Note #2: Sept 6 - 18 2016
context and thoughts
while it’s been a quiet 2 weeks on the investment front (African VCs and Angels, please share more of your funding deals publicly!), there has been a wave of mobile payment services launching in Kenya, and some interesting gov’t and internet access moves in South Africa, and the access front was marked by the unfortunate loss of Facebook’s Internet access satellite at the beginning of September.
i’ll be visiting Nigeria this week, participating in Google Launchpad Build in Lagos, and joining Lagos’ first Startup Friday event on Sept 23rd to talk with startups and listen to them pitching Y Combinator. come find the tall American guy wearing the “g africa” t-shirt and say hi. :)
this issue of Africa Notes was powered by sparkling water, f.lux, and Frank Ocean’s awesome new album.
pan-africa
access Facebook’s $195mm Internet access satellite for African users destroyed in SpaceX accident link
invest Ghana investment firm Orios Capital raising $1mm fund to invest in West Africa startups link
payments African fintech company MFS Africa acquires global airtime topup and fintech company Sochitel link
startups Africa Internet Group (AIG) rebrands itself and all portfolio companies to the Jumia brand link
nigeria
ecosystem Zinox Technologies receives $25mm from European Technology Trust Fund to build technology hubs across Nigeria link
ecosystem Aso Villa demo day (successful NG startup pitch event) post-event reports available link
invest first Startup Friday event happening in Lagos on Sept 23rd link
invest S&P downgrades Nigeria one level to B (five levels below junk) due to weakened economy link
startups digital bank & fintech platform startup Lidya launched w/ veteran entrepreneurs to disrupt African lending link link2
startups Nigerian entertainment startup Iroko launches IrokoX platform for African content creators to create/distribute/monetize digital content link
startups Andela to start investing in startups founded by Andela graduates link
govt Nigerian gov’t continues push for local hosting of gov’t data link
kenya
invest Capsule raises $100k angel round for its “Uber for ambulances” startup Flare link
startups South African transport info startup WhereIsMyTransport expanding into Kenya link
payments VISA joins w/ Kenyan banks to launch mVISA mobile payment service w/ developer API link
payments M-TIBA mobile health wallet rolled out nationwide, lets customers save money for healthcare for themselves and others link link2
payments KCB M-PESA mobile bank account has given Sh10.3 billion (~USD$100mm) in loans since launch 2 years ago link
govt 12,000 primary school teachers to get Microsoft certification in ICT skills to support classroom laptop project link
govt mobile-traded gov’t security M-Akiba (“the M-PESA bond”) to launch next month, assuming no further delays link
govt Kenya Revenue Authority launches app to let consumers check for counterfeit products using tax stamp scanning link
south africa
access contested gov’t spectrum auction for 700mhz, 800mhz, & 2.6ghz extended by 30 days link link2 link3
access #datamustfall trends in South Africa as customers protest the high cost of mobile data and political parties join the protest link
access cabinet sets up “war room” to monitor rollout of South Africa’s “SA Connect” broadband strategy link link2
access ISP Afrihost to buyback shares and leave parent company MTN link
ecosystem slowdown in set-top box production for South Africa’s digital TV transition in court battle over STB encryption link link2
ecosystem Tshimologong Precinct startup & incubation precinct in Jo’burg launched by JCSE & Wits University link
ecosystem Naspers reaches a $68b market cap on its JSE listing link
startups Uber rolling out UberEATS in ZA by December, beginning in Jo’burg link
payments MTN shuts down their mobile money product in ZA, following Vodacom ending M-PESA in ZA link
payments Mastercard Africa w/ startup iKhokha trials cashless payment for informal township businesses link
payments prepaid power meters increase payments in Soweto township by ZAR39mm/year link
devices Vodacom launches branded Android smartphones at ZAR499 (USD$35) price point and up link
govt protection of personal information (POPI) data privacy act rolls towards approval this year link