Tech

ADB launches mapping project for African women entrepreneurs

Published

5 months ago

July 13, 2024

The African Development Bank (ADB) has launched a mapping project targeting 160 women entrepreneurs’ associations in 16 African countries.

The mapping project which is supported by the Bank Group’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative and Gender Equality Trust Fund (GETF) will strengthen the associations’ visibility, improve their institutional capacities, and facilitate access to financing, according to ADB’s Vice-President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Beth Dunford.

In a statement issued by the Bank, the initiative is an important step in its commitment to supporting African women entrepreneurs, promoting women’s economic empowerment and boosting inclusive growth in Africa.

Dunford who officially launched the project at a ceremony in Abidjan which was attended by several associations, umbrella organizations and coalitions of women entrepreneurs, alongside about two hundred others who joined virtually, said it was the ADB’s plan to promote collaboration and networking with women entrepreneurs in the continent.

“The African Development Bank’s Action Plan for Engaging with Civil Society 2024-2028 illustrates our commitment to inclusivity, transparency and accountability,” stated Dunford.

Also speaking at the launching, Zeneb Touré, head of the Civil Society and Community Engagement Division at the Bank, said:

“Associations of women entrepreneurs are catalysts for reforms and innovations that support female entrepreneurship and facilitate women’s access to the economic resources they need to realize their full potential.”

Ms. Dagou Yvonne Nivine Gadji, representing the SEPHIS Foundation which facilitates access to Bank funding for women-led SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa, emphasized that the associations identified for the mapping project would be “catalysts for reforms, a boost to women’s empowerment and a crucible for building the capacity of several other networks of women entrepreneurs.”

“We are truly concerned about the issue of access to funding. However, it’s very difficult in Africa, because most women don’t have a guarantee for raising the funds they need.

“There are microfinance organizations that support women, but their interest rates are very high. We think that the AFAWA programme, through the Gender Equality Trust Fund (GETF), can help us,” she said.

Related Topics:ADB Africa Featured Mapping Women Entrepreneurs

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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.

Tech

DR Congo sues tech giant Apple over illegal mineral exploitation

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has filed a criminal case against the European subsidiaries of tech giant, Apple, accusing them of illegal mineral exploitation and allegedly using “blood minerals” in its supply chain.

In the suit filed on Tuesday, the DRC alleges that Apple has bought contraband supplies from the country’s conflict-ladden east and Rwanda, zones in which it allege the materials are mined illegally and then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in tech devices.

The DRC suit specifically mentioned Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech giant of using conflict minerals in its supply chain.

The DRC is a major source of tin, tantalum, and tungsten which are used in electronic devices, with some mines controlled by armed groups responsible for human rights violations.

International lawyers representing the African country’s government have accused Apple’s local subsidiaries of taking these minerals from conflict areas and laundering them through international supply chains, with one lawyer telling journalists that Belgium had a moral duty to act given its history of exploiting the country’s resources under colonial rule.

However, in its response, Apple claims it conducts supplier audits and does not directly source primary minerals.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1262670-dr-congo-sues-apple-over-alleged-illegal-mineral-exploitation