Sustainable Tech Trends in Africa & the growth of Big Tech

AfriTech XYZ  Cohort Update

• We're pleased to share that Ecoplastile, a Ugandan social enterprise that addresses the challenges of urban waste management (plastic pollution), chronic youth unemployment, deforestation and climate change, has become a finalist in the global Earth Tech competition. 
• Find out how PayHippo is democratising funding for Nigeria’s small businesses in our latest interview where we  interview Chioma Okocha, one of the founders of PayHippo. Chioma shares tells us how her company is helping SMEs in Nigeria access funding to help them grow their business.
• The cohort are currently taking part in curated conversations where they have been matched with founders and senior leadership teams from other cohort companies to have conversations that will benefit the growth of both organisations.

 #AfriTechTrends: Renewables & Big Tech in Africa: 

• FAST Company has announced the 10 most innovative companies in Africafor 2020. This year’s honorees are picked in line with the emerging African Tech trends of 2020: fintech, e-commerce and the usual suspects. What's exciting is the support of sustainable innovations, such as Tizeti who are harnessing the power of the sun for an affordable 4G network.  
• Continuing the renewable theme, Innovate UK have just backed green startup Open Energy Labs who teach electronics to Zambian students. OEL’s target is to integrate their educational kit and mobile learning platform into the secondary school curriculum across Zambia by 2025.
• TikTok is quietly snapping up creatives from YouTube and Instagram for a full Africa roll-out. The Chinese company behind the world’s fastest-growing social media app had already been holding “creator sessions” and meetups around the city in 2019, urging creative young Kenyans to learn about the benefits of joining the “fun, cool short video platform”.
• Africa isn't a comic relief campaign. We are the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent and we're open for business. We have 600+ technology hubs, and big tech companies from the US have noticed. With 1.3 billion people and a young population. These are just some of the reasons Jack Dorsey & Elon Musk are turning to Africa in 2020. Watch the whole story

​