The supreme court of Kenya, on the digital TV case has ordered the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) to reopen licensing of digital signal distribution for 90 days.

The court also wants the regulator as well as the three local media houses, Nation Media Group, Royal Media Services and Standard Media Group, to agree on a new timeline on the migration from analogue to digital television broadcast. Chief Justice Willy Mutunga directed the parties to dialogue and reach at an amicable new date for transition within 30 days.

This means that the transition from analogue to digital deadline is yet to be established, but it looks like the three media houses will have the signal distribution license they have been looking for all this while.

The Supreme Court bench on the matter consisted of Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, his deputy Lady Justice Kalpana Rawal, Judges Jackton Ojwang, Smokin Wanjala, Philip Tunoi, Njoki Ndung’u and Mohammed Ibrahim.

The petition, was filed at the High Court in October last year by the Nation Media Group, Royal Media Services and Standard Media Group

Kenya was to transit from analogue to digital by the end of 2011 but the process was impossible due to logistic reasons as well as inadequate distribution of digital converters. The d-day was rescheduled for December 31 2012 but was rejected when Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) a lobby group, went to court to stop the process.

Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) argued that Kenyan consumers were not ready for the switch-off owing to the high cost of set-top-boxes (converters that enable analogue TV sets receive digital signals.)

Ecobank Nigeria and MaserCard have come together to ensure that all the bank’s customers have MasterCard debit cards. the 10 year partnership comes after a licensing agreement between the two parties  to provide MasterCard payment solutions in 28 sub-Saharan African nations.

“Electronic payment platforms provide a cost-effective way to improve financial inclusion in Africa, which is at the core of the vision of Ecobank,” said Patrick Akinwuntan, Ecobank’s Group Executive Director, Domestic Banking. “In teaming up with MasterCard, we are providing our customers with a “best of breed” solution, combining local market knowledge and proven technological expertise with the economies of scale that derive from access to the leading pan-African payments platform.”

Nigeria is currently on a drive to accelerate the adoption of electronic payments, with various stakeholders, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, working with the Nigeria Interbank Settlement Scheme (NIBSS), have commenced a consumer awareness campaign to explain the benefits of electronic payment platforms, with the aim of increasing their acceptance.

“In Nigeria, increased urbanization, a growing labor force and the rise of online shopping are fuelling demand for more convenient payments,” added Jibril Aku, Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria. “Using electronic payments to penetrate the country’s unbanked population of nearly 80 million also represents a market with huge, untapped potential.”

Daniel Monehin, Division President, Sub-Saharan Africa, MasterCard, commented: “Our vision can only become a reality through collaborations with key industry stakeholders, such as the Ecobank Group. Working together with governments, financial institutions, merchants and businesses, we will be able to help modernize the payment industry in Africa.”

In 2011, MasterCard entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Ecobank Group, through which the banking group would become an issuer and acquirer of MasterCard products in more than 1,200 branches across Africa.

The collaboration comes at a time when MasterCard is working in partnership with governments and financial institutions around the world to broaden usage and acceptance of electronic payments, promoting their benefits relative to cash transactions.

The Central Bank of Kenya has approved Safaricom’s M-Pesa service to offer cashless fare payment. Through M-Pesa matatus will use Lipa and M-Pesa mobile payment system in order to issue physical receipts. According to the rules Regulations of the system commuters should be issued with receipts after using their prepaid cards.

Safaricom is betting on its subscriber base for a larger share of the cashless fare market.

The Central bank had previously approved Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Co-operative bank (Co-op) and Equity bank as service providers. The bank is looking to harvest more than Ksh2 billion through this service.

KCB partnered with Tap-to-Pay and MasterCardto bring the Abiria Card, Equity Bank on the other hand brought Beba Pay in partnership with Google all in the bid to facilitate the cashless fare service. Both cards should generate receipts after each transaction.

The cashless fare system is expected to curb erratic increases in fares and enable Kenya Revenue Authority collect taxes from the industry. Other firms seeking to offer the cashless fare payment will have to get approval from the Central Bank of Kenya before December 1^st.

The bank is seeking a larger share of the cash transfer market and piece of the voice business using its own overlay thin SIM card technology that Safaricom is opposing. Regulators have allowed Equity to operate the thin SIM in a one year pilot.

Denny Marandure is now back in Zimbabwe as the CEO of the country’s internet provider ZOL; he has been working for Verizon Communications for the last twelve years. Prior to that, Marandure has worked for the past nineteen years in America and South Africa and has enough experience to take ZOL by storm.

“ZOL Fibroniks is so much more than a simple fibre in the ground to your home,” said Marandure, “It is a lifestyle en-abler.  And here in Zimbabwe we have the opportunity to get in front of technology with the latest materials and systems.  We are going to put Zimbabwe and Zimbabwean people at the front of the world stage.”

Marandure’s experience in America has taught him the importance of the customer experience and he intends to ensure that ZOL develops a reputation for a world-class service.

“We will be monitoring and enhancing present activities together with implementing training and corrective measures right across the company. The customer experience starts at the inception of the order and continues through the whole process, even continuing with maintenance and after care.” He said.

Marandure started as a Business Analyst then moving on to Senior Pricing Analyst with Verizon Communications, he later was promoted to Regional Business Manager and for the last five years worked as Strategy and Business Development Manager for their global division, reporting directly to the Vice President of Verizon Global Enterprise.  Prior to Verizon, Marandure had gained essential financial experience working for accountants Price Waterhouse Cooper as senior business management consultant, and IBM as a financial analyst.

In his education journey, Marandure left Mutare High School and attended University of Zimbabwe and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBS) in 1988 and after working for a few years in Zimbabwe he went on to pursue his MBA degree in Howard University in Washington DC.

TomTom South Africa has announced that they will be sponsoring one of the VIP boats at the inaugural 2014 RiskSA Regatta. The biggest corporate sailing event this side of the Atlantic, will be held on 25 – 26 October 2014 at the Royal Cape Yacht Club in the Port of Cape Town’s Foreshore.

“The TomTom VIP boat will host the industry leaders and other guests, giving them a first-hand account of the Regatta” said Etienne Louw, MD at TomTom South Africa.

The Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town’s picturesque Table Bay will see off 20 racing keel boats, branded with company regalia, as they compete for top honours and big prizes. This is the America’s Cup of the South African insurance industry – a first of its kind in South Africa.

The crews of each boat need not have any sailing experience, as each boat will have a competent skipper and qualified crew to help, however each guest or crew member will play their part in bringing their boat to the finish line.

The Royal Cape Yacht Club’s Development Sailing was established to introduce underprivileged youth from within the city of Cape Town and its surrounding areas to the opportunities available from partaking in ocean sailing. The RCYC Development Sailing provides the youth with the opportunity to further their careers within the marine industry and progress with the sport of sailing.  Skills that are learned include navigation skills, boat handling skills, first aid and interpersonal skills.

As a part of the event RISKSA, in accordance with the Royal Cape Yacht Club, will be donating a portion of the proceeds to the RCYC Development sailing team.

The Nigeria Customs Service has launched its official Facebook page and Twitter handle in a bid to curb fraud, just days after the recent approval of a new Social Media Policy by its management.

The official page, www.facebook.com/customsng, and the Twitter handle @CustomsNG will continually update fans and followers on relevant and authoritative information on policy statements, Customs news, tariffs, events, scam alerts, videos, among others.

The customs also has YouTube channel with educational videos and announcements.

According to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dikko Inde Abdullahi CFR, “the new social media policy will complement existing efforts in the traditional media to combat the scourge of online scammers currently duping innocent and unsuspecting citizens. The page, www.facebook.com/customsng on Facebook and @CustomsNG Twitter handle are the only true and authentic social media channels of the NCS.”

The body also wants to issue a disclaimer to every other Facebook/Twitter profile that purport to represent the Service and warn any criminals using the page of dire consequences.

The offcial pages and Twitter handle inguish our page from others include the NCS logo, Service colours, and exclusive videos. The Customs Facebook/Twitter handle are also linked to the Customs official website (www.customs.gov.ng) on the .gov.ng domain of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

6. To ensure continuity, the NCS has designated, trained, and equipped Social Media Desk Officers from the Public Relations department as schedule Officers to provide round the clock service to stakeholders and members of the general public.

7. The Management of Nigeria Customs Service wishes to restate its resolve to engage actively with our stakeholders for improved trade facilitation and national securi

Business software and services firm Sage South Africa has acquired SkillsMap, an online platform that connects employers in South Africa and the rest of the world with quality talent to strengthen its Sage VIP Recruitment business  and its Payroll & HR solutions.

The cloud -based, end-to-end recruitment solution is expcted to give Sage’s customers direct access to top talent in Africa and abroad for exclusive positions and is expected to broaden the firm’s by giving its customers more options to address their recruitment needs.

“The SkillsMap software filters candidates, consolidates data and tracks placements. For a monthly subscription fee, it gives companies access to an applicant tracking system, public talent community and customised client career portal,” announced the firm. “The acquisition of SkillsMap positions Sage as the only provider in the market that can offer payroll and HR, an applicant tracking system and a job board in one solution. This empowers customers to achieve significant efficiencies in their businesses.”

Founded in 2012 in Pretoria by Heidi Duvenage, SkillsMap will help Sage South Africa provide small and medium sized organisations with a range of easy-to-use, secure and efficient business management software and services – from accounting and payroll, to enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and payments.

FNB has launched its latest banking app that will now enable customers to send money across the border for South Africa to Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

FNB’s Zimbabwe Money Transfer service was first launched on Cellphone Banking last year in april so as to enable South African customers to send money to Zimbabwe. The capability to send money to Zimbabwe through Online Banking followed in November 2013 and the Mozambique money transfer on both of these platforms was launched in June 2014.

“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 Banking App as there is a growing need for ease of payments between countries and with an increase in affordable smartphones, more customers will be using App banking for all their banking needs.”

To access this service, users will have to update their current App or download the FNB Banking App. The service is still available for those without smartphones, the service continues to be available via FNB Cellphone Banking and FNB Online Banking. Recipients do not need to be preregistered but must hold an identity document of the country where they are receiving the funds. Money can be collected at selected OK Ltd stores throughout Zimbabwe or at one of the 15 FNB branches in Mozambique.

“The value that FNB’s Money Transfer service adds to our customers’ lives is evident. Being able to send money instantly from your phone, desk or smart device makes this a truly convenient and affordable way to send money home in an emergency, as the sender does not need to take time off work or travel to a branch or agency,” says Leonora van der Plas, Head of Cross-border Remittances at FNB.

Impoverished communities in South Africa will soon be enjoying free WiFi, thanks to the partnership between Coca-Cola South Africa, bottling partner Coca-Cola Fortune and BT Global Services.

Coca-Cola is installing the refreshment-dispensing coolers while BT is providing design and support, connectivity and internet access, as well as business training.The pilot project has been launched in two key areas in Umtata in the Eastern Cape province and Nelspruit, in the Mpumalanga province.

“The initiative forms part of Coca-Cola’s commitment to building sustainable communities by empowering the members of these communities. We believe that by giving them access to free WiFi we will enable students and school children in the area to increase their knowledge through research while also giving entrepreneurs and small business owners in the community the opportunity to manage some of their business aspects online,” says David Visser, Chief Information Officer of Coca-Cola South Africa.

Oliver Fortuin, MD, BT Global Services, Sub Saharan Africa, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Coca-Cola and be involved in a project that will give underserved communities much improved access to information and education opportunities. At BT, we have a vision for a Connected Society: to help improve society globally through the power of digital connections. As well as providing access, we want to help people use technology to apply their creativity and harness the possibilities of today’s connected world.”

The project provides WiFi connectivity for community members of Nelspruit and Umtata. The sites were strategically chosen for their accessibility, so as to maximise usage of technology by the locals. The first site is Sasol Integrated Energy Centre (SIEC) in Qunu, Umtata. This is a popular spot for locals and is in close proximity to a taxi rank, attracting large numbers of people. Furthermore SIEC is run by a predominantly women run co-operative which will benefit from the increased flow of people. The second site is located at Thokozane Fast Food situated in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.

Both outlets are in the vicinity of shopping centres and schools, allowing members of the communities to combine their day-to-day activities with the opportunity to access the internet for business and educational purposes. Internet access is offered for free via WiFi, without any purchase requirement of any kind and is accessible for the duration of the time spent at the outlets.

Coca-Cola South Africa, Coca-Cola Fortune and BT Global Services aim to grow the project and install WiFi coolers in various parts of South Africa to help support and grow sustainable communities.