Malo and Leray,
This is Victoria from Tech Point.
Today I will tell you the following:
- African ICT leaders call for tax cuts on digital devices
- Ghana cracks down on 38 cyberbullying lending apps
- Content creators in Nigeria and Ghana can now earn money with Meta
African ICT leaders call for tax cuts on digital devices
Speaking at the LEAP Summit in Shanghai, China, African communications and ICT leaders called on governments across the continent to reduce the cost of digital equipment to narrow the digital divide and increase efficiency in various sectors.
The summit, which took place as part of the Mobile World Congress from June 24-28, brought together key players to discuss digital advancements.
John Moe, secretary-general of the African Telecommunications Union, called on tech companies to partner with governments to set up manufacturing plants in Africa.
He stressed that affordability is a major issue, especially in rural areas where digital literacy is low. He stressed that reducing taxes on digital devices and services would help close the access gap.
Moe also stressed the need to help young people use digital tools to thrive, noting that the average age of young people in Africa is 19 years old, creating huge potential for digital growth. He called for collaboration between governments and technology companies to unlock this potential.
Uganda’s Deputy ICT Minister Sophia Nantongo echoed Mo’s sentiments, calling for lower taxes so young people can buy digital devices. She noted that more than 90 percent of digital devices in Uganda are imported, heavily taxed and difficult to obtain. Nantongo also called on tech companies such as Huawei to set up manufacturing plants in Uganda.
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Zimbabwe’s ICT Minister Tatenda Mabetera urged young people to embrace ICT for future opportunities, while Kenya’s Education Secretary Dr Beatrice Muganda called on global tech companies to make African universities their training bases to produce more skilled graduates.
Ghana cracks down on 38 cyberbullying lending apps
The Ghana Cyber Security Agency (GCA) has identified 38 digital lending mobile apps that are involved in cyberbullying.
In 2024 alone, there were 130 reports of users being bullied through these apps, suggesting a sharp increase in such cases.
These apps contravened the Banking and Depository Institutions Act 2016 (ACT 930) and did not meet the Data Protection Commission’s (DPC) compliance standards, leading to the misuse of users’ data and personal information.
The GCA explained that when users install these apps, they often allow access to their data, including personally identifiable information (PII) such as contacts, photos and Ghanaian identity cards.
Amazingly, the money is deposited in the user’s mobile wallet without the user even applying for a loan. After a week, the app operators start extorting the victim to repay the high-interest loan by threatening to share their nude photos, real or fake, on social media and by calling the victim a thief or criminal.
Even after victims repay the amount demanded, the scammers continue to demand more money. The GCA stressed that using these apps is at your own risk and warned people to avoid them.
Additionally, in January 2023, the GCA also published a list of digital lenders involved in cyberbullying. This situation highlights the ongoing efforts to regulate abusive behavior by fraudulent digital lending apps and protect users.
Content creators in Nigeria and Ghana can now earn money with Meta
Content creators in Nigeria and Ghana can now earn revenue through advertising on Meta platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
The change, announced by Meta on June 27, previously meant that creators with addresses in Nigeria and Ghana were blocked from monetizing on Facebook unless their pages were managed from those countries.
According to NapoleonCat, there are more than 50 million Facebook users in Nigeria and more than 10 million in Ghana as of May 2024. Currently, creators in both countries can earn revenue through in-stream and live ads.
Meta automatically places ads at natural breaks in videos or allows creators to choose their placement, with revenue based on advertiser and the number of views the video receives.
In-stream ads include pre-roll ads (before the video), mid-roll ads (which appear during the video) and image ads (static ads that appear below the video). After-roll ads may play after the video content. Other monetization options include reel ads, bonuses and subscriptions.
Ghana began taxing content creators and influencers who earn income on platforms such as YouTube, X and TikTok, as well as remote workers on Fiverr and Upwork, in April 2024. With this new development, creators who earn income on the Meta platform may also be taxed.
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Have a great Thursday!
Victoria Fakiya of Techpoint Africa.