Author: SADC Correspondent

The growing need for secure, reliable trade finance in the global sphere has prompted the Standard Bank Group, based in Johannesburg, to join the digital trading platform of fintech provider, CCRManager. Late last week, Standard Bank signed an agreement with CCRManager Pte Ltd to become Africa’s first bank to start using the electronic trade network as a member. “As the first African bank to have joined this network, this presents us with many opportunities, including being able to show African trade risk to international banks that are members of CCRManager. It is aligned with our desire to connect Africa...

Even more than the technology itself, innovative cultures able to include, adapt and evolve technology – as part of the way that banks do things – will determine competitive ability and future success in Africa’s banking industry. “The culture of entrepreneurship and resilience in Africa combined with a growing youth population has led to an increased affinity to adopt more digital technologies,” said Hasan Khan, Group Head, Transactional Products and Services for Standard Bank. This is hardly surprising given some of the statistics for the continent – over 350m internet users, with over 94% of users accessing applications like...

Showcasing Facebook’s passion for investing in creative, diverse talent across Africa, and nurturing the tech and startup ecosystem, Facebook this week announced, a week-long celebration of activities as part of its sponsorship of TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield Africa 2017. The Facebook team will be in Nairobi, Kenya from 9-12 October to take part in and host a number of events aimed at connecting, listening and learning from the startup and wider tech community. In the first event of its kind on the continent, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield Africa 2017, will search for the best innovators, makers and technical entrepreneurs in sub...

Africa is fast becoming the dumping ground for eWaste. A growing amount of computer equipment from Western nations is being found on toxic eWaste dumps throughout Africa and is being pulled apart by children as young as five. A computer monitor from a prominent Australian bank was recently found on a toxic eWaste dump in Ghana. This raises serious questions about the integrity and regulations of Australia’s growing eWaste problem and even though it is illegal to export redundant computer equipment, that is considered hazardous waste, it is still happening. In South Africa, there are laws that regulate the...