• With cloud transformation enabling businesses to navigate challenges, adopt emerging technologies, and compete globally, Africa’s cloud-driven future holds great promise.
• A new survey shows that CEOs’ top cloud-enabled priorities over the next 12 months will include increasing productivity, improving profitability, saving costs, and enhancing stakeholder trust.
• Organizations that embrace cloud technologies strategically and swiftly will be better positioned to unlock value and drive innovation.

In a market of rapidly advancing technology, CEOs throughout Africa are strategically positioning their investments to secure a competitive advantage through emerging technologies, including generative AI, advanced analytics, and cloud transformation.

Among these, the linchpin for optimizing value is cloud transformation — the process of migrating work to the cloud, which can include data, apps, and software programs, and others.

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing, as defined by Amazon Web Services (AWS), is a revolutionary approach to accessing and managing IT resources. It delivers computing …

• Opera MiniPay Momentum continues following the successful launch of MiniPay in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.
• MiniPay empowers users to save, send, and receive funds instantly on their mobile phones with very low transaction fees.
• With a mission to onboard millions of users to Web3 across Africa, Celo and Mento Labs aim to provide accessible financial tools through MiniPay embedded in Opera Mini.

In collaboration with Celo and Mento Labs, Opera has announced a significant achievement: surpassing 1 million users of the MiniPay wallet across Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana markets.

This milestone for the global web innovator was marked today at the Africa Money and DeFi Summit, taking place on February 14-15 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Launched in 2006, Opera Mini has unique features such as data compression, offline file sharing, and a built-in ad-blocker. MiniPay is a self-custodial dollar stablecoin wallet seamlessly integrated into the Opera Mini browser for Android …

• The threat of SIM swap fraud looms large over South Africa’s telecommunications landscape.
• Strengthening identity verification practices is paramount to safeguarding consumers and preserving trust in the digital ecosystem.
• Operators need to define practical, robust security solutions that adhere to and surpass current telco legislation.

In today’s digital age, where mobile phones have become an indispensable part of everyday life, the threat of SIM swap fraud looms large over South Africa’s telecommunications landscape.

Gur Geva, founder and CEO of face authentication and identity verification platform , iiDENTIFii, underscores the critical importance for mobile networks to prioritize customer protection and combat this pervasive menace.

“While there has been a slight decline in reported SIM swap fraud cases, mobile service providers must remain vigilant and bolster their data security measures,” asserts Geva.

Despite strides in mitigating fraud, fraudsters continue to exploit vulnerabilities in identity verification processes, underscoring the imperative for enhanced …

• Cyber threats increased by 943 per cent in the three months to December 2023, with 123 million cases detected in the previous quarter.
• In response to these threats, Kenya’s National Cyber Security Centre issued 8.06 million advisories during the period under review.
• This represented a 44.4 per cent increase compared to the 5.6 million advisories issued between June and September.

The Communications Authority of Kenya reports that the number of cyber threats in Kenya increased in the three-month period leading up to December 2023.

In its 2023/24 Q2 cyber security report, the regulator notes that the number of cyber threats rose to more than 1.2 billion cases, up from 123 million threats detected in the previous quarter, representing a 943 percent increase.

The increase is attributed to the enhancement of Kenya’s cyber threat monitoring capabilities and the increased exploitation of ‘system vulnerabilities,’ driven by the increased deployment and use of …

• Registered customers for M-Pesa Ethiopia rose to 3.1 million from 1.2 million as of half the Financial Year 2023/2024, transacting worth $115.63 million.
• Ethiopia’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2021–2025 aims to increase financial inclusion from 45 to 70 per cent of all adults by 2025, partly by scaling digital payments through mobile money services.
• The country also aims to increase the use of digital payments from 20 per cent of all adults in 2020 to 49 per cent by 2025.

Revenue growth for M-Pesa Ethiopia

Safaricom’s M-Pesa in Ethiopia reported revenue returns of $277,139.43 over the nine months ending in December 2023.

Following its August 2023 launch, the operations generated $45,000 over the first four months, with further commitment to grow the numbers.

Registered customers for M-Pesa Ethiopia rose to 3.1 million from 1.2 million as of half the Financial Year 2023/2024, transacting worth $115.63 million.

However, the opportunity for …

• Tanzania-based clean energy company, TRí, is introducing electric tricycles to the country’s transportation sector to reduce carbon emissions.
• On average, the oil-powered motorcycle is estimated to be 10 times more polluting per mile than a passenger car, light truck, or SUV.
• The move to roll out electric motorcycles aligns with Tanzania’s Inclusive Green Economy (IGE) Program, which aims to promote zero emissions by 2030.

The transport industry accounts for a significant amount of carbon emissions in Tanzania and around the world. Through players in the private sector, Tanzania is turning the tide with green transport startup, TRí, launching electrical tricycles in the market.

These tricycles promise cost savings for thousands of riders, especially small-scale traders who dominate the country’s transport industry.

With the rising cost of fuel, electric tricycles are becoming the go-to option for traders who are keen on protecting their margins, with TRí’s market survey showing that their …