A selection of tech news from Nigeria and Africa at large.
Cybersecurity Threats | E-Mobility Scheme | Ecommerce Platform | Next-Gen Banking App | Technology Driving Emerging Markets
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Experts alert Nigerian businesses as cybersecurity threats increase – Nairametrics
Cybersecurity experts have advised Nigerian businesses to be watchful and proactive in protecting them against cyberattacks.
They advised while speaking during the ongoing 2-day ‘ThinkNnovation Cybersecurity Conference 2022’, organized by FITC in partnership with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS).
The experts warned that cyber-attacks against businesses are no longer a matter of ‘if’ but that of ‘when’. This is because cybersecurity threats are on the rise worldwide, even as hackers continuously look for loopholes in the security architecture of businesses.
To this end, the experts warned that cybersecurity is no longer an issue that should be left to the IT personnel alone. Instead, it has become a problem which every company’s board of directors should strategise to prevent. He also advised that every business must be proactive about cybersecurity so they are not pushed by circumstances to make a decision. Read more here.
Ampersand partners with Bboxx to expand its e-mobility scheme – appsAfrica
Bboxx, a platform providing access to essential products and services, and Ampersand, an e-mobility company delivering sustainable transport solutions in East Africa, partner to expand Ampersand’s e-mobility scheme in Rwanda.
Following a successful initial pilot in the country, the scheme is now being launched in Kigali, Africa’s greenest city, and will eventually see the provision of tens of thousands of e-motos (electric motorcycles) to taxi drivers in Rwanda over the coming years.
The e-motos will be financed by Bboxx using its unique asset financing AI model and with mobile payments managed using Bboxx’s Pulse©. This fully integrated operating system streamlines Bboxx’s business operations. Ampersand will provide the e-motos and battery swaps.
The pilot is designed to allow taxi drivers in the Capital to use motorbikes for their commercial activities at a lower daily cost than petrol vehicles. This alternative option could prove to be 40 per cent more profitable, according to Ampersand’s data.
The partnership will enable Rwanda to achieve its aims of reducing 4.6m tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2030 and becoming a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, with existing moto taxis currently the second biggest emitter of CO2, the equivalent to 32% of total emissions from road traffic. Read more here.
Egyptian eCommerce platform, Kenzz raises $3.5 million seed to deepen eCommerce adoption in Egypt and the MENA region – TechPoint
Egyptian eCommerce platform, Kenzz has closed a $3.5 million seed funding to deepen eCommerce adoption in Egypt and MENA region. US and MENA-focused VC, Outliers Ventre Capital led the funding with participation from HOF Capital, Foundation Ventures, and Samurai Incubate.
According to TechCrunch, the company was founded in February 2022 by Ahmed Atef, Mahmoud Al Silk and Moataz Sami.
The founders created Kenzz to reach more people outside Egypt’s three big cities, Cairo, Alexandria, and Giza. Big eCommerce companies, such as Jumia, Noon, and Souq, a Dubai-based eCommerce platform now known as Amazon.ae after Amazon acquired it for $580 million in 2017, only focus on these big cities.
eCommerce in Egypt has experienced tremendous growth since 2018. Read more here.
Egypt’s Nexta to launch ‘next-gen banking’ app with fresh $3M – TechCrunch
Nexta, an Egyptian startup that plans to launch its banking app in the coming months, has secured a $3 million investment from eFinance Group, a state-owned provider of digital payments solutions. This news follows the $2 million pre-seed round Nexta announced this March, which Egyptian early-stage VC Disruptech led.
Last year, Nexta obtained a provisional license from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and will look to fulfil further requirements and meet certain obligations before obtaining the CBE’s final approval for the agent banking license it needs to launch its services in the country. The Nexta app will have a partner bank to handle settlements and act as an intermediary between itself and the CBE — however, it’ll power its cards and tech.
Founded by Ahmed Hisham in 2021, Nexta wants to disrupt the Egyptian fintech scene with its “next-generation banking” app and card. According to the company, the Nexta card will aggregate users’ existing payment cards, allowing more effortless money transfers and tracking spending, among other features. Read more here.
NRG report explores culture, content and technology driving emerging markets – The Guardian
National Research Group (NRG), a global insights leader at the intersection of technology, content and culture, launched its “Capstone Series,” a first-of-its-kind exploration into the culture, content and technology driving leading-edge global growth markets. NRG is part of Stagwell, the challenger network built to transform marketing. In partnership with SBI Media, a Lagos, Nigeria-based media agency and part of Stagwell’s Global Affiliate Network, NRG kicked off the series with “Exploring Nigeria,” a future-leaning view into the technology, culture and entertainment trends shaping the Nigerian landscape.
“Our Capstone Series is a research undertaking combining a global viewpoint with on-the-ground perspective and expertise at a level of depth we’ve not seen before in emerging markets,” said NRG Chief Strategy Officer Chris Rethore. “The proof of that is in our inaugural study, which has given us a nuanced, layered understanding of Nigeria’s shifting cultural landscape – showing us what makes Nigerians tick, how their identity impacts their consumption behaviours, and what can be done to better serve these passionate consumers. We hope that media, entertainment and tech companies find value and actionable intelligence in this and future studies to help shape decision-making in vanguard markets over the next few years.” Read more here.
