Tech

South African mobile operators announce new services to combat fraud

Published

3 months ago

February 23, 2024

South African mobile operators have unveiled new Application Programme Interfaces (APIs) services that will help checkmate and combat internet fraud in the country.

The move which is part of the global GSMA Open Gateway initiative will enable the operators to implement world-class Number Verification and SIM Swap, and will be available to all mobile commerce and financial institutions and developers to create new services to combat digital fraud and protect South Africa’s 47 million mobile subscribers.

Angela Wamola, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa of the GSMA, who announced the unveiling of the services, said it was in response to a series of complaints of digital banking fraud which saw a 24% surge in reported cases in 2022.

“Banking fraud is a growing threat in South Africa, and mobile network operators are strategically placed to work with developers to help banks, financial institutions and commerce providers mitigate the risk and protect their customers,” she said.

“The availability of the two APIs to South African operators will equip enterprises with additional means of verifying that their customers are who they say they are and protecting them against identity theft, all while maintaining the user experience – and the GSMA’s.

“The new APIs ensure 100% privacy and will have important applications in sectors including banking, finance, insurance, and retail.”

Quoting a report published last year by the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), Wamola said the rise in banking fraud resulted in cyber criminals stealing over R740 million from unsuspecting victims, which was primarily attributed to the growing number of fraud cases related to banking applications and online banking.

“Given the alarming surge in digital banking fraud in South Africa, standardizing APIs by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) presents a promising avenue for mitigating such threats.

“They are also able to implement robust fraud detection and prevention mechanisms, bolstering overall resilience of digital banking systems against cyber threats,” Wamola emphasized.

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Tech

Dubai’s cybersecurity firm CyberKnight sets up business in Africa

Published

18 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Dubai-based cybersecurity company, CyberKnight, has expanded its business into Africa by opening an office in Egypt.

CyberKnight, a cybersecurity advisory and value-added-distributor (VAD), which has its international headquarters in Dubai with a strong presence across the Middle East, announced its expansion into Africa on Friday with the appointment of Naoufal Mzali as the Regional Sales Director for the continent to spearhead its business development efforts on the continent.

As the newly appointed Regional Sales Director for Levant, Egypt & Africa, Mzali will lead the charge in strengthening CyberKnight’s presence in the territory and fostering growth in the African cybersecurity market, the company said in a statement.

“With over 17 years of experience in technology and cybersecurity, his strong engineering background, coupled with a successful track record in sales, makes Naoufal an asset to the CyberKnight team.”

A statement signed by Mzali to welcome CyberKnight into Africa said:

“We are excited to enter this new chapter of growth with CyberKnight’s on-the-ground expansion into Africa.

“Since the company’s inception, we have been doing business opportunistically in multiple African countries from our HQ in Dubai.

“This underscores our commitment to delivering best-of-breed cybersecurity expertise to enterprise and government customers, as well as strategic partners across Africa.

“Moving forward, we will be building teams across the continent, starting with North Africa.”

Tech

Google relaunches Hustle Academy with AI focus to empower African SMBs

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Google has relaunched the 2024 cohort of its Hustle Academy, a programme dedicated to accelerating the growth of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Making the announcement on Thursday, Google said it is opening of applications for the Hustle Academy with a special focus on using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide comprehensive business education, mentorship, and networking opportunities to SMBs.

According to Kristy Grant, Head of B2B marketing for Sub-Saharan Africa at Google, the 2024 cohort of the programme introduces a significant upgrade – business-focused AI training integrated directly into the curriculum.

“This year, the new AI modules focus on data-driven decisions, optimising operations, and building AI-powered marketing strategies,” Grant said.

“AI holds immense potential for African small and medium-sized businesses SMBs, enabling them to drive innovation, increase efficiency, and unlock new levels of economic growth.

“The Hustle Academy has supported over 10,000 businesses who have gone ahead to raise funding and create jobs since inception.

“By incorporating AI into our curriculum, we aim to further amplify this impact, equipping SMBs to harness AI technologies for improved business performance and economic progress,” Grant emphasized.

She added that applications for the 2024 Hustle Academy cohort are open to SMBs in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.