Every fortnight we compile a list of important news updates and events covering the East African FINTECH, MFGTECH, CLNTECH, and AGRTECH sectors.

For a downloadable copy of Africa’s Issue #41

FINTECH

PAYDAY Africa, Global Payments Remittance App Launched
PAYDAY is the flagship product of TalentMatch Inc and a remittance App that enables swift borderless online payments services for Africa, thereby connecting its users with vast opportunities around the world in split seconds. It is intentionally designed in an international standard, as a bridge between the present and the amazing future of every users dream through her financial services of helping Africans connect and link up SWIFTLY.
Favour Ori is the founder at TalentMatch Inc

Safaricom announce increased charges for Fuliza service
Safaricom subscribers who borrow from the telecommunications firm’s overdraft service namely Fuliza will have to pay extra fees after the telco increased daily interest fees. Subscribers on Tuesday started receiving messages on their mobile phones notifying them of the increase.
Peter Ndegwa is the CEO at Safaricom

Ugandans Urged to Leverage Savings and Loans For Growth
At the recently ended financial and digital inclusion webinar organized by Airtel Uganda on July 1st, 2021 under the theme; ‘Transforming Lives Through Digital Microfinance: Savings and Loans’, Ugandans were called and advised to take advantage of savings and loans to achieve their aspirations.
Joseph Lutamwa is the Programs Director at Financial Sector Deepening Uganda

Nigerian fintech startup Payhippo raised $1m pre-seed funding
Nigerian fintech startup Payhippo has raised US$1 million in pre-seed funding to scale its offering, which provides vital loans to small businesses. Launched in January of last year, Payhippo provides loans to small businesses in Africa, often neglected by banks because of their lack of credit histories, in under three hours.
Chioma Okotcha, Uche Nnadi, and Zach Bijesse are the founder of PayHippo

Bank of Uganda to oversee telecoms’ money transactions.
Airtel Uganda has shifted all its financial transactions to a new company, a move that adheres to the latest regulations in the market, and one that offers more protection to customer funds. In a press statement, Airtel Uganda said it had completed its transfer of Airtel money issues Business to Airtel Mobile Commerce Uganda Limited.

Orange offers cheap 3G upgrade as it restores Central Africa services
Orange has resumed its services in the Central African Republic, more than three weeks after its network core and data centre in Bangui were destroyed in a fire. The company announced that its customers are again able to access voice, data, SMS and mobile money services.
Régis Delière is the CEO at Orange

Ecobank Group reaches another milestone in financial inclusion in Africa.
The Ecobank Group and Semoa a Fintech based in Lomé, are enabling mobile money users in Togo to carry out banking faster and easier, across West African Economic and Monetary Union ( WAEMU) through a new digital banking service via WhatsApp called “ Express cash by Semoa”.
Edem Adjamagboi s the CEO and Founder at SEMOA

Nigerian fintech startup Carbon agrees strategic partnership with Visa.
Nigerian fintech startup Carbon, which provides access to basic financial services, has announced a strategic five-year partnership with Visa to offer both digital and physical issuance of Visa cards to its customers.
Chijioke Dozie is the Co-Founder and CEO at Carbon

VodaPay Super App is out – Top merchants onboard
VodaPay Super App has been launched in South Africa. The app is part of a collaboration with the global fintech service platform Alipay. VodaPay is an all-encompassing mobile payment solution customized to meet the lifestyle and payment needs of businesses, consumers, and tech developers.
Shameel Joosub is the Group CEO at Vodacom, South Africa

Ethio Telecom’s mobile money lures 4 million in first month.
Ethio Telecom has signed up 4 million Ethiopians for a mobile money service that it launched in May, a document published by the Finance Ministry said, as the government seeks to sell a stake in the state-owned company.

Telkom launches virtual card for transacting on WhatsApp.
Telecommunication company Telkom has announced that it launched Mastercard virtual cards to be used on WhatsApp for its Telkom Pay customers enabling them to make e-commerce payments. Telkom Pay is a digital payments wallet that enables its users to make and receive payments using WhatsApp on their mobile phones.
Sipho Maseko is the CEO at Telkom Group
Suzanne Morel is the Country Manager for South Africa at Mastercard

AGRTECH

New online market to boost small holder farmers in EAC
An online agribusiness market to help farmers in the East Africa Community sell agricultural produce has been unveiled. Agribusiness Confederation of East Africa (ACEA) has launched the online agribusiness market to help sellers in the region find markets for their green produce.

Old Mutual and SwiftVee Agritech launch new digital solution for livestock buyers
OLD MUTUAL Insure and SwiftVee AgriTech have launched a new digital insurance solution called VeeSure to support the needs of the South African livestock buyers and production auction market.
Russel Luck is the CEO at SwiftVEE

UK-Kenya Tech Hub to support Kenyan female AgriTech entrepreneurs.
The UK-Kenya Tech Hub, in partnership with Future Females, has launched an AgriTech program to support 40 female entrepreneurs to grow their AgriTech–based Businesses. The program will focus in sustainable farming and set to contribute to small business development and gender inclusion to enhance agricultural practices in Kenya.
Sheena Raikundalia is the Director at UK-Kenya Tech Hub

SAMAC Confirms South African Aerobotics as Associate Member
Macadamia South Africa NPC, SAMAC, has confirmed South African agritech and precision farming company, Aerobotics as an associate member. SAMAC is an association of Macadamia industry role-players. With Aerobotics, farmers can monitor every crop and assess the effectiveness of interventions related to pests, diseases, soil-related challenges, and many other operational concerns in the early stages of production.
James Paterson is the CEO at Aerobotics