Day: November 23, 2022

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Multimillion-dollar boost for small business as more African countries join MultiChoice Africa Accelerator Programme

Johannesburg, Nov. 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — November 2022 – Following the success of the MultiChoice Africa Accelerator Programme, which secured $16 million (USD) of funding for six emerging businesses last year, the programme has been expanded to eight more countries across Africa.

Many more small businesses in Africa’s technology sector now have the chance to benefit from the 2023 programme, which provides the skills and opportunities needed to attract transformative business funding.

“We’re really excited to be expanding the MultiChoice Africa Accelerator Programme to more African countries,” said Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO, announcing the launch. “It’s part of our long-term commitment to growing and multiplying Africa’s technology potential, which is critical to our future growth.”

The MultiChoice Africa Accelerator Programme, which kicked off during Global Entrepreneurship Week,  is aimed at established start-ups and small enterprises in specific technology sectors – healthtech, agritech, fintech, edutech, the circular economy and the creative industries.

“There is such incredible business talent across Africa,” said Mawela. “MultiChoice Africa Accelerator is an opportunity for investors and small enterprise to collaborate to multiply the impact of this talent and scale it across Africa.”

Having started in South Africa in 2021, the MultiChoice Africa Accelerator is expanding to Ivory Coast, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Angola and Ethiopia. The initiative equips emerging entrepreneurs to secure funding and scale up their businesses, and also provides opportunities to pitch to international investors.

African Development Bank President Dr Akinwumi Adesina has previously noted that, “the private sector is Africa’s growth accelerator”, and several African nations have backed small-business development as part of their economic strategy. The MultiChoice Africa Accelerator dovetails with these development objectives.

The MultiChoice Africa Accelerator Programme is an initiative of the MultiChoice Innovation Fund, in collaboration with Dubai-based business incubator Companies Creating Change (C3), which gives entrepreneurs access to the tools, skills and financial support to grow their business. MultiChoice has also partnered with EOH, a tech services company who will bring their expertise to the table especially in terms of tech advisory, development sprint and technical support.

The first phase of the MultiChoice Africa Accelerator Programme sees public and private-sector partners in each country nominating businesses or entrepreneurs for the programme. From there, 29 of the start-ups embark on an intensive virtual training course. The initiative is aimed at established businesses that are already operating and looking to scale up by attracting further investment.

“Start-up founders get to learn everything from how to properly research your business sector and your market, to how to create a niche for your business,” says Boitumelo Monageng, of Swypa, one of last year’s finalists. “During the workshops we were encouraged to dig deeper and I realised that we have the potential to compete on a much larger scale.”

The virtual training course takes place over several weeks, teaching start-up owners media skills, how best to market their businesses to investors, how to create attractive business plans, and to know what investors are looking for.

Later, the entrepreneurs will come together at a finals event, where 11 start-ups will be selected for the final pitch phase. They will attend a dedicated C3 boot camp to learn how to shape their story for international investors, and to get “pitch ready” before their big presentations.

“We believe SMEs in the technology, sustainability and creative sectors will be fundamental to the next phase of Africa’s growth,” says Mawela. “The MultiChoice Africa Accelerator is geared to finding the most promising start-ups, and empowering them to play this critical role.”

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Elizabeth Ferreira
MultiChoice Group Ltd
0834825241
fourie_elizabeth@yahoo.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8702451

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OKX users can now verify that their assets are backed 1:1

OKX Proof of Reserves Page

OKX has launched a Proof of Reserves web page

  • OKX is rolling out both a Proof of Reserves page on its website that shows its latest reserve ratios and a Self-audit tool that allows users to verify that their assets are backed 1:1
  • The exchange is also launching an Independent Custodial Wallet that allows institutional clients to secure their assets separately from its reserves and hold the keys to their funds

VICTORIA, Seychelles, Nov. 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OKX, the world’s second-largest crypto exchange by trading volume, has launched three new leading offerings that are granting its retail and institutional users greater visibility into their assets, and what is backing them, as well as greater control over their funds.

OKX today launched the new Proof of Reserves (PoR) page on its website. OKX has always maintained 1:1 reserves, and this page demonstrates that fact and explains why PoR is important. In addition to providing information on how proof of reserves works, the page provides instructions including how users can verify that their assets have become a “Merkle leaf” in the Merkle tree data structure. The page also provides information on OKX’s PoR audits and its latest reserve ratios across tokens.

To take transparency and user empowerment even further, OKX will this week be launching a self-audit feature that allows users to verify that their funds are backed by reserves based on data provided by the most recent snapshot. Currently, the self-audit feature supports Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether (USDT), with more assets set to be added over time. OKX will conduct regular proof of reserves audits to update its reserve balances and the status of user assets within its reserves.

OKX is also set to become the first exchange to launch an Independent Custodial Wallet service for institutional and high-net worth clients1. In the coming weeks the company will roll out an independent custodial wallet that will allow users to secure their assets separately from its reserves, view and track their wallet balances in real-time, and hold the private keys to their funds. This will give users greater visibility and control over their assets.

Lennix Lai, Director of Financial Markets, OKX, said: “Our new proof of reserves page and self-audit feature give users the ability to verify that their assets are 100% backed. Third-party audits are also being conducted to provide additional reassurance on top of this. We believe that a far greater degree of transparency needs to be brought to our industry to allow us to build back stronger after recent events.”

OKX’s number one priority is to ensure that the funds of its 20+ million customers worldwide are safe and secure at all times. It has always maintained 1:1 reserves and prides itself on its long-standing reputation for best-in-class security.

For further information, please contact:
Media@okx.com

About OKX
OKX is the second biggest global crypto exchange by trading volume and a leading web3 ecosystem. Trusted by more than 20 million global customers, OKX is known for being the fastest and most reliable crypto trading app for investors and professional traders everywhere.

As a top partner of English Premier League champions Manchester City F.C., McLaren Formula 1, golfer Ian Poulter, Olympian Scotty James, and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, OKX aims to supercharge the fan experience with new financial and engagement opportunities. OKX is also the top partner of the Tribeca Festival as part of an initiative to bring more creators into web3.

Beyond OKX’s exchange, the OKX Wallet is the platform’s latest offering for people looking to explore the world of NFTs and the metaverse while trading GameFi and DeFi tokens.

To learn more about OKX, download our app or visit: okx.com

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1 Eligibility criteria apply

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7963fd20-7a8e-4558-a6ea-483b8c0c5bfc

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8702631

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LambdaTest launches support for Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 phones on its continuous testing platform on the cloud

Users can now seamlessly run real-time and automation testing of the newly-launched series on real devices or emulators

San Francisco, Nov. 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LambdaTest, the leading continuous quality testing cloud platform, has launched support for testing on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 phones. Users, through real devices or emulators, can run real-time and automation testing on the latest series and ensure that they cover all bases and provide the best customer experience.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 phones are among the latest phones out of the Samsung stable. Their unique design has already captured the minds of tech-savvy users, however, for digital enterprises, testing on these phones isn’t as straightforward as compared to the other phones.

“The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 phones have become very popular among digital-savvy customers. However, for digital businesses, testing on these devices throws up unique challenges due to their design. One needs to think from a customer’s perspective and test a variety of new scenarios depending on the use case,” said Mayank Bhola, cofounder and head of product, LambdaTest. “We, at LambdaTest, are deeply committed to ensuring that we have the latest offerings— be it a new phone, OS, or browser version—ready for our customers to test on as soon as possible.”

LambdaTest has also recently launched HyperExecute, a next-gen smart test execution and orchestration platform that helps testers and developers run end-to-end automation tests at the fastest speed possible.

To know more, visit: https://www.lambdatest.com/test-on-galaxy-z-fold-4

About LambdaTest

LambdaTest is a continuous quality testing cloud platform that helps developers and testers ship code faster. Over 10,000+ customers and 1+ million users across 130+ countries rely on LambdaTest for their testing needs.

LambdaTest platform provides secure, scalable, and insightful test orchestration for customers at different points in their DevOps (CI/CD) lifecycle:-

● Browser & App Testing Cloud allows users to run both manual and automated tests of web and mobile apps across 3000+ different browsers, real devices, and operating system environments.

● HyperExecute helps customers run and orchestrate test grids in the cloud for any framework and programming language at blazing-fast speeds to cut down on quality test time, helping developers build software faster.

For more information, please visit, https://lambdatest.com


For further information please contact the LambdaTest press office: Bilal Mahmood on press@lambdatest.com or +44 (0) 20 3640 7759 and +44 (0) 771 400 7257.

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8702453

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PLN spent Rp200 trillion on local components in 2022

State-owned electricity firm (PLN) spent nearly Rp200 trillion out of the total budget of Rp300 trillion on local products so far this year, PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo stated.

“Our spending reaches Rp300 trillion per year out of which Rp200 trillion is spent on the domestic industry,” he noted while opening PLN Locomation 2022 at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) on Wednesday.

Prasodjo remarked that as over four million workers were involved in the ecosystem, its impact is huge.

He ensured local entrepreneurs, including suppliers of components to PLN present at the event, that recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic had begun, with demand continuing to increase.

“(During the pandemic) the suppliers of components to PLN might see their orders declining. Bismillah (in the name of Allah) Insya Allah (God Willing), the demand has begun to increase. Moreover, the increase in demand is beyond our expectation,” he remarked.

PLN once faced a challenge when some of its components had not been produced domestically, and it had to import them. However, PLN always urged the government to facilitate the construction of factories producing the components.

With the operation of the factories, PLN will replace its imported components with local components, he remarked.

In addition, PLN will raise the passing grade of domestic components as part of the efforts to increase its local content rate (TKDN), he stated.

“We are looking forward to building a conducive ecosystem to collaborate and innovate,” he remarked.

PLN’s TKDN had reached 48.8 percent as of September 30, 2022, surpassing its target of 42 percent for this year, he pointed out.

 

Source: Antara News

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Achieving herd immunity goal of FMD handling: task force

Achieving herd immunity is the ultimate goal of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) handling in Indonesia, according to the FMD Handling Task Force’s expert team coordinator, Wiku Adisasmito.

“In principle, FMD handling is similar to COVID-19 handling as we seek to achieve herd immunity,” he said on the sidelines of a national coordinating meeting on FMD here on Wednesday.

Herd immunity can be achieved through high FMD vaccination coverage among vulnerable animals, he said, adding that the higher the vaccination rate, the lower will be the infection rate.

At least 6.6 million animals considered vulnerable to the disease have received the vaccine, however, efforts must continue to be made to expedite vaccination coverage, he said.

“Yet some regions, such as Bali, which hosted the G20 Summit, have recorded above 85 percent coverage,” Adisasmito noted.

The large number of imported vaccines and discrepancy in vaccine supply and demand have been some challenges to efforts to bolster vaccination coverage, he pointed out.

“(Vaccines were imported) from many countries, yet we could not fulfill the vaccine demand swiftly. Moreover, we needed time to procure the vaccines,” he said.

The expert team coordinator also underlined that FMD vaccine administration is more complicated compared to the COVID-19 vaccine as animal health officers have to visit each animal that needs to be inoculated.

Of the 29 million FMD vaccines that have been imported, around 10 million have arrived in Indonesia and have been distributed to regions, Adisasmito informed.

A domestic FMD vaccine is currently under development and production at the Agriculture Ministry’s Centre for Pharma Veterinary, he added.

“It ought to be distributed and used soon because the existing vaccine stocks — the imported ones — must also be used,” he said.

 

Source: Antara News

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Beware of impact of 94S tropical cyclone seeds: BMKG

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) urged the public to be vigilant of the impact of the 94S tropical cyclone seeds observed in the Indian Ocean, south of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

“Stay alert in the affected areas,” BMKG Deputy for Meteorology Guswanto confirmed here on Wednesday.

Guswanto noted that the seeds of tropical cyclone 94S were still being observed in the Indian Ocean in the southern part of NTB, around 12.1 degrees south latitude and 115.6 degrees east longitude.

He explained that seeds of the tropical cyclone 94S had a maximum wind speed of 20 knots and minimum air pressure of 1,005 millibars (mb), moving southeastward, away from the Indonesian territory.

“The potential for tropical cyclone 94S is estimated to grow into a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours, with a low category,” he remarked.

Guswanto said the areas affected by the 94S tropical cyclone seeds were expected to experience moderate to heavy rains, with several impacted regions, including Bali, NTB, and East Nusa Tenggara.

Another impact of the cyclone seeds is sea waves reaching up to four meters in height.

High waves of around 1.5-2.5 meters can potentially arise in the Sawu Sea, the southern part of the Sape Strait, southern waters of Sumba Island, and southern Indian Ocean of East Nusa Tenggara.

Higher waves of 2.5-4 meters are also likely to occur in the southern waters of Java Island to Sumbawa Island, southern Bali Strait, southern Lombok Strait, southern Alas Strait, and southern Indian Ocean of Banten to NTB.

 

Source: Antara News

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W Java: Aftershock causes Cisarua village road to slump again

A 3.9-magnitude aftershock that struck Cianjur, West Java, on Wednesday afternoon caused the freshly repaired main road of Cisarua, Sarampad village, Cugenang sub-district, to subside again.

Based on ANTARA’s monitoring at the scene, the main access road to the village, which had subsided following Monday’s earthquake, collapsed again due to heavy rain and the aftershock, which lasted three seconds.

Following the main earthquake, the road had become uneven and tended to slope. To repair it, the damaged asphalt had to be broken using an excavator.

However, the freshly repaired road slumped again following the aftershock on Wednesday and became too steep to walk on. The soil also became very soggy due to heavy rain.

When an ANTARA reporter asked for assistance, nearby residents said that they were too afraid to cross the damaged road.

The aftershock also left Cisarua village residents very emotional and shocked as they were forced to vacate their homes. Some of the homes looked damaged to the point of collapsing.

Further, at least three people suffered minor injuries after being struck by building materials and had to be taken to the evacuation post to receive medical assistance from volunteers.

Meanwhile, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) informed that the 3.9-magnitude aftershock, which occurred at 11:41 a.m. local time on Wednesday, occurred underground at a depth of one kilometer and was located eight km northwest of Cianjur, West Java.

The aftershock was also felt in the Cianjur Regional Hospital area. However, patients undergoing treatment there did not panic.

“I felt it, but the patients are safe because we are placing them outside the building,” one of the hospital security staff, Herman, informed.

Light rainfall was observed in the Cianjur area since 11:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

 

Source: Antara News

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Cianjur quake: BMKG, PUPR clear landslide debris to prevent floods

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) is working with the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry to remove landslide debris caused by the earthquake in Cianjur district to prevent flash floods.

“Landslide materials, such as soil, rocks, trees, gravel, and others, must be cleaned; thus, they will not get carried away by (rain) water and cause flash floods. We are coordinating with the PUPR Ministry,” BMKG Head Dwikorita Karnawati informed in a statement received on Wednesday.

Currently, the rainfall rate is increasing as the peak of the rainy season is drawing near, she noted adding that the peak is estimated to occur between December 2022 and January 2023.

She recalled that earlier, flash floods had occurred following quakes in rattled Palu city, Central Sulawesi province, as well as West Pasaman district, West Sumatra province.

“Thus, we have to stay vigilant for the possibility of the following disasters after the Cianjur earthquake,” the BMKG head added.

Furthermore, the intensity of the aftershocks of the 5.6-magnitude earthquake, which rattled Cianjur district, West Java province, on Monday (November 21, 2022), will keep decreasing in the next four days starting Tuesday (November 22), she informed.

As of 8 a.m. Western Indonesia Standard Time (WIB) on Wednesday, the BMKG had recorded a total of 162 aftershocks, with the largest measuring 4.2 and the smallest 1.2 in magnitude.

“Most of the aftershocks were not sensed (by residents), but were recorded by tools (seismographs) — still there are some (shocks) which could be felt (by the community),” Karnawati said.

She appealed to people staying in refugee camps or their homes to remain calm and not believe any information whose source is unclear since it would only add to their anxiety.

“Ensure that you only get the official information from BMKG through our official communication channels. God willing, the condition in Cianjur district will be more stable now,” she added.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said that as of 5 p.m. WIB on Tuesday, 58,362 people had taken refuge due to the disaster.

 

Source: Antara News

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