Here’s everything interesting in African technology today. Not subscribed? Click here to get this goodness in your mailbox every day at 7am (GMT + 1).
Hello, here’s what’s happening in tech in Africa…
iRokoTV, M-Pesa, BarefootLaw, Ushahidi, and M-Farm were all selected as the top five mobile applications in Africa by TheeAfrican.com. This ranking was based on the “impact” they have on the everyday lives of African citizens. Interestingly enough, e-commerce apps were not considered. Link
One startup that wants to make a name for itself on the continent is Senegalese fintech startup, InTouch. The startup makes it easy for vendors to receive payments and manage loyalty programmes. Launched in 2014, it has processed over 650,000 transactions worth ~ $20m. They are now keen to expand to eight new markets, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Ivory Coast and Morocco over the next 12 months, and 38 by 2021. Link
An African healthtech startup, Helium Healthcare, was one of the companies that presented on the first day of Y Combinator’s 25th Demo Day, where AI and biotech have dominated. Helium Healthcare’s tech is a smart all-in-one electronic health record “for Africa”. It handles doctor’s visits, prescriptions, and medical billing. It also runs offline and syncs to the cloud when connection is available. Link
Realizing that it’s not enough to simply list job openings, Nigeria’s second largest job posting site, NGCareers, has launched a resource center on its website for publishers with learning resources to reach out to graduates who are on the hunt for jobs but lack in-demand skills. Link
Down in South Africa, MTN has won the Afrika Brand Icon Award again. The award recognizes brands that are loved by South Africans across the ‘age, income, race and language spectrum’, and it appears MTN hasn’t lost a grip on this position for three years running now. Link
What else is interesting?
+ How did Devcenter Square grow into the massive online developer community we know today after a failed first attempt at building a community? Link
+ Andile Masuku and Musa Kalenga discuss the Twiga Foods and Flutterwave investment deals from the past few weeks. Podcast
Cranium One is looking for a General Manager who will lead and manage performance in operations, and also grow the Cranium One brand through events, public relations efforts, brand awareness, and local specialized support. Find out more here and send an email: to jobs@cranium-one.com to apply.
Opportunities
+ PrognoStore is looking for full-stack engineers who can work with JavaScript, Java, Spring MVC framework, and test automation frameworks. Link
+ Imisi 3D is partnering with hardware Lagos for a VR hardware challenge, the i3D Challenge. The challenge is to create an all-in-one solar powered VR headset. You can find out more about it here and register here. Applications close on the 3rd of September.
Tizeti is piloting Unlimited Speed to combine with its Unlimited Download wifi service to prospective subscribers in Gbagada, Anthony, Ogudu, Maryland, Ikeja and environs. For Just N9,500 monthly, you can enjoy this upgraded experience. To sign up, click here, or call 01-4405610, 08172004139 or 08170590310
Upcoming events and deadlines
Lagos: TechCabal has scheduled an Office Hours session (August 23rd) with Mark Essien for entrepreneurs who would like help and advice with the challenges of running a startup as a technical founder. Seats are capped at 15, so register now.
Radar: Radar AMA sessions are back, and Yele Bademosi, founder and managing partner of Microtraction will be taking your questions on the 25th. Mark your calendar. Link
Owerri: Owerri’s first major tech meetup will be held on the 26th of August. Register here.
Abuja: The Abuja Masterclass on the 31st of August will be ‘an introduction to Angel investing’ conducted by Tomi Davies. Check it out if you’d love to deepen your understanding of early-stage investing. Link
Deadline: African startups have three weeks left to enter DEMO Africa 2017. Link
