• Google has unveiled the list of successful applicants of its Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 7 and they include Fleetsimplify, HydroIQ and Sukhiba
• The startups are drawn from seven African countries, namely Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda, with Cote D’Ivoire joining for the first time
• Over the next three months, the startups will work with Google mentors and facilitators learning best practices on a range of topics, including Artificial Intelligence and Big Data 

Google has unveiled the list of successful applicants of its Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 7.

In a statement, the American technology company said the selected startups are developing solutions in healthcare, education, fleet management, logistics automation and recruiting.

The seventh class includes three Kenyan startups, namely Fleetsimplify, HydroIQ and Sukhiba.

The startups are drawn from seven African countries, namely Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda, with Cote D’Ivoire joining …

World Bank further notes that the unified digitisation of the East African economy is estimated to generate up to a US$2.6 billion boost in GDP and 4.5 million new jobs that will largely benefit those at the bottom of the pyramid.

Data by GSMA reveals that by the end of 2020, 495 million people subscribed to mobile services in Sub-Saharan Africa, representing 46 percent of the region’s population, an increase of almost 20 million on 2019.

GSMA revealed that smartphone connections will more than double by 2025 in Sub-Saharan Africa with the East African Community registering the largest incremental growth, led by Rwanda and Tanzania. …

In October 2021 Nigeria became the first country in Africa and of among few in the world to issue a digital currency that was dubbed ‘eNaira’.

Financial experts say the digital currency issued by central banks cut transaction costs and increase financial inclusion.

Maurice Muhiza Rwamigabo, Head of Exploration & Coordinator at the Accelerator Lab (an innovation and technology lab) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Rwanda, said in an opinion article titled ‘Should Rwanda adopt a national digital currency?’ that if Rwanda wants to restructure its financial system and position itself as an important player in the future global economy, it should systematically assess and take the steps needed to develop its own Central Bank Digital CBDC. 

“A CBDC would offer Rwandans a safe, free, and easy alternative to cash. It would expand financial inclusion by enabling more of the unbanked population to participate in the formal …

A report by The Women in Tech Africa Summit 2019 showed that despite receiving 50 per cent less venture capital funding, global technology firms led by female entrepreneurs typically achieve a 35 per cent higher return on investment than those managed by men.

In the first half of 2021, African startups raised US$1.19 billion. However, female CEOs raised just 14 per cent of the financing, up from 2 per cent for the same period in 2020.

The African Development Bank puts the funding gap for women entrepreneurs in Africa at US$42 billion.

This should encourage more investors to take a gamble on women-led businesses in Africa’s tech space as they offer promising returns. 

Women in tech on the continent not only drive significant development in the African tech space, but they also simultaneously inspire young girls venturing into tech across the continent to do the same. …

• President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered a countrywide security crackdown to weed out rogue boda boda operators from the sector following the recent assault of a female motorist
• Kenyatta said that he had instructed the country’s security apparatus to clamp down on rogue boda boda cyclists and ensure perpetrators of the heinous act are brought to book
• President Kenyatta also ordered a new registration of all boda boda operators in the country as part of measures to restore order in the sector

President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered a countrywide security crackdown to weed out rogue boda boda operators from the sector following the recent assault of a female motorist along Wangari Maathai Road Nairobi County.

Describing the incident as disheartening, the President said that he had on Monday evening instructed the country’s security apparatus to clamp down on rogue boda boda cyclists and ensure perpetrators of the heinous act are brought …

• A new finding now shows that women are now taking the lead in the transformation of Africa as the continent makes tremendous progress driving gender parity
• Zuri Foundation Chief Executive Officer Norah Muthoni Mumo said the past three years have seen an increase in women’s participation in societal transformation
• Accelerating progress towards gender parity could boost African economies by the equivalent of 10 per cent of their collective GDP by 2025

A new finding by Zuri Foundation indicates that women are now taking the lead in the transformation of Africa as the continent makes tremendous progress driving gender parity.

Zuri Foundation Chief Executive Officer Norah Muthoni Mumo said the past three years had seen an increase in women’s participation towards societal transformation in various fields, including political leadership, senior managerial positions, entrepreneurship, and sports and culture.

“More women are now in political leadership positions; women in corporate boards in Kenya …