This highly anticipated event will showcase a range of AI-driven products, including the flagship smartphone PHANTOM V Fold2 5G, the CAMON 30S, SPARK 30 Series, and the MEGABOOK T16 laptops, together with other cutting-edge devices.

Each of the anticipated devices is crafted to deliver exceptional performance, intuitive AI features, and sleek designs to potentially match the market demands.

At the heart of the launch is TECNO’s commitment to providing more connected, personalized experiences for African consumers. The ecosystem goes beyond smartphones, offering a complete suite of devices that leverage AI to enhance productivity, creativity, and connectivity. From real-time language translation to AI-powered photography, TECNO’s new offerings are designed to meet the unique needs of Africa’s diverse market.

EDITOR’s NOTE: Part of this story is from an official press release shared with the Tech Point Magazine team.

Well, if you’re one of the customers considering the best DSTV alternatives in Uganda, you should note that you will not get any service better than DSTV if you’re a fan of local and entertainment content. But if you are a core Sports fan supporting one of the English clubs, then, we have the best DSTV alternatives listed for you in this article.

You will get access to a wide range of sports content and exotic entertainment content equal or better than that served by DSTV. However, you will not get Supersport commentary since it’s a Multichoice proprietary channel, just like how you can’t watch local TV Channels unless you choose a shift to Free to air channels.

The best DSTV Alternatives in Uganda

In Uganda, there are only two best DSTV alternatives you will get, these include the option to buy a BEIN sports decoder, or a Forever free sports decoder as explained below.

1. BEIN Sports Decoders

BEIN Sports is a global network of sports channels operated by the Qatar-based media group beIN. It offers monthly packages available to customers in the countries it operates, but in Uganda, the best you can get is an Annual package which costs between $200 to $279 depending on your dealer.

In Uganda, if you have seen one of those large C-band satellite dish receivers in a neighbor’s compound, chances are high they are using a Bein Decorder and watching all sports action in 4K or 1080p Full HD.

To get a Bein Decorder in Uganda, you have to find a dealer who has to sell you a decoder at UGX 350,000 and an annual subscription package which may cost you $200 or more depending on their charge as below.

You can find a Bein decoder dealer in Uganda by making a search on Jiji which is the best marketplace to find any satellite TV dealer. Please note, some are scammers who may want to leverage the DSTV prices chance, so, make your research on the Jiji Seller’s profile before giving them a call.

It’s important to note that Bein often blocks accounts outside the countries it operates to avoid legal battles, but if your installer is good enough, they have techniques of making secure installations that will never get blocked.

In summary, avoid middlemen at all costs because you will need direct communication with the installer/seller anytime you get challenges with your decoder. When searching for a seller on Jiji, strive to get the final installer.

2. Forever Free Sports

Starsat is a popular decoder used in Uganda, but they are quite many other brands that work like it, all these fall in the category of Forever Free sports decoders. With these, you will never pay a coin to watch all available soccer matches for a full year. Yes, 0/= per month to watch Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, and on a good day, Champions League matches.

It’s important to note that before you buy any of the Forever free sports decoders in Uganda, make sure you have a WiFi connection in your home. This is because a connection to the Forever servers is required for your decoder to work at all times. If you don’t have a WiFi connection, simply create a hotspot on your smartphone and connect the decoder via WiFi.

By pricing, you will spend less on acquiring yourself a Forever free sports decoder and installation to your home. On average, you will spend a maximum of UGX 300,000 on installation, first-year activation, and a new dish since your current DSTV dish may not be compatible as below.

Please note that these prices will vary depending on your dealer. Just like Bein, Jiji is the only place you will get trusted forever plan dealers and installers. As usual, please be careful when choosing your dealer since some may be middlemen searching for commission.

Conclusion

As described in this article, Bein, and forever free sports decoders are the best DSTV alternatives in Uganda. Much as there are other options available on the market, we have not tried them, and can’t confirm whether they’re genuine offers.

The alternatives provided in this article, we have tried all of them and they are reliable to use in our experience. So, these are the best DSTV alternatives you will get. Much as they don’t have official licensing with UCC, they have International PayTV decoders orbiting Uganda giving you access to better options in case you want to give DSTV a break.

In conclusion, get ready to install a second dish at your home if you choose any of the DSTV alternatives mentioned in this article. This is because the DSTV dish is only compatible to Multichoice bands, and depending on your installer, it may not work. If you find this article useful, please share your comment in the section below.

EDITOR’s NOTE: Please Note that we recommend DSTV since its a licensed PayTV provider in Uganda. If you choose to subscribe to any of the alternatives, customer care support relies on the communication between You and your installer. Also, to watch local channels, subscribe to DSTV for at least the Lumba package to keep your decoder active.

Over the years, Google has ruled the search engine waves, but with the new Bing AI chat powered by ChatGPT, Microsoft leveraged the power of OpenAI’s tools to get ahead faster. Once you join the new Bing Ai Chat waitlist, it’s when you can taste the power of what Bing is now offering.

Singe Bing AI chat is still work in progress, and the Microsoft team continues to train the AI chat mode to best answer all user prompts, the wait list is everyone’s stop area. And so, here is how you can join the Bing AI Chat waitlist to get a taste of the service before most people actually do.

1. Using the Microsoft Edge browser, visit Bing.com.
2. Click Chat on the top main menu.
3. You’re redirected to the Bing AI search results, but a new pop up dialog box will show up.
4. Click Join the waiting list.
5. Sign in to your Microsoft Account to link it with Bing.com.
6. Once signed in, you are added to the Bing Ai Chat waitlist.
7. In the new prompt, click Access the new Bing faster.
8. A new tab opens, click Set Microsoft defaults on your PC to download a simple tool and set Microsoft Edge as your default web browser.
9. On your smartphone, open the QR code scanner and scan the displayed QR code to download and install the Microsoft Bing Application.
10. Once installed, sign in with the same Microsoft account on your phone.
11. DONE: wait for 24-48 hours and re-access the bing.com chat page, your waitlist position should have improved, and have access to the Bing AI Chat mode.

You have successfully joined the Bing AI Chat waitlist and improved your position on the waitlist. After setting the Microsoft defaults for your account and integrating the mobile app, you should be able to access Bing Chat faster than most people. If the process takes a little more time, hang tight as the service is on high demand at the moment.

Unlike MTN Uganda, Airtel 5G is not just a demo, the telco has announced that its network edge is now in standby mode as it awaits spectrum and channel assignment from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

During the announcement made at the Clement Hill based Airtel Uganda head offices, Mr. Manoj Murai, the telco’s managing director noted that over 11 network towers have been successfully tested with 5G technology in Uganda.

Last year, Airtel Uganda embarked on a mission of increasing its network coverage across the country with the construction of multiple intermediate network towers. By design, the new towers follow an ever-green design where a single pole is mounted with sector antennas on top with tree-like branches.

If the installation of multiple network towers across Uganda was to prepare for a switch to Airtel 5G, we can’t confirm, but highly suspect that 5G is the plan behind the Intermediate towers installed to improve customer signal reception with more sectorial antenna authority in an area.

Progress on Airtel 5G in Uganda: a PR bluff or fact to believe?

Due to the fact that Airtel 5G is a fresh announcement with no proof of usage showcased by Airtel Uganda, we can’t confirm that the telco has truly tested the technology as they say. As a point to note, MTN Uganda run a public 5G trial which we gladly witnessed at the telco’s Nyonyi Gardens offices in 2019.

For Airtel 5G, we did not receive an invitation to attend the launch ceremony, but we followed the announcement closely on Twitter. As per Tweets and official communication from the event, the telco didn’t reveal any actual speed tests run on the towers to the press, and so, we can’t confirm whether it’s true the telco run a 5G test across 11 towers in Kampala as they announced.

However, you can’t rule out the company’s official position noting that Airtel 5G is in the pipeline, but since Technology is best announced while in action, nothing can be taken as a fact, but simply a future plan to have the Network band in Uganda.

At the moment, Airtel 4G is the fastest mobile network technology in Uganda beating MTN Uganda to second. For Airtel 5G in Uganda, we can safely call the network technology a PR bluff much as Airtel already has 5G available in other countries such as India.

Our expectations on Airtel 5G in 2023

Airtel 4G offers amazingly super-fast Internet, when bundled with the Home broadband kit, all a customer can think of is super fast downloads and uploads. However, since Airtel 5G is still work in progress, and the announcement was made with no actual speed tests or media tours, in our view, don’t expect the network service in 2023.

In a nutshell, Airtel is 5G ready after conducting tests on 11 towers in Uganda as noted during the telco’s announcement ceremony. When rolled out, we expect the service to tag along special internet bundles since a demo by MTN Uganda showed the telco achieving 800Mbps back in 2019.

By Ugandan standards, current data bundles will deplete in seconds since 5G offers super fast speeds based on MTN’s recent achievement and achievable 5G network speeds offered by Airtel in countries like India.

By the time of writing, thousands of Airtel customers in Uganda still rely on the 3G network for communications, and 4G is only used in towns across the country. So, how about 5G, we can safely call this a PR bluff until an actual public demo is carried out just like the 2019 MTN announcement.

When ChatGPT is at capacity and unavailable, you will find it disturbing, but that should not be the end of giving the tool a Go. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best ways you can access ChatGPT while at capacity as explained below.

1. Continuously Refresh your page

While ChatGPT is at capacity, it works on a first come first serve basis. At any time, someone using ChatGPT will get all they need, and close the tool, so, inorder to get this token of chance, refresh your ChatGPT tab or page multiple times.

However, don’t over refresh since that will look like another bot attack to the service and probably Cloudflare may lock you out with human challenges. So, continuously refesh your page in a normal way, try refreshing the ChatGPT page for a maximum of 2 times per minute. Once someone stops their session, ChatGPT will let you in.

2. Try Again Later

If ChatGPT is at capacity, and you are tired of refreshing your page to improve your position in the queue, then try accessing ChatGPT later, on a good scale after about 30minutes or 1 hour. As users interact with ChatGPT and demand for the service decreases, you may have a better chance of accessing it after giving it a rest.

It’s a good idea to periodically check back to see if ChatGPT is available since positions change, and those that hang-on get the chance to use the service. But, if you’re in a rush and need a quick answer, then, we recommend refreshing your page to improve your position, or simply try again later.

3. Use a Different Device or Browser

If you’re having trouble accessing ChatGPT on your usual device, try using a different device. For example, if you normally access ChatGPT from your smartphone, then, use a different device or browser in your phone to access ChatGPT again.

This is because sometimes, issues with your device can prevent you from accessing ChatGPT even if the service is available, these can include browser cookie, and cache settings. By trying a different device, you can bypass these issues and access ChatGPT if it’s available.

4. Clear Your Browser Cache

If you have been using ChatGPT frequently, your browser cache must be filled with OPEN AI content, and may be, ChatGPT is reading your cache to try giving new users a chance to use the service by leaving you out at the moment.

To clear your cache, go to your browser’s settings, and clear data from atleast 7-days. This will remove any temporary data that may be forcing ChatGPT to leave you out since your device is marked as a regular user, so, new cache data may give you better chances to using ChatGPT while at capacity.

5. Try ChatGPT Premium at $20 per month

ChatGPT is free, absolutely free, atleast at the moment. But OPENAI recently introduced a $20 per month charge for premium subscribers. As a premium user, you can use ChatGPT while at capacity, you get no limitations in any way.

So, if you have tried the rest of the options and they all fail to get you through to ChatGPT while it’s at capacity, simply consider supporting the OPENAI works with a $20 subscription for your account. Each time you access ChatGPT, you will have a green pass with no signs of capacity warnings or funny poems you may not like.

But, with the little popularity of the service, we got an Airtel Xtream Max Unlimited Internet connection to our premises, all thanks to a printed flyer we picked from a service center with an agent’s name on it.

The process was fast as compared to other broadband providers that delay you for weeks, upon calling the agent’s number on the flyer, he simply sent us the paperwork and immediately assigned us to an installer that put up the service in under 24 hours after payment. Isn’t that amazing? Well, it was, a super fast installation with a hustle-free payment process via Airtel Money.

After 3 months of medium to heavy usage mixed in our traffic, our smiles for the Airtel Xtream Max Unlimited Internet trial had turned into pure frustration, as explained in our review of the following sections.

CONNECTION SPEEDS

Upon installation, Airtel Xtream Max Unlimited Internet installers promise you an improved service just in case you don’t appreciate the immediate connection speeds you get. In our experience, we paid for a 30Mbps package, and by the agent’s explanation, the service auto-scales between downloads and uploads whenever 2 or more people are connected to the WiFi network.

During our entire Airtel Xtream Max connection duration, the network averaged 12Mbps as the peak download speed, and 22Mbps as the upload speed. By usability, we tried streaming 720p 24fps footage to Youtube, and our stream software dropped packets at an average of 30.4%.

Well, on downloads, the location of content matters, so, we used two test sites, getintopc.com, and wetransfer.com to download files. On Average, a single 5GB file took us 1 hour and 50 minutes to download from any of the sites.

In summary, the advertised speeds (30Mbps for our package) are not the real connection speeds the Airtel Xtream Max Unlimited Internet connection offers. In our experience, by speeds, this is moderate since other providers instead enforce FUPs when downloading bulk content, at least, its True unlimited Internet advertised with Juicy packages that taste like Lemon.

RELIABILITY

Airtel Xtream Max is delivered via Microwave equipment, to be exact, expect a Cambium Networks dish installed at your premises serving the connection through an indoor router (a Unifi Unicube router in most cases). This means, the connection is subject to interference depending on the devices in your neighborhood.

By our standard, the Airtel Xtream Max unlimited Internet connection is very very reliable as compared to what other companies using the same technology offer. By rating, expect 95% uptime on the service which is a good ranking, you can expect less downtimes when the Internet goes off, when it does, interference can be attributed to the downtime.

BILLING and PAYMENTS

Imagine receiving an Invoice for a service you have not used. That’s what the Airtel Xtream Max Unlimited Internet offers. Imagine a situation where you get a UMEME blackout for 1 month straight due to a vandalized Transformer in your area. That means you will pay for your Xtream Max Internet even when you didn’t use it for that month.

In the current market, all Unlimited Providers in Uganda, at least for those we have tried will only bill you for a service you will use. What this means is, you pay for your monthly service, but get cut off the service once your month expires. You can choose to pay or not pay for another month depending on your experience.

For Airtel Xtream Max Unlimited Internet, you pay one month in advance before you think of using the connection. For example, in February, you are required to pay for March, or your connection is disconnected by 20th February regardless of whether you paid for Feb or No.

To pay, you have to dial a shortcode, and enter the Airtel Cash Office business number, then your assigned account number. This is a lengthy process that can be simplified by a dedicated shortcode or service under Airtel Money‘s pay Bills option. But well, it’s Uganda, a customer can only cry less.

CUSTOMER CARE SUPPORT

if you have had a moment with a moody bank teller in Uganda, consider it less to what you will experience with the Airtel Xtream Max service. In our experience, there was no dedicated hotline to report downtimes or burning issues on. The best customer care you get is from a personal account manager that’s assigned to your account, but mark this, they may never pick your calls.

SInce the Airtel Xtream Max Unlimited Internet service is a product of Airtel Business, we tried reaching the business customer care team, but all we got was a notification that they don’t work on the service, like its a whole different department.

When sending Invoices, the customer care team is very fast and efficient since they send a URA billing notification before the actual Invoice actually lands in your mail box. They request to send customer care queries and complaints to: creditteamuganda@ug.airtel.com, but sent emails never get replied to, even when you tag your assigned account manager, they may never reply back or delay to respond except if they’re sending an Invoice -> which comes first, and fast.

In summary, if you thought you have used a service with no dedicated customer care line, try the Airtel Xtream Max service. You’ll most definitely appreciate the little support you receive from your current provider.

CONCLUSION

Airtel Xtream Max Unlimited Internet is a good product, no doubts, but in Uganda, the unlimited internet landscape is becoming crowded with new providers entering the market, and very soon, Space X’s Starlink Internet service.

Based on the poor speeds you get that don’t compare to the package you pay for, and No direct support hotline to make complaints to in case of service downtimes or misunderstood invoices, Airtel Xtream Max Unlimited Internet is a service you should not think of installing at your home.

On Twitter, we shared our experience, and a Tweep suggested upgrading to the Xtream Plus Business plan which we ignored since a switch to Liquid Telecom was already in effect. But just in case your experience differs from ours, please share with us your views in the comment section below.

Editor’s Note: This Airtel Xtream Max Unlimited Internet Review is from a personal perspective and a real customer (a member of the Tech Point Magazine team) that has used the service.

April 2023 UPDATE: Airtel Xtream Internet is now a prepaid service. Due to customer complaints including the ones listed in this article, Airtel has now made the service a pay per month variant allowing you to only Juice up in a planned way.

More so, your Netflix account can be blocked if you violate any of its new terms by either sharing your account password with someone far away from your physical location or network subnet. All these limits have made the once great streaming platform look like an autocratic streaming solution that dictates what you should do and what you shouldn’t with your own money (subscription plan).

To delete your Netflix account in the quickest way possible, make sure you are logged in from a recognized device, then follow the steps below.

1. Click your Profile icon or image in the top right corner.
2. Select Account from the drop-down list of options.
3. Navigate to the Membership & Billing section.
4. Click Cancel Membership.
5. Select your reason for canceling the membership.
6. Click Cancel Now to delete your Netflix account right away.

To reactivate your Netflix account at a later date in time, simply click the Get started button on the homepage, enter your email address, and make a payment using your credit card. In simple terms, once you delete your Netflix account, to reactivate it, you will sign up like you have never used the service before since all your data gets deleted without recovery.

On the contrary, some users were depended on to provide their password for another colleague to watch for free without any pay, but when trust goes south, the account gets hijacked or stolen in the process leaving the original user with no access to their own account they created.

Now, given the rising popularity of movies, cartoons, and TV show screening across the world, Netflix has chosen a path of limiting password-sharing to a single household. In summary, only members of a family leaving together are able to watch using the same Netflix account.

As a rule, you are required to log in to your Netflix account every 31 days, failure to do so, your Netflix account will be blocked. This is one of the major measures the Netflix password-sharing taskforce is putting into place to ensure that a user does not share their account password with anyone else.

How is Netflix stopping password sharing, and detecting my account activity?

Every device connected to the Internet has a unique mac address and IP Address. In your local network, your WiFi router is responsible to assign IP Addresses to all devices in your home. Now, Netflix is using that IP Address and Device ID (Mac address) information to know who the original account owner is, and the rest of the devices using your Netflix account.

Can I use my Netflix account away from home?

Yes, you can use your Netflix away from home, for example when traveling or out on a short trip. For longer trips, you have to request temporary access codes valid for 7days straight. Failure to access Netflix again from your home network may result into suspension of your account. When changing permanent locations, you have to change the primary location using the Netflix App.

How Netflix knows that you’re sharing your account.

Netflix uses the primary account mechanism to know the original owner, and his household network. Any deviation from the primary owner’s subnet will lead to Netflix blocking your account for good. By this, the primary account has full privileges and any secondary users must be connected to the same network.

How many devices are permitted to use the same Netflix account in the same location?

Depending on your Netflix package, your account may be limited to 1 viewing screen at a time. If you upgrade to a higher plan, your account will have the privilege of connecting 2 to 4 users watching at the same time as listed below.

How does Netflix detect devices in my household location?

Netflix uses background pingbacks to find and identify devices connected to the same local network as you. By default, the pingbacks are sent using the broadcast address 255.255.255.255 on private networks. Each device IP address and device ID is identified, then authorized to use your Netflix account without any action required from you.

How to still share your Netflix account password with Friends

Now that Netflix is embarking on limiting how many users can use the same account, the only way you can still share the same account password with friends and family in distant locations is through creating a joint VPN. Once you have a router-level VPN setup, you will have a single IP Address you and your friends can use.

In summary, Netflix just became harder and harder to use, whichever strategist came up with the idea of blocking user accounts after 31 days of inactivity or suspected to be sharing the account password, just buried Netflix alive. So, if you are looking to do away with Netflix, you can either delete your account or consider some of its alternatives.

Compared to local mobile internet providers like MTN Nigeria, Glo, and others, Starlink offers bullet-fast speeds (by African standards) as compared to what they offer. By the time of writing, one of the first Starlink users in Nigeria has shared a screenshot comparing his Fiber internet provider versus Starlink.

The Fiber Internet provider offers download speeds at 14Mbps versus Starlink at 230Mbps. This means, there is a 150% increase in internet speeds when you switch to Starlink Internet in Nigeria as compared to your current provider.

Get Starlink Internet in Nigeria

1. Visit the Starlink Website.
2. Enter your city in the Service Address and click Order Now.
3. You will receive the Starlink is Available in your area section. Enter your First Name, Last Name, Phone Number, and active Email Address in the respective Contact Information fields.

4. Scroll down to Shipping Address, and click the Edit icon to set it to your exact location in Nigeria.

5. Scroll to Billing Information, enter the name on your VISA or Mastercard you wish to pay with, and Enter the Billing Address, Credit card number, Expiry month/year, CVV, and your National ID Number (NIN).

6. Verify the Total amount that should be deducted from your account credit card. By default, it should be NGN 268,584 (approximately USD 583.24).

7. Click Place order to process your payment and deduct the money from your card.

8. Once your payment is successful, you will receive a confirmation email on when you will receive your Starlink dish and indoor connection equipment. In most cases, expect to receive your equipment in 1 to 2 weeks.

When you receive your Starlink Internet equipment in Nigeria after at most 2 weeks, you will connect right away to the Satellite consolation and use the super fast broadband Internet offered by Space X. For now, as Elon Musk‘s Starlink team continues to negotiate with multiple African governments, the service is projected to spread to more countries like Zambia, South Africa, Uganda, and Kenya in 2024.

Cost of Starlink Internet in Nigeria

Upon delivery and installation of the Space X-owned equipment to your location in Nigeria, you get a 30-day free trial to test the Starlink Internet in Nigeria. After 30 days, you will pay NGN 19,260 per month (approximately USD 41.82) through the Starlink payment portal.

The winning startups use digital tools to offer solutions to small-scale and large-scale farmers alike in the countries they operate. From ThriveAgric calling its breakthrough technology the Agriculture operating system, to DigiCow focusing on Livestock, below is a summary of the winning startups.

• Thrive Agric: is boosting farmer incomes and production with the agriculture operating system.
• DigiCow: uses digital tools to modernize production on small-scale dairy farms
• Brastorne Enterprises: develops digital technology for feature phones necessary for narrowing Africa’s rural digital divide.

According to Adesuwa Ifedi, the senior vice president of Africa programs, Heifer International. At this time when Africa is facing food-related challenges, it is inspiring for young African startup champions to focus on an agriculture-led future providing farmers with innovations they need.

Adding to that, Adesuwa noted that:

“We launched this competition in 2021, challenging African youths to bring us innovations poised to provide the positive disruption our farmers urgently need. ThriveAgric, DigiCow and Brastorne are more than ready to meet the moment,”

Adesuwa Noted

As winners of the 2022 AYuTe Africa Challenge, the startup trio will receive a sizeable monetary investment. This includes a total of USD 1.5 million in grants, along with ongoing support from a team of expert advisers, and accomplished business veterans that will help them translate their funding to working expansion strategies.

The awarding is part of Heifer International’s commitment to support young entrepreneurs developing affordable tech innovations as they work to scale their businesses. By that, it makes new services and technologies available to African farmers that leverage them to overcome long-standing challenges.

Additionally, this attracts a new generation to unlock the huge potential of agriculture on the continent, just like all three of the 2022 winners help African farmers by providing solutions to their everyday challenges.

In-depth solutions offered by the winning startups

Thrive Agric

ThriveAgric addresses a key challenge for small-scale farmers in Africa. The lack of access to finance, technical advice, business skills, and market opportunities affects most farmers across the continent.

To address this, Thrive Agric uses a proprietary Agriculture OS (operating system) to actively support over 500,000 across the 22 Nigerian states with insights that improve their production and profits. With a support team of 2,000 field agents that reach the farmers directly, Thrive Agric strives to increase farmer profitability as the CEO asserted.

“We’ve developed the technologies, strategies and partnerships we believe can build the largest network of productive, profitable farmers Africa has ever seen”

said Uka Eje, Thrive Agric’s co-founder and CEO.

“ThriveAgric’s 500,000 farmers are already producing and earning much more than the average Nigerian farmer. Investors are responding to our potential and this prestigious award from Heifer International will accelerate our plans to expand across the continent.”

Added Uka

DigiCow

DigiCow is helping small-scale African dairy operations increase productivity with technology that provides free access to livestock management experts. The startup links farmers to skilled, qualified veterinarians, artificial insemination providers, and feed supply services, all through their mobile phones.

According to one of the co-founders-Wanja, DigiCow is a solution built out of personal experiences with over 15 years of interaction with small-scale dairy farmers as she said.

“I grew up watching my mom struggle to get our cows to produce enough milk, and I’ve spent 15 years working with small-scale dairy farmers, so I know the challenges farmers face,”

said Peninah Wanja, co-founder of Nairobi-based DigiCow.

“That’s why it’s been so exciting to see 60,000 farmers—many of them women—now using our DigiCow apps to become more profitable and productive. With this new support from Heifer International, I’m confident we can expand our reach to help small-scale dairy farmers across the continent.”

Wanja Added

Brastorne

Brastorne’s apps, such as mAgri, give farmers access to farming information, markets and short-term finance using the capabilities of any feature phone. This is through default services such as SMS and interactive voice technology.

The Brastorne mobile service Mpotsa (“Ask me”) provides rural unconnected mobile users with localized information, and Vuka harnesses USSD technology to allow users on any phone create profiles, add friends, create chat groups, and more.

These two technologies have helped farmers realize a 250% increase in their yields and achieve 85% savings in communication and information access. By recruitment, the Brastorne consists of 100% youth that are employed to run monitor, and support farmers using the two technologies.

“About 80% of Africans cannot afford smartphones or expensive data — but they do have feature phones, and Brastorne is ensuring those phones connect farmers, youth and women to the resources they need”

said Martin Stimela, co-founder and CEO of Brastorne.

“We look forward to working with Heifer International to connect the rural poor with fair access to markets, information and community.”

Added Martin

In summary, ThriveAgric, DigiCow, and Brastorne are a manifestation of Agritech startups in progress. With fresh funding, the trio of startups could soon expand from their home countries, and over services across the continent.