Leardeship changes in Africa seem to be Bharti Airtel’s missile to take over markets it once held dear again. The firm has today appointed Mr. Ben Cheick Haidara, as Managing Director for Airtel in Burkina Faso with effect from August 1, 2014.
With a Master’s degree in Management science from the Institut de MSG and a post graduate degree in Accounting & Finance from the Institut de DESS – University of Ouagadougou, an executive MBA – Management Operations from HEC Paris, France, Mr. Haidara is expected to drive Airtel’s operations in Burkina Faso and support the government’s telecommunications agenda in the country.
Replacing Hachimou Hassane who has been acting as Airtel M.D Burkina Faso, Haidara’s to do list include pushing the adoption of Airtel money, growing data uptake in the country building on the firm’s 3G and mobile commerce telco footprint across Africa.
Airtel fished Haidara from Etisalat Benin where he was the M.D since September 2011. Before that, Haidara was the Finance Director at Atlantic Telecom Gabon from July 2006 to February 2007, took up the Managing Director role at Telecel Burkina Faso in February 2007, was Managing Director Prestige Telecom in Ivory Coast between March and September 2008, and later became the Managing Director at Atlantique Telecom in Niger from October 2008 to August 2011.
Airtel Africa CEO Mr. Christian de Faria said: “Ben is a respected telecoms professional with proven leadership capabilities in Africa. I would like to warmly welcome him on behalf of the entire Airtel family. ”
It’s not funny when a whole Inspector of Police tweets that the police force is going to cut down trees in a forest to fight insecurity but we all laughed. However, it got more insane when the same account posted that there was a chance for Kenyans who got a D+ and thought life had come to an end, the account claimed the police wanted them like gold.
Even now, we can’t hold our laughter even though this is a serious matter. The good news is that the tweets were coming from a parody account with slightly altered names as @IGKimayio and just 391 followers and not the geniune @IGKimaiyo which is a verified account managed by Inspector General of Police, National Police Service and has over 96,000 followers.
Even better, the parody twitter account has been suspended and sorry guys, no more police force jokes. Some people were folled by the parody though.
Motorola has launched its latest model for the Moto X smartphone dubbed “digital tattoo.” The device, which consists of a piece of circuitry that can be attached to the wrist, enables users to unlock their smartphones.
Digital tattoo is a thin, nickel-sized sticker with circuitry. Users can stick one to their wrists and unlock their cellphone by touching the device to the tattoo.
According to Motorola, people take an average of 2.3 seconds to unlock their phones, an action they perform approximately 39 times a day. Since this process can be tedious and cumbersome, many people are reluctant to unlock their phones. Motorola hopes the wearable technology will provide a more convenient way of unlocking mobile phones, though it is still not clear whether “digital tattoos” will turn out to be the next big fashion accessory.
The NFC-enabled technology is accessible via VivaLnk, with a pack of 10 costing $10, each lasts for five days and is wearable even when swimming, working out or showering.
The launch of Digital Tattoo comes after the company unveiled its Skip accessory, which is a wearable clip that permits users to unlock their phones with a single tap. The device was first revealed last year at the All Things Digital Conference.
Yesterday, Uber went live in Lagos, Nigeria to give the residents of “The Vegas of Africa” an easy way to hail their cabs in record time.
Begining in Lagos and set to expand across the country, Uber took Ice Prince to his recording session on the Island, making him the first person in the country to use the new car hailing service. Uber will compete Rocket Internet’s EasyTaxi which has been spreading across the country steadily and already has over 400 drivers in its database.
To use Uber, download the Uber App to your iPhone or Android device, reegister with your debit or credit card and simply request a cab. Uber is now giving Lagosians great discounts to get their first ride with the promo code LAUNCHLAGOS for NGN2000 off their first rides!
The firm said in a blog post that during this testing period, car availability will be limited and primarily focused on ‘The Island’ & the surrounding neighbourhoods. For those looking for gigs, the firm is looking for a General Manager, Operations Manager and Community Manager to build Uber Lagos.
Uber is now available in 42 countries globally while in Africa, it’s available in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and now Lagos. Nairobi is listening!
Reports on the performance of the Kenyan shilling is set to go electronic courtesy of Thomson Reuters a global provider of financial information.
The Daily Nation reports that the organisation will operate currency benchmarks for the unit, the Ghanaian cedi and the Zambian kwacha, beginning a process that will see the benchmarks move from a manual telephone-based system to an automated analysis, ensuring integrity and transparency of the rates.
The firm will provide the information through its subsidiary Thomson Reuters Benchmark Services Limited to enable local and international investors track performance of currencies of respective countries given increasing investor interest in those markets.
“This is based on increased investor interest from the offshore into these markets who want to better understand performance of the currencies of respective countries.
“What they are trying to cover is an information gap that exists in the currency market,” Citibank head of markets Ignatius Chicha said.
AT the moment the reporting has been manual but with the new system there will also be a fully-auditable record of submissions.
The currency benchmark is expected to contribute to a seamless and efficient flow of data among the African countries and their global trading partners, easing trade activities.
“These three global-standard benchmarks are integral to the development of three of Africa’s most exciting economies,” Thomson Reuters head of financial and risk, Africa, Sneha Shah, said.
“Kenya is the major trading hub for East Africa; Ghana is growing in the west and Zambia is a country to watch in the south with exciting developments in its commodities and derivatives markets,” she said.
Online peer to peer banking service Lendico has attracted US$285 m (R 3 billion) globally) I demads for loans all over the world.
The site which is also available in Europe (Poland Austria, Germany and spain), launched in South Africa less than three months ago.
Lendico, counts more than 50,000 registered users and has received credit enquiries worth over 3 billion rand. With this strong demand, the Lendico team is growing and now comprises around 150 experts from the fields of finance, risk assessment and underwriting across two continents.
Lendico works by connecting borrowers and lenders to allow both sides to benefit from attractive conditions. Once prospective borrowers have created a loan project onlendico.co.za, Lendico analyses their credit worthiness and offers them extremely competitive rates. Investors can then compare all loan projects online and enter bids as low as R250. If a loan project gets fully funded, the borrower receives his or her loan and investors receive their respective principal and interest payments from the first month.
The site also allows investors to diversify their portfolio across several loan projects, thereby earning higher returns compared with similarly secure investments.
By removing the need for banks, Lendico saves costs which can then be passed on to customers. The present market environment is particularly favourable for credit marketplaces such as Lendico, since investors are suffering from low interest rates that are below the inflation rate. This means that the service’s high returns represent an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional banks.
Laurens Pohl, MD for Lendico South Africa, commented: “An increasing number of borrowers are breaking free of the high rates charges by bank and instead choosing a more favourable Lendico loan. We provide a secure and transparent loan marketplace, and offer great deals for both borrowers and lenders with no hidden fees or complicated paperwork. In future, we are confident that we can build on the achievements of the past few months and continue to help customers in South Africa save money in the loan market.”
East Africa’s Kola studios, a game development company backed by Africa-focused Savannah Fund has today released a new game dubbed Mosquito Rush, something people in East Africa do almost all time.
Reknown for its Matatu game with over 60,000 users, Kola Studios has other popular games like Last Card, Keiko, Spar, Karata, Tapt and Zword and is developing more.
According to the team, “Mosquito Rush”, is an action packed fun game where the mission is to smash all the mosquitoes at all costs to protect a baby. Players have to be fast, furious and accurate and need to survive from mosquito attacks and make sure none of them escape or else the game is over.
The female Anopheles mosquitoes pick up the Malaria parasite from infected people when they bite to obtain blood needed to nurture their eggs and transmit it to others. Malaria parasites multiply rapidly in the liver and then in red blood cells of the infected person and in one or two weeks fever, headache, chills and vomiting characterize those infected. If not treated Malaria destorys red blood cells and can kill if not treated. In sub-Saharan Africa, Malaria claims nearly a million deaths a year according to the World Health Organization. This game can help peoplebe aware of the causes and prevention methods of Malaria and later save lives.
Posta Corporation of Kenya has rolled out a cash transfer programme to pay Ksh2000 each month for five months to the elderly in the country.
Dubbed the Older Persons Cash Transfer Programme Payment System, the programme is set to benefit 105,000 elderly persons through a bi-monthly cash stipend for basic upkeep. The Older Persons Cash Transfer (OPCT) first began in 2007 under the Rapid Response Initiative (RRI) as a programme funded by the Government of Kenya to provide a bi-monthly stipend to elderly, disabled as well as orphaned persons to cater for Kenya’s most poor and vulnerable communities which Postal Corporation of Kenya is the payment agent.
Postmaster General Dr. Enock Kinara said,“POSTA recognises the distinguished role provided by the government as the appointed payment agent for this cash transfer programme, and shall remain committed to providing Kenya’s elderly with the necessary funds to provide for their basic requirements.”
The cash transfers, to be picked in person at POSTA pay points across the country aim to help elderly citizens and other vulnerable persons to meet their basic needs are provided for. Emphasising all respective pay points will be ready to receive all registered persons from Thursday 24th around the country, with the payment system running for 10 working days.
Though there are fears that the money might end up in wrong hands, Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Security Services Hon. Samwel Kazungu Kambi says that is not possible.
“We as the government will not tolerate the misuse of any funds, because you and I lose out as citizens. Kenya cannot move forward with the terrorism of corruption, let us all agree to work against corruption,” said Mr Kambi. “Today we have disbursed Ksh1billion to directly help elderly persons put food on the table and meet the basic necessities of life,” he said.
Others in attendance were PS Labour and Social Security Services Mr. Ali Noor Ismail, MP of Starehe Hon. Maina Kamanda and immediate former MP Ferdinand Waititu who participated in the handing out of the day’s cash allocation at Ksh 3million to the identified elderly and disabled residents of Mathare. Overall, Nairobi County has registered 4,690 new beneficiaries with a total allocation of Ksh46, 900,000.
French-owned mobile telecoms operator Orange has partnered with Emmaüs International to launch the fifth mobile collection facility in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
To mark the event, Orange said that 10 tonnes of mobile waste loaded in a container would leave Abidjan for recycling in France. The first of these dismantling and collection facilities for mobile phones was launched in Burkina Faso in March 2010. Others followed in Niger, Madagascar and Benin.
Mobile devices use is growing fast in Africa. It is also becoming a major environmental issue, according to Orange.
Already, 500 million mobile devices are in active use in the continent. Millions of discarded handsets, which are often simply thrown away or burned due to the lack of recycling facilities in the majority of African countries, however cause environmental risks.
“For Orange, which is present as a network operator in 20 African countries, the recycling of mobile phone waste is one of the major commitments of its CSR policy. Thanks to the workshops set-up by Orange and Emmaüs International, this waste is now being collected for transport to France for recycling,” Orange said in a statement.
Since 2010, some 140 tonnes of mobile waste have already been taken to France for recycling and more than 30 permanent jobs have been created at the African facilities. At each facility that is managed by six local workers, over 10 tonnes of mobile waste is collected yearly and sent to France for recycling.
Over the next five years, Orange and Emmaüs International plan to continue opening up new collection facilities, which confirms their collaboration on this project that contributes to social welfare and local economies while protecting the environment.
“In France, a young company called Morphosis takes direct delivery of containers of waste from the five African collection facilities at the port in Le Havre. On receipt of the containers, Morphosis sorts the waste into different types by material.
“The next step is to process the waste, extracting the rare metals that can be re-used in the manufacture of new products and devices. Morphosis is a particularly inventive and effective player in this new market in France.” Orange said in a statement.
Orange has, since 2009, been working collaboratively with Ateliers du Bocage, which is a member of the Emmaüs International, to recycle used mobile devices collected internally in France or from Orange stores. The collected mobile devices are then sorted into two categories: those that can be re-used are remade and sold in developing countries while those that no longer function are recycled.
Orange has been organizing an annual collection event in France for second-hand batteries, chargers and mobiles via its 1200 stores in mainland France since 2010. The profits from these large-scale ventures are then invested into the “Africa Project” that is run by Emmaüs International.
Samsung Electronics has unveiled a device dubbed ‘Samsung Galaxy K Zoom’ that serves as a smartphone cum camera.
Samsung Galaxy K Zoom’ is expected to appeal to a generation of users who enjoy taking still images and videos using smartphones before sharing them to friends through the social media. The device also represents a new category of camera-specialized smartphones that balance great mobile phone performance with camera functionality.
Samsung commented that the device will offer a more intense picture and video taking experience compared to other Galaxy devices.
Samsung Electronics East and Central Africa Internet and Mobile Director, Manoj Changarampatt, said: “With the growth in popularity of social media and content sharing among smartphone users, we develop innovative devices that blend the best of smartphone and camera features, because our research has shown that users are no longer content with having to choose between the two.”
The Samsung Galaxy K Zoom is designed to offer the control and functionality needed to ensure pictures and video are crisp and sharp.
It is the only camera-specialized smartphone in the market that comes equipped with 10x optical zoom and a 20.7MP camera which works in low-light shooting environments.
The retracting lens technology makes it much slimmer than its predecessor the Samsung Galaxy Zoom, making it less bulky and more portable.
Equipped with the Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) functionality, the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom can reduce the ‘blur’ caused by camera movement during exposure. This unique feature comes in handy in low light, when zooming in and when recording videos.
The new device also integrates advanced camera usability features and functions, including Auto Exposure/Auto Focus Separation for the precise balance of light and clarity, next-generation Pro Suggest mode which offers 10 optimized filter settings, Selfie Alarm that allows users to take timed selfies with ease, and object tracking for a clear, focused shot of a moving subject.
The smartphone performance is as good as the Galaxy S4 as it comes will all premium Galaxy devices. It is also equipped with a Hexa core, which is 1.3 GHz Quad-core and 1.7 GHz Dual-core, as well as outstanding power and performance for fast browsing, quick multi-tasking, smooth UI transitions and better gaming performance.
The Samsung Galaxy K Zoom is available in Samsung stores and leading mobile phone retailers countrywide. It retails at KSh55,000.
IBM has stated that its entrepreneur program has gained impelling momentum in South Africa, boosting the country’s startup community.
According to IBM, the program has been instrumental in nurturing a first of a kind road safety concept called vehicle alert system and mobile application dubbed “Road Buddy.”
Road Buddy, which is a proactive approach to ensuring road safety, functions by transmitting warning signals from road users who are susceptible to accidents such as pedestrians, cyclists, emergency vehicles and motorists.
Photo credit: IBM
Its inimitable aspect is that it facilitates send- and -receive warning system to road users anyway across the globe, reports SmileandMobile.com.
Road Buddy was conceptualised in 2006 by local entrepreneur Werner van der Westhuizen of EMEWS Vehicle Warning System.
Speaking to CP-Africa.com, Van der Westhuizen said: “Imagine if there was a way that you could be warned that someone riding a bicycle was approaching your car or that an ambulance was approaching at a top speed. This is what Road Buddy does.”
The launch of Road Buddy is expected to promote road accident prevention. Global statistics indicate that road traffic accidents claim some 1.24 million lives each year. Between 20 and 50 million people are injured annually, making road accidents the principal killer globally. In South Africa, about 10,850 road accidents are fatal and lead to some R307 billion loss, or around 7.8 percent cost to the economy each year.
Clayton Booysen, Ecosystem Development Manager at IBM SA, said: ‘Working with the next generation entrepreneurs we specifically look at how we can use new technologies such as cloud computing and analytics to provide solutions to critical global issues.”
“In the case of Road Ruddy, our Softlayer Cloud system enables them to get to market quickly and to prevent accidents on the Road.”
The application was designed collaboratively by engineers at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) before being developed by Cape Town based software engineers.
Facebook Inc’s unofficial mission is to make the ‘world more open and connected’, says the company’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Still, there are limits to how open one should be on the social networking site and while you may take pleasure in sharing status updates and photos, some nuggets of information should just never be shared.
Someone is definitely watching your moves on Facebook. In particular, stalkers, employers, journalists, criminal investigators and insurance companies have been notorious for scanning through Facebook profiles for bios or accounts of the series of events that make up an individual’s life.
While it is comforting to let Facebook well-wishers to know your birthday, think twice before posting your exact birthday. Revealing your exact birthday is like dishing out your financial security to thieves. Indeed, studies have showed that scammers can reconstruct passwords or PINs by using birthdays and place of birth.
Making your home address public also allows people to know where your live. This could have negative repercussions. Similarly, refrain from posting status updates that reveal when you will be away from home. Also, avoid publicizing your vacation dates. For instance, there have been reports where assassins have used Facebook to target users who said they were at home or attending certain events.
Incriminating, illicit, racy or raunchy photos could cost you your job since even deleted photos could haunt your years later. Facebook serves stored or deleted photos for unspecified length of time. It is also possible that someone who accessed a photo and saved the direct “URL from content delivery partner” may still have access to the photo.
Also, watch where you post your cellphone number. Sharing your number even on Facebook Pages could be costly as it gives stalkers an added advantage in achieving their ends.
Equally troubling are incidences of Facebook account hackers known to put users at risk for identity theft or fraud. Identity thieves are also known to use child’s name in captions or photo tags. Mostly, scammers may use your child’s name and date of birth to reconstruct your passwords and PIN.
Despite security measures such as safeguarding private info with “Friends Only” setting, there is a likelihood that you ‘friended’ an individual whom you barely know or never met before.
So, what details should you never tell” view the below “slide show” for tips on what should be left out of your Facebook life. Afterwards, checkout some posts that got people fired and SNAFUs that led to arrests.
Global property portal Lamudi has launched its iOS app dubbed Lamudi: Real Estate for Sale and Rent in Lagos, Nigeria in a bid to capture the rapidly expanding smartphone market in the West African nation.
The launch comes after the successful roll-out of the company’s Android app last month in Nigeria. The Lamudi’s Android app is currently accessible on iOS devices in 16 countries – among them in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Lamudi, which is a division of African Internet Holding, has thus far made the iOS app accessible in nine African countries.
According to Allie Morse, the CEO of Lamudi West and Central Africa, Lamudi is very excited concerning the launch of iOS app, enabling property seekers to surf from their mobile devices 1000’s of top properties. The leading property portal provides buyers, renters, property owners and sellers a safe and easy-to-use platform to look for or list properties online.
Managing Director of Lamudi Nigeria commented during the official launch of the Lamudi iOS app that Lamudi Nigeria has taken giant leaps since its official launch last year. He further stated: “Lamudi is all about constant evolution. Some months back we launched the You tube channel and android app and today we are launching the iOS app making certain that we get Lamudi Nigeria in the hands of more than 30 million estimated smartphone Nigeria users.”
Sacha Poignonnec, the co-CEO of Africa Internet Holding, stated: “The launch of Lamudi’s Android app was a great success last month. We witnessed great demand from our Nigerian users and beyond, therefore we chose to keep the momentum going by moving on to iOS immediately.”
According to Lamudi, the novel iOS app places thousands of worldwide property listings from 16 countries “inside your pocket.”
“In sum, listings from nine African countries are currently accessible on iOS, which means that your dream home is now only a tap away,” Lamudi said in a statement.
According to a new report from research firm Frost & Sullivan, the Lamudi app offers house-hunters the perfect platform to buy, sell or rent property on the go. The Android and iOS apps are designed to satisfy the rising demand for mobile internet services in emerging markets. The use of smartphone in sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to increase by 40-percent every year until 2017.
A fundamental feature of the app is its customized search function that permits users to filter results simply by country. Additionally, the app offers match alerts, with users being notified as soon as a property that matches their needs hits the market. House-hunters can also bookmark their preferred properties to access on any device at any time.
According to Lamudi, the listings on the app contain “high-quality photo galleries, detailed property information, maps, and multiple contact details for property owners or agents. Users can also share their favourite properties with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter or email.”
Currently, the Lamudi iOS app is available in Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Colombia, Mexico, Zimbabwe, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Peru and Indonesia.
A passenger who is claimed to have boarded the Malaysia Airlines plane that crashed on Thursday posted a photo of a plane with a creepy message before getting on the doomed Boeing 777.
The post (translated to English from Dutch) reads: “In case it goes missing, this is what it looks like.”
Cor Pan posted the photo of the Malaysia Airlines plane on Facebook while in Amsterdam on Thursday. The post however seems to be a reference to the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared earlier this year.
Some 150 Facebook users have since posted comments. “I can’t believe this … totally broken,” one user stated in Dutch under Pan’s photo. “Rest in peace.”
As indicated in his Facebook profile, Pan is self-employed and hails from Volendam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands.
With 295 persons on board, the Boeing 777 was shot down Thursday while flying over Ukraine, near the Russian border. It’s not yet clear who is responsible.
Before crashing, the ill-fated plane was on the way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. There were no survivors.
The Unreasonable East Africa Institute has organized one of Africa’s premier tech events, scheduled for July 24, 2014 in Kampala, Uganda.
The Unreasonable Climax is a greater point of an intensive, residential, five weeks institute for startup firms tackling environmental and social problems. Entrepreneurs within East Africa come together for five weeks in Kampala to receive training, connection to investors and mentorship.
More than 300 people are expected to fill the Hub’s Cineplex Cinema at Oasis Mall to witness how East African entrepreneurs are solving problems regarding education, health, the environment and poverty. According to the event’s organisers, each of the 12 entrepreneurs will give a six-minute, TED-style talks about their ventures, themselves and their meaning of “progress in our time.”
“We hope that seeing these entrepreneurs narrate their stories and give their plans fascinates you, moves you to tears and brings you to your feet,” said Joachim Ewechu, the CEO and co-founder of the Unreasonable East Africa.
“Show up and get inspired, informed, meet the entrepreneurs and discover how you can help make an impact and lend a hand,” said Mandela Ivan, the VP Finance and co-founder of the Unreasonable East Africa.
The event will be attended by fellow entrepreneurs, investors, Kampala Ecosystem members of the broader East African community and students.
Wow, Infinix Zero is launching in a few weeks time and we just wanted to tell you why this is the smartphone everyone has been waiting for.
Set to be available only Konga.com, the Infinix Zero spots an OCTA CORE 1.4 GHZ processor and runs on Android 4.4.2 (KITKAT). With 5.0″ HD capacitive touch screen, the Infinix Zero’s dimensions are 140 by 70 by 7.9 mm and it has 13 MP rear-facing camera and a 2 MP front-facing camera.
We won’t tell you more but such a powerful Octa-core processor you can run as many applications as possible an with a 13 MP camera you can take as many photos as possible.
See more specs below;
Highlight & Specs Of The Infinix Zero
Network: 3G / 2G
Operating System: ANDROID 4.4.2 (KITKAT)
Dimension: 140* 70*7.9 mm
Display: 5.0″ HD CAPACITIVE TOUCH SCREEN
Processor: OCTA CORE 1.4 GHZ
Battery: 1920 MAH
Camera: 13 MP REAR-FACING CAMERA, AF, BSI, 2 MP FRONT-FACING CAMERA
The Future Africa Awards & Summit (TFAAS) has today released the Nominees List for 2014 for its 10 categories who will be hosted in Lagos July 31 by the Consul-General of US.
The list has five nominees per category and was prepared by the Central Working Committee (CWC) of The Future Africa Awards & Summit (TFAAS).
According to Mohamed Diaby, from Abidjan, who is a member of the CWC. “After last year’s process, where only the Young Person of the Year was Africa-wide, for the first time in the 9-year history of The Future Africa Awards, this is the first time that the entire awards have been drawn from across the continent.”
Yaya Toure
THE TFAAS CLASS OF 2014
(Nominees are arranged in order of name, age, organisation and country of origin)
The Future Africa Awards Prize in Advocacy & Activism
1. Kennedy Odede, 29 Shining Hope for Communities, Kenya
2. Ola Ojewumi, 23 Sacred Hearts children’s transplant foundation and Project ASCEND, Nigeria
3. Boniface Mwangi, 29 Pawa 254 initiative, Kenya
4. Abdikadir Aden Hassan, 26 Founding member of Garissa Youth Environment Movement, Kenya
Odede
5. David Akpan, 28 UCARE Foundation Nigeria
The Future Africa Awards Prize in Agriculture
1. Eric Muthomi, 27 Stawi Foods, Kenya
2. Nomzamo Khoza, 27 Farmer, South Africa
3. Olawale Isiah Ojo, 25 Agropreneur, Nigeria
4. Charles Nichols and Samir Ibrahim; 24, 24 SunCulture, Kenya
Election authorities drawn from several Africa countries are meeting in Accra Ghana under the Association of Africa Election Authorities (AAEA) to share experiences of member countries on the use of biometric technology in election management the Africa Elections Project has reported.
Also to be discussed is the sustainability of of biometric technology in elections in Africa.
From the meeting it has emerged that biometric technology alone cannot address the challenges of any electoral system.
The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, says machines could not undertake certain functions during election activities, such as the detection of minors and non-nationals in the registration of voters.
While speaking of Ghana’s experience in biometric technology during elections at a conference in Accra yesterday, Dr Afari-Gyan told the participants that the EC had to employ other measures to prevent foreigners and minors from voting, adding that “the machine will not solve all our problems”.
The Chairman of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan said despite technology being helpful in election administration, it should not be promoted at the expense of the fundamentals of a good election, which are accuracy, transparency and fairness.
Citing some instances of the breakdown of biometric machines during the registration of voters and elections in 2012, Dr Afari-Gyan said the biometric identification machine failed to identify voters whose names were in the voters register. He said some of the machines broke down due to the volume of work, adding that the internal battery of the biometric kit ran out very fast “and the internal battery of the laptop could not support the process alone”. “It is a multi-component kit and so if one device does not work, it affects the whole election process,” he said.
During the piloting of the biometric voting and registration system, Dr Afari-Gyan said, some centers had challenges capturing the photographs of women in veil but the EC overcame the challenges through community education.
He said the software used during the 2012 elections made it difficult for officials to locate certain districts, a situation which wasted a lot of time. Another challenge was the invasion of some polling centers by heavily built men, popularly called “machomen”, during the voters registration exercise. “Some thugs took the law into their own hands and invaded some centers to disrupt the process,” he said.
South Africa’s online retailer, takealot.com is now accepting Bitcoins after it signed a deal with PayFast, a payments processing service for over 30,000 South African merchants that enables easy, secure and instant transfer of money between online buyers and sellers.
We heard your feedback! As always we delivered with speed! Super excited to announce we now accept Bitcoin as a payment method #GreatService
After selecting an item, customers interested in buying with bitcoins will go to Instant EFT then follow the procedure listed. This comes few days after PayFast announced the move that it will be integrating bitcoins as a payment option for its over 30,000 merchants in the country.
For customers buying in bitcoins, the firm will list the price in bitcoin but equivalent to the Rand and takealot will also receive payments in Rands.
In May, takealot.com raised $100 million from Tiger Global in an expansion move inSouth Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. The firm sells DVD’s, Games, Music and Books to lifestyle categories like Home and Kitchen, Baby and Toddler, Health and Beauty and Sport and runs its own warehouses in Cape Town and Johannesburg plus has the advantage of running its own logistics with the purchase of a majoristy stake Mr. Delivery.
The automation of multiple platforms at the Nairobi Securities Exchange(NSE) is making it possible for market savvy investors in Kenya to trade shares directly from an online trading platform such as top binary options brokers without having to engage a stockbroker.
Additionally, the online platform gives clients real time access to transactional statements, portfolio valuation contract notes and order status tracking
According to the Standard, automation of these platforms links the bourse to back office systems at the office of the stockbrokers as well as the Central Depository and Settlement Corporation ( CDSC).
“One has to be one of our clients to use the platform. After opening an account with us as well as another at the CDSC, we do the usual know-your-customer procedures, issue a user name and password and then one can sign in and begin to trade,” said Mr Nkoregamba Mwebesa, the CEO at SBG Securities Limited, a member of the Standard Bank Group of South Africa.
“This system is mainly for those who know what they are doing and have enough exposure to the market. We, however, provide tutorials for those finding it difficult to navigate the platform,” said Mr Mwebesa. This can of trading can be found from this binary options trading website if you are from Nigeria binaryoptions.ng.
“One can create their own portfolio based on the financial reports we offer as well as media reports from both local and foreign publications.” He added that the NSE has had a history of complaints over the conduct of stockbrokers, especially after the collapse of Francis Thuo and Nyaga stockbrokers, which went down with investors’ cash.
With the online platform you can also control and decide on the price of a stock and quantity in real time in addition it is also secure to trade as unauthorized trading is restricted.
The online platform is mostly preferred by the younger generation of investors who are able to take advantage of the convenience of the Internet and commissions are negotiable depending on the size of one’s portfolio.
MTN Rwanda has partnered with KCB, RSwitch and I&M Bank to allow MTN Mobile Money subscribers transfer money between their Mobile Money and KCB bank accounts and also withdraw money from their Mobile Money wallets using I&M ATMs and other RSwitch connected ATMs, without the use of a bank card to initiate the transaction.
Below is the entire press release.
Kigali – Rwanda’s leading telecommunications provider, MTN, is pleased to announce a partnership with KCB, RSwitch and I&M Bank which aims to improve access to financial services in Rwanda.
With this partnership, MTN Mobile Money subscribers will not only be able to transfer money between their Mobile Money and KCB bank accounts, but to also withdraw money from their Mobile Money wallets using I&M ATMs and other RSwitch connected ATMs, without the use of a bank card to initiate the transaction.
Speaking at the launch, General Manager of MTN Business, Norman Munyampundu said, “MTN is constantly finding new ways of delighting customers through our Bold New Digital strategy. These services are truly unique as they cater to both the banked and the unbanked population of the entire country.”
Keza Monica, Head of Banking and Channel said that KCB’s strategy is to provide innovative ways of banking to its customers which is convenient and efficient to both the banked and unbanked.
“KCB’s partnership with MTN Mobile money is a game-changing endeavour which aims to improve lives, create jobs, spawn new enterprises, expand financial inclusion and promote a cashless economy in Rwanda. This service will enable customer to access their banking services through the Mobile money platform at their own convenience,” she continued.
To access Bank Integration services, a Mobile Money registered user will simply dial *182#, * Bank Services from the Mobile Money menu and follow the prompts. To withdraw money from an ATM the customer will first have to get a withdrawal code by dialling *182# > Banking Services > ATM and follow the prompts. The user will receive the 4-digit code by SMS which he/she will enter when making a withdrawal at the ATM.
“We are happy to partner with MTN and the Banks in providing card-less cash withdrawal services through the RSwitch Smartcash ATM network to MTN Mobile Money customers,” said RSwitch Head of Projects Catherine Ngali. “Through this milestone, ATMs within the Smartcash network will act as agents for MTN Mobile Money. This service is another step towards ‘fully functioning’ mobile wallets for MTN Mobile Money customers. We will continue to help providing the latest solutions to enhance customers’ day-to-day financial experiences. Mobile payments and card-less withdrawal provides customers with an easier, quicker and more secure way to access their money.”
When asked about the new partnership, I&M Head of IT and Transactional Banking Services, Innocent Muhizi said, “At I&M Bank, we are thrilled to yet again be partnering with a great institution in the efforts of reaching more Rwandans that have hitherto had limited access to these transaction services either by proximity or by the inevitable limitation of agency operational hours. We believe that the new services will create the much needed bridge to formal financial services while offering unmatched convenience for mobile money users. At I&M Bank, we are committed to continue championing innovation.”
With the new service the risks of physically handling money are significantly reduced by creating efficient ways of paying for goods, services and bills at any time of the day, without having to be physically present.
“Being able to access your Mobile Money through ATMs or Bank Integration services opens up a whole new portal of banking, effectively turning your mobile phone into an e-wallet with the convenience of being able to withdraw or transact money 24/7” Munyampundu concluded.
From January to June 2014, the volume of Mobile Money transactions have totalled over 87,000,000,000Rwf. MTN continues to lead Mobile Money in Rwanda with almost 1.7 million registered users since their launch in 2010.
MTN is expected to get into similar partnerships with other financial institutions in the months to come.
Kenya’s SportPesa, the country’s popular sports betting platform with over 500 football games yesterday messed the scores of match winners and paid the wrong people forcing them to again pay the real winners who went online ranting about the issue.
@SportPesa yesterday I placed a bet in ID 3922 RW Erfurt vs QPR …BT QPR won according to other sites BT ur site state that Erfurt won…
Another who won around Ksh 7,000 told TechMoran that he has not been paid yet adding that the firm will have to pay all the winners even if they had a system failure. This would cost the sports betting firm hundreds of thousands of shillings to compensate all the the rightful winners.
Others accused the firm of changing the results delibarately.
Calls to SportPesa went unanswered even as more users of the site claimed they have not been paid their dues despite being promised hours ago.
On Facebook, Martinx Chege asked why he has won several matches but the firm has never paid him and Mike Wa Kenya claimed his yesterday bet for ukraine u19 has not been paid since yesterday. These and several other claims filled the firm’s social media pages and the firm’s call centre number remained busy the best part of the day. However, the firm assured the users that it was working around the clock to have the best paid.
“We experienced a delay in the BET resulting systems,” wrote “Sportpesa, “but our team working round the clock to ensure that this doesnt occur in future, However be patient as your payments are guaranteed. Thank you.”
Apart from mixing up results, another user, George Kariuki claims his bet was cancelled despite him betting before the game began, as stipulated.
“What are conditions for cancelling a bet, i tried i got a message that cancellation had expired and game had not started.nkt!
These and many other streams of complains against the firm will easily lead to its undoing in the country as some of the users are already claiming SportPesa cons its users.”Gerald Cheruiyot wrote, “I’m almost losing hope with you. You don’t pay us immediately the game is over anymore.”John Maina on Facebook said, “Don’t make me lose the trust I had put on Sportpesa because other site like www.live score.com and www.goal.com claim QPR won 1-0 against RW Erfurt but your site claims RW Erfurt won 2-1 against QPR”
SportPesa allows football and betting fans to bet anywhere, anytime, before the first whistle of the referee of any game. The firm claims the winners are given their prizes instantly after the last whistle of the referee if their predictions are right. The motive of the change of results has not been know to this hour but to Pevans East Africa Limited’s SportPesa it’s business as usual. SportPesa is registered and regulated by Kenya’s B.C.L.B.
Update: Payments are being processed for yesterday’s bets.
”Tens of thousand” of Nigerians have signed up on PayPal after its official launch in Nigeria and are already purchasing stuff online from local sites such as Konga, Jumia and from Britain, China and the US according to a report by Reuters.
“We have seen great uptake by Nigerians in terms of coverage,” Malvina Goldfeld, PayPal’s head of business development for sub-Saharan Africa told the paper adding that Nigerians were buying more from the United States, Britain and China especially electronics and fashion.
PayPal launched in Nigeria mid June as well as Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Zimbabwe and four other nations in Latin America. PayPal has also partnered with a local bank to make sure Nigerians receive money though PayPal, similar to a deal it signed in Kenya with Equity Bank. Nigeria has been a dreaded market associated with online fraud for years but the continent’s larges economy is steadily becoming attractive for everyone with multinational firms now embracing it than blacklisting it as they used to.
Before PayPal’s launch in Nigeria, Goldfeld told TechMoran that PayPal’s launch in Nigeria would be be a big day for businesses in the country.
“That would be a big day for sure, would be amazing.”
European Satellite provider SES and Nigeria’s Computer Warehouse Group have launched a new digital TV platform for West Africa on SES’s ASTRA 2F satellite at 28.2 degrees East.
The TV platform is the country’s first free-to-air (FTA) DTH digital TV platform and is expected to give broadcasters to reach millions of satellite homes in West Africa which are pointing their dishes to 28.2 degrees East, a move set to quicken the pace of digital migration.
Austin Okere, Founder and CEO of CWG, said, “For years, the majority of households in West Africa has been shut out of the digital broadcasting experience. Together with SES, we are excited to enable broadcasters to deliver their content cost-effectively, and in excellent technical quality to millions of households across the region.”
The platform provides end-to-end contribution, ground and space services to local, regional, national and international TV broadcasters across West Africa. SES will be providing the space segment and specific ground services, while CWG will be managing the teleport services as an SES partner teleport operator, providing high operational standards. The service will start in September 2014.
The 28.2 degrees East orbital position is SES’s prime orbital position for West Africa and its FTA reach is one of the highest in the region. Today, SES already transmits 28 FTA channels at the 28.2 degrees East neighbourhood.
Ferdinand Kayser, Chief Commercial Officer of SES, said, “Broadcasting via satellite provides better picture quality and a 100 percent coverage of even the most remote areas and regions. The long-term partnership with CWG will open up new possibilities for local and international broadcasters and allow them to drive digitalisation and reach their audiences across West Africa quickly and cost-effectively.”
Microsoft reported a 7-percent drop in profit right through its second quarter. The company stated the profit obtained between March and June was US$4.6 billion, compared with $4.97 billion last year in the same period.
According to Microsoft, its Nokia division, which it obtained in April this year, lost $692 million. The announcement comes hardly a week after the company announced it would cut down 18,000 jobs, which is the greatest job cut within the company’s 39-year history. Some 12,500 of those positions will be cut from the Nokia phone business.
Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive, stated they are driving growth with bold innovations, focussed execution and disciplined decisions, deciding to concentrate on profits from Microsoft’s cloud division, which were expected to double to US$4.4 billion this year.
Microsoft shares were mostly even in trading after stock market hours, though they are up above 20-percent for the year even as sponsors hope Nadella’s vision for change will finally lead to a boost.
Last week, Nadella said he was laying down staff partially because of incorporating most of Nokia’s employees into Microsoft. However, it was also an effort to shift the company towards its cloud computing business and away from its central software operations.
Cloud computing allows companies to rent out computer services, including storage and software, in flexible bundles instead of investing in costly equipment themselves. The jobs targeted for lay-offs comprise some 14-percent of the 127000 workforce, which is almost 50-percent greater than that of rival Apple.
Ex-Carmudi Nigeria employees have launched Linda.com.ng, a dating site seeking to become Nigeria’s Match.com in a move that will make it easy for people in Nigeria to find and date other singles in the country easily.
According to Jimi Akinleye, the founder of Linda.com.ng “every single person in the country wants to connect with a member of the opposite sex. They do this because they believe such a connection would lead to a long lasting relationship. Often times, it leads to marriages. We want to be the bridge for such level of interaction. We want to be the go-to place for meeting new people, starting new relationships that would be long lasting and could also lead to marriages.”
Linda.com.ng aims to spur interaction and engagement amongst users starting from its registration which is straightforward and short to its simple to use newsfeed and the innovative “date” button which allows users to signal their intention to other users on the site right on. The site also plans to roll-out a couple of packages to increase matches and engagement among users.
The free site will launch out premium packages for members in a near future.
Jimi was the Carmudi PR lead until mid this year when he and his other colleagues moved on to their new ventures.
By the first half of this year, Microsoft has recorded revenue of $23.38-billion. The company’s Gross margin, operating income and diluted earnings per share (EPS) were $15.79-billion, $6.48-billion and $0.55 per share, respectively.
Revenue and cost of revenue from the acquired business (the Nokia Devices and Services (NDS) business), including remuneration of intangible assets, are reported in the new Phone Hardware segment.
“We are galvanised around our core as a productivity and platform company for the mobile-first and cloud-first world, and we are driving growth with disciplined decisions, bold innovation, and focused execution,” says Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. “I’m proud that our aggressive move to the cloud is paying off our commercial cloud revenue doubled again this year to a $4,4-billion annual run rate.”
Devices and Consumer revenue grew 42 percent to $100 billion, with the following business highlights:
Windows OEM revenue grew 3 percent, driven by 11 percent growth in Windows OEM Pro revenue.
Office 365 Home and Personal subscribers totaled more than 5.6-million, adding more than 1-million subscribers again this quarter.
The acquired Phone Hardware business contributed $1.99-billion to current year revenue.
Bing search advertising revenue grew 40%, and U.S. search share grew to 19.2%.
Commercial revenue grew 11% to $13,48-billion, with the following business highlights:
Commercial cloud revenue grew 147% with an annualized run rate that exceeds $4,4-billion.
Windows volume licensing revenue grew 11%.
Server products revenue, including Azure, grew 16%, with double-digit growth for SQL Server and System Centre.
“Our results reflect our customers’ long-term commitments to our products and services, and strong execution by our field teams. We are thrilled with the tremendous momentum of our cloud offerings with Office 365 and Azure both growing over 100% again,” says Kevin Turner, chief operating officer at Microsoft.
“Looking forward, we are excited by the amazing opportunities enabled by our technology roadmap and our strong engagement across partners, customers, and developers.”
For Microsoft’s fiscal year 2014, the company’s revenue, gross margin, operating income, and diluted EPS were $86.83-billion, $59.90-billion, $27.76-billion and $2.63 per share, respectively.
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 services across the country. We are continuously improving the mobile money platform to guarantee our customers of better services,” said Company CEO Mickael Ghossein.
The promo comes after Orange Money launched mobile to mobile money transfers between three different African countries such as Mali, Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire.
Orange Money International Transfer allows money to be sent and received securely via mobile phones. Users no longer need to have cash with them when they travel, and sending cash doesn’t have to be done by a third party.
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 orders on their own.
Merchants listing on the website enjoy stress-free selling experience. The Jumia Kenya online marketplace handles the product warehousing, marketing, customer care, delivery and after sale services.
Bata Kenya said: “The convenience Jumia online marketplace offers to our customers is exciting, making sure our customers have access to their favourite products from Bata just a click away and have deliveries anywhere in Kenya, it’s awesome.
Bata’s customers will now have access to a stylish range of shoes without having to fight through traffic or visit the stores, they can shop straight from their mobile phones through our mobile app, when they shop on Jumia online marketplace, they are still shopping from Bata.
For parties interested in selling, the product needs to be brand-new, unused, unopened in its original packaging, with all original packaging materials included.
Original protective wrapping, if any, should be intact and the product should include the original manufacturer’s warranty, if any, with warranty details included in the listing comments. The seller will then upload the product image with a description before the product goes live on the company’s website.
A report by Trend Micro, Global developer of cyber security solutions, says that Google Play now has trojanised versions of the most popular apps that are bound to steal user information, money as well as data. You are advised to be careful.
The developer company states that more than 77 percent of the top 50 apps on the Google Play store have repackaged or fake apps associated with them. The research points out that the creation of these apps is contributing to a rapid growth in mobile malware.
Repackaged apps use social engineering tactics, displaying similar user interface (UI), icon, package names and app labels as the legitimate or official version of the apps they have spoofed. This consequently tricks users into downloading fake apps that generate profit for cybercriminals.
“Sadly, we are seeing the trend towards fake mobile apps increase rapidly as cybercriminals realize that a profit can be made here. There is little relief from this explosion, even if users leave Google Play store because several third-party app stores distribute repackaged apps, some which are trojanised and some that have been modified to add malicious code,” says Gregory Anderson, country manager at Trend Micro South Africa.
Though it is difficult for app developers and stores to completely protect themselves from suffering the adverse effects of repackaging, they can use complex file encapsulation or encryption techniques to deter cybercriminals from repackaging their apps. App stores could implement strict rules and audit mechanisms with regard to making apps available for user download.
Staying protected from various mobile threats, including fake apps, download only from trusted sites such as official app stores. Using an effective security solution such as Trend Micro Mobile Security for Android Devices is also a step that should be taken.
Leardeship changes in Africa seem to be Bharti Airtel’s missile to take over markets it once held dear again. The firm has today appointed Mr. Ben Cheick Haidara, as Managing Director for Airtel in Burkina Faso with effect from August 1, 2014.
