Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
SC Ventures, Standard Chartered’s innovation, fintech investment and ventures arm, and Yabx Technologies (Netherlands) B.V., a company of Tech Mahindra…
SeamlessHR, a Nigerian HR tech startup, has raised $9 million in funding, bringing its total to $20 million. This investment, backed by the Gates Foundation and Helios Digital Ventures, will help the company expand across Africa, enhance workforce productivity, and provide financial security for employees through embedded finance tools.
Wajeez, a logistics startup, has expanded from smaller cities in eastern Algeria to the capital, Algiers, and is now planning to grow across Africa. The platform, offering food delivery and personalized shopping, includes features like loyalty programs and Wajeez Gold subscription for exclusive benefits. It has also expanded to Senegal.
Sequence Ventures plans to launch a $50 million “Africa Deep Tech” fund by 2026, focusing on emerging technologies in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and climate. They aim to close their EGP 500 million “SV Deep Tech Investment” fund by Q1 this year, targeting 20 deals over two years.
A recent report indicates that Africa lost over $1.5 billion in 2024 due to internet shutdowns and social media bans, accounting for 20% of the global economic loss from digital outages. The shutdowns were linked to political tensions, protests, and conflicts, with 12 African nations affected.
Africa’s gaming industry is set to reach $1 billion in revenue in 2024, with mobile gaming driving nearly 90% of the market. South Africa leads, while Nigeria shows the most growth. The region also sees a rise in game studios, particularly in West, Southern, and East Africa.
Morocco’s Panafsat and Thales Alenia Space have signed an MoU to develop a satellite communications system to provide high-speed internet services to 26 African countries, helping bridge the digital divide and support economic growth. This initiative is part of broader digitalization efforts in Morocco and Africa.
The African telecom tower market is set to grow significantly, with the number of installed towers expected to rise from 208.31 thousand in 2024 to 261.21 thousand by 2029. Key drivers include increased mobile workforce demand, rural connectivity efforts, and the rollout of 4G and 5G technologies.
Ericsson and AXIAN Telecom have signed an MoU to collaborate on digitally upskilling youth across Africa. The partnership will leverage Ericsson’s Educate program to provide education in key digital fields like AI, 5G, and IoT, empowering students with essential skills for the digital economy and fostering long-term growth.
Kaspersky will provide AFRIPOL with crucial cyber threat data to improve forensic analysis and response capabilities.