Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [20/05/2020]

SA ticketing platform Quicket has launched what it claims is South Africa’s ticketed streaming service, and a new fundraising platform.

This, as the Institute of Business Advisors of Southern Africa (Ibasa) has called on corporates and funders to partner with its over 2000 business mentors to assist small businesses in distress.

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

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.

Quicket has launched what it claims is SA’s ticketed streaming service, and a new fundraising platform.

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

Small firms warned of scam: The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) has warned small businesses against fraudulent agencies purporting to be entities of the department, the government’s news agency SAnews reported in an article on Monday. “It has come to the attention of the department that an unknown company is requesting food producers and agro-processors to send through proposal to an e-mail address not known by the department, Small Enterprise Finance Agency SOC Ltd (Sefa) or Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda),” said the department on Monday.

All R250m disbursed: Standard Bank has allocated all R250-million assigned to it by the Oppenheimer’s SA Future Trust (Saft), to the employees of qualifying small businesses after six weeks of administering the fund, The Times reported in an article yesterday. The bank said the funds went to more than 3500 small businesses and 22 000 employees.

Ibasa seeks partnerships: The Institute of Business Advisors of Southern Africa (Ibasa) has called on corporates with enterprise and supplier development (ESD) and corporate social investment (CSI) programmes, as well as public and private funding agencies, to partner with it to support businesses that are experiencing distress. Ibasa, is a 20-year-old professional membership organisation that comprises of 2008 local and international business advisors, with national representation.

‘A first for SA streaming’: SA ticketing platform Quicket has launched what it claims is South Africa’s ticketed streaming service, and a new fundraising platform. The streaming and fundraising services will help SA artists during the country’s lockdown to earn a living through online streaming. Quicket CEO and co-founder James Tagg  (pictured above) said his platform has so far hosted wine farms running successful wine drives, performers doing sell-out livestreams, cottage industry webinars, and fundraising for feeding hungry people. “Necessity and a healthy dash of lockdown are the parents of invention,” says Tagg.

Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [19/04/2020]
Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [18/04/2020]

Featured image: Quicket CEO and co-founder James Tagg (Supplied)