Author: Charissa Swanepoel
Kigali: TECHz Magazine – News Desk MTN South Sudan is accelerating its mission to bridge the digital divide by establishing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Hubs in every state across the country. Currently operating facilities in eight states, the telecom operator is prioritizing youth empowerment and nationwide digital inclusion, complementing a robust network reach that already covers approximately 85% of the population. The overarching goal is to ensure equitable digital access that transforms everyday connectivity into tangible economic opportunities. The latest expansion includes a newly launched ICT Skills Hub in Aweil, the capital of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, which…
Abuja: TECHz Magazine – News Desk Nigeria is shifting its focus from traditional regulatory compliance to active market enablement to attract private-sector investment in its digital ecosystem. Speaking at the ITW Data Cloud Africa 2026 event in Nairobi, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, detailed how the country is connecting public policy with private capital. He outlined a framework designed to de-risk investments and turn regulatory mandates into concrete, revenue-backed demand for digital infrastructure. Rather than simply enforcing compliance, the government is deliberately creating predictable market demand to support investors. Directives such as…
Beirut: TECHz Magazine – News Desk Bank Audi has officially partnered with Mastercard in a new initiative to bring 10,000 Lebanese small business owners and entrepreneurs into the digital economy. The program aims to expand digital payment acceptance, advance financial inclusion, and specifically support the growth of micro, small, and women-led enterprises across Lebanon. The initiative tackles the operational hurdles small businesses face by combining accessible banking with modern payment tools. Eligible businesses will receive a free bank account and a Mastercard business debit card via Bank Audi’s neo Business platform. The package includes multi-currency accounts, transaction banking services, supply…
Djibouti: TECHz Magazine – News Desk Ethio telecom, Djibouti Telecom, and Sudatel Group have officially signed a tripartite strategic agreement to deploy a cross-border, multi-terabit optical fiber infrastructure. Dubbed the Horizon Fiber Initiative, the February 2026 contract signed in Djibouti City moves the project from a December 2024 Memorandum of Understanding into the active deployment phase. The initiative establishes a terrestrial fiber corridor linking international submarine cable landing stations on the Red Sea in Djibouti, running overland through Ethiopia, and terminating at landing stations in Port Sudan. This carrier-grade, low-latency connectivity targets global hyperscalers, content providers, enterprise data centers, and…
Accra: TECHz Magazine – News Desk Beneficiaries of Ghana’s Girls-In-ICT program recently acquired practical industry exposure during an Open Day at American Tower Corporation (ATC) Ghana in Accra, bridging the gap between theoretical classroom knowledge and real-world tech applications. Driven by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, the initiative groups students to develop technology solutions aimed at solving practical, everyday challenges. During recent hands-on sessions, participants engineered prototypes including a smart liquid-level assistant utilizing artificial intelligence to aid visually impaired individuals, an automated crane system, and an autonomous color sorter designed to categorize seeds based on ripeness. The young developers…
Nairobi: TECHz Magazine – News Desk The Communications Authority of Kenya and the University of Nairobi’s Institute for Development Studies are reviewing preliminary findings from a national survey on child online protection. The initiative aims to provide empirical data on the digital experiences of Kenyan children to guide upcoming regulatory interventions. Recent UNICEF data highlights a severe crisis in digital safety for Kenyan minors. Between 2020 and 2025, over 1.29 million Kenyan children aged 12 to 17 experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse. More than 995,000 minors encountered unwanted sexual content, while over 355,000 had…
Accra: TECHz Magazine – News Desk The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has officially launched a five-day AI and Robotics Summer Bootcamp in Accra for 100 students drawn from 19 schools. Designed to accelerate the country’s digital skills agenda, the initiative provides practical, hands-on exposure to artificial intelligence, coding, and emerging technologies. To ensure the training matches developmental needs, participants are grouped into four age-specific cohorts: Foundation (6 – 8 years) focusing on visual and block-based coding, Junior (9 – 11 years) covering foundational robotics, Intermediate (12 – 14 years) handling applied programming, and Senior…
Johannesburg: TECHz Magazine – News Desk South African Galaxy users now have a faster, card-free way to check out, as Samsung Wallet officially integrates QR code payments through a partnership with EFT Corporation’s Scan to Pay. This new feature aims to eliminate checkout friction by combining Samsung’s massive device ecosystem with one of the country’s largest alternative payment networks. The new functionality removes the need to dig for physical cards or wait for traditional terminal connections. It requires just three simple steps: users open their Samsung Wallet, scan a supported QR code at the point of sale, and authenticate the…
Riyadh: TECHz – News Desk NTT DATA, a global leader in AI, digital business and technology services, today announced its intention to launch the NTT DATA AI Factory Lab in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Designed to help organizations accelerate AI adoption, the lab will bring together NTT DATA’s full stack AI solutions and services expertise and technologies from leading ecosystem partners, including Cisco and NVIDIA, to help scale AI with confidence. Scheduled to open in September 2026, the AI Factory Lab will support executive briefings, AI strategy workshops and hands-on experiences that will help organizations identify high-impact AI use cases, validate…
Accra: TECHz Magazine – News Desk MTN Ghana and the University of Ghana have formalized a strategic Memorandum of Understanding designed to accelerate digital innovation and cultivate the next generation of tech talent. The partnership bridges industry and academia to strengthen Ghana’s overall digital capabilities, anchored by the launch of the MTN Ghana Tɛkyerɛma Pa Hackathon, an annual event hosted alongside the University’s Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Lab in Accra. Through this initiative, developers are tasked with building high-impact digital tools specifically designed for Ghanaian languages to promote digital inclusion for non-English speakers. To prepare participants, the program features rigorous online…