COMMENT | MAX VON THUN | Europeans have long lamented the continent’s lack of globally competitive tech companies. But since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the goal of ending Europe’s reliance on US-based tech giants has taken on new urgency. With US tech oligarchs interfering in European elections and the Trump administration …
Read More »Africa’s tech deals are happening at festivals
From Lagos and Nairobi to Cape Town and Marrakech, founders, investors, and corporates are using tech festivals to close funding, partnerships, and market-entry deals, according to ecosystem data and industry analysts. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Africa’s tech startup ecosystem is increasingly being organised around large, high-visibility festivals. From …
Read More »U.S. threatens to retaliate against EU tech regulation
NEW YORK | Xinhua | The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on Tuesday threatened to take countermeasures against the EU over what it described as the bloc’s controversial regulations on service providers. “If the EU and EU Member States insist on continuing to restrict, limit, and deter …
Read More »Airtel Africa Foundation launches Tech-Fellowship in Uganda
Tech-Fellowship to Nurture Next Generation Digital Leaders Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Airtel Africa Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Airtel Africa plc, today announced the launch of its ‘Airtel Africa Foundation Tech Fellowship’ initiative in Uganda. The initiative will award 20 Tech Fellowships to Ugandan undergraduates from low-income …
Read More »NITA-U, PDPO train journalists on digital safety
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a significant move to bolster responsible reporting, the National Information Technology Authority – Uganda (NITA-U) in collaboration with the Personal Data Protection Office (PDPO), has trained over 50 journalists from print, radio, television, and online media houses on cybersecurity, data protection, and privacy. …
Read More »AI wants our water
ChatGPT is a prime example. Training GPT-3 required roughly 700,000 liters of water for cooling alone. A Greenpeace study estimates that data centers will consume 664 billion liters annually by 2030, compared to 239 billion liters in 2024. BERLIN/SANTIAGO | Friederike Rohde | AI is often portrayed as the harbinger of a prosperous, more efficient future. …
Read More »Businesses flock to Ethiopia’s newly-opened banking market
Equity Group is also accelerating its entry strategy. In September, Equity Group chief executive James Mwangi met with officials from the Ethiopian Investment Commission to discuss licensing and operational frameworks, according to Semafor Africa. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Ethiopia’s banking market, once sealed off to foreign participation, has …
Read More »Uganda’s Credify Africa and Kanzu Finance into final of MEST Africa Challenge 2025
Absa and MEST Africa announce the Top 10 finalists for the MEST Africa Challenge 2025 Johannesburg, South Africa | THE INDEPENDENT | Two Ugandan startups have made it to the list of Top 10 finalists of the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) 2025. Credify Africa Inc and Kanzu Finance Ltd from Uganda, …
Read More »New report ranks Africa’s innovation hotspots
Several African countries are prioritising innovation through targeted investments and grassroots initiatives. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Innovation in Africa is proving more resilient than the global slowdown suggests, according to a new report. The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), ranked …
Read More »Africa supplies the world’s remote workforce
A new survey shows global companies are accelerating their hiring from Africa’s tech hubs, with 93% highlighting plans to ramp up hiring from the continent. The report underscores Africa’s growing role in remote work. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | When power flickers in Eldoret, some 311 kilometres northwest from …
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