YouTube is announcing that 26 talented African creators will join the global Black Voices Creator Class of 2022. They are selected as part of 133 creators from around the world and across various niches. Including 40 from US and Canada, 35 from Brazil, and 34 from the United Kingdom. They will receive access to resources such as partner support and seed funding to help them grow on YouTube.
We’re excited to introduce you to the 26 #YouTubeBlack Voices creator grantees from Africa in 2022!
@microsoftcaregh | MCGH | www.microsoftcaregh
Speaking about the announcement Youtube says “We’re are excited to introduce you to the 26 YouTube Black Voices creator grantees from Africa in 2022. Over the next year, we’ll work closely with these African creators. Offering them dedicated partner support, seed funding invested into the development of their channels, and participation in an intensive development program. That will focus on training in production, community engagement and wellbeing, followed by ongoing workshops and networking programs.”
Last year YouTube launched the YouTubeBlack Voices Fund to directly support Black creators and artists so that they can thrive on YouTube. The first cohort just like this year included 133 creators from across the world. It also announced the YouTube Black Voices artist class of 2022 to support and mentor black artists and producers, selecting artists from Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa. The company says this support helped them to hit new subscriber milestones and lead meaningful discussions.
The 26 African YouTube creators and grantees come from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. They include technology reviewer Fisayo Fosudo, entertainers The Ndlovu’s Uncut and lifestylist Cheyenne. Check out the full list of Africa’s YouTube Black Voices Creator Class of 2022 below.
YouTube Black Voices Creator Class of 2022 Africa grantees
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TECNO mobile is announcing its latest smartphones with three new devices in the Camon 18 series. The TECNO Camon 18 Premier, Camon 18P and Camon 18 with Camon 18i and Camon 18T being tweaked global variants.
TECNO is introducing an ultra-steady gimbal camera and 60X Hyper Zoom in the flagship Camon 18 Premier. Saying it is the most advanced pro-camera Camon phone yet. It brings its previous best features the super night and selfie camera modes to the new device as well. It is powered by the newest MediaTek Helio G96 Chipset and sports a 6.7″ 120Hz AMOLED display.
In terms of pricing, the Camon 18 series starts at about $160 – $400 covering all the smartphone ranges. We provide you with the country-specific device prices in the following markets; Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan and India.
The new TECNO Camon 18 series smartphones will be able to upgrade to HIOS’s Android 12 when it becomes available. Here are the full device specifications below. I’m also adding an unboxing video comparing the normal version to the premier version so you can see the differences.
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The African Development Bank, AfDB, is announcing the enrolment of 130,000 users in its Coding for Employment digital skills program. The digital skills training platform was launched in December 2019 in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation and Microsoft.
The milestone comes as it works to equip African youth with information and communication technology, entrepreneurship and soft-skills training to compete in a digital economy. The program’s online platforms offer in-demand technical courses such as web development, design, data science and digital marketing for free. It is accessible on mobile devices, even in low internet connectivity settings and has an affordable, easy-to-navigate, secured and private interface. As well as in physical centers of excellence in underserved communities across Africa.
With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in lockdowns and school closures across the continent, the Coding for Employment platforms experienced dramatic increases in the number of users. During a one-week period in September 2020, registrations skyrocketed by 38.5%. Through the Bank’s partnership with the Government of Nigeria and Microsoft to launch the Digital Nigeria eLearning platform during the pandemic, it has hit a combined total of 130,000 students. Registered students are achieving a course completion rate of more than 80%.
“To win the battle against poverty in Africa, we must equip our youth with digital skills that empower them for the jobs of the future,” said Martha Phiri, Director of the Bank’s Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development Department.
Students who took the online courses in the wake of Covid-19 in Africa said learning or honing digital skills helped them advance their careers.
“During the lockdown period, I taught myself Microsoft Excel, using the platform. Participating in the training not only smoothed my rough Excel skills but also gave me the platform to network and push myself,” said program graduate Hajara Ayuba in Nigeria.
“Thanks to the program, I met one of the major criteria – data fluency and MS Excel skills – at my present NYSC place of primary assignment in Borno State Board of Internal Revenue Service. I was later retained in the job,” Ayuba added.
“The online training program started in tandem with the opening planned upgrade of physical Coding for Employment-branded Centers of Excellence piloted in Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. The Bank aims to scale up to 130 centers across the continent in a decade.”
“The pandemic accelerated the adoption of online learning as a necessity. Coding for Employment swiftly leveraged its online digital skills platform to continue to offer a gateway for African youth to become more digitally capable,” said Hendrina Chalwe Doroba, the Bank’s Division Manager for Education and Skills Development.
Following the pilot program, Coding for Employment online courses are now available in 45 countries. Some 300 beneficiaries, like Shaawanatu Shuaibu, linked Coding for Employment to getting jobs. Shuaibu a Coding for Employment program graduate from the Gombe State Center of Excellence in Nigeria, said the course had broadened her understanding of content writing.
“I was able to organize the content of my CV, which secured me a call for an interview at Jaiz Bank Plc. My performance at the interview and fluency in communication got me posted to the Customer Service Unit of the Bank,” she added.
The initiative aims to create over 9 million jobs and reach 32 million youth and women across Africa and is part of the AfDB’s Jobs for Youth in Africa Initiative.
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TECNO, the mobile company known for producing entry to mid-range mobile devices for emerging markets like Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan and India is introducing a premium model device with the announcement of the PHANTOM X. The company is rebranding the Phantom model to represent its premium category for its devices. TECNO has packed in some good specs for the device but how will this compare to existing devices in this range and will it be value for money?
TECNO Phantom X runs on a MediaTek Helio G95 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB storage. It sports a 6.7-inch display, 90Hz panel, 1080p resolution and Gorilla Glass 5. The phone will come running Android 11 and HIOS 7.6. It will have a 4700 mAh battery capacity that supports 33W fast charging. TECNO says you can get up to 70% when you charge it for 30 minutes.
In terms of pricing, the Phantom X will retail at about $460 – $560. Here are the country-specific prices in the following markets; Ghana – GHS 2795, Nigeria – NGN 228,000, Kenya – KES 49,999. Pakistan – Rs. 69,999, India – ₹18,999 .
TECNO Phantom X Specs
OS – Android 11, HIOS 7.6
Display – 6.70-inch (1080×2340), Super AMOLED Display, 90Hz, 385 ppi
Everything you need to know about the Camera capability and experience
For a premium phone, TECNO says the Phantom X’s main camera has a 50MP Ultra-Nigh camera with ultra-large sensors that support 100 million pixel photo mode. The 48MP front camera sports a 105°Ultra-Wide-angle and 50mm golden portrait mode. It also boasts of a super night mode that lets you get clear and vivid photos at night. But what exactly do you get and what does this mean? Read on to find out especially if you are buying or own one, to maximize the device.
50MP Ultra-Night Camera with 1/1.3-inch Ultra-Large Sensor
With PHANTOM X’s extraordinary camera features, users can become professional photographers producing high-quality photos. PHANTOM X adopts the industry-leading 50MP Ultra-Night Camera with a 1/1.3-inch Ultra-Large Sensor, making it easy to shoot crisp professional photos. With a pixel size of 2.4um in 4-in-1 pixel mode, PHANTOM X’s 50MP camera with 1/1.3-inch ultra-large sensor can take in a 33% more light from the outer environment compared to a camera featuring a 108MP camera with 1/1.5-inch sensor, bringing a wider ISO range and less noise. It also comes with better exposure and detailed reproduction in complex lighting. The ultra-clear image is achieved by decoding the image quality of Re-mosaic, providing ample space for post cropping and re-creation, supporting one hundred million level shooting.
48MP Ultra-clear Selfie Camera with 105°Ultra-Wide Angle
PHANTOM X features a 48MP Ultra-clear Selfie camera offering greater color vibrancy and natural quality when snapping a selfie. Users can have clearer skin textures, sharper facial features, and brighter smiles to capture all their beauty in its glory. Layered with AI to add that extra glimmer and sparkle, every selfie will be picture perfect. Additionally, PHANTOM X will automatically expand the field of view to 105°Ultra-Wide Angle, fitting more in group selfies. Magic to cheese not squeeze with more friends!
Portrait Magician – Magic of 50mm Golden Portrait
As for the important portrait photo performance, PHANTOM X uses a 50mm focal lens to present the Golden Portrait natural images without distortion, capturing and enhancing the quality. By accurate scenery separation and aesthetic spot effect, each portrait is filled with vivid details. Users can also choose seven diversified portrait lighting effects without changing the photo background. Three professional portrait color schemes are provided by PHANTOM X for the skin color needs of different groups, in line with multi-regional aesthetics. And there are more: PHANTOM X uses AI to restore the portraits by automatically learning how to sharpen the fuzzy image taken from less desirable conditions such as low light, sports events, or shaking hands. Be bold to capture the best portrait with PHANTOM X.
Super Night View 3.0 and Super Night Portrait
With the increased 4-in-1 pixel size, PHANTOM X can bring the night alive and capture more than the eye can see. When paired with AI assistance to add those finishing touches, the glow of the city night can be vividly captured from a simple click. And with the meshing of low light HDR and AI, your nightlife snaps will also shine with exuberance. It is your opportunity to capture the beauty of night city scenes with the Super Night View 3.0, and you can have elegant portraits in the glorious night view with the help of the Super Night Portrait.
Even in an extremely dark environment, PHANTOM X can increase the amount of light captured to reveal fine details hidden in the dark. With the powerful Super Night Mode, users can shoot an unexpectedly bright and clear night scene at any time.
Night Video Algorithm and the 960fps Slow Motion
“What should life be like on its best day?” PHANTOM X answers by making its users become video experts. With Night Video Algorithm, users don’t have to worry about those low lighting conditions. The leading Night Video Algorithm enables users to capture ultimate clarity, highly defined colors, and the finest details. In addition, the film mode of PHANTOM X makes it possible to edit your own cinematic films on your hands with different film schemes, whether it is for parties, travel, or business meetings. Even for an exciting fast sports event, the 960fps Slow Motion can help users freeze every fleeting moment just like memories frozen in time. Whether it is for days or nights, dynamics or statics, PHANTOM X records every moment, sharp and clear.
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Microsoft is announcing its partner of the year award winners and here is a list of winning organizations in Africa. The announcement comes ahead of Microsoft Inspire 2021 where it will celebrate exemplary achievements from across its global partner ecosystem. Microsoft Inspire 2021 partner event, is set to take place July 14-15 as a free global digital event.
Microsoft uses the partner award to recognize outstanding accomplishments within its partner community. This year, the company received over four thousand entries from one hundred and thirty countries across fifty-six categories. Microsoft introduced a new category, the Social Impact Award which includes awards for Community Response, Inclusion Changemaker, and Sustainability Changemaker.
Ten partner organizations emerge as award winners in 2021. Cloud Productivity Solutions, Kenya is the only winner from last year to win this year as well. Ghana recorded an award winner for the second year in a row. Senegal for the third year in a row failed to register an award winner. Côte d’Ivoire is back with a winner after failing to register an award winner in 2020. Namibia failed to register a winner this year.
Below are Microsoft Partner Africa winners from the country and region category.
At Microsoft, we believe our partners make more possible. That’s why we recognize exceptional partner contributions.
Microsoft Partner Africa Award Winners country category
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Dynamics 365 Business Central the Microsoft business management solution for small and mid-sized organizations (SMBs) is coming to Africa and the Middle East. The solution will launch in Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Lebanon over this month.
Dynamics 365 Business Central lets SMBs automate and streamline their business operations. By connecting their financials, sales, services, shipping, manufacturing, project management, operations and more to improve customer interactions.
Maher Al-Khaiyat, Regional Business Applications Director for Microsoft MEA Emerging Markets, says what businesses get with Business Central is an end-to-end view of their operations. With built-in intelligence when and where they need it. He notes that the application is easy to tailor and extend to meet any unique business or industry-specific needs.
“With digital transformation now a necessity, SMBs are seeking cost-effective, streamlined systems that will make their transition seamless. Multiple, disconnected systems are now easily combined under one secure, centralised application. Using Dynamics 365 Business Central, efficiency is boosted through automated tasks and workflows. All from within familiar Office tools like Outlook, Word, and Excel.”
Maher Al-Khaiyat
The new solution will launch in Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Lebanon over this month AL-Khaiyat adds.
Business Central is easy to integrate with applications like payroll, banking apps, or custom APIs. It has the same consistent and secure experience across all devices no matter where teams are accessing the application from.
SMEs will be able to deploy Dynamics 365 Business Central in either the cloud, on-premise, or with a hybrid approach. No matter the requirements for data residency, compliance, or security, companies can run their business wherever and however needed.
Business Central was previously known as Dynamics NAV. The solution is now a SaaS and comes in the Dynamics 365 suite.
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