Ciao,
Here's what I've got for you today:
- Why you get quick rejection emails
- Chowdeck gets $2.5 million seed
- BuuPass acquires QuickBus
- Mauritius Telecom to get a new undersea cable
BuuPass acquires QuickBus
BuuPass, the travel booking platform from Kenya, has snapped up QuickBus, a bus ticketing platform that's been making waves in Nigeria and South Africa.
The acquisition is a cash and stock deal, but they're keeping the exact amount hush-hush for now.
With this acquisition, BuuPass is gearing up to level up their game. They plan to partner with banks and telcos to offer even more services, like API integration. Remember their collab with Safaricom's M-PESA for bus bookings? Well, they're looking to expand on that front.
Plus, they're inheriting all of QuickBus's sweet deals with big players like Vodaphone's VodaPay app in South Africa. And here's the kicker – all of QuickBus's customers in Nigeria and South Africa will now be using BuuPass to book their travels.
Moreover, BuuPass is also beefing up its team. The folks from QuickBus will be joining forces with BuuPass to ensure everything runs smoothly. And to top it off, the head honcho from QuickBus's South Africa business is joining BuuPass's management team.
This is a significant step forward for BuuPass, which first launched in Kenya in 2017. And they have been on a roll since then, raising $1.3 million last year to modernise Kenya's bus ticketing system. With this move, they are expanding into Nigeria and South Africa, attracting even more users in the process.
They are also claiming some impressive statistics, including over 6 million tickets sold and a whopping $100 million in ticket sales. Now, their platform includes not only Kenya, but also Tanzania, South Africa, Malawi, Nigeria, and Ghana.
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But they are not stopping there; they are promising even more travel options, such as trains and flights, as they merge with Quickbus.
Why you get quick rejection emails
Ever get those quick rejection emails right after sending off a job application?
Blame it on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), those sneaky digital gatekeepers that quickly scan resumes, select candidates, and schedule interviews.
But, despite their speed, ATS has drawbacks. Sometimes they toss out perfectly good candidates because they don't tick all the right keyword boxes. Talk about a buzzkill!
And do not get me started on how they can make job hunting feel like speaking with a robot rather than a real person.
Plus, there is the issue of fairness to consider. Because ATS are programmed with outdated data, they may unintentionally perpetuate biases during hiring processes.
And do not forget about the hassle of setting up and maintaining one of these systems; it is like a completely different job.
In the end, recruiters have to walk a fine line between using ATS to speed things up and keeping that human touch alive. But do they care enough about job seekers to balance their approach?
This is where I say, “Meet Oluwanifemi.” In her latest article, she covers everything you need to know about the ATS flaw and how it works.
Chowdeck gets $2.5 million seed
Chowdeck, an on-demand delivery service in Nigeria, has scored a $2.5 million seed to beef up its game in the market.
Loads of big-name investors jumped on board, like FounderX Ventures, True Culture Funds, and even some angel investors like the brains behind Paystack and Amazon.
One of the guys behind Chowdeck, Femi Aluko, got the idea back in 2021 after a trip to Dubai, where he saw how fast food delivery could be. And now, just two years later, Chowdeck has racked up half a million users across eight Nigerian cities. Talk about growth!
In 2023, the company scored exclusive deals with names like Chicken Republic and Shoprite, which helped it snag even more users and solidify its spot in the Nigerian market.
Now, with this fresh injection of cash, it’s aiming to spread its wings even further, reaching more Nigerian cities by the end of 2024.
Their secret sauce? Well, Aluko says it’s all about giving Nigerians easy access to great food.
Sure, there are obstacles like fuel shortages, bad roads, and crazy traffic, but Chowdeck's not letting that slow it down. It’s focused on ensuring every delivery counts, even if it means charging a bit more to cover costs.
Interestingly, its delivery times are insane, averaging just 30 minutes. That's thanks to its hyperlocal approach, which keeps everything super efficient.
But it's not just about delivering food. Chowdeck also ensures its riders are well taken care of, with some earning way above the national minimum wage.
Mauritius Telecom to get a new undersea cable
Mauritius Telecom, one of the big shots in Mauritius' telecom scene, is cooking up something big.
They're chatting with heavy hitters like Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. and Orange SA about laying down a new undersea cable connecting Africa, Indian Ocean islands, and Asia.
This new cable, called T4, will replace the old South Africa Far East (SAFE) cable, which is about to kick the bucket in 2027 after 25 years of service. And get this, T4, according to the telco, will be a thousand times more powerful than the old one.
Why? There have been far too many cable outages lately, causing headaches for everyone. Just last Friday, Mauritius got hit with some downtime, and that was just the latest in a string of issues. There've been cables damaged near the Ivory Coast and others out of action since February off the coast of Yemen.
So T4 will take roughly the same route as the old SAFE cable, from South Africa to Madagascar, La Reunion, Mauritius, and finally to India and Singapore.
And it's not just Mauritius Telecom in on this. They’re roping in other big players like Telkom SA, Telekom Malaysia Bhd, and Cable & Wireless Ltd. of Seychelles. They might even get China Telecom Corp. involved.
However, the price tag is going to be high, likely between $150 and $200 million. And it will take at least two years to get everything up and running.
In case you missed it
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- National Security Adviser urges media managers to counter social media disinformation in Nigeria
- Harvard professor debunks the biggest exercise myths | Daniel Lieberman
What I'm watching
- UK Company PZ Cussons Considers Exiting The African Market
- Why Einstein is a “peerless genius” and Hawking is an “ordinary genius”
- EduTAMS launches state-of-the-art idea incubation and innovation hub in Ogun State
Opportunities
- If you're a Product Designer and are looking for a remote role, check out this link for several roles.
- Several companies are looking for software engineers. Check out this link to work remotely with them.
- Check out this link for several remote Product Manager roles.
- If you have an early-stage startup, apply for Pitch2Win to pitch your ideas to a panel of esteemed judges and investors. The selected startups will vie for a grand prize of $10,000 equity-free funding and an all-expense-paid trip to IVS2024 Kyoto, Japan. Apply by May 5, 2024, here.
- Apply for Visa Everywhere Initiative (VEI) by May 6, 2024, here.
- Seedstars has announced INFUSE 2024, a global invitation for innovative applications aimed at fortifying health systems against climate threats and improving immunisation delivery. Apply 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 fantastic May!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.