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How to Change the Name of Your Google Account.

How To

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March 14, 2022

How to Change the Name of Your Google Account.

It’s simple to change your Google account name if you’ve legally changed your name or simply want to use a new name online. This can be done on a desktop, Android, iPhone, or iPad. Here’s how to do it.

On your desktop, change the name of your Google account.

Use the Google Account website to alter your account name if you’re using a Windows, Mac, Linux, or Chromebook computer.

To begin, open your preferred web browser and navigate to the Google Account website. Log in to your account there.

Click “Personal Info” in the left sidebar after logging in.
Click your current account name in the “Basic Info” column on the right.

You can now modify the name of your account. Type your new first name in the “First Name” column. Enter your new last name in the “Last Name” column.

Then, to preserve your changes, click “Save.”

On Android, you can change the name of your Google account.

To change the name of your account on your Android phone, first, open the Settings app.
Scroll down in Settings and tap “Google.”
Tap “Manage Your Google Account” beneath your name on your Google profile page.
Select the “Personal Info” tab at the top.
Choose your current name from the “Basic Info” column.
Your editable name fields will be displayed on the “Name” page. Type your new first name in the “First Name” column. Type your new last name in the “Last Name” column.
Then select “Save.”

On your iPhone or iPad, change your Google name.

Use the Gmail app on your iPhone or iPad to change your account name.

To begin, open Gmail on your phone. Tap the hamburger menu in the top-left corner of the app (three horizontal lines).
Select “Settings” from the menu that appears.
Tap your Google account on the “Settings” screen.
Choose “Manage Your Google Account” from the drop-down menu.
Tap the “Personal Info” option beneath your name.
Choose your current name from the “Basic Info” column.
Now you’ll type in your new name. Type your new first name in the “First Name” column. Enter your new last name in the “Last Name” column.
Tap “Save” to save your changes.

That’s all there is to modifying your Google account’s name. In the future, your new name will appear in all of Google’s services.

How to Cancel Your PayPal Subscriptions.

How To

Yvone Kendi

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March 14, 2022

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How to Cancel Your PayPal Subscriptions.

If you no longer want to use a service to which you have subscribed, PayPal makes canceling your automatic membership payments simple. Here’s how to do it on your desktop using your PayPal account.

You have until the day before the next scheduled payment to cancel a membership. Also, even if you cancel your subscription, you must pay for the services you’ve received.

Stop Automatic Payments on PayPal

First, open a web browser on your computer and go to the PayPal website to cancel your regular payments. Log in to your online account.
Select the gear icon from PayPal’s top-right corner after logging in.
Click “Payments” in the tab list at the top of the “Settings” page.
Click “Manage Automatic Payments” under the “Automatic Payments” section.
All of your recurring payment services are listed on the left sidebar under “Automatic Payments.” Choose the payment you want to stop from the drop-down menu.
Your subscription information will be displayed in the right pane. Click the “Cancel” button here.

A prompt will appear, asking whether you are certain you wish to cancel your automatic payment. Deactivate the “Quicker Checkout” option.

PayPal will cancel your recurring payment for the chosen service, and you’re good to go.

You can reactivate your subscription at any time in the future by visiting the service provider’s website. Alternatively, if you’re no longer using PayPal, you should remove your account.

NOTE: YOU CAN ONLY CANCEL PAYMENT SUBSCRIPTIONS FROM PAYPAL’S DESKTOP WEBSITE AS OF FEBRUARY 2022. THE PAYPAL MOBILE APP CANNOT BE USED FOR THIS.

The Launch of Mkenya Daima Initiative.

Startups

Yvone Kendi

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March 14, 2022

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Mkenya Daima Initiative 2022 was launched on 10, Thursday by the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in collaboration with other stakeholders.

Different stakeholders signed the Mkenya Daima leadership and peace commitment on Thursday to foster peace in the next general elections.

The initiative’s goal is to ensure that Kenya has a peaceful election and a smooth transition in August.

“Kenyans are very peace-loving in nature, however, the perception that comes out every time we are about to carry out an election, that there is going to be violence is what we need to refuse as a people,” said Shah.

He stated that the election is a democratic process and that afterward, we must return to work and celebrate Kenya for what it is, rather than focusing on the negative aspects.

Carole Kariuki, the Chief Executive Officer of KEPSA, said during the unveiling that Mkenya Daima 2022 will focus on three pillars this time: political, social, and economic.

She stressed the political pillar of leadership and governance, emphasizing the need for leaders to participate in a peaceful campaign and transition.

Under the economic pillar, the CEO said it revolves around an economy-led manifesto saying KEPSA has galvanized the private sector and created a manifesto (Economic Manifesto of the Private sector) which will mitigate all the candidates running for the presidential seats.

“This year, a lot of our attention is on effective and accountable leadership in power, to accommodate positive gain and growth prospects,” the CEO added.

KEPSA has already engaged with stakeholders, including media partners, to carry out civic education, according to Kariuki, and they are now looking forward to engaging with election organizations, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Judiciary, and the Security sectors.

“For a peaceful Kenya, I urge all road users, whether cycling or driving, to obey the law.” “In the event of an accident, don’t take the law into your own hands; instead, call the cops and let them handle it,” she said.

Mkenya Daima is a non-partisan multi-stakeholder forum founded in 2012 with the primary goal of encouraging peaceful elections and fostering stability, both of which are necessary for Kenya’s commercial continuity and prosperity.

Online games, a new era for startups

Guides

James Musoba

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March 14, 2022

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The online gaming industry is currently one of the most dynamic sectors in the world. The iGaming platform operators are not the only ones responsible for this success. Several start-ups play a key role in the development of online casino, especially in the areas of online security and payment.

When start-ups play a major role in iGaming

Online betting and gaming welcomes thousands of new players every day, attracted by the diversity and quality of the offer in virtual casinos. Another great advantage is that online games are accessible 24/7 and on any terminal connected to the Internet. You don’t have to fly to Las Vegas to find a prestigious table: just sign up for a virtual casino and place your bets.

Beyond the money and accessibility, players are also interested in the ancillary services available on these platforms. Gaming operators are working closely with start-ups to implement ever more innovative services on their platforms.

These improvements concern all aspects of online gaming, from presentation and table layout to payment tools. On this last point, PayPal payment offers are popular when it comes to online casinos. With this option, players can cash out their winnings or place their bets with just a few touches. Payments are not the only area of online gaming where the role of startups is crucial.

High-tech companies in the online gaming world

Casino operators rarely have the ability to transpose the configuration and spirit of a real gaming room to a virtual platform. Therefore, the development and operation of an online casino requires the permanent presence of one or more companies capable of providing the technology that is essential for its proper functioning. Their intervention is particularly useful in some aspects of online gaming below.

Gaming software

Virtual casinos rarely create their own games. They outsource this task to specialized start-ups, which can then offer ever more entertaining and original titles. Gaming software development studios such as Microgaming and Net Entertainment are the leading start-ups in the industry. Evolution Gaming, XPro Gaming and EGT are other popular creators for casinos – and players. It is this outsourcing to video game studios that has improved the quality of the games offered by online casinos in recent years: the animations are more fluid, they can integrate scenery and cinematics, in short, they are more attractive and enjoyable for the player.

Network and data managers

Online gaming platforms handle huge amounts of connection requests every day. This means that they have to manage a large amount of data flow on their servers.

Casinos often entrust this responsibility to a start-up company that specializes in hosting and processing data from various online games. The proper execution of these tasks requires heavy investments in hardware, software and talent, investments that only a specialized company is able to provide.

User and payment security

The law requires virtual casinos to protect the data of players who visit their sites at all costs, including personal information (profile, payment information, etc.). This includes personal information (profile, age or address) and sensitive data, such as bank account or payment card numbers.

Securing this data requires a great deal of expertise in encryption technologies, a skill that few operators possess. Here again, specialized start-ups are indispensable. Online marketing, customer service and affiliate marketing are other areas where virtual casinos still need technology companies. More and more casinos are accepting crypto-currencies and often call on specialized start-ups for advice on cryptos or to set up wallets.

The boom in online gaming is therefore a boom for start-ups, which can provide their know-how, flexibility and innovative capacity to the iGaming industry.

Sudo Africa is helping businesses issue custom debit cards

Startups

James Musoba

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March 13, 2022

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Sudo Africa is helping businesses issue custom debit cards

Traditionally, issuing debit cards is a very expensive, slow, and inflexible process reserved as a privilege for only large companies. This means that smaller businesses and startups would not usually have access to this, but things are about to change.

Sudo Africa is offering programmable cards and making it affordable to all types of businesses regardless of their size or revenue level. enables businesses to build unique features with an open application programming interface (API) and a readily available sandbox environment. This allows them to start issuing physical and virtual cards within days and not months.

Founded in 2020 by co-founders Aminu Bakori and Kabir Shittu, the company from its founders’ frustration from card issuance challenges faced at a previous start-up. The recognition that other founders experienced the same problem deepened their conviction to launch the service.

According to CEO and co-founder Aminu Bakori; “We tried to get customized debit cards at our previous startup and could not believe how incredibly hard the process was. And we decided to fix this major headache for other founders and make sure they never go through the unnecessary strain. It is almost unbelievable but even as I speak to you, we still have not gotten the cards and it has been more than two years.”

With Sudo, any small business can start issuing cards to its staff and customers for different purposes including, but not limited to loyalty programmes for customers, management services for corporate expenses, buy now and pay later schemes for retailers, digital wallets for virtual banks, amongst other use cases.

Kabir Shittu COO and co-founder at Sudo Africa says its biggest advantage is its flexibility and ability to customize solutions to fit the company.

“In terms of pricing, with a flat monthly fee of ₦50,000, companies can get onboarded and create virtual cards as low as ₦50 and physical cards for as low as ₦1,000.”

Sudo Africa recently raised $3.7 million in a pre-seed round, Kabir Shittu says this new funding will be used to enter new markets across Africa, expand the current team, and engineer marketing and growth.

This funding round was lead by Global Founders Capital (GFC), other investors are Picus Capital, LoftyInc, RallyCap Ventures, Kepple Africa, Ventures Platform, MSA Capital, Future Africa, BerryWood Capital, ZedCrest, Suya Ventures, and fintech founders from around Africa.

Spotify EQUAL Music Programme welcomes Nigerian rising star, Fave

Guides

James Musoba

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March 13, 2022

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Spotify EQUAL Music Programme welcomes Nigerian rising star, Fave

Music streaming giant Spotify has announced Fave as the latest EQUAL Africa ambassador of the month. This announcement comes off the back of Fave’s popularity and fame since the release of her breakthrough hit single Baby Riddim which was released in September 2021 via emPawa Africa.

Spotify welcomes Fave in joining the EQUAL programme’s list of ﬁerce African women making waves in music, as part of its bid to foster gender equality and provide a platform to celebrate inﬂuential female artists in Africa.

“Our aim with the EQUAL Music Programme is to shine a light on remarkable young women in Africa who are ﬁnding their feet through music,” says Spotify’s head of music for sub-Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu. “We remain committed to leveling the playing ﬁeld for female creators by giving emerging and established artists equal opportunities on our platform. Fave exudes character and conﬁdence and we are proud to showcase her.”

Fave is a talented creative who understands the power of social media and who made her way to the spotlight through it. She hit the spotlight after she posted a freestyle of her song, N.B.U (Nobody But You), a blend of upbeat pop and Afro that soared across playlists and social media during the Covid lockdown. The song received shares across social media and became an instant hit prior to its release.

The 22-year-old singer is a burgeoning Nigerian Afro R&B singer whose charming music style is attracting the big guns of the entertainment industry, placing her on the same level as other young female artists like Tems and Ayra Starr (another Spotify EQUAL Artist), who are becoming the next generation of female artists in Nigeria, each bringing with them their own style of music.

“It’s easy to come across, or even be directly involved in, a conversation on the subject of female artists and the widely believed stereotype that women cannot give their 100% to music because there are other things that occupy their time, based on societal norms. Like family and kids,” says Fave.

“Stereotypes like this already inﬂuence how people in the industry view women. On a broader scale, you almost get the vibe that people think the success of a female artist can only be short-lived. Of course, defects like this are not general but they do exist. Male domination, I believe, is something that can only be ﬁltered away by our outstanding success as women in our ﬁelds of excellence and talent. I’m honored to be part of the EQUAL programme with women who plan to change the world,” she adds.

“We will continue to seek, recognize and amplify the female voices we have in the African music space so that the next generation of female artists can believe and have many influences to look up to”, emPawa Africa’s Co-founder & Head of Label Services, Ikenna Nwagboso concludes.

Fave’s breakout track “Baby Riddim” will be featured on the EQUAL Africa and EQUAL Global playlists.

People Do Care About Privacy, as evidenced by DuckDuckGo’s Massive Growth.

Tech

Yvone Kendi

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March 13, 2022

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People Do Care About Privacy, as evidenced by DuckDuckGo’s Massive Growth.

In 2021, DuckDuckGo had a banner year. Despite being in a struggle with Google, which has become so entrenched in the search industry that people refer to searching as “Googling,” the search engine has seen significant growth.

According to Bleeping Computer, DuckDuckGo reported a 46.4 percent rise in search volume. According to the research, by the end of December 2020, DuckDuckGo had received 23.6 billion total search inquiries, with a daily average of 79 million. The overall amount of search inquiries reached 34.6 billion in 2021, with daily searches reaching 100 million.

Because they’re utilizing a privacy-focused search engine, this is a strong indication that at least some internet users are concerned about privacy. Some of the growth could be attributed to the popularity of the DuckDuckGo mobile app.

Despite its rapid expansion, DuckDuckGo still has a long way to go before catching up to Google. According to the survey, Google has 87.33 percent of search engine traffic in the United States, while DuckDuckGo has only 2.53 percent. DuckDuckGo, on the other hand, is swiftly catching up to Yahoo, which accounts for 3.3 percent of search traffic. 6.43 percent of search traffic goes to Bing.

DuckDuckGo recently released a desktop browser, which could help the firm expand its search market share, as customers who download the browser are considerably more likely to use the privacy-focused search engine.

Why Should You Use Firefox on Android?

Tech

Yvone Kendi

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March 13, 2022

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Android users are firmly in the grip of Google Chrome. It comes pre-installed on many Android smartphones, giving it a distinct advantage over the competition. Firefox is one such alternative you’ve probably heard of, and it’s worth a go.

Table of Contents

Mozilla’s Firefox web browser isn’t exactly a newcomer. It’s been around on Android for a long time, but it’s undergone a lot of changes in that time.

Here are a few reasons you should try firefox

Browser Extensions

Although Firefox for Android doesn’t have as many extensions (also known as “Add-ons”) as the desktop version, it does have a few useful ones.

Ad blockers, dark mode for all websites, password managers, and other privacy and security-focused apps are among the greatest add-ons. These add-ons are simple to set up and add functionality that isn’t available in other mobile browsers.

Tab Organization

Tabs are a big issue in browsers, but on mobile browsers, they’ve always been a disaster. On a smaller screen, they’re just not as useful. With “Collections,” Firefox tries to improve tabs.

Collections allow you to organize tabs into themed groupings in the same way that bookmarks do. Let’s pretend you’re conducting research for a project. You can save all of your tabs in a Collection and return to them whenever you want. You can also open all of the tabs in the group at once.

Enhanced Tracking Protection

On all platforms, Firefox prioritizes privacy, and the Android version is no exception. The desktop version of Mozilla’s “Enhanced Tracking Protection” is now available for Android.

Ad trackers, sites with invasive crypto mining, and cookies that track your behavior across sites are all protected with Enhanced Tracking Protection. Blocking all of these trackers can also enhance the speed with which a page loads.

This function is enabled by default, however, you can switch to “Strict” mode if you want even more protection. When Firefox is blocking trackers, you’ll notice a small lock icon in the address bar.

Bottom Address Bar

This may seem insignificant, but if you’re a Chrome fanatic, it’s not. The address bar in Firefox can be moved to the bottom of the screen.

Google has toyed with the idea a few times over the years, but it’s never made it into a stable version of Chrome for Android. It’s possible to accomplish it with Safari on the iPhone. Firefox lets you choose whether it should be at the top or bottom of the page. The bottom is certainly the greatest if you have a huge phone.

Not Made by Google

Many individuals still prefer Firefox over Chrome because it is not controlled by Google. The truth is that if you have an Android phone, Google has a lot of information about you. Using Chrome only provides them with more.

As previously said, Firefox has several excellent privacy options, including protection from organizations such as Google. You can start by switching browsers if you don’t want one mega-corporation to have its hands in all of your pockets.

Of course, you should use Chrome exclusively, but it’s a start. Firefox is a great browser, and if you use it on your desktop, it has many of the same synchronization capabilities that Chrome users adore.

How to Reset the TikTok Algorithm.

How To

Yvone Kendi

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March 13, 2022

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The TikTok algorithm is what makes the social media platform so popular. It quickly learns what you like and is frighteningly adept at it. We’ll show you how to update your “For You” page with some helpful hints.

You might be asking why you’d ever need to “reset” the algorithm if it’s so good at getting to know individuals. Isn’t it supposed to change with you? That isn’t always the case. It sometimes takes a bad turn down the road and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Regrettably, there isn’t a large “RESET” button to press. The only method to fully reset your account is to establish a new one. The good news is that you can do certain things to help rewire your FYP.

Clear the Cache

The first thing we can do is clear the cache in your account. A “cache” is only a software feature that saves data for later retrieval. To begin, go to the profile tab of the TikTok app.

Then, in the top right corner, hit the hamburger menu symbol and select “Settings and Privacy.”

“Free Up Space” is located at the bottom of the page.

Finally, next to “Cache,” press “Clear.”

“Dislike” Videos

Everyone understands that liking a video indicates that you enjoy the material and want to see more of it. Did you realize that you can “dislike” videos as well? Although it isn’t a genuine “dislike” button, you may inform TikTok that videos that appear on your “For You” tab aren’t for you.

Simply press and hold on a video on the “For You” page.

You can choose “Not Interested” from a menu that appears. Tap “More” if you want to be more precise about why you’re not interested.

“Hide Videos From This User” or “Hide Videos With This Sound” are now options.

Unfollow Accounts

The final step may appear to be self-evident, but it should not be missed. Unfollow accounts that you are no longer interested in. Select “Following” from the profile tab.

To unfollow any account, simply tap the “Following” icon.

It’s as simple as that. These hacks won’t take you back to when you first started using TikTok, but they will help influence the algorithm’s trajectory over time. It’s just as vital to tell TikTok what you don’t like as it is to tell it what you do.

How to Block a Number on Google Voice.

How To

Yvone Kendi

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March 13, 2022

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If you don’t want someone calling or texting you on your Google Voice number, you can block that person’s number from calling or texting you. Here’s how to do it on your computer and mobile device.

On the desktop, you can block a number in Google Voice.

Launch your favorite web browser and go to the Google Voice site to block a number from your computer. Log in to your website account.

Once you’ve signed in, look through your call record for the number you want to ban. Then, on that number, click.

Click the three dots in the top-right corner of the number information section.
Select “Block Number” from the menu that appears.
In the prompt, select “Block.”
Your chosen phone number has now been blocked in your account. On your Google Voice number, that user can no longer call or message you.

If you want to unblock a phone number later, pick it, click the three dots, and select “Unblock Number.”

In the prompt, select “Unblock.”

That number has now been unlocked.

Block Calls and Messages in Google Voice on Mobile

To block someone from calling or texting you on your phone, first open the Google Voice app on your phone.

Tap the number you want to block in your call history. Then hit the three dots in the top-right corner of the number screen.

Choose “People & Options” from the drop-down menu.

Tap the “Block [Number]” option on the “People & Options” page.

In the prompt, tap “Block.”
Your selected phone number has been blacklisted.

To unblock a blocked number, go to that number’s “People & Options” page and select the “Unblock [Number]” option.

And that’s all there is to it.

Egyptian logistics startup Bosta expands to KSA after raising pre-Series B round.

Startups

Weddy Thuranira

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March 13, 2022

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Egyptian logistics startup Bosta expands to KSA after raising pre-Series B round.

Bosta, a leading logistics company, has just announced the opening of its first office in Riyadh, signaling the official start of its business in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where it will give its outstanding services to its customers.

This decision was taken in accordance with the country’s Vision 2030 initiatives, which aim to promote the local economy through a variety of strategic programs targeted at business owners and entrepreneurs.

Following a successful launch in Egypt, the move is part of Bosta’s goal to expand and offer its services across the Middle East.

In addition to Hassan Allam Holding, the new growth coincides with Bosta’s great success in generating a new investment round (Pre-Series B) from regional and international investors led by Khwarizmi Ventures, as well as other current investors.

“We are pleased to launch Bosta in Riyadh. We believe that this step will enable us to significantly expand our activities in a market that’s very important to us. The launch of our office in KSA is part of Bosta’s expansion plans across the Middle East this year, which will be followed by another launch in the region by the end of this year,” said Eng. Mohamed Ezzat, co-founder and CEO of Bosta. “Our office in Riyadh is Bosta’s first venture in the Arab region, continuing our success that started in Egypt in 2017 that managed to deliver 10 million shipments since our introduction in the market,” he added.

Commenting on the launch, Chief Growth Officer at Bosta, Omar Yaghmour, said: “KSA marks the first step of Bosta’s expansion to become a global player, our goal is to scale Bosta to become one of the top players in the region”.Bosta has also announced the appointment of Eng. Imad Fares as the Managing Director of its Riyadh branch. With over 20 years of experience in the Gulf region, Fares has also served as the General Manager of FETCHR in Saudi Arabia for four years. He joined Bosta as the Managing Director for KSA Office where he will lead the company’s growth operations and set a business and expansion strategy.

“Given our closeness to players in the e-commerce space, we see the challenges and potential in the Delivery & Logistics sector that Bosta’s tech-first mindset can tackle. Being a focal area with a large economy and high e-commerce activity, the Saudi Freight & Logistics market’s attractiveness is gaining the attention of startups and investors. After its immense success since inception in Egypt, we are excited to witness and support Bosta’s accelerated growth as it kicks off its operations in the Kingdom.” commented Abdulaziz Al-Turki, Managing Partner at Khwarizmi Ventures.

A recent report by the Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission showed that the total financial value of requests made through delivery applications had reached more than two billion riyals (USD $533 million) since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with total requests amounting to 26 million, an increase of up to 250% when compared to pre-pandemic numbers.

Moroccan digital ticketing platform Guichet.com secures $309,000 equity funding for expansion.

Startups

Weddy Thuranira

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March 13, 2022

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Moroccan digital ticketing platform Guichet.com secures $309,000 equity funding for expansion.

Guichet.com, Morocco’s market leader in digital ticketing, has secured a 3 million DH equity investment from CDG Invest, the CDG Group’s investment arm, under the 212 Founders program. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the new investment comes after the resumption of events, cultural, and sporting activities.

“I am proud of the trust placed in me by the 212 Founders teams and of having participated in a program that has resulted in the birth of small international companies,” said Ahmed Tawfik Moulnakhla, Founder and CEO of Guichet.com. “This partnership relationship will enable Guichet.com to strengthen its position and face new challenges serenely beyond the Kingdom’s borders.”

Guichet.com intends to improve its market leadership in Morocco and achieve its strategic objectives with the new investment, beginning with a stronger offer for sports athletes and the conquest of high-potential African markets.

Since its inception, the company has gained a lot of traction. The platform now has tens of thousands of users and has hosted more than 1,000 events and shows in collaboration with a variety of exclusive partners, including Festival Mawazine, Festival de Marrakech du Rire, Festival de Fes des Musiques Sacrees du Monde, Oasis Festival, and a number of well-known sports teams.

“We are honoured to be a part of Guichet.com’s ambitious development and expansion strategy. The startup has shown remarkable tenacity in the face of the health crisis, as well as an exceptional innovation in ensuring the continuation of its operations. Our goal with this finance is to assist Guichet.com in realizing its strategic aspirations in Africa and solidifying its leadership position in the Moroccan market,” Youssef Mamou, Director of CDG Invest’s 212 Founders Program, said.

The 212 Founders program has facilitated 11 Seed and Series A financings totaling MAD54 million since its inception in 2019.

Guichet.com was founded by Moulnakhla Ahmed Tawfik in 2019 and has rapidly become the industry standard for digital ticketing in Morocco.

In addition, the Guichet.com platform offers partners a self-contained administration and control environment with real-time ticketing monitoring.

The platform’s success illustrates Morocco’s enormous market potential, and Guichet.com is willing to take the risk of continuing to digitize the industry.

Participating in the 212 Founders program’s third promotion aided the platform’s strategic vision, validation of its market leading position in Morocco, and exploration of international expansion opportunities in the context of health care reform.

BMW recalls more than a million cars built over a decade ago over engine fire risk

Motoring

Dennis Mathu

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March 12, 2022

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BMW recalls more than a million cars built over a decade ago over engine fire risk

BMW has recalled more than a million cars across several countries according to U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recalls affects multiple models built over a decade ago.

According to the documents, the vehicles are vulnerable due to ‘an electrical short in their positive crankcase ventilation valve heater.’ The issue is in the engine ventilation system which, over the cause of time, can lead to over heating and even cause a fire while the vehicle is being driven or even parked.

The documents go further to warn that if the driver sees or smells smoke or burning plastic, they should pull up to a safe location, shut off the engine and leave the vehicle.

The automaker is still developing a fix and will notify affected car owners starting April 25. The recalls covers many 3 Series, 5 Series, 1 Series, X5, X3, and Z4 vehicles from the year 2006 through to 2013.

A BMW spokesperson stated that approximately 917,000 sedans and SUVs in the US are being recalled, along with an additional 98,000 cars in Canada and 18,000 in South Korea.

Apparently, most of these cars were already recalled in 2017 and 2019 for the same issue, this will be their third recall. BMW insists that owners who had previous repairs done on the mentioned recalls will still need to get their vehicles fixed again.

So far, 8 incidents of fire have been reported. The first one was in 2019 and by early 2021, six more had been documented. However, the automaker says the incidents are rare and that it has started voluntary recalls.

If you are concerned about your BMW being amongst the affected vehicles, you can go to https :/ /www . nhtsa . gov / and key in your 17-digit vehicle identification number.

Uber adds charges to rides and food deliveries to cope with high gas prices

Motoring

Dennis Mathu

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March 12, 2022

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As the price of gas in the US and the rest of the world continues to rise, Uber drivers have been protesting on social media. As a response, Uber Technologies has introduced a surcharge of either 45 cents or 55 cents on each Uber trip and 35 cents or 45 cents on each Uber Eats order, depending on their location. This new charge will exclude New York City. According to Uber, the money will go directly to the drivers.

“While earnings on our platform remain elevated compared to historical trends, the recent spike in gas prices has affected ride share and delivery driver,” Uber said in a blog post Friday. “To help reduce the burden, we are rolling out a temporary fuel surcharge.”

The surcharge will go into effect starting from March 16 and will last for 60 days, after which, Uber will readjust the charges based on feedback from drivers and customers.

Due to the ongoing invasion on Ukraine, Western countries have put in oil sanctions on Russian, a major oil producer. As demand continues to outdo supply, there is worry that gasoline prices might continue to rise further. On Friday, the average price of a gallon hit $4. 33 which represents a 50 cents increase compared to a week ago. The State of California seems to be the worst hit as a gallon currently goes for $5.70.

Uber is taking this chance to seize “this moment to bolster efforts to help more drivers make the switch to electric vehicles.” The ride hailing company has a Green Future Program which provides EV drivers with an extra $1 per trip (capped at $4,000 per year) as incentive.

The company did not confirm if the additional charge will be applied to other countries around the world.

Volkswagen ID Buzz and Buzz Cargo debuts making the iconic van electric and fun

Motoring

Dennis Mathu

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March 11, 2022

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Volkswagen ID Buzz and Buzz Cargo debuts making the iconic van electric and fun

There are two Volkswagen cars that have legendary status, the Beetle and Type 2 (T2) Van, the ID Buzz is a reincarnation of the latter coming with fun colours and an electric powertrain.

The IID Buzz is based on the Iconic VW vans above especially the T2

Volkswagen debuted the much hyped van with two versions, the ID Buzz which is a 5 seater and the Buzz Cargo for carrying items as the name suggests.

“The ID. Buzz is a genuine icon for the electric era. A car, the likes of which only Volkswagen can build. In the 1950s, the Volkswagen Bulli stood for a new feeling of automotive freedom, independence and great emotion. The ID. Buzz picks up on this lifestyle and transfers it into our time: emission-free, sustainable, fully networked and now ready for the next big chapter: autonomous driving. With this car, we are bringing together the core themes of our ACCELERATE strategy in one product for the first time.”
Ralf Brandstätter, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Passenger Cars

The Buzz comes with the option of a two tone finish just like the T1 first announced in the 1950’s. There are eleven total options, seven of which are single-hue, and four two-tone ones. On two-tone models, the upper section, including the roof and V-shaped hood is finished in Candy White, while the areas below are one of Lime Yellow, Starlight Blue, Energetic Orange, or Bay Leaf Green.

There are modern touches all over this iconic remake like LED lights at the front and at the back where the taillights are connected by a coast-to-coast light strip, marking a first for a VW commercial vehicle.

Under the hood, the van is based on the Volkswagen MEB platform just like the ID 4 SUV, it also shares a lot of specifications with it as well as the dashboard layout. The dash has a 10-inch Digital Cockpit display in front of the driver, and an additional 10″ center-mounted infotainment system. A 12″ display with navigation is optional. Below the infotainment screen is a digital control bar where the AC module and the volume controls are located. There’s standard 10-color ambient lighting to keep up with the fun theme of the Buzz. Alternatively, owners can go for the optional system with 30 colors. USB ports are in plenty all around the car and fun winking smiley faces cover the screws around the cabin.

The van seats 5 people in the standard setup, with two seats at the front and three seater bench seat at the back. A six-seat version will be added with two rows of three individual seats. In the US, a seven-seater with a 2-3-2 seat arrangement in an extended wheel base version will be available. Vegan leather will be offered as an option. There are sliding doors in both sides of the rear passengers and on one side for the cargo version. A second sliding door is optional on the cargo version.

Powering the ID Buzz will be a single electric motor propelling the rear wheels with 201 horsepower (154 kilowatts) and 229 pound-feet (310 Newton-meters) of instant torque just like the VW ID.4. There will be a single 82.0-kWh (77.0 kWh net) battery whose range was not announced. However, it will support AC charging up to 11 kW, and DC charging via CCS up to 170 kW. When using such a fast charger, the level can rise from 5% to 80% in about 30 minutes. The Buzz van can power your house thanks to bidirectional charging, provided you get a special DC bi-directional wall box.

In terms of cargo space, with five people seated, the luggage capacity at the back is a whopping 1,121 liters (39.6 cu ft), and 2,205 liters with the second row of seats folded.

The ID. Buzz Cargo has a fixed partition after the first row and a total of 137.7 cubic meters of cargo space in the rear which is enough for two loaded euro pallets.

Both the Buzz and Buzz Cargo come with 18″ steel wheels as standard, and on the Buzz you’ll also get optional aluminum alloy rims from 18″ to 21″.

No pricing details have been released so far, but due to its larger dimensions, it should be slightly higher than the $40,760 of the ID 4 that shares most of its specifications.

Customers in Europe should expect it in the third quarter of this year in standard wheelbase form while the longer wheel version will arrive in 2023. The US will get the longer wheel base version starting 2024.

BMW Announces Acquisition of Alpina, Luxury Turner Brand

Motoring

Dennis Mathu

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March 11, 2022

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Alpina has been tuning BMW cars for the last 60 years, the two companies are finally joining hands under the BMW Group. If all goes to plan, the acquisition deal is expected to close in 2025.

Interestingly, Alpina started out as typewriter and textiles manufacturer back in the 1960’s before it began producing performance carburetors and crankshafts for BMW vehicles and later making racing cars. The partnership grew further to a point where Alpina gets chassis straight from BMW assembly line and modifies them. The tuning company pivoted from building racing cars into making luxury vehicles such as the Alpina XB7 which is essentially a modified BMW X7 SUV.

From the moment of the acquisition announcement until December 31, 2025, BMW will continue to supply vehicles to Alpina for final manufacturing and modification. The two companies will be waiting for German antitrust and regulatory approval before closing the deal. During this time, Alpina’s service, parts and accessories business will also continue independent operation with existing staff.

BMW said, “The company owned by the Bovensiepen family will continue to use its engineering expertise in developing, manufacturing and selling BMW Alpina vehicles within the existing cooperation until the end of 2025.”

After 2025, Alpina staff will be offered new positions within the BMW Group and Alpina itself. However, trademarks and vehicle program will be terminated and incorporated into the BMW Group.

BMW cites the “transformation toward electromobility and increasing regulation worldwide” as potential risks for small-series manufacturers like Alpina, calling out “emissions legislation, software validation and requirements for driver assistance and monitoring systems” as hurdles the BMW Group will help the boutique brand to navigate.

Safaricom Crosses 30 Million Monthly Active M-PESA Customers

Business

James Musoba

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March 11, 2022

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Safaricom Crosses 30 Million Monthly Active M-PESA Customers

Safaricom‘s M-PESA has crossed 30 million monthly active users in Kenya, just days after it marked its 15^th year since its launch on 6^th March 2007. Kenya accounts for more than 30 million of the service’s 51 million customers across Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Lesotho, Ghana and Egypt.

“M-PESA’s success has been achieved on the back of consistent focus on the needs of our customers by ensuring that we are constantly delivering innovations that add value to their lives. We thank all our customers for getting us to the 30 million monthly active customers milestone. As the country goes digital with growing smartphone usage, we are committing to continue exploring and delivering life-changing innovations in a digital world” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO – Safaricom.

The growth in M-PESA customer usage has been driven by the launch of various innovations over the years including financial services such as M-Shwari, KCB M-PESA and Fuliza. Safaricom has equally established both local and global partnerships that enable customers to send and receive money, and to make payments across the world including with PayPal, AliExpress and Western Union.

The last two years have seen M-PESA record explosive growth in business usage with the number of businesses accepting payments on its Lipa Na M-PESA service more than doubling from 173,000 in April 2020 to more than 387,000 today.

Safaricom and Vodacom are focusing on growing the service in other markets with a goal of bringing them to the same level of maturity as Kenya. The two organisations announced the launch of M-PESA Africa in April 2020 with a goal of consolidating M-PESA’s resources, strategy and roadmap across the continent.

M-PESA Africa is investing in a common platform that will empower all markets to offer M-PESA’s entire range of services and products. It has also invested in an M-PESA Super App both for customers and for businesses, with the customer app available in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition, M-PESA Africa is looking at growing continental and global partnerships with other financial service providers to introduce new International Money Transfer solutions.

Safaricom keeps over 41.9 million customers connected and play a critical role in the society, supporting over one million jobs both directly and indirectly while our total economic value was estimated at KES 358.6 Billion ($3.58 Billion) for the 12 months through March 2021.

Listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and with annual revenues of over KES 250 Billion ($2.5 billion), Safaricom provides connectivity through wide range of technology, 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G in aggregate covering over 99% of Kenya’s population.

Nigeria’s Yep! raises $1.5 million to expand its lending app to Niger, Togo, Ivory Coast, &d Burkina Faso

Startups

James Musoba

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March 11, 2022

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Nigeria’s Yep! raises $1.5 million to expand its lending app to Niger, Togo, Ivory Coast, &d Burkina Faso

Yep!, a financial super-app, has raised $1.5 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Greenhouse Capital to launch its revolutionary new digital financial super app on iOS and Android in five African countries (Nigeria, Niger, Togo, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso).

With the funding, Yep! aims to double its existing network of about 100,000 merchants to over 200,000 by the end of 2022 and raise its debt facility to $10 million by the end of this year to scale its lending operations.

According to Yep! Co-Founder Olaoluwa Awojoodu: “We have secured a $500,000 credit facility that will enable us to kick-start the provision of working capital loans to our existing merchants as we expand across the continent. As we strive to deliver on our promise of bringing financial access to all Africans and connecting Africans to the world, increasing Yep!’s lending capacity will be a key catalyst in pulling more customers and merchants into our ecosystem. Access to finance can be transformative – it unlocks opportunities among those that need it the most and has a huge impact on the wider economy.”

Targeting Africa’s unbanked, underserved and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to boost financial inclusion, Yep! aims to leverage its existing merchant network, PayCentre Africa, to ease entry into the formal economy for rural communities, who would otherwise be financially excluded. The company’s services enable entrepreneurs, small business owners, students, MSMEs, and merchants to gain safe and easy access to financial solutions digitally.

Airende Ojeomogha, Co-founder, Yep! said: “The informal sector is the backbone of economic activity in Africa and accounts for over 80% of jobs in cities across the continent. However, populations and businesses in this segment often do not have the necessary tools to grow and scale – due to restricted access to financial services that enhance growth, such as savings and credit facilities. With our network of around 100,000 merchants spread across West Africa, we get to hear from millions of customers and businesses, so we know our customers’ challenges. This strengthens our ability to build and provide the right products that eradicate their pain points and respond to evolving needs.”

In 2021 alone, over 5 million customers transacted more than $2 billion through the company’s growing network of merchants. In an attempt to close the loop, bank these customers; Yep! secured a microfinance bank (MFB) licence in Nigeria, enabling the company to set up accounts for customers, businesses, and merchants, in a matter of seconds.

The firm is exploring partnerships with leading U.S. banks and service providers to expand its products to customers in the U.S., building on remittance flows to Africa from the diaspora and migrants from the region. Product lines across the Atlantic will include low-cost and freely accessible remittances to African countries, free checking and saving accounts and a credit card to start.

In recent years, remittance flows to low and middle income have soared as high as $550 billion, a figure that does not include sums transferred through informal channels.

With banks and money transfer services temporarily closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of customers turned to online remittances, which continue to provide vital support to families affected by economic hardship or facing increasing costs for school. According to data from the World Bank, remittance inflows to Sub-Saharan Africa rose in 2021, rising by 6.2% to $45 billion.

As migration flows from the continent are expected to increase, and digitisation paces ahead, remittances to sub-Saharan Africa are set to receive unprecedented growth, a trend Yep! is sure to benefit from.

Garry Ottosen, Co-founder, Yep!, said: “We want to create a disruptive financial platform that democratises access to financial services and economic opportunities for both retail and business customers across Africa. Yep! succeeds only when our customers do.”

Greenhouse Capital led the $1.5 million investment round, adding the firm to its portfolio of pioneering companies in Africa, including Y.C. companies Flutterwave, Credpal, and Helium health.

Ruby Nimkar, Partner at Greenhouse Capital stated why they invested in Yep! saying, “We are excited to support Olaoluwa, Airende and Garry as they make financial services accessible to consumers and businesses both on the continent, as well as in the diaspora. The founders are seasoned operators and we were impressed by the vision, the team and the speed of execution.”

Antler East Africa closes $13.5M fund to invest in early-stage startups.

Startups

Weddy Thuranira

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March 11, 2022

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Antler East Africa closes $13.5M fund to invest in early-stage startups.

Antler, an early-stage investor, has closed its US$13.5 million East Africa investment fund, which will continue to support early-stage tech startups in the region.

Antler is the world’s most active early-stage investor, having backed hundreds of technology startups and tens of thousands of entrepreneurs on six continents. To date, the firm has invested in over 400 businesses across 30 industries.

Antler East Africa launched its first venture building cohort in August 2019, and the company has already completed five full cohorts, totaling 153 founders, and made 14 investments. Antler is launching a new community-driven platform strategy this month, in which it will welcome entrepreneurs and teams on a rotating basis.

Antler, an early-stage investor, has closed its US$13.5 million East Africa investment fund, which will continue to support early-stage tech startups in the region.

Antler is the world’s most active early-stage investor, having backed hundreds of technology startups and tens of thousands of entrepreneurs on six continents. To date, the firm has invested in over 400 businesses across 30 industries.

Antler East Africa launched its first venture building cohort in August 2019, and the company has already completed five full cohorts, totaling 153 founders, and made 14 investments. Antler is launching a new community-driven platform strategy this month, in which it will welcome entrepreneurs and teams on a rotating basis.

“We are excited about Antler’s presence in East Africa and over time in other parts of Africa. With fast growing economies and a rapidly developing startup ecosystem, we believe this is the perfect time to launch and build tech startups on the continent,” said Magnus Grimeland, Antler founder and CEO.

“With Melalite Ayenew and Marie Nielsen leading Antler East Africa, we have two great female partners who have shown exceptional skill as investors and entrepreneurs, and Antler looks forward to enabling and investing in entrepreneurs that are innovating across a range of industries in the coming years.”

Innovating Justice Challenge 2022 opens for applications with €10,000 non-equity funding

Startups

Sam Wakoba

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March 11, 2022

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Innovating Justice Challenge 2022 opens for applications with €10,000 non-equity funding

The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) has announced that it’s Innovating Justice Challenge 2022 is now open for applications to justice innovators from across Africa and the Middle East specifically in Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda and Tunisia.

HiiL is looking for the best innovations with a focus on preventing or resolving a justice problem for many people, including small and medium sized businesses. The platform is scouting for the next generation of promising justice innovators to improve access to justice for millions of people.

According to Eric Mwangi Kariuki, Innovation Hub Head-East Africa, “At HiiL, we focus on innovative people-centred and user-friendly solutions that enable ordinary people,governments and innovators to prevent and resolve some of the world’s biggest justice problems. A Key component of this has been HJA which finds, funds and supports young social entrepreneurs in emerging markets refine, improve and scale their business models to serve more people who are affected by injustice everyday.”

This year, HiiL’s Justice Accelerator is looking for promising new justice innovations to prevent or resolve the most pressing justice needs around Crime, Land, Employment, Family, Tenancy and Neighbour . In 2021, we supported startups like

Justice innovators can apply for the Innovating Justice Challenge before March 31st when the call comes to a close.

The best innovators who join the HiiL Justice Accelerator programme will receive up to €10,000 non-equity funding, full training program delivered by industry specialists: business growth, marketing, impact measurement, and coaching sessions on topics of your choice and mentorship sessions. The innovators will also have access to HiiL’s global network of justice leaders, legal tech organisations, and top-level researchers, international exposure and potential investment opportunities and a chance to win up to €20,000 at the pitch event of the Demo Day.

HiiL is the only accelerator that focuses on preventing and resolving justice problems and has supported more than 130 justice innovations worldwide since 2011. The justice accelerator looks for innovations that can grow and scale to impact thousands and potentially millions of people.

To submit an application, innovators should visit https://bit.ly/IJC2022

YC-backed Curacel unveils Grow, its API to allow tech startups offer insurance services across Africa

Startups

James Musoba

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March 11, 2022

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YC-backed Curacel unveils Grow, its API to allow tech startups offer insurance services across Africa

Curacel, the African insurance infrastructure startup, has launched Curacel Grow, its API platform to allow technology companies to seamlessly offer insurance as part of their existing products and services.

The Winter 2022 Y Combinator portfolio startup says Grow will bolster the distribution of insurance to millions of Africans through partners like Barter by Flutterwave, Float, Payhippo and other firms such as airlines, automotive dealers, among others.

“Risk protection is a major consideration for Africa’s growing middle class,” said Henry Mascot, CEO and co-founder of Curacel. “As it becomes easier to access credit and other financial services to enable new experiences, we want to make it easier to protect these experiences and enjoy them with full confidence. The success of various technology companies over the years has opened the door to many previously underserved people and we want to take advantage of this to accelerate the penetration of much needed insurance products across the continent.”

Curacel co-founders – Henry Mascot (CEO) and John Dada (CTO)

Insurance penetration in Africa currently stands at less than 3 percent, with most policies sold offline and manually via brokers and agents. This cumbersome process makes insurance products expensive and out of reach for many price-sensitive Africans. As a result, market penetration of insurance products in Africa is half of the global average and premiums per capita are 11 times lower than the global average. The insurance industry in Africa also represents less than one percent of insured catastrophe losses worldwide, although it’s home to almost 17 percent of the global population. This suggests that there is significant scope for growth.

With Grow, insurers can accelerate the distribution of their products by taking advantage of Curacel’s technology to easily embed insurance within other digital experiences in a more accessible way. Technology companies can also increase their recurring revenue by offering the protection their consumers need without the hassle of finding integration and negotiating terms with insurers and brokers. The solution is designed to integrate seamlessly with any technology platform and Curacel’s AI-powered infrastructure means claims can be submitted and processed in real time.

Curacel has a presence in 8 countries across Africa, enabling insurers to connect with digital distribution channels and administer their claims cost-effectively.

Here are the ten African startups selected for the 2022 Telecel Group Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP) Accelerator Programme.

Startups

Weddy Thuranira

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March 11, 2022

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Here are the ten African startups selected for the 2022 Telecel Group Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP) Accelerator Programme.

The Telecel Group Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP) Accelerator Programme, led by leading tech accelerator Startupbootcamp (SBC) AfriTech, has selected ten start-ups from across the continent for the 2022 Telecel Group Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP) Accelerator Programme.

The announcement comes after a two-day selection process in Dakar, Senegal (which will also host the program), in which 20 semi-finalists pitched to judges and stakeholders on March 9-10.

“Senegal is committed to driving innovation and entrepreneurship across our country so that we can take our place among Africa’s top ten startup ecosystems,” said Papa Amadou Sarr, Senegalese Minister and General Delegate for Entrepreneurship in the Presidency.

“For the past four years, we have provided specific support and assistance for startups in the form of finance, incubation and acceleration. We are inspired by the energy and commitment that the ten finalists bring, and we look forward to their growth and future impact.”

The current cohort was selected based on their proposed solution’s effect, scalability, vision, and whether they had the necessary skills to succeed in their markets, leadership quality, dedication, market timing, growth potential, and comparative advantage.

“Entrepreneurship and innovation represent Africa’s best possible investment for future sustainability. SBC’s entrepreneurs are working to solve critical challenges, improving lives and communities,” said Philip Kiracofe, CEO and Chief Disruptor, Startupbootcamp AfriTech.

“More than 88 percent of our 40 alumni are still operating and have raised more than $90 million in funding, showing that our program is making a difference.”

Startupbootcamp runs accelerator programmes, with SBC AfriTech as the African leg of a global family of industry-focused accelerators.

The ten African startups selected for the Telecel Group Africa Startup Initiative Program (ASIP) Accelerator Programme in 2022 are listed below.

The following ten start-ups make up the ASIP Accelerator Programme class of 2022:

Agrodata (Nigeria) has invented an IoT-enabled smart hive to assist fruit and vegetable farmers with pollination requirements to support year-round food availability. They were selected in the 2021 cohort but will be completing the program this year.
Crowdyvest (Nigeria) is an impact-driven fintech platform that creates financial solutions for long-term growth and financial freedom. Crowdyvest has over 140 000 user accounts, with over $30 million raised for projects and 30 impact projects supported.
eCampus (Ghana) provides a machine learning platform for parents and educators to track the progress of learners, meet their needs, and improve learning outcomes.
Ecomak Recyclers (Uganda) is reusing plastic waste as long-lasting, eco-friendly, durable and low maintenance construction material. Their plastic bricks and poles are 30% cheaper than conventional concrete bricks and wood timber.
Neural Labs Africa (Kenya) is using AI-enabled medical imaging (NeuralSight™) for real-time diagnosis. NeuralSight can identify, label and highlight over 20 respiratory, heart and breast diseases and pathologies, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, COVID-19, emphysema, and more. This technology will reduce Africa’s disease burden and hospital workloads, with better patient outcomes and democratized access to healthcare.
Parc Smart (Senegal) helps drivers find and reserve a parking space using their smartphone before they reach their destination, reducing traffic, pollution, and stress.
Powerstove Energy (Nigeria) has developed an IoT-enabled smokeless stove that reduces fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The stove generates enough electricity to charge mobile phones and power LED lamps and appliances. The IoT system tracks and sends carbon data so that carbon credits can be generated.
Proxalys SAS (Senegal) connects fresh food producers with retailers, restaurants and service providers to build a robust e-commerce supply chain.
Qataloog (Nigeria) offers transparent, cost-effective pricing directly to institutions using cataloguing algorithms for learning content and user search preferences. It has distributed over 10 000 books to 35 universities and colleges and has raised US$150 000 in funding.
Rural Farmers Hub (Nigeria) offers a crop intelligence solution for farmers to manage crop health and soil nutrients with real-time farming advice delivered by SMS, voice, apps and in-person. Their intelligence solution, Capture, is being used by over 16 000 farmers in northern Nigeria.
Vooli Mobile Insurance App (Kenya) evaluates insurance premiums to create the most cost-effective cover.

The Russian Embassy’s Post Accusing A Pregnant Bombing Victim Of Being A Crisis Actor Has Been Removed

social media

Vanessa Waithera

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March 11, 2022

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The Russian embassy’s post accusing a pregnant bombing victim of being a crisis actor has been removed.

As Russia’s violent invasion of neighbouring Ukraine intensifies, a slew of diplomatic Twitter accounts are spreading false information, but they may not get away with it for long.

Twitter took action against one especially offensive remark on Thursday, suggesting that a pregnant victim leaving the scene of a hospital blast in Mariupol was an actress wearing “some extremely accurate makeup.” The account belongs to Russia’s London embassy, which has been aggressively circulating misleading information regarding Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine.

Responding to a photo of a pregnant woman in the aftermath of the attack, @RussianEmbassy tweeted.

“… She has some very realistic make-up. She is also doing well with her beauty blogs. Plus she could not be in the maternity house at the time of the strike, as it has long been taken by the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion who told all the staff to clear the place.”

The fraudulent accusations appear to have begun on Russian-language Telegram groups, in which a Ukrainian blogger present at the hospital was accused of impersonating two distinct pregnant ladies at the bombing site. Russia continues to deny and misrepresent its military aggression in Ukraine, frequently with readily refuted falsehoods. However, that information continues to circulate in the disinformation ecosystem, gaining traction and driving the spread of even more ludicrous claims.

At least three tweets from the Russian Embassy in London have been deleted from Twitter in the last twenty-four hours for breaking the platform’s rules. Despite this, a pinned tweet at the top of the embassy’s feed accuses Ukraine of “exterminating” the inhabitants of two eastern Ukrainian districts where the local authority is backed by the Russian authorities.

The word “extermination” is reminiscent of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s deceptive excuse for initiating war on Ukraine. Last month, Putin said, “What is happening in the Donbas now is genocide,” setting the basis for the invasion.

It’s not the first time Russia has used its virtual embassy to promote its own narrative.

The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab looked at how the Russian government employs a “whole spectrum” of official and unauthorized accounts to spread its skewed messaging online.

On Thursday, Twitter took a stronger stance against at least one other notable misinformation source, suspending @asbmilitary, an account that actively promoted the baseless conspiracy theory that the US had biological weapons facilities in Ukraine. The Biden administration is concerned that a surge in bioweapon-related disinformation might signal a Russian chemical-weapons assault in the United States.

How To Use Casino Bonus To Increase Your Winning Chances

Guides

James Musoba

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March 11, 2022

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How To Use Casino Bonus To Increase Your Winning Chances

Casino bonuses offer players who sign up with certain casinos extra cash to gamble with. However, there are ways to make these bonuses count towards your bankroll instead of against it. In fact, many people actually prefer this method because it allows them to win more often.

Table of Contents

For example, if you were able to double your initial bet every single time you hit a winning hand, then you would end up doubling your losses over time. Instead, you could take advantage of the free chips offered through casino bonuses and simply let them sit in your account until you feel comfortable risking them.

In this article, we will look at some tips for how to maximize profits by using free money from an online gambling site. Please keep reading as this is just one way that can help improve and boost your profit margins.

Casino Bonuses Are Not Free Money

First off, remember that a arab casino bonus may come attached to wagering requirements. This means that even though they are offering free money, you still need to meet those stipulations in order to receive any real benefit out of the deal. Therefore, before signing up with a particular Arabic casino, be sure to read through their terms and conditions thoroughly. If you do not understand something within their T&C’s, ask questions so you know exactly what you are getting into.

It may sound like common sense but too many newbies forget about this step when playing online. They want everything right away without really knowing anything about it. Take your time when making decisions regarding a gambling site, especially one which deals directly with your finances. You should always be fully aware of the rules, limitations, risks involved and benefits available. Before finalizing any type of transaction, ensure you have done enough research!

The best way to maximize your winnings at online casinos is by using bonuses wisely

Most people get excited upon receiving free money or perks such as no deposit bonuses, which allow players to try out a certain game for an unlimited amount of hours, or high rollers rewards cards, which entitle players to higher bets per spin on selected games. The problem with most of these promotions is that they only last for a limited period of time (usually around a week). Thus, if you want to get the best out of the bonus options available to you, simply follow the steps below.

Use Casino Bonus Codes Wisely

While finding the perfect code is important, don’t rely solely on them to give you the best prizes possible. When entering promo codes like from betastic.com, try applying logic based strategies first Look closely at each coupon you see; is it for an enticing title? Does it appeal to your favorite sports team? What are its terms and conditions? Will it provide additional incentives once you reach specific betting goals?

Consider looking at the number of times you’ve seen a certain bonus code previously. Do they match up with trends, seasons, holidays or events? If you find a promo code that seems promising, go ahead and apply it.

Play Games That Pay You Back

Another key point to consider while opening free funds via a promotional offer is choosing your bonus carefully. It might seem logical to select an enticingly named promotion that matches your interests; however, in practice this has proven quite ineffective for many gamblers throughout history.

Why is this happening? Because when selecting any given item, you cannot judge value in isolation. Rather than thinking “this game provides amazing odds”, think more along terms of whether or not this bonus suits me well.

Avoid Scams

As mentioned earlier, most websites offering free offers require that users adhere to strict guidelines. Some websites also employ techniques known as black-hat marketing where scammers deliberately mislead potential customers. To avoid being taken advantage of, perform thorough checks whenever attempting to verify claims made by a website concerning the legitimacy of a promotion.

These types of sites usually hide behind fake domains in attempts to trick you into giving up sensitive information including email addresses and credit card details.

Learn How to Play Fairly

Learn how to play fairly whilst having fun. Of course, you must treat yourself responsibly. However, with responsible gaming practices you are able to enjoy spending your free cash without feeling guilty afterwards.

Don’t Gamble When You Don’t Know What You’re Doing

Before going anywhere near your preferred online portal, it’s advisable that you become familiarized with the games played there and learn different ways to bet effectively. Remember to develop realistic expectations, take your time and be aware of how much you actually stand to gain with every stake placed.

Know Your Limits

You surely won’t let anyone tell you otherwise, yet nothing can beat personal experience – especially in regards to risky financial investments or business enterprises. By understanding the basic principles pertaining to risk management and being fully equipped with relevant knowledge, you will never struggle again during uncertain ventures.

This simple lesson applies both to standard activities and to internet wagering. Avoid putting all your eggs in one basket by maintaining proper control over your spending habits, even whilst enjoying exciting pastimes.

Be Patient

In addition to learning the ropes, you should also remember that patience pays off big dividends. A lot goes unnoticed in this industry because the process takes time. Always keep clear of those who promise fast results. Instead, opt for someone who presents fair prices, reasonable bonuses and trustworthy payment methods. Most importantly make sure to stick to their word before parting ways with hard earned money.

Keep Playing Until You Win

When casino gambling isn’t the primary reason why most people are doing their daily activity, they do so in order to earn points/currency towards what may very well be described as a true passion -slot machines. They often have accounts where they can use real coins to gamble; although obviously coins of lesser quality.

Conclusion

There are plenty of factors to consider when trying to choose where you would like to place your next spin. As always, research thoroughly beforehand to ensure that you know exactly what comes included with any particular promotion, and then proceed accordingly. With careful consideration, you’ll not only benefit from great deals but also win some serious jackpot prizes too!

The best LVT flooring trends for 2022

Tech

James Musoba

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March 11, 2022

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Overview

There is no wonder in saying that the flooring industry is growing because the style and trend is changing rapidly. You will see that having a great interior in the houses has become a crucial part of lifestyle, and why not? The house is the place where you spend most of your time, it also shows the lifestyle you are having. Therefore, it is important that your house must look great and have a beautiful aesthetic so that if any guest comes into your house they feel welcomed and peaceful.

Therefore, to achieve a great interior you must focus on themes, style and flooring. These three factors play a significant role in bringing out the best interior design for your home, especially the flooring. If you wonder why? Then you have to understand that flooring comes in various styles, textures and patterns, some might not fit in a specific area of your house and others may not fit with the theme of the interior of your home.

And that being the reason you must precisely choose the right flooring for your home, and for that LVT flooring can be best suited for you, because it comes in varieties of styles, texture and pattern. But choosing the latest style and trend of flooring can be a complicated job, therefore, to help you in this process we have brought you this blog post. In the below section of this blog post we have listed down the style and trends of LVT flooring that you must check to keep your interior up to date.

The style and trends of LVT flooring you must check

In this section we have listed the latest styles and trends of LVT flooring that you must check if you want you’re interior to look like the 21st century houses.

Rusty looking farmhouse LVT flooring:

The rusty looking farmhouse style LVT flooring can bring out the rough and tough interior style that automatically makes you feel that you are at home. The warmth of rusty color can uplift your mood. Generally, when people want to get the look of a farmhouse they opt for hardwood flooring but at times it can be an expensive choice thus, we recommend you to choose LVT flooring to get that exact natural wood finish.

Luxurious LVT flooring:

Luxury style of flooring can upscale your whole interior but it should last for a long time. Undoubtedly LVT flooring is durable and can last for years and if you want to get that luxurious feel in your house that will last for years, you must opt for LVT flooring.

Calming gray finish LVT flooring:

After a long day of work when you come back to your home, you will feel the need of peace and calmness and what could be a better choice than making the theme of your house like that, and to achieve the calmness you can choose the gray color LVT flooring for that. It can go with various other themes as well.

The bottom line

If you want to upscale your house that will match with the 21st century theme. You can choose any theme and style we have mentioned in our blog post.

International Narcotics Control Board urges improved controls and regulations on social media and illicit drug use

social media

Milcah Lukhanyu

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March 11, 2022

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International Narcotics Control Board urges improved controls and regulations on social media and illicit drug use

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), an independent, UN-backed body, is calling on governments to do more to regulate social media platforms that glamourize drug-related negative behaviour and boost sales of controlled substances.

In its annual report, released on Thursday, the INCB notes increasing evidence of a link between exposure to social media and drug use, which disproportionately affects young people, the main users of social media platforms, and an age group with relatively high rates of drug abuse.

The report also calls on the private sector to moderate and self-regulate their platforms and limit the advertisement and promotion of the non-medical use of drugs.

As well as social media platforms, criminals are exploiting many other digital tools, such as digital currencies, mobile payments and e-wallet services, which make the international transfer of funds easier and faster, and allow them to hide the origins of illegal funds and maximize profits.

Organized crime rings continue to rake in millions of dollars from drug trafficking, warns the INCB report, with negative consequences for societies and economic development, ranging from corruption and bribery, to increased organized crime, violence, poverty, and inequality.

To counter the negative effects and human cost of the trade, the organization recommends that governments address all stages of drug trafficking – from production and cultivation, to sale, and concealment of illegal profits – and share intelligence on organized crime at an international level.

INCB considered illicit financial flows worthy of special attention and scrutiny because drug trafficking is a highly lucrative industry for organized criminal groups

“INCB considered illicit financial flows worthy of special attention and scrutiny because drug trafficking is a highly lucrative industry for organized criminal groups”, said INCB President, Jagjit Pavadia. “These groups rely on illicit financial flows to expand and sustain their criminal activities”.

These flows divert resources away from initiatives to reduce poverty and promote social and economic development, which is having a disproportionate effect on developing countries, where there is the greatest need for funds to promote economic growth and reduce inequality.

In African countries, for example, the cost of organized crime is especially high: an estimated $88.6 billion, roughly 3.7 per cent of the continent’s gross domestic product – and nearly the same amount as the combined annual inflows of official development assistance and foreign direct investment – is lost to illicit financial flows every year.

This results in a drain on public resources and undermines efforts to mobilize funds for development.
Wholesale cannabis legalization ‘contravenes drug conventions’

The decriminalization and depenalization of cannabis in many countries is flagged by the INCB as a cause for concern, with Ms. Pavadia insisting that “the legalization of the non-medical use of cannabis contravenes the drug control conventions”.

In the report, the Narcotics Board highlights the need for a collective understanding of the concepts of legalization, decriminalization, and depenalization in line with the drug control conventions, and emphasizes the importance of a balanced and proportionate response to drug-related offences as a guiding principle in criminal justice matters, with respect for human rights and public welfare.

Criminals continue to have easy access, on the legal market, to precursors, the chemicals needed to make illicit drugs.

The INCB urges improved controls and regulations governing the sale of precursors, citing a survey the organization conducted in 2021, which showed significant shortcomings in controls over the domestic manufacture, trade and distribution of the chemicals

Mastercard Women SME Leaders Awards 2022 is open for nominations from women-led businesses

Tech
Women

James Musoba

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March 11, 2022

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Entrepreneurial women across the world are leading the way in tapping into the power of the digital economy to succeed and grow. As a celebration of their achievements, Mastercard has announced the inaugural Women SME Leaders Awards 2022, the first initiative of its kind to recognize and further empower women-owned and run SMEs in the Middle East and Africa.

Nominations are now open for the awards and can be submitted HERE by 28 February 2022 while those interested in attending the virtual awards ceremony, during which the winners will be announced on 29 March 2022, can register HERE.

Small enterprises in trading owned and run by women and with a turnover of less than US$13.6 million (AED50 million) and employing between six to 50 people are all invited to participate.

All female individuals or businesses who have their headquarters or offices in the Middle East and Africa or offer their services to these markets can submit their nominations for one or more of the 22 awards. The awards allow for individuals to win in more than one category.

“At Mastercard, we believe that women-owned businesses are the catalyst for economic growth, improving the lives of everyone, everywhere. The passion that women SME owners display is unmatched and they raise the bar for everyone. That is why Mastercard has curated the Women SME Leaders Awards to recognize and celebrate women entrepreneurs across Middle East and Africa,” said Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard.

The awards are jointly curated by the Entrepreneur Middle East team who will vet shortlisted companies and then pass onto the judging committee that will be chaired by Mastercard.

Following the independent evaluation of the shortlisted candidates by each of the judges, the winners will be decided by a vote. The Women SME Leaders Awards 2022 judging committee consists of:

Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard
Mona Zulficar, Chairperson of EFG Hermes Holding
Nejoud Al Mulaik, Director of Fintech Saudi and
Tamara Pupic, Managing Editor of Entrepreneur Middle East

The awards stemmed out of the inaugural Mastercard SME Confidence Index conducted last year which revealed that 81% of women entrepreneurs in the Middle East and Africa have a digital presence for their businesses, compared to 68% of their male counterparts. In terms of the digital footprint of these women entrepreneurs, social media (71%) leads the way, followed by a company website (57%).

These findings were aligned with Mastercard’s global commitment to connect 25 million women entrepreneurs to the digital economy by 2025, as part of its goal to build a more sustainable and inclusive world. The index further suggested that growing confidence levels in digital as a business imperative, is tied to a deeper understanding and wider recognition among SMEs of the advantages that result from a growing digital economy.

The awards are being presented in 22 categories. For more information about each of the nomination categories, please follow this link.

The Designer
2. The Logistician
3. The F&B Leader
4. The Retailer
5. The Educator
6. The Real Estate Leader
7. The Health Custodian
8. The Hotelier
9. The Techie
10. The Professional Services Leader
11. The Investor
12. The Fashion and Beauty Leader
13. The Media Leader
14. The Executive
15. The Sports Leader
16. The Artist
17. The Leader of Tomorrow
18. The Humanitarian
19. The Visionary
20. The Change Maker
21. Home-Based Business of the Year
22. The Momtrepreneur of the Year

Twitter Has Launched A New Tool To Help Creators Keep Of Their Profits On The Side

Tech

Vanessa Waithera

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March 11, 2022

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Twitter Has Launched A New Tool To Help Creators Keep Of Their Profits On The Side

Twitter has launched a new tool to help creators keep their profits on the side.

On Tuesday, Twitter announced the launch of a new tool for artists called the “Creator Dashboard.” The new tool is aimed to help artists examine how they generate money on Twitter and how much they earn from monetization tools like Super Follows and Ticketed Spaces, according to the social network giant. Creators may also utilize the dashboard to look up information about their impending payouts and check through their payment history.

The new dashboard is accessible to iOS producers in the United States who have more than 10,000 followers and are participating in Ticketed Spaces and Super Follows and can be viewed through the app’s “Monetization” option. The company’s Super Follows feature lets artists earn money on a monthly basis by giving paywalled material to subscribers, while the Ticketed Spaces tool allows creators and presenters to charge a fee for their Spaces broadcasts.

How does it work?

A list of Super Followers who renewed their membership and your total expected profits from the monetization function will be displayed on the Creator Dashboard. The dashboard for Ticketed Spaces will show you how many tickets you’ve sold, a list of persons who purchased tickets, and your total estimated generated money for each of your Ticketed Spaces.

“Twitter is where people go to have conversations about what’s happening, and creators help lead those conversations,” a spokesperson from Twitter told TechCrunch in an email. “With the Creator Dashboard, we are continuing to elevate our commitment to creators on Twitter by giving them a transparent way to better understand their estimated earnings.”

The business says it aims to improve the dashboard in the future, making it a location for artists to learn about new methods to develop their communities and track how much money they’re generating on the platform.

Over the last year, Twitter has rolled out a number of new features and tools to help artists on the platform.

The firm began rolling out “Twitter for Professionals” for companies and artists in October of last year. Users may utilize the new profile option to differentiate their profile, promote content rapidly through adverts, and take advantage of Twitter’s future e-commerce operations. Although Twitter has given revenue opportunities for artists, it has not yet broadly implemented multiple profile kinds for companies, as its competitors Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have done.

In October, Twitter unveiled the Twitter Spaces Spark Initiative, a new creator program for Spaces. The initiative is a three-month accelerator that attempts to provide financial, technical, and marketing assistance to successful Spaces on Twitter.

Spotify EQUAL Music Programme welcomes Nigerian rising star, Fave

Music

James Musoba

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March 11, 2022

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