Saisai from Zimbabwe has rightfully scooped the SWELL Innovation award with Irofit and VOTO taking the first and second runners up positions respectively at the just conluded DEMO 2014 startup conference taking place in Nigeria. The start-up will receive an all-expense paid trip to Silicon Valley as part of the SWELL Innovation Tour, which includes the exclusive participation in SWELL’s intensive soft landing program in Silicon Valley. Mike Chen, SWELL’s Founder expressed his excitement to be holding the inaugural SWELL Innovation awards in Africa and partnering with DEMO Africa. “I am confident that the SWELL Awards in Africa will represent…
Author: Susan Mwenesi
The audience comprising of investors, IT buyers, IT consumers, Government officials and IT enthusiasts from across Africa at the ongoing Startup conference, DEMO Africa taking place in Nigeria has been treated to a host of start-ups keen to solve the myriad of challenges in Africa. The event which begun on an amazing high note, saw the first batch of the forty DEMO Africa finalist launch their IT generated solutions with the hope of attracting the right eye to take their innovation to the next level. These included VOTO Mobile from Ghana, Chura from Kenya, Cube and Hutbay from Nigeria. Welcoming…
South Africa’s First National Bank (FNB) has unveiled its new app that will make it possible for its customers to get their money across borders to Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans can collect their money at some OK Ltd stores throughout the country while Mozambicans can get transferred funds from any of the 15 FNB branches in the country using the app. “The rollout of our services on the FNB Banking App has always been driven by customer demand,” says Giuseppe Virgillito, Head of Banking App, FNB Mobile and Connect. “The Money Transfer service is an important addition to the FNB…
South Africa today had the first trials of Vodacom’s next development in 4G technology that promises the ability to download an entire 1GB movie in less than a minute. The test, which was conducted directly on a mobile handset and used carrier aggregation technology, download speeds of 270 Mbit/s were achieved. At this speed an entire music album could be downloaded in 10 seconds. This is approximately four times faster than the fastest speed achieved with LTE technology on Vodacom’s network. This is the first time that this has been done in the country , especially on a live network…
The Kenyan government will inject Ksh 6 billion project that will have all its 47 counties benefit from phase two fibre-optic cable before the end of 2015. According to the Standard, the project will cover 2,100 kilometres in every county headquarters and will provide network coverage for the connected areas. Speaking at Gikuuri, Embu while touring the project, ICT Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’I said that with connectivity there will be enhanced delivery of services to citizens in their locations. “Kenyans should be aware that taxpayers money is being used on this project. They should be its custodians and report…
The World Bank through the International Finance Corporation (IFC) , a private lender has given telecom services provider Airtel Uganda a $3.9 million advisory services agreement that will assist the telcom strengthen mobile money operation to reach rural and underserved communities and women. Additionally, IFC will provide advisory services on agent network management and product development, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Chidi Okpala, Director and Head of Airtel Money Africa, said the support from IFC and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will help strengthen their distribution capability and involvement in deepening access to financial services and…
Ugandans will soon start using an electronic trading system following the signing of an agreement between the Royal Danish Embassy, Uganda and Trademark East Africa (TMEA), to fund the computerized system. The Daily Monitor reports that the bilateral agreement was signed on Tuesday to support the implementation of the National Electronic Single Window (NESW) in Uganda. Speaking at the signing of the partnership, the Danish Ambassador, Mr Dan E. Frederiksen, said his government will provide TMEA with a grant of $5 million (about Shsh13 billion) in support of the agreed objectives and outputs of implementing the NESW. “The customs reforms…
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and founder of Technobrain Manoj Shanker, is this year’s All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) Entrepreneur of the Year. Shnaker beat other contenders in his category for his successful efforts to build a unique African company that puts Africa first as a Communications Technology Solutions developer with capacity to win and deliver major national projects in countries across the continent and the world. “We salute the East African AABLA winners who represent the highest standard of boldness and rare character in the region’s business landscape. These pioneering leaders exemplify the vision and spirit of a dynamic…
Kisii county is set to put up incubation centre in line with its plans tohave information Communication Technology at the centre of its operations. The Standard reports that this will make the sector relevant in service delivery and will also tap into the fast-growing mobile application ecosystem among the youth, “This initiative will empower the youth,” he said. The centre will be established in conjuction with the national government and local universities. Despite Kenya being said to an IT hub in Africa, most of the incubation centres are centred around the capital city Nairobi. Only a few have made inroads…
The Kenyan government has started the biometric registration of civil servants in all counties the first one being Kisumu county where Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary, Anne Waiguru, allayed fears that have been associated with the exercise among public servants. Waiguru emphasized on the fact that the exercise was driven by the needs of the Kenyan citizens and is therefore going to be implemented to suit their best interests. “I am aware that the exercise particularly the skills assessment and the biometrics registration is causing anxiety among the public officers. I want to allay any fears about the exercise and…
Financial institutions in the big four markets of the Middle East and Africa (MEA) — Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the UAE, and Turkey are set to increase their spending on IT, the region being ready for strong year-on-year growth of 10.8% in 2014. This is according to the latest insights from global advisory services firm International Data Corporation (IDC) which adds that spurred by investments in the emerging 3rd Platform technologies, total IT spending in this space is set to reach $4.3 billion in 2014. More than one-third of the MEA finance sector CIOs who took part in IDC’s Annual…
Nairobi will soon be home to Africa’s largest solar carport which Solarcentury plans to construct on the uppermost storey of a car park at Garden City Mall part of the new 32-acre integrated residential, retail park, hotel and office development on Nairobi’s Thika Superhighway. The clean solar electricity generated by the 858kWp system will be used by the retail tenants. The solar installation will be financed under NVI Energy’s Solar4Africa, a 12 year financed solution that enables Garden City to harness the power of renewable energy, overcoming many of the barriers that can frequently beset commercial solar projects. As well as providing…
Participants at the IDC Enterprise Mobility Forum 2014 in Johannesburg today learnt that organizations that fail to set clear mobility strategies are in grave danger of losing out to the competition, and a complete failure to embrace this new reality will have potentially catastrophic consequences. The event, which brought together more than 80 enterprise IT managers from leading private and public sector organizations face to face with the innovative global vendors tasked with meeting their mobility needs, was held at the city’s Michelangelo Hotel by global advisory services firm International Data Corporation (IDC), the event brought The event heard that…
Security vendor Cyberoam has announced the availability of award winning Sophos end-point protection portfolio for its partners in Kenya and Tanzania, a move that will open up more revenue opportunities. It is also expected that Cyberoam partners will be able to differentiate with enhanced and unique security portfolio in the process. Sophos boasts a comprehensive line-up of endpoint-protection including internet security, application and device control, data protection, encryption tools, mobile protection, Exchange server protection and network access control. “This opens up a huge opportunity for our partners as they will have access to a more powerful and versatile portfolio of…
Wiko mobile officially made its entrance into the Kenyan market brining a portfolio of 10 phone with world-class technology, cutting edge design and exceptional product quality. The company’s flagshipmodel is the Highway which uses 2.0 GHz Octa-Core technology. The Highway’s exceptional features include the Android KitKat 4.4, super bright 5” FHD screen, 16MP back camera and 8MP front camera. A smartphone that guarantees superior speed and performance, the Highway is one of the best smartphones available in Kenya. For the fashion-conscious Rainbow is a real lifestyle technology statement. With a 5” HD screen, 1.3GHz Quad-Core and 8MP camera to capture…
Pay-TV provider Zuku has partnered with Eutelsat Communications to deliver free-to-air (FTA) African, local and International digital channels across East Africa. In a statement, Eutelsat’s chief commercial & development officer Michel Azibert said the move was aimed at accelerating migration to digital broadcasting in the region. “iSAT and Eutelsat will use the high-power African service area of the EUTELSAT 70B satellite to broadcast a platform of channels to digital head-ends(cable) and on a direct-to-home basis beyond range of terrestrial reception,” it said. Zuku is the second organization to offer FTA channels after Star Times Media launched theirs.
LG Electronics’ G3 has made its debut in the Kenyan market as its guns for the top positioning in the smartphone category. The phone which is billed for shoring up the electronics manufacture’s last quarter financial will be retailing at Ksh59,999. The G3 is the World’s First QHD phone comes with an astounding resolution is one of the highest ever for a cell phone, measuring in at a 2560 x 1400 ratio with 538 pixels per square inch (PPI). Modern 1080p screens manage only 400 PPI and Apple’s well received “Retina Display” contains only 326 PPI. The electronics manufacturer says its aim was…
Nigeria and Kenya which are both viewed as tech hubs in Africa have been chosen as French smartphone manufacturer Wiko mobile to be its entry points in Africa this September. The decision to enter the smartphone market is expected to have Africa experience innovative products that have been largely responsible for its success in Europe in addition to the company needing to boost its sales. “We are excited about entering our new markets like Nigeria, Kenya and Poland,…and are confident of repeating our success story in these markets,” said David Garcia, Wiko’s head of international development. Launched just three years…
Uganda is now officially set to embark on digital migration with the Uganda Communications Commission saying the project will kick next month ahead of the global deadline set for June year. According to the Daily Monitor all digital equipment has been procured and is ready for the switch with the Greater Kampala (Kampala city and the surrounding districts of Entebbe, Mukono, Bombo, Mityana) being the first places for the roll out while the rest of the country will follow suit by December this year. “We are behind schedule; time is running out. So, the earlier we get everyone on board…
Ericsson has announced a number of solutions that deliver new television experiences for consumers while providing operators with the tools to increase revenue, build customer loyalty and drive new business The latest release of the industry-leading IPTV platform, Ericsson Mediaroom elevates the TV viewing experience, delivering a host of new consumer-oriented capabilities that empower operators to deliver the highest qualitylive, video on demand (VOD) and time-shifted television experiences. New features include making “Restart TV” a core experience; unified search functionality that offers consumers unparalleled levels of simplicity when discovering content; an enhanced user interface that maximizes full-screen viewing; and a…
Oracle Academy and the Equity Foundation Group have joined forces on their corporate citizenship programs to help develop and grow ICT skills in Kenya through the Oracle Academy Java Fundamentals training that will introduce world-class technology to Kenyan high school students from as early as Form 1. The training targets the Equity Group Foundations’ Wings to Fly scholars and their classmates, giving them access to more advanced computer skills that have real-world application using a fun and exciting approach that involves use of basic draft-and-drop animations (Alice) and use of simple interactive games and simulations (Greenfoot) to learn Java programming.…
Late entries by remaining East African countries of Tanzania and Burundi into talks will mean that subscribers will have to wait until June so as to realize their desire to pay lower calling rates across the EA countries. Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda had agreed to cap the maximum roaming charges in the three states at about $0.10 per minute beginning this month meaning the rates will have gone significantly lower. The Business Daily now reports that the The Communication Authority (CA) of Kenya has confirmed that Tanzania and Burundi have now joined the other four other countries in the quest…
The Middle East and Africa (MEA) tablet market recorded a 2% quarterly decline in shipments during the second quarter of 2014 to total 3.95 million units, according to the latest results released today by International Data Corporation (IDC). This is against a backdrop of the MEA market remaining the world’s fastest growing region as it continues to be an area of focus for all vendors operating in the tablet space. “The reasons for the quarter-on-quarter decline in Q2 2014 were twofold,” says Victoria Mendes, a research analyst at IDC Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. “We anticipated a slowdown in the…
Ericsson has unveiled its real-time platform that supports live captioning in various languages for broadcasters around the world using speech-to-text, newsroom integration, and rapid offline content preparation. The enterprise-level, schedule-driven software platform, which was developed in-house, uses the best possible speech recognition and stenography technologies to power Ericsson’s live captioning services. It allows multiple captioners to prepare and deliver real-time services for clients while maximizing re-use of the caption data after it has been broadcast – for example, by helping to power content discovery and enrich archive search. The platform is currently being used to deliver live captioning services for…
Seif Salim, Clifford Ogeto and Elvis Kipkorir from University of Eldoret were judged the best at the just concluded Idea Trophy inter-university innovation competition finals trouncing over 700 other students from four participating universities. The contest was sponsored by consumer goods manufacturer Unilever Kenya and focused on the development of personal and entrepreneurial business competencies among undergraduates. Idea Trophy Innovation competition was launched in July for student teams of three from public and private universities. They were required to generate innovative ideas on creating brand awareness and growing product usage among their peers in the target schools. Unilever CEO for…
ITU, UNICEF update guidelines for online child protection The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UNICEF in conjunction with partners of the Child Online Protection have come up with new guidelines to guard against online exploitation of minors. The Guidelines for Industry on Child Online Protection provide advice on how the ICT industry can help promote safety for children using the Internet or any technologies or devices that can connect to it, as well as guidance on how to enable responsible digital citizenship, learning and civic participation. The updated version provides guidance specifically aimed at companies that develop, provide…
Barclays Bank customers will have to pay Sh355 ($4) service fee for any transaction on its ATMS when using foreign debit and credit cards effective Monday, a move that is expected to boost transactional earnings and grow its non-funded income. The Business Daily reports that the latter dropped 2.3 per cent or Sh217 million to a four-year low of Sh9.06 billion in the year to December 2013 “Please note that effective September 1, 2014 Barclays will charge ATM access fee of $4 (exclusive of excise duty) on all foreign card transactions,” BBK said in a notice to customers. The new…
Designer and manufacturer of prefabricated data centre buildings and intelligent power management systems ,Flexenclosure has landed in Africa setting up its first office in Johannesburg, South Afruca. In a statement, the company gives the need to serve its growing number of customers in Africa as the reason for the new development. Headed by Carita Tissari da Costa, Flexenclosure’s Sales Director for Africa, the new office, which is located in the Business Center in Fourways just north of Johannesburg, was opened on 1st September “The need for speed of deployment and the benefits of prefabricated data centre buildings, as well as the…
Facebook has rolled out Privacy Checkup which will help users review and control who can share the information/photos posted on their accounts. Against this backdrop, users will see the option to take Privacy Checkup when they visit Facebook in the coming days. “We know you come to Facebook to connect with friends, not with us. But we also know how important it is to be in control of what you share and who you share with,” said Facebook in a blog. With this new option you can also edit who sees each app and any future posts it makes for…
Vincent Lobry is the new Telkom Kenya Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective September 4, 2014. Vincent replaces Mickael Ghossein, who has been appointed Senior Vice President of Orange Business Services – Middle East. The announcement was made by the company’s Board of Directors where Eddy Njoroge, confirmed the Board’s confidence in the appointment of Mr. Lobry, who will be charged with the responsibility of building on the gains made during Mickael’s tenure. “We appreciate the strategic effort put by Mickael, enabling the business to streamline its operations thereby offering products and solutions that meet the dynamic needs of the market.…