Author: James Kanja

Co-Creation Hub, Nigeria’s innovation hub, has launched the CcHUB Seedr  programme, a 6-month acceleration programme for early-stage technology startups, in Namibia with an initial cohort of five early-stage tech startups with high growth potential. Seedr’s targeting startups in emerging ecosystems, with the potential to scale and create impact is looking for impact-driven entreprenuers, to develop their startups into sustainable entities and raise funding through its syndicate platform. Applications are open and interested startup founders or teams  have until November 5th to apply. Seedr Namibia programme is looking for five Innovative startups to join and to be eligible, a startup has…

4 spine-chilling Halloween marketing ideas for retail businesses Businesses everywhere are gearing up for Halloween, one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year. So hang up your cobwebs, take your skeletons out of the closet, and ready your pumpkins. It’s time to promote your small business for the spooky season. Halloween offers a great opportunity for you to show your audience who you are as a business. It allows you to show your fun and creative side, all while making tons of sales.  Research shows that about 40% of people complete their Halloween shopping before the end of October.…

Digital lending was a response to the pain-points customers experience with traditional lending, such as tedious loan processes and the requirement to have good credit history for access to bank loans (Infosys BPM, n.d.). It was also a response to the digitisation of personal finance, as digital lenders sought to fill the gaps where customers expressed a preference for digital services. For some, financial institutions had made borrowing too hard or simply inaccessible (Infosys BPM, n.d.).  Consumer Lending is Changing Technological advancement has spurred on much of the change in consumer lending. The availability of data allows the lender to…

Some games will come and go, but classic table games like Poker and Roulette have been a constant in land-based casinos throughout history. Nowadays, the games continue to thrive and have taken to the online gaming scene, where they remain popular amongst professional players and amateurs alike. Online gaming is convenient since you can play wherever you are, subject to a stable internet connection, and it also allows you the flexibility to try new games and figure out your playing preferences. If you’re a fan of the classic games and can’t quite decide which is your favourite, then you’re in…

Even those who have been trading in forex for a while will agree – forex is complex. The fact is, as the markets are based on the economic performance of territories all over the world, anything can change at very short notice. Spread strengths go up and down, and overnight, volatility can make one pair suddenly much less lucrative than another. Forex, however, is exciting. There’s little wonder why so many people are still trading on the international markets. To get to where you are today with forex, you may have spent some time looking into the best 7online.io reviews,…

Do you miss gambling but still can’t hit a casino in your area? Don’t worry, here’s something even better for you—online casinos! Lately, these gambling websites have gained a lot of followers, mainly due to their practicality and availability. Today, you can find tons of online casinos offering hundreds of games to tempt you. But how do you make sure to win or at least not lose all your money right away? Here are a few tips to follow when gambling at online casinos: Check out the best games Some games are better than others if you want to win,…

It’s hard to think of the words “smart watch” without thinking about the Apple Watch. Apple’s all-conquering smart wristwear wasn’t actually the first such device to reach the market, but it’s by far and away the most popular. Just as Apple didn’t invent the mobile phone but revolutionized the idea in such a way that they now dominate the market, they’ve done the same with smart watches. The combination of Apple’s hardware and software has proven to be a winning one so far, which is a source of frustration for both Google and Samsung.  While there’s no solid business connection…

The internet has made it possible for students and professionals to take courses and study from start to finish without ever stepping inside a physical classroom.  Studying from home has a myriad of advantages, including cost, convenience, and flexibility.  However, as most people will tell you, getting your studies done from the comfort of one’s home can be challenging and requires high levels of discipline.  How do you study from home efficiently? Here are top tips.  1. Pick Optimal Times Some students study best late at night, and others are their best in the wee hours of the morning. Find…

And those who felt they’d never be gamers discovered the value these virtual worlds have to offer when the novel coronavirus made us all housebound. With video games’ popularity skyrocketing, it’s only natural that everybody wants to join in the fun. So you bought an Xbox, but one look at all those buttons and dual joysticks is enough to make you reconsider your decision. The vast amount of Australian online pokies games available to you is equally daunting. However, joining the gaming world is similar to entering any other – you must first take the first move. That is why…

Cisco certifications are very popular among IT professionals, with over 15% of all IT professionals worldwide having at least one Cisco certification. They are highly valued in the IT industry, and thus are very popular among techies. Cisco offers numerous certifications, from basic ones to specialised certifications. The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) are the most popular Cisco certifications and are highly sought after by IT professionals. CCNA Certification The Cisco Certified Network Associate certification is basic level certification, and ideal for those who are just beginning their journey in networking. In this certification,…

If we just spoke about how blockchain is changing the online gaming business and ignored eSports, we’d just be scratching the surface. It’s been getting a lot of coverage lately, which is understandable because it’s a $1.5 billion market. Professional gaming streamed on the internet is referred to as eSports, and it has developed into a worldwide phenomenon. Instead of just playing popular casino games like online roulette, people are now getting attracted to eSports like DOTA, COD, CS:GO etc. So, how does blockchain fit into eSports? What will be the enhancements and expansions? Implementing blockchain-powered objects, such as identities…

“There is a great deal of advertising that is much better than the product. When that happens, all that the good advertising will do is put you out of business faster.”                                                                                                                                             …

Applications for this year’s Grindstone Accelerator program are open for 20 South African startups until the end of April 2021. The qualifying conditions for applying to Grindstone include your venture being a South African registered company that is post-revenue with customer traction and at least R500k revenue per annum. The venture also needs to have a dynamic team with a clear competitive differentiator and a scalable business model.  “Grindstone engineers entrepreneurial Growth. This has been our core purpose from when the programme started back in 2014. We continue to build and improve on this model to deliver measurable impact to all our…

OPPO’s OPPO Reno5 which we have covered here has been selected as the official smartphone partner for the PUBG MOBILE Middle East and Africa Esports 2021 due to its extraordinary gaming hardware and software. With this partnership, OPPO will play an active part in the company’s Esports championships that will run throughout the year and help develop regional talents by building a well-defined structure for Esports, forge a clear path from grassroots to amateur to pro-league levels.  Ethan Xue, President of OPPO Middle East and Africa said, “OPPO’s strategy is focused on engaging with our users’ passions. In line with…

Like all businesses, insurance companies see digital transformation as crucial to future survival and growth. Customer experience through personalization and automation is the external manifestation of this transformation. Internally, automation is key to efficiency. Implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning makes this process easier and more accessible to the insurance company. Consulting and customer service The claimed ability of AI to perform creative, human functions excites the imagination of many researchers. Representatives of Google Brain posted a publication in which they described how they taught the program to gather information on a given topic, analyze, and summarize it. At…

The countries and governments all around the world have responded in a way to the coronavirus pandemic that has affected the lives of many people in many different ways, the most common impact being people going jobless. There is no certainty as to when the lockdowns will be lifted, or whether the places where the lockdowns have been lifted will continue to be that way. During this time, millions of people are struggling with consistently working and maintaining sources of earning. However, we have identified a way people may be interested to earn money online via digital currencies. In this…

Introduction    Today, the price of Bitcoin is touching the sky. You cannot purchase it quickly as per your requirement if you have a limited budget with you. On the other hand, you can buy the Ethereum fast.  The entire thing is dependent on market dynamics and market situations. The influence of the other governmental bodies and the financial regulators will influence the prices in Cryptocurrencies 2021. You cannot make rash decisions while you are making your decisions to invest your money in Cryptocurrencies.  Factors to Consider While Selecting the Cryptocurrency    There are several essential factors you need to consider while…

M-PESA has become the first mobile money provider in Africa to join the Financial Taskforce established by United for Wildlife, a coalition of charities that works to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. United for Wildlife was created in 2012 by The Royal Foundation, led by Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge. It has brought together conservation organisations, governments and global corporations to protect endangered species like elephants, rhinos, tigers and pangolins so they can share our world with future generations. Organised crime has become one of the greatest threats to animals in Africa and other continents. The illegal wildlife trade…

Communications Authority, the Kenyan telecoms regulator is working with telcos under the USF Project to connect marginalised areas to mobile telephone services. Thousands of residents in remote areas of Kitui County that were previously not linked to the basic mobile telephony, are now enjoying services thanks to regulatory obligations vested on licensed mobile operators. More than 30,000 people who were initially unable to receive or make calls can now enjoy mobile services as a result of the Universal Service Obligation that requires mobile network providers to offer services to unserved areas as per their licence conditions. The beneficiary sub-locations…

Mahambi Market, an online peer-to-peer thrift marketplace has launched to help Kenyan youth take their businesses online and promote a waste-free, reuse, reduce and recycle culture in fashion. Launched on 5th September 2020, Mahambi aims to help users sell their thrift attire online and earn an income during the current crisis by helping them open ‘digital shops’ and selling their clothing items from anywhere, anytime. Though many stores use Instagram and Facebook pages to sell their clothing, Mahambi Market seeks to open up a platform that taps on the need for online engagement and the sense of trust and security that…

Safaricom Foundation through its economic empowerment programme has partnered with Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (HiH EA) NGO to support 400 self-help groups with access to microloans. The foundation will invest KES 12 million in the project with the aim of supporting over 5,000 enterprises. This is part of the foundation’s support to those affected by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project which is in its second phase will be rolled out in Busia, Kajiado, Migori, Baringo, Nakuru and Nairobi counties. During the first phase which was launched in 2015 over 5,900 new enterprises were created and incubated…

Running a startup and turning it into a successful business takes a lot of time, dedication, and money. It requires long hours of hard work and careful planning. Most importantly startups need to run efficiently. There’s no time to waste on anything that’s not going to contribute to the business’s success, and there’s no wiggle room for financial mistakes. In 2020 with the Coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns around the world it’s more important than ever that startups are flexible and can operate effectively from anywhere. We take a look at why tech is essential for startups in that…

Dealing with debt is frustrating. It will make you live under pressure continuously. That’s why it is important for you to have a strong understanding on how to get your bills paid off quickly. Here are some useful and effective tips, which you can follow in order to get your bills paid off quicker and get out of debt within the shortest possible time period. Make sure that you are paying your bills on time because the longer you wait to pay the bills, the there’s a chance that you may be left with no option but to declare bankruptcy.…

The big scam in senior debt is the attraction of the big payoffs and attractive promises to get you out of financial troubles. However, many senior citizens fall prey to these schemes as it does not have any merit. One should be careful in choosing the right private lenders and be aware of the scammer. If you are sure that you are on the right track and your deal is legit, then you need to look for a way to detect scam lenders. Fraudsters’ device new means and techniques to beat any trap that is laid for them. The elderly…

The amount of business debt a company can handle is significant, especially if that company is going to be doing some large-scale business transactions. If that company is going to be handling large amounts of money, they need to know how much business debt they can handle. This can make or break the company’s reputation. Before getting into the “How Much Business Debt is Appropriate” model of how much business debt a company can handle, it would be wise for the company to look at their current cash flow. The Necessity for Debts It has been said that no business…

Some of the ways to decrease your card rate of interest are discussed in this article. They are the lesser-known methods that a lot of people don’t even know about. However, they work. If you’re one of those who prefer to apply for cards with no fees and lower interest rates, these tips may help you. A right customer deserves a discount. However much this doesn’t form the basis for your attempts to review down your rates of interest on the credit cards on your account. Massive rates on your card are a downward crushing blow on your financial life…

What questions should you ask a hard money lender? Well, when you want to borrow money, it is only vital that you think and make rational decisions. There are so many things that you need to think about right from the motive of taking a loan to make the final payment. You want to reflect on how you are going to be affected by the loan, and that is very critical. One of the most mediocre decisions individuals make is borrowing when it is not absolutely necessary. A rational person should make a decision to borrow when and only when…

Villgro Kenya has invested $50,000 to The Pathology Network, a digital referral platform for pathologists in Kenya to help the platform reach more users in the country. Villgro Kenya, in a statement, said the country has over 47,000 new cancer cases and 33,000 cancer-related deaths annually with a limited number of cancer diagnosis centres and Pathologists leading to delays in diagnosing cancer early enough for treatment.  The Pathology Network-An Artificial Intelligence-powered digital platform linking small labs to specialized labs for seamless tests referral with access to specialists remotely to shorten the turn around time for diagnosis, promoting early medical intervention…

Visa, a credit card giant, announced on Monday that it is acquiring Plaid, a San Francisco based Fintech API startup for US$5.3 billion, to expand its horizons beyond card payments and into the booming Fintech industry. This price marks a major victory for Plaid’s investors, coming out as double of what Plaid was valued at in 2018 when it raised US$250 million during its Series C round, setting its value at US$2.65 billion. This purchase is highlighting the increasing willingness of old-guard financial firms to pay top-price when acquiring companies that have established solid positions in the field of the…

Microsoft has partnered with Seedstars on the three-day Seedstars Summit Africa set for December 3rd to 5th. Microsoft will host an exclusive workshop session during the Seedstars Bootcamp with 50+ entrepreneurs, including the 23 Seedstars World local winners. The third and main day (December 5) will welcome all the participants willing to learn the latest tech trends, network and meet inspiring founders and entrepreneurs. “Microsoft​ was once a start-up itself, and so we’re passionate about supporting entrepreneurs in their growth journeys, providing access to technology tools, networks, skills and mentorship,” says​ Chris Lwanga ​from Microsoft​.​ “Through​ our various initiatives, including…