An Africa-focused music download service raised $6 million from its IPO to help pay artists
After Martin Nielsen moved to Kenya in 2012 to work with a venture capital firm, he soon noticed an obvious trend: most locals consumed music by downloading tracks illegally. Despite the rise of streaming as the primary mode of music consumption globally, illegal music download sites have remained a major source for most users across […]
Surveys show just how unprepared African countries were for Covid-19 lockdowns
The response of several African countries to the threat of coronavirus outbreaks mirrored most of the measures taken globally: strict lockdowns and movement restrictions. In fact, South Africa’s lockdown came with the deployment of military forces for enforcement as well as a ban on alcohol sales. And in Kenya, restriction measures resulted in incidents of […]
An Africa-focused “micro-forestry” startup has raised $28 million to plant a billion trees
Deforestation in Africa—the rate at which trees are being cut down—is happening at twice the global average rate. The implications of that reality range from increased exposure to climate change risks and hobbling biodiversity and conservation efforts. Komaza, an Africa-focused forestry company, is hoping to slow down those effects by scaling its sustainable “micro-forestry” model […]
