All the Things in Digital Health You’ve Missed During COVID-19

By Bertalan Meskó, MD, PhD Director of The Medical Futurist Institute (Keynote Speaker, Author & Futurist) It’s been enough for a bit, isn’t it? For three months now, there has been little space in the world for any other kind of news. That is, news without the word ‘coronavirus’. But there was innovation, there is excitement…

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Virtual Launch of the Internet of Good Things (IoGT) welcomed

UNICEF, in partnership with Econet Wireless and ZiFM Stereo is launching The Internet of Good Things (IoGT) through a virtual live music show featuring Jah Prayzah, Gemma Griffiths, Tamy Moyo, Long John, Nutty O and Asaph. The event will be aired live on ZiFM Radio as well as streamed through ZiFM, UNICEF Zimbabwe and Econet Wireless Facebook…

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Financial Securities Exchange, Harare Institute of Technology sign MOU

The Financial Securities Exchange, a member of the Escrow Group a leading pan African fintech company, has been in discussions with the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) to facilitate the integration of the practical securities trading and capital raising platforms that FINSEC offers with the academic theory that is taught at the institution. These discussions…

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What Are The 9 Best Analytics Tools For Data Visualization Available Today?

By Bernard Marr For data to be useful to humans, we have to be able to visualize it in a way that lets us understand the story it tells, and communicate it to others. Data visualization tools are constantly evolving to offer more powerful features while improving accessibility and user-friendliness. With an increasing number of job…

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VAYA Africa launches electric vehicle, targets the African market

Vaya Africa, a Mauritius-registered Transportation as a Service (TaaS) company, has launched an electric vehicle service in Zimbabwe as part of the company’s rollout strategy across Africa. “We are excited to launch the ‘VAYA Electric’ vehicle today as we start our journey of deploying innovative ways of harnessing clean, renewable energy to provide safe and…

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Cassava Smartech launches Akello Digital Classroom to help students learn from home

Diversified digital services group Cassava Smartech has launched Akello Digital Classroom, a platform that offers Zimbabwean students, from Primary level to High School, access to online Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) curriculum lessons for all subjects. Cassava Smartech announced that all interested Zimbabwean students will have free access to live online lessons for the next…

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Strive Masiyiwa Buys Back Mascom Botswana For USD$300 Million

African and global philanthropists team up to manufacture COVID-19 medical equipment in Africa

African and global philanthropists have teamed up to help African nations secure urgently needed ventilators, breathing support devices and other medical equipment, in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Strive Masiyiwa, co-founder of Higherlife Foundation, who has recently been appointed as an African Union Special Envoy to mobilise the private sector response to COVID-19, is…

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COVID-19: Huawei Enterprise hosts online Summit on digital transformation

Huawei Enterprise Business Group (EBG) (https://e.huawei.com/) will host the Huawei Southern Africa FSI Summit online 2020 (https://bit.ly/2XwKFL0) on May 29th, from 10.00am – 12.00pm, with the theme of “Accelerating Digital Transformation, Enable Business Growth Again”. The online summit will include presentations from Chen Lei, President of Huawei Southern Africa Region, and Chen Kun Te, Huawei Chief Digital…

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Masiyiwa completes solar power project in Matabeleland

Pan-African businessman and philanthropist Strive Masiyiwa has, through his ‘Re-Imagine Rural’ initiative, completed a 100KW solar power project at Ndolwane in Bulilimamangwe district near Zimbabwe’s border town of Plumtree, in the country’s south western province of Matabeleland South. Breaking the news on his popular Facebook blog, Masiyiwa wrote: There is a place in rural Zimbabwe…

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African countries get new tool to predict climate-related disasters

A new weather forecasting system in Africa allows meteorologists to track approaching storms in real time, potentially saving lives from climate-related disasters, scientists said on Monday.  The technology is already used in developed countries but was not available until recently in most of sub-Saharan Africa, according to scientists behind the project at the University of…

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Africa Data Centres acquires world-class data centre in Johannesburg

Africa Data Centres’ investment reflects significant confidence in South Africa and further consolidates Africa Data Centres’ position as the continent’s leading data centre and co-location provider JOHANNESBURG, May 18 – Africa Data Centres, part of the Liquid Telecom Group, has completed the acquisition of a state-of-the-art Tier IV data centre in Johannesburg from Standard Bank,…

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ICTs keep the world focused on SDGs, connected amidst COVID-19

Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Postal and courier Services, Jenfan Muswere has paid tribute to the important role ICTs play in keeping the world on track towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) and coping with the coronavirus pandemic. He made the remarks today (17 May 2020) on the celebration of the World Telecommunication and Information…

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2Africa: A transformative subsea cable for future internet connectivity in Africa

China Mobile International, Facebook (www.Facebook.com), MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, stc, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC announced today that they will partner to build 2Africa, which will be the most comprehensive subsea cable to serve the African continent and Middle East region. The parties have appointed Alcatel Submarine Networks (“ASN”) to build the cable in a fully…

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The Top 10 Technology Trends Of The 4th Industrial Revolution

By Bernard Marr We have never lived in a world of faster and more wide-reaching technology innovations. Our jobs, businesses, and how we operate as societies are being transformed by technology, and the current global pandemic is only fast-tracking the digital transformation. With this post, I want to delve into the top 10 tech trends that…

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Cassava Fintech responds to Covid-19, unveils Sasai TeamTalk with FREE calls on Sundays

Cassava Fintech International (CFI), a subsidiary of Econet Global, today released an enhanced voice and video conferencing service that allows up to 20 people on one call. The service, branded Sasai TeamTalk, was unveiled as a promotional offer of FREE Sasai Conference calling, between 8 am and 5 pm every Sunday until the end of…

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Ecobank and Google collaborate to keep children learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ecobank Group (www.Ecobank.com), the pan-African Bank, is leveraging its distribution and partner networks to raise awareness of literacy apps in the Google Play Store to support the education of children who are at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 continues to affect everyone’s lives, Ecobank is committed to protecting the health, safety and…

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Official COVID-19 Information Hub available free through SMS for Econet mobile users

The Ministry of Health and Child Care and UNICEF have made the Official COVID-19 Information Hub available through SMS free for Econet Users. With the support of Econet, access to the Information Hub is available by sending an SMS from any mobile phone. Simply text the word “Hi” to the number 2019. Econet has over…

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Foreign Partners Desert Telecom Firms Due to Inability to meet Payment Obligations in Foreign Currency.

POTRAZ debunks link between COVID-19 and 5G

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has scoffed at theories linking the Fifth Generation cellular mobile technologies (5G) to the spread of COVID-19. In doing so, POTRAZ joins the rest of the world in mourning thousands of lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic and offers its most sincere condolences to families that…

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SADC and UNESCO sign agreement to ensure learning never stops

The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have signed a Joint Statement and Action Plan on ensuring continuity of learning in the context of COVID-19. In a Joint Statement, signed by the Executive Secretary of SADC, Her Excellence Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax and the Regional…

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Africa’s 720m youths in clean energy are a game-changer

Climate change and development expert Richard Munang speaks about agriculture, Africa and coronavirus pandemic.  Africa’s youthful population is considered its biggest asset. Is the continent fully utilising this asset? Studies on wealth indicate that a skilled person is 15 times more productive than natural resources. Africa needs to change its mindset and prioritise efforts that selflessly…

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OnePlus pushes 5G with 8-series

OnePlus highlighted a distribution deal with Verizon as a key win for the 8-series, a freshly-unveiled 5G smartphone range which will spearhead a previously-outlined goal to boost its presence in the next-generation technology. During a launch event for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, Pete Lau, OnePlus co-founder and CEO, called the arrangement “one of the most…

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Cyberattacks And Vulnerabilities: Digital Resiliency During COVID-19

By Bernard Marr Criminals don’t mind if they kick us when we’re down. And that’s precisely what we’ve seen them do as COVID-19 has altered the way we work and live. Organisations of all sizes, security levels, and missions have been forced to allow employees to work from home to keep business operating on some…

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Africa: COVID-19 pandemic bolsters case for technology-based economic resilience

By Stefan Nalletamby As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact globally, the African continent, while less affected, is preparing to undergo its own severe social and economic crisis. As of April 7, over 10,000 cases have been reported across 52 countries in Africa (less than 1% of cases globally). Yet despite the slow onset, Africa’s…

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Cassava HealthTech launches Maisha Medik digital health platform

Cassava HealthTech has launched the Maisha Medik digital health platform that will be accessible through a mobile application (App) that is set to enhance Zimbabwe’s healthcare delivery sector. Cassava HealthTech, a subsidiary of Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed fintech and digital services giant Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe, operates Maisha Health, MARS and Steward Health. The Maisha Medik digital…

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COVID-19 and the magic bullet theory

By George Manyaya Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have changed the face of communication worldwide. The fast-changing pace of digital transformation has brought about access to a highly diversified range of technologies and services. Globally, the fixed and mobile telecommunications sector has been growing exponentially over the years, leading scholars to argue that we now live…

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Coronavirus: Hopes revived as Strive Masiyiwa donates 45 ventilator ICU suites

Zimbabwe telecoms giant, philanthropist, and businessman Strive Masiyiwa has injected lifeblood into the fight against coronavirus by donating 45 Ventilator Intensive care units for use in combating the pandemic. The donation will come through the HigherLife Foundation that has been instrumental in bailing Zimbabwe’s educational and health sectors over the years. Below, Spiked Online Media…

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Exeter researchers discover a novel chemistry to protect our crops from fungal disease

Pathogenic fungi pose a huge and growing threat to global food security. Currently, we protect our crops against fungal disease by spraying them with anti-fungal chemistries, also known as fungicides. However, the growing threat of microbial resistance against these chemistries requires continuous development of new fungicides. A consortium of researchers from the University of Exeter,…

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POTRAZ Director-General Gift Machengete Trial Postponed To Next Week

Use existing technologies and avoid physical contact to keep out coronavirus: POTRAZ

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has urged stakeholders to utilise existing technologies to combat the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). The call by POTRAZ Director-General, Dr. Gift Machengete follows the pronouncement of the 21-day lockdown directive to begin on Monday 30 March 2020 announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Considering the essential nature…

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WHO calls for privacy focus in virus tech use

By Yanitsa Boyadzhieva The World Health Organisation (WHO) conceded technology played an important role in tackling Covid-19 (coronavirus), but emphasised privacy and security regulations must not be circumvented when gathering key information as part of the efforts. At a press conference dedicated to the pandemic held on 25 March, Michael Ryan, executive director of the…

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Key trends of 2019 annual postal and telecommunication sector report

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) advised its stakeholders that following the ban on all public gatherings and the social distance measures being broadly implemented owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional Director General’s Annual and Quarterly Sector Performance Press Conferences could not be held until further notice. Accordingly, the Authority presented…

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Mobile telephony operators chip in to the national emergency against COVID19

By Anyway Yotamu In an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus, mobile telephony operators heeded the government’s call by coming up together towards promoting e-health by donating equipment in Harare on Monday the 23rd of March 2020. The equipment, which is meant to operationalise the national emergency response centre include computers, servers, mobile handsets,…

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Sekuru Banda embeds indigenous knowledge systems in the fight against coronavirus

Prominent traditional healer, Sekuru Banda has said it is critical to rope in indigenous knowledge systems in the fight against coronavirus.   The cultural guru’s comments come in the wake of myths from different schools of thought concerning the pandemic. He was speaking at a conference on indigenous knowledge management held in Harare yesterday to…

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Green Innovations Contributing to Youth Empowerment

By Joyce Mukucha The Boost Fellowship, Action 24, and SNV with the support of international development partners, UNICEF Zimbabwe and the Swedish Development International Agency have been implementing the green innovations aimed at presenting unique opportunities for youths to address the adverse challenges of climate change. The youth-focused projects are being implemented throughout the country…

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Using Artificial Intelligence, Data Science And Technology To Fight Coronavirus

By Bernard Marr Since the first report of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, it has spread to at least 100 other countries. As China initiated its response to the virus, it leaned on its strong technology sector and specifically artificial intelligence (AI), data science, and technology to track and fight the pandemic while tech leaders, including Alibaba,…

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Government prioritizes ICT industry

By Anyway Yotamu and Tafadzwa Kufah Government is working hard in the utilisation of Information, Communication Technologies (ICTs) to ensure the attainment of Vision 2030. Speaking to journalists after touring Mazowe Earth Station on Monday 9th of March 2020, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Jenfan Muswere said the ministry’s vision was to…

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Reinventing steam power technology for a low-carbon future

As prevalent debates concerning the implementation of carbon neutral sources continue to make headlines, also increasingly rife, is the energy industry’s endeavour to explore a broader array of renewable energy sources including biomass. Great strides have been made in Africa’s development in biomass. Interestingly, Africa has the highest portion of bioenergy, at 45% of the total energy mix,…

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We must not jeopardise Africa’s future in the name of fighting Climate Change

By NJ Ayuk Pressure is building to phase out fossil fuels in Africa to fight climate change. Organizations ranging from the World Bank to the European Investment Bank (EIB) have dropped support for African fossil fuel production in hopes of encouraging a transition from oil, gas and coal to sustainable energy sources like wind and…

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