Category: 3-SometimeTechTalk

Nigeria's "company that builds companies", Spark, announced last week its plans to drop some startups it invested in. This announcement comes just a week after 88mph's notice that it will be "taking a break" from investing in African startups. While it is not uncommon for investment funds to pause on-boarding when funds available for employment are temporarily exhausted, it seems odd that 88mph would go out of its way to alert the public to something that would occur in the normal course of business. Similarly, given how startup failure is not uncommon - with some investment funds said to be aiming to achieve a success rate of approximately one in ten, why would Spark ceremoniously trot these "dead businesses" out in this manner? In this week's discussion, iAfrikan Executive Editor, Tefo Mohapi and I ask whether the current approach to tech venture capitalism in Africa is flawed. Perhaps investors are beginning to realise that successfully investing in African startups is in fact a science that involves a lot more than throwing money at promising prospects. Here's to hoping the investment notices by 88mph and Spark are not precursory tremors to a major shaking in Africa's tech investment scene. Be sure to stay up to date with all the week's biggest news from across the continent: -- Find out what major global deadline both Uganda and South Africa have missed, -- Discover how a landmark court ruling has seen South African billionaire Mark Shuttleworth lose $20 million, -- Get details on how an ambitious cable car project in Kenya which promises to alleviate Nairobi's traffic congestion, and -- Learn more about a 3D-printed prosthetic hand which promises to put South Africa on the map in terms of medical innovation. Music Credits: All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Uber's Roman-style campaign to achieve utter and complete worldwide domination has encountered a teeny tiny setback in Kenya. Much to the surprise of many, the company is yet to enjoy the runaway success it has become accustomed to. In last week's episode of the African Tech Round-up we reported on Uber's plans to run a limited experiment to allow its Kenyan customers to pay for trips using cash and M-Pesa. This followed claims made by the company that the slow adoption of their service in Kenya was due to the fact that many Kenyans are unbanked and do not possess credit and debit cards. In this week's show, Andile Masuku and guest co-host Vouchercloud South Africa Managing Director Lyndon Munetsi discuss the challenges that Uber might be facing in rolling out its hugely successful business model in Kenya-- especially given the company's well-documented zero-quibbles approach to taking on new territories. In the meantime, it remains to be seen whether their latest attempts to woo Kenyan users will prove to be effective. Also, be sure to stay up to date with all the week's biggest news from across the African continent: -- Find out why African seed fund and accelerator 88mph is taking a break from investing in African startups, -- Get details on how tech education innovators Andela and WeThinkCode_ are poised to disrupt tech talent development on the continent, -- Learn why Ad Dynamo is giving up its reputable contextual ad network business to concentrate on servicing Twitter, -- Get the low-low on the launch of a new Kenyan laptop brand called Taifa, and -- Discover which major African capital city is set to get free movies and calls via WiFi. Music Credits: All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Stack Exchange Podcast - Episode #65 - The Word Has Two Meanings, You See by The Stack Overflow Podcast

The internet is undoubtedly the untamed "wild west" of the modern technological age. To counteract the malicious threats that lie in wait for innocent users of the web (on and offline), South Africa's Film and Publication Board (FPB) has recently taken it upon itself to "regulate content" through a set of draft regulations-- while claiming that children are at the top of their protection priority list In this week’s discussion we debate the potential unconstitutionality of this new regulatory framework. Given the undeniable risks internet users are exposed to (especially minors), we ask if it is possible to regulate content posted on the web, and if so, to do so in a manner that does not compromise the right to free speech and personal expression? In terms of the FPB's public mandate, was publishing this draft a crafty attempt by them to quietly sneak politically expedient censorship laws past the public, or was it an ill-considered attempt on their part to ensure a safer internet for all (if that's even a thing). Be sure to catch some interesting listeners' comments we received in reaction to last week's hotly debated discussion topic: Mark vs. Marek - Whose Hotel Booking Platform Reigns Supreme? We also have all the week's biggest news from across Africa: -- Hear all about Facebook Lite, which has launched in Africa and other developing global markets, -- Find out why a Ugandan judge has declared mobile money operations illegal, -- Get to grips with some sobering internet growth numbers put out by Internet Society, -- Learn what leading science and and mathematics initiative has landed a $25 million boost from the MasterCard Foundation, and -- Discover why Uber Kenya is experimenting with accepting cash and M-Pesa payments from its customers. Music Credits: All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Nigeria's tech scene was abuzz last week following Mark Essien's hotel booking platform Hotel.ng securing international investment co-led by Omidyar Network and the EchoVC Pan-Africa Fund. However, for undisclosed reasons the parties involved have chosen not to make public the fine points of the deal. This week we debate whether it does Africa's tech ecosystem any good for important transactions like these to happen behind closed doors, and for details to remain secret. While we're at it, we poke a little fun at Jovago Co-founder and CEO, Marek Zmysłowski and Mark Essien’s on-going public tiff over who's hotel booking platform reigns supreme. Also, we share two expert comments we received in response to last week's discussion topic: Bitcoin and the Blockchain: Worth Embracing? on the future of bitcoin and the possible future applications of the blockchain technology. As usual, we also have all the biggest tech, digital and innovation news from across Africa: -- Discover how Nigeria's fuel and electricity shortages are affecting big tech, -- Hear how Nkosana Makate aka the Please Call Me Guy's billion dollar case against Vodacom is going, and -- Find out how a Nigerian computer science Masters student at the University of Cape Town is using tech to save endangered African languages. Music Credits: All Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Music licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/