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

Talks are in progress to overhaul South Africa’s Covid-19 loan guarantee scheme, which aims to support small firms, but has struggled with low take-up.

This, as the International Publishers Association (IPA) has opened a call for project proposals to address the damaging impacts of Covid-19 on education in Africa, with grants from the $200 000 Africa Publishing Innovation Fund (APIF) available to the best ideas.

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.

The IPA has opened a call for proposals to address the effect of Covid-19 on education in Africa with grants from a $200k fund

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:

Moves to revise guarantee scheme: While SA banks have approved R7-billion in loans to support small firms under the Covid-19 loan guarantee scheme, talks are in progress to overhaul the scheme, which has struggled with low take-up, Business Day said in an article yesterday, quoting Banking Association SA managing director Bongiwe Kunene.

Medical supplies portal launched: President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday (17 June) launched an AU online portal to help African states to procure medical supplies needed to battle the coronavirus pandemic on the continent, the government’s news agency SAnews reported in an article. Payments on the Africa Medical Supplies Platform will be handled by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) while logistics partners, including SAA, will take care of delivery.

Call opens for $200k education fund: The International Publishers Association (IPA) has opened a call for project proposals to address the damaging impacts of Covid-19 on education in Africa, with grants from the $200 000 Africa Publishing Innovation Fund (APIF) available to the best ideas. Africa-based innovators can pitch their ideas via the APIF website, at www.apinnovation.fund, after which the APIF will provide a detailed application form to be filled and returned to info@apinnovation.fund. The winners will be selected by the IPA Africa Publishing Innovation Committee, comprising senior publishing leaders under the leadership of IPA vice-president Bodour Al Qasimi.

Read more: Covid-19 and African tech startups roundup [18/06/2020]
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: IPA vice-president Bodour Al Qasimi (Twitter)