Another week has gone by where technology news has been dominating the headlines both across Africa and around the world.
This week it was revealed that millions of South Africans have had their personal information leaked online with what has been described as the biggest data leak in South Africa history.
Airbnb made the headlines across Africa this week as the company revealed the findings of its first ever research report on the company’s African operations.
In Kenya, DSTV and Telkom announced a partnership which intends to offer Kenyans Internet at an affordable rate.
From all of us at IT News Africa, have a great weekend. The top stories of the week can be found below.
News
33 million South Africans have their personal info leaked online
A massive data breach has occurred in South Africa where the personal information of roughly 33 million South Africans has been leaked online. The discovery was made by Australian security researcher and creator of ‘Have I Been Pwned’, Troy Hunt who took to Twitter on Tuesday 17 October 2017 to reveal that he had discovered “a very large breach titled ‘masterdeeds’. Read More.
Airbnb release findings of African research
On Tuesday 17 October 2017 Airbnb, at an event in Johannesburg, South Africa, released the findings of a study which highlighted the economic and social benefits of travel using Airbnb for local families and their communities. The findings show that there are now more than 100,000 homes listed on Airbnb in Africa and that there have been more than 2 million all-time global guest arrivals using Airbnb, helping spread tourism benefits beyond hotels and tourist hotspots to the places local residents call home. Read More.
Winners of 2017 MTN Business App of the Year Awards announced
The sixth edition of the MTN Business App of the Year Awards took place on Thursday the 12th of October 2017 where the telecommunications company announced the overall winner, as well as the winners across various categories. The gala event hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa, was attended by dignitaries from the public and private sector, members of the app development community, and other related stakeholders. Read More.
Kenya: Telkom and DStv partner to offer bundled internet
DStv and telecommunications provider Telkom have renewed their partnership in an aim to offer Kenyans value on entertainment and Internet at an affordable cost. Read More.
Nigeria: e-health startup Mobicure wins $100,000 Expo Live grant
Nigerian e-health startup Mobicure has been awarded an Expo Live grant from organisers of the next World Expo, being held in Dubai in 2020, for its child focused application called OMOMI. The app helps expectant mothers and parents of children under the age of five to monitor the well being of their children from home. Read More.
Top Opinions & Features
Airbnb’s research reveals 10 powerful facts relating to African hospitality
On Tuesday 17 October 2017, Airbnb released the findings of their research into the company’s dealings in Africa. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) travel and tourism accounts for 10 percent of global GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and 1 in every 10 jobs around the world. They have also projected that travel to emerging destinations, such as to Africa, will outpace travel to established one between now and 2030. Read More.
Top 5 ways cybercrime can hurt your small business
While it’s true that smaller businesses may seem like they have less to lose, nearly 43% of cybercrime targets small business. Last year alone, 430 million new versions of malware were launched into the business world… That’s the price you pay for having an online presence. Read More.
Interview: “It’s tough for telcos to address the African market”
IT News Africa recently spoke to Rajesh Mishra, Co-Founder, President and CTO, Parallel Wireless, in an interview which looked to identify the challenges facing the African telecommunications landscape. Read More.
Accenture CEO addresses innovation challenges in South Africa
On 17 October 2017 Accenture hosted the 2017 Accenture Innovation Index and conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. The conference addressed some of the findings of the Accenture Innovation Index 2017. According to the Accenture Innovation Index, innovation is taking a back seat as companies grapple with economic uncertainties. Read More.
Companies who fail to innovate will not survive digital disruption
We are in the midst of a major technology revolution. Digital now dominates every sector of the economy – it is reshaping industries, disrupting businesses and introducing new operating models. It is also opening up new opportunities to create jobs and boost economic growth. Businesses that are not ready for this revolution will struggle in the next seven years and beyond. Read More.
Gadgets and Gaming
Top 5 mid-range smartphones for African consumers
Mobile phones have almost become somewhat of an extension of ourselves. These devices, that we rely so heavily upon, can come at quite a hefty price. Not everyone can afford the almost astronomical price that you have to pay to buy premium flagship devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the recently released iPhone X, which will retail for $1000. There is, however, a number of mid-range devices that will be able to offer consumers a quality device that will have a number of different features while not breaking the bank in the process. Read More.
WWE 2K18 Review
Developed by Yuke’s Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports, WWE 2K18 is the latest professional wrestling title to release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and the Nintendo Switch. This year sees WWE Superstar Seth Rollins grace the cover. This is Rollins’ first appearance on the cover of the game, which released on 17 October 2017. Rollins joins the likes of Brock Lesnar, Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena and The Rock who also graced the covers of previous titles in the series. Read More.
FIFA 18 Tips: Three easy ways to make coins in the game
So you’re playing FIFA 18, and need some easy ways to make coins. Without coins, you cannot add quality players to your team, and you can’t buy a variety of other goodies that could help your cause in FIFA Ultimate Team. So how can you earn a lot of coins in the game without breaking your back in the process, and without having to spend any real money on coin-selling sites that might be dodgy all along? We’ve got three basic ways for you below, and we’re going to explain them in full detail; read on if you need to earn more coins with as little difficulty as possible! Read More.
Huawei reveals Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro
On Monday 16 October 2017 in Munich, Germany, Huawei announced the launch of the all-new Huawei Mate 10 series which, according to the company, will open the door to new AI mobile applications. The Huawei Mate 10, Huawei Mate 10 Pro, and Porsche design Huawei Mate 10 are all aimed at making a breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence (AI) on devices by combining the Kirin 970 chipset and EMUI 8.0. Read More.
Interview: Bravado Gaming unpacks the potentials of African eSports
IT News Africa spoke to Andreas Hadjipaschali, the CEO and Owner of Bravado Gaming, in an interview which looks to unpack the current climate of the African eSports scene. Read More.
By Dean Workman
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