Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [15/05/2020]

An NGO has launched a labour court application against the Department of Labour over its Ters schemes, saying the scheme is unconstitutional.

This, as a large number of employers are opting to simply cut employees’ salaries, without having trying to claim from the Ters scheme.

Meanwhile, while Beninese entrepreneurs Laurent Faboumy (pictured above) who lives in London, and Melvin Soglo, who lives in Cotonou, have created Avakreate, a simple online design tool that people can use to build visuals in order to spread useful information about coronavirus.

With the coronavirus (Covid-19) headlining news all over the world, Ventureburn has launched a regular daily roundup on the virus and how it is affecting Africa’s tech startup sector.

An NGO has launched a labour court application against the Department of Labour over its Ters schemes, saying the scheme is unconstitutional

Those with any news releases relating to Covid-19 and Africa’s tech startup sector can send these to editor@memeburn.com.

Here then is the latest on the coronavirus and African tech startups:

“Ters schemes unconstitutional”: NGO the Casual Workers Advice Office (CWAO), says the Department of Labour’s Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) is unconstitutional, as it does not provide for employees to apply for the relief themselves if their employers fail to do so, Business Day reported in a story yesterday. The NGO has launched a labour court application, which is expected to be heard on 28 May. This, as The Times reported in an article yesterday that the SA Payroll Association (Sapa) had received complaints from employees who’ve had their salaries cut despite employers not having tried to claim from the Ters scheme.

Call for diagnostics for Covid-19: The SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC), the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), are seeking proposals for the development of local diagnostics and reagents for Covid-19. The submission date is 29 May. For more details visit this page.

Founders’ design tool helps spread message: Beninese entepreneurs Laurent Faboumy (pictured above) who lives in London, and Melvin Soglo, who lives in Cotonou, have created Avakreate, a simple free online design tool that helps users to build visuals in order to spread useful information about the coronavirus. The two claim that they spent no more than $500 to build the tool. Originally the two wanted to build a free online tool to design any sort of visuals. However, when the virus started, they realised that there was a lack of useful visuals to inform people on what to do to stay safe and to prevent the virus from spreading. “Also, we noticed that there was a real lack of diversity in the sort of visuals that people were sharing about the virus. None of them were featuring black icons, so we decided to include a wide range of black and original icons in our tool, that way people could build things that really reflect them.”

Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [14/04/2020]
Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [13/04/2020]
Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [12/04/2020]
Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [11/04/2020]

Featured image: Avakreate co-founder Laurent Faboumy (Facebook)