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Nigerian e-commerce platform, Payporte, has narrowed it’s product selection and is only focusing on fashion items now. In an interview with Techpoint, CEO Eyo Bassey said this renewed focus on fashion is part of a longer term plan to “revamp” the business. He also said the startup is now ready for outside investment and focusing on fashion, as well as other planned verticals, is all part of the strategy to woo investors. Some backstory: Payporte shot to limelight as headline sponsor of the wildly popular Big Brother Naija reality show in 2017 as well as one of the leading sponsors of Nigerian comedian AY’s “AY Live” special, also in 2017. 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) against hiring agents that sell pre-registered SIM cards, following a three-day raid across Lagos. 

Egyptian community management platform, iCommunity, has raised $600K in Series A funding from Algebra Ventures. The startup targets Egypt’s gated communities and connects residents, real-estate developers and facility management through its app. It’ll use the new funds for local and international expansion.

South African antenna company, Alaris Solutions, has acquired US-based microwave antenna company, mWave, for an undisclosed sum. 

Techzim did a podcast with the Zimbabwean Minister of Transport, Fortune Chasi (who is also a musician). They talked about drone regulation in Zimbabwe, traffic congestion in Harare, among other things. 

Canada-based Internet watchdog, Citizen Lab, in a report titled “Hide and Seek” has said electronic devices infected with Pegasus, a notorious spyware program sold only to governments, have been discovered in 12 African countries. Pegasus is developed by Israeli cyberwarfare firm NSO Group and has been used to target journalists and human rights activists across the world before. 

Data Science Nigeria (DSN) will hold its annual summit and bootcamp on October 10 at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The event will be themed “New Algorithms for the Financially Excluded Segment” and people like Adebisi Shonubi, MD/CEO, NIBSS; Dr (Mrs) Yinka David-West, Director, Lagos Business School; Matt Grasser, Director, Inclusive Fintech, Bankable Frontiers Associate, USA; Temitope Akin-Fadeyi and Head Financial Inclusion Secretariat, Central Bank of Nigeria; Ekow Duker will be there. Registration and deets here.

If you’re a Product Designer, UX/UI Designer, Interaction Designer, Graphic Artist, Illustrator in Nigeria, Cokards Creative Agency is organising an event at Workstation on October 13, 2018 by 11AM.  Deets and registration here. 

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