Cooking can sometimes be a real pain. This is especially true when you are new to the entire process and coming home from a long day of work. This is not to even mention the fact that it can be time-consuming and expensive. Preparing the ingredients, putting them in the pots, measuring them out, and the rest of the prep work is just half the battle. You also have to consider the trip to the store to get the ingredients. There is no denying that the entire process can be overwhelming, especially for beginners. However, it doesn’t always have to…
Author: Shiko Gathoni
It’s a matter of joy for every entrepreneur when it comes to growing the business and needing more space for it. As we develop our business, we tend to have more and more clients over the long haul. But, relocating an office can be daunting at times. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most stressful moments that business owners dread. Moving an office is not only a stressful event for the business owner, but also the employees feel the stress at the same time. There is going to be a lot of emotional involvement when you are moving an office.…
Ethiopia has announced a partnership with the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to build its digital economy, the Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology announced on Wednesday. The partnership was announced in Hangzhou, China where the Ethiopian Minister of Innovation and Technology Getahun Mekuria met with Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group at the Alibaba Group headquarters. “Great discussion with Jack Ma on building Ethiopian Digital Economy,” Mekuria said in a social media while at the headquarters of the Alibaba Group. “Jack Ma expressed he has been inspired by the reforms that have been undertaken, confirming that Ethiopia is now a…
Nigeria’s Rubi Health & Ghana’s Developers in Vogue have been selected into Vodafone Institute’s F-LANE accelerator beating 280 start-ups from 62 countries that applied. The two from Africa are among the five most innovative startups selected to participate in this year’s F-LANE accelerator which selected startups by and for women. Others include startups and social ventures from India, the UK and Germany. The five will be part of a seven-week support program in Berlin, which includes mentorship, training, networking and financial start-up assistance. The majority of the start-ups in the past F-LANE rounds had received investments following the programme –…
Jumia Kenya is running a Christmas campaign dubbed Jumia na Krisi in a move expected to make it the go-to shop for everything for Kenyans. The campaign dubbed Krisi na Jumia – Twende Ocha is is set to attract upcountry shoppers as Jumia moves to be a platform loved and visited by all Kenyans and not just for urban residents. This year’s campaign has a discounted Goat or Mbuzi in Swahili at $10 or Ksh.1000 after signing up goat farmers from across the city in a customer on-boarding strategy. The campaign began on November 30 and will run till December…
LGs’s Door-in-Door refrigerator was launched in Kenya in March targeting premium users and the growing middle class and business consumers especially those in need of massive storage capabilities. The over 600 liter capacity refrigerator is called door-in-door because it’s shelves are built into the first set of doors and can open on their own minus one opening the fridge’s main doors. These shelves gives the refrigerator more capacity in addition to the main fridge compartment. With a price range of between Sh110,000 to Sh240,000, the Door-In-Door preserves food for longer periods as its design ensures 59 per cent of cold…
Ticket solutions provider Tickets Kenya has partnered with Safaricom to create a mobile platform for easy sale of tickets during sports, travel and entertainment events. The new platform provides event organizers with a platform to sell tickets via M-Pesa. In return, buyers receive the tickets via SMS. Tickets Kenya has over the recent past proven to be a responsible partner in events management. Established in June 2009, it has served over one million event goers. The company becomes Safaricom’s main partner in mobile ticketing, a service that has made mobile phones point of sale for tickets. Ticket Kenya designs and prints tickets with security…
Sierra Leona-based ethical fashion company Bureh has pioneered in advancing digital currency economy for sub-Saharan Africa when it finally accepted bitcoin through payments processor BitPay. The currency will transform the way people send remittances to the continent. It also gives the unbanked easy access to money. The ethical fashion line anticipates having more transactions through the platform. Unlike in South and East Africa, Bitcoin is yet to take root in West Africa. Daniel Heyman, Chief Executive Officer Bureh, told CoinDesk that they have only had few transactions since December when they first introduced the currency. He however pointed out to…
Fanmode, an application that allows sports fans to express their emotions with each other across the world in real time, has closed a seed round of $2.4 million led by a group of Swedish and South African angel investors. Founded in 2011 by Neven Murugan and Chriatian Jochnick, Fanmode is a gesture app that allows users to broadcast their support for their team during games by clapping, waving and cheering as well as interacting with other fans in online chats and receiving and receiving live updates on action. The seed round will help Fanmode further develop the platform ahead of…
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Rwanda has graduated its first class of 22 students with master’s degrees in Information Technology. The graduation ceremony, which took place at the Serena Hotel in Kigali, highlighted CMU and Government of Rwanda’s commitment to educating engineers and entrepreneurs who are striving to make an economic impact in East Africa. Many of the students aspire to be the next technical innovators and business leaders. In 2007, the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, recommended establishing Centres of Excellence throughout Africa to cultivate the science and technological skills required for…
Telecommunications operator Orange has launched a promotion aimed at growing the usage of Orange Money by its wide subscriber base. The promotion that runs till September 28 will see customers enjoy 25 percent airtime bonus once they top-up their airtime using Orange Money. The campaign is meant to appreciate Orange Money account holders for their continued support. The bonus airtime applicable to Orange pre-paid customers can be used for on-net calls, text messages and data usage, with the minimum top-up amount being KSh10. “Orange Money is rapidly being adopted by Kenyans in the payment of utility bills and purchase of goods and…
Bata Kenya, a leading footwear manufacturer and retailer, has joined the list of local companies that are storming the Jumia Kenya online marketplace. The company that boasts over 100 ultra modern stores across the country has chosen to list on the online marketplace in a move to reach a wider market and increase sales. The Jumia online marketplace is an online platform that allows merchants to list their products on Jumia.co.ke, transforming their physical store to an e-store and bridging the gap between online and offline sales. The seller centre allows merchants to monitor their sales as well as pending, shipped and cancelled…
The Government of Uganda has been accused of contravening the constitution by imposing a 10-percent exercise duty on money mobile withdrawal. Sectors blamed for the same include the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. Joshua Tumwine, the complainant, seeks a declaration that by recognizing the business and taxation of 10 percent exercise on mobile money withdrawal, the ministries responsible are infringing the Constitution. Tumwine has dragged the Attorney General (AG) and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to court claiming that the move undermines the rule of law and the constitutional mandate of the Bank of Uganda therefore going against the provisos…
Kenyan daily The Star has launched an e-paper set to operate on smartphone platforms such as Android, iOs, Blackberry OS, as well as on desktop PCs and tablets. The Star digital edition has various subscriptions to choose from: a weekly rate of KSh350, monthly rate of 1229, quarterly at KSh2810, half-yearly subscription for KSh4214 and a full annual subscription of KSh7024. Subscribers will pay through multiple platforms such as M-Pesa, Airtel Money, YUCash, VISA Card, MasterCard, or PesaPal. Other compatible payment platforms include 2CheckOut and PayPal for secure online transaction processing. The e-paper copy will be available for download at…
Business Connexion Group has announced Mr Issac Mophatlane as the company’s new chief effective 1 August 2014. He will take over the role of Mr Benjamin Mophatlane who passed away on 11 June 2014. Commenting on the appointment, BCX’s chairman Tony Ruiters said: “Isaac has an intimate understanding of the BCX, its operations and culture and his appointment as BCX CEO was a natural choice. “Benjamin’s legacy gives us a strong foundation to build upon. I look forward to continue working closely with Isaac to realize the vision and growth ambitions of BCX, both in South Africa and across the continent.”…
Internet Solutions (IS) has announced the addition of three Points of Presence (PoPs) to its widespread network across Africa. The new PoPs that are already available in Lesotho, Swaziland, and Malawi will enhance the company’s network accessibility and capability to better support businesses in Africa. “To deliver on our African growth strategy, we will continue to invest in infrastructure assets through owned build-outs as well as acquisitive investments, as appropriate for each market,” said Julian Sunker, IS chief operating officer. Internet Solutions is committed to increasing its infrastructure footprint to ensure up-to-standard connectivity and value-added services to local and international…
At least 15.5 million expectant women and mothers of young infants are expected to benefit from an mHealth initiative aimed at harnessing mobile technology towards reach, following a new partnership between Samsung, World Health Organisation (WHO) and the GSM Association (GSMA). Through the partnership, Samsung will ensure that mothers have easy access to vital health services through mobile technology. The programme will be rolled out in two phases. The first one will be launched in seven countries (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia) in September 2014. The second phase will include Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania…
Internet users are set to enjoy 1,000 times faster than normal broadband internet speeds with estimated broadband speed of 10 gigabits per second. This will be about 10 times faster than Google Fiber that currently offers the fastest speeds in the market. This comes after Bell Lab researchers came up with a unique means of providing internet services to subscribers who use internet at home or workplace. XG-FAST, Bell Labs parent company, plans to provide 10 gigabits per second over a distance of up to 30 meters, offering telcos a new way to ensure no customer is left behind when…
Users of Samsung Galaxy smartphones will now benefit from a revamped apps store called ‘Samsung Galaxy Apps’, which has more exclusive apps that allow for greater customization of mobile devices. The store that is available to over 130 million users across 161 countries will also function as a platform offering diverse promotions and discounts. “At Samsung, we continuously strive to create value for our customers by providing differentiated solutions and services coupled with innovative devices,” said WonPyo Hong, President of the Media Solution Center at Samsung Electronics. The Galaxy App store comes in three categories, Best Picks, Top, and For…
Chinese Mi3 phones have hit 10 million plus sales, beating Apple in China.Manufactured by Xiami, the Mi3 phone uses customized version of Google’s Android operating system. The five-inch display smartphone comes with an inbuilt 16GB, 1080p IPS and a 2.3GHz Qualcomm snapdragon 800 processor. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front facing camera. Xiaomi revealed earlier this week that the handset sales for all its smartphones in the first half of this year had exceeded 26 million units, compared to 18.7 million sales a year ago. Established in 2010, Xiami has grown a routine of selling its merchandise…
Mobile telecoms operator MTN Uganda has a history of losses resulting from internal misappropriation of funds. In a number of cases, former employees — mainly trade developers, mobile money agents and cleaners of contracted cleaning agencies — have faced convictions for defrauding the company. In a recent incident, illegal transactions on the company’s information system saw MTN Uganda lose over Ush3 billion. A digital forensic examiner who inspected a computer and external hard drive suspected to have been used in the transactions concluded that the persons wired the money to accounts of seven registered agents across Kampala. Some of the…
Mobile subscribers across Africa will now enjoy cheap, fast and easy access mobile video content thanks to Tuluntulu app, a mobile platform designed to deliver more than 10-TV type channels with a wide range of content. Tuluntulu’s technology is developed with the hope of beating Africa’s under-developed telecommunications infrastructure by overcoming the high mobile bandwidth costs. The developers of the app hope this will allow customers to enjoy minimized data costs when accessing content on their phones. Users will also enjoy fast buffering speeds with the rate adaptive app, good video quality and hands on control of their data costs…
Leading mobile company Safaricom and the Kenya Commercial Bank Group have merged in a partnership expected to re-shape how tens of millions of consumers in Kenya access financial and telecommunication services. The two companies joining up in the strategic partnership follows in global trends that have seen banks and telecommunications organizations engage in formal partnerships that enable them use their respective innovation and strategic strengths to jointly deploy products and solutions that address customer’s needs comprehensively. Safaricom today enjoys a customer base of 21.5 million customers served in over 250,000 shops—88,000 of which are M-PESA agents, and KCB Group is…
The East African Community (EAC) plans to harmonize regional calling rates to facilitate easy business operations among countries within the bloc. Among plans to launch pocket-friendly calling rates include working collaboratively with the regions communication technology leaders and telcos among other stakeholders who play a key role in integrating countries the member states. EAC plans to involve all telecommunications companies in the region. ICT ministers from member countries, namely Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan, convened in the One Area Network Project of the Northern corridor infrastructure sponsored by Airtel Rwanda to establish better platforms for traders in the EAC…
Nakuru County’s KSh200 million-worth Wi-Fi project will be rolled out to all areas around the central business district in August, the county’s government has said. The project faced unprecedented network coverage hitches that hindered its roll-out last month. The new development comes after several interest groups filed a lawsuit against the county government for misappropriating funds allocated for the Wi-Fi project. The groups demanded that the county government comes clean by accounting for the funds. Nakuru County residents have also complained of poor speed and absolute negligence in ensuring that the Wi-Fi covered the 10-kilometre radius within the expected time frame.…
Outdoor Advertising Association of Kenya has gone to court over a policy that will see Advertising firms in major towns pay service fees to both county government and National Highway Authority which is against the constitution that only mandates only county governments to impose charges on them. However, section 6(1) of the KENHA Regulations (2013) and section 22 (2) of the Kenya Roads Act enacted on May 10, 2013 by the then roads minister agree to the advertisers being levied by the agency which has seen many firms’ billboards rendered illegal. This comes as the second time the association has…
Safaricom, Kenya’s Leading telecommunication company has put out word against Equity bank’s Mobile Virtual Network Operator that was initially set to begin July and would see subscribers use special technology SIM cards designed to marry other SIMs. The firm’s CEO Bob Collymore has expressed the same to Communications Authority via a letter saying the Virtual Network Operator should not issue the special simcard as it would expose subscribers to financial fraud and deflect communication. The letter comes hardly a month after Cofek filed a suit seeking to block the award of the MVNO’s license due to breach of section 78…
Today Tech4Africa will host IBM’s Smartcamp Nairobi event at the Bishop magua Centre for the three finalists Chamasoft, Tenacle SaaS and Synacor. The event bring’s people in tech to learn, get inspired and meet new people in the industry. Running in four major towns; Nairobi, Lagos, Capetown and Johannesburg, the programme hopes to inspire progress, great content spread and have work turned to fun. Kenya’s Chamasoft is a platform that automates all activities in an investment group. It ensures complete automation of records management from members to financial institutions. The user has access to bank summary, total contribution summary including…
According to International Data Corporation (IDC), Kenya has recorded a 21.5 per cent growth in the mobile handset market after the re-introduction of VAT on handsets in 2013 by the government which has seen the country’s unofficial market benefit from the move. The premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, telecommunications and technology markets says the gray market has increased volume of shipments to the state accounting for more than two-thirds of the mobile handsets in the market. smartphone shipment increase according to the report by International Data Corporation has risen up to 104.6 percent in the first quarter…
Glasgow-based technology company, Cojengo in conjunction with Microsoft and its 4Afrika initiative have launched the VetAfrica app a technology outfit that aims at helping East African Farmers. The app will assist vets, animal health workers and farmers identify diseases affecting animals and also help them establish suitable drugs for the same therefore being of great help to rural farmers on the African continent. Conjengo is currently developing their product roadmap as well as engaging with major stakeholders across East Africa to further test and adopt VetAfrica. Now available online, the platform hopes to help farmers understand the features, evaluate efficiency…