The Blockchain Association of Kenya is blocking the new Digital Asset Tax. The new tax took effect on September 1, but the case will be mentioned in court on September 28.
The Kenyan government introduced several new taxes in the Finance Act 2023, aiming to generate extra income of up to $2 billion for the country.
Since July 1, the Finance Act 2023 has been imposing a 1.5% tax on the earnings of online content creators. As for crypto, the new law mandates owners of crypto exchanges to deduct 3% of the asset’s value as DAT.
BAK believes the tax is unfair because it’s categorized as income tax, yet it’s imposed on the gross value of the asset rather than on gains and profits.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/africa-tech-news--5512041/support.

The satellite internet provider hasn’t officially launched in Zimbabwe yet, but that hasn’t stopped some enterprising folks from getting their hands on it.
The government warned that it is illegal to use or resell the service in the southern African country.
Starlink is supposed to either get a direct license from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, buddy up with a registered public network in the country or make their users apply for private network licenses
Starlink is also illegal in South Africa as the country’s telecommunication regulator banned the importation, distribution and usage of Starlink services, pending the operators satisfying licensing requirements to launch the service.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/africa-tech-news--5512041/support.

Edo has made a full transition to a paperless mode of communication in its civil service as part of its move to become Nigeria’s first fully e-governed state,
Edo State has officially transitioned to a paperless mode of communication in its civil service—the first Nigerian state to do so.
The state governor, Godwin Obaseki directed his office to reject physical files from any ministry, department, or government agency.
Edo is betting that its automation of work processes will reduce backlog and free up government resources.
A former media aide to the state government says about six million documents have been archived digitally and the goal is for state operations, including interface with the public, to be initiated and completed online.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/africa-tech-news--5512041/support.

Chinese electric vehicle upstart Xpeng is acquiring the smart EV assets of ride-hailing giant Didi for $744 million, marking another significant alliance that the Tesla challenger has struck in recent months.
Didi says the duo is forming a strategic partnership to “promote the global application of smart electric vehicles and technologies.”
The Didi assets will become a new sub-brand called “Mona” under Xpeng, which is scheduled to launch in 2024.
The partnership also extends to areas including marketing, financial insurance services, charging and international expansion.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/africa-tech-news--5512041/support.

Moniepoint may extend its presence beyond Nigeria after getting approval to acquire Kenya’s payments and credit startup, Kopo Kopo.
The Competition Authority of Kenya has provided clarity by announcing that Moniepoint Inc. can now acquire Kopo Kopo.
The CAK oversees competition-related matters for transactions exceeding KES 1 billion, which means that the acquisition was the same or exceeded this amount.
Moniepoint Inc. says they have been vocal about their interest in Kenya as part of our mission to provide financial happiness for people across Africa.
This approval has been granted based on two key considerations during the merger analysis; first, the transaction is unlikely to negatively impact competition in the market for digital credit; and second, the transaction will not elicit negative public interest concerns.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/africa-tech-news--5512041/support.

Cellulant is parting ways with 20% of its headcount as it focuses on becoming a product-driven company.
Cellulant is undergoing a restructuring exercise that will impact a fifth of its workforce.
Cellulant, which operates across 19 markets, disclosed that these changes will be implemented in the coming days as the company focuses on a product-led approach that ideally creates user-centric products for growth.
The company has clarified that this strategic shift has been in development for some time and has come to mutual agreements with affected employees. Cellulant has declined to disclose the exact number of employees leaving the company.
The affected workers will be served with exit packages, alongside extended medical cover for themselves and their families.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/africa-tech-news--5512041/support.

LemFi has raised $33 million in Series A funding to simplify remittance payments for immigrants globally.
The round was led by Left Lane Capital. Other investors included Y-Combinator, Zrosk, Global Founders Capital, and Olive Tree. LemFi’s $33 million Series A means it has received just shy of $34 million since it was founded in 2019.
Most immigrants to Canada come from Asia. In the 2019 example mentioned earlier about 86,000 of the 341,000 were Indians. Less than 20,000 immigrants were Africans from Nigeria and Eritrea. The numbers are similar for people who are moving to Europe.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/africa-tech-news--5512041/support.

South Africa and China have signed two agreements to officially work together on space cooperation during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to South Africa last week.
One agreement covers human spaceflight, and the other involves the International Lunar Research Station, a plan to build a base on the moon.
The agreement is the first of its kind between the two countries and is part of China’s efforts to bolster its influence in the competition for lunar dominance against the United States and its allies.
South Africa is teaming up with China, but some African countries like Nigeria and Rwanda are working with the US. Many groups want to offer space services to African nations, and this might create divisions.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/africa-tech-news--5512041/support.

Cyber threats against South Africa are increasing. A ransomware gang called Snatch reportedly hacked the country’s Department of Defence and stole over 200 TB of data.
The South African publication MyBroadBand says that the hackers have already posted about 1.9 TB of the data they stole online.
MyBroadBand, says the information released includes contact details for senior government officials including phone numbers of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.
The hacker group noted that it specifically released the data the same week of the BRICS Summit to spread its message that South Africa is laundering arms for the US and money for corporations.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/africa-tech-news--5512041/support.

The Scotland-based company, Enough, grabbed €40 million into doubling the output capacity of its first production site in the Netherlands, completed last September.
The company’s proprietary technology feeds fungi with sugars from renewable feedstocks and then ferments it similar to the way beer is made.
The company also boasts that Abunda is up to 15 times more efficient than protein from beef also using less feed and producing fewer carbon dioxide emissions, which is how it’s also more affordable to produce.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/africa-tech-news--5512041/support.