Fuelled by the global health crisis that has seen businesses closed for months across the continent, job placement site Jobberman says there was a 70% decrease in job listings and 17% decrease in jobseeker sign ups in the beginning of March, just weeks short of the start of lockdowns in
Business
UN seeks to build transport and trade resilience in wake of COVID-19
A new joint UN project is seeking to help governments and businesses keep transport networks and borders operational and facilitate the flow of goods and services, while containing the spread of the coronavirus. The project launched this month will implement UN solutions, standards, guidelines, metrics, tools and methodologies to help
IBM joins banks as shareholder in we.trade
we.trade now counts IBM among its shareholders, as the blockchain-based platform for open account trade seeks to expand its operations around the globe. Powered by Hyperledger Fabric and built by IBM, we.trade is designed to improve the trade finance lending process, supporting companies as they grow their business and expand
Why interest rates are so high in Africa
When Robert Matsiko was a young man his grain-milling business in Sheema, western Uganda, was destroyed by fire. These days, after building it back up from the ashes, he is being burned by high interest rates. To buy a new machine he must borrow from a bank at an annual
African e-commerce is getting a much needed boost from coronavirus lockdowns
Running e-commerce businesses in Africa’s overwhelmed cities can be a thankless task due to the basic infrastructure gaps and a reluctant customer base. Take Nigeria—Africa’s largest internet market, where e-commerce ventures face inefficient logistics and informal home addressing systems as well as uncertainty about the actual size of the addressable market.
Startups must apply “Africa discount” when fundraising – Helium Health
Founded in 2016, Helium Health takes hospitals and clinics instantly digital with its flagship Electronic Medical Records/Hospital Management Information System (EMR/HMIS) product, currently in use by more than 300 healthcare facilities in West Africa. The company this month announced the completion of a US$10 million Series A funding round, led by Global Ventures and
China Mobile and Facebook in joint project to build 2Africa submarine cable
Facebook has announced that it has joined a venture to build the largest submarine cable by capacity around Africa. The 2Africa project is part of a joint enterprise by China Mobile International, Facebook, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, stc, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone, and the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC). 2Africa is
