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.
d.light has announced that it has reached sales of 500,000 financed units, providing modern energy access to 2.5 million people on a pay-as-you-go basis.
In response to this success, d.light has launched the Energy Access Accelerator, an initiative focused on integrating the company’s growing range of solar power products and services with a diversity of payment and distribution systems. Known as pay-as-you-go solar, d.light’s financed solar systems are helping to transform the lives of 1.2 billion people in the developing world without access to energy.
“As pioneers in pay-as-you-go solar products and services since 2009, we’ve learned that base-of-the-pyramid consumers can and will pay for modern power solutions—and that energy access is not a ‘one size fits all’ market,” said Donn Tice, Chairman and CEO. “d.light’s Energy Access Accelerator will be focused on scaling distributed energy solutions for the diversity of energy impoverished geographies. Scale requires a consistent user experience, reliable energy and flexible payment options.”
d.light has sold over 6 million products around the world, impacting the lives of more than 36 million people. Pay-as-you-go products currently represent 20 percent of d.light’s sales, but are expected to grow to 30 percent in the coming year.
d.light’s Energy Access Accelerator will focus on integrating advanced product technology and service offerings for a full range of payment systems, including microloans, self-help groups, top-up cards and mobile money. The group will be led by d.light’s President, Ned Tozun, and Managing Director of Global Consumer Finance, Sateesh Kumar. Tozun, who co-founded d.light in 2006, will focus on technology enablement of pay-as-you-go.
Kenya’s NIC Bank in partnership with Visa Inc. has launched the NIC Visa Platinum Credit Card. This new product is looking for the affluent segment of its customer base with an unprecedented limit in the market.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health James Macharia, who launched the card, reassured guests that the government was working to provide an ideal environment for business.
NIC Bank Group Managing Director James Gachora said: “This launch marks an important step in our quest to offer our clients a wide-range of services that enhance the customer experience in line with our core aspiration to be the most innovative financial partner. Going ahead, you will see new and innovative products from us. We will be rolling out different products for our customers and the market as a whole.”
With this card, customers are bound to enjoy added benefits which include complimentary access to airport lounges in different countries, fast track check-in at international airports, purchase protection and extended warranty for purchases made on the Platinum Credit Card.
NIC Bank has worked in partnership with Visa Inc. since 2005 and has three credit cards for the conventional banking market, each designed for a different market segment.
Visa Inc. has seen a 14.6 percent year on year growth registered by high net worth individuals in the region. There has been an increased uptake of cards in Kenya with 7.8 million of the 10 million cards in the market being Visa cards.
The Government of Uganda has been accused of contravening the constitution by imposing a 10-percent exercise duty on money mobile withdrawal. Sectors blamed for the same include the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
Joshua Tumwine, the complainant, seeks a declaration that by recognizing the business and taxation of 10 percent exercise on mobile money withdrawal, the ministries responsible are infringing the Constitution.
Tumwine has dragged the Attorney General (AG) and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to court claiming that the move undermines the rule of law and the constitutional mandate of the Bank of Uganda therefore going against the provisos of the Constitution.
The Kampala city economist seeks a permanent injunction restraining the Attorney General and URA and their agents from continuing to recognize the act that promotes unequal and discriminatory treatment under the law.
This comes after finance minister Maria Kiwanuka said she planned to raise $16.5 million (£10.6 million) by imposing a levy on incoming international phone calls to plug a $214 million hole in the budget after donors cut aid due to corruption accusation. The 10 percent tax is expected to raise some $12 million annually.
The mobile money tax is said to amount to a criminal offence under the Financial Institutions. It also enables the offender to evade criminal sanctions since it measures to violation of the Constitution.
The high tax imposition on the telecommunications product could affect the 8.9 million customers using six mobile phone networks in the country especially those in remote areas where banking facilities are inaccessible.
MasterCard and Guaranty Trust Bank Gambia (GTBank Gambia) has announced a collaboration that will broaden the acceptance of MasterCard payment cards in The Gambia. Consumers can now use their MasterCard prepaid, credit and debit cards at GTBank Gambia ATMs and Point of Sale (POS) terminals including hotels, restaurants and retailers.
“Tourists and business travelers carrying MasterCard will now be able to withdraw money and make payments in the local currency ‘Dalasi’, for the first time on our 21 GTBank ATMs and 76 merchant outlets strategically located in Banjul and greater Banjul area. We wish to thank MasterCard for accepting us as partners in our common drive of simply satisfying cardholders from around the world,” says Femi Omotoso, Managing Director, GTBank Gambia.
The Central Bank of Gambia envisions a modernized payments system for the country, which involves the increased adoption of electronic payments.
“We are proud to partner with GTBank, which is quickly growing its presence in Africa. This is the first time that MasterCard payment cards will be accepted at ATMs in The Gambia and is a great milestone for us as we aim to create a cashless society,” says Omokehinde Ojomuyide, Vice President and Area Business Head, MasterCard in West Africa. “Enabling our e-channels for MasterCard indeed opens up opportunities for business, retail and tourism for our country. The hotel and tourism industry will especially benefit from this service.”
Electronic payments offer cardholders and merchants several benefits including being protected from the security risks and costs associated with cash. For merchants, the ability to accept electronic payments means that they will increase their sales as consumers are not limited to the cash they have on hand.
Kenya Bankers Association, KBA, has launched a mobile app and web portal that will assist commercial banks in disclosing the cost of credit to loan applicants as a percentage or APR (Annual Percentage Rate).
The web portal, dubbed Credit Calculator Online, was developed by KBA together with the APR pricing mechanism and the industry’s implementation of the Kenya Banks’ Reference Rate (KBRR).
The mobile app and website also feature tools that borrowers can use when taking a loan, including a comprehensive calculator and a fast APR estimate that captures every cost associated with a loan facility. The app can be downloaded from Google Play or Costofcredit.co.ke.
During the launch, Joshua Oigara, KBA Chairman, said it is expected that APR and KBRR will improve pricing transparency as they stimulate competition within the banking sector. He added that promoting transparency during lending remains a priority for the banks and financial services sector and are thankful to their stakeholders, including the National Treasury and the Central Bank of Kenya, for their collaboration in the quest to improve access to credit through enabling and progressive policies.
APR consists of an interest rate component that is deduced from KBRR and individual banks’ administrative costs, a risk premium, the banks’ profit margin and product related fees in addition to related third party costs.
According to Oigara, APR and KBRR are only two of the long-term and interim interventions by the players to improve credit access. Away from interest rates, there are additional costs that influence access to credit and via the Cost of Credit Committee the regulators, Government and industry have named priority initiatives to address these inefficiencies.
“With the initiatives that will be managed by the Cost of Credit Committee, I completely think that as a country we will finally have a more efficient credit system as well as an improved access to credit,” Oigara noted.
Habil Olaka, the CEO of KBA, said the industry-led APR implementation is a consumer protection program that highlights the banks’ commitment to giving customers the facts necessary for making informed credit decisions.
KBA collaborated with Farwell Consultants to develop the “Credit Calculator Online” website, which currently provides critical information on the industry’s new pricing regime.
Kenyan daily The Star has launched an e-paper set to operate on smartphone platforms such as Android, iOs, Blackberry OS, as well as on desktop PCs and tablets.
The Star digital edition has various subscriptions to choose from: a weekly rate of KSh350, monthly rate of 1229, quarterly at KSh2810, half-yearly subscription for KSh4214 and a full annual subscription of KSh7024.
Subscribers will pay through multiple platforms such as M-Pesa, Airtel Money, YUCash, VISA Card, MasterCard, or PesaPal. Other compatible payment platforms include 2CheckOut and PayPal for secure online transaction processing.
The e-paper copy will be available for download at no charge only for a limited period of time. For easy download, subscribers must have Adobe Flash Player version 10 software installed in their computers.
Lately, Kenyan newspaper publishers are embracing digital news platforms to leverage their limitless rewards, including their interactive and ubiquitous nature.
African call centres have now joined the mobile bandwagon and with the aid of tools such as as speech recognition and voice commands, call centres have evolved and transcended beyond ordinary telephone calls to mobile.
“As we have evolved to become a customer direction centre, we’ve moved from telephone calls into SMS text messaging. We’ve taken on the email and social media channel and for customer interaction,” said Rod Jones, contact centre consultant while speaking in Lagos, Nigeria ahead of an Interactive Intelligence-sponsored masterclass for stakeholders.
“Call centres are helping African governments to provide efficient and effective services to citizens”, says Jones.
Jones said these amid calls for the creation of a call centre association for Nigeria and other African countries as a way of promoting a standard for call centres.
Christopher Bell, Interactive Intelligence’s Channel Manager for Africa said that such associations have already been set up in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and plans are underway to set one up in Kenya.
“We’ve already seen that in South Africa,” Jones mentions. The most effective aspect of the government is our Revenue Service. They have built and operate a true world class call centre and it has been responsible for tremendous improvements in revenue collection by the government.
Bell says that masterclasses held in various parts of Africa, especially in Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia, are conducting dialogues that are being stimulated and more organisations, including government, are developing interests in the diverse possibilities of setting up call centres.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the industry in the wake of the seminars“, says Bell. If you keep the momentum going by stimulating dialogue, you make people aware. We exposed some of the participants for the first time to what a call centre is all about.”
Organisations in Nigeria such as telecoms companies and financial institutions, are quickly adopting call centres, according to Mbuela Luwawu, Managing Director of Odilum Technologies Limited, an Interactive Intelligence partner in Nigeria.
Luwawu says: “Five years ago, no bank had a contact centre but since 2009, you can pick up your phone, call your contact centre and speak to your customer service officer directly. The adoption has been quite positive.” He also states that Nigeria has the ability to take market share away from India; he also predicted there will be lots of contact centre outsourcing for Nigeria from Europe and America.
Investment firm Village Capital and Pearson aim to invest $75,000 into two “Edupreneurs” in Africa in amove to help the world’s less privileged students and solve the world’s most pressing educational challenges.
Ross Baird, executive director of Village Capital said, “We’re looking to build great companies that improve the quality of education for millions of low-income children across the world, and believe that entrepreneurs can see opportunities that larger players have overlooked.”
The two winners who will be offered up to USD $75,000 in seed funding will be selected through peer review by fellow education entrepreneurs and will be part of those invited to attend Pearson workshops in South Africa where they will complete tailored modules in business and education topics, and receive mentoring advice from other entrepreneurs, investors and professionals.
“We’re excited to scout across southern Africa for this unique incubation model and to continue bolstering the global ecosystem supporting education entrepreneurs,” says Ember Melcher, Program Manager for Edupreneurs at the Pearson Affordable Learning Fund.
Applications are open to ‘edupreneurs’ operating across Africa who serve students in low-income communities and intend to scale their businesses to make a positive impact on the future of learning.
Riaan Jonck, CEO of Pearson South Africa says its through programmes like Edupreneurs and their potential for success in the future that have led to small business sectors being key economic drivers in the fight against unemployment and poverty. “Enterprise Development is a key component of our transformation strategy, and we are looking forward to seeing innovative ‘edupreneurs’ emerge from this programme”, he adds.
The top two ranking companies eligible to receive up to USD $75,000 each—drawn from USD $100,000 and USD $50,000 of capital committed by Pearson and Village Capital, respectively.
The 2014 applications close at the end of August and selected edupreneurs will be announced by the end of September. Village Capital has operated 27 programmes globally serving more than 400 entrepreneurs and had a similar program in India.
Accordingto Bell, Zambia and Zimbabwe already have such associations and plans are underway to set one up in Kenya.
Bell says businesses and governments in Africa, especially in Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia, are conducting dialogues on setting up call centres and the Interactive Intelligence’s Channel is seeing increasing demand for the call centres.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the industry in the wake of the seminars“, says Bell. If you keep the momentum going by stimulating dialogue, you make people aware. We exposed some of the participants for the first time to what a call centre is all about.”
“Call centres are helping African governments to provide efficient and effective services to citizens”, says Rod Jones, contact centre consultant. Speaking in Lagos, Nigeria ahead of an Interactive Intelligence-sponsored masterclass for stakeholders, Jones says with leading edge technologies such as speech recognition and voice commands, call centres have evolved and transcended beyond ordinary telephone calls. “As we have evolved to become a customer direction centre, we’ve moved from telephone calls into SMS text messaging. We’ve taken on the email and social media channel and for customer interaction.”
“We’ve already seen that in South Africa,” Jones mentions. The most effective aspect of the government is our Revenue Service. They have built and operate a true world class call centre and it has been responsible for tremendous improvements in revenue collection by the government.
According to Mbuela Luwawu, Managing Director of Odilum Technologies Limited, an Interactive Intelligence partner in Nigeria, telecoms companies and financial institutions, are quickly adopting call centres in Nigeria than five years ago.
“Five years ago, no bank had a contact centre but since 2009, you can pick up your phone, call your contact centre and speak to your customer service officer directly. The adoption has been quite positive.” Luwawu says adding that Nigeria has the ability to take market share away from India; he also predicted there will be lots of contact centre outsourcing for Nigeria from Europe and America.
South Africa’s Creditable, a firm that enables credit unions, lenders, businesses and individuals to give loans to their customers, employees, suppliers and family professionally in five minutes and Kenya’s M-Changa, an inexpensive SMS fundraiser for East Africa are mong the ten finalists to join the Startupbootcamp kicking off this August.
Startupbootcamp’s Nektarios Liolios, MD, said: “Over the last five months we’ve scoured the planet for the most interesting, innovative and promising FinTech startups. We’ve met over 436 startups, visited financial hubs across four continents and held 18 different events. We’re confident that the 10 teams selected represent the very best that the financial services and technology industries have to offer.”The three month acceleration programme will give the startups free office space in London and a EUR15,000 award. The startups will also receive mentorship from more than 100 entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate partners through sessions on how to ‘shape’, ‘build’, and ‘sell’.Speaking to TechMoran, M-Changa CTO David Mark said, “M-Changa felt honored, if not completely convinced, that joining SBC Fintech London was right thing to do. But in only one day we are already in discussions with banks, diaspora leaders, African operators and worldwide remittance providers. So like the nine other Fintech winners, we’re very excited.”
M-Changa, Creditable and the other teams will after the three months pitch to over 200 investors, mentors, and partners at Demo day. Startupbootcamp has been backed by Lloyds, MasterCard, Rabobank and SBT Venture Capital. Startupbootcamp FinTech’s partnership with Lloyds, Rabobank, SBT Venture Capital and MasterCard will see the startups get access to pilot customers, industry data, APIs and capital.
Other startups include;
Epiphyte, a US compnay deploying enterprise software that allows the pre-installed systems of financial institutions to “talk” to crypto-financial networks.
FriendlyScore, a firm from Ploand creating credit scorecards based on big data from Facebook.
Insly, an Estonian cloud-based tool for insurance salespeople.
InvoiceSharing, a financial services marketplace from the Netherlands, aiming to enable 100% free electronic invoicing.
Liquity, an online marketplace in the UK matching buyers and sellers of private company shares.
milliPay Systems, a micropayment startup from Switzerland aims to make online payments as simple as browsing.
Tab, a US firm that integrates with existing bank systems to enable real-time social payment networking.
Up Investments, a UK startup which enables people to find, manage and grow all of their P2P and equity crowdfunded investments through one free and simple platform.
“SBC’s track record is unbeatable in terms taking companies to the next level–both regionally and globally,” concluded M-Changa CEO, Kyai Mullei.
Google is set to host an executive breakfast forum where top business executives and 80 CEOs from across the globe are expected to attend. The Breakfast Forum is scheduled for July 24, 2014 in Nigeria’s economic center Lagos.
Executive Breakfast forum, which has been set up by Google Nigeria in partnership with Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Media Independent Practitioners of Nigeria (MIPAN) and the Association of advertising Agencies (AAAN), is aimed at assisting the top business executives understand to leverage web platforms and tools to raise revenues and expand their reach.
The forum is also targeted at helping the executives to understand how online tools can be used (or are being used) to build their business profiles and grow their turnover.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Communications & Public Affairs Manager in West Africa, commented that the internet is changing the manner in which businesses market their services and products. With more than 55 million Nigerians connecting, buying products online and sharing information, business executives need to rethink of ways they can leverage the platform.
Over 80 CEOs have so far confirmed attendance, with the number increasing daily.
The World Bank Group’s commitment to financing infrastructure projects has increased by 45 percent which is $24.2 billion in the fiscal year 2014; from $16.7 billion in the previous year. The jump in financing was due to increased demand from developing countries.
The increase comes against a backdrop of an overall decline in private sector investment in infrastructure across the developing world. Such investments are considered critical in reducing poverty; commitments to Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and fully private projects declined by nearly 20 percent, from $181 billion in 2012, to $146 billion in 2013, according to World Bank Group estimates.
The increase in World Bank Group financing marks the highest level of infrastructure-related lending by the World Bank Group since 2011, with the bulk of investment focused on energy and transport projects.
However, with global demand for infrastructure estimated at $1-1.5 trillion annually above current investment levels, much larger commitments from the private sector are necessary to meet help low- and middle-income countries boost growth and reduce poverty.
“It is clear developing countries badly need more infrastructure, and we are stepping up with more financing to provide clean drinking water for families, electricity so children can study at night, and better roads so farmers can get goods to markets,”said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim.
Kim said the World Bank Group has created new global practices that are specifically designed to help transfer global development solutions from countries like Singapore to the rest of the world.
Just a few hours after being reinstated, the Twitter accounts of Kenya Defence Forces and Major E.K ChirChir have been taken over again by a group of hackers allied to the dreaded Anonymous Group.
Account hacked Again by @Anon_0x03 and Anonymous Kenya!
— Major E K Chirchir (@MajorEChirchir) July 21, 2014
Account hacked Again by @Anon_0x03 and Anonymous Kenya FUCK YOU ARMY!
The take-over was just a few hours after Major E K Chirchir KDF’s Liaison Officer Major tweeted appreciating the governments digital team for reinstating it.
Yesterday, the team had tried the whole day to reinstate the two accounts but seems after reinstating it they simply email everyone the new log in credentials then the hackers go in again.
Jovago, has commenced an email sign-up campaign which offers customers a 25 percent discount off all Nigerian hotels booked on the site.
The company says this campaign is targeted at giving back to her customers who have contributed immensely to the growth of Jovago.com. This email sign-up campaign requires everyone to either send their email address to the company number 08178919181 or simply send an empty email to discount@jovago.com. Everyone who does this will receive a unique voucher code within 24hours, offering them a 25 percent discount off any Nigerian hotel on www.jovago.com.
Jovago.com which recently partnered with Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation as their official hotel booking partner and signed up Nigerian multi-award winning artist, Ice Prince as ambassador is poised to revolutionize the hotel booking space in Nigeria. With many more partnerships and promotions in the bag, this email sign-up campaign is just a tip of the iceberg.
“One of our strong assets is identifying our customers’ needs and satisfying them as best we can. This is why we always create more avenues for our customers to save more while booking on www.jovago.com” Marek Zmyslowki, Managing Director of Jovago Nigeria said in a statement.
