Tech

Ugandan broadcasters petition parliament over new advert directives

Published

1 year ago

August 1, 2023

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) of Uganda have petitioned the country’s parliament following a directive that all government advertising must be broadcast on the government-owned Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and New Vision platforms only.

The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi on July 10, mandating that all government advertising must be through the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) and New Vision.

But private broadcasters in the country have kicked against the directive, saying the move would block them from benefitting from government advertising, and have since announced a boycott of coverage of government activities until the directive is reversed.

Speaker of the Parliament, Anita Among, who confirmed receiving the petition which was sent to her office on July 27, said the matter would be considered by the Committee on ICT and National Guidance.

“The petition regards the government policy on business to private media houses where all the adverts are supposed to only be given to one media house,” Among told journalists at a press conference on Monday.

Related Topics:Advertising Broadcasters Featured Petition Uganda

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Tech

Mastercard partners Diamond Trust Bank to boost digital payments in East Africa

Published

6 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Mastercard has struck a strategic partnership with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) to boost digital payments in East Africa with specific focus on Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

The a 10-year agreement will offer tailored digital payment solutions across the region with the two organizations hoping to transform the digital and banking landscape and experiences for businesses and individuals across the region.

Mark Elliott, the Division President, Africa, Mastercard, who made the announcement, said the partnership will focus on delivering innovative, secure, and convenient payment solutions, including bespoke card products and advanced transfer services for peer-to-peer (P2P), business-to-business (B2B), and person-to-business (P2B) transactions.

Introduced by Mastercard and DTB in partnership with Tappy Technologies, the card is Kenya’s first tokenization-based payment wearables which allows consumers to make secure, contactless payments simply by tapping the wearable device at any enabled point-of-sale terminal. This technology replaces sensitive payment data with encrypted tokens, ensuring that cardholder information remains protected during transactions, Elliott said.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Diamond Trust Bank and Tappy Technologies to launch these game-changing innovations. By combining our expertise in digital payment solutions with DTB’s strong market presence, we are enhancing the banking experience and providing customers with more secure and convenient ways to pay.

“This collaboration highlights our deep commitment to driving digital transformation and financial inclusion across East Africa,” he added.

On his part, the Group CEO of DTB, Nasim Devji, said:

“This collaboration with Mastercard will help accelerate our digital transformation journey and significantly enhance our ability to deliver innovative financial solutions to our retail, SME, corporate, and fintech clients.”y

Tech

AfriLabs to host ‘Annual Gathering’ in Cape Town

Published

1 day ago

November 4, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Pan-African innovation hub, AfriLabs, has announced Cape Town, South Africa, as the host of its “Annual Gathering” scheduled to hold between November 6 and 8 under the theme, “Uniting Innovation”.

In the statement issued by the Executive Director of AfriLabs, Anna Ekeledo, this year’s “Annual Gathering” emphasises the importance of collaboration to drive economic growth and social development through Africa’s innovation ecosystem.

‘It will feature seven key tracks, each focusing on pivotal sectors that are essential for Africa’s future, such as makerspaces, gender and inclusion, investment, and hub solutions,” she said.

Ekeledo also revealed that AfriLabs has secured a number of partners for the event including RLabs, NASENI, Research & Innovation Systems for Africa Fund (RISA), the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), Intel and UNFPA.

“The support of our partners is not only a testament to the global relevance of Africa’s innovation ecosystem but also to the importance of collaborative efforts in driving sustainable development across the continent,” Ekeledo added.

AfriLabs is a network organisation that is committed to driving innovation and entrepreneurship on the continent by bringing together technology hubs, startups, investors, and other key stakeholders in the ecosystem. It counts 496 hubs across 261 cities in 53 African nations as part of its network.