Hello,
Delight from Techpoint here,
Here's what I have for you today:
- ChitChat expands beyond Africa
- Raknida , an Art-tech startup, is launching a streaming platform.
- Nigeria and Morocco partner for EV technology
ChitChat expands its footprints beyond Africa
ChitChat has expanded its social commerce services beyond Africa, now targeting advanced economies such as China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, Canada, and Malaysia.
Moreover, the app will now feature multi-currency exchanges, a ChitChat wallet, and a USD virtual debit card. These features will enable users to send money to bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash agents in the local currencies of these selected countries.
The e-commerce app already has a presence in six African countries, including Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.
This push into remittances underscores a smooth and accessible platform for Africans at home and abroad to send money easily and securely, simplifying cross-border transactions on the ChitChat platform.
Having launched in March 2024 in Zambia, ChitChat is taking its first steps to becoming the go-to social commerce platform for instantaneous USD payments, all within chat, thus creating a community for payments and interactions.
In September 2024, ChitChat partnered with Mastercard to launch virtual cards for cross-border payments, marking a significant step towards expanding its USD payments and remittance capabilities.
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Raknida: Art-tech in the Nigerian space
Imagine a world where art and technology merge to create captivating experiences that redefine creativity. This is the essence of art-tech, which involves the innovative use of digital tools to craft and share artistic expressions.
Art-tech encompasses various forms, including performing arts, sensory installations, stage design, and online art marketplaces, transforming how we create and engage with art.
For the Nigerian startup Raknida, this means connecting artists and art lovers. Its latest technology involves launching an application that allows users to stream art in a manner similar to music streaming.
Just as we have Spotify for music, Amazon for books, and Netflix for movies, Raknida aims to be the go-to platform for art. Users will be able to view artworks that align with their tastes and interests, with the goal of helping Nigerian artists gain global recognition for their creations.
Similar to Samsung's art streaming service, The Frame TV, a hardware component is also in the works for Raknida.
The African visual art industry is valued at over $13 billion, with 86 percent of collectors surveyed expressing interest in African traditional art, highlighting the continent's strong artistic presence.
In Bolu's latest story, delve into how art can leverage technological tools to introduce people to a world of creativity and colour. Want to know more? Read it here.
Morocco helps power Nigeria's EV dreams
Electric vehicles are making waves in several countries, and Nigeria is set to soar higher in the ranks of local manufacturers.
What's happening? The National Automotive Design and Development Council of Morocco, in partnership with E-move Vehicles and Univers Acier — two Moroccan firms — alongside the Federal Government of Nigeria, is collaborating to manufacture locally-made electric vehicles.
This deal, announced at the Nigeria-Morocco business forum, will include local component manufacturing, electric vehicles, EV infrastructure, and gas-powered vehicles.
E-move Vehicles, a player in energy storage systems, electric vehicles, tricycles, and battery manufacturing, will leverage this investment from the Nigerian government to create breakthroughs for the automotive sector in both countries.
In partnership with Univers Acier Steel, a steel manufacturing company, these vehicles will be produced and assembled in Nigeria before being exported to Morocco.
Why should we care? This deal will promote local production in Nigeria while expanding its reach in EV technology, thus reducing the country’s reliance on imported vehicles. Additionally, it will boost economic growth by creating jobs and contributing to national infrastructure.
In Africa, EV technology is rapidly gaining traction, with the market expected to experience an 8.85 per cent growth by 2029. With this investment deal, Nigeria will be among the top contenders in the industry, and while there are already EV companies operating in the country, this collaboration represents a significant boost for the sector.
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Opportunities
- Paystack is hiring for multiple senior positions. Apply here.
- Moniepoint is hiring for various roles in the UK and Lagos. Apply here.
- Interswitch is looking for a Senior Backend Engineer. Apply here.
- Flutterwave is hiring for several roles in African countries, including Nigeria and Zambia, and the UK. Apply here.
- Pitch Friday is this Friday, November 8, 2024. Register here.
- Looking for an internship or remote role? Here's a list of 1,500+ opportunities in different fields (tech, finance, marketing, health and more). Check it out here.
- Follow Techpoint Africa's WhatsApp channel to stay on top of the latest trends and news in the African tech space here.
Have lovely Tuesday!
Sunny Delight for Techpoint Africa.
