Spotify Lite Launches in Africa
Music streaming service Spotify has launched a 'Lite' version for emerging markets around the world, which is now available in South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Spotify Lite is "a small, fast, and simplified version" that works much like the main Spotify app but with a few extra features that ensure it uses less storage, data and battery to optimize performance. Lite can be downloaded by both free and Spotify Premium users and used either alongside or independently from the main Spotify app on all Android phones running version 4.3 or higher. Spotify Lite is now available for Android devices in 36 markets across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, with more markets and features to follow. So far in Sub-Saharan Africa it is only available in South Africa but in North Africa you can get access to it in Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 10, 2024 11:55 UTC
Visa shortlists fintech startups for accelerator program
Payments giant Visa has announced the startups from sub-Saharan Africa that were shortlisted for the second cohort of its Africa Fintech Accelerator program. The selected startups offer a range of solutions, including neo-banking, merchant payments, credit scoring, risk and identity management, embedded finance, social commerce and escrow services. The second cohort comes from nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa – with operations across 28 African countries – and 65% of the startups are female led. Visa said that the first cohort of startups have reported positive outcomes from the program, such as increased user growth, product enhancements, funding opportunities and strategic partnerships with Visa and other industry players. In addition to the 18 startups from sub-Saharan Africa that have been announced, North African startups will also be unveiled next week on the sidelines of GITEX Africa in Morocco.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 10, 2024 11:54 UTC
Egypt to launch its first digital bank
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has granted Misr Digital Innovation (MDI) preliminary approval to launch the country's first digital bank. Called Onebank, the digital bank will launch in the fourth quarter of 2024 after completing the second phase of its licensing. Egypt's journey to establish digital banksThe CBE's regulations allowed for the establishment and operation of digital banks, aligning Egypt with global trends in the financial technological market. However, the company will not be the only digital bank in Egypt for long. Digital banking evolution in AfricaEgypt launching its first digital bank comes at a time when the World Economic Forum has called Africa the world leader in digital banking, with the region boasting the highest number of services, account holders and transactions.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 10, 2024 11:53 UTC
EU loyalty to north African partners trumps court cases and democracy
Benjamin Fox is a seasoned reporter and editor, previously working for fellow Brussels publication Euractiv. His reporting has also been published in the Guardian, the East African, Euractiv, Private Eye and Africa Confidential, among others. He heads up the AU-EU section at EUobserver, based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 10, 2024 11:01 UTC
SA gaming startup Carry1st brings local payment solutions to music streaming
South African startup Carry1st, a gaming startup-turned-consumer payments provider, has partnered Audiomack, one of the world’s leading music streaming and discovery platforms, to make it easier than ever for Audiomack’s customers in Africa to purchase subscriptions to stream their favourite artists using local payment methods. The Carry1st Shop offers seamless access to a wide range of products, including daily essentials like airtime, data, and electricity, as well as game gift cards and top-ups, and lifestyle and entertainment vouchers. Audiomack, Africa’s leading music streaming platform, serves millions of African music fans. Subscriptions allow music fans to remove ads, unlock special app features, and bring their support of artists to the next level. This partnership is a testament to our growth and the versatility of the Carry1st Shop.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 10, 2024 10:55 UTC
A Christian–Muslim fault line divides Africa into two blocs
Islam’s growth in sub-Saharan Africa is particularly strong in the northern regions and the central belt. Migration has also played a role, with internal movement from predominantly Muslim regions increasing the Muslim population in other areas. Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is almost evenly split between Christians in the south and Muslims in the north. Northern Nigeria, where several states have adopted Shariah law, has become a battleground for religious dominance. Why aren’t the difficulties faced by Christians in Africa better known in the West?
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 10, 2024 10:36 UTC
Bpifrance, Sawari Ventures, and Flat6Labs Partner to Boost Innovation Across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East
The signing of the memorandum between Bpifrance, Sawari Ventures, and Flat6Labs took place within the framework of the FrancoTech exhibition for Francophonie and Innovation at Station F in Paris, alongside the Francophonie Summit. Launched in 2010, Sawari Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in growth-stage African tech companies addressing regional and global challenges. Additionally, they seek to foster commercial and technological partnerships between European businesses and African innovation companies. Our partnership with Bpifrance reflects our shared commitment to strengthening ties between Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Hany Al-Sonbaty, Co-founder, Sawari Ventures and Flat6Labs
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 10, 2024 10:16 UTC
Saudi Arabia Commercial Data Center Market 2024 - How a Digital Transformation Boom is Powering KSA's Digital Economy Decade
Dublin, Oct. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Saudi Arabia Commercial Data Center Market" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report analyzes Saudi Arabia's data center colocation opportunity, including demand analysis, supply dynamics, cloud infrastructure build, market structure, competitive context and much more. The Saudi colocation market brimming with facility construction is spiking, and capacity volumes are skyrocketing. This report provides an assessment of what is now Middle East and North Africa's (MENA) second largest commercial data center market. Still, the Saudi colocation market remains in a strong upswing trajectory, with one of the deepest pipeline in emerging markets.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 10, 2024 10:09 UTC
ALBIS: Distributor adds Covestro rPC to portfolio
ALBISDistributor adds Covestro rPC to portfolioâ By Plasteurope.com staff âÂGerman plastics distributor(Hamburg; www.albis.com ) has announced that it is now marketing the R portfolio of compatriot engineering plastics specialist(Leverkusen; www.covestro.com ). The range includes mechanically recycled post-consumer (PCR) and post-industrial (PIR) polycarbonates as well as PC blends. Albisâs sales area covers Europe, North Africa, China, and Southeast Asia. Due to what the company calls excellent flame retardancy, PC in the R range is particularly suitable for the electrical and electronics industry and the mobility sector, specifically for household applications, televisions, e-charging stations, and vehicle interiors.The companies said the R series demonstrates that recycled plastics can be used without compromising on quality or aesthetics. Covestro adds that its recyclates can reduce the carbon footprint by up to 50% compared with virgin materials.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 10, 2024 10:04 UTC
SA’s Peach Payments partners Kenya’s Sukhiba for conversational commerce
South African digital payments service provider Peach Payments has integrated with Kenyan conversational commerce and CRM platform Sukhiba to offer its South African merchants a new sales channel and facilitate WhatsApp-based sales. Founded in Cape Town in 2012, Peach Payments provides a complete toolkit to help businesses accept, manage and disburse payments through web and mobile. It is the second largest online payment gateway in South Africa, and has also expanded to Kenya and Mauritius. “We are confident that the deep knowledge and network that Peach Payments brings to this partnership will accelerate WhatsApp commerce and payments in South Africa,” said Gudipati. Merchants sign up using the Sukhiba website and can monitor their sales on both the Sukhiba merchant app and their Peach Payments dashboard.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 10, 2024 09:47 UTC
CIOs sound alarm on network security as a top priority as AI fuels new risks and challenges – Intelligent CIO Africa
Key Findings and TrendsBeyond the AI Hype, Security Remains Top Priority:34% of CIOs ranked securing the network as their number one priority, while 22% of respondents ranked integrating networking and security as their second biggest priority. CIOs overwhelmingly desire a single platform to incorporate GenAI and security into their network operations. 88% of respondents said they would prefer a single integrated platform for networking, AI and security. In terms of ranking the most important features of a cloud networking platform,58% said they want a cloud networking platform that integrates AI and security. 55% cited the option of a Network Infrastructure as a Service model (NIaaS)45% ranked security within their top three priorities.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 10, 2024 08:48 UTC
North Korea's Kim calls Putin 'closest comrade' in birthday message
N Korea's Kim calls Putin 'closest comrade'Kim (R) and Putin (L) toasted their friendship when they met in North Korea in JuneSeparately on Tuesday, Kim said Pyongyang would speed up steps to make his country a military super power with nuclear weapons. Kim, congratulating Putin on his 72nd birthday, added that relations between both countries would be raised to a new level. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent a birthday message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him his "closest comrade". The relationship between North Korea and Russia goes back decades - to Stalin and Kim Il-sung, the current Kim's grandfather. North Korea certainly can benefit enormously from access to Russian military technology – which despite Russia’s problems is still far more advanced than North Korea’s homegrown and reverse-engineered systems.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 09, 2024 23:53 UTC
North Dakota Wildfire Victim was About to Return Home to South Africa for the Birth of his Daughter
This 2024 image provided by Anke van Eeden shows Nicolaas and Anke van Eeden during their first week in America. (Anke van Eeden via AP)(AP) — A South African man who died due to a North Dakota wildfire was planning to return to his wife within weeks in time for the birth of their first child. “He was just an amazing person,” Anke van Eeden said of her husband. Anke, 31, quit her job earlier this year to go to North Dakota with Nicolaas, who was the family’s provider. Firefighters on Tuesday had a better handle on two other large wildfires burning in western North Dakota.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 09, 2024 22:49 UTC
US Sanctions Official Procuring Arms for Sudan’s RSF – Africa.com
The US has imposed sanctions on Algoney Hamdan Daglo Musa, brother of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander, accusing him of procuring weapons for the paramilitary group, thereby prolonging Sudan’s civil war. The RSF, led by his brother Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), has been in conflict with Sudan’s army since April 2023, causing widespread famine and displacing millions. Algoney’s actions, according to the US Treasury, have contributed to the humanitarian crisis in al-Fashir in North Darfur. The Treasury further stated that Algoney controls front companies, including the UAE-based Tradive General Trading, used for RSF procurement. While Washington has refrained from sanctioning Hemedti directly, it has targeted those around him, including another brother, Abdelrahim Dagalo.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 09, 2024 20:53 UTC
Water and Sewage Construction Projects Analysis Report, Q3 2024 - Assess the Top 20 Projects per Region and Align Your Resources to Capitalize on Opportunities
Dublin, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Project Insight - Global Water and Sewage Construction Projects (Q3 2024)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The report provides analysis on the construction projects, showing total project values and analysis by stage and funding for all regions. The top 20 projects per region are listed giving country, stage, value of projects. The MENA region accounts for the largest share of the global pipeline value, with 37.6% of the total pipeline value ($159.1 billion). Reasons to BuyGain insight into the development of the water and sewage construction sector.
Source:The North Africa Journal
October 09, 2024 19:42 UTC