Category: Featured

Sports betting has been a mode of recreation and business since time immemorial. Africans too have not been out of this. Especially with the advancement of technology, many betting sites accept that online betting sites are becoming more and more popular.

The betting sector of Africa is growing very steadily. Experts even believe that they have the potential to change the economy of the African continent if taken seriously. At mfidie.com, we regularly curate more such information regarding Africa for you, check out!

Currently the sports betting scenario in Africa allows you to bet only in football matches and during horse-racing. Horse-racing has been a favorite of the north Africans from as long as the fifteenth century. Africans have been wagering on football for around 70 years as well. So, betting on football has become more accessible. Visit Bet9ja to know more about the best betting sites and where you should put your money!

There are quite a few reasons why the betting business is slowly but steadily growing in Africa: 

Africans love sports

Africans, in general, love sports despite the fact that football is definitely the most loved one. However, they do watch cricket, rugby and definitely athletics with utmost enjoyment too. In fact, the African youth are big fans of the FIFA events and the European leagues. One always finds them in groups in local hotels and bars during any match. Now, these leagues give them a lot of opportunities to place their bets on. The most popular league is probably the EPL. So, they put their wagers on leagues like the EPL, La liga, UEFA Champions League and so on and so forth.

Youthfulness amongst the potential customers

The chief source of income of the African betting sector comes from the youth of Africa. As per reports, more than 200 million Africans belong to the age groups between 18 and 24.

So firstly, since they are young, they are passionate and carefree. They will indulge in bets without thinking about it much. Secondly, even in underdeveloped countries, they will be the ones who are most adept in using smartphones and hence the online sportsbooks.

Betting sites take on this advantage to provide the youth with strong online platforms for betting. Moreover, excessively high levels of unemployment in the continent have pushed the youth to gamble such that they can use it as a source of income.

Growing because the sector is still at a very basic level

Sports betting in Africa has definitely yet not reached its highest peak.

Countries like South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya have taken the game a little ahead of other countries. However, governments still need to find out proper regulations to manage the betting market and make them a significant source of revenue.

In 2018, as per reports, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa obtained 40 billion USD.

Sports betting has become more and more popular than it was even two years ago. One main reason is that many online betting sites follow international standards of jurisdiction. So, grab this opportunity and bet now!

If you’ve left the United States in pursuit of career goals or you’re looking to take part in what the big US of A has to offer, making use of online services while you’re not physically in the country can be a challenge. From online content and business services to banking, it isn’t always easy to make use of vital services whether you’re a US resident or not.

Various red tape measures can stand in the way of legitimately making use of multiple services, but it’s not impossible. Often it’s about understanding the red tape, what channels you need to go through and what processes to follow to open up these services to you. 

Whether you want to access the ultimate guide on virtual sports via US-based content, access critical financial services, or become a global shopper, here are a few ways to access several online services in the US legally.

Accessing US-based content

If you’re a sports fanatic and you follow all sporting activity online no matter the region, it can be pretty frustrating when you can’t access specific live viewings. Many times, you’ll be faced with a “sorry this content isn’t available in your region” message. Several pay-per-view and streaming services will restrict access purely because you’re in a different country. 

Online content subscriptions in the US are well known to restrict access based on location for several reasons. These include federal economic sanctions and mitigating hacking risks that can often originate outside of the US. While these reasons are legitimate, it prevents those of us who actually want to just watch sport, or any type of online content for that matter, from doing so.

This process of restricting online content based on location is known as geoblocking, and there’s one primary route to getting around this.

Install a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A VPN is software that creates a secure tunnel between the world wide web and the end-user. All transferred data is encrypted for safety, and the user’s IP address is hidden from all websites they visit.

This means that any website you visit will not be able to detect your location – no matter where you are – and not restrict your access to its content. You can view sport or any online content produced in the US without restrictions, and most importantly, you can do so legally.

How to set up a VPN

Once you choose a VPN provider, the setup is pretty simple:

1. Choose your VPN package
2. Create an account, sign in and install the VPN software
3. Log in to the software
4. Choose the locations you want to connect to (in this case, the US)
5. Connect and start watching your desired content

Registering a US company online

Ever wanted to expand your business horizons and open up or expand your company into the US market? If you aren’t a US citizen or don’t reside in the US, the process can be lengthy but not impossible! While some restrictions exist, you can still legally register a US company online from Africa if you follow a handful of steps to comply with all the requirements. It all starts with company registration.

Company structures available to non-residents

First things first, not all company structures are available to non-residents. Two company structures are eligible for non-residents to register their business under a Limited Liability Company (LLC) and a Corporation (C-Corp).

A number of businesses choose to register as a C-Corp rather than an LLC, mainly because it gives business owners the option to scale up to more easily with no limits on stock. The advantage of an LLC is its limited liability. Owners are protected from all personal liability if the company gets into debt.

Steps to register a company

1. Obtain a business visa

Whether you plan to move to the US or not, you will need to obtain a business visa to set up a legal business. There are several visa options to choose from, they are:

L-1A visa – If you have an active business outside of the US that has been trading for at least a year with four or more employees.

E-2 visa – If your business has been operating for less than a year and you have less than four employees.

E-2 visa – If you want to move to the US to start up a new business.

2. Choose a business name

You must choose a name that has not yet been registered in the US. You will be able to search for a name via the US Patent and Trademark Office.

3. Register with a state agency

Choose a US state where you will host all of your business dealings, including income, meetings and employees.

4. Choose a registered agent

You will need to nominate a US-based person who receives and safeguards all of your official business documents papers.

5.Open a business bank account

You are required to open a bank account for your business transactions. Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citibank accept applications from foreign nationals. Otherwise, there are digital options such as programsWise which is a simple online platform available to non-residents.

Shopping online

Have you ever wanted to shop online via a US website, but because you’re not in the country the option to ship to your address is just not available to you? Perhaps you’re looking for more affordable options, or the product you’ve set your eyes on is only available via US-based websites like Amazon or eBay. While a few years ago you would have to give up on any products you couldn’t locate locally, this has now changed with the introduction of assisted purchase programs.

Get a US address via a third-party platform

Third-party shipping platforms like Shipito assist online shoppers abroad by managing the shopping process on behalf of websites that don’t offer international shipping. Once you’ve chosen the product you want to buy, it will be sent to Shipito’s warehouse, where it will then be forwarded to your local address. With Shipito’s warehouse used as your US-based address, you can shop online to your heart’s content.

From online content to business operations and even online shopping, you can use services in the US, safely and legally, from Africa by following a few simple steps.

The internet is an infinite space. It has something for everyone in store no matter the age, gender, language, nationality or culture.

The uses of the internet are as expansive as one can imagine. Whether someone wants to work, learn or just have fun, the internet has all these facilities for a user. Plus, in today’s world, the internet has become cheaper and is in everyone’s easy access.

Furthermore, the rapid advancement in this field is making the user base of the internet expand and reach the areas where it was not available before. Tech companies like Facebook and Google are launching programs so that no part of the world can be deprived of such a huge and revolutionary technological milestone.

The reason why everyone is investing in the internet so heavily is that its potential and applications are limitless. Plus, in times of dire crises like the pandemic that we are going through, the internet has been the sole savior that is keeping us connected with one another and is providing means to work and take education while also giving the much-needed entertainment and mental peace. 

Today, we see that governments have included the internet as a basic human necessity like food and water along with other social services. These grants are allowing people to remain connected to internet services in financially tough situations.

Internet service providers are also chipping in and playing their part in order to make the internet affordable for the general public. Cox is one such provider that is offering discounts not only on the internet but its Cox cable TV service is giving much-needed entertainment to the public at very nominal prices.

One such benefit of the internet is that it has made learning new things fun. How often do you watch a video about construction, the physical phenomenon of nature, or space while eating your food? Through videos like these, we are able to grasp these complicated concepts in a fun way. The internet is full of these types of videos that entertain as well as educate. 

Who doesn’t know about YouTube? Today, it is the single biggest video streaming platform and one of those websites that are on the top list of most visited places on the internet. Let’s dive deeper into it below.

YouTube

YouTube is a platform that has everything including movies, TV shows, soundtracks, comedy skits, infographic videos, and now, there are even classroom lecture videos available on the internet for anyone to see and learn from them. The best thing about YouTube is that it’s free. Without any kind of subscription model, YouTube allows its users to watch anything they like, anytime, and anywhere. The only thing needed is an internet connection. It’s an open platform where the list of creators include big brands, organization and even individual creators that post their videos for anyone to see and enjoy. 

YouTube is also available on all the major platforms whether you like to watch it on your computer, smartphones, or smart TVs. Plus the type of content is not restricted to age or gender because YouTube’s library of videos is so huge it has something for everyone. It was founded in 2005 by Jawed Karim, Steven Chen, and Chad Hurley. The site has since grown into a huge platform, with millions of users a day watching hundreds of millions of videos on the site. 

Thus, YouTube is the largest video-sharing platform in the world if you have video content. It is a great place to promote. You can also use it to increase awareness for your business. If you want to promote a product, a service, or a business, you can use video marketing to reach out to your target audience, or learn anything free. Since it is an open creator space, it has garnered around 1.5 billion active users that are using YouTube for various purposes ranging from work, education, and entertainment.

YouTube for Kids

One viewer segment that has immensely benefited from this platform is kids for whom there is a plethora of content available to watch. Whether they are toddlers, pre-schoolers, or even kids in adolescence, they can learn and enjoy at the same time from YouTube’s content. Kids today use the internet to learn and have fun and the majority of YouTube users are kids. As a matter of fact, the second biggest channel on YouTube, according to subscriber base, is Cocomelon, which is a kid’s nursery rhymes channel with 118 million subscribers worldwide. YouTube has also made a separate app by the name of YouTube Kids that solely focuses on kid-related content in addition to tools for parental control. 

Here we have compiled a list of YouTube channels that are contributing to the learning and positive mental well-being of children:

Khan Academy Kids

Khan Academy is already a well-established platform that provides necessary tools and lectures that help students learn different subjects. Khan Academy Kids is a subsidiary of that platform that is aimed at children aged 2-7 to make them future learners. Khan Academy Kids provides learning content in a fun way so that children have a good time while learning new things. Coupled with their kid’s app, it offers fun lessons on math, writing, reading, social and emotional learning aimed to teach young minds to become intellectuals of the future. 

PBS Kids

PBS Kids is an incredible YouTube channel for toddlers who are preparing for school, providing them with much-needed emotional intelligence. PBS Kids is the digital iteration of the famous TV channel by the same name. All the famous programming and learning content of PBS is available on this channel including every child’s favorite shows like Sesame Street, Arthur, Blue’s Clues, Curious George, and many more.

It’s Okay to Be Smart

As the name clearly suggests, this channel is about science and scientific concepts but with a twist. This is the twist of fun. This channel is just like a virtual school in which your child gets to learn all the basic aspects of science through fun concepts. This channel is made by Joe Hanson who is a Ph.D. So, rest assured, your child is going to learn from the best minds while also having fun along the way. 

Conclusion

We are going through a crisis that has shaken everyone to their core. The health pandemic that has limited people to their homes is not only having negative effects financially but also posing a severe threat to mental health as well. And the most vulnerable community to this mental deterioration is children. A child’s mind is in constant distress in the current landscape. However, there are means like the internet which can help to not only calm your little one but also make him learn new things while he’s at home. The list of these YouTube channels is the best way to keep your child occupied from the ongoing situation while providing him with entertainment and education at the same time for his mental well-being.

Slot games are one of the most popular games of chance around and plenty of people head straight to the slots whenever they set foot in a casino. Part of the appeal is the combination of skill and luck, and although absolute beginners may just head for the nearest one, seasoned players will often be looking for something particular. 

This is also true of online slots, whose history dates back to 1976 when the first video slot machine was developed in the global gaming capital: Las Vegas. The flexibility of the display meant that the traditional slot machine format could be enhanced with sleeker graphics and more interesting designs.

The natural evolution of video slots has been to capitalise on the advances that have brought cutting edge technology to a variety of traditional casino games. Slots are perhaps an obvious choice to go online considering the combination of simple chance alongside the extra effects that keep players coming back for more. 

Although bricks and mortar casinos still offer video slots alongside their more traditional games, online slots have become a huge market that has continued to grow over recent years. They offer players plenty of benefits, from the flexibility of being able to play wherever they want to the variety of games available, although it can be hard to identify the ones that will suit each player until they have a little more experience. 

A wide variety of slot games

For those that are familiar with traditional slots, the online experience combines the familiarity of game-play with the sheer wealth of different options on offer. With no limits to the design of the games, online versions offer much more variety with themed games, the diverse array of options and the creativity of the designers and developers. 

Some use the hundred-year history of slot machines as inspiration for their designs, including traditional symbols such as fruits and bells in their online counterparts and drawing on the more familiar designs and game-play options. Conversely, other games make the most of the ability to include more outlandish elements and give the game a 21st-century makeover.

Online slots also have the advantage of offering more features that simply weren’t possible on traditional machines. Alongside the traditional reels in various numbers, online slots can include thematic elements that allow players to engage with the games on another level. 

From popular cultural references to classic themes, online slots can include the latest crazes, such as hit television shows and the latest films to current events and even historical events. Everyone, from history buffs to sports fans, can find online slots that appeal to them, tying the games in to a theme that already has an appeal to create a truly engaging game that players will want to play.

Online slots in the 21st century

One of the key factors that make online slots a lasting success is the improvements in graphics that have been made over recent years. With designers and developers able to create realistic graphics and attention-grabbing on-screen action, online slots have the advantage of offering more than just the basics of spinning reels and matching symbols. 

As well as the ease of automating the technical side of things, online slots have the advantage of offering players additional features as they play. In-game extras are easily accessible via online slots, meaning that players can enjoy a variety of additional gaming elements such as:

• Jackpot rounds
• Free spins
• Bonus rounds
• Wilds and scatters
• Mini games
• Extra features
• Premium slots

As well as finding a game that appeals visually and from a gameplay perspective, players need to find an online slot game that gives them a good chance of winning. Games have a ‘return to player’ (RTP) figure which gives players an idea of how often they can expect to win. 

Playing a game with an RTP of 97.5% means that for every £100 played, the gamer could expect to win £97.50, with the ‘house edge’ of £2.50. This is where luck plays its part and online gamers will be trying to beat those odds to come out on top, so it’s important to have an idea of which games have the ideal RTP for each player, so a little research can go a long way when it comes to improving your odds. 

Most players are looking for a combination of a favourable RTP and an appealing game with incredible graphics and cool sound effects, and the sheer number of online slots available means that there are plenty of games that combine the two. Players considering online slots as a way to relax and unwind can find a game that suits their playing style and appeals to their interests.

Online slots combine the thrills and excitement of taking on lady luck with the convenience and flexibility of being able to play whenever and wherever you want. With mobile gaming becoming more and more popular, online slots are one of the top choices among gamers who want a little fun on the go. 

The online slots industry is expected to be worth more than $90 billion by 2024, with new players joining the legion of fans every day. Not only are online slots a fun way to entertain yourself in your down time, but the chance of winning a big cash prize is an added bonus.

Nigeria’s economy is hitting its growth spurt currently, meaning it is an ideal environment for new startups aiming to evolve and build a foundation for themselves for the future tech leaders for long-run startups in Nigeria. 

The country has a population of around 208.8 million individuals, so it comes as no surprise that startups are engaging massive funds to secure the market for themselves. This is especially obvious, since Nigeria has the fastest growing economy in Africa and an estimated 750+ startups, though it lacks in other elements, like keeping them functioning.

Many startups are becoming popular in Nigeria since they are lending their services to the people. Many of them have gone worldwide as well, especially with the help of international accelerators. 

The basics of these companies’ functions can be understood through their names easily. Incubators help businesses “incubate” new ideas, whereas accelerators expedite the growth of an existing business using a minimum viable product, through a highly competitive application process. 

A few examples of such companies include Techstars and Y Combinator, both of which have had Nigerian startups become successful, especially those regarding tech careers in healthcare, like Healthtracka. 

Autochek 

Autochek is a startup that allows users to buy and sell cars easily and in a safe way within Nigeria. This automotive tech startup also provides its users with car repair and maintenance services within the country, including specific services like tire services, car brakes, engine service, painting, car washes, and so on.

 The startup has acquired a $3.4 million pre-seed round having been co-led by TLCom Capital and 4DX, after having acquired Cheki, another car sales marketplace venture.

The company’s aim, according to CEO Etop Ikpe, is to birth a digital infrastructure using a new system to better coordinate sales, servicing, and vehicle records. 

Hotels.ng 

Hotels.ng is a startup founded in 2013 by Mark Essien, aiming to make tourism and travel more convenient, since, with Nigeria’s growing economy, it makes sense for a startup as such to become successful.

The site has over 7138 hotels from over 320 cities within the country and also received seed funds from other successful startups like Spark.ng, founded by Jason Njoku. It is estimated that hotels.ng is now worth around $3.75 million.

Paystack Payments Limited 

As of this year, Stripe, an Irish-American software, and financial service company will be acquiring Paystack. The company was originally founded in Lagos by Nigerian entrepreneur Shola Akinlade is co-founder and CEO.

The startup is a payments company that aims to provide a speedy way of integrating payments services into online and offline transactions using an application program interface. Its customer base amounts to over 60 000 businesses, larger corporates, fintech, and customers in general. 

The company is rumored to be sold to Stripe for a total of $200 million, which amasses Stripe’s biggest acquisition as of date, and the biggest one coming out of Nigeria as well. 

Gradely 

Gradely is a startup founded in 2019 that thrives to enhance children’s learning experience. The company works with teachers, parents, students, and schools to keep track of a student’s progress and to fill in the gaps early on. This company makes for great jobs for former teachers.

 The main reason why this program is an asset to students is its way of showing customized performance and learning journeys for kids to follow. Not only that, but they also provide their users with real-time feedback and a section where students can get personalized lessons to catch up if they fall behind. 

Flying Doctors Nigeria 

This company was founded in 2007 by a British-Nigerian medical doctor named Olamide Brown. This ambulance service company aims to provide medical emergency services through air ambulance, medevac, remote site medical solutions, and infrastructural development and training. 

It is stated that they also have the largest network of ground and air ambulances in Nigeria, and are able to help individuals seeking medical aid within a short span of time. They also plan on raising $1 billion for a fund to invest into healthcare all across Africa. 

Farmcrowdy 

Farmcrowdy limited was founded in 2016 with the focus of connecting farm sponsors with real farmers and is the only agric tech company on this list. It also aims to empower small-holder farmers and make it easy for them to motivate food production. 

The way the company works is that they use their platform to help sponsors select what farm they want to fund, and from that money, they secure the land and the farmer, plant the seeds and ensure the farmer completes the full farming cycle and sells the harvest. Then the company pays back the sponsor a return on their sponsorship. 

Its biggest positive is the ability to constantly update sponsors using images, videos, and texts.

Eden 

Eden is a company that focuses on elevating the lives of the 20 million tightly packed residents of Lagos. It does so by taking over household chores that most busy professionals in metropolitan cities can’t uphold without falling into suboptimal living standards. 

The company sends out trained staff they call “Gardeners” to customers’ homes for them to deliver services and chores for example grocery shopping, cleaning, and laundry, whilst customers are able to continue their lives and jobs for a monthly fee depending on what services you need to be provided.

Konga 

Konga is an e-commerce company that allows users to use it as an online mall. Customers are able to buy anything from books to electronics to groceries. Originally founded in 2012, it has finally become even more popular due to the online shopping craze that has swept nations this past decade.

Essentially, the company is a third-party marketplace found online, and ever since they partnered with Nigerian commercial banks to create KongaPay, they gained even more trust and customers from the convenience of being able to instantly and safely pay for ordered products on their website. 

Another product line they came out with is Konga Mall which allowed regional businesses to showcase their products online conveniently. After its success came Konga Marketplace, allowing roadside merchants to join the trade, and lastly the Konga Self-Fulfill Model, allowing merchants to have shipping agreements negotiated by Konga with reputable courier partners.

Life Bank 

Life Bank was founded in 2015 by Temie Giwa-Tubosun to highlight and ease the blood shortage crisis within Nigeria. The startup consists of an app connected to hospitals and clinics, helping cement quick access to blood supply from blood banks. 

They also supply medical supplies like medicines and oxygen to those who need medical care. 

Thus far, they have worked with over 700 hospitals and have delivered 28 000 vital medical supplies to those who needed them, with a total of 1 400 lives saved. 

uLesson 

This company is an ed-tech startup that aims to help students broaden their horizons through affordable and accessible means. It also gives a comfortable platform for students to learn beyond their academic years and grasp opportunities to learn more.

uLesson sells its digital curriculum to its students using SD cards, which ended up becoming a massive opportunity for them when remote learning became popularized last year, allowing for the company to gain even more customers, especially with Nigeria’s elevation in young individuals within the population.

The company has raised $7.5 million through Series A funding overall.

Though these startups help increase the quality of life of the population and have also made Nigeria see a rise in GDP of 6.9%, though it isn’t as easy as it seems. With Nigeria having the highest density of startups in all of Africa, the country’s total of startups only managed to amass $64.1 million, compared to for example South Africa’s $241 million raised in 2020. 

Citations: 

1. Bright, J. (2020, November 18). Nigeria’s Autochek raises $3.4m for car sales and Service Platform. TechCrunch. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/18/nigerias-autochek-raises-3-4m-for-car-sales-and-service-platform/. 
2. Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, September 30). Hotels.ng. Wikipedia. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotels.ng. 
3. Shola Akinlade: The inspiration behind Paystack’s success. Nairametrics. (2021, April 4). Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://nairametrics.com/2021/04/04/shola-akinlade-the-inspiration-behind-paystacks-1bn-valuation/. 
4. Lunden, I. (2020, October 15). Stripe acquires Nigeria’s paystack for $200M+ to expand into the African continent. TechCrunch. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/15/stripe-acquires-nigerias-paystack-for-200m-to-expand-into-the-african-continent/. 
5. Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, October 23). Stripe (company). Wikipedia. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stripe_(company). 
6. Gradely. Gradely – Headquarter Locations, Competitors, Financials, Employees. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://www.cbinsights.com/company/gradely. 
7. Flying Doctors Nigeria – Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding. Crunchbase. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/flying-doctors-nigeria. 
8. Farmcrowdy – Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding. Crunchbase. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/farmcrowdy. 
9. Farmcrowdy. Farmcrowdy ltd. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://www.farmcrowdy.com/team. 
10. Ekwealor, V. (2019, September 16). Founded by ex-andelans, co-funded by Andelans, Eden wants to make life better in African cities. Techpoint Africa. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://techpoint.africa/2019/09/17/eden-bettering-lives-in-african-cities/. 
11. Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, September 21). Konga.com. Wikipedia. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konga.com. 
12. Kanife, E. (1969, November 1). Nigerian tech startups are building the most exciting brands in Africa. Technext. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://technext.ng/2021/08/17/nigerian-tech-startups-are-building-the-most-exciting-brands-in-africa-as-they-dominate-top-20-challenger-brands/. 
13. Mascarenhas, N. (2021, January 20). African edtech startup ulesson lands a $7.5 million Series a. TechCrunch. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/20/african-edtech-startup-ulesson-lands-a-7-5-million-series-a/. 
14. Admin, & Admin. (2021, April 17). 30+ Top Startups in Nigeria to watch out for in 2021. StartupHR Toolkit. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://nigeria.startuphrtoolkit.com/top-startups-in-nigeria/. 
15. Olasoji, T. (n.d.). Nigeria has the most startups in Africa but falls short on other critical metrics. Quartz. Retrieved October 23, 2021, from https://qz.com/africa/2012780/nigeria-ranks-first-in-african-startups-but-faces-challenges/. 
16. Unsplash. (n.d.). Beautiful free images & pictures. Unsplash. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://unsplash.com/. 

The African content is beset by challenges that have made local companies rethink their plans of continental expansion. Political and social instability, flagrant inequality, low literacy levels, regulatory uncertainty, rampant levels of unemployment and crippling infrastructure are but some of the challenges the various nations face.

However, on a continent where more than 60% of its 1.2 billion population are under the age of 25, there also exists unique contingencies, and mainly to do with the embracing of digital technology.

Africa’s young people are early adopters of new tech, something clearly displayed by the quick manner in which mobile money has been lapped up as a viable means of exchanging cash. South Africa is home to some of Africa’s most lucrative tech companies and as it stands, these companies are in a well-suited position to work with global giants such as Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook as opposed to trying to compete with them.

With all this in mind, here are African-based tech companies specialising in ICT (Information and Communications Technology) whose shares you might want to invest in.

Altron

Altron currently operates in just over 20 African countries and provides the type of digital services that can be likened to what Amazon provides; this includes algorithm training, data arrangement and governance, skills training, and AI development and deployment.

Altron often works in conjunction with Cisco, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and a slew of global tech companies. Altron’s share price has practically doubled in the last five years, although it hasn’t yet reach its high of ZAR14 a share, which is what its stock was trading at 3 years ago.

Altron’s price movement is indicative of the fact that Africa, despite the opportunities it presents, will continue to be viewed by investors as a long term player. 

MTN Group

The MTN Group continues to do well in South Africa and the 21 countries it operates in Africa and the Middle East. The mobile tech giant provides mobile financial services, voice, data and digital products. Data is everything in Africa; it provides its people with the means to access the internet and conduct their lives, be it socialising or earning a living by way of trading, which has become huge across the entire continent.

Access to the right data means someone can be in Ghana and still analyse the UK stock market and its share prices and options in order to speculate on the movements. At the time of writing, MTN’s share price was looming at just over ZAR96, down from where it was three years ago when it traded at ZAR117.61, which is also lower that its high of ZAR125.82 five years ago.

A lower share price, means it’s the right time to invest. 

Datatec

Datatec is an ICT Johannesburg-based multinational group that has operations spanning six continents and 50 countries. The group experienced its fastest revenue growth between the financial years of 2019 and 2020 due to its operations in Africa and the Middle East. Contributions rose form 8 to 10%.

This contribution pales in comparison to the 46% of revenue that came from Europe in 2020, which means that Datatec has barely begun to penetrate the African market, which leaves space for future growth and expansion.

Datatec’s share price has in recent times risen by 30%, which is up from where it was 3 years ago, but not quite at the high of ZAR44.50 where it was 5 years ago. At the time of writing, it was trading at ZAR38.27.

Telkom

South Africa’s oldest telecommunications company operates in more than 38 countries across Africa. In recent times and by way of an aggressive marketing strategy, including outsourcing initiatives, the company has seen strong growth in mobile services in its home country and according to analysts, could use this surge to broaden its horizons in terms of taking its mobile services beyond the borders of the South African market where competition is rife.

While the share price isn’t at the ZAR55 high it was five years ago, at the time of writing, it was sitting at ZAR46.91 – a clear indication of growth. Telkom and all the aforementioned companies are established and will not disappear overnight. 

Sometimes when we browse our favourite websites, we can be interrupted by a pop-up asking if we would rather download and spend time on the app instead. Some might prefer to do so, while others might prefer to stay on the browser and continue to explore the website from there. Should we download an app if there is one available? Let’s take a closer look at why you might want to.

Ease of Use

Some people prefer to use an app over a website in a browser because the app is easier to use. There are certain things that might be trickier to manage from a smartphone browser, especially if the site has not been correctly optimised for mobile. An app has been built from the ground up to be used on smartphones, so it will always be that little bit easier to manage.

For example, you could take a look at the 10bet Ghana app in the popular betting genre; you would discover that it is much easier to browse than the wider site. It is much easier to find the information that you are searching for, and everything will be laid out in a way that makes sense. If you frequently find that you struggle with exploring a site on a browser, have a look to see if there is an app available. It might be a much better fit for you.

Geo-Specific Features

Many apps make use of a technology known as geofencing. This means that it might limit features for users depending on where they are. An activity might be legal and fully regulated in one area, allowing users to download and use it. However, the activity is then prohibited in a neighbouring area. Geofencing allows the app’s developers to ensure that their services are only used where it is legal to do so.

They can also use this technology to provide certain services for customers that live in a particular area. Customers of 10bet Tanzania for example might find that they see slightly different offers compared to those in other areas, because gaming and betting laws vary from country to country. This can help companies keep up with the differences that they might see between their various demographics and countries of operation, as no two are going to be exactly the same.

App-Exclusive Content

Of course, there is no obligation for a company to keep their content the same between the app and the website. You might spot that there are some differences between the content offered on the site and what they offer on the app. It all depends on what their priorities are.

If they want to drive their customer base to the app over the website, they are likely to put more enticing deals on their app. They want people to download it so they can take advantage of this extra content and more impressive deals. The app might even be completely free to use. The company would just rather their audience were mainly app users over website ones, so they put out an incentive to go there.

Safe and Secure

Though not every app on the app store is safe, they can often be a great choice for those who are worried about their safety and security when using a company’s services. Never download an app unless it comes from an official app store like Apple’s or the Google Play store. The apps here are regularly vetted for malware and other issues, and they are generally thought to be safer than others that you might want to download.

Make sure you do your research here to determine that the app is safe for you to download before you do so. Does the parent site seem safe and professional? Have they got a comprehensive privacy policy and clear contact information? Even something like the number of times the app has been downloaded and its rating in the app store can let you know whether or not it will be safe and good to use.

Should You Download That App?

If you have a lot of frustrations from trying to get a website to function correctly, you should definitely think about taking a look at an app if they offer one. However, you do need to also make sure that you are only downloading apps that are of a high quality and will offer you a good service. If you have any doubts that an app won’t be the right move for you, do your research to find out whether or not it will be good for you.

Do you think bitcoin mining will be lucrative in 2021? The answer to this question is yes, but it is a complicated process. Bitcoin mining started as a hobby where people showed their interest to earn good rewards.

Early adopters of bitcoin and the mining process had the opportunity to earn the reward of 50 BTC every 10 minutes. Also, no high-powered computers were necessary, and the miners even mined bitcoins from their offices or bedrooms.

Successfully mining one block of transactions and holding the block reward till 2020 would have earned you $450,000 worth of digital coins. You can get updates on bitcoin and new technology from the bitcoin-up.live

But today, the process has become complex, but if you want to learn more about bitcoin mining, it is best to get started with mining basics. Mining is one of the best ways to earn passive income out of bitcoin.

Therefore, it would be best if you learned the basics of bitcoin mining before getting into it. Mining is an activity that is known as the backbone of bitcoin’s blockchain.

Let’s understand the fundamental concepts of bitcoin mining activity in the upcoming paragraphs.

Block reward

The miners earn block rewards for mining bitcoins. Currently, the block reward got halved to 6.25 BTC. The block reward reduces every four years, and it will get halved to 3.125 BTC after 2024.

Miners earn rewards along with transaction fees for solving mathematical puzzles fast. The mining process gets done every 10 minutes, where miners use specialized machines to solve complicated mathematical problems on the network. According to the miners engaged in mining activity, the difficulty of mathematical puzzles increases after every 2016 block.

The difficulty of the network gets calculated by the total amount of hashrate that contributes to the network. 

Mining hardware

Through mining hardware, bitcoins can get mined. Hardware is specialized computers that get developed specially for mining purposes.

Therefore, it is better to choose powerful hardware as it will be more energy-efficient and increase the chance of earning more profits. There is a plethora of mining hardware available in the market. Make sure to choose the one that has high hash power as through it you can earn huge profits.

Now, do you know what the hash rate is in mining bitcoins? 

Hashrate 

Hashrate is the measure of the computational power of a miner’s hardware. In simple words, if more miners get engaged in mining bitcoins and hope to earn the rewards, then the difficulty of puzzles increases.

Mining is a race where all miners use computational power to mine blocks fast in 10 minutes. A miner with more computing power often provides better solutions and possible chances to earn block rewards to miners. 

How to calculate the earnings of bitcoin miners?

You must hear stories about the energy that gets consumed in mining bitcoin. It is a fact that a high cost of mining is in the energy that it consumes.

Multiple other costs get involved in mining, and therefore you must know the correct method to calculate your earnings. You must add the investment that you put in mining hardware to calculate the actual profit.

Mining Revenue

In the digital era, modern mining machines known as ASIC get used to mining bitcoin. These mining machines are special machines that have high computing power, and miners can use ASICs to mine either Ethereum or Bitcoin.

These cryptocurrencies get mined with graphics cards, and you can see that your revenue generated from mining will double. In addition, ASIC machines allow transactions to be recorded accurately and help miners earn money by running the system. 

Bitcoin miners get an opportunity to earn bitcoins by solving complex algorithms and earn block rewards along with the fees that users pay for their transactions.

Every 10 minutes, new bitcoins get mined, but the reward for mining bitcoin decreases after four years. The halving method started in 2009, and at that time, the block reward was 50 BTC. Another primary source for miners to earn money is the transaction fee that bitcoin users pay when they send bitcoins to other users.

Miners keep track of records and earn transaction fees. 

When bitcoin got invented in 2009, nobody thought it would be effective and last for a long time, but the bitcoin community is so strong that it doesn’t quit. It has increased in the popularity and price of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Today, people are eager to enter the crypto market and learn about it to profit from its volatile market. Cryptocurrencies offer you thousands of ways through which you can earn profits from bitcoin. Users either choose to invest and hold cryptocurrencies or trade or mine them. 

Most people might know about holding and trading cryptocurrencies as it is the same as foreign exchanges and stocks, but not everyone is aware of the concept of creating bitcoin. Bitcoin doesn’t get created by banks or governments like fiat currencies. Instead, bitcoin gets created by individuals only that are known as miners.

In the crypto market, it is crucial to remember that you have to deal with speculation in the crypto market or financial market, and it involves risk. Though people are well-informed about the risks involved in the crypto market, they still choose to enter and try their knowledge and luck in trading bitcoin. The profit maximizer is a great app that allows users to trade bitcoin effectively and earn huge profits. 

Well, along with trading, mining bitcoin also involves risk. Mining is the method of verifying the bitcoin or other crypto transactions, and in return, the miners earn a reward for their time, hard work, and efforts. Miners can only become successful at mining if they have high-powered hardware and software for mining. If you want to start with mining bitcoin but don’t know how to choose the best software for it, you are in the right place.

Two Basic Parts of Bitcoin Mining

• Mining software
• Mining hardware

Miners require bitcoin mining software to communicate between the blockchain of bitcoin and the hardware used in the working. The mining software also communicates with the mining pool if you work with it. Let’s learn the best tips to choose bitcoin mining software.

Bitcoin wallet

Bitcoin wallet is a software, and users use wallets to store the bitcoins securely. Miners keep their bitcoins in bitcoin wallets to sell or use them legally or at places where they get accepted. There are two main types of bitcoin wallets, cold and hot wallets. Cold wallets allow users to control and hold their private keys, whereas hot wallets are wallets that get connected to the internet and host private keys with third parties. It is best to use hot wallets that provide you ownership of your private keys. One of the best and easy-to-use wallets includes Breadwallet, BitPay, and Armory. 

Join bitcoin trading platform

Bitcoin trading platforms are platforms that allow users to trade, buy and sell digital currencies. The trading platforms work along with digital wallets so that you can withdraw your trading earnings and use them for mining purposes. So now that you know the two significant things important for trading: wallet and trading platforms, the mining software will help you. 

Before choosing any mining software, make sure to do proper research to find the best rig that will be suitable.

Best mining software

BTCMiner

BTCMiner is an open-source platform that supports FPGA boards and comes with a USB interface for communication and programming. It offers impressive features like the ability to pick the frequency that offers a high rate of applicable hashes because the source code of this software is open, and it doesn’t need any license. 

CGMiner

CGMiner is one of the preferred choices of bitcoin miners. It is because CGMiner includes multiple things like fan speed control, multi-GPU support, CPU mining support, remote interface capabilities, and the last one is the self-detection of blocks that get generated. 

EasyMiner

It is one of the best software that runs on Linux, Windows, and Android systems. EasyMiner offers an intuitive graphical user interface. Many people prefer this software as it develops accessible hallucinations with proper graphs of adventures of bitcoin mining. 

The Bottom Line

Choosing bitcoin mining software is a personal decision, but it is best to use software that performs well and offers an exemplary user interface. Through this, you can turn out mining into a profitable one and will learn lots of skills. 

Mobile gaming has been on a swift rise for the past couple of years now, from Battle Royales with great graphics like PUBG to conventional games like Snake Xenzia being remastered and reshaped are the latest trends in the industry of mobile gaming. It’s evolving and enhancing day by day, it’s so hard to keep a track of all the games in different genres being released everyday as the number has risen up to millions per year. 

Although the recent surge in popularity is mainly due to the rise of Battle Royale games that are mainly targeting the mobile platforms such as android and IOS, there are a number of other gaming genres that are trying to scoop in as many players as they can. Some game developers are even coming up with their own genres that are based on some crazy odd ideas like Fall Guys, something that we have never seen before in the history of gaming but it blew away all the records. And talking about odd ideas, look how popular Amazon’s new game has turned out be, Yes! I am talking about New World, players are literally spending a ton of cash to buy New World Coins to upgrade their gear!

But apart from all the popular FPS shooters and open world games with high fidelity graphics, another genre has emerged on different platforms specially on mobile devices that has hit the market by a storm. The 16-bit blocky graphics games are the latest trend and here is what’s making them so good.

The Rise of Pixelated Graphics

Most of these games take their major references from the godfather of pixelated games, Minecraft of course! Pixelated graphics, as many agree, are a matter of nostalgia mostly, people love them because they feel connected to them, these games remind us of our childhood. But it’s not just that, it is the simplicity and the minimalism of the pixels that’s so captivating. Moreover, pixel art games are considerably easier to develop than games with realistic graphics and they require way less PC power to run, which is something that makes these games so widely available, as anyone with a PC or normal smartphone can play them. Most of the Adults of this era have played all the pixelated games of 80s till 2000s on workstations as well as consoles. 

These pixelated graphics have a certain effect on the players that’s so hard to decipher, not only does it remind us of our childhood but there’s more to it as most of the players playing these games haven’t actually played the old ones. The Games in pixels affect in different ways, which helps his imagination, can engage in games of a new experience of game. For example, in games like Minecraft, the player has to use all of his imagination to recreate emotions or situations in the game; the game itself communicates with the players abstractly. The 3D games have a million visual effects, which depending on the direction of art, the experience is different. The game industry always needs different visual styles for different experience games.

There are a ton of games that are using these blocky graphics in their own ways to come up with a unique game, one of the best examples of games that have become extremely popular despite their pixelated and blocky visuals are Stardew valley and Animal Crossing and they both have a pretty huge player base. Animal Crossing has made some changes to make the visuals more appealing and cartoony and apparently a lot of players are falling for it, be it the amazing items in Animal Crossing, the fact that it helps connect you with your friends and so much more.

Games like in the Darkness, 7 years from now or Star Wars: Tiny Death Star have been a great success mainly because of their great stories with immense depth and surely because of the magic of pixelated graphics. Most of us are just too bored with surrealism and photo realistic graphics, the next-gen visuals are just too boring already and players are looking for something to enjoy while laying back in their seats in peace enjoying the graphics they enjoyed during their childhood.

While the world is busy trying to enhance the graphics in every single aspect, Indie developers are just resorting back to that 80s aesthetic to please players all around the world and it’s just actually working so well in truth.