Here’s how South Africa’s social grant system has changed since 1994
SASSA pays 26-million grants every month
data
WHO supports efforts to Combat Zero Dose Kids in the Eastern Cape Province
To reduce the increasing number of zero dose children in the Eastern Cape Province, the National Department of Health, planned a four-day Zero Dose training program for the province, fully funded by the WHO Regional Office for Africa, from 26-29 September 2023. The training took place in collaboration with United Nations (UN) partners, WHO South Africa and UNICEF. The training was designed to benefit senior program managers at the provincial, district, and sub-district levels, as well as facility staff responsible for disseminating knowledge to their constituencies. The training primarily focused on critically evaluating the status of zero dose children and developing micro plans to reach them, with a particular emphasis on the components of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).
Immunization is a global health and development success story, saving millions of lives every year and is a key component of primary health care and an indisputable human right. It's also one of the best health investments. Vaccines are also critical to the prevention and control of infectious diseases and outbreaks thereof. While the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI program) responsible for vaccines in South Africa in its schedule covers for eleven vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs), there are still children who do not have access to a single vaccine. These are called zero dose children.
The number of zero dose children has been increasing globally and South Africa is one of the priority countries for high zero dose children. Over the past 5 years, a total number of zero dose children in South Africa accumulated to almost 700,000 (682,967). In 2022 alone, South Africa recorded 147,674 and 19,127(15%) was from the Eastern Cape. The increasing immunity gaps due to the increasing zero dose children has contributed to the recent multiple vaccine preventable disease outbreaks which the country has battled, and this warrants urgent interventions to decrease morbidity and mortality due to VPDs.
The training focused on the all the components of EPI but mainly on critically reviewing where the zero dose children are, and developing micro plans aimed at reaching these children. Other topics covered included:
- Global and national strategic and guiding documents which are aligned to zero dose reduction.
- Demand creation and community mobilization
- Reach Every district strategy (RED)
- Supportive supervision
- Vaccine Preventable Disease Surveillance (VPDs) including Environmental surveillance (ES)
- Data management (using data for action) including the use of technology such (ODK app) for supportive supervision.
The way forward from the training was:
- Cascading the training to professional nurses through integration in existing trainings
- The province will coordinate the crafting of micro plans at facility level using RED Strategy guiding principles which when following the bottom-up approach will inform the subdistrict, then district micro plans.
- Monthly Review of process indicators, performance indicators and quality indicators.
- Data monitoring and reporting on nerve Centre program on weekly intervals which follow-development of action plans to close gaps.
- Demand Creation to reduce zero dose was highlighted as a critical area of focus.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - South Africa.
Funds allocated for future disasters
Funds allocated for future disasters
To cater for the growing pressures imposed by climate change on infrastructure, especially at the local level, government has created a resource pool to specifically respond to future disasters.
“In this regard, R372 million has been added to the Municipal Disaster Response Grant, while R1.2 billion has been added to the Municipal Disaster Recovery Grant, to cover the repair and rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by flooding in February and March 2023,” Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana said on Wednesday in Parliament.
Tabling the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), the Minister said mitigating the environmental risks posed by climate change must go hand-in-hand with addressing the financial and economic risks posed by climate change.
“The National Treasury is making progress towards developing a disaster risk financing strategy, which will among others, enhance existing risk financing instruments. Despite a robust legal framework, gaps exist in financing and implementation, including overreliance on budget reallocations.
“The National Treasury is analysing fiscal vulnerability and implementing policy reform to improve disaster resilience, reduce risks and ensure resources are efficiently allocated. The strategy adopts a risk-layering approach, incorporating multiple financing instruments based on the incidence and severity of shocks,” the Minister said.
It aims to strengthen governance, improve data quality and build financial and fiscal sustainability. The draft is expected to be ready during 2024/25.
Separately, the National Treasury has initiated the design and piloting of a climate budget tagging system to incorporate climate considerations into public financial management processes.
“The first phase of the project, from October 2020 to October 2022, involved consulting on the design of this system, conducting workshops to raise awareness, reviewing international experience and piloting the system in eight sites across the three spheres of government.
“The next phase is expected to conclude in December 2023. It will involve refining the climate budget tagging framework for additional testing and formal rollout, consulting stakeholders, revising guidance materials and setting up governance arrangements,” the Minister said.
Water management
Over the years, government has observed the impact of poor water management leading to polluted water sources and limited access to clean water for its citizens.
“To address this challenge, the government is making changes to conditional grants, starting with the urban settlement development grant, the integrated urban development grant, and the municipal infrastructure grant.
“These changes include the reconfiguring of grants and revising the grant conditions to align them with the Green Drop, Blue Drop, and No Drop assessments relaunched by the President as part of efforts to ramp up the performance of water service authorities,” the Minister said.
In addition, National Treasury will be working with local governments and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to develop new funding models, so that municipalities can continue to earn revenue through the transition to more self-generation of electricity by firms and households. –SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Wed, 11/01/2023 - 14:14
177 views
A Guide To Optimising SEO For Voice Search
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Multi-stakeholder workshop looks into migration impact on rural areas, local government
Multi-stakeholder workshop looks into migration impact on rural areas, local government
Government has set out to review areas of cooperation among various stakeholders following the successful International Migration Workshop with traditional leaders and mayors from metro and district municipalities earlier this month.
Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Thembi Nkadimeng, co-hosted the workshop in October in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.
The purpose of the workshop was to provide a platform for stakeholders to share practical experiences on how migration impacts the communities they lead at local level, and to identify possible areas of cooperation.
Motsoaledi and Nkadimeng were joined by other ministries who, in view of their legislative mandates, are directly affected by the issue of international migration.
They included Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi; Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, led by Acting Director-General, Malebo Mabitje -Thompson.
Other key stakeholders were the Public Service Commission Chairperson Prof Somadoda Fikeni, Border Management Authority Commissioner Dr Mike Masiapato and a delegation from the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), led by President Cllr Bheki Stofile, Mayors and Speakers from Districts, Metropolitan and Local Municipalities.
There were also leaders from the National House of Traditional and Khoi and San leaders led by its chairperson, Kgosi Thabo Seatlholo, all provincial houses of traditional leaders led by their chairpersons, the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (“CONTRALESA”) led by its President, Kgoshi Lameck Mokoena, the National Khoi and San Council led by Deputy Chairperson, Mr Anthony Peterson and the Royal Leaders of South Africa (“ROLESA”) led by Secretary-General, Kgoshigadi Moremadi Mothapo.
The workshop agreed on key areas of cooperation to achieve effective management of migration, and these include:
- Review of international agreements (Conventions and Protocols) with a view to accede to them with reservations where necessary, taking national interest into consideration.
- Policy and legislative reforms, including the following legislation: Citizenship Act (Act 88 of 1995), Identification Act (Act 68 of 1997), Refugee Act (Act 130 of 1998) and Immigration Act (Act 13 of 2002).
- Introduction of Omnibus by-laws to promote standardised and effective enforcement by all municipalities. This will address the challenges relating to trading and enforcement of business by-laws by municipalities and traditional authorities.
“In support of this intervention, there will be immediate joint inspections of businesses by labour, health, trade, industry and competition and immigration inspectorate teams to enforce compliance with applicable laws.
“Government will assist in strengthening the planning units in municipalities so that they are able to interpret the data and prepare development plans that are aligned to the current trends. [The auditing] of spaza shops in villages and townships and mechanisms to register them by both traditional leaders and municipalities [should also take place],” the Department of Home Affairs said.
The meeting also looked at reviewing of the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act (Act 19 of 1998) to facilitate the effective implementation in instances of illegal occupation of land.
The meeting also agreed on the following:
- Strengthening Local Economic Development (LED) through, among others, supporting citizens who wish to trade in the informal sector; ensuring that business licensing legislation is amended, and promoting the assignment of LED Officers, who would also interface with traditional authorities.
- Supporting the Department of Human Settlements process of reviewing the 1994 White Paper to respond to current needs and challenges related to informal settlements and illegal occupation of buildings in inner cities.
- Coordination and collaboration of border law enforcement between government, traditional and Khoi-San leaders and the Border Management Authority (BMA).
- Supporting traditional authorities to keep a record of foreign nationals in their communities
- Reviewing resource allocation for municipalities to address the unique resources pressures of municipalities and also capacitation of municipalities on data analysis.
- The establishment of a working group that will meet regularly to track progress on the work done by various entities and government departments to ensure a ‘whole of government and civil society’ approach towards managing international migration and its effects.
“We are pleased that SALGA has already issued a statement on the workshop. This is in the spirit of cooperation and partnership which the workshop called for. We look forward to more role players coming on board to lend their hand in this important matter of national importance,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Wed, 11/01/2023 - 09:32
315 views
Why Attend the Healthcare Innovation Summit Africa 2023
As technology continues to transform and disrupt every sector, the health sector is no exception. Digital innovation is having a tremendous impact on the healthcare industry from the way individuals gain access to services, to the breakthrough development of new technology that is radically transforming diagnostic procedures.
Helping Healthcare Professionals Solve Complex Problems
Even more notable is the impact of data in healthcare and how it is helping to solve the most challenging problems in patient health and operational efficiency.
In January 2023, Harvard Business Review Analytic Services conducted a global survey (https://apo-opa.info/3sevpGc) of 757 members of the Harvard Business Review audience who work in the health care industry or in a health care-related industry and are familiar with their organization's use of health data.
Data Accelerating Digital Transformation
The results from the report demonstrate how innovative uses of data in healthcare is helping organizations improve patient health outcomes, enable faster clinical decisions, and improve treatment and hospital workflows.
This year's 8th Healthcare Innovation Summit Africa 2023 (https://apo-opa.info/3FFQCvJ), featuring leading experts, innovators, and stakeholders will be sharing their insights and experiences on topics like digital health, telemedicine, data analytics, and more.
The two-day summit, being hosted at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, on November 29th and 30th presents an opportunity to network with peers and potential partners, explore the Innovation Showcase, and learn how to overcome the industry specific challenges that have arisen from the rapid technological advancements.
Attendee Testimonials
At the Healthcare Innovation Summit (https://apo-opa.info/3FFQCvJ) held in 2017, CEO of Helen Joseph Hospital in Auckland Park who was in attendance shared his experience after attending the IT Summit in 2015 and why he made the decision to come back.
It was at the IT Summit that he heard about the technology available to improve healthcare management and had the opportunity to have a conversation with an industry expert about the challenges he faced with managing data.
That conversation led to the implementation of a software system that led to the overall improvement of the hospitals performance. In the areas of administration, patient data management, HR and finances. Testifying to the incredible experience, he had which led to his decision to attend the summit in 2017 he said, “When I heard about this conference this year, I decided to come back so that I can learn more about how I can improve the hospital's efficiency.”
Similarly, Managing Director of MediSwitch, Andrew Brown shared his perspective about the impact of the Healthcare Summit, and how important it is to continue to host such events, “I thoroughly enjoyed the event, we've heard from speakers who are really challenging the status quo of the adoption of technology, in the healthcare market in South Africa and in broader Africa and I firmly believe that events like this brings all of those role players together and challenges each one of us to think about what we do on a day to day basis differently so that we can actually go out there and ultimately make a difference to health care in Africa.”
Key Topics to be Addressed
The summit will address key topics like:
This summit will address key topics such as:
The Healthcare Innovation Summit Africa (https://apo-opa.info/3FFQCvJ) 2023, will most benefit individuals interested in learning about the latest African healthcare trends, presented by healthcare experts, policymakers, IT decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and investors to discuss digital transformation.
Don't miss this chance to be part of the pivotal event that assembles a diverse array of stakeholders dedicated to changing the face of healthcare on the African continent. Register now and secure your seat at this exclusive event.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of IT News Africa.
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African Risk is not Fairly Priced
By Miranda Abraham, Head of Loan Syndications at RMB in London (www.RMB.co.za)
Yield-chasing investors have poured money into the continent but an emerging, recent challenge for Africa is that in a now higher interest rate environment, investors don't need to come to Africa to find higher returns.
Even US treasuries are now yielding far more attractive yields than just a month ago: 3-month government bonds offer 5.32% and while 2-year bonds offer a yield above 5%. Yields have risen in part in response to Fitch's recent downgrade of the US from AAA to AA+, echoing S&P's move in 2011.
African bond issuers, spooked by the high-interest rate environment and refusing to issue bonds above the psychological barrier of double-digit yields for Sub-Saharan African bonds, continue to wait it out on the sidelines.
But with interest rates continuing to climb, the wait-and-see strategy is no longer looking like a sensible approach. Issuers are running out of cash and the more stable and resilient syndicated loan market – with its heavily relationship-driven pricing, is increasingly proving to be an alluring alternative to the bond market.
African governments should therefore bring forward planned borrowing before the capital shifts away, as it is already starting to do, and the cost of borrowing rises further still.
The syndicated loan market is dominated by relationship banks, who will consciously and willingly price a loan at very low yields, in order to secure a lead mandate and lock in the ancillary opportunities and revenues that come with being a core relationship bank.
Banks do this knowing that they will also be able to persuade other relationship banks to join the deal as well. This is why syndicated loans always tend to price at a subsidized level when compared to bonds – where investors are more agnostic and definitely less loyal – focusing instead on the relative value of opportunities across the market.
However, while bond prices have skyrocketed, the loan market has hardly moved in terms of pricing. Yes, base rates are higher, resulting in higher all-in costs for borrowers, but on an all-in basis, when compared to bonds, issuing a syndicated loan is definitely the cheaper option for borrowers.
But why have African issuers managed to price debt at such attractive levels for so long?
There are three main reasons:
- Finite supply: There is a limited supply of investable assets in Africa and those banks with an African focus are eager to support their key clients and to get exposure to the African market, which is seen as having strong growth potential.
- Difficulties in assessing risk: It can be difficult to assess the credit risk of African borrowers. This is because there is less historical data available, and the political, legal and regulatory environment is often complex. Joining a syndicated loan or bond that has been oversubscribed and so carries the stamp of endorsement from the market can be an attractive solution to this challenge.
- Those issuers that are active in the loan market tend to bring with them an array of other ancillary opportunities (e.g. IPO, Eurobond, and Advisory mandates), in a region where businesses that are succeeding are usually experiencing high growth.
So finite supply leads to fierce competition for these prestigious African clients and the fact that these credits are complex and difficult to understand exacerbates the problem.
As a result of these factors, African risk is often not being priced fairly. South Africa is a good example of how African risk can be underpriced. Despite losing its investment grade rating in 2017, South African corporates and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) continue to price their debt like they are in Western Europe. This is because there is a limited pool of opportunities for those banks that prefer to lend in ZAR to invest in.
Relationship pricing works for the banks because they are able to use the revenues from ancillary business to subsidize their commitment to the loan, but for regular investors (who are typically looking on an asset play basis) they can end up being short-changed. This means that investors may be taking on more risk than they realise, for a relatively low return.
However, instead of adjusting pricing upwards, the imbalance is being addressed another way - by adjusting risk.
Reducing the risk keeps pricing low and so address issuers concerns around paying double-digit yields.
Risk mitigation tools (in the form of ECA wraps, DFI guarantees or insurance wraps) are being embedded into loans and so while pricing remains low, investors improve their returns through adjusting the risk.
These type of credit risk mitigated deals, result in investment grade ratings, but with a substantial African premium. In the EUR 1bn Bank of Industry deal, BOI/AFC pays a yield of about 200bps versus an average yield of 75ps for an A3 rated credit in Europe. It is the only way for many international and European banks – who typically shy away from low BB or single B African risk - to fill their African buckets.
These investors have a whole world of investment opportunities available to them, from AAA through to single B risk, usually across the globe, so they can pick and choose their deals. Consequently, in order to attract their investment into Africa, pricing on these credit enhanced deals has to be highly attractive relative to other similarly opportunities globally.
However for those emerging market investors or African banks focused on Africa, their return hurdle requirements mean that the credit enhanced deals do not work for them.
Instead, they are obliged to find African opportunities that represent real, uncovered African risk. However, the market paralysis created by a difficult credit environment, combined with the fact that a large proportion of those deals that do come to market include some form of credit enhancement, means that the pool of deals offering pure, uncovered African risk is now much smaller.
And this is where supply and demand dynamics take over.
African banks and investors are desperate for assets and are very comfortable assessing and understanding sub investment grade African risk. However this dynamic of fewer deals but strong investor demand has led to plentiful pent up liquidity down the credit curve.
Ironically, once African investors get over the hurdle of higher return requirements (often driven by higher cost of funding) there is such relief that pricing works from a returns perspective, that they can then end up effectively under-pricing the actual credit risk. So we end up with BB- loans paying only 450bps versus BB average bond yields of 12%.
Investors in Africa are a finite pool who know and understand African risk. They deserve to be fairly compensated for the risk they take.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Rand Merchant Bank.
Housing in South Africa: How have we done since 1994?
We’ve made progress but the quality of the data is poor, especially the latest census
Warning against circulating harmful information
Warning against circulating harmful information
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) has warned the public against sharing a message that is circulating and promising free data.
“The department would like to warn members of the public to desist from participating in sharing the false information and cautions against opening such links as they are fake and harmful,” the DCDT said on Monday.
The department said government is striving to ensure that it brings about digital equilibrium by ensuring that it embarks on various activities aimed at connecting the unconnected and leveraging opportunities for everyone to participate in the digital economy.
“DCDT has been by far deliberate on digital inclusion by spearheading programmes such as South Africa Connect Phase 2, which seeks to fast track internet penetration in all public institutions and the community at large.
“The 2 step approach towards the conclusion of Broadcast Digital Migration is another example of moving our country towards a digital economy as this will see the roll out of the High Demand Frequency Spectrum and will result in the decrease of data costs,” it said. –SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Mon, 10/30/2023 - 14:49
212 views
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Africa Tech Festival Announces Top 10 Finalists for Start-Up World Cup
The results are in and today, organisers of the annual Africa Tech Festival (https://apo-opa.info/3myppVu), taking place in Cape Town 14 – 16 November, announced the top ten finalists of the AfricaIgnite Pitch Competition who will battle it out to win the opportunity to represent the African continent in the Startup World Cup (https://www.StartupWorldCup.io/) on 1 December this year.
Making the announcement, James Williams, Senior Director, Events | Connecting Africa | Informa Tech, remarked: “Congratulations to everyone who entered. We called for the continent's brightest, most inspiring founders to apply to help build the African innovation ecosystem and they certainly delivered.
“I know I speak for my colleagues, the investors and judges who will be closely monitoring the pitch competition, when I say that Africa's talent, ingenuity, and unmatched potential is abundant and diverse, and this is clearly represented in this broad array of finalists. It is therefore going to be no small task to select just one winner who will represent the continent at the Startup World Cup Final, held by Pegasus in San Francisco on 1st December.”
Providing insight as to what she will be looking for in the winning pitch, investor, and AfricaIgnite Pitch Competition judge, Keshni Morar of Investable (https://www.Investable.Business/), warns contenders to come prepared. Morar will be looking for the granular detail in the presentations, with a demonstrable understanding of the market in which the start-up is looking to play or is already active. Depth of the go to market strategy too for those start-ups at pre-seed capital, is a vital consideration.
But in short, Morar says: “Like every other serious investor out there, I look for the coherence between the pitch story and the data points. If it's not there, there's no chance of us getting involved.”
The top ten looking to win the AfricaIgnite Pitch Competition Final are:
AsaanaPay (https://apo-opa.info/46O2WGc)- a payments and rewards platform for minority owned businesses enabling offline and online payments and unrestricted cash back rewards to attract and retain customers. Asaana facilitates local and global payments through a variety of channels from mobile wallets and traditional banks to everything in between. Headquartered in Kenya, Asaana services the world.
Tausi App (https://TausiApp.com/)– beauty is freedom and beauty is also big business in Africa, which is how Tausi came about. An app that connects beauticians to clients and provides professional hair and make-up and other services to make clients feel fabulous, with a rating system and in-depth onboarding process that is simple to use. Headquartered in Kenya with more than 6000 registered beauticians on their books and having helped more than 20 000 clients.
Bus54 (https://Bus-54.com/)– Based in Nigeria, Bus54 is a mobility technology company providing a platform to aggregate intercity bus transportation in Africa, allowing passengers to search, compare, book, and manage their journeys online. The platform enables transport operators to manage their end-to-end operations from a secure portal with no need for additional investment in IT software or hardware, and an additional channel to sell their tickets.
Delta Scan (https://DeltaScan.global/)– a specialist engineering inspection, digitisation and BIM company based in South Africa that digitize the world around us to create powerful analytical 3D models to extract engineering value. The company, based in South Africa, strives to improve efficiency, bring down costs, and provide comprehensive information to make better informed decisions. Combining cutting edge aerial platforms and scanning technology together with 3D digitization, artificial intelligence and engineering analysis principles.
Oneway Connect (https://www.OnewayConnect.co.za/)- a cutting-edge job matching and recruitment software prioritizing cultural alignment that is shaping the future of hiring. Beyond traditional CVs, the platform evaluates capabilities and traits, fostering purposeful performers for businesses. At the heart of their mission is creating a fair candidate experience. With a simple click, jobseekers are seamlessly connected to their ideal roles while assessments empower employers to truly understand candidates' potential beyond mere keywords.
Ukwenza VR (https://UkwenzaVR.com/)- a social enterprise based in Kenya that focuses on creating educational Virtual Reality (VR) content to complement classroom learning and offer additional learning on social and environmental issues e.g. conservation and plastic pollution.
We work with schools & educators to create and deliver the content to ensure it meets learning standards that serve the community.
Hippocampus Education (https://HippocampusEducation.io/)- Hippocampus is an adaptive tutoring Facebook Messenger bot that provides differentiated instruction and instant feedback that is customized to meet each individual's learning needs. It acts as a liaison between the lecturer and the student or between the tutor and the student, supporting in assessment activities, facilitating a learning environment that meets each student's learning needs, and provides positive and constructive feedback on the progress and performance of the student.
BenaCare (https://BenaCare.or.ke/)– a Kenyan based social enterprise that delivers affordable clinical and supportive care to patients with life limiting illnesses at the comfort of their own homes. They also reduce and re-distrinbute unpaid care performed by women family caregivers in rural Kenya, by training them on the basics of caregiving like wound care, vitals taking, grooming, ambulation, pressure are care and toileting. IN this way Benacare improves the outcome of the patients taken care of and equip these women with caregiving skills which can then earn them a living.
Gradlinc (https://Gradlinc.co.za/)– more than a matchmaker between graduate and employer and vice versa, Gradlinc helps prepare graduates for the workplace from helping with CVs to creating personal brands and is free to graduates. It is a vital two-way bridge between ‘people', not jobs and workers, as matching values, and individuality in people – whether the graduate or the employer – builds long-term successful relationships with mutual benefits.
Kyanda Africa (https://Kyanda.co.ke/)– seamless payment solutions with easy financial reach, Nairobi-based Kyanda Africa provide safe and easy access to financial and related services simultaneously in an affordable, efficient, and transparent manner for all at all times. They are on a mission to drive down the number of unbanked and underbanked people across Africa.
The AfricaIgnite Pitch Competition Final takes place at Africa Tech Festival in the Auditorium 2 of the CTICC on 16th November from 2pm to 3.30pm. An open-to-all feature, the Final will bring a great crowd of founders, tech leaders and investors to witness who will be crowned winner. Free entry to start-ups and visitors is available – please see below for further details about registration.
For more information about Africa Tech Festival, please see website here: https://apo-opa.info/3myppVu
For more information about the AfricaIgnite Pitch Competition, please visit: https://apo-opa.info/46I88va
For more information about the Startup World Cup, powered by Pegasus, please visit: https://www.StartupWorldCup.io/
View all ticket options for Africa Tech Festival, including start-up passes, here (https://apo-opa.info/3Q04o2r)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Tech Festival.
For media enquiries, interviews and/or images please contact:
Kaz Henderson kaz@networxpr.co.za or call on +27 (0) 82 339 1199
Social Media Handles:
Facebook: https://apo-opa.info/3S47ALC
Twitter: https://apo-opa.info/3EZ7RYB
LinkedIn: https://apo-opa.info/3EcywR6
About Startup World Cup:
Startup World Cup is a global conference and competition with the goal of bridging start-up ecosystems worldwide. The competition gives start-up companies from all over the world a chance to win a US $1,000,000 prize in the form of an investment. This year, there will be 50+ regional events across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, leading up to the Grand Finale in San Francisco in September. Startup World Cup is organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based global venture capital firm.
About Africa Tech Festival 2023:
Africa Tech Festival, including anchor events AfricaCom, AfricaTech and AfricaIgnite is part of the Informa Tech Connecting Africa event series. A vibrant celebration of Africa's diverse community of tech champions, Africa Tech Festival is the largest tech and digital connectivity conference and exhibition in Africa, attracting hundreds of exhibitors, more than 400 speakers and more than 15000 delegates.
Key themes for 2023 continue to explore the creation and sustainability of a connected Africa and the impact this can have for the people of the continent but also the commercial prospects for local and global businesses and governments. Topics will include Telcos of Tomorrow, Connecting the Next Billion, Digital Infrastructure Investment, Sustainability & Climate Resilience, ICT Policy and Regulation, Fintech & MFS, Broadcast Media & Entertainment, Pioneer Tech, the Future of Work and Talent and Skills Development. Africa Tech Festival also incorporates the Africa Tech Festival Awards, an exclusive ceremony celebrating Africa's tech pioneers and held at the luxury 5-star The Bay Hotel, as well as the LeadersIn Africa Summit, an exclusive, VIP-only feature offering high-level presentations and roundtable discussions to Africa's tech elite.
Kaspersky Records an Increase in Mobile Threats in Africa in Q2 2023
According to Kaspersky research (https://apo-opa.info/46X8CgY) on mobile cyberthreat dynamics in Q2 2023, threats for mobile devices are growing worldwide. In particular, the number of mobile threats for Android devices [1] detected and blocked by Kaspersky (www.Kaspersky.co.za) in the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa (META) region increased by 5% in Q2 2023 when compared to the same period last year. Given the ubiquity of mobile devices in Africa, recording such an increase is a cause for concern.
Among the most prevalent mobile threats that were detected in Africa are adware and mobile banking threats. The Kaspersky report indicates substantial adware detections in Q2 2023, with a spike of 94% in Nigeria, 39% in Kenya and 27% in South Africa. There was also a notable increase in the detections of mobile banking trojans in Q2 2023, which are used to hunt for data related to online banking and e-payment systems.
“As Africa witnesses an upsurge in smartphone adoption, combined with the burgeoning trend of mobile banking, it's imperative to address the inherent cybersecurity challenges that exist," says Bethwel Opil, Enterprise Client Lead at Kaspersky in Africa.
"The region, with its tech-savvy demographic and dynamic digital landscape, offers a fertile ground for cybercriminals to exploit and our research shows that cybercriminals are doing just that. This underscores the necessity for a forward-thinking and proactive approach to mobile cybersecurity for consumers and businesses alike. From banking malware targeting mobile transactions to ransomware hijacking device data, cybercriminals are continually evolving their tactics. Another cyberattack vector that we see cybercriminals focus on, and particularly in Africa, is outdated software. A considerable number of users in Africa make use of low-end or older mobile devices that may lack the latest security features and updates, making them more susceptible to mobile threats. Against this backdrop, it's not just about implementing cybersecurity solutions on mobile devices but also about educating users on best practices and the rapidly changing threat landscape.”
To mitigate against mobile cyberthreats, Kaspersky recommends:
- Downloading apps only from official stores like the Apple AppStore or Google Play.
- Regularly updating operating systems and apps.
- Being cognisant of app permissions (access to camera, microphone, photos, contacts, etc.).
- Implementing a trusted mobile security solution like Kaspersky Premium (https://apo-opa.info/3FtQBem).
- Avoiding jailbreaking or rooting devices to benefit from automatic security updates.
"Mobile cybersecurity isn't merely about deploying security software. It requires a holistic approach, blending technology, user education, and industry collaboration. As we navigate this digital age, Kaspersky is committed to strengthening Africa's mobile cybersecurity landscape, ensuring that users can safely and confidently leverage the power of mobile technology," concludes Opil.
[1] Threat statistics in the report come from Kaspersky solutions running on Android devices. This mobile OS holds a dominant market share in the Middle East (https://apo-opa.info/3FyWbMC), Africa (https://apo-opa.info/3rY7ZVv) and Turkiye (https://apo-opa.info/3SgCyAw). Apple devices are not immune to cyberthreats (with the Triangulation attack (https://apo-opa.info/3oBaJ9D) uncovered by Kaspersky as the most recent example), but are difficult to monitor due to OS specifics.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kaspersky.
About Kaspersky:
Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky's deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company's comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection, specialized security products and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help over 220,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.Kaspersky.co.za.
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