Here’s a round-up of the top stories that have happened across the African technology startup ecosystem and two bonus tips from beyond the continent. We start it off with Nigeria’s Tizeti raising $3M, South Africa's Skynamo expanding beyond Africa, Amazon hitting $1 trillion valuation, and so much more.
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Nigeria’s Tizeti raises $3M to expand its wifi to other African countries
Tizeti, a Nigerian internet provider, has raised $3 million to expand its services. The startup which operates the wifi.ng brand is looking to expand to Ghana after launching a wifi.africa brand. Full story on Digest Africa.
2. South Africa’s Skynamo expands to UK, targets US also
South African startup Skynamo, which has developed field sales management software and a mobile sales app, has expanded to the United Kingdom (UK) and is planning a push in the United States (US) early next year.
Formed in 2012, Skynamo is used by representatives and their managers to improve insights into field sales activity, reduce administration, and create coaching opportunities that lead to higher sales. Full story on Disrupt Africa.
3. UCC approves U.S. firm’s acquisition of Uganda’s Datanet
BringCom Incorporated, a multinational provider of connectivity solutions based in the U.S., has completed the acquisition of Datanet.Com, LLC in Uganda.
This was after receiving final approval from the Uganda Communications Commission, according to a September 4 joint statement by both companies. Datanet was started in 1999 and it has been providing network service providers and offering corporate network connectivity in Uganda. Full story on Sauti Tech.
4. Goodwell Investments announces new $23M fund for sub-saharan Africa
The Netherlands based Goodwell Investments has announced the launch of a new fund. “Goodwell Investments has launched a new EUR 20 million (around $23 million) fund,” they wrote.
This fund will go to investments in the “inclusive economy in Sub-Saharan Africa.” According to Goodwell, the aim is to meet the “growing demand for impact investments” from private investors, family offices, and foundations. Full story on Digest Africa.
5. World Remit launches digital money transfers within East Africa
Online money transfer service World Remit says it has launched a new digital money transfer service to be rolled out in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
The new service is expected to reduce the cost of sending money across borders which has been a major hurdle to regional integration. Full story on Kenyan Wall Street.
6. Rwanda’s online heath & beauty store Kasha launches in Kenya
Kasha, a Rwanda Based ecommerce and mobile platform that provides women with access to health and personal care personal care has launched in Kenya as it eyes its pan-African expansion move.
Launched in 2016 in the Rwandan market, Kasha has delivered over 5,000 orders in 2016/17 and won the SeedStars Competition winner run a pilot in Uganda. Full story on Tech Moran.
7. How OlyCash is helping the unbanked acquire the same abilities as the banked population
With OlyCash, a user is able pay with cash anywhere and OlyCash is able facilitate cash payments between parties not necessarily in one physical location – online or offline
According to Co-Founder Ash Luwambo, OlyCash leverages those with access to electronic accounts as cash interfaces (agents a.k.a OlyBosses) to reach all members of the population. Full story on enStartup.
8. NIBSS figures question Paga’s 9 million unique user base
Nigerian mobile payments company, Paga recently announced hitting the 9 million unique user mark on its mobile payment platform, up from 8 million users just in January 2018.
This is a great feat for one of the top mobile money operators in the country. But recent figures from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) question this claim. Full story on Tech Point.
9. Amazon hits $1 trillion valuation
Amazon.com Inc. followed Apple Inc. to become the second U.S. company to reach $1 trillion in market value, reflecting the online retailer’s striking transformation from a profitless bookseller into a disruptive force of commerce. Full story on Wall Street Journal.
10. Instagram is building a standalone app for shopping
Instagram is working on a new standalone app dedicated to shopping. The app will let users browse collections of goods from merchants that they follow and purchase them directly within the app, according to two people familiar with the matter. Full story on The Verge.
That’s it for today. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get The Daily Brief in your inbox.
– Douglas