Innovation Archives - Inside Business Africa

Oct142021 by Joshua OlotuNo Comments

Finding Africa’s Next Generation of Filmmakers: Netflix & UNESCO Launch Groundbreaking Competition in Sub-Saharan Africa

Business, Corporate Stories, Economy, Innovation

Netflix (www.Netflix.com) and UNESCO have partnered to launch an innovative short film competition on ‘African Folktales, Reimagined’ across Sub-Saharan Africa (https://bit.ly/3v7ar9e). Winners of the competition will be trained and mentored by industry professionals and provided with a US$75,000 production budget to create short films that will premiere on Netflix in 2022 as an “Anthology of African folktales”. One key aim of this competition is to discover new voices and to give emerging filmmakers in Sub-Saharan Africa visibility on a global scale. We want to find the bravest, wittiest, and most surprising retellings of some of Africa’s most-loved folktales and share them with entertainment fans around the world in over 190 countries. The competition, which will be administer...

Oct142021 by Joshua OlotuNo Comments

Orange inaugurates the 5th Orange Digital Center in Africa and the Middle East with the German Development Cooperation and collaborates with Amazon Web Services to support youth employability, innovation and entrepreneurship

Business, Corporate Stories, Innovation, Technology & Innovation

Two days ago Orange (Orange.com) and the German Development Cooperation are inaugurating an “Orange Digital Center” in Abidjan, an ecosystem entirely dedicated to the development of digital skills and innovation, attended by the highest political and administrative authorities from Côte d’Ivoire, the Ambassador of Germany in Côte d'Ivoire, GIZ and members of the board and Orange Group Executive Committee led by its Chairman and CEO Stéphane Richard. Spread over 1200 sq.m for Côte d’Ivoire, the Orange Digital Center brings together the four strategic programs of the Orange group, namely: a coding school Orange Digital Academy, a FabLab Solidaire – part of the Orange Foundation's digital manufacturing spaces–, an Orange Fab start-up accelerator and Orang...

Oct112021 by Joshua OlotuNo Comments

Multinational: African Development Bank approves $86.72 million loan to boost water security and socio-economic development in South Africa and Lesotho

Business, Corporate Stories, Economy, Innovation

The African Development Bank Group’s (AfDB.org) Board of Directors has approved a loan of $86.72 million to co-finance the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. The multi-phase project will provide water to the Gauteng region of South Africa and generate hydroelectricity for Lesotho. The project entails harnessing the waters of the Senqu/Orange River in the Lesotho highlands by constructing a series of dams for the mutual benefit of the two countries. The Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority, a state-owned entity in South Africa charged with financing and implementing bulk raw water infrastructure projects, will use the funds to construct the Polihali Dam and reservoir, a 38 kilometer-long water transfer tunnel, roads and bridges, telecommunications infrastructure, and to e...

Oct112021 by Joshua OlotuNo Comments

Citadel Views Estate Introduces Sustainable Housing Innovations in Nigeria

Business, Corporate Stories, Innovation

Citadel Views Estate (CVE), a leading sustainable residential housing development company, has introduced sustainable housing innovations in Nigeria through its deployment of technology solutions to elevate the living experience of its residents whilst keeping prices affordable. The United Nations sustainable development goals include Good Health and Well-being, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, and Sustainable Cities and Communities, all of which are interrelated and connected to sustainable housing. Yet all these goals have remained elusive to most Nigerians. The challenges to sustainable housing in Nigeria are numerous and complex. For one, the poverty rate is high, and the population is large. With 40% of over 200 million Nigerians living below the poverty li...

Oct102021 by Joshua OlotuNo Comments

Why Coca-Cola Has Remained Nigeria’s Top Beverage For 70 Years

Business, Corporate Stories, Innovation

oca-Cola is one of the world’s most valuable brands for several reasons, including its stellar branding, marketing, and positioning strategy. It is one brand that has mastered the art of selling not just a product but an experience. Coca-Cola becomes ingrained in the culture of the places where it is present. It becomes ingrained in people’s lives. Maintaining the spot as the number one beverage company in Nigeria for such a long time is no small feat. Coca-Cola alone contributes approximately 0.2 per cent of Nigeria’s annual GDP. The brand has served Nigerians longer than Nigeria has been a sovereign state. What’s the secret to its longevity? According to Steve Olenski, a Forbes writer, brands stay long in the market because they make promises and keep to them. Since...

Oct42021 by Joshua OlotuNo Comments

Saudi Arabia Tourism Development Fund Launches Digital Lending Service with Temenos in Just 60 Days

Economy, Innovation

New digital service streamlines access to financing solutions from TDF to advance tourism projects in Saudi Arabia; Temenos (www.Temenos.com) cloud banking platform enabled rapid development and time-to-market; Powered by Temenos and implemented by NdcTech, the service offers digital customer onboarding and loan origination, providing a fast, frictionless customer experience. Temenos (SIX: TEMN), the banking software company, announced that Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Development Fund (TDF) has gone live with a digital lending service on Temenos in just 60 days. The new service provides investors and businesses in the tourism sector with rapid access to financing solutions from TDF. The SAR 15 billion (USD 4 billion) fund was established to enable private sector tourism investments and ...

Oct42021 by Joshua OlotuNo Comments

DPI raises one of the largest Africa funds at US$900m to invest in innovation-led companies

Business, Corporate Stories, Innovation

Development Partners International (DPI) (www.DPI-llp.com), a premier investment firm focused on Africa, today announced that African Development Partners III Fund (ADP III), has exceeded its US$800 million target, and is set to hold a final close at US$900 million, with an additional US$250m of dedicated co-investment capital. This brings a total of US$1.15 billion for investments on the continent. The fundraising establishes ADP III as one of the largest funds dedicated to investing global capital in Africa. ADP III will invest in established and growing companies in industries that benefit from Africa’s fast-growing middle class and the increasing digital transformation of the continent. All investments have the highest standards of impact and environmental, social and governanc...

Oct42021 by Joshua OlotuNo Comments

Gas for Good: Akinwole Omoboriowo II Emphasizes how Gas can be Used for the Social and Economic Good of Africa

Business, Corporate Stories, Innovation, Oil & Gas

Natural gas is increasing its share in Africa’s energy portfolio, with environmental ambitions, energy security and accessibility, as well as domestic energy independence comprising key drivers of growth. Despite global stakeholders and environmentalists negative perception of the resource, natural gas holds significant, and even critical, benefits for Africa, as energy poverty continues to be a major hinderance of meaningful economic growth. Speaking at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) workshop on promoting natural gas demand on Wednesday, Akinwole Omoboriowo II, Chairman of the board of directors, Genesis Energy Holding, provided valuable insight into the role of gas in Africa. During his presentation, Omoboriowo II explained how natural gas can be used for the social goo...

Oct42021 by Joshua OlotuNo Comments

Amdocs and Telkom Foundation Give Three Local Schools A Digital Boost

Business, Corporate Stories, Innovation

Three South African schools namely – Khwezi Lomso Comprehensive School and Ndzondelelo High School in Gqeberha (formally known as Port Elizabeth) and Le Reng Secondary School in Ladybrand, – will receive internet data, tablets, food parcels and other COVID-19 relief items, thanks to a collaboration between Amdocs (Amdocs.com), a leading software and services provider to the communications and media industry, and Telkom Foundation, the autonomous social investment arm of South Africa’s 39% state-owned telecommunications provider, Telkom. The two organisations joined hands to assist learners in two of South Africa’s most disadvantaged communities where the COVID-19 pandemic has added another layer of disruption to students’ education. The initiative is aimed at encouraging learn...

Sep292021 by Joshua OlotuNo Comments

Senegal: Boosting the role of Women in the Energy Sector (By Miguel Artacho)

Business, Energy, Innovation

Energy poverty is one of the single largest challenges preventing faster economic development throughout sub-Saharan Africa. In rural areas it is particularly crucial that women have adequate access to energy, given their crucial role leading families and the stewardship of the household´s economy. The Government of Senegal has made energy sector development a key component of the Plan Sénégal Emergent (https://bit.ly/3ukEBoW), which aims to modernize the country´s economy and achieve a wide number of ambitious socio-economic development objectives, as well as ensuring greater gender equality. Priorities include lowering the cost of energy by reducing dependence on imported liquid fuels and increasing electricity access-particularly in rural areas. Senegal has significant potential...