Tech

Tanzania woos investors on 5G technology

Published

3 years ago

May 22, 2022

The Tanzanian government has opened its doors to international investors who wish to invest in 5G technology in the country to submit their applications.

The Eastern African country’s Minister for Information, Communications and Information Technology, Nape Nnauye, who gave the open invitation while presenting the ministry’s budget for the 2022/23 financial year in the parliament on Friday, said the doors were now open for “investors willing and able to invest in the 5G technology.

“The government is now ready to allow investment in the 5th generation (5G) network trials – the fastest ever – as efforts are gearing up to develop the digital economy,” Nnauye said.

The Minister also assured would-be investors that the government, through the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), was ready to offer spectrum for service providers who were ready for 5G trials.

“This offering of spectrum process will be transparent and competitive. We invite those willing to invest in the 5G technology for trials,” Nnauye said.

He stressed that the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, internet of things and block chain were important for building sustainable cities.

“All these require strong infrastructure for speedy internet. The use of 5G will set a stage for the digital economy revolution,” he noted, adding that the government would keep the momentum going when it “came to creating an enabling environment for investors to invest in the internet infrastructures with a view to widening the scope of coverage.

“This is important for the country to realise its target of covering 80 percent of Tanzanians with speedy internet come 2025,” Nnauye added.

The move will come as a big relief for companies like Vodacom which said in 2020 it was ready to invest in the 5G technology and was just waiting for the regulatory approval before it could roll out its investment plans in 5G.

Related Topics:5G Network Featured Investment Tanzania

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Tech

20 African tech-preneurs embark on Korean innovation tour

Published

12 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The African Development Bank Group’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab has selected 20 promising tech entrepreneurs from various African technology ventures and enterprise support organisations to embark on a two-week study tour of the Republic of Korea, with the aim of seeking investment and insights from the country’s innovative tech ecosystem.

The selected entrepreneurs are from 133 ventures that participated in last month’s Africa Tech Startup Forum.

The forum which will hold under the auspices of the lab’s “Leveraging the Entrepreneurial and Innovation Success of Korea to Strengthen African Enterprise Support” project, had selected entrepreneurs who pitched the best business models during the week-long virtual market access and acceleration programme preparing, training, and connecting technology ventures with opportunities.

The 20 young tech-preneurs were selected from eight African countries including Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda, with the delegates spanning various sectors in the technology space.

While in Korea, the African delegates will pay visits to prestigious institutions such as Global Startup Centre, LG Science Park, the Korea Software Technology Association, and the Global Digital Innovation Network.

Speaking on behalf of the delegates, founder of Kenya-based health technology venture Zuri Health, Uche Ezadinachi said:

“I am excited to go to Korea because the country has made serious technological developments. The country is a technology-driven society, and this tour is an opportunity for me to see how we can bring such technology to Africa.

“We will share experiences with our Korean counterparts; they will learn from us as much as we learn from them,” he added.

Tech

Kenya’s ticketing startup BuuPass partners Flexpay for flexible travel payments

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Kenyan digital ticketing startup, BuuPass, has entered into a partnership with goal-based savings platform, Flexpay, to offer customers flexible payment plans ahead of holiday travels as well as simplify travel planning and ease the financial burden of holiday travel for Kenyans.

Co-founder and CEO at Buupass, Sonia Kabra, who unveiled the package at a press conference, said the collaboration between the two platforms will allow travellers to save for their journeys in manageable, interest-free installments over four to 12 weeks.

“Travelers can select their travel dates, book tickets, and pay a small deposit upfront, with the remaining balance spread across weekly or monthly payments,” she said.

“This approach offers a stress-free way for families and large groups to secure their tickets early, helping them avoid last-minute price hikes as fares are locked in.

“By partnering with Flexpay, we’re giving travelers the flexibility to budget for their trips in advance. This initiative aligns with our mission to make travel accessible to everyone, providing a solution that meets customers where they are financially,” said Kabra.

Also speaking at the event, Richard Machomba, CEO and founder of Flexpay, said:

“Flexpay’s mission is to empower individuals by providing accessible financial solutions that make it easier for them to achieve their financial goals.

“By partnering with BuuPass, we’re making travel more accessible and stress-free for Kenyans, especially during the holiday season when expenses can be overwhelming,” Machomba added.

Founded in 2016 by Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass is a B2B2C mobility marketplace that enables users to search, compare, and book travel tickets via web, app, or USSD, while its SaaS platform helps bus operators manage their operations, inventory, and sales.

FlexPay, on the other hand, is an online and offline payment gateway that allows merchants to offer interest-free targeted savings to their customers in Africa.