07 – 12 – 2018

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Today Google launched Google Station, its platform for providing free Wi-Fi hotspots in public places, in Abuja. Through a partnership with Backbone Connectivity Network, an ISP serving Northern Nigeria, Google launched Google Station at three sites today – the Wuse Market, Enab Plaza and Banex Plaza – to kick off the rollout across the northern part of Nigeria. Google previously launched 11 Google Station hotspots in Lagos back in July – the first of its kind in Africa. It hopes to launch 200 stations by the end of 2019.

MTN South Africa has launched a per minute-billed music streaming service called MusicTime. Instead of monthly premium subscriptions or a free tier with ads, users will pay for the service on a per minute basis. This follows MTN’s recent acquisition of music streaming platform Simfy Africa.

Econet-owned Kwese has launched its Kwese Play Video On Demand streaming service in Kenya. This aligns with the company’s recent shift away from traditional pay TV (it shut down Kwese TV in Zimbabwe a couple months ago).

Nairobi’s County Assembly has approved the “Nairobi County Finance Bill, 2018” which will see ride-hailing companies such as Uber, Little and Taxify who operate in the county subjected to an annual licensing fee. Techweez has more.

A group of nearly 200 Egyptian stakeholders with expertise in venture capital, building companies, legal frameworks, public policy, education, talent management, accelerators and incubators have come together to develop a “startup manifesto”. According to Disrupt Africa, the document aims to address the local startup scene’s most pressing issues, ranging from access to data, access to funding, the talent brain drain, and policies and regulatory requirements.

South Africa-based app development startup Snapt has raised $3 million in funding from Nedbank, Sanari Capital and Convergence Partners. The startup says the new investment will be used to expand sales and marketing efforts globally, including expansion of its US presence and worldwide channel programme, in addition to key research and development initiatives.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has announced the winners of The Next 100 African Startup Initiative that will attend the Africa 2018 Forum in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The Next 100 African Startup Initiative — which the IFC runs in co-operation with the Egyptian Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation (MIIC) — aims to provide up-and-coming small businesses with funding and advice.

Applications are now open for the Youth for Technology Foundation (YTF) 3D Africa Internship Program 2019. If you’re interested, apply here or learn more here.

TechCrunch is headed to Lagos to host its second Startup Battlefield Africa competition on December 11, 2018. Sub-Saharan Africa’s best innovators, makers and technical entrepreneurs are invited to attend this year’s TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Africa. If you missed out on our ticket giveaway, you can still get your tickets now!

From TechCabal

+ Why You Should Have Made Money In The Telco Boom

+ BeatDrone Is Making A Business Case For Drones To Nigerian Regulators

That’s All.

Have a great weekend. We’ll see you next week.

– Akindare.

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