African Tech Roundup

There is no doubt that "wherever there is chaos, there is opportunity". A popular conspiracy theory suggests that the lack of quality data on the African continent suits devious corporate and government interests who are looking to maintain the status quo which enables them to continue making hay in the proverbial darkness.

In this week's African Tech Round-up, we share the exciting news of the launch of a platform called Accur8Africa-- which aims to improve the accuracy of data on the continent, and provide global policy-makers with reliable data leading up to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in New York at the 70th United Nation General Assembly next month.

Tefo Mohapi and Andile Masuku discuss the irksome consequences of Africa's current dearth of credible data, and why competent data analysis must accompany data cleaning efforts in order for Africa to reap any meaningful benefit from data accuracy initiatives such at Accur8Africa.

Also in this week's show-- all the biggest digital, tech and innovation news from across the African continent:

-- Discover which African country is now officially the world's fastest growing telecoms market,

-- Hear how hip-hop musician turned philanthropist, Akon and his business partners intend to harness the traction they are making through their Akon Lighting Up Africa initiative to promote education on the continent,

-- Get the latest on Safaricom's readiness to allow "selected partners and developers" to use M-Pesa's API,

-- Find out what impressive innovation at Facebook has been described by our content producer, Peter Peele, as Internet.org on steroids,

-- Learn more about the seven-day ultimatum the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has served that country's network providers to deactivate all pre-registered SIM cards, and

-- Get to grips with why the embarrassing .Africa dispute is likely far from over.

Music Credits:

Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additional Music by Brian Lupiya. Used with Permission.

You know it’s a slow news week when the week’s biggest news involves the CEO and the CFO of South African telecoms firm, Neotel, going on leave. Granted, it is “special leave”.

Be that as it may, broadly speaking we are totally digging the prevailing positive sentiment we are sensing in Africa’s tech scene. Following the “let’s launch an incubator” trend that we have observed on the continent in recent months, the “let’s host a hackathon” craze is increasing momentum— fueled by a number of companies and organisations looking to harness the growing public interest in all things nerdy, particularly coding.

In this week’s discussion Tefo Mohapi and Andile Masuku ask whether coding competitions, such as one hosted by Hotels.ng this past week, actually contribute to improving the standard of professional coding skills in our eco-system. Or are they simply PR gimmicks that do not add value?

Also in the news this week is the fact that Kenya is reportedly set to be the first African territory where Uber will test an innovation that will allow drivers who are either deaf or hard of hearing to make a living as taxi drivers.

You know it’s a slow news week when the week’s biggest news involves the CEO and the CFO of South African telecoms firm, Neotel, going on leave. Granted, it is “special leave”.

Be that as it may, broadly speaking we are totally digging the prevailing positive sentiment we are sensing in Africa’s tech scene. Following the “let’s launch an incubator” trend that we have observed on the continent in recent months, the “let’s host a hackathon” craze is increasing momentum— fueled by a number of companies and organisations looking to harness the growing public interest in all things nerdy, particularly coding.

In this week’s discussion Tefo Mohapi and Andile Masuku ask whether coding competitions, such as one hosted by Hotels.ng this past week, actually contribute to improving the standard of professional coding skills in our eco-system. Or are they simply PR gimmicks that do not add value?

Also in the news this week is the fact that Kenya is reportedly set to be the first African territory where Uber will test an innovation that will allow drivers who are either deaf or hard of hearing to make a living as taxi drivers.

Think back to high school. Remember how the new dude always got all the girls whispering, or how the new girl got all the boys trying to walk her home? Now, if the newbie rolled into town with discernible signs of affluence (i.e. dope clothes, or an expensive scent), the singles market would get particularly frenzied. And when the newbie possessed a hint of exoticism (i.e. a foreign accent, or an unusual taste in music), even the kids involved in some of the most stable couplings might start feeling the pressure to reevaluate their options.

In this week's African Tech Roundup, Tefo Mohapi and I discuss the pressure African tech startups are feeling in the face of local markets being invaded by experienced and well-resourced foreign-based interests. Local incumbents in many sectors of tech now find themselves fielding competition from abroad. In everything from venture capital investment to mobile money solutions, media streaming platforms and e-commerce solutions, the race to dominate is well and truly on.

In the light of all this, we pose a simple question, "What are you going to do when they come for you?"

This week's episode will feature some insights from Nubi Kayode that may help us all find confident answers to that question. Nubi is a Nigerian Business Analyst at Accenture Ireland, and Managing Partner at DevShackAlpha.co. He co-founded EasyAppetite.com-- Nigeria's first online takeaway site in 2012, and managed to survive railroading attempts by foreign-backed competition, and set himself up to make a successful exit in 2014 when his company was acquired by CityChops.

Be sure to catch all the week's most important digital, tech and innovation news from across the African continent:

-- Find out about a Zimbabwean high school dropout who's built an electric powered vehicle and a hybrid helicopter,

-- Discover which two foreign money transfer firms have teamed up and become the latest to launch into Africa,

-- Learn more about Kenya's admirable obsession with building their own laptops,

-- Hear what you can do to extend the runway for struggling Cameroonian startup, KwiiziBox, and

-- Get the low-low on a South African-based video-on-demand platform that is calling it a day.

Music Credits:

All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Think back to high school. Remember how the new dude always got all the girls whispering, or how the new girl got all the boys trying to walk her home? Now, if the newbie rolled into town with discernible signs of affluence (i.e. dope clothes, or an expensive scent), the singles market would get particularly frenzied. And when the newbie possessed a hint of exoticism (i.e. a foreign accent, or an unusual taste in music), even the kids involved in some of the most stable couplings might start feeling the pressure to reevaluate their options.

In this week's African Tech Roundup, Tefo Mohapi and I discuss the pressure African tech startups are feeling in the face of local markets being invaded by experienced and well-resourced foreign-based interests. Local incumbents in many sectors of tech now find themselves fielding competition from abroad. In everything from venture capital investment to mobile money solutions, media streaming platforms and e-commerce solutions, the race to dominate is well and truly on.

In the light of all this, we pose a simple question, "What are you going to do when they come for you?"

This week's episode will feature some insights from Nubi Kayode that may help us all find confident answers to that question. Nubi is a Nigerian Business Analyst at Accenture Ireland, and Managing Partner at DevShackAlpha.co. He co-founded EasyAppetite.com-- Nigeria's first online takeaway site in 2012, and managed to survive railroading attempts by foreign-backed competition, and set himself up to make a successful exit in 2014 when his company was acquired by CityChops.

Be sure to catch all the week's most important digital, tech and innovation news from across the African continent:

-- Find out about a Zimbabwean high school dropout who's built an electric powered vehicle and a hybrid helicopter,

-- Discover which two foreign money transfer firms have teamed up and become the latest to launch into Africa,

-- Learn more about Kenya's admirable obsession with building their own laptops,

-- Hear what you can do to extend the runway for struggling Cameroonian startup, KwiiziBox, and

-- Get the low-low on a South African-based video-on-demand platform that is calling it a day.

Music Credits:

All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Many people are conflicted about the need for “cyber mercenaries” like Hacking Team to exist. Blind idealism might contend that it is simply not right for corporatised hacking syndicates with dodgy ethical standards to secretly assist government intelligence agencies (and well-heeled private clients) to snoop on targets.

However, living in a world where the modern wonders of the internet and mobile devices are harnessed to conduct criminal activities in increasingly devious ways may demand that we hold a far more pragmatic attitude towards the need for “hackers for hire” firms to stay in business.

This week, iAfrikan Startups Editor and Content Producer for the African Tech Round-up, Peter Peele joins me to discuss how Kenya and Ethiopia have been implicated in Hacking Team’s recent embarrassing hacking incident, and explain how the alleged incompetence of those countries’ intelligence officials-- as evidenced in leaked documents archived on WikiLeaks, could mean that companies like Hacking Team will not be short of clients any time soon.

As always, be sure to catch up on all the weeks biggest digital, tech and innovation news from across the African continent:

-- Get an update on the headcount at PRASA in the wake of the company's multi-million dollar locomotive procurement scandal,

-- Find out which three big international players have announced major plays for Africa's growing money remittance and online payments market,

-- Discover which recent infrastructural development at SEACOM has led to their claim of being Africa's leading "telecom enabler and network provider", and what has given rise to Liquid Telecoms promising its clients "near 100 percent server uptime at much faster speeds than any other ISP in Africa",

-- Learn more about the Nigerian government's new SIM card registration rules-- aimed at curbing fraud, and

-- Get the low-low on which African countries Vodafone services never ask them to intercept communications either for for law enforcement or national security purposes?

Music Credits:

All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Many people are conflicted about the need for “cyber mercenaries” like Hacking Team to exist. Blind idealism might contend that it is simply not right for corporatised hacking syndicates with dodgy ethical standards to secretly assist government intelligence agencies (and well-heeled private clients) to snoop on targets.

However, living in a world where the modern wonders of the internet and mobile devices are harnessed to conduct criminal activities in increasingly devious ways may demand that we hold a far more pragmatic attitude towards the need for “hackers for hire” firms to stay in business.

This week, iAfrikan Startups Editor and Content Producer for the African Tech Round-up, Peter Peele joins me to discuss how Kenya and Ethiopia have been implicated in Hacking Team’s recent embarrassing hacking incident, and explain how the alleged incompetence of those countries’ intelligence officials-- as evidenced in leaked documents archived on WikiLeaks, could mean that companies like Hacking Team will not be short of clients any time soon.

As always, be sure to catch up on all the weeks biggest digital, tech and innovation news from across the African continent:

-- Get an update on the headcount at PRASA in the wake of the company's multi-million dollar locomotive procurement scandal,

-- Find out which three big international players have announced major plays for Africa's growing money remittance and online payments market,

-- Discover which recent infrastructural development at SEACOM has led to their claim of being Africa's leading "telecom enabler and network provider", and what has given rise to Liquid Telecoms promising its clients "near 100 percent server uptime at much faster speeds than any other ISP in Africa",

-- Learn more about the Nigerian government's new SIM card registration rules-- aimed at curbing fraud, and

-- Get the low-low on which African countries Vodafone services never ask them to intercept communications either for for law enforcement or national security purposes?

Music Credits:

All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Everyone loves a good love story. Especially when things go according to plan: start-up founder meets venture capitalist with deep pockets, tons of real-world experience, great contacts and, of course, a tried and tested system for navigating to success.

For most African tech startups who have been financed by one of Africa's leading venture capital funds, this idyllic scenario couldn't be further from reality.

Exclusive to the African Tech Round-up, Hong Kong’s only private, full service startup accelerator, Nest, has told us the news of their plans to ride into Africa's startup funding scene like a knight in shining armour to "make an impact" by sweeping pretty damsels (aka promising startups) off their feet. Their first stop will be setting up offices in Nairobi, Kenya.

Listen in to hear Nest's Africa Managing Partner, Aaron Fu, tell us what he and his team plan to offer investable prospects on the continent by way of finance, expertise and other key elements of startup support.

Also in this week's show-- all the week's digital, tech and innovation news from across Africa:

--A quick update on the official launch of Facebook Africa's office in Johannesburg,

-- Details on the far-reaching consequences of the embarrassing security breach at controversial spyware company Hacking Team,

-- Worrying news on internet security laws being proposed by the Kenyan government,

-- The low-low on a multi-million dollar locomotive scandal in South Africa, and

-- The latest on bitcoin platform BitX's foray into the Nigerian market.

Music Credits:

All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Everyone loves a good love story. Especially when things go according to plan: start-up founder meets venture capitalist with deep pockets, tons of real-world experience, great contacts and, of course, a tried and tested system for navigating to success.

For most African tech startups who have been financed by one of Africa's leading venture capital funds, this idyllic scenario couldn't be further from reality.

Exclusive to the African Tech Round-up, Hong Kong’s only private, full service startup accelerator, Nest, has told us the news of their plans to ride into Africa's startup funding scene like a knight in shining armour to "make an impact" by sweeping pretty damsels (aka promising startups) off their feet. Their first stop will be setting up offices in Nairobi, Kenya.

Listen in to hear Nest's Africa Managing Partner, Aaron Fu, tell us what he and his team plan to offer investable prospects on the continent by way of finance, expertise and other key elements of startup support.

Also in this week's show-- all the week's digital, tech and innovation news from across Africa:

--A quick update on the official launch of Facebook Africa's office in Johannesburg,

-- Details on the far-reaching consequences of the embarrassing security breach at controversial spyware company Hacking Team,

-- Worrying news on internet security laws being proposed by the Kenyan government,

-- The low-low on a multi-million dollar locomotive scandal in South Africa, and

-- The latest on bitcoin platform BitX's foray into the Nigerian market.

Music Credits:

All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

As concerns continue to be raised over the potetial threat to internet neutrality posed by Facebook's aggressive roll-out of its Internet.org platform, South African telecoms operator, Telkom is proving that the public's growing distrust of big tech firms is not unfounded.

Large tech firms seem only too happy to test limits of what is ethically acceptable in terms of violating personal privacy, while capitalising on the lack of consensus around what constitutes internet neutrality.

Little fuss has so far been made over Telkom's recent employment of tactics that would generally be associated with illicit hacking syndicates, following the telecoms giant being caught adding JavaScript to web pages of its ISP clients via a "man-in-the-middle attack".

In this week's discussion, Tefo Mohapi and I discuss this unsettling development. Given how we cannot seem to trust big tech interests to behave ethically by defending our right to privacy and security, is internet regulation the answer?

Could Telkom's recent behaviour be used to validate the need for the adoption of a regulatory framework like that proposed by South Africa's Film and Publication Board some months back-- the potential unconstitutionality of which was debated in Episode 8: Is This The Worst Censorship Law Ever?

Catch the biggest digital, tech and innovation news from across Africa:

--Find out which Ugandan serial entrepreneur has being appointed to replace Dell's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Elizabeth Gore as the Chair of the UN Foundation's Global Entrepreneurs Council,

--Discover when Facebook will launch its shiny new Africa office and which big South African ad agency executive has been head-hunted to lead its come September 2015, and

--Learn how South African mobile subscribers will soon be able to buy airtime and data using Bitcoin.

Music Credits:

All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/