Issue 2

Intro

Welcome to the second issue of mzansi.dev 🥳

Hope your week got off to a kicker 🔥

I'm continuing to try things out and evolving the current format. I've introduced a lead image for each section to help with the reading flow and included two additional sections, Tools and Random. Hat tip to Robin Mohamed (HomeChoice) for the nudge 🤠

Based on community feedback and input, I'd like to continue to revise the categories and content focus. Thanks to all those who have already sent through input and feedback 🥰

Please continue to chip in by sending anything of interested to [email protected]

Yours truly 🤗

@MzansiDev

South Africa

JUMO raises $120 million! 💪🏽

JUMO has raised $120 million in their biggest funding round to date. This will go a long way in helping them with their mission to make finance accessible to everyone.

How to Build a Developer Community with Stephen van der Heijden (Offerzen) 🧑🏽‍🎤

Offerzen's Stephen van der Heijden, chatted on the Community Corner with Beth McIntyre show around challenges and nuance when building developer communities.

Old Mutual makes Covid vaccines mandatory for SA workers

Old Mutual has made Covid vaccines mandatory for their employees in South African starting from 1 January 2022.

Checkers launches deals onto its Sixty60 home delivery app

Checkers continue to improve their already insanely slick delivery app with the recent addition of their Xtra Savings rewards program. I got the card recently and the end-to-end experience was well thought out. Just add it to your basket. It gets delivered with your order and a very painless setup process 🔥

Luno and Invenfin back Root insurance API in $3m seed round

Root, which already launched as programmable banking but pivoted to a low-code insurance platform, has received funding from Luno and Invenfin to the tune of $3 million to continue to improve and expand their offering. The programmable banking offering, in partnership with Investec, can be viewed here.

Grindstone is investing R100 million in South African startups

Grindstone has created a new fund with a war chest of a R100 million and the focus on female-owned startups. The only caveat is that they have taken part in Grindstone's Accelerator program.

SA’s OneSpark launches AI-powered, pay-as-you-need life insurance product

OneSpark have launched the first pay-as-you-need life insurance product. It all backed with AI, but not entirely sure how 🕵🏽‍♀️ They call it an algorithm which makes me think it's a rules-based engine instead of a trained model but 🤷‍♂️

The premiums are insanely low based on the marketing material available.

Africa

Applications open for latest Google for Startups Accelerator Africa

Applications are open for the latest Google for Startups Accelerator Africa. Google for Startups Accelerator Africa is a 3-month programme for African startups. Since 2017, Google has supported 82 African startups through this initiative.

Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN)

Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN) is a hub for information, learning, and collaborations in the ‘civic tech’ space.

Kenyan ed-tech startup Craydel raises $1m pre-seed round

Kenyan ed-tech startup Craydel helps prospective students apply for higher education on the continent and abroad.

Global

Events

Random

The Only Place on Earth Where Rent Hasn’t Increased in 500 Years

Shuhari - Stages from learning to mastery

Jobs

iOS Developers 🤯

If you know of any great iOS developers, let us know 🤝 We need to urgently find some devs for large, enterprise-scale projects. You can email [email protected]

LOL

HTTP Status Dogs

HTTP status codes represented as dogs 😂

HTTP Status Cats

HTTP status codes represented as cats 😂