Why Did Bank of Ghana Suspend Remittance Operations Of Wise and Other International Money Transfer Companies
ContentsRule violationsWhat are the implications for customers?What are the alternatives available?The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has recently announced the suspension of Wise, Zeepay, and other international money transfer companies from sending remittances into the country. The companies include XOOM, LemFi, TransferGo, Sendvalu, Boss Revolution, BTC-Aza Finance, and Supersonicz. Rule violations According to the BoG, the […]
Op-Ed: Crypto Adoption Trends in Southern Africa – Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice
Sub-Saharan Africa, traditionally a small player in the global cryptocurrency market, is witnessing a slow but steady surge in crypto adoption. Recent findings from the Chainanalysis report reveal that the region accounted for only 2.3% of the global transaction volume between July 2022 and June 2023. Despite the seemingly low figures, the report revealed that […]
Ghana’s E-Pharmacy Platform Looks Like It’s Off To A Very Slow Start
ContentsSlow Start and Fees?Duplication Of Services?What Happens NextIn January of 2023, the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia officially launched the National Electronic Pharmacy Platform (NEPP). The NEPP is the first national-scale e-Pharmacy platform in Africa, and one of the few in the world. It is a digital convergence of licensed pharmacies across the […]
Ghana Government’s “Online Mall” Was Doomed To Fail From The Start
ContentsBy The NumbersWhere Are We NowOur ViewVice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Monday, 15 October 2018, launched the Ghana Online Mall to provide an extensive market platform for indigenous businesses as well as small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). The online platform which was under the auspices of the Ministry of Business Development; and the National Entrepreneurship […]
Ghana Startup Ecosystem Primer: A Landscape Overview of the State, Opportunities, and Challenges of Ghana’s Burgeoning Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
ContentsDetailsWhy This MattersKey HighlightsWhat They’re SayingSpearheaded by the Accra Angels Network in collaboration with The Innovation Spark, Innohub, and Asime Ventures, the group has announced the release of the “Ghana Startup Ecosystem Primer.” Full report available here: GHANA Startup Primer. Details This comprehensive report offers a multifaceted view of the Ghanaian entrepreneurial ecosystem, presenting not […]
Breaking Down The Podcast Ecosystem In Ghana in 2023
ContentsNumber of Active Podcast Shows has declinedLive Podcast ShowsGold Coast Report NetworkEarlier this year, we created a “guide” on the Ghana podcast ecosystem. Fast forward and we’re closer to the end of the year so we decided to take a look at the podcast ecosystem. Here’s what we’ve learned so far: Number of Active Podcast […]
Digital Deception: Online Scams and Fraud Schemes Cast Shadow Over E-Commerce Appeal
ContentsTypes of Online Scams and Fraud SchemesImpact on Shopper Trust and ConfidenceFactors Amplifying the ProblemStrategies for ProtectionE-Commerce Platforms’ ResponseRebuilding Shopper ConfidenceLooking AheadWe have come a long way in a world where the digital marketplace beckons with convenience and endless possibilities. A darker force lurks beneath the surface of all these possibilities, ready to shatter the […]
Bento Publishes Pan-African White Paper on Taxation In Sub Saharan Africa
ContentsDetailsDigging DeeperWhat They’re SayingBetween The LinesBento, a pan-African digital payroll and HR Management (HRM) platform with tax remittance capabilities, has today published Africa’s first-of-its-kind White Paper, titled Statutory Remittances in Africa. Details The White Paper delves into taxation systems in 53 African countries and underscores the advantages of governments adopting digital payroll systems to collect income tax and other obligatory […]
How Sony’s Innovation Fund Could Benefit Ghana’s Creative Industry
ContentsAbout The FundThe Ghana Creative IndustryBy The NumbersNo Time Frame For Fund Deployment YetSony Group, one of the world’s leading creative entertainment and technology companies, recently launched a new initiative to support the growth of entertainment businesses in Africa. The Sony Innovation Fund: Africa is a program that will invest $10 million in seed to […]
Who Has The Fastest Internet Speeds In Africa? The Data Says South Africa
According to data from RF Benchmarks, here are the average internet speeds in Africa: South Africa Leads The Race South Africa currently has the fastest internet download speeds in Africa. The country has an average of about 45 Megabits per second (Mbps). Topping out the top three is Morocco (37.3 Mbps) and Togo (36 Mbps). […]
Kowoka Invites Visionary Founders to Join Its Innovative Venture Builder Program
ContentsKowoka’s Approach to Addressing the IssueRethinking the “Winning Deals” Approach Resources ProvidedStartup CriteriaKowoka has opened up applications for the second cohort of Kowoka Ventures, designed to build startups from the ground up with visionary startup founders in Africa. In Africa, 75% of venture-backed businesses fail to provide returns to investors. In our experience, this high […]
Will AT (Formerly AirtelTigo) Survive In The Long Term In Ghana?
ContentsCurrent ChallengesMobile Money Market Share on The DeclineOwnershipAT (formerly AirtelTigo) is one of the telecom operators in Ghana, formed by the merger of Airtel and Tigo in 2017. The company, which recently rebranded to AT, is not in a great space especially when competing with its competitors namely MTN and Vodafone. However, in recent years, […]
E-Commerce Activity In Africa Remains Low Compared To Other Regions – GSMA Report
ContentsDetailsDigging DeeperRecommendationsWhat They’re SayingA report by the GSM Association (GSMA) and the UK’s Department for Business and Trade highlighted the impact of e-commerce on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to help them grow new markets, profitability and resilience. However, in Africa, online retail as a proportion of total retail sales remains much lower than […]
Will Ghana’s E-Levy Miss Its Revenue Target For 2023?
In May 2022, the Government of Ghana implemented an Electronic Levy (E-Levy) where a 1.5% tax was placed on the electronic transfer of money in the country. This E-Levy mostly affected mobile money transfers of 100 GHC or more. The controversial E-Levy was implemented to help enhance domestic tax mobilisation and expand the tax base. […]
Ghana Amongst Top Five Countries With At Least 1000 Female Sellers On Anka E-commerce Platform
According to a white paper by ANKA, a leading e-commerce platform in Africa, the top 5 countries with at least 1000 active women sellers on its platform are Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Kenya, and Ghana. According to the data, Ghana was also the highest one of the highest annual volume in terms of sales, bringing […]
Introducing Labari Data Insights – A Collection Of Visual Data Insights
Today, we’re introducing a new section on our platform called “Labari Data Insights“. This section is a collection of visualizations and data insights collected from a variety of online sources to give readers a visual look at different data points. The Data Insights page is divided into two sections: The Ghana section comprises data points […]
Electric Vehicle Sales Grew By 127% In South Africa In 2022
ContentsWhy This MattersDigging DeeperThe Bigger PictureA new study conducted by DriveElectric revealed that electric vehicle (EV) adoption in South Africa experienced a huge growth. The research, focusing on EV sales year-on-year saw South Africa emerge as a frontrunner in EV in Africa with a huge 127% growth in the past year. Why This Matters South Africa’s electric vehicle […]
Ghana FinTech and Payments Association Shows Support for the eCedi Hackathon
ContentsDetailsWhat They’re SayingAbout The eCedi HackathonInformation Session on the eCedi HackathonThe Ghana Fintech and Payments Association (GFPA) has announced its strong support for the eCedi Hackathon, being led by the Bank of Ghana and supported by EMTECH; under the theme “Unlock the Future of Digital Finance with a Digital Cedi.” This innovative initiative seeks to revolutionize Ghana’s payment infrastructure and drive financial inclusion, […]
The Evolution of SAFEs in Africa: CLNs to SAFE 2.0
ContentsConvertible Loan NotesThe original SAFEsSAFEs 2.0SAFEs in the African Startup ecosystemSAFE notes and the funding downturnExpect the use of SAFEs to grow in Africaby Lumi Mustapha, Head of Legal; and Thando Sibandais Deputy Head of Legal at Founders Factory Africa. The African tech ecosystem is growing rapidly, and there is increasing demand for capital from […]
RegTech Africa & Agpaytech Launches 2023 State of the Industry Report on Fintech and RegTech in Nigeria
RegTech Africa and Agpaytech have released a report on the State of Fintech and Regtech activities in Nigeria. The report indicated that in the first half of 2023, African FinTech deals reached 60 transactions and raised a combined $189m in Q2 2023, a 64% reduction from the same period in 2022. Nigeria remains the country with several FinTech deals and activities mostly […]
Floating Naira: What Does it Mean for Startups in Nigeria
ContentsWhat is a Floating Exchange Rate?Impact on Startup CostsIncome smoothingReport earnings in Naira1. Access to Foreign Investment2. Challenges of Fluctuation3. Opportunities for FinTech4. Long-Term GainsFinal ThoughtsFor over 30 years, the value of Nigeria’s currency, the Naira, was tied to the US dollar at a fixed exchange rate. However, in June 2023 the Central Bank of […]
Will Ghana’s Vice President’s Digitisation Efforts Help Propel Him To The Presidency In 2024?
ContentsBackgroundJourney Into PoliticsDigitisation ProjectsControversies, Broken Promises, and Party PoliticsWhat Happens NextGhana will be going to the polls next year in December 2024. The current administration, the National Patriotic Party (NPP), is preparing to elect a new flag bearer after the current president Nana Akufo Addo steps down next year. The current favorite to replace him […]
Ghana Government Spent $5.5 Million On Pegasus Spyware In 2016 From NSO Group
ContentsAbout PegasusDigging DeeperUse of Other Spyware SoftwareSmart City Project And Correlation To SurveillanceA report called “Mapping the Supply of Surveillance Technologies to Africa” has been published and details the state of surveillance by governments in some African countries including Ghana. In the report, it notes that Ghana authorities acquired spyware called Pegasus from NSO Group, […]
Interview With Olumide Fayankin, Co-Founder and COO of Vendease
Vendease is a Y Combinator-backed digital platform that allows restaurants in Africa to buy supplies, access financial services, and power their business operations. The company raised $30 million in an equity and debt funding round in 2022. To learn more about the company, we interviewed, Olumide Fayankin, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Vendease. As Co-Founder and […]
In Memorium: Revisiting Five Ghanaian Startups Who Shut Down
ContentsTressRedbird Health TechAFRadioOMG DigitalTransGovThe Ghanaian tech ecosystem has grown and evolved over the past years. The ecosystem has seen the growth of major players including Zeepay, Complete Farmer, and Hubtel. But even with a growing ecosystem, there have been some companies that have failed to scale and as a consequence, have shut down even after […]
Guide To Making Smart Tech Choices For Laptops (Ghana Student Edition) – Part 2
In part 1 of our guide, we talked about heavy and light users as well as did a deep dive into memory and processor speeds. In part 2, we’ll be diving into graphics hardware and storage: Graphics Hardware Just like the CPU, the images generated on your laptop screen are done by the GPU (Graphics […]
How Ghana’s #OccupyJulorbiHouse Protesters Took To The Streets With Help From Social Media
ContentsHow Did This HappenWhy This MattersThe Bigger PictureOn Thursday 21st, 2023, a group calling themselves “Democracy Hub” planned a demonstration at the Jubilee House, a residence and office of the President of Ghana, to protest about the state of the country. The protests, which ran for three (3) days, started on Thursday morning and ended […]
10 Best Tech Hub and Co-Working Spaces in Africa
Contents1. Nairobi Garage (Kenya)2. Silicon Cape Initiative (South Africa)3. Co-Creation Hub (Nigeria)4. Impact Hub – Accra, Ghana5. iHub (Kenya)6. On Sloane – Johannesburg, South Africa7. The BongoHive Tech and Innovation Hub – Lusaka, Zambia8. Impact Hub Kigali – Kigali, Rwanda9. NG_Hub by Facebook – Lagos, Nigeria10. The Tech Village – Bulawayo, ZimbabweTech hubs and co-working […]
Has The Rise Of Influencers Ruined The Social Media Experience?
ContentsThe Rise of InfluencersHow Influencers Have Changed Social MediaPromotion of “Unrealistic” StandardsThe Emergence of “Going Viral” What Happens NowSocial media platforms have become a huge part of our lives. We use them to connect with friends, family, and people who share our interests. We also use them to discover new things, learn new skills, and […]
Ghana Is Overdue For An Emergency Broadcast System
ContentsThe Cell Broadcast SystemChallenges and Opportunities for GhanaWhere Do We Go From HereConclusionOn October 7th, 2017, an offloading petrol tanker at a petrol station caught fire resulting in a large-scale explosion at the site at the Atomic Junction at Madina in Accra. The incident was first reported on social media and later received attention in […]
