CRYPTO MARKET

Bitcoin	$16,823	– 1.06%
Ether	$1,229	– 2.57%
BNB	$283	– 1.79%
FTX Token	$1.33	– 3.30%
Name of the coin Price of the coin 24-hour percentage change		Source: CoinMarketCap

* Data as of 07:06 AM WAT, December 08, 2022.

TWO BUSINESSES RAISE R6 MILLION IN 6 WEEKS

Two agriculture businesses, Shuthuka Flagship Farm and Trailored, raised R4 million and R2.2 million, respectively, a total of R6 million ($349,304), within six weeks of listing on the equity-based crowdfunding platform GoGetta. A venture capital group, WDB Growth Fund, led the investment, and a crowd of other individual investors participated. 

How does the crowdfunding platform work?

GoGetta seeks to raise equity-based investments ranging from R1.5 million to R10 million for credible businesses in Africa. Only African businesses can list on the GoGetta platform, but investors can be located anywhere. GoGetta vets all businesses that come seeking investments before it makes a fundraising agreement with the investors. Investors can select vetted opportunities on GoGetta and invest R1,000 or more to own shares in various African businesses. 

Side bar: Crowdfunding platforms like Thrive Agric have been known to finance businesses in the agricultural sector. Others, like GoGetta and GetEquity, have been extending this opportunity to other sectors as well.

ORANGE LAUNCHES DIGITAL CENTRE IN GUINEA

Image source: Foundation Orange

Orange launched a digital centre for the development of digital skills and innovation in Guinea. This is its 13th digital centre in Africa and the Middle East.

It has digital centres in Tunisia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Madagascar, Morocco, Liberia, and Botswana.

According to a press release shared with TechCabal, the new digital center entails a coding school, a digital manufacturing workshop called a FabLab, and an Orange Fab start-up accelerator supported by Orange Ventures Middle East and Africa, which invests in promising startups at Orange Digital Center.

The centre and its programmes are free of charge and open to everyone.

Some more news

Orange Guinea, in partnership with universities, will also train students for free and roll out Orange Digital Center Clubs, which are like mini versions of Orange Digital Center within some universities in the regions.

Orange is working with the German Development Cooperation on these programmes to fulfil their shared vision of fostering youth employability while supporting sustainable growth and the country’s digital transformation.

PLAYSTATION 5 CONSOLE GETS DISNEY+

South Africans can now watch over 1,000 films, 1,500 series, and 200 exclusive originals of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic shows on their PlayStation 5 (PS5) console.

Before this launch on the console, they could access Disney+ on DStv Streama, Xbox One, and Series X|S. It is also available on Apple TV through a dedicated app and on smartphones and tablets, Android TV, and Chromecast devices.

The PS5 native app became available to South Africans on Tuesday, over 13 months after it launched in October last year. Disney+ supports PS5 capabilities like 4K HDR (High-Dynamic Range) streaming. 

Subscribers can stream content in 4K at no extra cost, unlike other streaming services like Netflix and YouTube TV that charge subscribers a higher fee for 4K content.

Now, some of those Star Wars movies are pretty intense, so Disney Plus is coming in all its PIN-protected glory for parents who want to keep their kids entertained with age-appropriate content.

THE NEXT WAVE SHOW: WHY TALENT IS AFRICA’S BIG NEW EXPORT

The fourth episode of The Next Wave show is now LIVE.

This episode features Adewale Yusuf, CEO of TalentQL, Chukwuemeka Afigbo, a developer relations specialist, and Snehar Shah, CEO of Moringa School. They talk about why Africa is becoming a leading destination for international recruiters, what this means for the local talent pipeline, the gaps that exist in the talent development ecosystem as well the untapped opportunities.

If you missed the broadcast on CNBC Africa, you can catch up here.

The Next Wave is brought to you by TechCabal in partnership with Flutterwave. It airs on Wednesdays at 4:30 PM (WAT) on CNBC Africa (DStv Channel 410)

For feedback and inquiries, send an email to thenextwave@techcabal.com

IN OTHER NEWS FROM TECHCABAL

Mobility for Africa secures $2 million to deploy electric vehicles in rural Zimbabwe.

Will the economic downturn affect investment in African health-tech startups?

OPPORTUNITIES

• The VFA Fintech Product Management Bootcamp is now open to applications for its second cohort. Anyone trying to accelerate their career in product or looking to break into product management, specifically within the fintech industry, can now apply to be part of the 12-week programme. At the boot camp, participants will learn how to conduct user research, communicate with stakeholders, and use product analysis tools, amongst other things. Apply by December 16.

• The Fondation Maison des sciences de l’homme and the Institut Français de Recherche en Afrique of Nairobi are offering a three-month-long fellowship in France for postdoc researchers from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and Eastern Congo (Kivu) who have presented their thesis from 2017. Laureates will receive a monthly stipend of €1,600 at the start of each month. Apply by December 9.

• If your startup or innovation is focused on climate-smart agriculture practices, apply to the THRIVE|Shell Climate-Smart Agriculture Challenge for a chance to win $100,000, a spot in a prestigious accelerator, publicity and more. Apply by December 11.

• Applications are open for the TechBridge accelerator programme to innovative African startups. It provides $200,000 in funding, learning opportunities, and access to the TechBridge hub, community, and support tools and resources. Apply by December 15. 

What else is happening in tech?

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