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New changes are coming to Microsoft users.
At the Microsoft Surface Event held yesterday, the company announced October 5 as the release date of Windows 11, the company’s largest software update since 2015. The new operating system will come with sleek overhauls like an updated start menu and an overall iOS-like feel.
The updates will be rolled out over time, and this means that not all Microsoft users will be able to update their devices at launch. You can check your device compatibility here.
In today’s edition:
- Events: The #FutureofCommerce
- Airtel Kenya camps with World Remit
- Zimbabwe’s master plan
- Connecting across the Congo
JOIN US AT #FOC2021 TOMORROW
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The Future of Commerce is happening tomorrow! We’re very excited and can’t wait to unveil all that we’ve planned.
Join us tomorrow, September 24th at 9 am (WAT) as we discuss with some of the most insightful speakers on and off the continent, from Shola Akinlade, Co-founder and CEO at Paystack, Ray Youssef, CEO at Paxful, Tayo Oviosu – Founder and CEO at Paga Group, Marcello Schermer, Head of International Expansion at Yoco, and many others.
If you haven’t registered, you can still sign up here. If you’ve registered, share with as many people in your network who you think should attend.
Tomorrow will unique. Come prepared!
The Future of Commerce is brought to you in partnership with DAI Magister and Paystack and is sponsored by Doroki, Chipper Cash, Klasha, VerifyMe, and GIG Logistics.
Airtel Kenya camps with WorldRemit
Partnerships are very essential in the growth of businesses and Africa continues to witness both local and international companies partnering up.
The new partners on the block are Airtel Kenya and WorldRemit, a UK-based payment startup that recently changed its name to Zepz after raising $292 million at a $5 billion valuation. Money doesn’t only change character, it changes names too!
What does this partnership mean?
Well, anybody that has an Airtel money wallet can now receive money from 129 countries. Individuals and business people living in the 129 countries can send money to their friends, family, or business interests living in Kenya through Airtel Money.
Getting a share of the market
In a semi-monopolised Kenyan mobile money market, where M-Pesa controls about 90% of the market, this move is quite bold.
This partnership is expected to drive a bit of the market into Airtel’s side, especially freelancers and businesses that deal with international clients may begin to look towards Airtel Money for international remittance.
Transfer limits are still barriers
For global remittances, one would think there will be another transfer limit other than the local ones. Surprisingly, the usual charges still stand, and this may kill the advantage of the services.
The maximum amount per transaction for Airtel Money was recently increased from Ksh. 70,000 ($634.63) to Ksh. 150,000 ($1,359.93).
Read more Airtel Money users in Kenya to receive funds from 129 countries, free of charge.
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ZIMBABWE’S MASTER PLAN
It’s been a big year for Zimbabwe! There’s been a bumper harvest, a new commuter rail, and now, expanded mobile connectivity.
This week, the country’s state-owned (and second-largest) mobile operator, NetOne, announced Phase 3 of its network capacity expansion project. It’ll be carried out in partnership with Huawei, and funded by the Export-Import Bank of China to the tune of $71 million.
It Comes in Phases
It’s all part of Zimbabwe’s National Mobile Broadband (NMBB) project.
The first phase began in 2011 and was completed in 2013 with the installation of 100 3G and 350 2G base stations.
An additional 2,231 base stations were added during the second phase in 2014.
The third phase will expand NetOne’s national coverage from 75 to 85 percent, with 345 new base stations and improved 4G coverage.
Hanging With Huawei
The NMBB is crucial to the Smart Zimbabwe 2030 master plan and Huawei is deeply involved. Since 2017, the telco has been launching data centers, training Zimbabwe’s ICT talent through its Seeds for the Future program, and making commitments to ‘bringing digital to every person’ in Zimbabwe.
And Zimbabwe isn’t the only country in Africa with ICT-related, 2030 development goals. Kenya also has its own Vision 2030 plan, which Huawei has made a continuous commitment to help the country achieve.
Where there’s ICT in Africa, there’s usually Huawei somewhere in the mix. We’ll be keeping our ears out for more of these announcements.
KB4-CON EMEA is a free, highly engaging, cybersecurity-focused virtual event designed for CISOs, security awareness and cybersecurity professionals in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The event will be on Thursday, September 23rd and features keynotes from two of the most well-known figures in cybersecurity. Mikko Hyppönen will cover how our global networks are being threatened by surveillance and crime, and how we can fix our technical, and human, problems. Kevin Mitnick will reveal social engineering tradecraft and insights and wow you with a live hacking demonstration. You can register here.
This is partner content.
CONNECTING ACROSS THE CONGO
Speaking of internet connections and expansion, the peoples of Brazzaville and Kinshasa are getting a boost.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has partnered with Liquid Intelligent Technologies (LIT) to bridge a 4.8-km connectivity gap between Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo, and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The joint project, dubbed Project Taara, is now beaming high-speed internet across the Congo River to millions of people in both nations.
Side-bar: There are two African countries named Congo. There’s the Democratic Republic of Congo or DR Congo/DRC with Kinshasa as its capital, and then there’s the much smaller Republic of Congo or the Congo Republic, with Brazzaville as its capital. Both are French-speaking countries in Central Africa, separated by the Congo River.
Okay, but why are these cITIES just getting high-speed internet?
Well, less than 20% of the population in both countries are connected to the internet and it’s all thanks to the Congo River (cue the There are some rivers in Africa song).
The Congo River is the deepest river in the world. It’s also the second-fastest river in the world. Because of the speed and depth of the river, it’s been impossible over time to build a fibre connection between Kinshasa and Brazzaville.
What’s changed?
The method has.
Instead of laying 400 kilometres of fibre optic cables which would have been financially unfeasible, Alphabet and LIT’s Project Taara is beaming the internet connections across both cities instead.
In the same way that traditional fibre uses light to carry data through cables in the ground, Taara’s wireless optical communication links use very narrow, invisible beams of light to deliver fibre-like speeds through the air.
Read more: High-tech internet solution across the Congo River links Kinshasa, Brazzaville.
Join the Future Africa Collective – an exclusive community of investors who invest in startups building the future of Africa. With a $1,000 annual or a $300 quarterly subscription fee, you get access to invest a minimum of $2,500 in up to 20 fast-growing African startups each year.
Learn more here.
This is partner content.
What else we’re reading
- Jumia is holding its first-ever Brand Festival Campaign to connect consumers directly with quality manufacturers like Samsung, Adidas, and l’Oreal.
- The personal information of 1.4 million South Africans, stolen from debt recovery firm Debt-IN Consultants, has been published on the dark web.
- Did you love watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Or The Witches? Well, you may be getting similar adaptations as Netflix has acquired the rights to Roald Dahl’s entire collection for £500million.
- Even though female founders in Africa are amongst the most underfunded and over-mentored groups of entrepreneurs, they’re still paving the way for innovation. Africa’s Innovators List names a dozen of these brilliant problem-solvers.
