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

FINTECH Roundup

Coronavirus triggers growth in Africa’s tech sector, via China Daily.
While coronavirus has interrupted the normal way of life, the pandemic has created massive opportunity and transformed the commerce, information, health and communication technology, as people opt for cashless payments systems, and both private and government investing in innovations to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Airtel Rwanda signs Deal with Pay.Rw, Efashe For Alternative Airtime Recharge Channels, via Taarifa.
In a bid to enhance experience, Airtel Rwanda has partnered with two other additional platforms to make Airtel airtime easily accessible to its users. Airtel customers can now conveniently buy airtime on pay.rw.

Egyptian Fintech Startup Offers Online Payment Platform for students, via IT News Africa.
A local fintech startup Klickit (previously known as Q-Less) and Paymob are officially enabling digital payments for educational entities affiliated with global advisory and educational management firm GEMS Education.

Ezypay Collaborates with UBA for Fintech Service Expansion, via mfidie.
Eazypay took yet another step forward in its goal to ensure seamless and easy transactions for millions of people around the world. This is as a result of the cemented partnership UBA bank (one of the largest financial services group in Africa) and Artificial Intelligence Technologies Limited.

Bank of Ghana to establish a digital currency, via Pulse.
First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BOG), DR Maxwell Opoku-Afari says the bank is working to establish a sandbox to encourage innovation in the market, and also test concepts such as a Central Bank Digital Currency.

Nigerian fintech startup KIaKia launches P2P lending investment app, via Disrupt Africa.
Nigerian fintech startup KiaKia (launched in 2016), has launched a first lending investment mobile app that allows users to invest in the funding of secured personal and business loans originated, underwritten and booked by the startup, and earn interest income. 

Kanzu Code on path to boosting financial technology, via PML Daily.
KAMPALA — Kanzu Code, a Financial Technology Company (FinTech) that builds inclusive financial tools is set for greater heights, following its enrollment in the 40-days-40-FinTechs project. The initiative has given Kanzu Code further exposure to latest financial technology tools that will enable them develop more interoperable solutions using new technologies such as Mojaloop Open Source Software.

Coronavirus Pandemic fuels Mobile Money Transactions in Nigeria,via Voa News.
With Nigerian businesses struggling because of coronavirus lock down measures, the use of mobile money and “no touch”, cashless transactions in business is growing rapidly.  The use of mobile money grew by almost 15 percent in March, and experts say the practice is expected to become even more common as the pandemic continues.

Tanzania based Payment Firm targets Kenya Entry, via Business Daily.
Tanzanian firm Nala, founded by Benjamin Fernandes, which helps access multiple mobile accounts on a single inter-phase to settle bills and make other transactions, is seeking to set up shop in Kenya. It seeks to carve off a slice of the mobile money market where Sh4.3 trillion (about 40 per cent of the gross domestic product) was transacted last year.

Uber Africa launches Uber Cash with Flutterwave and explores EVs, via Tech Crunch.
Uber is launching its Uber Cash digital wallet feature in Sub-Saharan Africa through a partnership with San Francisco-based — Nigerian-founded — fintech firm Flutterwave. The arrangement will allow riders to top up Uber wallets using the dozens of remittance partners active on Flutterwave’s Pan-African network

April mobile cash deals hit 2-year low, via Business Daily.
Cash transacted through mobile phones and tablets in April fell to the lowest level in more than two years on the back of reduced earnings by businesses and workers. Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) statistics show mobile payments fell by Sh56.52 billion to Sh307.99 billion in the first full month after Kenya enforced partial trade lock downs to stem the spread of the virus.

More Ugandans turn to mobile money, via The East African.
Uganda’s mobile financial services continued to register steady growth with the quarter ending December 2019 realizing 700,000 new mobile money accounts. The Ugandan According to the latest Uganda Communication Commission report net additions in registered mobile money accounts between December 2018 and December 2019 stood at 2.6 million.

CLNTECH Roundup

RWANDA: Ignite Power reaches 5,000 homes with solar kits in two months, via Afrik21.
In Rwanda, a solar kit specialist Ignite Power has recently extended access to electricity to 5000 households in rural areas. The service was provided in two months as part of it Pro-Poor Extreme Affordability programme.

AGRTECH Roundup

SA’s Skudu helps agribusiness increase revenues by applying tech to agronomy, via Disrupt Africa.
Launched in 2018, Skudu a South African Agri-tech start-up is helping agribusinesses lower input costs while increasing yields by mastering agronomy, or soil science through technology.

AgriTech Company in Ghana send Vital COVID-19 Info to Locals via Voice Message, via IT News Africa.
Ghanaian agritech company, Farmerline has sent WHO COVID-19 information to over 18,000 smallholder farmers across 32 districts in Ghana in the wake of the pandemic. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) COVID-19 messages – which were originally available in the English language on the Internet – have been translated into Twi, Ga, Fante, Hausa, Dagbani, Nzema and Gonja.

African food and agri-tech startups seizing the opportunities of the COVID-19 crisis, via Disrupt Africa.
The COVID-19 pandemic has a major impact on startup development and venture capital investments in Africa as well as globally. At the same time, the “new normal” of social or physical distancing is also a window of opportunity to leapfrog digital business models and solutions for various economic sectors, including the agriculture and food sector.

Agritech Enterprise donates face masks to farmers, via The point.
Agritech Enterprise, a Gambian-owned registered enterprise specialised in the supply of vast range of farm machinery, equipment and inputs on Thursday, 5 June, 2020, joined the ongoing crusade against the novel coronavirus (covid-19) by donating over 2000 face masks to the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project (Nema) for onward distribution to its project beneficiary farmers.

Upcoming Events

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The platform will cover professionals from payments, retail, fintech and insurtech to discuss new ideas about digital transformational in financial ecosystem. You will hear more from thought leaders across Africa and the globe and new technologies from prestigious tech startups.