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- Mastercard Gateway to Drive Digital Payment Integration in 40 MENA Markets
- Ransomware attacks cost healthcare sector $2.57M in 2024 as cases increase
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Tech & Business
- Mastercard Gateway is a global payment platform that offers protection from fraud and simplifies payment acceptance.
- The main forces behind this change are the speed, security, and ease of use provided by digital wallets and mobile money.
- Mobile money services like MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money, and Kenya’s M-Pesa are becoming to become well-known brands.
Mastercard and Amazon Payment Services have entered a multi-year partnership to digitize payment acceptance across key markets in the Middle East and Africa.
The agreement includes Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, South Africa, and the UAE.
Through the partnership, Amazon Payment Services will integrate Mastercard Gateway, a streamlined solution for payment processing, across 40 markets in the region.
This integration will allow merchants to provide faster, more secure transactions and various payment options for customers.
The collaboration comes as digital payments continue to rise in the region. Amazon Payment Services merchants, including Amazon …
- Ransomware attacks cost the healthcare sector $2.57M, with only 22% of ransomware victims fully recovered in a week or less.
- Organizations with breached backups were twice as likely to pay the ransom to recover encrypted data.
- Insurance providers play a significant role in these ransom payments, contributing to 77% of cases and covering 19% of the total ransom amounts.
Cyber-attacks targeted towards health organisations have increased by 7 per cent in the past year to hit a four-year high since 2021. New findings titled “The State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2024,” by cybersecurity firm Sophos, reveal that healthcare is reporting a rise while other sectors posted a drop.
Of those organizations surveyed, two-thirds or 67 per cent were impacted by ransomware attacks in the past year, up from 60 per cent in 2023.
The rising rate of ransomware attacks against healthcare institutions contrasts with the declining rate of ransomware attacks …
- The UAE Society of Engineers invites innovators to participate in the third edition of the Excellence and Creative Engineering Award.
- It aims to promote the importance of national engineering work.
- The application period will remain open until November 15, 2024.
UAE Engineering Award is inviting innovators across the Middle East nation to showcase their groundbreaking ideas in the highly anticipated third edition of the competition. In a statement, the organizers said UAE’s Excellence and Creative Engineering Award is a unique opportunity to present outstanding work that reflects their commitment to quality and innovation in this field.
The UAE Society of Engineers emphasizes the importance of active participation in such initiatives, which enhance the status of the engineering sector and contribute to its development on both national and international levels.
The Excellence and Creative Engineering Award is the first of its kind in the UAE. It aims to promote the importance …
- Price for engineering innovations was awarded to Esther Kimani from Kenya.
- A solar-powered tool using AI and machine learning-enabled cameras to swiftly detect and identify agricultural pests and diseases has won Africa’s largest prize for engineering innovation.
- Her tool reduces crop losses for smallholder farmers by up to 30 per cent while increasing yields by as much as 40 per cent.
- The Africa Price has supported almost 150 entrepreneurs across 23 African countries, generating over 28,000 jobs and benefitting more than 10 million people through the innovative products and services developed.
Price for Engineering Innovations was awarded to Esther Kimani from Kenya. This price, recognised as Africa’s most esteemed engineering accolade, was presented in Nairobi on June 13, 2024.
Kimani’s pioneering AI-driven pest and disease detection tool for crops secured this price for its groundbreaking impact on the agricultural sector, particularly for smallholder farmers in Kenya.
Read Also: Inside Africa’s …
- Smart cities are emerging as a critical solution to address the rapid urbanisation and infrastructure challenges facing African cities.
- Smart cities in Africa focus on infrastructure development to enhance connectivity, mobility, and accessibility.
- The limitations in human resources, organisational capacity, and rigid bureaucracy are significant obstacles to adapting to the demands of digital transformation and smart cities in Africa.
Smart cities in Africa
Smart cities are emerging as a critical solution to address the rapid urbanisation and infrastructure challenges facing African cities.
Smart cities agenda in Africa strive to ensure inclusive and equitable development by addressing social inequalities and providing all residents equal access to opportunities and services. This includes affordable housing programs, social safety nets, and community development initiatives to improve living standards and reduce poverty in urban areas.
Smart city projects also prioritise accessibility and universal design principles to ensure that infrastructure and services are accessible to people …
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration into various industries has sparked a wave of both anticipation and concern among employees.
- As AI and automation become prevalent, new job categories and roles emerge.
- Cultivating interpersonal skills and collaborating effectively with technology to drive innovation and achieve successful outcomes in the future workplace is key.
Artificial Intelligence and automation in the business landscape
Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration into various industries has sparked a wave of both anticipation and concern among employees. As Artificial Intelligence evolves, employees express growing apprehensions about its impact on job security and overall well-being.
AI and automation are revolutionising the workforce, paving the way for a new era in employment. The adoption of artificial intelligence in automated technologies is poised to transform the job market. Organisations are turning to AI to improve operations and efficiency and stay competitive and relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape.
With the rise of AI …
- Technological developments have completely changed how businesses run, engage with customers, and promote economic progress.
- Digital innovations like cloud computing, big data analytics, and machine learning have given organisations access to real-time information and personalised services.
- Disruptive technologies, characterised by their ability to significantly alter the business and social landscape, have driven massive economic transformations.
Technological change profoundly impacts businesses and the global economy in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. Technological developments have completely changed how businesses run, engage with customers, and promote economic progress.
Technological change has catalysed economic transformation, driven by various technological advancements. Businesses constantly adapt to new technologies to stay competitive, improve efficiency, and meet evolving consumer demands. The Internet of Things (IoT) and automation are examples of technological advancements that have completely changed various industries and organisational structures.
Technological change has reshaped work, leading to new employment patterns and skill requirements. The gig economy, involving …
- USSD is used extensively across Africa to enable mobile banking and mobile payments
- Despite its widespread use, USSD has significant limitations. The menus can be cumbersome and difficult to navigate, transactions are susceptible to interception and lack robust encryption.
- WhatsApp chatbots represent a promising alternative to USSD in Africa’s digital financial services sector by offering a more user-friendly, secure, and cost-effective solution.
Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) have been quoted as a catalyst for financial inclusion in Africa for over a decade now. However, with the advent of new technologies and platforms, the use of USSD has been largely overshadowed by more advanced forms of mobile banking. The integration of banking services through WhatsApp has the potential to revolutionize the way we manage our finances. With its wide reach and user-friendly interface, WhatsApp can quickly become the go-to channel for customers to access their banking services.
USSD was introduced in …
Indigenous owned tech company Kiwa Digital has announced new investment in the African localisation market with innovations to support Africa’s vibrant creative and cultural industries.
The New Zealand company’s software VoiceQ streamlines the post-production of TV, film, video and games, precisely synchronising dubbed voices for film, TV, video and gaming.
It has operated in the African market for five years, supporting leading localisation operators Azam Media and Multichoice and multiple independent operators such as Overklank in South Africa and Sharly Dubbing in France . Today, VoiceQ is localising African stories in centres as diverse as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Dodoma, Gitega, Dakar, Tangiers and Paris.
The latest innovations respond to the African market’s demand for cultural authenticity, high production values, innovative storytelling, and relevance.
The innovations draw on the VoiceQ team’s deep cultural and technology capability. They include authentic AI integrations, better accessibility, real time reporting, multi-language support and free …
