‘I’m so scared’: man who fled DRC for UK as child to be deported
Habib Bazaboko, due to depart London, says he is terrified for his life A man who has lived in the UK since childhood is facing imminent deportation to the Democratic… Read more »
Category: AFRICA
Africa Roundup: Jumia files for IPO, OneFi acquires Amplify, FlexClub expands in Mexico
Less than a decade ago IPOs, acquisitions, and global expansion by African startups were more possibility than reality. March saw all three from the continent’s tech scene. Pan-African e-commerce company… Read more »
Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigns after 20 years
Ailing Bouteflika, 82, submits resignation following mass protests against his 20-year rule, according to state news agency APS Algeria’s president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, has submitted his resignation, the state news agency… Read more »
Dakar Network Angels begins startup investments in francophone Africa
The Dakar Network Angels group launched this month, making its first investment in francophone Africa to cleantech venture Coliba. The Ivorian startup—that uses a mobile app to coordinate waste recycling—will… Read more »
Nigerian fintech startup OneFi acquires payment company Amplify
Lagos based online lending startup OneFi is buying Nigerian payment solutions company Amplify for an undisclosed amount. OneFi will take over Amplify’s IP, team, and client network of over 1000… Read more »
Mozambique rescue teams struggle to save thousands
Workers appeal for more helicopters as flood waters keep rising after Cyclone Idai Rescue teams in Mozambique are struggling to reach the thousands of people stranded on roofs and in… Read more »
Cyclone Idai ‘might be southern hemisphere’s worst such disaster’
UN officials say floods up to 6 metres deep have caused incredible devastation Cyclone Idai, the tropical storm ravaging southern Africa, is possibly the worst weather-related disaster to hit the… Read more »
South Africa’s FlexClub raises $1.2M, partners with Uber Mexico
FlexClub, a South African startup that matches investors and drivers to cars for ride-hailing services, closed a $1.2 million seed round led by CRE Venture Capital. The company will use… Read more »
Australia and Singapore suspend Boeing 737 Max operations after crash
Civil aviation authorities say suspensions issued as they await more information on Ethiopian Airlines crash A visual guide to what we know so far Australia and Singapore have suspended operations… Read more »
Boeing design changes on 737 Max 8 aircraft to be made mandatory after crashes
US air regulator says model is airworthy but will mandate alterations by April A visual guide to what we know so far The US air regulator told international carriers on… Read more »
Ethiopian Airlines crash: Boeing faces safety questions over 737 Max 8 jets
Cockpit and flight recorder may hold clues to why flight ET302 crashed killing 157 people A visual guide to what we know so far The aircraft manufacturer Boeing faces further… Read more »
Ethiopian Airlines crash: carriers ground Boeing 737 Max 8 jets
Carrier joins China and Cayman Islands in suspending new jets after second tragedy in four months Ethiopian Airlines has joined carriers in China and the Cayman Islands in suspending the… Read more »
Ethiopian plane crash: inquiry to explore how ‘excellent’ pilot was unable to avert disaster
All 157 passengers and crew onboard brand new aircraft on flight ET 302 were killed Aviation authorities have begun investigating how a new Boeing plane with an experienced pilot crashed… Read more »
157 feared dead in Ethiopian plane crash
Local media says there are no survivors after Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi went down An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 passenger jet crashed early on Sunday with 149 passengers and… Read more »
Why Warriors’ Andre Iguodala joined African unicorn Jumia’s board of directors
Andre Iguodala, a key member of the Golden State Warriors basketball team, is no stranger to the tech industry. He’s invested in Tristan Walker’s Walker & Company, which has since… Read more »
Equality for African women | Letters
Forty-five female African activists from 15 African countries call on world leaders to play their part in the fight against gender injustice Dear world leaders, We are the women at… Read more »
Omidyar Network spins out its fintech investment arm as Flourish, with up to $300 million
After 12 years spent investing in impact-oriented financial services startups around the globe, the Omidyar Network, which serves as the family investment office for eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, is spinning… Read more »
Africa Roundup: Kenya’s BRCK acquires EveryLayer, Nigeria’s TeamApt eyes global expansion
Kenyan communications hardware company BRCK acquired the assets of Nairobi based internet provider Surf and its U.S. parent EveryLayer in a purchase deal of an undisclosed amount in February. Based in Nairobi, Surf is a… Read more »
‘It is as if I am flying’: Egyptian journalist freed from jail after almost six years
Photographer Mahmoud Abu Zeid, AKA Shawkan, was jailed in 2013 after covering protests The award-winning Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid has been released from prison after spending nearly six years… Read more »
More than 50 missing after oil pipeline explosion in Nigeria
Spillage following blaze sparked stampede in Nembe kingdom, Bayelsa state More than 50 people are missing after a leaking oil pipeline exploded and caused a stampede in southern Nigeria, a… Read more »
African Union seeks to kill EU plan to process migrants in Africa
Exclusive: Leaked paper shows determination to dissuade coastal states from cooperating The African Union is seeking to kill off the EU’s latest blueprint for stemming migration, claiming that it would… Read more »
Nigeria election marred by vote buying, tech failures and violence
Reports of attacks and gunfire in some areas as voters go to polls to elect president Nigeria’s long-awaited presidential election went ahead on Saturday, marred by heavy gunfire in the… Read more »
Nigeria election goes ahead amid violence and tech failures
Reports of attacks and gunfire in some areas as voting gets under way in presidential poll Nigeria’s long-awaited presidential election has arrived, amid heavy gunfire, voting technology failures and reports… Read more »
Revealed: Nigerian voter data is statistically impossible
Voter registration documents seen by Guardian on eve of election raise fears of mass rigging The number of new voters registered in Nigeria since January 2018 has increased by almost… Read more »
Home Office criticised for accelerating removals to Zimbabwe
Lawyers say UK is working with Zimbabwe to deport asylum seekers despite human rights abuses The Zimbabweans facing deportation from the UK The Home Office has been condemned for working… Read more »
Ancient rock wiggles could be earliest trace of moving organism
Scientists say 2.1bn-year-old fossils may show evidence of self-propelled motion A collection of short wiggly structures discovered in ancient rocks could be the earliest fossilised traces of organisms able to… Read more »
Partech is doubling the size of its African venture fund to $143 million
Jake Bright Contributor Jake Bright is a writer and author in New York City. He is co-author of The Next Africa. More posts by this contributor Zimbabwe’s government faces off… Read more »
Zimbabwean police files implicate army in widespread abuses
Exclusive: documents seen by Guardian suggest soldiers have been responsible for murder and rape during crackdown Internal Zimbabwean police documents passed to the Guardian suggest the army has been responsible… Read more »
RAF veteran ‘admitted 1961 killing of UN secretary general’
Exclusive: Cold case documentary casts new light on mystery of Dag Hammarskjöld’s plane crash ‘Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to…’ New evidence has emerged linking an… Read more »
Congo election: opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi declared surprise winner
Riot police deployed amid fears of violence over alleged vote-rigging Felix Tshisekedi, the leader of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s main opposition party, has been declared the surprise winner… Read more »