Day: January 18, 2024

MOGADISHU, Somalia, January 18, 2024/ — A United Nations-contracted cargo plane today crashed while landing on an air-strip in El-Barde in Somalia’s South West State.
The aircraft was transporting humanitarian supplies for the World Food Programme when it veered off the runway. Initial reports indicate there was one fatality and two people injured.
The United Nations in Somalia expresses its condolence to the family and colleagues of the victim, and wishes a speedy recovery for the injured.

The United Nations is working with the contracted airline company and federal and South West State authorities to investigate the incident.

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, January 18, 2024/ — According to a recent Kaspersky survey[1] (www.Kaspersky.co.za), over half of employees surveyed in the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region feel the lack of digital skills when working on computers and other digital equipment. If they had higher digital skills, employees think they would earn 41% more, on average. Specifically, respondents in Egypt said they would earn 53% more money with higher digital skills, in the UAE – 44% more. Respondents in Saudi Arabia indicated their salary would increase by 36% if they had better digital skills, in Turkiye – by 35%, and in South Africa – by 36%.

Employees understand the importance of acquiring new digital skills and honing their existing ones. In the Middle East, Turkiye, Africa region in general, 79% of employees tried to uptake paid or free digital literacy trainings on their own. In Egypt this number stands at 75%, in Saudi Arabia – at 70%, in the UAE – at 91%, in Turkiye – at 81%, and in South Africa at 76%.
The lack of digital skills may not only impede one’s career and deprive them of income, but also produces serious risks for the cybersecurity of the organisation where this person is employed. The ‘human firewall’ is one of the key defenses from cyber incidents. Employees can open a phishing link or download ransomware on a corporate device and it’ll produce financial and reputation losses for the company. This is why workers on any levels — from top managers to interns — should receive proper IT and cybersecurity training.

Brandon Muller, Technical Expert for the MEA region at Kaspersky, commented: “While digital skills today are the linchpin for career advancement, employers should not forget about the synergy between individual upskilling and organisational cybersecurity. When companies invest into IT and cybersecurity trainings for their staff, they not only boost their reputation as employers who care about the prosperity of their employees, but also contribute to increasing the cyber protection of organisational infrastructure. Special solutions, such as Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform, help to effectively achieve both these goals.”
To help your employees to improve their digital skills, Kaspersky experts recommend:

• Conduct regular checkups to understand what digital skills are most needed for business.
• Organise cyber literacy courses and trainings for employees so they could improve their skills – use Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform (https://apo-opa.co/3Hp9vE0), an online learning tool that would help to train employees about relevant topics in cybersecurity.

Make sure employees know about trending cyberthreats like phishing, scam, ransomware attacks and how to recognise and avoid them.

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, January 18, 2024/ — The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) (www.AfDB.org) agreed on Wednesday that the Bank should take a stake of USD 10.50 million in the capital of Seedstars Africa Ventures S.L.P. venture capital fund to enable it to invest in innovative African businesses with strong growth potential.
The Bank agreed to invest USD 7 million from its ordinary resources and USD 3.5 million from the European Union Boost Africa programme. The investment will allow Seedstars Africa Ventures (SAV) to raise funds, expand its presence in Africa and attract other investors.
Seedstars Africa Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund investing in high-growth companies active across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The fund focuses on businesses that have strong potential, are generating income and tackling key challenges in the market. It mainly targets sub-Saharan Africa, especially markets less well covered by traditional investors, and enjoys a particular focus on French-speaking countries such as Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin and Cameroon. However, it also has investments in Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania.

As a venture capital fund of USD 75 million, Seedstars Africa Ventures targets the start-up and launch phases of businesses tackling key constraints in the market. Initial investments are around the EUR 250,000 mark, followed by additional capital injections of €5 million to support their growth.
SAV focuses on financial inclusion and the technologies that equip businesses (fintech and insurtech); retail sales and logistics platforms that target the online and mobile consumers market; health-related technologies; pre-paid, off-grid energy; and more generally, the adoption of technology in businesses, particularly in the food-processing industry and value chains.
It is estimated that the fund will help create 9,000 full-time jobs, 50% of them for women, and have a significant economic impact.
The fund’s objectives are in line with those of Boost Africa, which aims to invest in innovative start-ups that are growing strongly and having a positive social impact. Its investment strategy will strengthen that of the African Development Bank, which links entrepreneurship, investment and economic growth to poverty reduction and sustainable development. It will also contribute to the Bank’s operational priorities – the High 5 – by supporting start-ups operating in key sectors, such as agriculture, health, industrialization and off-grid energy. Finally, the investments will contribute to strengthening regional integration and improving the lives of people in Africa.