Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [18/06/2020]

President Cyril Ramaphosa last night announced that level 3 lockdown restrictions would be further eased, allowing hotels, restaurants, cinemas and personal care services such as hairdressers and beauty salons to operate again.

A date when these will be allowed to recommence operations has yet to be announced.

This, while Cape Town edtech startup Reflective Learning, which recently launched version two of its online maths teaching platform and a Software as a service (SaaS) version after netting funding, last week revealed it is in talks with local education departments.

With 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.

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

President Cyril Ramaphosa last night announced that hotels, restaurants, cinemas and personal care services would soon be able to operate again

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

Further easing of lockdown: President Cyril Ramaphosa last night announced in a speech that level 3 lockdown restrictions would be further ease, allowing hotels (except shared accommodation such as Airbnb), restaurants, cinemas and personal care services such as hairdressers and beauty salons to operate again. Ramaphosa said announcements will be made in due course to detail these measures and indicate the date from which these activities will be permitted.

Edtech in talks with departments: Cape Town edtech startup Reflective Learning, which recently launched version two of its online maths teaching platform and a Software as a service (SaaS) version after netting funding, last week revealed it is in talks with local education departments. “We are incredibly well placed to help with Covid-19 — we have offered the Western Cape (education) department 10 000 free licenses that we are in the process of creating a project plan for and are engaging on a variety of smaller scale, well run projects with good leadership pro bona,” said Keelan Whiting (pictured above), co-founder of venture builder Lightswitch. Lightswitch founded the startup in 2017, with Tracey Butchart and Eugene Pelteret. In December it netted investment of over R5-million from Blank Canvas Capital. Whiting said the startup has signed agreements in Botswana and Rwanda is in the process of finding a partner for India.

Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [17/06/2020]
Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [15/06/2020]

Featured image: Keelan Whiting, co-founder of venture builder Lightswitch (LinkedIn)