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Tech & Business
- In Kenya, mobile phone users are opting for internet calls and texting as a measure to cut on costs.
- Last year, customers spent more time on a single on-net call averaging 2.8 minutes.
- Safaricom customers spent more on off-net calls, averaging at 1.4 minutes while Airtel accounted for 33.3% of voice and 10.3% of SMS traffic in Kenya.
An increasing number of mobile phone users in Kenya prefer using internet calls and texting as a measure to cut communication costs, a 2023 report by the Communications Authority shows. This shift is steadily eroding both voice and text revenues for mobile network providers in Kenya.
The report shows that the minutes of use per month per subscription decreased to 120.4 minutes in the three months to December 2023 compared to a higher 123.4 minutes during the previous quarter.
Similarly, short messages sent per month per subscription declined marginally to 65.4 from …
- It is challenging to maximise AI’s benefits for children’s education and growth, while also ensuring their privacy, healthy development, and emotional well-being.
- From privacy concerns and the danger of over-trust to the spread of misinformation and possible psychological effects, AI challenges are many.
- Information collected from AI chatbots, when used for malicious purposes, can enable powerful manipulative tactics to spread misinformation, and polarisation.
Across Africa and the world, artificial intelligence is powering one of the most defining revolution in the history of mankind. In just under two years, Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot are increasingly assuming a central role in the lives of individuals, organisations and governments. AI-powered platforms are rapidly becoming a significant part of our daily lives.
For instance, with tech giants Meta integrating AI chatbots into popular social media communications platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, the technology is more …
- 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 …
- Four innovators from Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, and Uganda, selected from a shortlist of 16, vie for the £50,000 (over $62,000) Africa Prize.
- Their innovations encompass recycling in construction, AI tools for healthcare and farming, and reengineered waste collection, addressing crucial societal needs.
- The three runners-up will each receive £15,000 (over $18,000), while a £5,000 (over $6,000) prize titled ‘One to Watch’ will be awarded to the most promising business among the shortlist.
- Since 2014, the Africa Prize has empowered nearly 150 entrepreneurs across 23 African countries, creating over 28,000 jobs and positively impacting more than 10 million people with their innovative products and services.
The Royal Academy of Engineering is set to host the final showdown of the 10th Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, the continent’s premier engineering accolade, on June 13, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya. Out of an initial pool of 16 visionary innovators crafting sustainable, scalable engineering solutions …
- Russian Investment Forum at AIM Congress 2024 highlighted Russia’s robust economic standing.
- Various Russian regions showcased unique investment opportunities, from the Far East’s oil and gas sector to Tatarstan’s diverse industries.
- Discussions also revolved around innovation and technology, with an emphasis on Abu Dhabi’s potential as a global technology hub.
Amidst the grandeur of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), the Russian Investment Forum emerged as a unique centre of opportunities during the 2024 AIM Congress.
Under the International Partners’ Track, this forum brought together luminaries from Russia’s business landscape to showcase the nation’s unique investment propositions and affirm Abu Dhabi’s suitability as a global technology hub.
Spearheading the discussions was Sergey Katyrin, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. Katyrin painted a picture of Russia’s robust economic stature, ranking first in Europe and fifth globally in terms of GDP.
He cited Russia’s …
- The Joint Venture will serve to boost global investment and economic development by synergistically combining both parties’ key capacities in the market.
- Both entities aim to leverage their respective strengths to advance LB Investment’s initiatives.
- Established in 1996, LB Investment has consistently been recognized as one of Korea’s premier fund managers.
AIM Global Foundation, an independent international organization dedicated to empowering investments across the world, and Korea-based LB Investment, which has $1 billion Assets Under Management (AUM), have announced the set-up of a Joint Venture, along with a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the ongoing AIM Congress 2024 in Abu Dhabi.
The Joint Venture will serve to boost global investment and economic development by synergistically combining both parties’ key capacities in the market.
The MOU marks a critical moment in global investment cooperation. Both entities aim to leverage their respective strengths to advance LB Investment’s initiatives through the platform …
- Payment for ransomware attacks is not only impacting large businesses even smaller ones have been hit with 7-figure demand.
- The rate of ransomware attacks falls slightly, but recovery costs hit $2.73 million.
- Despite the soaring ransoms, this year’s survey indicates a slight reduction in the rate of ransomware attacks
The amount organisations are paying to get back their data from cyber criminals has increased by 500 per cent in the past year, a new report by Cybersecurity solutions provider Sophos has revealed.
Sophos, in its annual “State of Ransomware 2024” survey, says this has seen organizations that paid the ransom report an average payment of $2 million, up from $400,000 in 2023, with ransoms being just one part of the cost.
Excluding ransoms, the survey found the average cost of recovery reached $2.73 million, an increase of almost $1 million since the $1.82 million that Sophos reported in 2023. …
- TikTok Community Guidelines will see introduction of stricter For You eligibility standards.
- Video sharing entity says this code emphasizes responsible behavior on and off the platform
- According to the recently released Reuters Institute Digital News report 2023 survey, Kenya leads in world TikTok usage.
Popular video sharing platform TikTok, has unveiled significant updates to its Community Guidelines and introduced new features aimed at supporting creators and maintaining a safe environment for users. The platform’s Community Guidelines, which outline rules and standards for all users, have been updated to provide greater clarity and transparency.
These updates, set to take effect in a few weeks, include refined definitions for policies on hate speech and health misinformation. Additionally, TikTok has detailed how it moderates features like Search, LIVE, and the For You feed to ensure a positive user experience.
One of the key updates is the introduction of stricter For You eligibility standards. …
- Market size of Africa’s digital economy could reach $712 billion by 2050.
- In 2022 only 36 percent of the African population had access to broadband internet.
- Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are streamlining adoption of 5G services.
Africa is on the verge of an economic revolution. From the north to the southern part of the Saharan desert, nations are striving to eliminate poverty and gain a strong foothold in global markets.
In the same vein, the continent is banking on the potential held by the digital economy. Reports ping the sector to higher standards, including a report from non-profit Endeavor predicting that the market size of Africa’s digital economy could reach $712 billion by 2050.
The growth is propelled by the massive engagement of the continent’s younger population, rising smartphone adoption and increasing internet penetration.
Read also: World Bank backs Smart Africa’s Digital Academy with $20M grant
Digital economy in
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