Kon'nichiwa,
MTN MoMo South Africa plans to integrate an eCommerce service into its mobile money platform to transform it into a super app by December 2023.
This news comes two months after it launched new features such as payments, personal insurance, and lending.
Here's what I've got for you today:
- Microsoft and Gebeya to upskill 300K developers in 8 African countries
- Ghana joins three other African countries in declaring Starlink illegal
Microsoft and Gebeya to upskill 300K developers in 8 African countries
Microsoft and Gebeya, a SaaS-enabled tech talent marketplace, have partnered to launch Microsoft.Gebeya.com, a skills and jobs matching platform.
Over the next three years, Gebeya will upskill 300,000 developers in Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Nigeria, Egypt, and Mozambique.
The company will train these developers on how to use the Microsoft Cloud to create solutions. In the first year, it plans to train 150,000 developers.
Beginning in January 2024, individuals with a computer science or tech development background interested in creating cloud-based solutions can apply.
Why does it matter? One of the primary problems facing Africa's tech industry is the persistent skills gap.
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According to the International Finance Corporation, the digital skills gap in Africa remains a significant barrier to technological advancement, with an estimated 230 million new digital jobs projected by 2030.
Microsoft and Gebeya's initiative directly addresses this issue by providing a platform that connects skilled individuals with job opportunities and creates a bridge between talent and demand.
This news came two months after Andela launched the Andela Talent Cloud, an integrated end-to-end platform that links skilled individuals with businesses, transforming the hiring process for tech companies and talents.
Sidebar Alert: On Wednesday, November 15, 2023, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, officially launched a programme to train three million technical talent (3MTT) by 2027 to create a pipeline of technical talents across Nigeria to close the global workforce gap.
Ghana joins three other African countries in declaring Starlink illegal
Last week, Ghana joined three other African countries to declare Starlink illegal.
The National Communication Authority, Ghana’s telco regulator, warned the public not to use Starlink's equipment or services and directed anyone involved in sales or service operations to stop immediately.
Why? This is because the satellite Internet service did not obtain a licence or type-approve its equipment before beginning operations in the West African country.
As of October 2023, Starlink is available in seven African countries: Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Mozambique, Benin, and Malawi.
But the company, which plans to expand to 19 more by 2024, has previously been declared illegal in three countries on the continent.
One country is Senegal. In August 2023, the government arrested five individuals for allegedly selling Starlink terminals without the necessary authorisation or licence for "illegal provision of Internet access and irregular marketing."
The Telecommunications and Posts Regulatory Authority warned service providers marketing Starlink or any other company engaging in comparable activities to stop offering their services in Senegal.
Moreover, in September 2023, Zimbabwe said it received Starlink's application for an operating licence, and the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) was reviewing it.
But two months later, the ICT regulator said that Starlink had yet to apply.
In November 2023, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) warned the public not to use Starlink. This is because operating broadcasting and electronic communications services in the country without receiving service and radio frequency spectrum licences directly violates the Electronic Communications Act.
Last week on Techpoint Africa
- Flutterwave acquires money transfer licences for 13 states in the United States
- CAC raises the minimum paid-up capital for companies with foreign partners from ₦10 million to ₦100 million
- 6 pressing questions about Bosun Tijani’s 3MTT programme answered
- How CWCD is using tech to effect social change in Nigeria
- Mastercard Africa Growth Fund to invest $27 million in VestedWorld, Chui Ventures, and SME Impact Fund
- Former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, to launch $100 million venture capital fund
- Bitmama acquires Payday to bolster its blockchain-powered cross-border payments service
- Lidya closes operations in two countries to focus on the Nigerian market after securing $16.45 million in funding
- Call of Duty: Mobile launches dedicated Nigerian server
- Why Nigerian fintech startup Pivo shut down 1 year after announcing a $2 million round
- Kenyan startup tappi raises a $1.5 million pre-seed six months after receiving $180K from SOSV’s Orbit Startups
- 1 year after Airtel Africa opened a data centre in Lagos, the telco launches Nxtra, a new data centre
- MTN Group plays ahead of 2024, appoints Selorm Adadevoh as new CCO
- Kenyan mobility startup, BasiGo, raises $5 million to assemble electric buses
- A startup founder’s guide to crisis communication
- Paystack quietly obtained a switching and processing licence from CBN in April 2022
- How we started the Techpoint Africa Podcast ..
- YC-backed Nigerian startup, Bujeti, secures a $2 million seed to scale and expand its offerings
- 1 month after reaching $1.2m in monthly GMV, Chowdeck partners Shoprite to revolutionise the Nigerian grocery industry
- NIBBS directs banks to remove non-deposit-taking financial institutions from their transfer list
What I'm reading and watching
- The art and science of gift-giving
- Googles GEMINI Just SHOCKED The ENTIRE INDUSTRY! (GPT-4 Beaten) Full Breakdown + Technical Report
- Why Is Sex a Thing?
Opportunities
- Sporty Group is looking for a Senior Data Scientist. Apply here.
- LifeBank is hiring a Product Designer. To apply, check out this post by December 15.
- Remote is looking for a remote product designer. Apply here.
- Lawyers Hub has opened applications for its 2023 Startup Law Accelerator program. Apply here.
- If you are a female between the ages of 18 and 28 who lives in Africa and is interested in pursuing a career in cybersecurity, apply for the CyberGirls Fellowship by December 11, 2023 here.
- Do you live in Nigeria and work with a local or foreign company? Whether it's remotely, on-site, hybrid, full-time, part-time or as a freelancer, @TheIntelpoint is trying to understand the Nigerian workspace: how you work, and toxicity in the workspace among others. Please, fill out the questionnaire here.
- If you are a software engineer, creative designer, product manager, design researcher, or a techie looking for an internship role, please, check out this website.
Have a productive week!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.
