Over the past week, we’ve found 104 stories of how ICT is changing 25+ African nations. Standouts include a new sub-$400 laptop for Ghana, arguments against a proposed VAT bill for Kenya, a continued emphasis on free Wi-Fi for areas of South Africa and how Sudanese are embracing social media during a time of crisis. From a general perspective, stories on using technology to reunite refugee families and Facebook’s goal of making mobile service delivery more efficient proved interesting reads.

Botswana

• ICT uptake represses mail volumes  {Mmegi Online}

Cameroon

• “Ma Pause Digitale” à Douala {AfriqueITNews.com}
• Mandalay Digital and YellowDot Initiate Operations in Africa with MTN Cameroon {WSJ.com}
• Les journées TIC d’Evolving Consulting {TechOfAfrica}

Chad

• Une cyber-attaque contre le Palais rose {TchadPages}

Djibouti

• The Promise of Health Care Innovation in Djibouti {Huff Post}

DR Congo

• USAID and Eastern Congo Initiative Announce Online Database to Support Congolese Organizations {AllAfrica.com}
• Internet for Congo {GlobalFingerprints blog}

East Africa

• EAC adopts ICT policy {The New Times}

Egypt

• Telecom Egypt reports 45% y-o-y increase in net profit in 2Q13 {TeleGeography}
• Egypt loses two of its leading entrepreneurs: A tribute {Wamda.com}

Ethiopia

• Telecoms in Ethiopia: Out of reach {The Economist}

Gambia

• Government warns of massive crackdown on online freedom {MyJoy Online}

Ghana

• ICT Centre Launched At Ejisu {AllAfrica.com}
• YouTube Partner Program Now Allow Individual Ghanaians To Monetize Videos  {Peace FM Online}
• OWASP set to launch in Ghana {BiztechAfrica}
• How about a solar-powered, submersible laptop for $350? {Computerworld}

Kenya

• What Does the Law Say About Cyber-Bullying {AllAfrica.com}
• Laptops Face Risk of Delay {AllAfrica.com}
• What does Kenyan Law say about cyber-bullying {CIO East Africa}
• Where tech meets culture {Mail & Guardian}
• Mobile Phone Manufacturers Joint Statement On The Proposed VAT Bill {Mulika Mwizi}
• Safaricom Rises to Record on Data Demand Jump: Nairobi Mover {Bloomberg}
• Kindles replace textbooks in Kisumu school {Business Daily Africa}
• Kenyan government VAT on ICT will hurt the underprivileged {CFOWorld}
• Bridging Kenya’s Data Divide {Foreign Policy}
• Kenya ICT Board, eGovernment and GITS merged under Kenya ICT Authority {HumanIPO}
• High-end smartphones in Kenya to cost as low as $45 in 2014 {HumanIPO}
• Kenyan government implements digital service delivery in all counties {HumanIPO}
• Kenya ICT sector merger to come with huge benefits for consumers {Standard Media}

Lesotho

• Continental Outdoor Media drive innovation in Lesotho Vodacom billboards offer internet access {Continental Outdoor}

Malawi

• Malawians will be surfing the net thanks to IT firm {Shoreham Herald}

Mauritius

• Mauritius e-Registry Phase 1 operational in 2014 {BiztechAfrica}

Namibia

• Libraries in the Age of the Internet {AllAfrica.com}

Nigeria

• 15-Year-Old Nigerian Develops Social Network {AllAfrica.com}
• 60 Percent of Nigerians Ignorant of Mobile Money – Report {AllAfrica.com}
• Firm to Deploy U.S.$100 Million Fiber Optic Network in Abia {AllAfrica.com}
• Minister Wants Telecoms Companies Listed On Stock Exchange {AllAfrica.com}
• Improvement in broadband key to Nigeria’s Apps market growth {BusinessDay}
• Atiku Abubakar: Social media as a tool for change in governance {DailyPost Nigeria}
• Nigerian e-commerce site Konga reaches Facebook milestone {Bandwidth Blog}
• Nigeria joins the African Virtual University as Member State {BiztechAfrica}
• How a Nigerian Internet Start-up Grew Revenue from $250 to $1 Million in 3 Years {Huff Post}
• Oracle admits late entry into Nigeria, begins aggressive African expansion {HumanIPO}
• Spectranet Launches 4G LTE Wireless Internet Services {ThisDay Live}
• Stakeholders Urge FG to Facilitate NCC, NBC Merger {ThisDay Live}
• An Entrepreneur’s Solution To Nigeria’s Infrastructure Problem {Ventures Africa}
• SPARK Raises $2m For Nigerian Internet Startups {Ventures Africa}

Rwanda

• Rwanda mobile penetration passes 62% {BiztechAfrica}

Sierra Leone

• The 20 Most Popular Sierra Leone Groups on Facebook {Sierra Leone Data}

South Africa

• Libraries and Information Technology in Schools {AllAfrica.com}
• Only 17 Percent of Schools Are ICT Connected {AllAfrica.com}
• Nelson Mandela’s grandsons start social network for change {memeburn}
• Cutting to the price of Internet access in SA {MyBroadband}
• Cell C will be dead within 6 months: analyst {MyBroadband}
• Free WiFi for Tshwane {MyBroadband}
• Policy tackles intellectual property rights on web {Bdlive}
• Feature mobile phones still strong in the SA market {Bizcommunity}
• South Africa Trying to Exit Online Slow Lane Turns to Microsoft {Businessweek}
• Connecting Cape Town: Inside South Africa’s TV white spaces experiment {Engadget}
• Neotel put date on LTE launch {HumanIPO}
• Gauteng province invests $40 million in tablet learning {HumanIPO}
• Guateng government pilots social media programme {HumanIPO}
• AfriHost to provide SA mobile internet {HumanIPO}
• Bridging the gaping digital divide {TechCentral}
• Orange attacks ‘anticompetitive’ SA operators {TechCentral}
• Battle looms as MTN seeks spectrum {TechCentral}
• The real war in SA telecoms {TechCentral}
• Internet for all: SA towns’ race for free public wifi {The South African}
• The Ecommerce boom is here and growing {African Business Review}

Sudan

• Sudanese rally to help flood victims on social media sites {The Observers}

Swaziland

• Raspberry Pi + Indiegogo = One Rural School In Swaziland Kitted Out With A Computer Lab {TechCrunch}
• Swaziland Poor in Africa’s Mobile Price Index {Times of Swaziland}
• ‘MTN, SPTC debacle costs the nation’ {Times of Swaziland}

Tanzania

• Govt Vows to Bridge Rural Urban Digital Divide {AllAfrica.com}
• Vodacom To Invest $124m For Tanzania Network Expansion {Ventures Africa}

Togo

• L’accès à internet, ou le calvaire du blogueur togolais (africain?) {kellyadediha.wordpress.com}
• Les #BEST du #BEST13 {Forum TIC Education}
• Les applications mobiles “Made in Togo” {TechOfAfrica}

Tunisia

• La Tunisie accepte désormais les noms de domaine avec accent et à 2 caractères {THD}

Uganda

• MTN Uganda commissions Luzira Prison ICT Resource Centre {PC Tech Magazine}
• Mobile TV launched in Uganda {HumanIPO}
• Banks urged to protect online customers {New Vision}
• Communities should continue to benefit from mobile revolution {The Observer}

West Africa

• Senegal’s Sonatel books net profit of XOF91bn in H1 2013 {TeleGeography}

Zimbabwe

• Econet launches 4G to the world! {BizDay Zimbabwe}

General Africa

• Children Lost in War Zones and Disasters Find Their Families With an App {NYTimes.com}
• Which tech startups from Africa will revolutionize the world? Show your support! {VC4Africa}
• New online media buying platform sets Africa in its sights {ventureburn}
• MTN’s H1 numbers indicate stress for Bharti in Africa {Business Standard}
• Three Text Messages That Are Changing Africa {Huff Post}
• Innovation in Africa: What Young African Women Entrepreneurs Have to Say {Huff Post}
• The Astounding Impact of Innovative Technology in the Developing World {Huff Post}
• The week in startups {HumanIPO}
• Google offers grants for women in tech {HumanIPO}
• Microsoft 4Afrika, UoPeople partner to offer university scholarships {HumanIPO}
• Wi-Fi is an answer for Africa {IT News Africa}
• Africa’s tech hubs: are they producing success stories? {ITWeb Africa}
• Facebook Leads an Effort to Lower Barriers to Internet Access {NYTimes.com}
• NEPAD commissions study on broadband cost reduction in West, Central Africa {Panapress}
• Africa’s evolving media landscape {Portland Communications}
• Focus on private sector: Making ICT partnerships work {SciDev}
• Lack of privacy laws could delay vital mHealth apps {SciDev}
• Three Ways to Bring Internet to Emerging Markets That Don’t Involve Balloons {Businessweek}