Muraho,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here's what I've got for you today:
- PlayStation maker invests in Carry1st
- A move to protect Nigerians' data
- Roboost's $3 million
PlayStation maker invests in Carry1st
Sony has invested in Carry1st, a South African gaming startup, via its venture arm, the Sony Innovation Fund, to explore new commercial opportunities in collaboration with the PlayStation maker.
Despite the lack of specifics at this time, the partnership is still in its infancy.
Carry1st's CEO and co-founder, Cordel Robbin-Coker, revealed that talks with the Sony Innovation Fund began about eight or nine months ago. He said that Africa is poised to become the next significant market for video game sales.
In other words, Sony's investment is a big wager on the potential for growth in the African video game market, which has rapidly grown despite a global slowdown in sales after the pandemic.
Data from Statista: Africa's video game market is expected to generate US$4,280.00 million in revenue by 2024. By 2027, this is anticipated to have grown to a projected market volume of US$5,417.00 million, with an annual growth rate of 8.17% (CAGR 2024–2027).
By 2027, it is anticipated that there will be 212.7 million users in the African video game market.
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Data from Mordor Intelligence: The video game market in Africa is projected to reach $3.72 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.62% between 2024 and 2029.
The increasing use of smartphones, improved Internet access, and the introduction of high-bandwidth network connectivity, like 5G, have all contributed to the growth of mobile gaming in Africa and raised demand for the gaming industry there.
A move to protect Nigerians' data
Following a report ranking Nigeria 32nd among countries with the most data breaches in Q1 2023, the government has announced plans to digitise public services to protect citizens' data.
Galaxy Backbone, the Federal Government's IT provider, will help manage data exchange, while the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) will ensure data protection compliance.
This initiative is consistent with the government's goal, announced in December 2023 by Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service, of fully digitising all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) by 2025.
In a related development, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has disclosed its investigation into 17 priority data breach cases spanning various sectors, including finance, technology, education, government, logistics, and gaming.
The NDPC revealed receiving over 1,000 reports of data breaches, leading to the identification of 50 verified cases, with 17 currently under investigation.
Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner of the Commission, highlighted that remedial actions for completed cases have resulted in generating ₦400 million in revenue for the Nigerian government.
In addition, the National Commissioner stated that the number of Data Protection Compliance Organisations in the country has increased from 103 to 163 to promote compliance. Consequently, the commission is witnessing an annual increase in audit filings of up to 2,000.
Sidebar: In June 2023, the regulator announced an investigation into several institutions, including three deposit money banks (Zenith, Fidelity, and Guarantee Trust Banks), Babcock University, and Leadway Insurance, for alleged data breaches.
Roboost's $3 million
Roboost, an Egyptian AI-powered delivery logistics startup, has raised a $3 million investment round to accelerate its regional expansion efforts.
Leading the round is Silicon Badia, joined by RZMInvestment, Flat6Labs, and Saudi Angel Investors.
Roboost, which provides a home delivery management solution, employs AI technology to streamline delivery processes, addressing performance issues with innovative solutions.
Roboost uses a self-learning AI system to optimise operations, reduce human intervention, and streamline home delivery fleets. Businesses such as McDonald's, Buffalo Burger, and El Ezaby Pharmacies use the platform to improve their delivery services.
Currently operational in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, and Tunisia, the funding will fuel expansion into other regional markets.
With a network of over 15,000 delivery drivers and nearly 10 million customers, Roboost has automated 40 million orders.
Per the company, the impact is significant, with delivery speeds doubling, 99.8% task automation rates, 80% fewer order returns, and 30% fewer operational costs.
In case you missed it
- Bolt launches same-day parcel delivery a month after Bolt Food's closure in South Africa
- Ghanaians to apply for electricity services via a mobile app
- Nigeria's national ID is the 9th most used document for identity fraud in Africa
- Nigeria moves to digitise public services to protect citizens’ data
- Nigeria’s data protection regulator is investigating 17 data breaches
What I'm reading and watching
- Zoom debuts its app for Vision Pro, featuring digital personas, 3D files and more
- Is RESPECT a right? Or should It be EARNED?
- Can You Tell If Someone has Autism?
Opportunities
- Kenyan startups focused on embedded finance, future fintech, SME productivity tools, and content like local gaming and mobile advertising can apply for Safaricom’s Spark Accelerator programme. For more information, check this out.
- The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is looking for an editor to support the Arthur F. Burns Fellowship. Apply here.
- Application for the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) Class of 2025 is now open. Check out the one-year, fully sponsored, graduate-level programme in tech entrepreneurship here before March 18, 2023.
- 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.
- Explore this website to find multiple job opportunities in Data that align with your preferences.
- 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 happy Tuesday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.
