Author Archives: Africa Business

Don’t Fall for the Myths: How to Succeed with Your Small Business Start-Up

By Catherine Wijnberg  So, you have been thinking it’s about time you started something but just can’t quite get into the groove?  Let’s break eight myths around business start-ups and help you gain the momentum to get started.   1.      Myth one: you can’t start a business without a business plan   Millions of small businesses worldwide have been […]

Fast-Tracking Universal Health Coverage in 2023: It’s time to focus on innovation and knowledge partnerships

by Basil Malaki, Knowledge Transfer Manager for Kenya at Innovate UK KTN Global Alliance Africa As the leading economy in East Africa, it is no surprise that Kenya often ranks top across several developmental indicators. In terms of economic growth, the country has maintained an annual GDP growth rate of 5% with GDP per capita […]

How Artists Can Embrace Music NTFs

The music industry is always at the forefront of the latest trends, so it should be no surprise that NFTs have been embraced by many artists and fans already. If you’re an artist, you might have been thinking about creating NFTs for your fans, or it might not have crossed your mind. This article has […]

MENA region is fastest growth area globally for arbitration as better way to solve business disputes

As the International Chamber of Commerce’s Court of Arbitration celebrates its 100th anniversary, President Claudia Salomon tells Africa Business how this global organisation has seen its highest growth in recent years in the MENA region.  In the last 10 years, the number of parties coming to the ICC Court has tripled, with parties from the […]

Sendmarc secures $7m funding to help make the internet a safer place

Sendmarc, a leader in email and domain security, has announced a $7 million series A funding round led by Atlantica Ventures and supported by Allan Gray E-Squared Ventures, Fireball Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, 4Di Capital, Kalon Venture Partners, Endeavor Harvest, and Alpha Private Capital. The funding will be used to expand Sendmarc’s market enablement strategy and to continue improving its product, with a focus on being […]

From failing at university to scaling SA’s top venture builder in four years – these two young entrepreneurs are on a mission to help 1-million people build good tech

One of the most hotly debated topics in African innovation is South Africa’s claim to be the “Tech Capital” of the continent. Home to more than 490 startups and a combined US$1-billion (or R17.6-billion) in funding[1], South Africa is an undisputed leader on the continent. But in 2023, that reputation is slipping, as Nigeria takes […]

Highlighting Recent Eritrea-Kenya Engagement

By Dr. Fikrejesus Amahazion Earlier this week, President Isaias Afwerki traveled to Kenya to meet with President William Ruto, following up on the latter’s visit to Eritrea late last year. During the two-day working trip to Nairobi, President Isaias, accompanied by a high-level delegation, held extensive talks with his counterpart and other Kenyan government officials. […]

Fedhealth to offer genetic testing to improve members’ health

Fedhealth partners with Intelligene to offer personalised genetic testing for its members A new partnership between Fedhealth Medical Scheme and medical bio-tech company Intelligene offers exciting opportunities for genetic testing to improve the efficiency of medication, mitigate health risks by identifying possible future illnesses, and even optimise an individual’s lifestyle by pinpointing the nutrition and […]

Why it’s a good time for South African investors to address concentration risk

With the US dollar having pulled back from the highs seen in the second half of 2022, this is an opportune time for South African investors to address domestic concentration risk if they have been overly exposed to local assets, according to investment advisory and wealth management firm GraySwan. Aggressive interest rate hikes by the […]

Rixos Hotels Egypt Bagged a Recognition of the Booking.com Traveller Review Award 2023

Rixos Hotels Egypt embraces the brand-new year with another recognition as their luxurious properties were recognized with Booking.com Traveller Review Award 2023. This distinguished award is an annual appreciation program for various hospitality partners with remarkable services, determined by the review scores that travelers leave after their stay or experience the property. The Ultra All […]

The big impact of AI and more for businesses in 2023

Artificial Intelligence

By Ciaran McKivergan, CEO and founding partner at 8909 Digital Artificial Intelligence (AI) will slowly start its journey to necessity in the advertising world in 2023. It’s ‘been coming’ for a few years now and a few progressive operators have slowly been rolling it out, but 2023 will be the year that its application reaches […]

GSA Africa winners to hit the global stage in Copenhagen, next cohort encouraged to submit applications

Winners of last year’s African Startup Awards will be enroute to Copenhagen, Denmark, this March to showcase their solutions to some of the world’s top startups, venture capitalists, and ecosystem enablers at the Global Startup Awards (GSA) Grand Finale. In the meantime, innovators looking to be a part of the next delegation are encouraged to […]

Why the promise of a cashless society is key to unlocking the Nigerian commerce growth opportunity

By Justin Floyd, CEO of open commerce platform, Redcloud  Cash is a uniquely expensive and inconvenient way to do business. However, shifting to a world of cashless payments is easier said than done, as many policymakers have discovered to their cost. The Nigerian Government is taking unprecedented steps to reduce the economic reliance on cash and […]

The impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area on the continent’s mining sector

By Virusha Subban, Partner specialising in Customs and Trade, and Head of Tax, Baker McKenzie, Johannesburg Africa is the world’s top producer of numerous critical mineral commodities. With the rapid increase in the rate of global energy transition, the continent’s mining industry has a role to play in sourcing and supplying these critical minerals for […]

Toggle Market’s B2B ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ continues its expansion across the African continent and now launches in Rwanda

Toggle Market’s B2B BNPL product Toggle Finance is aimed at SMEs seeking trade finance alternatives across multiple industry sectors, and is also available for all qualified customers of its marketplace Toggle Hospitality With a growing customer base for its trade, financing and freight & logistics services extending across Europe; the Middle East and in particular […]

Successful adoption of 3D Secure authentication continues to grow globally, according to study from Ravelin

The adoption of the latest version of 3D Secure authentication for online payments has significantly increased around the world, according to a new report by fraud prevention specialists Ravelin. The global average for transactions passing through the latest version (3DS2.2)  has shot up to 17% from 1% in H2 2022. The frequency of version updates in […]

It’s time to demystify Intellectual Property in Kenyan innovation

by Sheilah Birgen, Country Lead for Kenya at Innovate UK KTN Global Alliance Africa. With a relatively stable macroeconomic environment, sustained investor confidence, and a fast-expanding services sector, Kenya has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa and the largest in the East African region by way of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)[1]. To […]

Blockchain Africa Conference 2023: Gearing African businesses to compete in the global marketplace

Ettienne Reinecke Dimension Datas Group Chief Technology Officer says Blockchain has gone from strength to strength

The adoption of blockchain technology has gained traction in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana – resulting in more efficient and lower-cost cross-border payments to facilitate African businesses conducting trade abroad1. This shift can be attributed to an increase in global ratification of the technology where approximately 44% of the top 100 public companies2, including […]

14 start-ups announced to Pitch Live at Africa Tech Summit 2023

Africa Tech Summit has announced the final shortlist of ventures who will Pitch Live on stage to investors, corporate and media at the Africa Tech Summit in Nairobi from 15th to 16th February.  More than 250 entries from 20+ African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Zambia, Mali, South Africa, and Benin, were submitted. Pitch Live […]

Governing cybersecurity from the top as a strategic business enabler

Cyber threats are increasing at a rate far greater than the industry is able to cope with. Despite this, C-Suite executives still don’t take cybersecurity seriously enough while boards are not nearly as engaged in cybersecurity as they are in other areas of oversight, says Patrick Evans, CEO of SLVA CyberSecurity. Cybersecurity breaches pose a major […]

Ken Sharpe Gives 10 Things to Expect in 2023 in the Property Development Sector in Africa | Expert Forecast

Operating a property development business has always been associated with some sort of risk and the mood among most real estate investors since the COVID19 era is cautious optimism with the global economy recovery being slowed down by the Russia-Ukraine war as well as the growing number of middle-class consumers caused by rapid urbanisation; all […]

Protect against Business Email Compromise – or it may cost you dearly

Don’t let your business be punished for, and by cyber fraud  As the business landscape rapidly evolves, a general awareness of security vulnerabilities is no longer enough. Cyber fraud, data and payment breach risks need to be managed urgently and strategically with the right tools, says Ryan Mer, CEO at eftsure Africa, an automated Know Your […]