Author: Charissa Swanepoel

Kédougou: TECHz – News Desk The initiative is expected to act as a catalyst for pedagogical transformation, enhancing access to digital learning resources, improving the quality of technical education, modernizing training methods, and supporting better alignment between education and employment opportunities. The President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has officially launched the Universal Connectivity initiative in Kédougou, a nationwide program aimed at providing free digital access to one million Senegalese, particularly in regions where connectivity has been limited or nearly absent. The launch took place at the Mamba Guirassy Technical, Industrial and Mining High School, a strategically significant institution in…

Johannesburg: TECHz – News Desk Space42 has marked the launch of Thuraya-4 connectivity services in South Africa at an event held in Johannesburg under the patronage of President Cyril Ramaphosa. The gathering brought together government leaders, industry executives, technology partners and members of the media to highlight advancements in satellite-enabled connectivity and digital infrastructure across the region. The program included live product demonstrations, along with presentations showcasing Space42’s geospatial intelligence and Earth observation capabilities. The company also outlined future initiatives, including Map Africa, aimed at supporting digital transformation efforts across the continent through data-driven technologies and enhanced connectivity solutions. The…

Dubai: TECHz – News Desk Equiti Group, a global fintech leader, has partnered with Checkout.com, a leading global digital payments provider, to expand Equiti Pay’s global payment capabilities and accelerate payment acceptance rates. The collaboration enables smooth and secure card deposits, pay-to-card transfers and support for digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, alongside cross border transactions. Equiti Clients will experience faster funding, smoother withdrawals and a wider range of payment options, as well as improved transaction speed and reliability for high-value, time-sensitive domestic and cross border transactions. The collaboration brings together Checkout.com’s global acquiring capabilities and advanced…

Lagos: TECHz – News Desk Onafriq Nigeria Payments Ltd, a CBN-licensed payment service provider, partners with The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to pilot the continent’s first wallet-based outbound payments from Nigeria to Ghana – fully in Naira and instant, without relying on hard currency conversion, in partnership with Banks and Mobile Money Operators. The pilot service, approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), enables cross-border intra-Africa payments for individuals, merchants, and traders. In particular, the service will benefit SMEs, the real engine of intra-African trade; all now have access to a faster, cheaper way to reach customers…

Lusaka: TECHz – News Desk SMART Zambia Institute has received critical networking equipment to support the digital transformation of police stations across the country, marking a significant step toward modernising Zambia’s law enforcement infrastructure. The development forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the use of technology in public service delivery and improve operational efficiency within the Zambia Police Service. The newly delivered consignment includes routers, switches, access points and firewalls, and will be deployed to 40 police stations nationwide. The equipment is a key component of the Zambia Police Service Local Area Network (LAN) and Last Mile Connectivity Project,…

Accra: TECHz – News Desk Leading telecommunications provider MTN Ghana has unveiled Business Eye, its new enterprise surveillance solution, now officially available to businesses across the country. Designed to empower companies to monitor assets, oversee operations, and stay connected 24/7. Business Eye is ideal for a wide range of environments, including retail shops, restaurants, fuel stations, warehouses and offices. Business Eye is available in both SIM- and WiFi-enabled models, providing businesses with surveillance coverage without limits. The offering also includes round-the-clock remote monitoring with real-time alerts, secure cloud storage and local SD-card backup, a solar-powered feature to maintain protection even…

Gabon: TECHz – News Desk Gabon is advancing its digital transformation agenda with a focus on public administration. Building on the legal framework adopted in September 2025 for digitalizing public services, the government is now developing a regulatory framework for digital archiving. A draft ordinance approved on January 29, 2026, sets out the rules for creating, preserving, managing, and enhancing electronic documents while overseeing service providers involved in digitization and digital record maintenance. The initiative aims to improve the organization, security, and accessibility of administrative records. By regulating service providers and safeguarding state archives, the measure seeks to reduce data…

Dubai: TECHz – News Desk du Pay, the advanced digital financial services arm of du, and Deem Finance, a regulated financial institution in the UAE, announced their partnership to launch Flexi Cash Loan, a new digital cash lending product designed to provide customers with fast, convenient access to short-term credit directly within the du Pay wallet. Flexi Cash Loan brings together du Pay’s digital wallet ecosystem and customer engagement, Deem Finance’s regulated lending capabilities, and Airvantage’s credit decisioning technology to deliver a seamless, end-to-end digital lending experience-removing friction, reducing turnaround times, and giving customers greater control over their short-term cash…

Manama: TECHz – News Desk As part of its continued drive to expand and enhance its digital services, the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA), in collaboration with BENEFIT, has announced the launch of a new bill payment service through the BenefitPay app. The new service offers customers a more streamlined and convenient way to manage and settle their EWA bills. The service allows customers to activate a monthly direct debit facility via the BenefitPay app. To subscribe, customers submit a request through EWA’s approved channels, after which a notification is issued through the BenefitPay app. Customers can then select the…

Accra: TECHz – News Desk For many people around the world, speaking to devices has become second nature, whether to get directions, check the news, or dictate voice notes. However, this convenience often disappears when technology cannot understand local languages-a reality for hundreds of millions of people, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where over 2,000 distinct languages are spoken. The main challenge in developing inclusive voice technology for the region has been the lack of accessible, high-quality speech data. To address this gap, researchers have introduced WAXAL, a dataset named after the Wolof word for “speak.” Developed over three years, WAXAL…