The word "startup" is often used loosely in the world of tech, and frequently worn as a badge of honour by individuals and organisations who aspire to the glamour commonly associated with modern-day entrepreneurship. In this week’s African Tech Round-up Podcast, Tefo Mohapi and I attempt to pin down a definition for the term and determine what business ventures qualify to be classified as startups. Our discussion is inspired by an article by David Adamo Jr-- a Nigerian Computer Science PhD student at the University of North Texas, entitled "What is a startup?"

You can also expect a concise run-down of the week's tech, digital and innovation highlights:

--News regarding an alleged internet shut-down by the Burundian government to quell political protests,

--A word on the Malawian government's bullish move to further digital payment payment services,

--The low-low on the assisted acquisition of Nigeria's Jobberman and Kenya's BrighterMonday by One Africa Media,

--A glance at recent research into mobile handset habits of Nigerian blue collar workers,

--The latest on how US rapper and business mogul Jay Z's struggling music streaming service-- Tidal, is desperately attempting to gain traction by courting Nigerian musical talent, and

--Details on which famous African city is featured in the international blockbuster film, Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Music Credits:

All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/