🎬Car-free Day

Good morning. Some under-the-radar news you can use today: Malawi will be commemorating a car-free day today, meaning that citizens are encouraged to leave their cars and motorbikes at home and enjoy walking or cycling in the capital city, Lilongwe.

To our Malawian readers, if you still need another excuse to avoid showing up at the office today, know that we did our very best for you.

— Tayo Davies, Edna Akanni.

TECH
Starlink is resolute when it comes to Africa

Starlink and Safaricom are currently embroiled in the tech equivalent of a polygamous battle and the customers are loving it.

This week, Starlink introduced a cheaper kit and a $30.87 monthly residential plan in Kenya three days after Safaricom increased its fiber internet speeds to compete with the Elon Musk-owned satellite internet service. This comes after it introduced a rental plan, where customers pay a $15 fee monthly to access the service without even owning the kit.

It is causing a stir

Safaricom, Kenya’s biggest internet service provider has put up an honest day’s work (finally) in response to Starlink’s threat:

• On Monday, it doubled its internet speeds for consumers while keeping prices the same

• It has commenced plans to launch an internet satellite service in 2025

And if nothing else works, taking out the competition isn’t a bad idea as there are reports of Safaricom pressuring the Communications Authority of Kenya to block satellite ISPs like Starlink from operating in-country.

Elsewhere, Starlink’s introduction has been met with mixed results. It is riding a wave of momentum in Nigeria, especially after inking a strategic partnership with Nigerian online marketplace, Konga. Botswana, Sudan, and Ghana have all seamlessly transitioned to Starlink’s satellite connectivity.

In South Africa however, an official launch remains a distant dream. The stringent requirement of at least 30% black ownership for any company wanting to operate in the country is touted as the main hurdle.

13: The number of African countries where Starlink has launched officially. —EA.

SHOWER THOUGHTS

SNIPPETS

• Banknotes stuffed in suitcases totaling one billion five hundred million CFAS have been uncovered in Benin and were intended to sponsor a coup against President Talon on September 27th. The major mastermind? Businessman, Olivier Boko…a friend and ally of President Talon. Well…would you look at the world?

• On the big stage. President Faye of Senegal, in his address during UNGA, called out the UN Security Council for its lackluster approach to maintaining stability in the Sahel Region. He was referring to Ukraine’s alleged involvement in recent terrorist attacks in the region.

• More on the call-outs. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi called on the international community to sanction Rwanda for its role in “destabilizing” his country in his address during UNGA. Rwanda is reportedly a sponsor of the M23 rebel group in Congo.

• Rivaling Hollywood. Good news for African filmmakers as Next Narrative Africa launches a $40 million fund to sponsor high-budget movies. Still a bit short of the $178 million spent so far by Netflix on original content production since 2018.

• Something to consider: A boarding school for toddlers. _SOURCE