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 #51

FINTECH

Airtel’s Developer Portal upgraded for quick Airtel Money API integration
Airtel has announced it has upgraded its Africa Developer Portal to drive better efficiency for businesses to engage in seamless mobile money activity with its dedicated mobile money platform, Airtel Money.
Vimal Kumar is the CEO at Airtel Mobile Commerce BV

NMB, Selcom join forces for a less-cash payments in Tanzania.
The two organizations confessed these conditions for a robust and modern payment industry at the lender’s head office where thet announced joining forces to promoe digitally empowered Tanzania.
Philbert Casmir is the Head: Card Business at NMB Bank Plc

Businesses set to advertise on M-Pesa in new upgrade
Businesses will soon be able to advertise on the M-Pesa app as Safaricom upgrades the mobile money platform to offer more capabilities beyond payments and cash transfers. The move will open a new revenue line for the telco besides enhancing the attractiveness of the financial service.
Shameel Joosub is the Group CEO at Vodacom South Africa

Kenyan Fintech Cellulant Eyes More Funding, Weighs Deals
Cellulant Ltd., a Kenyan financial-technology provider, is planning its fourth round of fundraising targeting to become a so-called unicorn in three years. The funds will be used to deepen its presence in 35 African markets and make acquisitions.
Akshay Grover is the CEO at Cellulant

Safaricom : M-pesa foundation partners with Gertrude’s hospital foundation for a telemedicine initiative
Daktari Good is a three-year program that goals to make use of telemedicine know-how to hyperlink and supply remedy to 32,400 youngsters in six hard-to-reach counties in Kenya. M-PESA Basis and Gertrude’s Hospital Basis have right this moment launched the Daktari Good telemedicine program focusing on over 32,000 youngsters in Samburu, Homabay, Baringo and Lamu Counties.

Safaricom Seeks M-Pesa Mobile Money License in Ethiopia
Safaricom has formally made inquiries about the possibility of launching its mobile-based money transfer services, M-Pesa, in Ethiopia and the additional license fee that will be required. Safaricom’s CEO, has told investors that he has written to Ethiopian Telecommunications Authority inquiring for clarifications regarding what will be required of Safaricom Ethiopia so it will be able to provide mobile money services.
Peter Ndegwa is the CEO at Safaricom PLC

Government of Rwanda and Google collaborate to accelerate digital transformation
The Government of Rwanda, led by the Ministry of ICT and
Innovation, has partnered with Google to accelerate the country’s digital transformation. This initiative is in line with Rwanda’s ambition to drive inclusive economic development leveraging technology.
Paula Ingabire is Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation
Agness Gathaiya is the country Director –EA at Google

Safaricom In The Process of Launching Fuliza For Businesses
Safaricom is in the process of expanding its overdraft facility Fuliza to include business applications. The facility, for now, is only available to M-PESA customers who can use it to pay bills or send cash to friends and family in case their wallets do not have sufficient funds.
Peter Ndegwa is the CEO at Safaricom PLC

Nigeria: Airtel ‘ready to launch’ in promising mobile money market, says CEO Segun Ogunsanya
The Nigerian banking regulator has finally rowed back on its mobile money policy, which strongly favoured a bank-led model. The central bank has issued a preliminary approval to Airtel and MTN to offer mobile money services and help the country achieve its ambitious financial inclusion targets.
Sugun Ogunsanya is the CEO at Airtel Nigeria

There will be no escaping Ghana’s new levy on electronic transactions
Ghana’s finance minister has announced that the government intends to introduce an electronic transaction levy (e-levy) in the 2022 budget. This is to widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector, according to the Minister.
Ken Ofori-Atta is the Minister at Ministry of Finance Ghana.

Uganda: MTN Increases Senkyu Points On Momo Withdrawals and Makes Sending Money Free On Momo App
MTN Mobile Money Ltd has increased the number of Senkyu points a customer gets to 15 points for every Shs100 charged in MoMo withdrawal fees. The points are given on the withdrawal fees that the customer is charged i.e., for every 100/- a customer is charged they receive 15 Senkyu points.
Stephen Mutana is the acting CEO at MTN Mobile Money Uganda

MTN Mobile Money withdrawals at Nedbank — R10 per R1,000
MTN has announced that its Mobile Money (MoMo) customers can now withdraw cash across South Africa from Nedbank ATMs. Fees range from R10 for transactions of up to R1,000, R20 for transactions between R1,000 and R2000, and R30 for transactions between R2,000 and R3,000.
Felix Kamenga is the CO for Mobile Financial Services in South Africa

Nigerian fintech Evolve Credit launches cloud-based lending software
Nigerian lending marketplace Evolve Credit has launched Configure, its new cloud lending software that it says will power thousands of new loan providers over the next five years. The startup raised pre-seed funding just over a year ago, and has now rolled out Configure, an affordable bank-level core lending platform that enables lenders to build, launch, and manage any type of loan product end-to-end across multiple distribution channels.
Akan Nelson is the Founder & CEO at Evolve Credit

Kenya’s Twiga raises $50m Series C round to expand across Africa
Kenyan B2B e-commerce platform Twiga has raised a US$50 million Series C funding round to help it scale its affordable food solutions across Africa. Twiga is a B2B food distribution company that builds fair and reliable markets for agricultural producers and retailers through transparency, efficiency and technology.
Peter Njonjo is the CEO and Co-founder at Twiga Foods

BoG making progress in supporting Fintechs to increase access to finance for PWDs
The Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, has said that the Central Bank is committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities have easy access to financial aid.
Elsie Addo Awadzi is the Second Deputy Governor at Bank of Ghana.

Ghana wants to allow offline payments for its e-cedi CBDC
Ghana is working towards offering its central bank digital currency to citizens without an Internet connection. An official with the Bank of Ghana revealed that the bank is working on a pilot to test the viability of offline payments as it seeks to target the masses.
Kwame Oppong is the Head of Fintech Innovation at Bank of Ghana

Zambia’s Fintech Lupiya gets funding from Google
INSTANT loan application Lupiya has been selected for Google’s first ‘Black Founders Fund’, an initiative started by
the US $2 trillion company in order to promote African founders. Lupiya became famous as the first female-led start-up to raise over $1million in investment last year.
Evelyn Chilomo Kaingu is the Founder & CEO at Lupiya
Muchu Kaingu is the Co-founder at Lupiya