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Unyazi IV Electronic Music Festival reveals final line-up

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
Unyazi IV Electronic Music Festival reveals final line-up

Unyazi logo

NewMusic SA has announced the complete schedule of Unyazi IV Electronic Music Festival, which takes place as part of the Fak’ugesi: Digital Africa Festival line-up, at Wits and the Goethe Institute from September 9 to 13, 2014.

With a total of nine concerts, an artistic sound installation, as well as a non-stop listening room, the five-day music festival promises to highlight the brightest up-and-coming artists and the wealth of established musical talent in South Africa and beyond.

Cameron Harris, co-curator of the Unyazi event and lecturer in Composition and Music Theory at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said: “The 2014 schedule encompasses top quality concerts, talks, demonstrations and workshops, all of which will provide unsurpassed insight into the composers and musicians behind the music.”

Running throughout the festival, a well-equipped listening room will be both aurally and physically at the centre of activities. Curated by Carl Stone, the event will feature over 30 composers from around the world.

Also poised to become a major highlight and talking point of this year’s festival is Lukas Ligeti’s sound installation, which will run for the duration of the festival at the JoziHub venue. In this not-to-be-missed loudspeaker installation, sounds recorded at soccer games at World Cup matches in Brazil – fans chanting, players panting, vendors hawking, balls hitting goalposts – are reassembled into a new, fictional match.

Another must-see event is the Unyazi at Goethe concert taking place on September 11, 2014 at the Goethe Institute in Parkview, featuring The South African New Music Ensemble at its finest.

A festival pass for admission to all Unyazi IV Electronic Music Festival events can be purchased for R100. On September 10 and 13, there will be two concerts per evening – a double-bill price of R50 per evening will apply. Festival goers can also take advantage of low general admission pricing at R40 for evening concerts, while at lunchtime concerts admission is free.

Complete programme information and more details on performing artists, times and venues can be found at http://www.newmusicsa.org.za/unyazi-2014

SkyVision gives Education and e-Learning kits to Orphans In Ghana

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
SkyVision gives Education and e-Learning kits to Orphans In Ghana

image002

 

SkyVision has donated its flagship satellite connectivity solutions to further support students at Ghana’s Crossover International Academy.

SkyVision’s donation included upgrading the academy’s communications equipment with the support of VT iDirect, and providing Internet connectivity for an additional year, enabling students to access online educational programs and related e-learning tools.

In 2013, the first phase of this charitable project was initiated jointly by SkyVision and iDirect. SkyVision’sSkyDirect VSAT service based on iDirect’s platform was installed and deployed throughout the academy, delivering reliable Internet access to all students.

“Without SkyVision stepping up and once again, donating a second year of Internet service, we would have been forced to shut down our e-learning programs,” said James Conti, Co-Founder and CEO, Wings for Crossover.

SkyVision’s extension project will provide quality satellite communications throughout the school, considered by the faculty, as a ‘lifeline’ for continued learning. Internet provides the students with access to streaming video, social media, and email, and offers online programs such as the Khan Academy for mathematics, and PRO for reading and comprehension.

“We are both proud and honored to support Crossover and the many students in need of education. It has been a pleasure to follow and be part of this important and life-changing project,” stated Tzvika Zaiffer, Director of Product Management & Marketing.

Ori Watermann, SkyVision CEO, said: “We are committed to giving back to the global communities in which we work and education is a fundamental stepping stone towards these children’s growth and success. This project is proof of the significance and importance of satellite communications in education. SkyVision is proud to support the future in this developing nation, starting with its children, it’s most vital resource.”

Somali Journalist arrested for denouncing directive to cover military operation

Robin Okuthe
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0
Somali Journalist arrested for denouncing directive to cover military operation

The National Intelligence and Security Agency is holding Hassan Gessey, a Somali journalist and radio director at the independent Dalsan Radio, without charge. It is claimed that after Gessey criticized a directive to restrain from reporting on military operations.

According to news report, Gessey and Abubakar Moyhedin, a presenter and staff manager at the Mogadishu station, were arrested by armed members of the security services at around 9.00 am.

Local journalists  told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that Moyhedin was released after a couple of hours though Gessey remains in custody and has not been charged.

“The arrest comes after Gessey gave several radio interviews in his capacity as chairman of the Somali Independent Media Houses Association (SIMHA) on Tuesday evening, including one for the U.S.-backed Voice of America Somali Service. In the interviews, Gessey denounced a directive made by the National Intelligence and Security Agency that called on the Somali press to restrict their coverage of a military operation,” stated CPJ.

Tom Rhodes, the representative at CPJ East Africa, also noted: “Somalia authorities seem to have committed a double press freedom violation: first they tried to censor the media by asking them not to report on certain military operations, and then they arrested a journalist who dared to criticize the censorship. We request authorities to release Hassan Gessey at once and let the press do its job.”

Government spokesman Abdirahman Omar told CPJ that Information Minister Mustafa Dhuholow is looking into the interest of Gessey though the government has not yet responded to SIMHA’s concerns about the press directive.

According to SIMHA and some local journalists, the directive was given to media outlets on Tuesday during a meeting with the new security chief, Mohamed Aden Kofi. It asks the press to restrict coverage of operations against Al-Shabaab.

SIMHA, an umbrella media support organization representing 28 independent outlets in Somalia, issued a statement on Tuesday calling on the National Assembly to step in what it considered as a violation of press freedom.

“Somali and African Union forces are currently involved in Operation Indian Ocean — a military operation to oust Al-Shabaab. The militia, which has links to al-Qaeda and is suspected of being linked to terror attacks in Kenya, has been pushed out of most Somali towns it once held, but insurgents still control large rural areas of the country,” stated CPJ.

Gessey is presently held at the Banadir, a regional security office locally known as “Godka Jila’ow.”

Tanzanian entrepreneur narrates to CNN ‘African Start-Up’ about her lifestyle store

Caroline Vutagwa
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Tanzanian entrepreneur narrates to CNN ‘African Start-Up’ about her lifestyle store

african stratup

 

On this ‘African Start-up’, CNN International invites viewers to venture to the heart of Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam, to see how Kemi Kalikawe, the owner of Naledi Lifestyle, has taken her passion for design and turned it into a boutique.

Kalikawe grew up in Botswana and named her business Naledi, which means “star” in Botswanan. She chose the name to reflect the unique approach she has taken with her store, which opened six years ago. “In the store, I make dresses, I cater mostly for women. And I do jewelry and also sandals, which have all got an influence of African fabrics,” says Kalikawe.

The Naledi brand can be described as’ Africa Revamped’- Africa getting a modern twist and just bringing the West and Africa together, marrying them into something beautiful. Kalikawe makes her products with indigenous Tanzanian fabrics like the Khanga and Kitenge.

SEACOM Deploys Two PoPs in Uganda

Sam Wakoba
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SEACOM Deploys Two PoPs in Uganda

seacomSEACOM has moved to strengthen its pan-African presence with the direct deployment of two Points of Presence (PoPs) in Uganda.

With the Uganda Communications Commission giving its clearance to SEACOM Uganda Ltd by issuing the Public Infrastructure Provider licenses, SEACOM will offer a full array of telecom services in Uganda and unleash their associated benefits to Ugandan network operators and service providers.

The deployment of the PoPs will further enable onward access to other neighbouring countries such as Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan.

Byron Clatterbuck, Chief Commercial Officer at SEACOM, expressed his delight at the progress of the company’s strategy for East Africa with the launch into the Ugandan market.

“Our new license allows us to own and operate our network all the way between Kampala and our international network.  This will help bring more global connectivity to Uganda while improving the quality of the broadband experience for Ugandans,” said Clatterbuck.

To enable service provision in Kampala and the Kampala metro, SEACOM Uganda will deploy one of the Points of Presence (PoPs) within the capital at Airtel House and the other location is to be confirmed shortly. These PoPs will be directly connected through ring-switched backhaul links through Nairobi to Mombasa and then on to the SEACOM international subsea cable network.

Through these connections, Uganda will have more direct and resilient access to global communications interconnection points and the global Internet.  SEACOM’s IP network offers global connectivity to Europe and Asia, interconnection to multiple Tier-1 network operators, as well as more and more African-hosted content.

The deployment of the two PoPs will improve Internet access for Ugandans by 50 per cent, enabling users to access popular content such as video, music and software updates through SEACOM’s partnerships with global content development networks such as Level 3, Akamai and others.

Furthermore, Ugandan service providers will now also be able to use SEACOM’s remote peering service. This product provides access to more than 1,100 members of exchanges such AMS-IX, LINX, FRANCE-IX and NAP Africa through a single port solution on the SEACOM network. The result is that Ugandan operators will be able grow and optimize their networks more efficiently.

“Ugandan operators and service providers will benefit from our highly resilient and redundant submarine cables with immediate effect,” Clatterbuck added. “They will be able to rapidly activate services and upgrades through our flexible and scalable network platforms. The result will be a better quality of service for their end-customers.”

Why Lumia 930 could be the year’s best business device

Caroline Vutagwa
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Why Lumia 930 could be the year’s best business device

lumia

Mobile usage trends in Kenya are shifting as more people go for devices that perform more than basic tasks of calling and sending text messages. The rise of online media and affordable internet access are some of the reasons that can be associated to this trend. Devices with brilliant features and offered at every price point are quickly winning hearts, so it’s not surprising that Lumia devices are gaining ground in the market.

Microsoft recently launched the Lumia 930, a device that combines the very best of Microsoft and Lumia. A powerful 2.2GHz Snapdragon quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM ensure the Lumia 930 delivers superb performance as your business phone.

Firstly, it’s the first high-end Lumia to run Windows Phone 8.1. software, which has been designed to combine the best of Microsoft’s mobile and desktop ecosystems. Thanks to a bundle of new synchronization features (just log into a Microsoft account to sync everything from the screen to settings, documents, photos, themes and favourites), mobile workers will feel at home on any compatible device.

The OS upgrade also means that Lumia 930 has Skype integrated with the dialer app, so any normal business phone call be upgraded to a video call at the tap of a key. The calendar’s enhanced user interface gives executives an even better overview of future engagements and tasks, while the new action center keeps tabs of business-critical alerts and notifications.

The phone has a 5-inch full HD 1080p display, readable in broad daylight at the bus station, and route to a meeting, or over lunch.

The Lumia 930′s impressive imaging credentials include a 20-megapixel Pure View camera with Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, and four microphones for recording high-definition audio. The smartphone’s big 2420 mAh battery is ideal for flexible working hours, with wireless charging built-in for quick power boosts during office visits. What’s more, the 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor will ensure silky smooth multi-tasking.

While the Lumia 930′s stylish metal and polycarbonate design will evoke envious glances at meetings, the latest flagship Lumia is also packed with business apps. These include Lync (a free download) for corporate messaging as well as the indispensable Microsoft Office Mobile (Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote). For professional wordsmiths, it’s great news that typing on the Lumia 930 is possible without lifting fingers between keys on the keyboard.

Team documents, notes, tasks and presentations can be stored and shared with SharePoint or OneDrive, and Adobe Reader is free to download. For IT managers and professional enterprise grade assistance, Expert Centre is available online for expert advice, answers and peer-to-peer discussions on Lumia and business solutions.

For IT management with enterprise-grade requirements, the best news may well be the Lumia 930′s upgraded Mobile Device Management (MDM) capabilities. These include the ability to push VPN, Exchange and SharePoint settings, to name just a few, centrally to all employees. As a result, employees will have even easier access to enterprise services.

Along with the security features Lumia devices are famed for, the Lumia 930 also comes with auto-triggered VPN and S/MIME support, automatic Wi-Fi provisioning and the possibility to whitelist and blacklist applications for corporate users.

List of OLX Social Media Awards Nominees Released

Caroline Vutagwa
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List of OLX Social Media Awards Nominees Released

soma awards

 

Deloitte East Africa, the world’s largest management consulting firm, will audit this year’s OLX Social Media Awards organized by the Kenya Social Media Awards.

Deloitte Partner Dr. Martin Oduor-Otieno says auditing will ensure eventual winners reflect the true picture of the development witnessed in the social media and the impact it has had on Kenyans.

“We want to make the Awards process as transparent as possible to come up with winners who have truly made immense contribution to the digital space and can inspire more people to make use of the various Online platforms to impact lives,” says Oduor-Otieno.

Oduor-Otieno spoke as the list of nominees for the 2nd Annual Awards was released. The Awards ceremony will be held on October 3nd, 2014, after conclusion of the voting exercise, which begins today.

He says the list of nominees reflects who is who in the local social media landscape under various categories and social media users will have the final say on winners by participating in the voting exercise.

The nominees in the various categories will benefit from a free course in social media from Hootsuite University.

Director of Kenya Social Media Awards, Mr. Martin Muli, says the course by Hootsuite University will help build capacity of nominees and further enhance the impact of social media on the society.

“The partnership between the Kenya Social Media Awards and Hootsuite University will help nominees build on their social media skills through webinars featuring best practices and tips from industry-leading brands, platforms and educators,” says Mr. Muli

The Hootsuite University Program is designed for professionals seeking to increase skills in Hootsuite and other social media tools and tactics. The Hootsuite is a web-based social media management tool.

The theme for this year’s OLX Social Media Awards is “Making Social Media Work For You.”

The judges have shortlisted five nominees under each category of the Awards, which include the National and County Governments, Learning Institutions, and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

Other categories are Social Network Personality of the Year, Large Corporation, Traditional Media, Best use of Social Media and the Best of the Best.

To vote for the nominees, social media users will be required to visit the Awards website: www.soma.or.ke.

Mr. Muli has asked social media enthusiasts to participate in the process by voting for the nominees they believe have made great contributions to the Digital Space.

“After an elaborate short listing process, presided over by a panel of judges from diverse professional backgrounds with deep interest and influence in digital communication, Kenyans have another chance to decide who emerges the winner under the various categories by taking part in the voting exercise,” he says.

The country manager of OLX Kenya, the sponsors of the Awards, Mr Peter Ndiangu’i, says they will promote the growth of businesses and communication through social media.

“As a classified service, OLX Kenya has been able to use social media to reach out to Kenyans and showcase the value proposition of selling the items they don’t need or use online and this has positively impacted the economy,” he says.

OLX Kenya has been the title sponsor of the Awards for two consecutive years.

Two Kenyan organizations shortlisted for Kshs48million prize In The Nestlé Creating Shared Value (CSV).

Caroline Vutagwa
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Two Kenyan organizations shortlisted for Kshs48million prize In The Nestlé Creating Shared Value (CSV).

nest

 

Sanergy, a Kenyan social enterprise that makes affordable and hygienic sanitation accessible in the slums and Kenyan based Honey Care Africa (HCA) are among the finalists in the running to win the 2014 Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value (CSV).

Nestlé announced three finalists all working across East Africa, who were shortlisted from 759 entries obtained from all over the world. The announcement was made yesterday at the 2014 World Water Week in Stockholm.

Honey Care Africa was shortlisted for its project in South Sudan where it is helping locals generate additional income through honey production.

“We plan to use the prize money to help 35,000 farmers in impoverished South Sudan become commercial beekeepers by 2017, allowing them to generate additional income through honey production,” said Ryan Marincowitz, Country Manager HCA in South Sudan.

On its part, Sanergy promotes access to sanitation for the approximately 8 million slum residents in Kenya who are forced to rely on unsanitary options such as “flying toilets” and pit latrines that release untreated human waste into the environment.

According to Sanergy co-founder, David Auerbach, the organization will use the money to reach more than 300,000 people and create 2,000 new jobs over five years.

“We have opened 470 Fresh Life Toilets in the slums in Nairobi with over 20,000 residents now with access to affordable hygienic sanitation. We collect and treat over 7 tons of waste daily,” said David.

The third finalist was MSABI, a Tanzanian not-for-profit organisation promoting access to safe water and sanitation for rural populations in the country.

The three organizations will each win a share of the CHF 500,000 (approximately Kshs48million) from Nestlé. The overall winner will be announced at the annual Nestlé CSV Forum on the 9 October 2014.

“The Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value is awarded every two years to help scale up or replicate business-oriented initiatives that address challenges in nutrition, water or rural development,” said Cornel Krummenacher, CEO of Nestlé Equatorial African Region (EAR).

CSV is Nestlé’s approach to doing business – To build a business capable of both superior shareholder value and helping people improve their nutrition, health, and wellness.

The overall aim of the Nestlé Prize in creating shared value is to reward the best examples of CSV initiatives worldwide and to encourage others to adopt this approach. The Prize is open to individuals, governmental and non-governmental organizations, academia and social enterprises.

Africa Sand Dam Foundation (ASDF), a Kenyan organisation and its UK partner Excellent Development won the prize in 2012 that has enabled it construct modern water dams in the arid areas of Machakos County.

Nominations for the 2016 Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value will be accepted from 9 October 2014 until 28 February 2015.

Windows Phone 8.1 enters Tanzania with stylish, innovatory Lumia Devices

Victoria Mukami
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Windows Phone 8.1 enters Tanzania with stylish, innovatory Lumia Devices

Microsoft announced the availability of three new Lumia devices, which include Lumia 530, 930 and 630, in Tanzania this week. Each of the Lumia devices is powered by Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft’s most recent version of its mobile operating system.

Kongori Gitahi, the Products Manager at East Africa Microsoft mobile Device,s stated: “Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones are presently even more personal, with new features such as an Action Centre that displays new notifications and activities at a glance. Other features are a suite that removes the hassle of managing storage space, battery life and data use.”

Windows Phone 8.1 enables professionals to connect to important business apps and services as well as IT professionals manage devices. According to Gitahi, Tanzanians need to use the Lumia services to ensure smooth access to more services as well as user-friendly connections.

Additional elements that have been incorporated include a reworked calendar, unique and personalized backgrounds as well as signature features like Live Tiles.

Rocket Internet and Kinnevik Merge Five Fashion retail sites

Sam Wakoba
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Rocket Internet and Kinnevik Merge Five Fashion retail sites

rocket-internet-logoNews in this morning indicate that Investment AB Kinnevik and Rocket Internet have agreed to merge five leading fashion e-commerce businesses Dafiti (Latin America), Jabong (India), Lamoda (Russia & CIS), Namshi (Middle East) and Zalora (South East Asia & Australia) to create a new global fashion e-commerce group (“GFG”).

According to Oliver Samwer, co-founder and CEO of Rocket, GFG will be focused on capturing the massive growth opportunity of fashion e-commerce in emerging markets. He added: “Each of the business units will be able to build on the original Rocket platform and continue to leverage knowledge and expertise gained across 23 countries. I look forward to working with our founders in accelerating GFG’s growth profile and development even further.”

GFG will operate across the five continents and will cover 23 countries with a EUR 330 billion fashion market and population of over 2.5 billion people. It will market a wide assortment of leading International apparel and accessories brands and local assortments for specific ethnic markets notably in India, Indonesia and the Middle East.

The five GFG companies combine a unique expertise of developing leading online brands (e.g. Dafiti in Brazil), building the necessary infrastructure including where necessary last mile delivery networks (e.g. Lamoda Express in Russia), creating leading private label brands (e.g. “Lara Karen” and “Sangria” by Jabong in India and ”ZALORA” and “Ezra” by Zalora in South East Asia) and delivering best-in-class mobile applications (e.g. Namshi in Middle East).

Lorenzo Grabau, CEO of Kinnevik, said, “The creation of GFG brings together five powerful digital brands led by a unique group of highly talented founders and managers. By operating as a single entity, Dafiti, Jabong, Lamoda, Namshi and Zalora will be even more effective in expanding their leadership positions in their respective marketplaces.”

The move is amied at improving global best practice sharing across functions, deliver economies of scale in sourcing international brands and marketing with global media channels, strengthen the private label efforts, enhance GFG’s ability to attract and retain top talent, accelerate development of technology platforms, and enable GFG to acquire a leadership position in growth market fashion e-commerce.

Per June 30th, 2014, GFG had 4.6m active customers and over 7,000 employees. For the first six months of 2014, GFG websites had 353m unique visitors, received 8.4m orders and generated EUR 436m of Gross Merchandise Volume. In 2013, GFG’s IFRS revenues amounted to EUR 406m.

Since launch in 2011 and 2012, the five e-commerce companies have attracted funding in excess of EUR 1bn from Kinnevik, Access Industries, Summit Partners, Verlinvest, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Tengelmann and a number of other investors. With approximately EUR 350m of cash as of 30 Jun 2014, GFG is very well capitalised to continue to execute on its plans and capture its growth opportunities.

Substantially all the direct and indirect shareholders in the five existing e-commerce companies will contribute their shares into a newly formed Luxembourg-based entity. The three largest shareholders in GFG will be Kinnevik, Rocket and Access Industries, with 25.1%, 23.5% and 7.4% ownership interests, respectively.

The GFG companies will continue to be led by their respective founders and management teams with a few select additions to the leadership team intended to foster group synergies and the pursuit of global initiatives.

The Board of Directors at GFG will include Lorenzo Grabau, CEO of Kinnevik as Chairman, Oliver Samwer, CEO of Rocket as Deputy Chairman and representatives of the other largest shareholders.

Rocket started in 2007 and now has more than 20,000 employees across its network of companies, which operate in more than 100 countries on five continents.

Huawei partners with MTN to Launch G6 SmartPhone in Zambia

Robin Okuthe
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Huawei partners with MTN to Launch G6 SmartPhone in Zambia

Mobile phone manufacturer Huawei and telecoms operator MTN Zambia have jointly launched the most recent Huawei G6 mobile handset they say “provides users with the most advanced mobile-based technology.”

Huawei G6

Commenting on the launch of the gadget, MTN spokesperson Clement Asante said it was a great opportunity for MTN to collaborate with Huawei Technologies in launching the new G6 smartphone in Zambia.

“MTN Zambia proceeds to enjoy mutually beneficial partnership with Huawei Technologies of Zambia which allows us to offer our subscribers high quality devices. We are accomplishing this through various initiatives including the provision of the country’s fastest internet through 3G and 4GLTE networks in addition to the most recent smart phones and relevant devise to our customers,” Asante said.

“MTN has over the past years invested greatly in network transformation plans to provide customers world-class mobile broadband services and was strategically focused on the growth of data in Zambia.”

The new phone has 8GB internal memory and a full HD 4.5 inch screen. It can allow superfast uploading and downloading of files, taking of smart audio photos and unparalleled internet and data experience.

Asante noted that Huawei is dedicated to enriching life through communication and that the company strives to be the best partner for enterprise customers and telecom carriers even as it is turning out to be a brand of choice for consumers.

Kenya Power introduces new website to address plethoric blackouts

Robin Okuthe
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Kenya Power introduces new website to address plethoric blackouts

Kenya’s power utility firm Kenya Power has developed a new website called ‘PowerAlert,’ it says will help reduce unexpected outages and blackouts as well as make it easier for Kenyans to establish places without electricity.

PowerAlert gives realtime power blackouts and status throughout the country. It is divided into eight zones from North Eastern to Coast.

According to Kenya Power, the website consolidates all scheduled outages or shutdowns in a single portal for clients to plan their daily activities effectively as well as help minimize inconveniences that may be caused.

PowerAlert also allows users to sign in through their Facebook, Twitter and Google accounts and by including one’s location, the user receives an SMS, Twitter or e-mail notification when an outage occurs within the area.

Kenya Power has recently embraced social media and technology in a bid to improve service delivery with several users receiving faster replies to complaints through Facebook or Twitter than the usual customer service telephone lines.

PowerAlert website shows whether the power problem within an area has been reported and what the company is doing regarding the issue. The comment section allows customers to check or report the status.

It is expected that as more Kenya Power systems are becoming automated, the company could attain efficient and faster response to complaints and billing.

Airtel Kenya looks to change game after Adopting 2.55M yu Subscribers

Sam Wakoba
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Airtel Kenya looks to change game after Adopting 2.55M yu Subscribers

airtelAirtel Kenya has announced that it has finalized an agreement with Essar Telecom Kenya Limited (ETKL), which operates as YuMobile telecom service in Kenya, for the acquisition of its part of its business in Kenya after YuMobile received approval for the transaction from Communication Authority (CA).

The agreement which will now be filed with Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) for the requisite approval will see Airtel acquire the company’s 2.55 million subscribers and System for Mobile (GSM) communications licenses. The 2.55 million customers will join Airtel’s Kenya’s 5.3 million customers, growing its customer base by 50% to 7.85 million and customer market share to 25%.

However, compared to Safaricom’s 20 million plus susbcribers, Airtel’s 7.85 million susbribers are a drop in the ocean.

In a statement following upon the announcement of the new deal, Airtel Kenya CEO Adil El Youssefi stated that the Airtel network has operated in Kenya over the last 14 years, explaining that the company’s acquisition of the yuMobile license and its entire customer base is a re-affirmation of its commitment and intention to continue growing its business and building its brand in Kenya for the longer term.

To make the shift seamless yuMobile subscribers will move to Airtel with their current yuMobile numbers, they will continue to enjoy their current services in addition to Airtel Kenya’s superior quality national network.

They will also gain access to Airtel’s state of the art 3G network (yuMobile customers do not currently have 3G services), guaranteeing them unmatched fast connection speeds to internet across the country; enabling them to browse and connect with friends and family on social media with ease.

MTN Business Kenya sues Iphone Global over debt

Susan Mwenesi
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MTN Business Kenya sues Iphone Global over debt

MTN Business Kenya has filed a case in court against Iphone Global over a Sh8.2 million ($ 97,604.21) debt that accrued from internet services provided to the latter in 2007 and 2010.

The Business Daily reports that MTN submitted that defunct UUNet had failed and neglected to make any payment for the services and instead only made empty promises.

UUNet was to be pay on a monthly basis on receipt of invoices from the plaintiff who then had a meeting with the company directors and it was agreed on how the debt would be paid.

It later emerged that UUNet was selling its shares to Linkoff Communication Systems thereby prompting them to write to the buyer alerting it about the debt owed to them.

Iphone indicated that the potential buyer would settle the debt after the purchase of shares was concluded but this did not happen.

mtnIn 2013, MTN leased lines from Kenya Data Network, Telkom Kenya, Jamii Telecoms and Wananchi Group. It also launched a project to install its own fibre cable network.

“No payment has been done since we sent our last demand and a judgment should be entered against the defendants,” said Mr Obare Nyaenga the chief accountant at MTN.

Mr Nyaenga wants Iphone Global to honor their side of the bargain as it has been escaping responsibility.

Also sued are the directors of Iphone in their individual capacities because they were liable for all the claims they had before selling the company.

The court ordered that the company files its response to the case within 15 days.

Top African Technology Projects Shortlisted At Intel Business Challenge

Stella Kabura
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0
Top African Technology Projects Shortlisted At Intel Business Challenge

 

The Intel Egypt Corporation, together with the Nile University has announced the results of  year long business plan competition that would help identify and support some of the most innovative students and graduates across Middle East and North Africa, in which winning projects hailing from Egypt have been short-listed for the Intel Business Challenge MENA 2014 in Bahrain ending today.

In conjunction with UNIDO, the competition that began on August 31st ended today 3rd September. Besides Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, the other part of the nine countries competing in the Bahrain finals include Lebanon, Jordan, KSA and UAE.

Intel works to foster entrepreneurship and to advance innovation to address local challenges and to provide individuals the opportunity to obtain the skills, technology and resources they need to build successful businesses that drive innovation, create employment, accelerate economic growth and have a positive impact on society. Yet, the three winning teams were amongst thousands of submissions from 16 countries initially received for the Challenge.

Participating teams received coaching and support from international experts through the support of Intel partners throughout their preparations to refine their ideas, create viable business plans and hone their presentations to attract interest and investment.

One of the winning teams was that of QEYE, an Egyptian start- up specialized in the production of Smart Quality Inspection Systems based on Machine Vision technology in which smart cameras play the role of human eye in quality inspection. Owned by Mohamed Samir, Mustafa Abdel Fattah and Kareem Hussein, QEYE is a leading company in Egypt and the MENA region that works in Machine Vision applications.

All finalists developed business plans with a strong computing technology focus based on concepts which leverage disruptive computing innovations and impacts on systemic social challenges.

Winners will get the opportunity to compete at International Competition with UC Berkley in Silicon Valley where the best engineers and scientists present how they plan to make the world a better place through their innovations and entrepreneurial skills in November 2014 for a chance to win up to $50,000.

An awards ceremony will be held to identify and reward the top four winners who will win financial prizes of the values of $7500, $5000, $2500 and $1000 respectively for first, second, third and fourth place winners.

Source: www.africanbrains.net

Gumtree Named Most Visited Website in SA|Partners With Charity Site ForGood.co.za

Sam Wakoba
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1
Gumtree Named Most Visited Website in SA|Partners With Charity Site ForGood.co.za

PhotoFunia-d20bb43_o-e1409728834670eBay-owned general classifieds site Gumtree.co.za has been named the most visited website in South Africa by Effective Measure, the official online audience measurement supplier of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (formerly the DMMA).

IAB says Gumtree is the most trafficked South African website based on unique browsers received. The site attracts almost 8 million (7,969,853 unique visits) every month for its general classifieds content such as auto property, job ads among others.

“Gumtree is now officially the largest Effective Measure tagged IAB member site in South Africa for South African users,” says Effective Measures MD, Alan Morrissey. “It shows South African users are in the market to buy and sell online.”

Just recently, Gumtree took the number one slot in Millward Brown’s quarterly Best-Liked Ads survey, beating several large international competitors for the title.

“This announcement has made official what we’ve known for quite some time – Gumtree is the biggest website, and the biggest classifieds site, in South Africa,” says Johan Nel, MD of Gumtree South Africa. Nel believes there are several reasons behind the success of the platform. “Online commerce is fickle, which means you have to consistently be the best at what you do in terms of customer service, safety and delivery. When we ask our users why they are so loyal to Gumtree, they tell us it’s because the site, frankly, does what it’s meant to do for them.”

Launched in the country in 2005, Gumtree has over 700 000 live ads on the platform at any given time even when it expires ads automatically within 30 days of uploading.
“Until now, classifieds have been the unseen giant of the Internet,” says Nel. “It is the definitive marketplace driven by users, uploading close to 2.5 million new ads per month. Moreover, an increased focus on mobile has ensured the site evolves according to market needs. Unlike conventional ecommerce platforms, it doesn’t exclude anyone from transacting. It’s free, it’s immediate, it’s for everyone and subsequently, it’s visited by everyone.”

Apart from the win, Gumtree recently partnered up with For Good, an online platform that connects people with organisations needing help. For Good members aim to help organizations achieve their goals by giving a donation of time, goods or money.

banner2.jpg

In this deal, Gumtree created a section where users can donate unwanted items or request items that a charity organisation might need instead of posting to sell.

Below is the list of top websites as per Effective Measure (August 2014):

# Site Unique Browsers
1 gumtree.co.za 7,956,912
2 news24.com 4,492,374
3 msn.com 2,345,855
4 iol.co.za 1,893,329
5 soccerladuma.co.za 1,523,145
6 dstv.com 1,447,709
7 Careers24.com 1,442,193
8 timeslive.co.za 1,332,352
9 za.yahoo.com 1,259,374
10 pnet.co.za 1,238,961

 

Kendy launches Money Transfer service in Kenya

Susan Mwenesi
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0
Kendy launches Money Transfer service in Kenya

A new entrant, Kendy Money Transfer Ltd has joined the money transfer market in Kenya offering citizens a bouquet of solutions to send money and make payments within Africa and abroad.

The  Pan African Remittance Service provider  is one of the money transfer companies recently issued with a license by the Central Bank of Kenya.

The company cross transfers remittances between Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mali, Guinea Bissau, Benin, Togo, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Niger, Mauritania, Ghana and Gambia and some of the services provided by Kendy Money Transfer to recipients include transfers to cash, bank deposit, mobile wallet, and bill payments.

General Manager Mrs. Caroline Rukaria said Kendy is looking at leveraging on innovative money transfer options to reduce costs and increase penetration within Africa.

“We have already established a presence in several locations in Kenya, where our customers can access our various services. This is an ongoing exercise,” said Mrs. Rukaria.

Mrs. Rukaria said the firm plans to widen its network and service delivery through partnering with licensed financial institutions such as banks, forex bureaus and mobile cash agents.

Mrs. Rukaria added that the potential for Africa remittance is huge as the market in Africa remains relatively underdeveloped.

“Africa has a huge share of cross-border remittances flowing through informal channels and significantly higher remittance costs, than most parts of the world,” said Mrs Rukaria.

Kenya is a key remittance market as it receives, on average, 60 percent of remittances to East Africa and an average of 10 percent of all remittances to the Sub-Saharan region.

According to the Central Bank of Kenya, remittances to Kenya increased by 8.6 percent to USD 119.7 million in May 2014 compared to USD 110.1 million in May 2013. Europe and North America account for approximately 75 percent of remittance inflows while the rest of the world (including Africa) account for the balance.

Mrs. Rukaria said that though the company focuses on Pan African remittances, in its various markets it is rolling out domestic services as well.

 

She Leads To Host A Women Entrepreneurs Show

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
She Leads To Host A Women Entrepreneurs Show

women

 

Social enterprise, She Leads Africa, a dedicated programme aimed at fostering the spread of business growth and ideas in Africa, is hosting its inaugural Entrepreneur Showcase.

This showcase will be held in September 20th this year at Terra Kulture in Victoria Island, Lagos. This event will give a chance to female entrepreneurs to pitch their business projects to a panel of potential mentors and investors and compete for cash and prizes.

She Leads, which was founded this year by Yasmin Belo-Osagie and Afua Osei, is looking to empower female entrepreneurs in the continent.

Winners in this competition will be financial prizes of $10,000 and $5,000 to the winner and runner-up, respectively, as well as non-financial prizes such as phones and tablets, brand consultation, free office space, access to prominent venture capitalists and angel investors, and additional tools needed in order to expand their existing start-ups and achieve their business dreams.

“We are incredibly excited about the finalists for the inaugural She Leads Africa competition,” said Yasmin Belo-Osagie, the co-founder of She Leads Africa.“These finalists represent some of the best and the brightest entrepreneurial talent in Africa, and we look forward to seeing the outcome of the competition.”

Afua Osei, the Co-Founder of She Leads Africa said: “Access to education, financing, and useful networks are limited, and cultural stereotypes can curtail a woman’s ambition. She Leads Africa’s vision is to provide entrepreneur development, networks and funding for promising female entrepreneurs who have the ambition and drive to be the business leaders of tomorrow, building companies that will become pan-African and global leaders.”

She Leads Africa’s 10 finalists will have a month long period of business consultancy with key figures in the private equity, management consulting, and financial industries.

This year’s adjudication panel will include;

  • Hakeem Belo-Osagie: Serial entrepreneur and Africa’s 34th wealthiest man
  • Belo-Osagie currently sits on the global advisory board for the Council of Foreign Relations and the Brookings Institute
  • Ngozi Edozien: Founder of InVivo partners and non-executive director at Barloworld, PZ Cussons, and Vlisco. Ms Edozien is also the former head of West Africa for emerging market focused PE fund Actis.
  • Bola Adesola, CEO of Standard Chartered Nigeria and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

This year’s showcase features female entrepreneurs across a broad range of sectors: retail, manufacturing, e-commerce, information technology, and transportation.

Finalists come from across the continent and diaspora, including Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, South Africa, United Kingdom and the USA.

Ethiopia’s BPC Banking Technologies Appointed To Create National Retail Payments Infrastructure

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
Ethiopia’s BPC Banking Technologies Appointed To Create National Retail Payments Infrastructure

eth

 

BPC Banking Technologies, a provider of Open System payment solutions, announces that EthSwitch has chosen their product ‘SmartVista’ to power its national switching operations in Ethiopia.

What made SmartVista stand out was its comprehensive functionality, advanced technology and proven track record in helping payment businesses worldwide capitalize on opportunities presented by the changing payments landscape.

EthSwitch was formed by all the banks in Ethiopia as well as the Ethiopian Bankers’ Association and the National Bank of Ethiopia (which is the central bank). EthSwitch aims to connect all banks to a central transaction switching platform that will provide customers with access to their money and other financial services via any ATM, Point of Sale device, mobile and Internet channels, regardless of which bank issued their card or in which bank their account is kept.

Once the system is implemented, it is visualized that it will drive the Ethiopian financial ecosystem to new levels of efficiency, availability and accessibility while also significantly reducing the levels of cash usage.

BPC will also provide EthSwitch with the ability to interface to International Payments Schemes, such as Visa and MasterCard Worldwide and to enhance local acceptance of these globally branded cards. The SmartVista system will be interfaced to the national Automated Transfer System to facilitate efficient clearing and settlement of all transactions.

“Our goal is to make inter-bank retail payments processing easier, while increasing security and transparency. Following a rigorous evaluation of a wide range of systems on the market we chose SmartVista because it is the solution that can best meet our diverse needs, today and for the future. We are looking forward to improving Ethiopia’s payments landscape and believe that BPC Banking Technologies’ expertise and experience will help us achieve our goal to build and operate the unifying e-payment platform for all financial institutions in Ethiopia,” noted Bizuneh Bekele, CEO of EthSwitch S.C.

“BPC Banking Technologies is proud to help drive such a vital project for Ethiopia’s economy. We have a long track record with projects such as this and we are certain that EthSwitch will have the most advanced, robust and innovative payments infrastructure, powered by SmartVista. With SmartVista’s unique design not only will EthSwitch be able to offer a wide range of services immediately but they will be well positioned to take advantage of opportunities in the future,” added Daryl Berg, MD BPC-Africa.

StarTimes Introduces Direct to Home (DTH) Satellite Television Service in Kenya

Sam Wakoba
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StarTimes Introduces Direct to Home (DTH) Satellite Television Service in Kenya
Startimes Media K Ltd VP Mark Lisboa (left), StarSat DTH director Tracy Lixue (center) and public relations manager Alex Mwaura
Startimes Media K Ltd VP Mark Lisboa (left), StarSat DTH director Tracy Lixue (center) and public relations manager Alex Mwaura

Pay TV firm StarTimes media today launched its Direct to Home (DTH) digital television satellite service dubbed StarSat promising it will offer over 98 premium local and international channels to subscribers across the country.

The service will complement StarTimes Digital Terrestrial Technology (DTT) offering launched two years ago.

The Ksh. 5,600 StarSat has a High Definition (HD) decoder with HDMI and USB slots and can use a 12v+ battery for areas without electricity connection. Buyers will enjoy free access to one month Super Bouquet worth Ksh. 2,500.

According to Alex Mwaura, StartTimes Public Relations Manager,“The introduction of StarSat gives Kenyans a choice within their preferred pay television platform to access the latest news, entertainment, sports, movies, documentaries, music and children content for that enriched television viewing experience for the whole family at pocket friendly installation and monthly subscription costs.”

StarSat has a Special Bouquet at Ksh. 899 per month with access to over 48 channels, Smart Bouquet at Ksh. 1,799 per month with access to over 70 channels, Super Bouquet at Ksh. 2,499 per month with access to over 88 channels and the Chinese bouquet at Ksh. 1,499 per month with access to 12 channels.

DSC_1561. Imege 3.

StarSat comes with two Full High Definition channels NBA International and Bollywood HD with plans to roll out more of the same in the future promising crystal clear video and audio reception for the subscribers. The firm said it’s a unique package for hotels and apartments.

StarSat launched its operations in October 2013 in South Africa. Operating under the slogan Change your view, Kenya becomes the 9th country that StarSat has initiated its Direct to Home (DTH) satellite services in Africa having set up in South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Rwanda, Guinea and Burundi.

Currently, the brand has over 470,000 subscribers across the African markets it is currently operating in.

It faces stiff competition from Multichoice’s DStv and GOtv in Kenya.

Mickael Ghossein To Leave Orange Kenya In October

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
Mickael Ghossein To Leave Orange Kenya In October

mickael

 

Orange Kenya boss Mickael Ghossein will be leaving the company later this year in October. Ghossien has held the CEO position for five years uptil now. He will be the fifth top executive to leave the company in the last couple of months.

Eddy Njoroge, Orange Kenya’s Board Chairman said that Ghossein’s contract will be expiring at the end of October, and with this information the board is looking for a replacement.

Other senior executives that have left since July include CFO Yvan Ridard, CTO Alain Bridard, chief of sales and marketing officer Xavier Villegas, and head of marketing Bertrand Vuillemin.

The government, which owns a 30 percent stake in Orange Kenya, has since 2012 been pushing for the appointment of locals to the company’s executive suite. Chief business market officer Mireille El Helou has been the acting CEO while Ghossein was on leave.

 

Telco battles and how MVNOs would make Money Transfer Rates cheaper

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
Telco battles and how MVNOs would make Money Transfer Rates cheaper

mvno

 

The battle of “who is who” in Kenya’s telecommunications and mobile banking sector is nowhere near conclusion.

It first began with call rates, where some telcos substantially slashed call rates. Eventually, it moved to SMS’s and internet data, where the real battle is.

However, given the high smartphone penetration in the country, which has been reported to be at 6 percent in the mobile market, mobile applications such as Whatsapp, Viber, Telegram and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are becoming a major threat to the SMS package.

Mobile money transfer on the other hand has become the most successful innovation in the sector with  institution like banks feeling the heat and finally integrating it in their customer services. The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) reports that consumers move an average of KSh186.4 billion monthly or KSh6.2 billion per day on mobile.

The popularity of mobile money and its inherent money-spinning dimension has awakened new competition wars, especially from new players coming in on a new concept dubbed Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).

So far, three MVNOs licences Tangaza’s Mobile Pay Limited Zioncell Kenya Limited and one to Finserve Africa Limited, a subsidiary of Equity bank, have been issued.

Innovation and competition is definitely setting pace in the country’s economic growth and development.

AccessKenya Launches a Market Push for Cloud Services in East Africa

Sam Wakoba
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0
AccessKenya Launches a Market Push for Cloud Services in East Africa

AccessKenyaAs Internet of Things, Big Data and ITaaS becomes popular internationally, Dimension Data-owned corporate internet and information technology solutions provider AccessKenya Group has launched a new market push for Cloud Services in East Africa.

Bullish about the cloud market in the region, AccessKenya has announced it’s targeting new businesses with a total Managed Services solution as its core business focus over the next three years. This will not hinder its ongoing business acceleration and expansion strategy the company now says it will

“Enterprises are re-looking at how best to meet their internal IT needs while accelerating service delivery in a cost effective way. We intend to deliver the best service proposition for IT as a Service (ITaaS), ICT Outsourcing, Next Generation Data Centre and Applications Services,” he said.

ITaaS adoption was named by CIO.com, among the top ten trends to watch in the global IT outsourcing industry in 2014. With the advent of Big Data and the Internet of Things, AccessKenya now seeks to cement its position as a market leader in the regional cloud technology space.

According to Deputy Chief Executive, Kris Senanu, AccessKenya – which was acquired in 2013 by the Dimension Data –  will leverage its global synergies within the group with a view of becoming the preferred ICT partner for businesses seeking end to end cloud solutions,

In June Dimension Data acquired the business continuity management firm Continuity S.A. The move brings to bear a combined 37, 000 m2 of Data Center and Recovery facilities in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Mauritius.

“ These infrastructure investments give us increased capability and reach enabling us to offer the most competitive value proposition in business continuity management, IT disaster recovery and data replication among other value added services,” Said Senanu.

Currently the AccesKenya Cloud services portfolio includes managed hardware & software services, hosted email, LAN networking, specialist IT support, outsourced virtual servers and Collocation.

India’s Intex Looking to Make Big Sale with Entry-Level Smartphone

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
India’s Intex Looking to Make Big Sale with Entry-Level Smartphone

intex

Intex will be selling ‘India’s Cheapest’ smartphone at $33. The company hopes to sell over 500,000 devices in the next three months in what it calls a “new era” for the market.

Already, Intex has partnered with Mozilla, the non-profit organization behind the Firefox open-source web browser, to create a cheaper alternative to Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy series.

Intex spokesman Joyeeta Mitra said that the smartphone sale is looking for first-time smartphone buyers. The smartphones that began sale this week are the cheapest in the market.

Mitra said: “We have big expectations that this phone will find a large market and we are expect 500,000 sales in the first three months,” she said adding that while the company is initially targeting the Indian market it expects to expand sales to other countries in Asia.

India’s smartphone market is growing rapidly. US market research firm IDC reported shipments leapt by 186 percent to 17.59 million smartphones in the first financial quarter to June this year, compared with the same period last year.

The IDC forecasted that smartphone sales would continue to rocket in coming years, growing at an annual rate of 40 percent for the next five years.

Nigerian Government Launches e-Curricular Portal

Caroline Vutagwa
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0
Nigerian Government Launches e-Curricular Portal

e
The Federal government of Nigeria launched an e-curriculum portal in Abuja to facilitate teaching and learning for senior secondary schools in the country.

Commenting on the launch, the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike said that the introduction of the portal was in line with the deployment of ICT in the Education Policy of the Federal Government.

The portal was conceived by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), and SIDMACH Technologies Nigeria Limited.

“The NERDC e-curriculum portal is a web-based, efficient and effective curriculum management solution for primary and secondary schools. This solution will provide digital access to school curricula, provision of sample teaching resources for teachers to prepare lesson notes, provision of sample learning materials for the learners,” Wike said.

According to Wike, the portal will be uploaded with teachers guide, sample lesson plans, notes, e-learning resources as well as suggested e-books and learning resources. He called on stakeholders in the curriculum implementation at various government levels, including the private educational institutions, to support the project and further strengthen the quality of the education sector.

Prof Godswill Obioma, the Executive Secretary of NERDC, said the present effort at developing an e-curriculum was based on public private partnership model and government enabling policy.

Obioma explained that the purpose was to ensure online access to the prescribed national curriculum in all subjects offered at the senior secondary education level in Nigeria.

“It will assist the policy-makers, Federal Ministry of Education, states ministries of education and local authorities in domesticating the curriculum across all schools and ensured aligned with prescribed content standards, ’’ Obioma said.

He added that the portal would advocate IT in Nigerian schools and encouraging a modern and vibrant education system in the country.

Dr Stephen Dike, Chairman, Governing Board of NEDRC, said the idea of the e-curriculum was to address the gross inadequacy of the number in serving the teeming population of teachers that use the curriculum in each school.

Jumia Kenya Unveils New Office & Warehouse to Serve Mombasa

Sam Wakoba
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0
Jumia Kenya Unveils New Office & Warehouse to Serve Mombasa

jumiake

Today, online retailer JUMIA Kenya has announced its setting up a new office and warehouse in the coastal region of Kenya to meet the growing number of Kenyans embracing online shopping.

By launching in Mombasa,  Jumia  wil not only sell its electronics, fashion and home appliances, among others but will be opening up Kenya for e-commerce, paving way for other players in the industry to join the chariot and serve the growing online community in Mombasa and its environs.

“We are excited about our expansion,” said Parinaz Firozi, MD for Jumia Kenya “Mombasa represents a significant growth opportunity for us. We have been delivering many products to our loyal customers in the region, a base we shall now build on.”

Firozi says the expansion means a significant number of new jobs for the area, with new positions to include finance officers, customer care executives, and marketing among others.

This is Jumia Kenya’s first expansion to a second city, with the company expected to set base in Eldoret, Nakuru, and Kisumu among other towns in Kenya in the near future.

Available also on Android and Windows users can shop on the go and save time and Jumia will offer free deliveries for products above ksh. 5,000 while those below the amount attract a delivery fee of ksh. 200 within Mombasa.

Customers will also have several payment options including cash on delivery, mobile money transfer and credit card in addition to a free return and exchange policy of 7 days.

Since first setting base in Kenya a year ago, the company has grown by double digits, riding on rising internet penetration in Kenya and the growing number of vendors moving to sell on the company’s online marketplace, a platform which allows individuals and companies to sell their products on the company’s website.

Investors to discuss financing options for Africa’s power projects

Robin Okuthe
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Investors to discuss financing options for Africa’s power projects

The eighth annual finance options meeting is scheduled for October 30, 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. The principal pan-African executive briefing will host senior-level directors and CEOs to get to “the heart of the issues and opportunities surrounding the financing of power projects within Africa.”

According to EnergyNet Ltd, the program will focus on a series of open discussions chaired by regional experts focusing on key trends including the development of IPP programmes, financial frameworks and regulatory environments.

EnergyNet Ltd also noted: “As Africa’s demand for power generation continues to outstrip supply, the question of how to finance the future of Africa’s power sector looms large. Prospective investors must fully understand the latest developments in Africa’s finance sector in order to launch successful projects and build long term relationships with local government.”

“Confirmed speakers will include Karen Breytenbach, Head: IPP Office, National Treasury, South Africa, Moremi Marwa, the CEO of Dar Es Salaam Stock Exchange, Peter Ballinger, the Director of U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Development and Finance Centre, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), and Waziri Bintube, Chief Financial Officer, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, who will present regional perspectives and case studies to open the floor for discussion,” added EnergyNet Ltd.

Karen Breytenbach

Other confirmed speakers include Eric Olo, Head Corporate Finance and Business Strategy, North South Power; Zubair Suliman, Senior Investment Manager, DEG- Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH; Tshepo Mahloele, Chief Executive Officer, Harith General Partners*; Alastair Campbell, Managing Director, Vantage GreenX; Keith Martin, Initiavie for Risk Mitigation in Africa, African Development Bank; Sakkie Leimecke, Head: Energy, Nedbank Capital; Martin Kavanagh, Partner, Energy and Infrastructure Finance; Herbert Smith Freehills, Brigette Baillie, Partner; Webber Wentzel, Professor Anton Eberhard, Management of Infrastructure Reform & Regulation, Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town and Kamran Khan, Vice President of Compact Operations, Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Nigeria’s PushCV Wants to Help You Start & Develop Your Career

Partner Content
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Nigeria’s PushCV Wants to Help You Start & Develop Your Career

PrintPushCV helps you start and develop your career – we get you Jobs – and also provides you with unlimited resources and value-added services for you to excel.

At PushCV, we are proud to help young students and graduates in Nigeria acquire work experience.

Come aboard and gain real-world business and research experience that can position you for success in growing your career.

INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME 2014

We are offering opportunities for graduates to work for one month with existing PushCV staff on challenging projects for our clients. We are looking for people with drive and enthusiasm who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get involved in the day-to-day work of a dynamic, growing company.

Intern positions are available for ONE MONTH at the graduate level.

The internship programme however is not course specific – it is open to students from all programmes.

TRAINING PROGRAMS

We are offering a comprehensive PAID internship program for participants across Nigeria.

Trainees learn and work, gaining different benefits:

  • Work Experience
  • Relaxed environment
  • Possibility of permanent employment
  • Free Lunch

Upon completion of the course, participants are able to apply the experiences gained to real world issues.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible participants are required to have a Bachelor’s degree and NO WORK EXPERIENCE.

 

Apply today to be a part of the experience of a lifetime!

 

Mobile Web Africa set for Johannesburg in September

Robin Okuthe
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0
Mobile Web Africa set for Johannesburg in September

Mobile Web Africa is scheduled for September 10, 2014 at Randlords in Johannesburg, South Africa.

All Amber, the event’s organizers, announced numerous key partnerships, new measures and an excellent venue to uphold the idea of establishing new standards of excellence for technology conferences continentwide.

The first Mobile Web Africa event was held in October 2009 in South Africa and five years on Matthew Dawes, the founder of All Amber is keen to ‘give a special conference experience’.

The events industry in SA has massively grown since the event was put together, says Dawes.

“It is important for me to see that my objective since 2009 to facilitate the development of mobile services, data and products industry throughout the continent has come to fruition. I am optimistic that the events All Amber has organized throughout Sub-Saharan Africa have led to that growth,” he added.

Expected to grace the event include Tomi Ahonen, Chika Nwobi, Emma Kaye, Gustav Praekelt, Robert Lamptey, Nanjira Sambuli as well as market-leading organizations including Deloitte, KPMG, Standard Bank, Yahoo!, Mahindra Comviva and Junk Mail.

The event will also feature Mobile Monday South Africa, AppCircus and Intel holding a mobile app contest where Africa’s leading app developer will win the opportunity to represent the continent on the world stage at Mobile world congress in Barcelona.

In the evening, Mobile Web Africa will host the inaugural Standard Bank MMA SMARTIES Awards.

Mobile Web Africa conferences have been split up into eight sessions in two days. The sessions include mobile content, users & consumption; smart cities and smart living, the debate around the future of mobile money, driving thought leadership in mobile marketing, the landscape for digital entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan Africa, thought leader interview and address, showcase presentations and the leaders of mobile.

M2M market will reach US$66bn by 2019 | Ovum Asks Operators to invest to gain share

Sam Wakoba
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0
M2M market will reach US$66bn by 2019 | Ovum Asks Operators to invest to gain share

promoGlobal technology research and advisory firm Ovum has announced that Telcos need to invest to grasp a bigger share of the rising machine-to-machine (M2M) opportunity which the research firm reports will bring in a total of $252bn from 2015–19.

According to Ovum, global connections will grow 162% over the next five years to reach 530 million with Asia and Oceania leading with over 200 million M2M connections by 2019 followed by Europe and the Americas. The firm says the operator revenue share of the total cellular M2M market stands to rise to US$25bn by 2019.

“Over the past few years, as the hype around Internet of Things has taken off – driven by some wildly exaggerated forecasts – we’ve seen operators take a gentle approach to M2M. Staying within their main expertise, most have taken on management of the connectivity layer, yet as conventional wisdom tells us, only minor returns will be made here,” says Jamie Moss, senior analyst at Ovum. “Instead, operators need to leverage their other capabilities, namely their ability to aggregate large amounts of data around their customers.”

Moss adds that Ovum is seeing device and application management become the new focus in M2M, and a firm’s ability to collect vast amounts of data will be of considerable value. Though data itself has intrinsic worth it’s the business decisions made based on the aggregation and analysis of that data that are the greatest source of value for enterprises and their connected service provider partners.

Ovum urges operators to develop new business models to gain a greater share of the revenues from cellular M2M.

Such models could include end-to-end services internally as an offshoot of their own supply chain needs, end-to-end solutions for individual enterprise partners and outsourcing to acquire M2M specialisation, which is being done in three ways. Some operators have acquired dedicated M2M service providers to own that intellectual property, resell those services into other markets and use the assets acquired to develop new services. Others have partnered with specialists from other markets, working in unison to deliver connected, value-added variants of existing services. Lastly, some operators have opted to license suites of third-party M2M services from aggregators.

“Ultimately M2M is all about the enterprise partner (not ‘customer’) of the operator. M2M is a market with unique dynamics, where the aim of the operator is to become embedded in the long-term business strategy of the enterprise, not to simply be their current service provider. In order for the M2M market to realise its potential, operators must educate enterprises in the utility that connectivity brings. Enterprises should never have to become experts in connectivity, however, as that knowledge is part and parcel of the managed service that the operator must provide for them,” concludes Moss.

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