Is Video Streaming In Africa Stuttering?

The race is still on to discover the formula for successfully distributing digital content in Africa.

In a recent blogpost, Jason Njoku, the outspoken founder of iROKOTV, announced that his company would soon retire the desktop version of their platform (for African users) to concentrate on building a mobile application that he says will better service the African consumer. The article is basically an eloquent admission that iROKOTV’s efforts to “win Lagos” and then conquer the rest of Africa have so far failed.

In this week’s African Tech Round-up, iAfrikan Executive Editor, Tefo Mohapi and I discuss the challenges that home-grown content streaming platforms like iROKOTV, Wabona, Tuluntulu and others may be facing in their attempts to profitably deliver digital entertainment content to African consumers.

While YouTube’s growing success in Africa is proof that consumers have an appetite for content streaming, it seems that African platforms are yet to crack the code for how to best to get in on the action.

As usual, be sure to catch up on all the week’s biggest tech, digital and innovation news from across Africa:

• Find out more about a cutting-edge medical innovation that has led to the city of St Louis, Missouri awarding their highest honour to a Nigerian-born scientist,
• Get details on how Facebook plans to roll out its Internet.org platform in South Africa in partnership with mobile network operator, Cell C,
• Learn why Nigerian e-commerce platform, Konga’s acquisition of mobile banking and payment provider, Zinternet is such a smart move, and
• Discover what we found odd about Twitter’s recent talent call for young Africans.

Do The Right Thing With MTN Group CEO Mteto Nyati

Mteto Nyati is no stranger to playing ball at the highest level in Africa’s corporate scene. His resume is pretty impressive. Studying at Yale, executive posts and directorships at companies like IBM, Enablis and Blue Label– to name some, and even being MD of Microsoft South Africa for several years makes him anything but your average corporate animal.

In his current role as CEO (Chief Enterprise Officer) for the MTN Group, Mteto continues to live up to his totem– Nyati, which is Xhosa for “buffalo”, by bullishly challenging the status quo and lending his unique brand of “change-making” to a mobile telecoms business that is ripe for disruption.

In this laid-back chat, Mteto unpacks his plans to change “how MTN makes money” and shares how “planning accordingly” makes it possible to overcome the on-going marginalisation of women and non-whites within corporate.

Enjoy the conversation.

Game Over For African Startup Seed Funds?

Nigeria’s “company that builds companies”, Spark, announced last week its plans to drop some startups it invested in. This announcement comes just a week after 88mph’s notice that it will be “taking a break” from investing in African startups.

While it is not uncommon for investment funds to pause on-boarding when funds available for employment are temporarily exhausted, it seems odd that 88mph would go out of its way to alert the public to something that would occur in the normal course of business.

Similarly, given how startup failure is not uncommon– with some investment funds said to be aiming to achieve a success rate of approximately one in ten, why would Spark ceremoniously trot these “dead businesses” out in this manner?

In this week’s discussion, iAfrikan Executive Editor, Tefo Mohapi and I ask whether the current approach to tech venture capitalism in Africa is flawed. Perhaps investors are beginning to realise that successfully investing in African startups is in fact a science that involves a lot more than throwing money at promising prospects. Here’s to hoping the investment notices by 88mph and Spark are not precursory tremors to a major shaking in Africa’s tech investment scene.

Be sure to stay up to date with all the week’s biggest news from across the continent:

• Find out what major global deadline both Uganda and South Africa have missed,
• Discover how a landmark court ruling has seen South African billionaire Mark Shuttleworth lose $20 million,
• Get details on how an ambitious cable car project in Kenya which promises to alleviate Nairobi’s traffic congestion, and
• Learn more about a 3D-printed  prosthetic hand which promises to put South Africa on the map in terms of medical innovation.

Uber Kenya: Everyone’s (Not So Favourite) Driver

Uber’s Roman-style campaign to achieve utter and complete worldwide domination has encountered a teeny tiny setback in Kenya. Much to the surprise of many, the company is yet to enjoy the runaway success it has become accustomed to.

In last week’s episode of the African Tech Round-up we reported Uber Kenya’s plans to run a limited experiment to allow its Kenyan customers to pay for trips using cash and M-Pesa. This followed claims made by the company that the slow adoption of their service in Kenya was due to the fact that many Kenyans are unbanked and do not possess credit and debit cards.

In this week’s show, my guest co-host, Vouchercloud South Africa MD, Lyndon Munetsi and I discuss the challenges that Uber might be facing in rolling out its hugely successful business model in Kenya– especially given the company’s well-documented zero-quibbles approach to taking on new territories. In the meantime, it remains to be seen whether their latest attempts to woo Kenyan users will prove to be effective.

Also, be sure to stay up to date with all the week’s biggest news from across the African continent:

• Find out why African seed fund and accelerator 88mph is taking a break from investing in African startups,
• Get details on how tech education innovators Andela and WeThinkCode_ are poised to disrupt tech talent development on the continent,
• Learn why Ad Dynamo is giving up its reputable contextual ad network business to concentrate on servicing Twitter,
• Get the low-low on the launch of a new Kenyan laptop brand called Taifa, and 
• Discover which major African capital city is set to get free movies and calls via WiFi.

Is This The Worst Internet Censorship Law Ever?

The internet is undoubtedly the untamed “wild west” of the modern technological age. To counteract the malicious threats that lie in wait for innocent users of the web (on and offline), South Africa’s Film and Publication Board (FPB) has recently taken it upon itself to “regulate content” through a set of draft regulations– while claiming that children are at the top of their protection priority list.

In this week’s discussion we debate the potential unconstitutionality of this new regulatory framework. Given the undeniable risks internet users are exposed to (especially minors), we ask if it is possible to regulate content posted on the web, and if so, to do so in a manner that does not compromise the right to free speech and personal expression?

In terms of the FPB’s public mandate, was publishing this draft a crafty attempt by them to quietly sneak politically expedient censorship laws past the public, or was it an ill-considered attempt on their part to ensure a safer internet for all (if that’s even a thing).

Be sure to catch some interesting listeners’ comments we received in reaction to last week’s hotly debated discussion topic: Mark vs. Marek – Whose Hotel Booking Platform Reigns Supreme? We also have all the week’s biggest news from across Africa:

— Hear all about Facebook Lite, which has launched in Africa and other developing global markets,

— Find out why a Ugandan judge has declared mobile money operations illegal,

— Get to grips with some sobering internet growth numbers put out by Internet Society,

— Learn what leading science and and mathematics initiative has landed a $25 million boost from the MasterCard Foundation, and

— Discover why Uber Kenya is experimenting with accepting cash and M-Pesa payments from its customers.

Learning From Failure With Springleap MD Trevor Wolfe

A short while ago, I sat Trevor Wolfe down for a quiet chat. Trevor is Managing Director of crowdsourcing company Springleap. I found out how this achievement-oriented, American millennial has managed to pack an huge amount of valuable business experience into the last decade or so– often shunning lucrative employment opportunities with established big name firms in favour of the more difficult, less-travelled road of entrepreneurship.

In this, the first of our African Tech Conversations series, Trevor walks me through the graveyard of his past experiences as a strategic resource to several startup ventures– pointing out where “bodies are buried”, and sharing what he’s learned from each set back.

He also shares some fascinating insights into the global trend towards crowdsourcing, and how Springleap went from selling t-shirts to becoming the impressive crowdsourcing platform it is today.

Listen right through to the end to hear why he’s chosen to live and work in Africa, and whether he thinks Johannesburg is cooler than Cape Town.