Ciao,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here's what I've got for you today:
- StarTimes raises subscription fees in Nigeria ahead of AFCON
- Kuda launches PoS terminals for businesses
- Ekurhuleni city warns of online job scam in South Africa
StarTimes raises subscription fees in Nigeria ahead of AFCON
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is in three days; who else is counting down?
Even if you are not a football fan, you should be looking forward to it. When I was younger, I remember watching the games, which was one of the things that brought families or loved ones together.
I was excited until I learned that DStv would not be broadcasting AFCON; where else would I watch the game? Even if I do not have a TV or payTV, I know someone who does. I know you do, too.
Why? MultiChoice, which operates DStv and Gotv, has over 23 million subscribers across 50 African countries.
But MultiChoice lost its broadcasting rights to a Togolese audio-visual group, New World TV.
The company, which is still in its infancy, operates in 19 countries, mainly in Francophone Africa. Thus, New World TV is sub-licensing its broadcasting rights to free-to-air stations and payTV platforms.
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And StarTimes is the only payTV company in Nigeria to broadcast AFCON.
So, what’s the news? The payTV operator has announced an increase in subscription fees, effective today, January 10, 2024, ahead of the game, which will begin on January 13, 2023.
The StartTimes Super bouquet, which includes the sports channel that will broadcast the AFCON, has the highest increase of 15% from the current rate of ₦6,500 to ₦7,500.
The price increase affects its satellite TV (dish) and terrestrial TV (antenna) services. Subscribers paying ₦1,500 per month for the Nova bouquet will begin paying ₦1,700 starting today, a 13% increase.
Customers who pay ₦3,500 for the StarTimes Smart bouquet will start paying ₦3,800, a 6% increase.
The payTV operator stated on Tuesday that the increase was necessary to maintain the quality of its content for subscribers.
Kuda launches PoS terminals for businesses
Nigerian fintech company, Kuda, recently announced the launch of its Point of Sale (PoS) terminals for businesses.
Per the company’s Co-Founder and CEO, Babs Ogundeyi, Kuda's successful pilot programme and the subsequent launch of the Kuda PoS terminal are in line with the growing interest and competition in Nigeria's merchant-acquiring sector.
According to McKinsey, the merchant acquisition market, which facilitates non-cash transactions between buyers and sellers, is expected to grow to $1 billion over the next few years, reflecting the space’s fierce competition.
Since its launch in 2019, the neobank has acquired 7 million customers and processed transactions totalling ₦55.8 trillion. Its foray into the merchant-acquiring sector comes on the heels of the October 2022 launch of Kuda Business, an all-in-one business account.
In March 2023, the company launched new features to its Kuda Business mobile app, including Sales Mode, Kuda Payroll, and business registration. It also introduced a SoftPoS feature, allowing users to accept card payments from their mobile phones.
Now, Ogundeyi says that users with a Kuda Business account can apply for a Kuda PoS terminal with flexible payment options.
The company will contend with fierce competition from established players like banks and well-funded fintechs like Payforce from FairMoney, OPay, Moniepoint, and Nomba. It will also compete with Paystack, which recently entered the offline merchant-acquiring market in Nigeria.
Ekurhuleni city warns of online job scam in South Africa
The city of Ekurhuleni in South Africa is cautioning the public about an online scam targeting job seekers. The city has issued a warning regarding fraudulent job postings circulating on social media, falsely claiming to be associated with the municipality.
The City of Ekurhuleni emphasises that its job application process follows official procedures and does not use social media or text messaging. There are only legitimate job opportunities on the city's official website for contract, temporary, and permanent roles.
The municipality underscores that it never solicits money from job seekers in exchange for interviews, and all official email addresses adhere to the format name.surname@ekurhuleni.gov.za.
This warning emphasises the significance of relying on the official city website for accurate and genuine job opportunities and attempts to shield prospective job seekers from falling victim to dishonest practices.
Why does it matter? South Africa continued to have the highest unemployment rate in the world as of 2023. One report shows that the unemployment rate increased marginally from 32.7% in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2023, or 0.2 percentage points.
Consequently, job scams are a prevalent issue in South Africa, prompting government warnings. In June 2023, the Electoral Commission warned about job scams, such as a misleading social media advertisement.
In July 2023, the Department of Health warned the public about a scam involving fake appointments or employment letters that ask applicants to pay an upfront fee for background checks.
In case you missed it
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- FCCPC’s Irukera fired days after disclosing plans to address Nigerians' mounting debt to loan apps
- MTN and Ericsson to facilitate mobile financial services in Africa
- Begin the year with a date at the Techpoint Pitch Friday
What I'm watching
- Android Phones Will Soon Be Able to Stream TikTok Videos to TVsmerit
- Do humans have souls? | Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder
- 12 Cognitive Biases Explained - How to Think Better and More Logically Removing Bias
Opportunities
- Pitch Friday is next Friday, January 19, 2024. To attend or pitch, click this link.
- DevHeit wants a remote full stack developer on its team. Apply here.
- Payaza Africa Limited is hiring an Associate Product Manager. Apply here.
- New Globe is looking for a Data Analytics Manager. Apply here.
- WOO Network is looking for a Senior Product Manager. Apply here.
- Sahara Group is hiring a Risk Data Analyst. Apply here.
- A company in the FCMG industry is looking for a Data Analyst. Apply here.
- Gruve wants a junior product manager on its team. Apply 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 lovely Wednesday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.
