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Jumia to Expand Food Delivery Service in Africa
Jumia is set to expand its eCommerce offering to include food delivery. According to the company’s co-CEO, Sacha Poignonnec, 20% of all transactions across the Jumia platform is already made up of food and this is growing quickly. He also revealed that the service will expand to Egypt following the exit of Uber Eats. TechCentral writes [Poignonnec’s] comments come “after a year where demand for delivered meals and groceries has exploded worldwide as restrictions to contain the coronavirus kept people indoors”. And while countries in Africa have taken longer than others around the world to adopt this trend – due to limited access to affordable Internet solutions – Jumia is making waves to expand before other eCommerce goliaths – like Amazon – do. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_bce.td-a-rec-im...
Telegram Introduces Auto-Delete and Expiring Invite Features
Image sourced from The Independent Telegram has released a new update that includes an auto-delete timer for messages in any chat, as well as new flexible invite links. Auto-Delete Messages Telegram users can now enable an auto-delete timer in all chats, which will automatically erase messages for all participants either 24 hours or 7 days after sending. Auto-delete only applies to messages sent after the timer is set, earlier messages will stay in the chat history. Unlike in Secret Chats, the countdown starts when messages are sent, not read. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_130.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_130.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } To enable the timer on Android, tap ⋮ > Clear History then choose a duration. On iOS, press and hold a message, tap Select > Clear C...
Twitter Considers Charging Users for Exclusive Content
Image sourced from Mission Statement Academy Twitter is exploring a subscription-based model – called “super follows” – where users can charge followers for access to exclusive content. “Exploring audience funding opportunities like Super Follows will allow creators and publishers to be directly supported by their audience and will incentivise them to continue creating content that their audience loves,” reveals a Twitter spokesperson. The social platform’s Head of Product, Kayvon Beykpour says that the exclusive content could include anything from tweets and direct messages to audio conversations and newsletters. “We also think that an audience-funded model, where subscribers can directly fund the content that they value most, is a durable incentive model that aligns the interest of creat...
Haller Farmers: Restoring African Land for Over 50 Years
The Haller Farmers app is taking advantage of Africa’s increasing mobile penetration by equipping the next generation of farmers with knowledge, information and education through technology. The app — which was developed for farmers by farmers — takes its unique name from UNEP Global 500 Laureate, Dr Rene Haller, who has spent the last 50 years experimenting with nature to restore life to degraded landscapes. Since the 1970s, Dr Haller has used science and careful observation to allow barren quarried landscapes to be transformed into abundant and diverse forest ecosystems, sanctuaries for endangered species, and resources for local African communities. An example of this is Haller Park, a former limestone quarry that is now a flourishing hub of biodiversity. The 7km² landscape is curr...
6 Reasons to Sponsor IoTFA 2021
The Internet of Things Forum Africa is set to lead the conversation on the latest IoT challenges, opportunities and innovations. Taking place on 25 – 26 March 2021, this free virtual summit will see hundreds of executives, entrepreneurs and solution providers equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to plan and implement successful connected projects. This year’s virtual Internet of Things Forum Africa is themed ‘Envisioning The Role of IoT in a Post COVID-19 World’- with a key focus on how the digital enterprise of the future will be shaped by our current pandemic experiences. Join us on the 25th and 26th of March 2021 and find out about the growing influence of IoT in business transformation, and how focused attention on data regulation, cloud and cybersecurity will become cruc...
Rain Suffers Private Data Breach
Image sourced from MyBroadband Rain has confirmed that hit by a security breach. The South African telco revealed in an email to subscribers that its security team discovered unauthorised access to the group’s invoice storage system. According to BusinessTech, the vulnerability has been “identified and remedied”. However, some historical invoices “may have been accessed”, with the information limited to customers name and postal addresses. “Firstly, we want to assure you that your sensitive information is secure, and no action is required from you at all. We can confirm that there has been no unauthorised access to any systems that store information such as login details, ID numbers, banking or card details. This information was never at risk,” says the company. “We would like to assu...
Ghana Set to Receive Free Covax COVID-19 Vaccines
Image sourced from TimesLIVE Ghana is set to receive 600,000 COVID-19 vaccines from Covax. After a year of disruptions and more than 80,700 Ghanaians getting infected with the virus, the path to recovery for the people of Ghana is expected to finally begin. “We are pleased that Ghana has become the first country to receive the COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility. We congratulate the Government of Ghana – especially the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, and Ministry of Information – for its relentless efforts to protect the population,” reads a statement from UNICEF. “As part of the UN Country Team in Ghana, UNICEF and WHO reiterate our commitment to support the vaccination campaign and contain the spread of the virus, in close cooperation with all partners, including Gavi and...
5 Steps to Secure a Work-From-Anywhere Environment
Sourced from TTEC.com When COVID-19 closed offices worldwide, it created a new urgency for organisations of all kinds and sizes — and particularly the CIOs, CISOs and IT leaders within them — to secure their remote work environments. As the need for remote work grew, so too did the threat landscape. For companies not born in the digital age, it was overwhelming to juggle their first cloud migration while conjuring overnight a new kind of security posture that met internet-scale levels of trust and performance. Where those businesses left gaps, often as a result of human error, cybercriminals were happy to exploit them. As we enter the next phase, one where “work-from-anywhere” environments are here to stay, let’s rewind, pause and remember that the secret to success is to do common things ...
Opera Unveils African Inspired Chat Service in Kenya
Opera has launched the newly dedicated chat service Hype in Kenya. Built into the mobile web browser Opera Mini, this service is expected to enable seamless surfing, chatting and sharing content– without compromising speed or driving increased data consumption. “Chat services and browsers are apps people use every day and feel very personal about,” says Charles Hamel, Product Lead for Hype. “With the integration of Hype in Opera Mini, we are not only rethinking what a chat service should be like in 2021, but also changing the very definition of what a mobile browser should be.” Hype is launching first in Kenya as a pilot market, where users will be able to easily set up their account and start chatting with secure end-to-end encryption. This launch is a facet of Opera’s emphasis on investi...
Why Telcos Should Prioritise Efficiency and Sustainability in 5G Networks
5G is expected to be one of the most transformative communication technologies in a generation – thanks to its ability to enable new services including advanced energy management capabilities that will be critical to solving growing energy and sustainability challenges. But new research highlights the practical challenges of 5G energy management facing telco operators. Estimates suggest 5G networks can be up to 90% more efficient per traffic unit than their 4G predecessors. However, they still require far more energy due to increased network density, heavy reliance on IT systems and infrastructure, and increased network use and accelerated traffic growth. A recent report from Vertiv concludes telecom operators should address these challenges in two ways: by adopting energy efficiency best ...
Here’s What Will Happen if Users Don’t Accept WhatApp’s Updated Privacy Policy
Image sourced from YoMZanzi WhatsApp has given users until the 15th of May to accept its updated privacy policy. In a statement, the company says that if users haven’t accepted it by then, their accounts will not be deleted but they won’t have full functionality of the messaging platform. For a short time, users will still be able to receive calls and notifications, but won’t be able to read or send messages from the app. WhatsApp outlines the following options for users: Users can still accept the updates after May 15th. WhatsApp’s policy related to inactive users will apply. Before May 15th, users can export their chat history on Android or iPhone, and download a report of their account. If users would like to delete their account on Android, iPhone, or KaiO...
IoTFA 2021 Goes Virtual
The number of Internet of Things (IoT) connections exceeded the human population more than a decade ago, research shows. And in 2021, the growing rate of IoT deployment is set to reach $3.7 trillion. This trend is expected to change the trajectory of how businesses are run across the world. So while there is a very real hype surrounding IoT, very few enterprises know how to make the most of it. That’s why business leaders, tech aficionados and innovation heavy-weights are gearing up for the virtual edition of the Internet of Things Forum Africa — taking place from 25 – 26 March 2021. Under the theme “Enabling Enterprise Transformation with IoT”, this premier African event will see hundreds of attendees equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to plan and implement successfu...
