The state-of-the-art facility is a joint venture between local telecommunication companies and international device manufacturers.

The initial mobile phone models at the launch will include the 4G-capable Neon 5-inch “Smarta” and the 6-and-a-half-inch “Ultra”.

These smartphones will be accessible across the entire nation, with distribution points at Faiba stores, dealer outlets, Safaricom branches, and the online Masoko platform.

EADAK CEO Joshua Chepkwony emphasized that this assembly plant aligns with the government’s goal to promote digital inclusion within the country.

The factory is expected to create between 300 and 500 direct job opportunities.

The launch of EADAK is a significant development for Kenya’s economy and its citizens. The facility will create jobs, boost domestic production, and make smartphones more affordable for Kenyans.

The new smartphone assembly plant is also a positive development for the region as a whole.

It is the first such facility in East Africa, and it is expected to attract other investors to the region.

This strategic partnership has a dual mission: to bolster financial inclusion and drive economic development in the island nation.

In a significant milestone, MFS Africa has become the inaugural aggregator to go live with the mobile money division of Telma, Madagascar’s leading Mobile Network Operator (MNO) with a dominant 70% market share.

This collaboration enables the seamless transfer of remittances from Europe, the US, and the UK into Madagascar.

Additionally, the partnership streamlines MNO-to-MNO remittances to Madagascar from other African regions.

Nika Naghavi, Group Head of Growth at MFS Africa, explained the significance of this partnership, stating, “Providing financial services to Madagascar has long been regarded as costly and challenging due to its predominantly rural landscape and infrastructural limitations. This means that consumers in the country have been historically underserved by traditional financial institutions.”

Madagascar currently boasts over 10 million mobile money accounts, surpassing the number of traditional bank accounts.

More than a third of the population now can use mobile money for a wide range of financial transactions, including bill payments, peer-to-peer transfers, savings, and borrowing.

The collaboration between MFS Africa and Mvola promises to simplify the process of international money transfers into Madagascar, making it more accessible to the population and driving financial inclusion.

It also underscores the growing importance of mobile money services in serving the financial needs of a wide range of consumers, particularly in regions with unique challenges and opportunities, such as Madagascar.

This innovative two-wheeler is equipped with cutting-edge battery swap technology, signifying a significant advancement in the EV landscape.

Kofa’s mission revolves around the creation of an affordable and customer-centric electricity network powered by portable batteries and renewable energy sources.

At the core of this endeavor is the Kofa Swap & Go system, a distributed network of batteries and swap stations designed to provide users with immediate access to a fully charged battery in a matter of seconds.

The partnership between Kofa and TAILG Group sets ambitious goals, aiming to deploy 200,000 electric vehicles and establish more than 5,000 battery swap stations across Africa by 2030.

The first shipments of the Jidi electric motorcycle, featuring the innovative battery swap technology, are anticipated to arrive in Ghana by the close of 2023.

Leveraging the benefits of Kofa’s batteries and battery swap networks, the Jidi is poised to reduce rider costs by up to 30 per cent, offering an attractive and eco-friendly transportation option.

The Jidi electric motorcycle is ingeniously designed around Kofa’s extractable battery, allowing for “unlimited battery range” by enabling battery swaps at any of Kofa’s Swap & Go sites.

Over the course of the coming year, Kofa’s swap network will gain momentum in Ghana, with plans to expand into new countries by 2024.

This expansion will see Kofa investing in and building swap infrastructure in various regions, further solidifying its commitment to sustainable transportation solutions.

The introduction of the Jidi electric motorcycle with its innovative battery swap technology not only marks a significant leap in eco-friendly transportation options but also demonstrates a commitment to addressing urban pollution and reducing carbon emissions in Africa.

This partnership holds great promise for advancing EV adoption and offering sustainable transportation solutions across the continent.

OceanHub Africa aims to support and nurture startups that aim to combat global warming, overexploitation, and pollution of the ocean.

Its accelerator program connects such startups with a network of highly qualified stakeholders and facilitators and provides them with sustainable pathways towards stable profits and scalable growth opportunities throughout Africa.

Six startups participated in its latest program: Kenya’s Kuza Freezer, Tanzania’s Healthy Seaweed Co, Reunion’s Reef Pulse, Egypt’s ReNile, Tunisia’s Tunisia Baits, and South Africa’s Akili.

The eight-month program focused on personal, product, and business development while preparing ventures for investment opportunities.

It concluded with an in-person boot camp in Cape Town earlier this month, where the six startups underwent a week of intensive training to accelerate their journey toward investor readiness and sustainable business growth.

On the final day of the boot camp, participating startups showcased their innovations and pitched for potential investments in front of a mock-investment panel.

The startups that participated in the boot camp were also allowed to network with potential investors, mentors, and partners.

This strategic expansion promises to empower local entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesses, and brand owners while delivering an unmatched shopping experience to consumers.

More than 60% of Amazon’s sales emanate from independent sellers, the majority of which are small and medium-sized enterprises, rendering a vast selection of products, competitive pricing, and exceptional convenience for consumers.

This significant step is poised to bolster the South African business landscape while facilitating an enriched shopping experience.

One of the standout features accompanying this announcement is Amazon’s introduction of generative AI capabilities to aid sellers in crafting compelling and effective product listings.

This groundbreaking technology aims to assist shoppers in seamlessly discovering the products they seek while augmenting the efficiency of the selling process.

“We look forward to launching Amazon.co.za in South Africa, providing local sellers, brand owners, and entrepreneurs—small and large—the opportunity to grow their business with Amazon, and deliver great value and a convenient shopping experience for customers across South Africa,” stated Robert Koen, general manager of the Sub-Saharan Africa region for Amazon.

The impending launch of Amazon.co.za in 2024 holds the promise of enabling independent sellers across South Africa to swiftly launch, grow, and scale their businesses while harnessing the innovative capabilities provided by Amazon.

The announcement sets the stage for a transformative phase in South Africa’s e-commerce landscape, opening doors to limitless opportunities for local businesses and customers alike.

The all-in-one, AI-powered platform gives IT executives total transparency over talent profiles and skills assessment results, enabling them to make secure and informed hiring decisions.

Andela Talent Cloud provides clients with more speed, flexibility, performance, and trust than other hiring methods such as internal recruiting, consulting firms, and outsourcing.

“Andela offers a seamless approach. By combining the world’s preeminent private talent marketplace with an AI-driven platform, Andela helps companies scale their teams and deliver projects faster,” said Jeremy Johnson, Andela CEO and Co-Founder.

The platform, billed as the Talent Decision Engine (TDE), analyzes thousands of data points during the hiring process to evaluate several factors for each job position, including hard and soft skills, experience, title, location, work preferences, language proficiency, and client feedback.

Due to its hiring lifecycle optimization, businesses can locate, assess, hire, manage, and pay foreign technologists within the integrated platform.

In March 2023, the startup acquired Qualified, a technical skills assessment platform. Thus, Andela claims it has integrated developer assessment capabilities into TDE to more precisely determine the performance of the recommended talent on the job before selection.

Andela Pay manages every facet of foreign payouts, currency conversion, and compliance in more than 100 nations to ensure that talents receive funds effectively and economically.

In compliance with relevant regulations, the Andela Pay partner ecosystem also conducts Know-Your-Customer and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) reviews on contracted technologists to ensure compliance by all remote workers.

Andela Talent Cloud is a game-changer for the tech industry, providing companies with a faster, more efficient, and more reliable way to hire top talent.