Microsoft Africa Development Center (ADC) is launching the 3rd season of its sponsored Game of Learners (GOL) student hackathon competition. The GOL initiative aims to improve digital and coding abilities among African university students. The Microsoft student hackathon participants will seek to find solutions that address the effects of climate change on the continent.
This year the 5-week hackathon’s objective is to propose solutions that reduce or reverse gas emissions and footprints, based on the theme Climate Change & Sustainability. Season 3 has a total of 8 teams made up of 5 participants from across East Africa participating. A Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador will lead each team and they will get mentorship and training from Microsoft.
The program’s main objective is to establish a fun, hands-on learning experience for students. It provides a virtual environment where students learn new technologies and build impactful solutions for their community. Overall, the program provides a platform for Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors to hone their leadership skills as Team Captains while leading and building impactful solutions with the learners.
The best project will collaborate with the Green Belt Movement to advance the winning solution. Weekly episodes of the GOL Show will be available online as the teams document their progress. Other winning categories are; people’s choice (project with most votes on DevPost), Best Media Presence (best video content) and Learners (highest team average points on Microsoft Learn).
”Part of our mission in ADC is solving Africa’s problems with Microsoft technology,” said ADC Managing Director Jack Ngare while making the announcement. “Africa is not immune to climate change challenges, and this is one of the issues we’d like to see tackled using Microsoft technology while also upskilling and enabling higher education tech enthusiasts in the region.”
Green Belt Movement’s Paul Thiong’o welcomed this year’s theme on climate change, noting that it’s in line with the organization’s vision to have a values-driven society of people who consciously work for continued improvement of their livelihoods and a greener, cleaner world.
“At the Green Belt Movement, we believe in empowering communities to take action against climate change, whose effects are already being felt across Africa. Our experience shows that when the communities understand the linkage between their actions, environment, and their livelihood situations, they are more likely to muster their energies and act for change. As a result, we are delighted to be a part of this noble initiative, which will see our young people contribute positively to ongoing efforts to address climate change challenges.”
“The GOL engages directly with students regardless of the higher education institution they come from. Born virtual, GOL is a program without borders. All GOL activities are supported by volunteers from Microsoft and partners as coaches, mentors, judges, speakers, and trainers,” Ngare explains, adding: “GOL is formed like a sports league, starting with a season, and followed by off-season clinics and exhibitions.”
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itel is introducing its latest entry-level and budget-friendly smartphone the A58 series. The device targets new smartphone users with a bigger screen, bigger battery and fashionable device at a cheaper price. itel is also partnering with local telcos to provide buyers of the phone with data bundles for a period.
The A58 series comes in a plastic body with three different colours to choose from. It has a 6.6-inch HD display with a 90% screen to body ratio to give you more viewing content. itel says it has a 2.5D curved edge screen design that makes viewing content on the device more immersive. The 4000mAh battery size promises to last you through a day and 27 hours of call time and 15 hours of video play. itel says its AI power master technology will give a user an extra 2 hours in power saving mode and up to 10 days in ultra power-saving mode.
The itel A58 series phones are resistant to ordinary drops, dust and moisture-proof and can handle extreme temperatures.
The main difference between the A58 and A58 Pro we know of is that the Pro version has 2GB RAM and 32GB storage compared to 1GB and 16GB in the A58. The chipsets used in the device also seem to vary across each market.
In Ghana, it starts selling at GHS 474, Ksh 8,650 in Kenya, NGN 40,000 in Nigeria, 80,000Rwf in Rwanda and UGX 275,000 in Uganda.
itel A58 and A58 Pro specifications
Dimensions
165.4 x 76 x 9.6 mm, Weight: 170 g
Display
6.6″ (1612 x 720) HD+ IPS LCD, Waterdrop Full Screen display
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Flapmax is introducing the first 12 startups to kick off the FAST startup accelerator program. The startup incubation program seeks to help strengthen and scale Africa’s digital ecosystem. In partnership with Microsoft, Flapmax’s twelve-week startup accelerator will begin on March 21st. The 12 startups come from 6 different countries, serve 9 industries, and include 2 female founders.
Flapmax says over 800 applications from 25 countries in Africa were received for the first FAST accelerator cohort. With the highest number of applications coming from Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, and Egypt. Industries represented by the application pool included AgTech, EdTech, HealthTech, FinTech and more.
“Microsoft believes that African startups are well-placed to become a cornerstone of the African digital economy, with relevant solutions to local societal challenges. Participation in the FAST startup accelerator program will help these entrepreneurs capture available funding opportunities and plan for growth and future market expansion”
Gerald Maithya, Startups Lead, Microsoft Africa Transformation Office.
“In partnership with the Microsoft team, we are bringing together a unique mix of technology business and innovative entrepreneurs to build and scale societally impactful solutions that enable digital transformation across industries, as well as an introduction to cloud and AI-integration tools designed to unlock new value for their businesses”.
Dave Ojika, founder and CEO, Flapmax
FAST applicants had to be based in Africa, ready to scale or expand within the continent, and have an established product-market fit while addressing one or more Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The first Flapmax FAST accelerator cohort features the following startups:
Capsa Technology (app.getCapsa.com) : Online platform to buy and sell invoices for businesses in Africa Nigeria | FinTech | SDG: No Poverty
Silqu (www.Silqu.com): Africa’s most advanced proptech platform in real estate and technology Kenya | PropTech | SDG: Decent Work and Economic Growth
LegitCar (LegitCar.ng): Building Africa’s biggest vehicle data service Nigeria | Automotive | SDG: Sustainable Cities and Communities
VAIS (VAIS.ai): Comprehensive precision agriculture platform powered by AI & earth observation Egypt | AgTech | SDG: Zero Hunger
Snark Health (SnarkHealth.com): Partner with your doctor. Leverage your data. Pay less. Kenya | HealthTech | SDG: Good Health and Well-being
Pade HCM (PadeHCM.com): Automated HR for all African businesses Nigeria | Enterprise Software | SDG: Decent Work and Economic Growth
K-12 EdTech (K12plus.app): Asynchronous and synchronous kindergarten to 12th-grade education app Kenya | EdTech | SDG: Quality Education
Tumaini La Maisha (www.weareTLM.org): Pediatric oncology services Tanzania | Government & Public Service | SDG: Good Health & Well-being
Taimba (Taimba.co.ke): East Africa’s First Data-Driven Food Supply Chain Platform Kenya | AgTech | SDG: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Wala Digital Health (WalaDigital.io): Digital platform for hospitals access to blood that saves lives Ghana | HealthTech | SDG: Good Health and Well-being
KaCyber Technologies (www.KaCyber.com) : Making seamless mobility a reality in Africa Uganda | Mobility | SDG: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Flapmax Learn
Flapmax also announced the launch of its new upskilling and reskilling platform, Flapmax Learn, which would be used during the twelve-week FAST program to facilitate technology and business masterclasses and certifications. The top 100 startups from the FAST applicant pool will receive complimentary access to the Flapmax Learn platform, including the accelerator learning modules and masterclasses.
Beginning March 21, the FAST accelerator cohort will engage in a broad range of activities, including training, business development, cloud & AI integration, fundraising and community-building events designed to help them scale rapidly and sustainably. Microsoft engineering team members will work one-on-one with participants on co-innovation projects ranging from product integrations to new offerings. With the help of the Flapmax engineering team, the startup founders will access new technology tools and services. Participants will benefit from up to $250,000 in Microsoft Azure cloud credits, as well as access to Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, including access to OpenAI APIs.
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Futurize is launching its first annual Fuel Africa Innovation Program from March 17 to 25, 2022. In partnership with AstraZeneca, through the A.Catalyst Network, and Microsoft and co-funded by Bristol Myers Squibb and Famfa Oil. To equip young entrepreneurs with the resources to build high-potential venture ideas and contribute to sustainable development globally.
Fuel Africa 2022 will bring together students and alumni of 12 universities across 7 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to address some of the continent’s most pressing challenges in healthcare. Through a virtual entrepreneurship bootcamp and innovation hackathon competition.
Coding or healthcare experiences are not a requirement to participate in the program. Participants will receive mentorship and hands-on training to build solutions for early-stage business ventures. It is currently focusing on solutions that provide access to healthcare as well as the screening, early diagnosis and optimal management of Non-Communicable Diseases. Winners will get investment money and opportunities to advance their careers.
Participating universities include Amref International University (AMIU), African Leadership University (ALU), Covenant University, JFN Institute of Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ibadan, University of Ghana, University of Lagos, University of Nigeria, University of Capetown, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology and the University of Nairobi.
“Microsoft, through the Africa Transformation Office, is committed to supporting education transformation across Africa with access to learning tools, resources and technology. We look forward to seeing what innovative solutions to pressing concerns these bright minds will develop during the program.”
Yacine Barro Bourgault, Enablement Lead, Africa Transformation Office at Microsoft.
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Tecnotree announces the launch of a digital multi-experience platform, Tecnotree Moments, in collaboration with MTN Nigeria. Tecnotree Moments is a gateway of digital services and lifestyle bundling products. It will launch with e-sports content such as PUBG Mobile Daily, FIFA Daily, Rocket League Daily, Fortnite Monthly, and Fantasy Football. Moments will also contain the complete Nigerian JSSCE, SSSCE, and IGCSE syllabus in the form of interactive and immersive content and live classes.
The multi-experience partner ecosystem offering aims to create lifestyle bundles of content, applications, and connectivity. Through a pre-integrated digital partner ecosystem for global, local and glocal high-demand and hyper-growth sectors. The platform will attract leading partners across different sectors such as education, entertainment, gaming, sports, health, and wellness to enter Nigeria and use direct customer billing to convert ecosystem partners into instant revenue generators.
It will offer Africa’s top-played games, with fresh games being updated regularly. With dynamic ecosystem partners, the platform is uniquely positioned to cater for the convergence in education and gaming content around the globe that fosters social and emotional learning, imperative for personalized and adaptive experiences.
The MTN-Moments partnership will look at providing Massive Online Open Curriculum (MOOC) for career development and progression. Facilitating the acquisition of soft and technical skills. The platform will be launched first in Nigeria, with plans to launch these services to other MTN OpCos in Africa.
‘MTN is constantly seeking partnerships to build platforms that provide a superior service to our customers. We have always been deliberate about giving our customers the very best in digital content. This partnership with Tecnotree is a reinforcement of that commitment. The platform will provide enormous quality content that cuts across education and entertainment for our customers.’ said Aisha Mumuni, MTN’s Acting Chief Digital Officer.
Padma Ravichander, CEO of Tecnotree Corporation said, ‘Our Vision is to empower digitally connected communities, narrow the digital divide and create digital inclusion for various diasporas of the Nigerian population. We are very excited to partner with MTN Nigeria to launch our Tecnotree Moments platform that will support the Nigerian community with true digital services and products through our global partners. MTN’s commitment to making Africa a truly digital economy is a powerful purpose and Tecnotree is proud to be its digital partner in the cause.’
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Microsoft Africa Development Center is organizing a free virtual event as part of its ADC’s user group series themed Azure Developers Connect for Developers and Software Engineers in Africa scheduled to hold on the 24th of February, 2022. Time 3 PM GMT, 4 PM WAT, 5 PM SAT, 6 PM EAT.
The event which would be held virtually is targeted at Azure user groups & communities, developers, engineers, working professionals; Tech communities in West Africa and Kenya in a bid to expose them to the many capabilities of Azure for building next-gen apps and driving global transformation as a developer or software engineer in Africa.
Developers and software engineers would enjoy practical sessions with Top Azure experts, as well as get insights into existing cloud features, they never knew were in existence. Speakers at the event will include Scott Hunter (VP DIR Program Management, Azure Applications, Microsoft), Matt Soucoup (Senior Cloud Advocate, Microsoft), Donald Okafor (Principal Software Engineering Lead, Microsoft ADC), Kehinde Ladipo (Software engineer, Microsoft ADC).
Panel discussions will also feature Adora Nwodo (Software Engineer, Microsoft ADC), Olaitan Adeboye (Software Engineer, Microsoft ADC), Samuel Adranyi (Senior Software Engineer, Mekorma), Frank Odoom (Software Consultant, Accede) and other Microsoft ADC software Engineers.
Topics: – 5 career paths you can explore as an Azure Software Engineer, – How to become a software engineer at the Microsoft ADC, – Leveraging Azure for continuous deployment & integration.
Microsoft Azure is Microsoft’s public cloud computing platform that provides a wide range of cloud services such as computing, analytics, networking, and storage. Microsoft Azure helps developers and software engineers to develop new applications or even upscale existing applications with its various cloud services. The public cloud computing platform is flexible and open which makes it globally recognized to developers and software engineers due to its reliability.
The Azure developers connect event will also serve as a great way for developers and software engineers to network with other Azure professionals in the field.
Developers and Software Engineers in Africa can book their seat by registering with the link https://aka.ms/AzureDevelopersConnect to get in-depth knowledge about exploring the Microsoft Azure Platform and its existing features whilst they prepare to build next-gen apps that would drive global transformations.
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