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SARAFU Showcased Innovative Business to Business (B2B) Marketplace and Financial Solutions at GITEX Africa 2024

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2 years ago

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SARAFU

With a focus on inclusivity and accessibility, Sarafu’s products are designed to empower individuals and businesses across the continent, fostering economic growth and stability

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, June 6, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Sarafu, a leading B2B e-commerce and payments company, recently participated in GITEX AFRICA 2024 (https://GITEXAfrica.com), which took place from May 29-31 in Marrakech, Morocco. This premier technology event served as a platform for Sarafu to unveil its latest innovations in financial solutions and connect with industry leaders from around the globe.

Download document: https://apo-opa.co/3Rkg6F9

In addition to its successful showcase at GITEX AFRICA, Sarafu is proud to announce its acceptance into the second cohort of the Visa Fintech Accelerator program in Africa. This prestigious program aims to support and accelerate the growth of innovative fintech companies across the continent, providing Sarafu with invaluable resources and mentorship to further its mission of expanding digital commerce in East Africa.

GITEX AFRICA, known for bringing together the best in technology and innovation, provided an ideal venue for Sarafu to demonstrate its commitment to revolutionizing financial services in Africa. With a focus on inclusivity and accessibility, Sarafu’s products are designed to empower individuals and businesses across the continent, fostering economic growth and stability.

Our acceptance into the Visa Fintech Accelerator is, in part, a validation of our approach to building B2B marketplaces in Africa

“We were thrilled to be part of GITEX AFRICA 2024 and are honored to join the Visa Fintech Accelerator program,” said Firas Ahmad, Group CEO of Sarafu. “These opportunities represent significant milestones for us, allowing us to showcase our cutting-edge financial solutions, engage with key stakeholders, and receive critical support from industry leaders like Visa. Our acceptance into the Visa Fintech Accelerator is, in part, a validation of our approach to building B2B marketplaces in Africa, an area where a number of other players have faced challenges of late.”

During the event, Sarafu presented its unique approach to digitalizing commerce including:

Integrated Payments and E-Commerce: In order to fully digitize the marketplace in Tanzania, Sarafu built both the commerce and payments engines together, a necessary step given fragmentation across the online and digital payments space in the country.

Industry Leading Data: Sarafu’s approach to digitizing the supply chain yields the most accurate and comprehensive data sets on Fast Moving Consumer Goods in the region.

Market Segmentation: Sarafu’s data allows it to effectively segment the market and create value for both manufacturers and retail shops, resulting in industry leading take rates.

Visitors to the Sarafu booth at GITEX AFRICA had the opportunity to learn about the company’s progress, interact with the team, and explore potential collaboration opportunities. Additionally, Sarafu participated in various discussions and networking sessions, contributing to conversations on the future of financial technology in Africa.

For more information about Sarafu’s participation in GITEX AFRICA 2024 and the Visa Fintech Accelerator program, please visit our website at www.Sarafu.com or contact our media relations team at media@sarafu.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.

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Via Licensing Alliance Expands Voice Codec Program with New Licensee, New Licensors, Publishes Comprehensive Pool Rate Structure

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15 minutes ago

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May 22, 2026

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Via Licensing Alliance

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 May 2026 – Via Licensing Alliance (Via) today announced continued momentum for its Voice Codec patent pool, including the addition of a new unnamed licensee and new licensors, NovaVoice Limited and Cordial IP, further growing the program’s patent stack and market penetration from its initial five, large global licensors.

The addition of the new licensee, unnamed at this time, reflects growing industry adoption of the collaborative licensing pathway Via’s Voice Codec program creates for accessing IP rights to critical voice technologies. This addition reflects a growing market uptake of advanced voice technologies, including EVS and IVAS, driven by rising demand as 5G and 5G-Advanced technologies are adopted worldwide.

Additionally, Via continues to prioritize transparency and has published its full rate structure for the Voice Codec pool, providing further clarity and predictability for implementers and to the broader market. For implementers, the full rate structure allows for complete visibility as they consider the appropriate royalty structure to choose from to meet their product level costs, evaluate future growth paths for their product lines, or plan their geographical expansion plan needs. This level of disclosure not only reduces uncertainty in licensing decisions but also enables more consistent benchmarking, reinforcing confidence in fair, market-aligned SEP licensing practices. The program’s royalty rates are listed on Via’s website at https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/voice-codec/#license-fees.

The addition of the new licensors indicates increased interest from patent holders in licensing their voice technology SEPs through highly efficient, aggregated licensing vehicles such as patent pools. Future growth in both the licensor list and the number of patents consolidated through the pool license will continue to enhance the value of the Voice Codec License for implementers. Via’s Voice Codec program licensors are listed here: https://www.via-la.com/licensing-programs/voice-codec/#licensors.

Via’s Voice Codec pool covers Enhanced Voice Services (EVS), which supports voice communications across more than one billion and growing active devices globally, as well as Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS), which will play a central role in next-generation voice and spatial audio applications.

“We are pleased to welcome these new entrants to our pool, which signal continued growth and momentum our Voice Codec program,” said Kevin Mack, President of Via Licensing Alliance. “This pool license offers strong value relative to other market options and represents the only collaborative licensing solution for EVS and IVAS technologies, making it a smart and efficient pathway for companies seeking to license critical voice capabilities.”

EVS remains a foundational technology for high-quality voice communications in 5G and 5G-Advanced networks, with adoption continuing to expand as 5G, 5G-Advanced and future network iterations reach global scale. As spatial audio and advanced voice technologies expand into 6G and a broader range of non-cellular devices, the importance of IVAS technologies is expected to increase, with Via’s pool offering an early and effective licensing pathway.

For more information about the Voice Codec patent pool, including information for prospective licensees, please visit https://www.via-la.com.

About Via Licensing Alliance:
Via Licensing Alliance is the collaborative licensing leader, dedicated to accelerating global technology adoption, fostering participation, and generating return on innovation with balanced licensing solutions for innovators and manufacturers of all sizes around the globe. Via has operated dozens of licensing programs for a variety of technologies. Via is an independently managed company owned by industry-leading participants with over 25 years of intellectual property licensing leadership. For more information about Via, please visit https://www.via-la.com.

 

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Joint statement welcoming the Republic of Togo’s announcement on Visa facilitation for African nationals

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2 hours ago

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May 22, 2026

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Togo

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank commend the Government and people of the Republic of Togo for hosting Biashara Afrika 2026 and for their continued commitment to advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda

LOMÉ, Togo, May 21, 2026/APO Group/ –The AfCFTA Secretariat and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) welcome the announcement by the Government of the Republic of Togo, under the leadership of H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council of the Republic of Togo, regarding measures to facilitate visa-free entry for all nationals of African States holding valid passports, as announced by the Minister of Security on 18 May 2026.

The announcement was made in Lomé on the sidelines of Biashara Afrika 2026, the continent’s premier trade and business platform, which has brought together policymakers, private sector leaders, investors, and stakeholders from across Africa to advance dialogue on intra-African trade, investment, and regional integration.

Throughout the engagements, participants underscored the importance of facilitating the movement of African citizens, entrepreneurs, and investors as an important enabler of intra-African trade and economic cooperation. Against this backdrop, the announcement reflects the growing continental momentum towards strengthening connectivity and deepening African integration.

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank, to which Togo is a State Party and a Member State, envision a continent where goods, services, capital, and people move more freely across borders in support of an integrated African market. Measures that facilitate mobility and connectivity continue to contribute towards advancing the broader mandate of both institutions; the attainment of the aspirations of Agenda 2063.

The AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank commend the Government and people of the Republic of Togo for hosting Biashara Afrika 2026 and for their continued commitment to advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

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Morocco: African Development Bank commits €200 Million to boost employability and develop future skills

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2 hours ago

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May 22, 2026

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Morocco

This results-based financing is designed to strengthen the relevance, quality, and diversity of vocational training through the digitalisation of services, the large-scale rollout of learning systems, and stronger labour market integration mechanisms

RABAT, Morocco, May 21, 2026/APO Group/ –The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved €200 million in financing for the implementation of the “Cap Compétences 2030” programme, aimed at improving employment opportunities for young people and women.

 

This results-based financing is designed to strengthen the relevance, quality, and diversity of vocational training through the digitalisation of services, the large-scale rollout of learning systems, and stronger labour market integration mechanisms.

 

Cap Compétences 2030 is built around three pillars: skills development and strategic partnerships; inclusive training aligned with business needs; and digital transformation, supported by stronger institutional and operational capacity. The programme will also consolidate existing mechanisms while improving both their efficiency and reach.

 

Through the initiative, the African Development Bank seeks to expand access to diversified training opportunities and enhance the professional integration of beneficiaries into the labour market.

Our shared objective is to harness the demographic dividend to support value creation and promote employment, particularly for young people and women

 

Achraf Tarsim, Country Manager of the African Development Bank Group in Morocco, said Cap Compétences 2030 aligns with the priorities of the country’s National Employment Roadmap 2025–2030 and the Bank’s strategic vision under its Four Cardinal Points (https://apo-opa.co/3PDHMHn). “Our shared objective is to harness the demographic dividend to support value creation and promote employment, particularly for young people and women,” he said.

 

The Bank’s intervention is being implemented in close coordination with technical and financial partners to strengthen coherence and complementarity in support of public policy reforms.

 

This programme reflects the Bank’s long-term engagement in Morocco in the areas of human development, employment, and social inclusion. It also builds on a broader portfolio of results-based operations that contribute to structural reforms of the labour market and vocational training system.

 

Since its establishment, the African Development Bank Group has mobilised more than €15 billion across strategic sectors in Morocco, including education, health, employment, infrastructure, energy, and governance.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

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