Paris-based media group Trace announced its acquisition of an undisclosed stake in Senegalese mobile classified platform CoinAfrique. While MTN has also acquired Simfy, a music streaming service. That and more in today's brief.
Old Mutual's 22seven taps into crypto-currencies
Old Mutual-owned money management app 22seven has updated its application to enable users to track more than 1 800 crypto-currencies in rands, claiming to be the first to offer such a service in SA. IT Web.
IMF’s Lagarde Asks Central Banks To Consider Cryptocurrency
International Monetary Fund’s Christine Lagarde has implored central banks to consider issuing digital currencies. She said this at the Singapore Fintech Festival after the release of an IMF paper titled “Winds of Change: The Case for New Digital Currency.” Kenyan Wall Street.
Google & Telkom secure regulatory approvals to launch Loon balloon-powered Internet in Kenya
Loon, the Alphabet company working to launch balloon-powered Internet on Telkom’s network in 2019, has secured all necessary regulatory approvals. The company has also begun importing and installing ground infrastructure in Kenya. TechMoran.
MTN, KaiOS and UNISOC are set to launch the world’s first 3G smart feature phone in Africa
The new product will allow customers to upgrade from a feature phone with only voice and text capabilities, to a fully connected handset with fast, 3G internet. IT News Africa.
MTN buys music-streaming business Simfy
Group CEO and president Rob Shuter made the announcement during a speech at AfricaCom 2018 in Cape Town yesterday. He said MTN will push Simfy, which was officially launched in SA in August 2012, into its own base across Africa and the Middle East according to IT Web. Recently, MTN signed a partnership with TIDAL to launch the service in Uganda.
French media group Trace acquires a stake in Senegal’s CoinAfrique
Today’s announced deal is the third reported deal that the Senegalese startup — which was founded in 2014 and launched in 2015 by Matthias Papet and Eric Genêtre — has been involved in this year. Trace said its undisclosed investment into CoinAfrique aims to help the Dakar-based startup accelerate its development. Ventureburn.