. According to a financial statement seen by TechCabal, integrating various banks allows for money transfers from 23 banks to Telebirr and vice versa, making the service more convenient and versatile. “In addition, integration with Banks is completed enabling money transfer from Bank to Telebirr in 23 Banks and from Telebirr to Bank in 21 Banks,” Ethio Telecoms noted in its 2022/2023 annual report. Telebirr has also been inspired by e-Citizen services in Kenya through partnerships with Ethiopian government agencies. “521 governmental and non-governmental institutions have integrated their payment system with Telebirr as part of building digital Ethiopia,” reads a statement by the telecom. Outlook As Safaricom prepares to introduce M-PESA to its 4-million customer base in Ethiopia, it faces stiff competition from Telebirr, which has quickly carved a niche in the Ethiopian financial landscape. While millions of users mark M-PESA’s track record in Kenya, Telebirr’s early success in Ethiopia cannot be ignored. As both services evolve and expand their offerings, the battle for digital financial supremacy in Ethiopia will intensify. Only time will tell which platform emerges as the preferred choice for Ethiopians in their quest for financial inclusion and digital financial services.
Read MoreCentral Bank’s decision to unfreeze the account of firms illegally trading forex may signal new beginning
Nigeria’s central bank unfroze the accounts of some firms “illegally trading” in foreign exchange in Nigeria. It could symbolise new beginnings Two years ago, the Central Bank of Nigeria froze the accounts of companies offering Nigerians access to securities and investment options in both local and international markets. It accused them of engaging in “illicit forex transactions” and vowed to investigate them. Consequently, the CBN ordered banks to block the accounts of over 400 companies. Some of the companies affected included tech startups like BetNaija, RiseVest, Bamboo, Chaka, Trove, Fliqpay and Yellow Card. A reversal of earlier stance Less than 24 hours after the acting CBN governor, Folashodun Shonubi, and Emefiele’s replacement raised interest rates to 18.75%, banks were told to lift the restrictions on the bank accounts of 440 individuals and companies. Two experts who spoke to TechCabal said the apex bank reversal of its earlier stance is a means of bridging a gap where foreign investments can flow into Nigeria. An analyst at Meristem Securities Limited, Fifunmi Laosebikian said the CBN is trying to be flexible while reducing barriers for trade. “Some of these firms bring foreign exchange to the country and it is important that they keep that path open,” he said. Bright Enabulele, a cryptocurrency expert believes collaboration can lead to the establishment of clear and comprehensive regulations that protect consumers, foster market stability, and promote responsible growth. While both experts seek harmony between both the CBN and the companies offering Nigerians access to securities and investment options in both local and international markets, patience is key in looking forward to how both sides will play.
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Triggerfish wants to take African stories to the world through animation
Feat after feat, Africa is demonstrating that its stories are for the world to hear. Triggerfish, an animation company, is making this happen through Africa-centred stories.Netflix just released Supa Team 4, its first-ever original animated African series. This is a win for Malenga Mulendema, the Lusaka-based writer and creator of the show. Mulendema’s achievement adds to the growing buzz around Africa-centred animated stories, which, in recent years, have attracted significant global attention. Supa Team 4 is produced by Triggerfish, a South Africa-based company on a mission to export African stories to a global audience. “With world-class storytelling, we are building bridges that connect Africa to the world,” said Stuart Forrest, the company’s CEO. Triggerfish has existed since the ‘90s, but not with the African focus it has today. The business went through a redefining moment in the early 2000s, when advancements in technology began to redefine mainstream animation. The stop-frame animation technique, Triggerfish’s forte, gradually gave way to more sophisticated computer-generated (CG) animation, which almost forced the company out of business. This situation presented Forrest, then an employee, with the opportunity to buy the business to keep it afloat. He did, and later partnered with Mike Buckland, an animator who had been working in Africa at the time. The duo would later relaunch the company as a CG animation studio with a focus on telling African stories. Following the money Money is to dreams what gas is to cars, many have argued. For Forrest and his team, the move to double down on Africa was not—like many business owners in Africa would say—born out of some idealistic passion to “make the continent a better place”. Triggerfish wanted to tell big stories, and so they needed financiers with deep pockets. Some, like Disney, were clear: capitalise on the [under-tapped] African market, and get funded. That began Triggerfish’s Africa-wide expansion, birthing collaborations with creators across the continent to tell Africa-centred stories. The studio’s first call for submissions pulled in about 1,400 scripts/ideas from African writers. They finally selected eight, one of which was Supa Team 4. Before it expanded its lens across the continent, Triggerfish had focused mainly on the South African market, where it had recorded some success with feature films such as Adventures in Zambezia (2012) and Khumba (2013). But its major breakthroughs and co-signs with big streamers started after the company decided to explore stories and creators from the entire continent. This, for them, was the win-win strategy to tell stories across several cultures and access project capital. And this, they did, eventually landing a couple of their projects, including a feature film (Seal Team) and a series (Kizazi Moto), on global streaming site, Netflix. “Africa is full of stories; storytellers just need more opportunities to tell them,” Forrest said to me from his home in Ireland, another country in which Triggerfish operates. Africa: huge market, small business Africa has an estimated population of $1.4 billion people, a huge market for any business with a reasonable entertainment product. However, that number dwarfs the $6.2 million subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) users on the continent. While the market is projected to add about 9 million users over the next five years, and register a CAGR of 11.29%, the reality is that Africa’s current revenue-generating capacity is rather low. “Africa accounts for just 4% of Triggerfish income, despite comprising our largest audience,” Stuart Forrest said. “This is why we have to think globally.” Data: Mordor Intelligence Triggerfish’s strategy involves getting its stories to audiences around the world. One major market they are keen on is the African diaspora, which is often described as the world’s third-largest country. With a population strength of about 350 million, and most living in highly urbanised climes, they represent an under-tapped market opportunity for afro-animation distribution. In addition, the commercial success of Afrocentric projects, including Marvel’s Black Panther and The Woman King, has contributed to an increased global appetite for such titles, marking an increasingly promising future for Africa-centred content. The journey ahead Working with creators across the continent, Triggerfish will continue to export more African stories to the world, as it leads the fast-growing afro-animations industry. The last half-decade has seen companies like Youneek, Magic Carpet, Giraffics, Diprente, and Kugali Media launch projects that have captured global attention. Kugali Media’s Iwaju, an Afrofuturistic series set in Lagos, Nigeria, was commissioned by Disney. Youneek’s Iyanu is set to stream on HBO Max and Cartoon Network. Asked about how much of a competition these fledgling companies pose, Forrest said: “I don’t see these companies as competitors. We need more people focused on African stories and unlocking the continent’s potential for all of us.” Triggerfish projects cost anywhere between $5 million to $50 million—the kind of money African startups raising venture capital would raise through series A to C funding rounds. And profits are recouped after the project’s distribution. Despite the evident traction and potential for returns, financiers and African governments have hesitated to invest significantly in the industry, hindering its full growth and limiting Africa’s emergence as a developed market for its own stories. Also, to solve what Forrest Stuart describes as a talent gap on the continent, Triggerfish runs a non-profit that trains Africans to be world-class animators. “We’ve come a long way in Africa, but the potential ahead is still huge. We are making sure the world sees Africa and its beauty; it’s something we won’t get tired of,” Forrest concluded.
Read MoreCost of data breaches in SA surged by 73% in last 8 years, according to IBM report
South Africa has one of the highest costs of data breaches in the world, according to a study by IBM Security. According to IBM Security’s annual “Cost of a Data Breach” report, the average data breach cost for South African organizations reached an all-time high of R49.45 million in 2023. This is an 8% increase over the last 3 years, and a 73% increase since South Africa was added to the report 8 years ago. The report also states that the per record average cost of data breaches reached an all-time high at R2,750, a 20% increase from R2,300 in 2021. Detection and escalation costs reached R20.88 million—the highest portion of breach costs, which indicates a shift towards more complex breach investigations. Costs associated with lost business stood at R13.56 million, while post-breach responses cost R13.29 million and notifying relevant stakeholders cost R1.72 million. The financial sector bore the brunt of data breaches, with the highest average cost of data breaches in the sector totalling R73.1 million. The industrial and services sectors were second and third, with R71.37 million and R58.78 million respectively. “South Africa is the financial centre and economic gateway to the rest of the continent. This knowledge is not exclusive to the business community; cyber attackers are aware of it too as the financial sector is the most targeted,” said Ria Pinto, general manager and technology leader at IBM South Africa. “Organisations should look to modernise their perimeter security strategies to enhance protection of their financial data by using zero-trust security solutions, underpinned by AI and automation, to increase their cyber resiliency, manage the risks and comply with strict data privacy policies such as the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).” The majority of cyber threats were the results of stolen or compromised credentials and phishing scams constituting 14% each as the initial attack vectors. Attacks through compromised business emails were second at 12%, and attacks due to cloud misconfiguration were third at 11%. The study also found that globally, 95% of studied organisations, including South African organisations, have experienced more than one breach. However, breached organisations were more likely to pass incident costs onto consumers (57%) than to increase security investments (51%). AI to the rescue According to the report, AI and automation had the biggest impact on the speed of breach identification and containment for studied organizations. In South Africa, organisations with extensive use of both AI and automation experienced a data breach lifecycle that was 95 days shorter compared to studied organisations that did not deploy these technologies (190 days versus 285 days). Only 28% of studied organisations have extensively implemented security AI and automation. Additionally, studied organisations that deployed security AI and automation extensively saw an average decrease of nearly R10.49 million in data breach costs than those that did not deploy these technologies. This was the biggest cost saver identified in the report. And with nearly 29% of studied organisations not yet deploying security AI and automation and 43% using them sparingly, organisations still have a considerable opportunity to boost detection and response speeds. “Time is the new currency in cybersecurity, both for the defenders and the attackers. As the report shows, early detection and fast response can significantly reduce the impact of a breach,” said Chris McCurdy, the general manager of Worldwide IBM Security Services. “Security teams must focus on where adversaries are the most successful and concentrate their efforts on stopping them before they achieve their goals. Investments in threat detection and response approaches that accelerate defenders’ speed and efficiency – such as AI and automation – are crucial to shifting this balance.” According to INTERPOL’s 2022 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment report [pdf], South Africa leads the continent in the number of identified cybersecurity threats, with 230 million total threat detections. Research by Accenture also illustrates the severity of the cybercrime landscape, with the country recording the third-highest number of cybercrime victims worldwide, at a cost of R2.2 billion a year.
Read MoreElectronic transfers make up 82% of all B2B payments in SA, according to study
South Africa leads the way in the digitisation of B2B payments on the continent, according to a latest study. According to a report [pdf] by business payment platform Duplo, electronic transfers made up over 82% of the $994 billion of business-to-business transactions in South Africa. The report explored survey data from 1,218 contributors from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya, from a diverse range of companies. It reflected different ages, sizes, revenues, and sectors. South Africa also led the way in the speed of processing invoices. It has a slender lead, with 39.9% of respondents stating that it typically takes a day or less to process invoices compared with Nigeria’s 39.7%. When it comes to payment automation, Kenya led the way with 83.4% of respondents stating that their payment system was either semi-automated or fully automated, compared to Nigeria (79.9%), South Africa (71.7%), and Ghana (67.2%). “Despite various challenges, the future of B2B payments in Africa is set for dynamic growth and innovation, signalling a new era of opportunities and expansion for the continent’s business ecosystem. The opportunity to automate accounts payable and receivable and transform other aspects of the B2B payments process offers great potential to reduce payment delays, enhance cash flow and drive growth for businesses across the continent,” said Yele Oyekola, CEO and co-founder of Duplo. “The increased adoption of digital solutions also implies a shift in workplace dynamics and positions finance professionals to add more value to their organisations. We are looking forward to playing a major role in the realisation of these opportunities and the delivery of technology solutions to support growth for businesses in Africa.” South Africa has been actively pushing towards the digitisation of its payment systems. In March, Payshap, an interbank, and real-time digital payments service built as a collaborative effort between Bankserv, a clearing house owned by South African commercial banks, and the South Africa Reserve Bank, was launched.
Read MoreNamibia now has a law that recognises virtual assets, including cryptocurrencies
After Namibia’s parliament passed a bill in June which aims to legalise and establish regulations for virtual assets, including cryptocurrency, the bill has been enacted into law by the southern African nation. The Namibian government has begun the process of setting up a regulatory authority to oversee the virtual asset industry, acting on the provisions of one of the major mandates of the newly passed law. The authority will be responsible for licensing virtual asset service providers and overseeing, supervising, and monitoring activities related to the provision of virtual asset services. Additionally, according to the law, individuals or entities engaging in virtual asset services without proper registration with the regulatory authority may face penalties of up to N$10 million in fines, imprisonment for a maximum period of 10 years, or both.The bill also aims to ensure consumer protection, prevent market abuse and money laundering. “The aim of the legislation was to create a regulatory framework to protect consumers, and the risk of money laundering is mitigated,” said Limpumbi Shiimi, the country’s minister of finance and public enterprises. Central bank warns public Despite the bill, the country’s central bank, the Bank of Namibia (BoN) warns the public that because virtual assets like cryptocurrencies are not legal tender, people who transact with them do so at their own risk. However, the bank acknowledges the assets’ role in promoting financial inclusion, improving the resilience and affordability of payment systems, and enhancing cross-border payments. “When the associated risks that come with innovations such as virtual assets in the financial system are better managed, the bank will make the necessary assessments and pronounce itself on their acceptance,” said Kazembire Zemburuka, spokesperson of the central bank.
Read MoreWith cabinet list expected this week, Nigeria’s ecosystem players are cautiously optimistic about Tinubu’s presidency
The Tinubu administration has introduced a number of reforms with far-reaching effects on the economy. But Nigeria’s tech ecosystem players say it’s still a long road ahead. President Bola Tinubu has scored what should be considered, even by cynics, an interesting performance goal. In his first act as president, he removed fuel subsidies and pledged to move to a unified foreign exchange rate. By his second week in office, he suspended the Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, and devalued the naira. On the policy side, he has signed some bills into law—including the Nigeria Data Protection Bill designed to address the country’s disturbing surge in data breaches. The execution of this range of reforms has left Nigeria’s tech ecosystem cautiously optimistic about the Tinubu administration. “There appears to be an intentional effort at clearing the pitfalls that have endangered startups and the growth of the tech and innovation ecosystem in Nigeria,” Omoruyi Edoigiawerie, a startup attorney, told TechCabal. As stated in his campaign manifesto, President Tinubu intends to achieve an inclusive digital economy and he highlighted several plans in this regard: the creation of one million new jobs in the “ICT sector” in his first two years, talent outsourcing, tech manufacturing, and a review of the government’s stance on blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. While it remains to be seen how the new government will pull these off, industry watchers say the current economic reforms are a good start. Bloomberg reported that overseas investment flows have jumped over the past month since the naira devaluation, a tell-tale sign that Nigeria’s stock market is up for a longer bullish run. But some experts who spoke to TechCabal said H1 reports–which are due this month–may present some shocks. Following the unification of the exchange rate, new rules from the Central Bank allow beneficiaries of diaspora remittances to receive payments in naira at the prevailing exchange rates of the day. This has birthed new opportunities for fintechs and traditional banks. Access Bank has partnered with Remitly, an American online remittance service. Paga has announced that its users can now receive remittances in naira. Flutterwave has also launched payment products that will allow Nigerians to pay international tuition and airline fees in naira. Adedeji Olowe, founder of Lendsqr, a lending SaaS fintech, told TechCabal, “The body language looks like a lot will happen. Removing all the barriers will allow fintechs and by extension the startup ecosystem to work. But then, it’s still early days so it’s better not to jump to conclusions.” Good start, but not enough These fiscal reforms come with a darker side. Damilola Robert, growth marketing manager at Bitnob, said the floating of the naira has had a big effect on fintechs. “Virtual cards used to be a cash cow for many fintech platforms like Payday and the rest. However, with the new remittance policy, we are seeing banks like Wema Bank announcing that their users now have access to spend online capped at $500 monthly which I believe is a substantial amount compared to the previous $20 benchmark,” he told TechCabal. The unified FX rate also triggered a possible 40% increase in electricity tariffs from the beginning of this month. The tariff increase poses a dilemma for startups, forcing them to choose between raising prices or experiencing diminished profits. Even for startups that work remotely, their workers will bear the brunt as they now have to spend more to power their devices. Also, the new FX regime will change how startups report revenue to foreign investors. Seye Bandele, co-founder of Pade HCM, an HR startup told TechCabal that since startups raise money in foreign currency and get revenue in the local currency, meeting revenue targets becomes difficult. “This has a significant impact on how startups can earn investor confidence. The policies [of the Tinubu administration] have also impacted our internal operations. The removal of the fuel subsidies has led to a hike in the cost of moving around the city. But we cannot instantly apply palliatives to our organisation because we are already struggling to meet our revenue targets,” he added. Bandele said as the Tinubu administration is “quick to implement these reforms, it should introduce measures to contain the effects of these policies”. Exclusive: Tinubu eyes Nigeria’s tech experts for key roles From a policy perspective, the 2022 Finance Act—a spillover from the previous administration—introduced a 10% tax on profits on digital assets which include cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens, and other tokenised assets. Several crypto traders told TechCabal at the time that it may not work, leaving many to wonder if Tinubu’s promise to review the government stance on crypto is just on paper. Similarly, lawyers have questioned the unclear provisions in the Nigeria Data Protection Act. Edoigiawerie, the startup attorney, added that a lack of political will may stall the meaningful implementation of the law. “That is where my worry lies, we have seen good laws and regulations fail on the altar of haphazard or mischievous implementation,” he told TechCabal. More importantly, as President Tinubu looks to set up his cabinet, many tech players look forward to who becomes the next minister of communications and digital economy, mainly to drive the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act. Tech lawyer Oyindolapo Olusesi told TechCabal that the next minister must “understand the digital economy from a global perspective but also has domain experience in the African and particularly Nigerian tech ecosystem”. Last week, TechCabal reported that four stakeholders in the Nigerian tech ecosystem are being considered for key positions—including a ministerial seat—in the Tinubu administration.
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