Author: Anita Bosman
Barcelona: TECHz – News Desk GSMA today launched Open Telco AI, a global industry initiative designed to accelerate telco-grade AI through open collaboration across operators, vendors, AI developers and academic institutions. The launch introduces a new portal for telco open models, data, compute and tools to accelerate the development and evaluation of telco-focused AI models, accessed via GSMA.com/open-telco-ai. While frontier AI models have advanced rapidly, they continue to underperform on telecom specific tasks. Many general-purpose models struggle to interpret network data, understand standards documentation, or automate network operations with sufficient accuracy. This performance gap limits progress: only 16% of telecoms…
Johannesburg: TECHz – News Desk In a historic shift for American space exploration, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced on February 27, 2026, a sweeping “course correction” for the Artemis program. The reorganization prioritizes mission safety and operational consistency by adding a crucial test flight and standardizing rocket hardware to address long-standing technical delays. The “Apollo 9” Pivot for Artemis III: The most significant change is the radical redefinition of Artemis III. Originally slated to be the first crewed lunar landing since 1972, the mission has been transformed into a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) docking and systems validation flight, now targeted for…
Titusville: TECHz – Anita Bosman In a year poised to redefine humanity’s relationship with the cosmos, 2026 stands out as a pivotal moment, primarily due to NASA’s ambitious Artemis II mission. Slated for launch in March 2026, this crewed lunar flyby represents far more than a nostalgic return to the Moon; it’s a critical stress test of the technology and human endurance required for sustained lunar presence and, ultimately, the journey to Mars. The Mission – Pushing the Boundaries: Artemis II will see a four-person international crew embark on a daring 10-day “hybrid free-return” trajectory. This mission profile will take…
Dakar: TECHz – News Desk The Government of Senegal, through the Ministry of National Education, has marked a significant milestone in its digital transformation efforts with the award of Digital Skills (C2i-Edu) and Artificial Intelligence in Education (CIA-Edu) certificates. The ceremony was chaired by Moustapha Guirassy, Minister of National Education, alongside the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, and attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Communications, Telecommunications and Digital Marketing. Out of 3,909 candidates who sat for the examinations, 3,467 public education agents were certified, achieving an overall success rate of 88.69%. The AI Certificate in Education…
Johannesburg: TECHz – News Desk The South African Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) has partnered with Huawei to launch the Code4Mzansi Developer Competition. Announced on February 19, 2026, this initiative is designed to empower local innovators, startups, and students to create cloud-powered solutions for real-world challenges. The program is supported by several leading academic institutions, including the University of Cape Town, University of Johannesburg, University of Pretoria, and the University of the Witwatersrand. The competition has already seen significant engagement, with 353 teams comprising 1,041 participants entering the fray. Having completed the initial online training phase, participants now have…
Algiers: TECHz – News Desk Algeria has reached a major milestone in its national broadband rollout, with three million households now connected to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services. The announcement was made by Sid Ali Zerrouki, Minister of Post and Telecommunications, in a video message published on 20 February 2026. Speaking on the achievement, Zerrouki said the expansion aligns with the strategic directives of the President of Algeria to extend high-speed digital infrastructure across the entire national territory. He noted that the government has adopted a comprehensive all-fibre communications strategy to ensure widespread and equitable access to next-generation connectivity. The minister highlighted…
Cairo: TECHz – News Desk Easyan has received initial approval to launch its Easyan Prepaid Card, marking a strategic milestone in the company’s digital transformation journey. The card is designed to promote financial inclusion and provide modern, secure, and efficient financial solutions for individuals across Egypt. The Easyan Prepaid Card offers customers full control over their spending while ensuring security, along with access to exclusive installment services. This initiative positions Easyan as a leader in innovative financial services in the Egyptian market. The launch reflects Easyan’s commitment to empowering individuals and enhancing financial accessibility, combining flexibility, security, and convenience in…
Cape Town: TECHz – News Desk MTN South Africa, in partnership with RLabs, has launched a 12-month youth-focused initiative aimed at accelerating digital skills development, youth empowerment, and community upliftment in the Western Cape. Kicking off with a two-day Youth Expo running from 6-7 March and will be held quarterly to maximise long-term impact. The Expo forms part of MTN’s commitment to enabling digital and economic participation for young people through training programmes, entrepreneurship support, and financial inclusion initiatives driven through MTN Pulse, MTN MoMo and RLabs platforms. The programme offers access to scholarships, entrepreneurial training, networking, and partner-led courses.…
Lusaka: TECHz – News Desk The SMART Zambia Institute, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Zambia, conducted an online safety awareness program for pupils at Kamulanga Secondary School as part of the Safer Internet Day campaign. The initiative focused on equipping students with practical skills to navigate digital risks safely. The program was led by Brian Nawa and Edward Mushota, covering areas such as protecting personal profiles, identifying scams, promoting cyber wellness, and reporting mobile fraud through the USSD code *707#. Key topics included safeguarding passwords and personal information, recognizing fraudulent messages and phishing attempts, responsible use of digital…
Manama: TECHz – News Desk BENEFIT, a leading innovator in fintech and electronic financial services in the Kingdom, reported strong growth in online payments processed through its Electronic Funds Transfer System (EFTS) across all channels, including banking platforms and the BenefitPay app. The system, covering Fawri, Fawri+, and Fawateer services, recorded a total of 494.0 million transactions in 2025, representing a 10.7% increase from 2024. The total transaction value reached BD 37.5 billion, up 12.6% from BD 33.3 billion the previous year. Transactions executed through the BenefitPay app accounted for 466.0 million transactions valued at BD 10.2 billion, reflecting a…