Idris Elba has been allocated land in Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago, to establish a film studio. The British actor, with roots in Sierra Leone and Ghana, has announced several ambitious projects to highlight Africa’s potential on a global scale. These include a film studio in Ghana and a smart eco-city in Sierra Leone. Expanding the African Film Industry with New Studios Elba’s investments are particularly focused on tourism and entertainment, areas he believes can significantly boost the continent’s economic growth. One of his most significant projects is the development of
African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) has successfully closed its fourth pan-African infrastructure fund, African Infrastructure Investment Fund 4 (AIIF4). The fund reached its hard cap with $748 million in commitments and an additional $206 million in co-investments, totaling $954 million. “Given the challenging global fundraising environment, we are delighted to have outperformed the targeted fund size,” said Paul Frankish, AIIM’s Head of Strategic Initiatives according to Shoppe Black. “We received strong support from our existing investor base with a high level of re-ups from the supporters of our previous mandates
UK-based Tech1M has secured $750,000 in pre-seed funding in a boost for the human resources (HR) technology sector. The round was led by SFC Capital, known for its recent backing of 4D Medicine and VoltShare, and Techstars. The funding also saw participation from Tech Nation, Barclays Eagle Labs, HSBC Innovation Banking, ICE Network, Vantage, 1000 Black Voices, Foundervine, and GrowLondon Global. Innovating Recruitment with AI Tech1M, founded by Tommie Edwards and Damilola Ogunmoye, is set to transform the talent acquisition landscape with its AI technology. As an alumnus of the
UK government officials have criticized Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), for commenting, “civil war is inevitable” under a video of violent, far-right attacks in England. Musk’s Posts Ignite Political Reactions Hundreds have been arrested during a wave of racist, Islamophobic, and anti-immigrant violence sparked by the disinformation surrounding the murder of three young girls last Monday. False claims that the murder suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker led violent right-wing mobs to attack mosques and set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers across
Four students from Pinelands High School in Cape Town, South Africa are facing disciplinary hearings after a video depicting a mock “slave auction” went viral on social media, according to the BBC. The video, which shows Black students being auctioned off while others bid for them, has prompted outrage and an official investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). Incident Details and Investigation The footage, reportedly filmed by Grade 8 students, shows Black pupils inside a cage while other students shout bids. This incident has drawn significant public
Google for Startups Accelerator Africa has revealed its 8th cohort, featuring ten startups from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. These ventures are using AI to address significant issues in healthcare, cargo mobility, energy solutions, and beyond. Pioneering Innovation Across Africa Africa’s tech ecosystem is described as a hub of creativity and problem-solving, driven by startups tackling both local and global challenges with exceptional ingenuity. Since its launch in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has been important in supporting the continent’s startup landscape. The program has now
Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) in Durban South Africa, has made history by appointing Prof. Nokuthula Sibiya as its first female vice-chancellor. A Collective Victory for Women Professor Sibiya began her education at Tholisu and Sawela Primary Schools and continued at Velabahleke and Vukuzakhe High Schools in Umlazi Township. She pursued higher education at the University of Zululand, where she earned a degree in nursing. Furthering her studies, she obtained a Doctor of Technology in Nursing from the Durban University of Technology. As a C-rated researcher – an established researcher
In recent years, the African tech startup ecosystem has seen steps towards greater gender diversity a new report has found. The report by Disrupt Africa, in partnership with the Africa-focused pre-seed investment program Madica, reveals these advancements while underscoring the need for more substantial efforts to achieve gender parity. Slow but Steady Progress Disrupt Africa’s latest publication, the 24th report and second edition of “Diversity Dividend: Exploring Gender Equality in the African Tech Ecosystem,” offers an analysis of gender diversity among African startups. This report includes both quantitative and qualitative
Intron Health, a clinical speech-recognition startup, recently raised $1.6 million in a pre-seed round led by Microtraction, with participation from several other venture firms. Founded by Tobi Olatunji, the company aims to bridge the gap in speech-recognition tools for speakers of minority languages, those with thick accents, or speech disorders. Bridging the Speech Recognition Gap Voice recognition technology is increasingly integrated into modern living, yet it often fails to serve those with thick accents or speech disorders. Olatunji, founder and CEO of Intron Health, is addressing this issue as he
The African startup ecosystem has witnessed a surge in investment, crossing the $1 billion mark in 2024, according to The Big Deal. This milestone was achieved faster than anticipated, due to several significant deals announced in July. Notably, d.light secured a $176 million securitization facility, and MNT-Halan raised $157.5 million for its expansion efforts. These, along with NALA’s $40 million Series A and other smaller deals, have pushed July 2024 to become the most successful month in African startup fundraising in over a year, amassing nearly $400 million. This figure
