Tech

Bolt invests $107m in Nigeria to boost safety standards

Published

1 week ago

November 14, 2024

Ride-hailing platform, Bolt, has announced an investment of $107 million in its bid to boost safety and service quality in Nigeria’s ride-hailing sector, with a special technology enhancing safety standards for both drivers and passengers.

Lola Masha, Bolt’s Regional Manager for North and West Africa, who made the announcement in a statement, said the “investment will fund new safety technologies, accident prevention measures, customer support upgrades, and public safety awareness campaigns, underscoring Bolt’s commitment to providing a secure and reliable platform.”

She revealed that as part of its quality check, the company had removed more than 5,000 drivers from its platform in 2023 so as to cleanup its database cleanup effort and will continue to implementing a driver score system to maintain quality standards.

“The driver score evaluates performance by monitoring how frequently drivers accept ride requests, successfully complete trips, and respond to passenger feedback. Essentially, it rates drivers based on their performance over their last 100 trips,” she noted.

Masha emphasized that the move came as a result of complains by the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUTON) which raised concerns about the potential downsides experienced by users and the psychological stress on drivers, which could negatively affect their performance.

According to her, among the upcoming features are a four-digit trip pickup code and a trip counter, both aimed at making rides more secure and dependable for all users.

Related Topics:Bolt Featured Investment Nigeria Ride-Hailing Platform Safety

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Tech

Tanzania to host 6th Ocean Innovation Africa summit in February

Published

11 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has been selected to host the sixth edition of the Ocean Innovation Africa (OIA) summit from February 24-28, 2025, as a flagship event within Regenerative Ocean Week.

The Ocean Innovation Africa is set to be Africa’s most significant platform for Ocean Innovation conservation, and sustainable development in the blue economy. OIA2025 will be co-organised with leading partners, including IUCN, GIZ, OceanHub Africa, Catalyze and the Ocean-Climate Platform.

With the theme, “Science-to-Solution”, the Regenerative Ocean Week will present a line-up of sessions designed to bridge the gap between scientific research, business innovation, policy, and community engagement.

According to the organizers of the event, it will bring together African ocean innovators, investors, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to explore practical solutions that can be applied across the continent.

“These include the OIA Pitch Competition, which is a platform for Africa-based startups and entrepreneurs to showcase breakthrough ideas in ocean-impact solutions, allowing them to connect with investors and industry leaders and emphasizing Africa’s role in driving sustainable ocean initiatives,” the organizers said in a statement.

Tech

Orange Egypt earmarks $52.7m to support African startups

Published

1 day ago

November 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Orange Egypt has earmarked the sum of $52.7 million to support African startups in what is going to be the largest investment to drive a youth-focused tech revolution.

According to the company, the mammoth investment will see over 40 startups benefitting from the funds, with most of them being Egyptian companies.

‘It’s a boost for Egypt’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and a step closer to cementing its spot as a top startup hub in Africa,” the company said in a statement.

The investment is coming on the heels of the telco signing a deal with the Egyptian government to roll out the second phase of its 5G licensing.

The statement noted that with Egypt’s startup game already strong and ranking as the third most funded country in the MENA region, “the numbers speak for themselves.”

“In 2022, Egyptian startups closed 143 funding deals worth nearly $766.7 million, outpacing the $606.79 million raised the year before.

“Plus over 2,100 startups employing more than 50,000 people, the country’s ecosystem is one of the top 10 emerging startup hubs globally.

“The Egyptian government is all in on this. And since launching initiatives like Egypt Ventures in 2017, they’ve been backing startups to drive innovation and growth in the tech space.

“Orange Egypt’s latest move only adds fuel to this already blazing fire, paving the way for more opportunities and a stronger startup culture across Africa,” it added.