Mama Money, known for its mobile app that facilitates international money transfers, has over 720,000 users, many of whom are immigrants from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, and India.

The new Mama Money Card allows these users to seamlessly integrate their finances via the communication platform.

Through WhatsApp, users can conduct international money transfers, purchase airtime and electricity top-ups, access bank statements, check balances, and manage their accounts – all without incurring high data charges.

This eliminates a significant barrier for many migrants who may have limited access to traditional banking services.

The Mama Money Card goes beyond convenience. Paymentology’s cutting-edge technology ensures robust security features, allowing users to instantly freeze their cards via WhatsApp in case of loss or theft.

“The Mama Money Card is a major step forward in empowering communities, especially migrants,” said Mama Money co-founder Mathieu Coquillon.

“It provides a secure platform for employer payouts, fosters a culture of saving, and ultimately improves the financial well-being of our users.”

This new offering caters directly to the needs of South Africa’s migrant population, providing them with a secure and accessible way to manage their finances and send money back home.

Production is slated to kick off in the coming months, with the initial rollout featuring their consumer monitor range in August 2024.

This will be followed by the introduction of commercial monitors in September, while the gaming monitor lineup will arrive at a later date.

This strategic move aligns with Acer’s wider localization strategy, aiming to boost job creation and pave the way for future technological advancements within the region.

Acer, headquartered in Taiwan, boasts a global manufacturing network spanning key regions.

The South African monitor production program is expected to significantly impact the country’s tech sector by generating new employment opportunities.

Recognizing the importance of affordable technology in driving economic and social progress, Acer prioritizes making its products accessible without sacrificing quality or performance.

All monitors produced in South Africa will be backed by a three-year warranty, Acer confirmed.

The company also ensures local availability through existing retail partnerships, making Acer technology even more accessible to South African consumers.

This collaboration aims to replace petrol-powered bikes with cleaner, more sustainable electric alternatives.

Africa’s motorcycle taxis are a vital transportation network, but their reliance on fossil fuels contributes significantly to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Ampersand and BYD’s partnership addresses this challenge by introducing affordable, high-performance electric motorcycles.

Ampersand brings its deep understanding of the African market and its innovative battery-swapping technology to the table.

This network allows riders to quickly exchange depleted batteries for charged ones, ensuring uninterrupted service.

BYD contributes its expertise in electric vehicle manufacturing and battery technology.

Their advanced battery cells and large-scale production capabilities will be crucial in accelerating the production of electric motorcycles designed specifically for African conditions.

The shift to electric motorcycles is expected to create new jobs in manufacturing, maintenance, and battery-swapping infrastructure, boosting local economies.

Additionally, electric motorcycles offer significantly lower operating and maintenance costs compared to petrol-powered bikes. This can translate to higher income potential for motorcycle taxi drivers, improving livelihoods and contributing to poverty reduction.

The factory, built by local entrepreneur Belayneh Kinde for over $52 million, boasts an annual production capacity of around 1,000 electric vehicles.

This development comes alongside Ethiopia’s ambitious plans to become a leader in green transportation within Africa.

The country’s 10-year Perspective Development Plan includes importing nearly 5,000 electric buses and over 148,000 electric cars.

To incentivize EV adoption, Ethiopia banned non-electric car imports last year and introduced tax breaks for electric vehicles.

However, challenges remain. An earlier attempt at an EV assembly plant with Hyundai in 2020 fell through due to foreign currency shortages.

Additionally, economic hardships have delayed completion of the Grand Renaissance Dam, a project crucial for bolstering the electricity grid needed to support a growing number of EVs.

Despite these hurdles, Ethiopia is pressing forward.

The Ministry of Transport recently announced the import of over 100,000 electric cars and the establishment of 60 charging stations in Addis Ababa, signifying progress towards a greener transportation future.

The partnership aims to support up to 10,000 farmers across five counties: Busia, Homabay, Migori, Nandi, and Narok.

ThriveAgric will establish local hubs in each county, with those in Homabay and Busia serving as dedicated learning centers.

These centers will provide farmers with vital training sessions and distribute agricultural inputs.

Additionally, the hubs will function as collection points, allowing farmers to conveniently deliver their harvests after which they’ll be paid based on fair market quality standards.

The partnership will also promote financial inclusion for farmers. Through the program, they will be assisted in opening bank accounts and acquiring Visa cards, enabling them to participate more fully in the digital economy.

“This partnership is a significant step forward for Kenyan farmers,” said Eva Ngigi-Sarwari, Visa’s Country Manager for Kenya.

“By establishing a strong network, we can directly benefit these individuals who are essential to our nation’s economic well-being and our vision for a thriving digital payments ecosystem.”

Ayo Arikawe, co-founder of ThriveAgric, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the program’s role in furthering the company’s Kenyan expansion efforts.

“This is an exciting new chapter for us,” Arikawe remarked. “The local hubs in Busia and Homabay counties will be instrumental in achieving our goals.”

This collaboration comes on the heels of a productive year for ThriveAgric.

In 2022, the company secured $56.4 million in funding to expand its reach and support farmers in new markets like Kenya. Additionally, in April 2024, they partnered with Acorn Rabobank to provide carbon credits to over 30,000 Nigerian farmers.

This initiative comes after discussions between Guinea’s Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Digital Economy and UNCTAD’s Director of Technology, Innovation, and Research during the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva.

According to a press release from the Guinean ministry, the goal of the meeting was to explore how Guinea and UNCTAD could work together, particularly in the area of e-commerce.

The Minister presented the current state of digitalization in Guinea, outlining both the challenges and the exciting potential for growth.

Guinea specifically requested UNCTAD’s assistance in developing a regulatory framework that would support the flourishing of e-commerce and in equipping Guineans with the necessary digital skills through technical training.

UNCTAD responded positively to these requests, expressing its commitment to connecting Guinea with relevant resources within the UN system to bolster both digital and postal services.

They also emphasized the importance of close collaboration between the Ministry of Posts and the Ministry of Commerce to create a thriving trade environment in Guinea.

This meeting aligns with the Guinean government’s ongoing efforts to propel the e-commerce sector forward. According to the Foundation for E-commerce and Distance Selling (Fevad), the industry was already valued at $10 million in 2020 and is experiencing a significant annual growth rate of 20%.

This ambitious plan, announced during the recent AfDB Annual Meetings in Nairobi, Kenya, aims to train a staggering 3 million Africans and 30,000 government officials in AI expertise.

This collaboration marks a significant stride towards building a robust pool of African talent equipped with the skills needed to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

By empowering Africans with AI knowledge, the partnership seeks to unlock economic growth, boost productivity, and transform Africa from a consumer of 4IR technologies to a key contributor and innovator in the field.

The training program will be strategically designed to address critical socio-economic challenges and propel progress in vital sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education.

The AfDB anticipates this initiative to disrupt traditional growth patterns and usher in a new era of economic development across the continent.

The AfDB and Intel will also work collaboratively to support African governments, regional economic institutions, and continental organizations in establishing comprehensive policy and regulatory frameworks for AI, alongside other emerging technologies like 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, data management, and cloud computing.

Intel’s Director of Government Affairs for Africa, Bienvenu Agbokponto Soglo, expressed his commitment to deepening Intel’s engagement with African governments.

His vision is to democratize access to cutting-edge technologies like AI, dismantling barriers based on location, gender, and ethnicity, and fostering inclusive participation in the digital economy.

Ousmane Fall, Acting Director of Industrial and Trade Development at the AfDB, underscored the critical importance of equipping Africa’s burgeoning youth population with digital skills.

He emphasized the urgency of large-scale and rapid skill development initiatives, considering the swift evolution of digital technologies and the projected surge in Africa’s youth population to 830 million by 2050.

This initiative aims to empower 40 talented young Africans with the necessary skills to thrive in the tech industry.

The Patoranking Foundation Tech Scholarship will target exceptional individuals demonstrating a strong potential for success.

These scholars will receive access to high-quality education and training programs in various fields, such as coding, software development, data analysis, and Salesforce administration.

The curriculum is designed to equip them with in-demand skills for the ever-evolving tech landscape.

“This scholarship is not just about theoretical knowledge,” the statement emphasizes.

To complement their academic foundation, scholarship recipients will also participate in paid internships with the foundation’s tech partners.

This hands-on experience will allow them to apply their newly acquired skills in a professional setting, bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Divesh Sooka, General Manager of ALX South Africa, expressed his optimism about the potential of Africa’s youth.

“We are excited to equip these talented individuals with cutting-edge skills and foster a culture of innovation and resilience,” he remarked.

ALX Africa, with its focus on both technical and soft skills development, aims to prepare young people for success in the digital economy. The organization is dedicated to providing pathways for them to excel in a technology-driven world.