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Articles by Daniel Mpala
Six ideas for a startup for those still in university [Sponsored]
While you’re a student, you can’t stop thinking about the bright future that awaits. You want to expand your horizons. You want to be successful, and you already have an idea for a small business. When your teacher requires an essay, you try to connect it with those ideas for the future, so you’ll explore them in depth. Why are you still in “exploration” mode? Small businesses don’t require huge budgets to get going. If you start a company now, it may be biog by the time you graduate.
Six ideas for a startup for those still in university [Sponsored]
While you’re a student, you can’t stop thinking about the bright future that awaits. You want to expand your horizons. You want to be successful, and you already have an idea for a small business. When your teacher requires an essay, you try to connect it with those ideas for the future, so you’ll explore them in depth. Why are you still in “exploration” mode? Small businesses don’t require huge budgets to get going. If you start a company now, it may be biog by the time you graduate.
Lateral Capital holds initial close of $50m venture fund
Lateral Capital, a US venture capital fund focused on sub-Saharan Africa, has announced that it has exceeded its initial closing target of $20-million for its Lateral Investment Partners I fund. This, after accepting its first limited partnership (LP) commitment in early 2018.
Samsung adds 5G support to its already stacked Galaxy Tab S6
In partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Google on Thursday launched a new SOS alert on Search to help users find accurate information… Google on Wednesday revealed a new social app that allows users to share and explore DIY videos.
Eskom confirms stage 2 load shedding throughout the weekend
In partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Google on Thursday launched a new SOS alert on Search to help users find accurate information… Google on Wednesday revealed a new social app that allows users to share and explore DIY videos.
Google has launched a SOS Alert for the coronavirus on Search
In partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Google on Thursday launched a new SOS alert on Search to help users find accurate information about the coronavirus outbreak. According to the company, the alert will pop up when users search for details about the virus and direct them to “safety tips, info, resources & Twitter updates from WHO”. Today we launched an SOS Alert w/ @WHO, to make resources about #coronavirus easily accessible.
Google's experimental app Tangi lets you watch 60-second DIY videos
Google on Wednesday revealed a new social app that allows users to share and explore DIY videos. Called Tangi and aimed at creatives, the app is part of Google’s Area 120 experiment lab and looks like a blend of Pinterest and IGTV. “Tangi is where creative people can get new ideas and connect with other passionate people like them,” Google explained on its website. According to the company, each video on Tangi is 60 seconds long and presented in vertical format.
Skills deficit main challenge facing young entrepreneurs in Fourth Industrial Revolution
Very young African entrepreneurs could be left out of business opportunities expected to be created by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, because of the skills deficit among youth when it comes to new technologies. So, says Cover magazine relationship manager Nape Phaleng. Phaleng was speaking in October during a round-table hosted by the Anzisha Prize team during the Anzisha Prize Forum in October last year.
YGAP calls on social-impact startups to apply for five-day live-in accelerator in Joburg
YGAP‘s SA chapter has launched a call for application for startups to apply for a five-day live-in accelerator in Johannesburg in May, which will be followed by three to six months of tailored support. YGAP is an Australian international development non-profit that aims to support and grow early-stage social impact ventures to help them refine their business and impact models.
African venture capitalists bullish over VC sector ahead of Nigerian Interswitch's IPO
The World Bank has forecast growth in Sub-Saharan Africa to slow from 3.4% (forecast) in 2019, to 2.9% in 2020. But despite slower growth, venture capitalists remain bullish over the continent’s venture capital (VC) scene. Earlier this month London-based research firm Briter Bridges reported that African tech companies last year raised over $1.2-billion in funding in 167 disclosed deals (see this story).
FSAT Labs, Seda call on tech startups to apply for next acceleration programme
Netflix on Monday released the official trailer for Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, its new animated take on the classic Japanese anime.
Apex Legends trailer teases fans with new season 4 character's death
Respawn Entertainment on Monday released a new Apex Legends trailer introducing the game’s latest playable character ahead of its season four launch. Though the developer originally announced James “The Forge” McCormick in a tweet last week, the new trailer suggests that the next Legend will actually be Revenant instead. In fact, in the trailer, The Forge is abruptly murdered by the red-hooded robot Revenant in the middle of an interview.
Netflix drops official 'Ghost in the Shell' trailer ahead of April release
Netflix on Monday released the official trailer for Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, its new animated take on the classic Japanese anime.
Grant Brooke announces he's stepped down from managing Twiga Foods
Grant Brooke, the co-founder of Kenyan startup Twiga Foods has announced that he has stepped down from managing the startup. Twiga Foods’ platform aggregates the requirements of the informal retailers through its mobile-commerce platform and leverages this to efficiently source produce directly from farmers and food manufacturers.
Changes to Section 12J VC regime won't spell doom for all funds says venture capitalist
Experts last year raised concern over new deductions limits for investors under Section 12J of the Income Tax Act, saying it will reduce the amount of funds that venture capital companies (VCCs) can raise. But Knife Capital‘s Keet van Zyl argues some VCCs can still succeed despite the changes. The VC tax incentive, set up under Section 12J of the Income Tax Act, allows investors who make investments in approved VCCs — that then invest in qualifying small companies — a tax deduction.
YEEP Africa founder decries lack of investments in youth-led startups in South Africa
Young entrepreneurs are just not getting the support they need — despite the incorporation of the subject in school curriculum, argues Youth Enterprise Exchange Programme (YEEP) Africa founder Alesimo Mwanga. “There is very little investment directed at supporting the pipeline growth of startups in South Africa, particularly at that age,” said Mwanga, speaking following YEEP Africa’s second annual YEEP Ideas & Pitch Challenge bootcamp (see this story).
Cape Town dams in much better shape in January 2020 than 2018
We may be in the height of the dry season in Cape Town but you probably wouldn’t have guessed by looking at the dam levels alone. According to the City of Cape Town’s latest report, the city’s reservoirs were 71.9% full as of 27 January — that’s an increase of 0.2% over the previous week. The reason? The Theewaterskloof Dam. In 2018, the city’s largest reservoir was just 13.5%. As of 27 January 2020, its 65.4% full, an increase of 1.8% over the previous week.
Google Search might look a bit different in the coming weeks
After updating Search on desktop to match its mobile counterpart, Google on Friday revealed that it will soon begin experimenting with different looks and layouts on the platform. This comes after the company received negative feedback about the update and how it displayed “favicons”, or website shortcuts. “Over the coming weeks, while we test, some might not see favicons while some might see them in different placements as we look to bring a modern look to desktop,” Google explained on Twitter.
UK government's Go Global Africa programme opens call for applications
Go Global Africa, a scheme run by the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport through its International Tech Hub Network today called for applications from African tech startups. The programme, which first launched last year, aims to build links with the UK’s digital sector and pave the way for future economic partnerships.
Google Search will soon suggest collections based on your searches
Google last week revealed new updates coming to Collections on Search that will allow users to access their frequently visited websites more efficiently. Though Collections already gives users the option to save searches according to topics like recipes or DIY projects, Google will now automatically group related searches to help users find what they’re interested in even faster.
Overwatch League, Call of Duty League to stream on YouTube
Google and Activision Blizzard have announced a new partnership that will see YouTube host live broadcasts of the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League. “All competitions will be live-streamed on each league’s YouTube channel and will include archived and other special content,” the companies said in a joint press release. As part of the deal, Google Cloud will also serve as Activision Blizzard’s game hosting platform too.
Fintech helps control medical costs for you and your staff with a medical savings card
Between 70% and 80% of employed South Africans cannot afford medical aid and do not always have cash readily available to pay for unexpected medical expenses. Increasingly, employers are unable to offer access to a medical aid. Even those South Africans who can afford a medical aid often run out of benefits before the year ends. Until now, there’s been no effective way to save for medical expenses other than a medical aid. Because of this, a fintech has come up with a prepaid medical card solution.
WACS, SAT-3 internet cable repair still more than a week away
It may be more than a week until South Africans can enjoy full-speed internet again through WACS, this according to the South African National Research and Education Network. Also known as SANREN, the organisation which relies heavily on these cables tweeted an update on the location of the Leon Thevenin, a cable repair ship that left Cape Town harbour last week, and the estimated time of the cable repairs. Leon Thevenin on its way to the WACS S1i cable grounds.
African venture capitalists bullish over VC sector, ahead of Nigerian Interswitch's IPO
The World Bank has forecast growth in Sub-Saharan Africa to slow from 3.4% (forecast) in 2019, to 2.9% in 2020. But despite slower growth, venture capitalists remain bullish over the continent’s venture capital (VC) scene. Earlier this month London-based research firm Briter Bridges reported that African tech companies last year raised over $1.2-billion in funding in 167 disclosed deals (see this story).
Motorola Razr 2019's screen is made with 'bumps and lumps' in mind
Isn’t it great that in the age of foldable phones we all need to be taught a thing or two about caring for our… The Samsung Galaxy A51 probably won’t set any catalogues alight, but it’s a phone that the firm hopes will capture mid-range buyers’ hearts. As… Registration for Telkom VS Gaming leagues are now open to the public, the South African esports tournament organiser announced on Friday. From 27 January… Fujifilm on Friday announced its new “lightweight and compact body” camera, the X-T200.
5 tips and tricks for setting up your Samsung Galaxy A51
The Samsung Galaxy A51 probably won’t set any catalogues alight, but it’s a phone that the firm hopes will capture mid-range buyers’ hearts. As its name would suggest, it’s an upgrade of the A50, a phone that was among the company’s refreshed A series offering of 2019. While other devices in that line up will also receive upgrades this year, the A51’s currently in our hands for review. We took some time to set up the phone to our liking before diving head first into that review.
UNDP calls on startups to participate in sustainable agriculture initiative Cultiv@te
The UNDP has called on innovative startups from around the world tackling challenges in agriculture to enter Cultiv@te, its new global innovation initiative for sustainable agriculture. The initiative will see challenge winners get invited to participate in a programme that includes global conferences, workshops and collaboration with UNDP country offices. Applications for the initiative close on 14 February and a total of 78 teams will be selected to proceed to the second round of shortlisting.
Redefining bootstrapping: it's all about developing a sustainable plan
Given the current global startup environment, I believe a re-definition of the term bootstrapping is in order. I believe bootstrapping is more than just an adverb and should be viewed as a comprehensive strategy for tech startups. What is bootstrapping? Historically, bootstrapping has been a term used to describe the efforts made by individuals to overcome a nearly impossible obstacle or to improve oneself through self-sustaining efforts requiring no assistance from others.
SAWS issues heavy rain, possible flooding and storm watches across SA
The South African Weather Service on Friday warned that citizens should expect another afternoon of stormy weather across the country. The service on Twitter issued watches for areas across a number of provinces, for severe thunderstorms: Over KwaZulu-Natal‘s Harry Gwala, uMgungundlovu, uThukela, uMzinyathi and Amajuba districts. This watch is in effect from 2pm Friday until 10pm Friday. Across the Free State “except the northern parts” in effect from 1pm Friday to 10pm Friday.
'Africa loves' Donald Trump, according to Patrice Motsepe
“Africa loves you,” exclaimed businessman Patrice Motsepe, as he shook the hand of US President Donald Trump in Davos on Thursday. At a panel which featured the two prominent men in their own countries, Motsepe donned the continental spokesperson hat and lauded the US president. “Africa loves America. Africa loves you. It’s very, very important. We want America to do well,” he can be heard cooing to Trump.
Registration for Telkom VS Gaming's esports leagues opens on Monday
Registration for Telkom VS Gaming leagues are now open to the public, the South African esports tournament organiser announced on Friday. From 27 January to 16 February, teams wishing to compete at the Masters league and Championship league levels can register with the organiser to compete in three titles. Telkom VS Gaming’s cutting the number of games offered to just three in 2020, and only CS:GO will be offered at Masters level.
Top African startups are upbeat over plans for 2020
It might still be early days, but 2020 seems set to be a good year for African tech startups. This is the general sentiment from some of Africa’s top tech startups — such as Egyptian healthtech firm Vezeeta, Nigerian mobility platform Max.ng and SA bitcoin exchange Luno — that Ventureburn surveyed this week. From new products, markets, partnerships to multi-million dollar funding rounds in the works, here’s what these startups expect in 2020.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip will feature an ultra thin foldable glass screen
The Galaxy S20 isn’t the only device family set to launch next month. Samsung’s readying its second generation foldable phone to join the Galaxy Fold. Dubbed the Galaxy Z Flip, more of the phone’s specifications were revealed by XDA’s Max Weinbach on Tuesday. The Galaxy Flip Z has a 3300 mAh battery. Along with the Snapdragon 855, this should be pretty ok in everything. About the same battery live as the mid size S10.
How many of the 2019's biggest mobile apps do you use?
App analytics firm Sensor Tower on Tuesday unveiled its definitive list of the apps that got thumbs smashing download buttons in 2019. Grabbing info from both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, the company saw global downloads in 2019 jump to 114.9-billion, an increase of 9.1% over the previous year. But before we get into the juicy list, here’s some background and notable performances from apps and publishers. Dominating these downloads is Facebook.
Huawei's 'New Edition' P30 Lite isn't very 'new' at all
It’s been a tough and strange few months for Huawei. As its still unable to trade with US companies, its new phones have launched without Google services. For Western users, this means no Play Store, support for banking apps, and other critical features non-Apple folk have grown accustomed to. However, to offer buyers new choices with Google services, Huawei has discovered a workaround.
Ghanaian agritech startup Okuafo Foundation wins $600k Zayed Sustainability Prize
Ghanaian agritech startup Okuafo Foundation has been awarded $600 000 after it won the food category in the Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020. Inspired by the first president of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the annual $3-million prize is the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) leading sustainability award for recognising innovative solutions that are making an impact.
Dear Google, as a Play Music user, decide what you want YouTube Music to be
Through 2019 YouTube Music continued its life as Google’s de facto music streaming app, unseating Google Play Music as the company’s new favourite musical child. YouTube Music made its debut in South Africa in March this year and globally in May 2018, so it’s relatively young in app terms. Play Music, meanwhile, has been around since 2015. The company has long made it clear that one must die for the other to live, with the latter all but ceasing to exist in its developers eyes. And that’s okay.
Seedstars, Swiss government partner to launch Migration Entrepreneurship Prize
Emerging market startup community and investor Seedstars has partnered with the Human Security Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to launch the Migration Entrepreneurship Prize. The initiative is aimed at supporting startups with socially driven business models in countries in Africa and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region that are prone to strong migration movements.
3 excellent weather apps for Android and iOS
Keeping track of the weather (especially in Cape Town) isn’t the easiest of tasks. In a city where all four seasons can gust through in a single day, it might be a good idea to familiarise yourself with a weather app. And we have three stellar apps for Android and iOS that might tickle your fancy. Wunderground We’ve covered Wunderground a number of times on Memeburn and Gearburn, but the app does deserve the praise.
Everki Atlas review: a hardy, voluminous backpack for tech travellers
As a techie and frequent flier, finding a daily travel backpack is more difficult than it should be. There are the traditional options from North Face and Thule. But what if you wanted something a little more left-field? I’ve been using the Everki Atlas now for the best part of six months, flying, walking and commuting with it, and toting a fair amount of tech within it. But if you’re not into orange, black, or orange on black, then you should probably look elsewhere for a daily backpack.
AI TV to release more Africa AI Stories Series episodes in 2020
Want to learn more about the key people, startups, corporates and initiatives driving the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem in Cape Town? You’ll want to tune into AI TV‘s new 12-film series, Africa AI Stories Series, which AI Media Group launched last month on YouTube. AI Media Group is also the organiser of AI Expo Africa, which claims to be the largest B2B trade-focused AI event on the continent.
Acer's ConceptD 7 Ezel is a powerful workstation with a flippy screen
Windows tablet-laptop hybrids never quite took off, but Acer’s not letting the concept die just yet. Highlighting alongside the more traditional Acer Swift 3 ultraportable, the ConceptD 7 Ezel is the company’s acrobatic hardware vision for graphic designers, animators, film creators and architects of the future. The machine packs workstation specs with a touchscreen, which swivels on Acer’s pivoting and swinging Ezel hinge.
2020's Acer Swift 3 travel laptop now comes in Intel and AMD flavours
The first CES of the decade kicked off in Las Vegas today. Also known as the Consumer Electronics Show, it’s the earliest tech expo on the calendar, and is usually a principle showcase for non-smartphone technology. Speaking of which, Acer wasted no time on Monday demonstrating just that. The PC maker announced its 2020 products at its launch event headlined by the Swift 3, the refreshed version of the company’s affordable ultrabook.
Here are 10 African startups to watch in 2020
Wondering what 2020 has in store for Africa’s tech startup scene? If you’re looking to keep tabs on the movers and shakers that will define this year then join us as we look at the 10 startups that you should consider paying attention to in 2020 (in no particular order). Carry1st The race is on for the first locally-built African super app — that is, one that offers users seamless access to a number of services, often across several verticals.
Africa-focused fintech Chipper Cash raises a further $6m
San Francisco based fintech startup Chipper Cash announced yesterday that it had raised a further $6-million, in a seed round led by California-based Deciens Capital. The announcement was made in an article yesterday by US tech publication TechCrunch.
12 SA tech entrepreneurs who made headlines in 2019
This year, you could say, was full of drama for SA tech startups. From a public spat between well-known SA businessmen, a SA doctor who announced plans to launch SA’s first vertical business jet and Eran Eyal, a SA entrepreneur convicted in the US with defrauding investors of millions of dollars through various schemes, 2019 was a riveting read.
SA's GotBot to use R2.5m investment to grow SaaS platform, says founder
SA artificial intelligence (AI) solutions startup GotBot plans to use a R2.5-million investment it raised from SA venture capital (VC) firm Capaci.Tech earlier this year to further develop its software and software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform. Johannesburg-based artificial GotBot was founded in 2016 by Chris Green and Nick Argyros (pictured above, middle with Capaci.Tech’s Jaco de Wet and Capacitech founder Matthew Emanuel).
No load shedding today, as Eskom keeps President Ramaphosa's promise
Twitter’s all about opinion, but at the end of the day, the social network’s also all about numbers. What’s popular is all based on… No load shedding will be implemented by Eskom on Tuesday, the power utility announced on Twitter. The good news comes after an entire weekend… 2019’s sure been a year.
Kenyan AI startup UTU raises $500k round from Japanese VCs
Nairobi-based artificial intelligence startup UTU has raised $500 000 in a round in which at least two Japanese venture capital (VC) firms participated in. UTU, which was founded in 2017 by Jason Eisen and Bastian Blankenburg, provides trust infrastructure for mobility, sharing, fintech, and e-commerce platforms. It’s not clear where Eisen and Blankenburg are from.
Here are the winners of the African App Launchpad Cup
Egypt’s Information Technology Industry Development Agency (Itida), in collaboration with RiseUp Summit, have announced the winners of the African App Launchpad Cup. The finals of the competition were held last Saturday (7 December) at the RiseUp Summit in Cairo which was held at the American University in Cairo (AUC).
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