Asmelash Teka Hadgu, the visionary behind startup Lesan, is changing the game for language translation, especially for Ethiopian Languages. Acknowledging the limitations of popular translation systems like Google Translate and Facebook, Lesan is on a mission to create language-specific technologies. Translating ‘low-resource’ Languages In an interview with Rest of the World, Hadgu explained that it has become urgent to create language-specific technologies because Google Translate and ChatGPT don’t fit the mark. AI translation models are known to be more accurate for ‘high-resource’ languages like English and Mandarin, and it was recently
A leaked internal document from TikTok revealed that the company is preparing for scrutiny over the treatment of its outsourced content moderators in Kenya. Kenyan Content Moderators Sue Meta Last month, a court in Kenya issued a landmark ruling against Meta, deeming the US tech giant the “true employer” of its outsourced content moderators. Hundreds of content moderators in Nairobi go through posts and images to filter out violence, hate speech, and other disturbing content. This ruling now allows Meta to be sued in Kenya for labor rights violations, despite
Seven months after terminating the contracts of almost all its staff in Accra, Ghana, Twitter has yet to provide its African former employees with severance pay or benefits. What Happened? At the end of last year, Musk laid off employees of Twitter Africa as part of a global cost-cutting measure. The Twitter team in Ghana had just opened their first-ever physical office when the team woke up to find they had been locked out of their emails and work laptops. They were also told over email that their contracts were being
Kenya-based MyDawa, a technology-based service enabling consumers to purchase authentic, high-quality medicine, health, and wellness products, has raised $20 million in funding. They raised money from private equity investor Alta Semper Capital to expand its regional reach and product offerings to become an all-in-one health platform for users. The growth plans will be steered by MyDawa’s new CEO Priscilla Muhiu. “Alta Semper’s ambition matches that of MyDawa, and it brings the drive, connections, and clout to succeed,” co-founder Neil O’Leary told TechCrunch. MyDawa’s Story MyDawa aims to ensure that every
25 innovative African startups have been selected for the third cohort of Google for Startups’ Black Founders Fund. Head of Startup Ecosystem, Sub Saharan Africa, Folarin Aiyebusi wrote, “we’ve seen firsthand how the startups in Africa are embracing the limitless possibilities of tomorrow, and it’s truly inspiring.” Africa’s population is rapidly increasing, with projections indicating that by 2050, one-third of Africans will be under 35. This demographic wave offers many opportunities for startups to cater to a booming market. Now in its third year, the Google for Startups Black Founders
TikTok, as we know, has the potential to change lives and shine a light on talents that may have gone unnoticed previously. Elvis Muchiri, more commonly known as Evolve with Elvis, has become a topic of conversation on TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter as he teaches his audiences how to use keyboard shortcuts with his younger sister Megan. The young boy started posting on TikTok in March of this year and has already gained 125,300 followers and over 1.7 million likes. He also has gained a platform on YouTube with 8,490
Helium Health, a Lagos-headquartered healthtech startup, has secured $30 million in Series B funding in the second-largest series B round for any African health tech company. Digitizing Healthcare Across Africa Founded in 2016 by Tito Ovia, Adegoke Olubusi, and Dimeji Sofowora, Helium Health has been a pioneer in is revolutionizing Africa’s healthcare sector through technology, finance, and data. The company’s suite of digital solutions includes electronic medical records, hospital management systems, insurance and billing software, and analytics tools. The company currently operates in eight countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, Kenya,
Tragedy struck in Senegal as a 26-year-old student, Elhaji Cisse, was killed shortly after pleading with Elon Musk for Starlink internet access amidst social unrest. Senegal has experienced widespread protests following the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. As tensions escalated, the government imposed restrictions on social media and messaging platforms. The restrictions limited the flow of information and communication, forcing tech-savvy citizens to use virtual private network (VPN) to connect to the wider world. Elhaji Cisse Elhaji Cisse, a 26-year-old student, was an active participant in the protests. Through
A Kenyan court has ruled that Meta is the primary employer of content moderators involved in a lawsuit against the social media giant and is prohibited from laying them off until the case is resolved. In March, the moderators, who worked for Meta’s content review partner, Sama, filed a lawsuit accusing Meta, Sama and a second subcontractor, Majorel, of union-busting operation masquerading as a mass redundancy. Meta sought to dismiss the case, arguing that it was outside the jurisdiction of Kenyan courts. However, the court rejected Meta’s claim and asserted its
Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, recently visited Lagos, Nigeria, as part of his global tour to promote AI adoption and understand diverse perspectives. However, concerns have been raised about the exploitation of Kenyan content moderators and the impact of OpenAI’s technology on marginalized communities. Nigeria: Africa’s biggest OpenAI adopter Over the weekend, Altman took part in a two-day exclusive event at Muson Centre, Lagos, Nigeria. “Nigeria, among all of the countries on the continent, I believe has been the biggest adopter of our technologies,” Technext reports Altman told
