China’s evolving Xi-nomics at the cost of its Giant Tech Companies

By Our Correspondent The Chinese regulators had launched an anti-monopoly investigation into the nation’s biggest tech company, Alibaba and its affiliate fintech Ant Group in the month of November last year. The nation’s increased scrutiny is being seen as a sense of worry by other tech giants of the country, since the Chinese President Xi…

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Top Tips of How to Build Organizational Culture in Remote Teams

Bernard Marr Even though there were companies such as Google, Salesforce, Zillow, and others that thrived with remote teams before COVID-19, many companies still resisted telecommuting until the pandemic forced the majority of companies to shift to that reality basically overnight. Now that more companies experienced remote workforces first-hand, there are signs that remote working will…

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Managing Data To Drive Competitive Advantage

By Bernard Marr  One of the most important lessons we’ve learned from the pandemic is just how important technology is to building robust and thriving businesses. Organizations that have prospered in the last nine months have done so by leveraging cloud computing, high-speed networks, artificial intelligence (AI), and the internet of things (IoT) to push…

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Digitalisation of economic sectors will kick-start a new growth cycle after COVID-19

The response to the COVID-19 crisis builds momentum for Africa’s digital transformation to overcome the pandemic and create more productive jobs, according to the 2021 edition of Africa’s Development Dynamics (AfDD) launched yesterday. The COVID‑19 pandemic is the hardest shock to African economies in 25 years. Gross domestic product (GDP) has decreased in 41 countries in 2020,…

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PWDs Embracing ICTs in Coping With COVID-19

By Joyce Mukucha Signs of Hope Trust, an organisation that inspires, empowers, and serves people with disabilities (PWDs) is decrying the negative impacts posed by the COVID-19 pandemic during the lockdown period and is embracing information communication technologies (ICTs) to reach out to this needy group. In an interview, Signs of Hope Trust founder, Samantha…

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7 Digital Health Trends We’ll Keep An Eye On In 2021

Bertalan Meskó, MD, PhD Summing up 2020 I was asked many times about the changes COVID-19 have brought about in healthcare. Well, throughout the past year, here at The Medical Futurist we were continuously posting about the technological advancements in the medical field: telemedicine, at-home lab tests, robotics and even doing sports have changed dramatically.  Most of these changes are likely to…

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AWiM working towards addressing disinformation

The African Women in Media (AWiM) is making a concerted effort to ensure that the digital space does not present a design that erodes trust in human rights. The organization is spearheading this by engaging with different feminist movements and other constituencies to champion the feminist internet towards social justice and environmental sustainability. Cyberspace is…

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Dawa Health Striving to Eliminate Maternal Health Challenges

By Joyce Mukucha Worldwide, hundreds of mothers are dying daily from pregnancy complications with 99 percent of them in developing countries like Sub Sahara Africa. Statistics indicate that in Zimbabwe and other African countries, the maternal mortality rate is rapidly increasing day by day being fuelled by the low uptake of maternal health services. According…

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Simple Algorithms vs. A.I. And What They Mean For Medicine

Bertalan Meskó, MD, PhD Artificial intelligence (A.I.), machine learning (ML) and algorithms; if you are a regular at The Medical Futurist, you’ve come across these terms more than once whether it’s in our articles, videos or e-books. Indeed, our latest e-book about investment in digital health has a dedicated section about A.I. Even The Medical Futurist Institute’s latest…

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Honor sale to see Huawei plunge out of device top 6

By Chris Donkin Analyst company TrendForce predicted global smartphone production to begin its recovery in 2021 after dropping 11 per cent in 2020, although it forecast further bad news for Huawei with the manufacturer expected to exit its top six list. In its market predictions for 2021 the analyst company said it expected 1.36 billion…

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DPA installs electric vehicle charging stations across Zimbabwe

Distributed Power Africa (DPA) has started deploying electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across Zimbabwe as a way of encouraging the uptake of environmentally friendly cars.  This follows the government’s commitment late last year to work on a framework that promotes the use of EVs, as the country moves to embrace the emerging wave of clean…

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Women in politics must challenge cyberbullying

By Sindiso Mhlophe Described as the “Democrats’ 2020 social media phenomenon” by various media outlets and research institutes in the just ended United States of America (US) elections, vice-president-elect Kamala Harris was able to generate over 27 million interactions on various social media platforms during the campaign period. Broken down, according to CrowdTangle, Harris, who…

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What’s Been The Impact of Covid-19 On The 4th Industrial Revolution?

Bernard Marr Influencer Obviously, the coronavirus has had a devastating impact on our world. The transformative effects of COVID-19 are immense, but they aren’t all negative. When faced with the reality of everything being remote from work to entertainment to education to connecting with friends and more, the technologies that propel the 4th Industrial Revolution offered solutions to…

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Digitization in sync with government’s economic blueprint: Minister Muswere

The National Development Strategy (NDS1) with its emphasis on the Digital Economy as one of the fourteen national priorities for the period 2021–2025 is in sync with driving economic growth, Dr. Jenfan Muswere, the Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services has said. He made the remarks at the official launch of…

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POTRAZ seeks to advance inclusivity in the access and use of ICTs

The Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) seeks to advance inclusivity in the access and use of information communication technologies (ICTs) by all including persons with disabilities (PWDs). This was revealed by Dr. Gift Machengete, the POTRAZ Director-General, on the the occasion of the handover of ICT equipment to schools and institutions that…

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Zimnat adopts machine learning and artificial intelligence through partnership with Zindi

The Zimnat Group has partnered with Zindi, an African data scientist’s community which gives organisations and governments access to world-class machine learning and AI solutions through a talented community of data scientists. The partnership has to date seen the Zindi community develop solutions that has assisted Zimnat to make life better for its customers. Some…

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Samsung integrates SmartThings with Google Nest

Samsung extended a smart home partnership with Google to allow its users to control Nest products via smart devices, as the South Korean vendor moves to broaden its consumer IoT footprint. In a statement, the smartphone giant said the upcoming integration will allow its SmartThings platform to access and operate Nest devices including thermostats, doorbells…

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Driverless car inventor William Sachiti for Global Zimbabweans interview

By Anyway Yotamu Zimbabwean-born British inventor William Sachiti, is set to talk about the successful maiden official run of his driverless car in the UK, Thursday’s online show; Celebrating Global Zimbabweans with Kim Jayde. Sachiti’s autonomous vehicle; the Kar-go recently got approved to operate on the streets of the UK and complete it’s first run…

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Digital literacy, security important for sustainability of feminist movements: FRIDA

By Joyce Mukucha As the rest of the world is joining hands in solidarity to end gender-based violence (GBV) against women and girls during the 16 Days of Activism, the Young Feminist Fund (FRIDA) believes that the safety of communities must be a priority as it arrives at co-creation of digital feminist features. FRIDA is…

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Dutch university to monitor expansion of agricultural digital tools worldwide

The uptake of digital agricultural tools and services around the world will be tracked by researchers in the Netherlands to help guide investment and boost food production. Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands will continue the work of the EU-funded institution, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), which is winding down…

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Youths proffer SDGs-aligned ICT solutions to solve post-COVID-19 socio-economic challenges

The 2020 Hackathon saw teams competing in proffering the most relevant ICT solutions to solve post-COVID-19 socio-economic challenges that may hinder the country’s efforts towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The hackathon ran under the theme “#Hacking for SDGs post-COVID-19 and beyond” and was held in Zimbabwe’s second-largest city of Bulawayo last…

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Innovation an indispensable aspect of national development

Dr. Jenfan Muswere, the Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services has said innovation plays a critical role in national development. He made the remarks in his keynote address during the official opening of the 2020 Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) Hackathon held at the Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel today. “Given the…

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Huawei’s Galileo Hall offers insights into 5G innovation to Southern African media

For the second time in two months, media from across the South African region experienced Galileo, Huawei’s immersive exhibition hall that explains 5G technology and its benefits. More than 35 media houses from across sub-Saharan Africa attended the tour and picked up rare insights into 5G innovation and its relevance to the region on the…

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Huawei smartphone share tipped for hit in 2021

Yanitsa Boyadzhieva Market research company TrendForce forecast Huawei’s smartphone market share would plunge in 2021, with Apple and rival Chinese vendors tipped to reap the benefits. In its latest study, TrendForce predicted Huawei’s share would fall from an estimated 14 per cent this year to 4 per cent in 2021 due to US restrictions. The research…

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Embrace cutting-edge technology to advance our society: ICT Minister

Dr. Jenfan Muswere, the Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services has called on stakeholders to embrace cutting-edge technology to advance our society and our shared interests. Minister Muswere made the remarks at the Computer Society of Zimbabwe (CSZ) ICT Summit held in Nyanga from 25 to 27 November 2020. “It gives…

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Childline Launches Child Online Protection Guidelines

The launch of Child Online Protection Guidelines by Childline will go a long way in raising awareness on child online safety. This was revealed by the Childline Director Ms. Stella Motsi in a speech read on her behalf by Macbeth Makoni, the organisation’s Human Resources and Organisational Development Manager. “Today brings finality to a process…

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Africans welcome UNIDO ITPO off-grid conference focusing on energy poverty

OFF-GRID Expo + Conference 2020 (www.Off-Grid-Expo.com) hosts its first digital edition in partnership with UNIDO ITPO Germany and Alliance for Rural Electrification for a two-day trade event; the exclusive digital event aims to cover off-grid solar, wind turbine, and hydropower systems and independent power supply; attendees can look forward to exciting lectures, panels, and unique…

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Launch of Dzidzo Paden/Imfundwe’ Ndlini App to support remote learning and access to academic resources

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in partnership with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) will launch a WhatsApp-based educational application, Dzidzo Paden|Imfundwe’ndlini, on Monday 23 November 2020 in Harare. Dzidzo paden|Imfundwe’ndlini is a WhatsApp automated chatbot aimed at distributing premium academic resources to…

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Ndine Thaza Season 6 kicks off with sponsorship from Power Giants

The popular entrepreneurship competition for upcoming business start-ups that are showcased on Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Television (ZBC TV), Ndine Thaza Season 6 got off to a good start with sponsorship from Power Giants yesterday. Announcing the sponsorship deal in Harare yesterday, Engineer Edzai Kachirekwa, the Power Giants Group Transmission Director for Southern Africa said his…

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ARIPO elects new Director-General for the period 2021 to 2024

The Forty-Fourth Session of the Administrative Council of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) has voted Mr. Bemanya Twebaze, a candidate from Uganda, as the Organization’s next Director General (DG) for a fixed term of four years that will start on January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2024. “Thank you to the Administrative Council…

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Online SME loan scam – fake websites impersonating the World Bank Group in Zimbabwe

In the past few weeks, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), has been the subject of cybercrime attacks from unknown individuals and entities.  The perpetrators have created a series of fake websites, emails, loan application forms, and URLs impersonating IFC in Zimbabwe including https://www.ifcbusiness.org/ and https://www.ifcbusiness.org/sme-loans. The online…

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NetOne launches game-changer electronic top-up platform

Despite the debilitating effects of COVID-19, NetOne is continuing to offer communication solutions as evidenced by its recent launch of a virtual airtime buying, selling, and distribution platform. NetOne Acting Chief Commercial Officer Mr. Nyaradzai Shoko, speaking yesterday at the Zone One Dealer Appreciation Cocktail that coincided with the update on the launch of the…

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EcoCash reaps benefits of system upgrade as it automates key customer support services

EcoCash, Zimbabwe’s largest mobile money platform, is now reaping the rewards of its core system upgrade, with the platform now able to deliver automated and significantly enhanced customer experience to its customers. Mr Eddie Chibi, the Chief Executive Officer of Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe, the holding company of EcoCash, said the group was focused on enhancing…

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Liquid Telecom and Zayo partner to Expand Global Network Coverage

The partnership will allow Liquid Telecom and Zayo to leverage their existing networks for customers that have operations in Africa, Europe and North America. Leading pan-African telecoms group, Liquid Telecom, has announced their partnership with Zayo Group Holdings, Inc., a global leader of Communications Infrastructure. The partnership will see Liquid Telecom and Zayo leveraging existing…

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Africa50 unveils winners of its first Innovation Challenge

Africa50 unveiled on Tuesday, the winners of the first edition of its Innovation Challenge, which aimed at sourcing innovative solutions, to help increase access to reliable and affordable internet connectivity in under-served areas across Africa. The announcement was made during an interactive session dedicated to the Innovation Challenge, organized in partnership with Informa, at the…

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Supply issues, delays blamed for China sales dip

Mobile World Live Research company IDC cited problems in Huawei’s supply chain, weak consumer demand, and delays in the launch of major flagship handsets for a 14 percent year-on-year drop in Q3 smartphone shipments in China. In a statement, the analyst company’s research manager for client devices in APAC Will Wong noted escalated US trade restrictions…

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Econet partners Google to roll out high-speed broadband technology

Google’s parent company Alphabet yesterday announced that it has tapped the Econet Group as its partner to launch a new high-speed broadband technology which uses laser beams instead of fibre optic cables. The new technology can be deployed to connect two points that are 20km apart in a matter of hours, instead of about two…

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MSF challenges COVID-19 myths with new quiz challenge app

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in association with software developer Pixel Impact has launched a new app that encourages people to behave safely if someone in their family or community catches COVID-19. Taking the form of an interactive quiz challenge, users of the COVID Challenge app are presented with a range of colourfully illustrated scenarios and…

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Power Giants driving mechanisation for increased farm productivity

As the 2020-2021 agricultural season kicks off, commercial farmers have been urged to capitalise on local initiatives for the installation and servicing of farm machinery and equipment to ensure the smooth flow of operations. Speaking at a media briefing after the unveiling of Power Giants Private Limited’s Mutare branch, the firm’s general manager – Manicaland Province…

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