Ghana-Based Agritech Startup SAYeTECH Wins 2024 MEST Africa Challenge !
Ghana's digital ecosystem week in review : MoMo transactions hit 728m , The Bawumia E-Gate saga, Oyster Agribusiness gets $610,000 follow-on funding,2024 Accra Mobility Hackathon......................
Digital Digest No.#1011000
Date: December 2 - December 8 2024
Dear Friends,
Happy New Week!🎉
Here are the most important news, perspectives, analysis, and insights about the Ghanaian digital ecosystem from last week
Digital governance
News updates
Contested Election Results: The Transformative Role of Technology
Elections are a process with the declaration of the election result serving as the pinnacle of the process. This piece explores how the use of digital technologies, especially the transmission of results, has improved the speed of the declaration of results over the years.
AI has come to stay, Embrace Its Positive Impact On Forecasting, Economy – First Deputy Governor
The First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana has spoken to the impact of AI across many sectors of the economy, encouraging all to embrace its positive impact on the economy and allow it to shape the future.
He expanded on the impact of AI in Ghana thus far, from Promoting Financial Inclusion, Impact on Monetary Policy and Policy Related Issues to support AI Development
Digital infrastructure and platforms
News updates
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s recent commissioning of Ghana’s e-gate system at the Kotoka International Airport has ignited a firestorm of criticism. Many observers have pointed out that this is not a novel achievement but rather a repackaging of a project first launched in 2015 and relaunched in 2018. This piece shares the synthesis of this development by IMANI Policy analyst Bright Simons. He calls it a troubling phenomenon in governance—state enchantment.
Digital finance
News updates
Mobile Money transactions hit 728m – BoG
Data from the Bank of Ghana (BoG), shows a significant rise in mobile money transactions. Between September and October 2024, the total number of mobile money transactions surged from 705 million to 728 million which corresponded to a rise in transaction value from GH¢284.9 billion to GH¢298.6 billion. This suggests a growing acceptance of digital financial services across the nation. despite persistent economic and regulatory challenges, such as the E-levy.
Digital entrepreneurship
News updates
Stanbic Bank Empowers Young Entrepreneurs With Digital Training
Stanbic Bank Ghana has engaged young entrepreneurs in digital training to prepare them for the challenges of a highly digitalized business environment. The training is part of a partnership between Stanbic Bank and MTN Ghana to empower the youth with essential digital skills for personal and professional development through the Stanbic Youth Banking Proposition.
The collaboration will leverage the MTN Pulse platforms to deliver educational content and practical exercises to enhance entrepreneurship.
SAYeTECH Wins The 2024 MEST Africa Challenge, Secures $50,000 Investment.
Ghana-based agritech startup SAYeTECH outshone six other startups from the region to emerge as winner of the 2024 MEST Africa Challenge (MAC), securing a $50,000 equity investment to accelerate its growth and impact.
SAYeTECH produces machinery that addresses critical challenges in the agricultural sector including solar-powered multi-crop thresher, coconut dehusker, hybrid grain dryer, etc
Sahel Capital, fund manager for the KFW-backed Social Enterprise Fund for Agriculture in Africa, has provided a $610,000 debt facility to Oyster Agribusiness. Oyster Agribusiness operates as a vertically integrated company leveraging climate-smart agriculture to produce, process, distribute, and retail agricultural products.
30 startups compete for $150k seed fund at Africa Health Collaborative KNUST Pitch Competition 2
Thirty startups have been given the opportunity to pitch their innovative ideas for funding through the Africa Health Collaborative, KNUST, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation pitch competition in Kumasi.Out of these, 16 prospective entrepreneurs will secure a share of the $150,000 seed fund
The goal is to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and culture that supports entrepreneurs to create meaningful innovations and employment opportunities in the health sector.
Digital talents
News updates
Yango, Zindi Celebrate Winners Of 2024 Accra Mobility Hackathon: Propelling Technological Innovation In Ghana
Zindi Africa and Yango Group have revealed winners of the inaugural Accra Mobility Prediction Hackathon. Over 200 Data Science students and technology enthusiasts participated, both in person and virtually, in a competition that tasked them with developing advanced machine learning models to predict average traffic speeds in Accra at different times of the day. Their goal was to address practical transportation issues highlighted by Yango’s Data Science Team.
The Tech, Art & Soul Podcast asks the big questions about the possibilities when three worlds come together. The technology affecting cultures, the creativity pushing the boundaries of our imagination, and the people inspiring positive change with radical innovation.
The podcast explores these interplays through authentic, unscripted conversations with artists, technologists, and thought leaders who challenge our view of the world.
Join the conversation on episode 8 of Tech, Art And Soul Podcast - “Diversity & Inclusivity in the Creative Digital Space”
Listen on Youtube or Stream on the following platforms:
Spotify , Deezer, Podcast Addict, Apple Podcast, Pocket Casts.
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