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Energy Journalism Awards (EJEA) Has Been Launched In Kenya

Tech

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 11, 2013

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Energy Journalism Awards (EJEA) Has Been Launched In Kenya

From left to Right: Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Geothermal Development Company Dr.Silas Simiyu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Rural Electrification Authority Ng’ang’a Munyu, Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer KenGen Eng.Simon Ngure,Principal Secretary Ministry of Energy and Petroleum Eng.Joseph Njoroge and Acting Director General Energy Regulatory Commission Dr.Fredrick Nyang’ just before toasting to the launch of Energy Journalism Excellence Awards.

Energy journalism Awards has been launched in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.

Organized by the ministry of Energy and Petroleum and utilities under the ministry, the award is looking to ensure that Kenyans are well informed about the industry as well as major projects planned both for accountability and support for the citizens.

The awards seek to promote accurate and comprehensive coverage of energy matters in the country. Journalists from all platforms have until end of January 2014 to submit entries which will be judged and winners announced in March.

The launch was officiated by Kenya’s Principal Secretary in the ministry, Eng. Joseph Njoroge. He noted that recent happenings in the sector had raised energy’s stakes even higher.

“With discovery of commercial oil reserves and the deliberate plans by the government to generate over 5000MW of electricity over the next forty months, the energy sector will greatly improve the economic performance of our country”, noted the PS. “Provision of modern energy always mirrors the economic performance of any country in the world. As Kenya takes major steps in availing more modern energy, the impact on the economy will certainly be felt. Since energy tends to be a technical subject, we must partner with the media to break it down so that we can move together as a people”.

Speaking during the launch, Acting KenGen CEO Eng. Simon Ngure said there is need for all Kenyans and energy stakeholders to keep abreast and be adequately informed on the development of energy resources in the country.

“The ambitious power plans by the government aim at giving Kenyans quality and affordable electricity and hence deserve support by all”, said Ngure.

The awards categories will focus on various energy sub themes such as energy policy and regulation, efficiency and green initiatives, petroleum, electricity and power distribution. Other categories will focus on rural electrification initiatives, energy finance and community relation stories on energy matters.

Airtel Malawi’s Operating License Renewed

Telcos

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 11, 2013

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Airtel Malawi’s Operating License Renewed

Airtel Malawi’s operations will not come to a close anytime soon because the company’s application for a new operating license has been approved by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra).

MACRA said that this renewal meant that Airtel has the legal ground of being in service for the next ten years beginning next year February; but this is yet to be discussed further.

The second largest mobile operator had applied for the license this year in February, which was as per the requirements which requires an operator to apply for a renewal a year before the expiry of the existing license.

MACRA says it conducted a performance assessment on the company’s performance and compliance with its license terms and conditions during its operations from February 1999 to next year when its 15-year-long license will be expiring.

“The performance assessment conducted revealed significant contributions of Airtel Malawi to the country’s socio-economic growth, developed innovative products and services,” says the MACRA’s statement; which criticized Airtel for meeting consumer related obligations.

Saulos Chilima, Airtel Malawi’s Managing Director whose company is now expected to pay all applicable fees said that the company exists and potential customers as well as the general populace should expect more new good things from Airtel following the new license.

Before the official renewal process is done, the company and MACRA will negotiate a new set of terms and conditions that would take into account technology changes in the industry. Airtel Malawi will also have to undertake measures to meet minimum quality of service standards as well as other conditions necessary to address challenges experienced during its ending license.

Caxton Acquires Habari Media

Business

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 11, 2013

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Habari Media, the independent digital media sales house that handles accounts such as BBC, LinkedIn and MTV; now has a new owner, Caxton.

“The buyout represents a huge opportunity for Habari Media and we are very excited to become a part of the Caxton group,” says managing director Wayne Bischoff. “We look forward to exploiting synergies across the existing portfolio of Caxton’s media platforms and brands, whilst continuing to provide existing partnerships and advertisers with the same level of professional service they have become accustomed to.”

The management could possibly remain the same becasue Bischoff will still be the Managing Director. Other know people who have retained their sits includes Garth Rhoda as sales director; Byron John as insights director and Marius Greeff as commercial director.

Habari Media was founded in 2004 and has been quite significant in Africa digital media. It has been offering partner sites, local presence and market insights, and advertisers informed access to a burgeoning African digital audience.

So far the company represents some of the most prestigious names in African digital real estate, including BBC.com, LinkedIn, MTV, 2Go, All4Women and Autotrader.

“The company can continue to grow and enhance their existing offering by combining all the elements that have made the business so successful over the last nine years with the additional firepower and media assets within the Caxton group,” says outgoing CEO of Habari Media, Adrian Hewlett. “Habari Media, and its ambitious team, will benefit immeasurably from being within the Caxton stable, a company which is not only committed to, but has the means to, make a meaningful impact on the digital market in Africa.”

Hewlett will now focus his attentions on growing MACHINE, the integrated below the line agency he founded in 2012. MACHINE has shown tremendous growth and was recently awarded South Africa’s breakthrough agency of the year at the recent AdReview awards.

Egypt’s Telcos Accused Of Robing Subscribers

Telcos

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 11, 2013

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Egypt’s Telcos Accused Of Robing Subscribers

Mobile networks in Egypt are facing the Public Prosecutor after being charged of Association to raise the prices of mobile services as well as restricting the marketing process under the pretext of charging the stamp tax.

The Cartel agreement cost Egyptian consumers approximately EGP500 annually which is $72 million claims the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA).

The firm further says that they had a complaint accusing the mobile networks of mutually last year in October

In October last year, the ECA says it received grievances which accused the mobile networks of collectively adding stamp tax on prepaid recharge cards at the same time earlier in the year.

The mobile network operators were previously absorbing the cost of the stamp tax to attract consumers but in March 2012 they are alleged to have privately agreed to impose the tax on the consumer without notifying the regulator in advance. The regulator later approved the tariff hikes, although it was not aware of the alleged cartel.

As part of its investigation ECA noted that it had also previously referred Mobinil and Etisalat to the Public Prosecutor due to refraining from providing the Authority with the required data and information.

Tanzanians Could Face Imprisonment Over Violation Of SIM Legislation

Telcos

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December 11, 2013

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Tanzanians Could Face Imprisonment Over Violation Of SIM Legislation

Tanzania’s SIM registration has been termed haphazard and chaotically conducted at least according to Arusha Urban MP Godbless Lema who says Electronic and Postal Communication Act (EPOCA) of 2010 is being violated.

He pointed out that the process is not in a position to put misuse of communication through mobile phones in the country in check. Joining in, Minister for Communication, science and Technology Prof Makame Mbarawa said the offence could earn individuals imprisonment and heavy fines as well.

“Registration of Sim cards is stipulated through EPOCA and any violating including registering the cards through false names will be dealt with,” said Mbarawa

The issue raised in parliament attracted audience from members of parliament who proposed extension of communication services to the rural areas in the country through Universal Communication Access Fund (UCAF).

The government has identified all areas with poor communication access and which are not attractive to investors in the sector since they are not commercially viable due to low numbers of people and rigid geographical features.

The Ministers were urged to work closely with mobile operators to see through the expansion of services to the people.

KENYA’S DIGITAL MIGRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED. A SIGH FOR KENYANS?

Tech

Shiko Gathoni

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December 11, 2013

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KENYA’S DIGITAL MIGRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED. A SIGH FOR KENYANS?

Following a court petition filed on the 26^th of November by media houses; Nation Media Group, Standard Media Group and Royal Media Services against Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), the High Court has suspended the switch from analogue to digital to December 23^rd.

The suspension by Justice David Majanja is to allow determination of the suit hence scrapping of Nairobi’s digital migration supposed to take effect Friday 13^th 2013. The media houses accuse the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) of locking them out of the digital migration process and granting exclusive rights to local pay-TV channels to oversee the digital migration.

The ruling to be made on the 23^rd will determine when the migration will take place. Justice Majanja dismissed the application seeking a three-judge bench due to lack of tangible constitutional questions.

“In my view, I can handle the petition and any party that is aggrieved can move to the appeals court as provided by the law,” ruled Justiced Majanja .

Speaking at the hearing, Paul Muite the media houses’ lawyer said Star Times is alleged to have issued 5% of their shareholding to government officials in exchange of obtaining licensing unfairly according to Nation Media Group’s CEO Linus Gitahi’s sworn statement , which was objected by the Star times lawyer saying they had followed due process.

CCK locked out two media houses- Nation Media and Royal Media in the process due to lack of 500,000 bond which Muite termed as ridiculous saying the two houses cannot lack the amount of money even in cash.

Cofek also highlighted on the wrong timing pointing out the Kenya@50 celebrations at large as well as Madiba’s funeral requiem mass and eventual burial of the world’s icon which would deny Kenyans right to information.

Online real estate is increasingly gaining acceptance in Nigeria – Dapo Eludire

Paul Adepoju

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December 10, 2013

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Online real estate is increasingly gaining acceptance in Nigeria – Dapo Eludire

A real estate expert has expressed satisfaction about the current state of real estate in Nigeria. According to Dapo Eludire, many Nigerians are embracing online real estate services providers in Nigeria for their property needs.

In an exclusive interview, Dapo said the sub-sector just like their counterparts in ecommerce, are gradually overcoming the distrust that had limited the embracement of online transactions in Nigeria.

He said the success of the sector could be seen in the increasing number of online real estate companies that are springing up, each providing various services in the nation’s budding online real estate sub-sector.

“The acceptance of online real estate is on the rise,” Dapo said.

He noted that the acceptance is connected to the rise in internet penetration in Nigeria and the ease that technology brings to the various aspects of human endeavors and Nigeria’s economy. He added that there is a significantly increased understanding among Nigerians on the proper usage of the internet.

He said: “Technology has made things easy. These days, almost everyone has at least a smartphone and many people understand the proper usage of internet. Internet has deeply penetrated into the Nigerian economy.”

He also revealed that conventional real estate agents are also adopting online real estate quickly.

“Agents are highly interested and they are using the platform to conduct their search and to advertise their companies,” he said.

Tolet.com.ng handles about 100 requests daily

Paul Adepoju

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December 10, 2013

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Tolet.com.ng handles about 100 requests daily

One of Nigeria’s leading online real estate company, Tolet.com.ng, has revealed that it handles about 100 calls daily from individuals who are looking for properties that are available for rent in Lagos state.

In an exclusive interview, the co-founder and chief operating officer of the company, Dapo Eludire said the company has evolved from just a marketing firm that informs visitors to the website about available houses to one that is actively involved in the logistics aspect of real estate.

He said his company does not stop at just showing clients pictures online; he said they take their clients around and help them to close the deal on their preferred properties.

“We are an online platform that is also involved in the logistics aspects of real estate, take them around and help them to close the deal on a property,” he said.

He said the decision to launch the platform arose after understanding the challenges individuals face when looking for properties in Lagos. He said many get cheated and are made to pay exorbitant prices because they don’t know much about the property terrain in Lagos.

“We found out that looking to rent a property in Lagos is very tough. Lot of people don’t have enough knowledge about real estate. A lot of people are being cheated and they pay more than what they ought to actually pay,” he said.

“We started as a marketing platform but we realized that the problem that doesn’t end with just searching for houses. After searching, they will still go through the stress of landlords and agent. We decided to come in, helping people in all forms of negotiations on a property because we know that many people don’t have the ability to carry out negotiations on their own.

“We help with area specialists who know the different properties that are available for let in the various areas.”

Waste Enterprisers Discovers Gold Mine In Fecal Waste Management In Ghana

Stella Kabura

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December 10, 2013

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Waste Enterprisers Discovers Gold Mine In Fecal Waste Management In Ghana

In a bid to control improper disposal of fecal waste matter in Ghana and later on carry out pilot surveys in Kenya, the Waste Enterprisers have taken up an initiative to offer a solution that combines engineering, environmental innovation and community development.

Founded three years ago by Ashley Murray as part of her Doctoral research in sanitation engineering, it began working on its Green Heat project last year 2012. This came after Murray receiving a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in which she compiled her results and created the Waste Enterprisers.

Yet, each day, some 85 per cent of the human waste generated on earth goes untreated into the environment due to failed sanitation systems, say studies. This has lead to a high number of people suffering from diarrheal diseases associated with poor sanitation and water quality. Over 2 million people, mostly children under five, die from these diseases each year. Thus, Waste Enterprisers has chosen its mission to end the sanitation crisis and its environmental and public health consequences.

The organization’s birth was rooted in a strong research relationship with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi and still maintains partnership on certain projects with the university. According to Waste Enterprisers, although the idea of working with waste materials is not new, it is still under explored across the continent of Africa.

Waste Enterprisers has partnered with some organizations in Ghana creating wealth from the abundant waste materials constituting a nightmare to the Ghanaian health and environmental landscape. According to Akua Nkruma, a representative, Waste Enterprisers is addressing an ideological shift away from regarding waste as nothing more than waste, noting that their initiative done in other parts of the world is unique.

By using human waste as the primary feed-stock for other products, the organization harnesses its resource value, restructuring the financial incentives that have failed human waste collection, treatment, and disposal in developing countries, they say.

According to the organization, its waste-based businesses create a demand for waste that unlocks profitable alternatives to haphazard dumping. The funds are then reinvested into the sanitation sector to extend services to poor communities.

For instance, it currently employs Ghanaians and other nationalities onto its staff in order to maintain the diversity of experience and expertise required to successfully actualize the goals of the organization. In addition, Akua Nkrumah, an engineer in the organization considers this an advantage and regards herself as the bridge between Ghanaians and Americans, being half Ghanaian and half American.

Moreover, the organization also it provides a new dimension to waste management of fecal matter in Ghana by diverting waste trucks from improper dump sites to the designated collection sites belonging to Waste Enterprisers.

Because the enterprise recognizes the importance of trucks that collect waste matter from door-to-door and communities, it works to ensure that it bridges the gap that exists between these collection agencies and the prospects of proper disposal. Moreover, Waste Enterprisers takes it further by providing fuel, which they deem more economically viable than manure.

In all, emphasizing that this process is continuous as the organization thrives on research as a fundamental component of its operations, the organization describes its mission as creating a revolution that will fuel the reuse of waste while eradicate disease in Africa.

World Soil Day Participants Introduce Hi-tech Concepts For Soil Conservation

Stella Kabura

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December 10, 2013

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World Soil Day Participants Introduce Hi-tech Concepts For Soil Conservation

New hi-tech concepts for soil conservation were launched on World Soil Day, as FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo noted that more attention of the health and management of the planet’s soils would require meeting the challenges of feeding a growing world population while coping with climate change and increased scarcity of natural resources.

According to Semedo, from the origins of civilization in early farming communities to today, societies have prospered thanks to healthy soils but declined when their lands became degraded or infertile. Thus, among a few activities, FAO launched a new online “soil portal,” offering a comprehensive collection of soil maps and over 700 technical reports.

The government of Thailand has been a leading proponent of the UN officially establishing December 5 as “World Soil Day” as a way to raise awareness of the importance of this natural resource to agriculture, biodiversity and the climate of which the UN General Assembly is currently reviewing that was endorsed in June by the FAO Conference. As Semado has emphasized, the importance of soil for food security should be obvious of which has lead to the launch of a new portal focused on soil conservation among various activities.

Semado noted that healthy soil is not only the foundation of food production, but serves other functions. Soil for instance, is critical to the health of ground and surface waters and ecosystem health, and sequesters twice as much carbon as is found in the atmosphere.

“Until recently, soils were the most overlooked and widely degraded natural resource. Today that state of affairs that has at last begun to change, with World Soil Day poised to be recognized by the United Nations and a new, international Global Soil Partnership tying you all together,” Semedo informed participants, who came up with innovative ideas on soil conservation.

The Youth and United Nations Global Alliance (YUNGA) announced the launch of a new “soil badge” of which scouts and other students can earn by completing a series of educational activities focused on soil and soil management.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs of The Netherlands, Policy Coordinator, Wouter Verhey, presented SoilGrids1km, a new innovative system for producing updatable soil property and class maps for the entire world, developed by the International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC) at Wageningen University. The system used to produce SoilGrids 1km constitutes a contribution to the GSP’s global soil information system effort.

Moreover, the Geological Surveys of Europe, EuroGeoSurveys, EGS, launched a new database making information on the chemical composition and quality of soils in 33 European countries, including the presence of naturally occurring as well as man-made pollutants, readily available.

Lastly, while FAO’s recently established Global Soil Partnership (GSP), it is working to establish a new global soil information system that will begin functioning by 2014 and is expected to be fully operational within four years.

Kenya Defense Forces Switch To A New Weather System For Swifter Operations

Tech

Stella Kabura

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December 10, 2013

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Kenya Defense Forces Switch To A New Weather System For Swifter Operations

After years of relying on data from a time-consuming civilian weather system, a team from the Horn of Africa Combined Joint Task Force, have just installed a new innovative weather system at the Kenya Military Airport in Nairobi.

The system, called the TMQ-53 Tactical Meteorological Observing System, will now help war planners and combat weather teams through weather sensors connected to a computer. The system would use low-earth orbiting satellites to collect data, enabling the transmission of mission-critical weather data within an hour after receiving it. The new system provides current weather conditions to the Kenyan Defense Forces, which will enhance the safety of future missions.

In support of defeating extremist groups in East Africa, the team of innovators included U.S. service members from the J3 Meteorological and Oceanographic Office, J3 Special Operations Command and Control Element Weather System and Support Cadre and the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion, zealous to see the system operating efficiently.

According to US Navy Lt. Cmdr. Rachel Martin, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Joint Meteorological and Oceanographic Officer, enhancing safety and effectiveness of the Kenyan Defense Forces ground and air operations was one of many positive results of the mil-to-mil engagement.

Also in support of the concept with METOC were J3 WSSC technicians that would help install and provide working knowledge of the system to KDF personnel.

The team had to ensure the location was right for the system and properly installed, said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Harlan Rogers, noncommissioned officer in charge of the cadre adding that the Kenyans co-workers were “very sharp, fast learners, and their attention to detail was amazing.”

Senior Airman Michael Becker, the cadre’s lead technician, noted that installing the TMQ-53 system while communicating to the Kenya Defense Force how proper maintenance and handling the equipment, helps it last longer builds that trust in a relationship with KDF.

Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio Infocomm Start Sharing Telecom Infrastructure

Telcos

Shiko Gathoni

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December 10, 2013

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Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio Infocomm Start Sharing Telecom Infrastructure

Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm have today partnered and will henceforth share telecom infrastructure in a quest to reduce costs they incur on their respective networks.

The result is linked to the recent upgrade of 4G services in Punjab, having Reliance Jio as the only company with pan-India airwaves that can be used for 4G services which have very high speed wireless broadband services while Airtel plays key telecom operator in the state with a strong subscriber base.

Merging of the two companies also aims at ensuring seamless services to their subscribers, as well as to curb duplication of infrastructure and cut costs based on prevailing market rates.

“This agreement will include optic fibre network – inter and intra city submarine cable networks, towers and internet broadband services and other such opportunities identified in the future. The arrangement could be extended to roaming on 2G, 3G and 4G and any other areas related to telecommunication including laying optic fibre or other forms of infrastructure services.” stated a joint statement by both companies.

Airtel has so far increased geographical reach both in Africa and South Asia and has rolled out different projects within its range each turning out of great benefit no wonder ‘Best operator of the year reward.”

Tigo Tanzania wins GSMA Highly Commended Award in Africa

Telcos

Paul Adepoju

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December 10, 2013

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Tigo Tanzania has won the Highly Commended Award under the Best Network Improvement category, awarded by global mobile association – GSMA during the continent’s prestigious and largest annual communications Congress & Exhibition, Africa Com, held recently in Cape Town, SA.

Tigo was short listed under the Best Network Improvement Category as the sole mobile operator in Africa in the category.

Commenting on the award, Tigo Tanzania’s Head of Operations, Mr. Deon Geyser, said that having won in this category is not only an honor for Tigo Tanzania but also a demonstration of its continuous commitment towards quality improvement in mobile services and solutions in the country.

“We have invested heavily in the past year in network quality so that we make our services more accessible and reliable to our valuable customers. Tigo is now available everywhere in the country and at a better quality, therefore this award is a great celebration towards this achievement.” he said.

According to Mr. Geyser, Tigo’s improvement on network quality is a result of the management teams’ turnaround strategy which started implementation in December 2012 across all Tigo operations. “This strategy has led to incredible results such as a 70% reduction in network outage time, 63% reduction in call drops and 300% increase in data throughput.”

“Tigo has equally invested in coverage by reaching out to more rural areas and customers across all 30 regions in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar. This nationwide presence allows our customers to enjoy calls with better voice enhancement, use data with better 3G internet connectivity and have more reliable Tigo Pesa services where now they can send and receive money with less inconveniences, thus giving them another big reason to smile,” further stated Mr. Geysor.

Tigo Tanzania’s Head of Planning and Optimization, Mrs. Halima Idd, further explained that the company successfully managed an extremely focused Quality Transformation Program and invested money and other resources into the right areas.

“During our surveys we got a lot of feedback from our customers that our network quality needed improvement, this for us meant urgent measures must be taken. We are a customer centric company and that is in the core of our operations where we develop products and services around key findings from consumer understanding and feedback,” Mrs. Idd explained.

She continued, “The Quality Transformation Program that we started implementing in 2012 included; right investments into network resilience, coverage and capacity; controlled changes and project execution; as well as improved operational management. However, all this was complimented by a great team effort internally, a robust organizational structure and key strategic partnerships to achieve the results that were required.”

In September, Tigo kicked off an activation caravan dubbed ‘Tigo Smile tour’ to celebrate the widespread network coverage and reach in rural Tanzania due to launch of more than 280 quality towers in all 30 regions this year.

This massive network investment by Tigo has also given rise to employment growth as a result of the introduction of new customer care centres and Tigo shops across the country; an increase of Tigo Pesa agents, a critical factor to implement the nation’s efforts towards financial inclusion; and accessibility of Tigo products and services everywhere in the country due to widening of distribution channels thus cementing Tigo’s nationwide presence.

Samsung Announces The First 1 Terabyte mSATA SSD

Tech

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 10, 2013

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Samsung Announces The First 1 Terabyte mSATA SSD

Samsung Electronics has launched the 840 EVO mSATA (mini-Serial ATA) Solid State Drive (SSD) line-up, including the industry’s first 1 terabyte (TB) mSATA SSD this month.

The Samsung 840 EVO mSATA SSD is an extension of the 840 EVO line-up which was introduced in July at Samsung SSD Global Summit. The new SSD features the compact mSATA form factor which is roughly a quarter size of a 2.5-inch SSD, and offers the same level of high density and high performance.

“With the new mSATA SSD line-up offering up to 1TB of memory and an optimized software tool, we expect that consumers can enjoy high storage volume and performance on ultra-slim notebooks besides desktop PCs,” said Unsoo Kim, senior vice president, memory brand product marketing, Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to bring leading-edge SSD products and software solutions with improved quality and reliability, while working on offering higher consumer satisfaction and strengthening competitiveness of our branded memory business.”

The new 840 EVO mSATA SSD utilizes Samsung’s advanced 128 gigabit (Gb) NAND flash memory based on 10 nanometer class process technology. To form a 1TB version SSD, a total of four flash memory packages are used, each package having 16 layers of 128Gb chips. Based on the advanced memory technology, the 1TB mSATA SSD is 3.85 millimeters thick and a weighs 8.5 grams, which are approximately 40 percent and a twelfth of a typical hard disk drive (HDD) respectively.

The 840 EVO mSATA SSD line-up is available in 120GB, 250GB, 500GB and 1TB, and achieves the highest level of performance based on Samsung’s proprietary controller and TurboWrite technology.

The 1TB version offers 98,000 random read and 90,000 random write IOPS (Input Output Operations Per Second), as well as sequential read and write speed of 540 megabytes per second (MB/s) and 520 MB/s, enabling complex multi-tasking for advanced users.

Applying 256-bit AES keys, the new mSATA SSD allows strong data security, and is compliant with TCG Opal and IEEE 1667 standards. Users can also easily move their data to the new SSD using Samsung Data Migration as well as Samsung Magician 4.3 which are compatible with Windows 8 and support 10 languages.

The 840 EVO mSATA SSD line-up will be available this month globally, and exact launching date can vary depending on the region. Samsung will continue to introduce leading-edge SSDs with higher performance and security level, and maintain its leading position in the global SSD market.

African Financial Markets Initiatives Revamps Its Website

Tech

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 10, 2013

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African Financial Markets Initiatives Revamps Its Website

The African Financial Markets Initiative (AFMI), managed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), announced the official launch of the redesigned AFMI website

The website shows new features including a mobile-friendly interface. In the same occasion, AFMI also launched the inaugural edition of the AFMI newsletter, The African Bond Market Review.

The African Financial Markets Initiative (AFMI) is an African Development Bank Initiative designed to promote African bond markets.

An integral component of the AFMI website is the Data Portal, which provides a variety of data namely:

High frequency data from Thomson Reuters’ Knowledge Direct platform

Low frequency data on macroeconomic indicators, debt indicators and governance indicators from the AfDB;

Static data and content on bond market infrastructure, monetary policy and public debt management from African Central Banks, Ministries of Finance and stock exchanges.

The AFMI website provides more than data and information, it provides a platform for AFMI stakeholders and development partners to engage in debates on a range of bond market development issues.

The website is currently available in English, with the French version of the website available in the first quarter 2014.

AFMI is funded by the AfDB, the Fund for African Private Sector Assistance and the Canadian International Development Agency.

Zimbabwe’s NetOne Is In Trouble For Violating Tender Law In A $251 Million Upgrade

Telcos

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 10, 2013

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Zimbabwe’s NetOne Is In Trouble For Violating Tender Law In A $251 Million Upgrade

Zimbabwe’s mobile network operator, NetOne might have been a law breaker when it awarded a $251 million upgrade contract to Huawei.

It happened that the state owned Telecommunications Company told the State Procurement Board (SPB) that only Huawei was able to supply the necessary equipment for its network upgrade; according to the Independent.

Investigations, according to the independent, shows that NetOne CEO Reward Kangai only wrote a letter to the SPB on July 16 2013, requesting approval to purchase equipment from Huawei Technologies on the pretext that only the Chinese firm was able to supply network upgrade equipment given that existing infrastructure was supplied by the same firm.

“NetOne currently has two suppliers for its core network: Nokia Siemens Networks (formerly Siemens), who were awarded the initial tender for the supply of equipment to set up NetOne and the other, Huawei Technologies of China. It is not possible to upgrade equipment supplied by a vendor with effect from a different vendor,” Kangai wrote in his letter.

It was also noted that other companies that would have given the same services and are founded by China Exim Bank such as Alcatel-Lucent of Shanghai, China Communications Service Corporation Ltd, China Potevio Corporation, and ZTE Corporation, a company that has a Zimbabwean operation, were not approached by NetOne.

The NetOne and Huawei tender had the potential to prejudice government of over $120 million through inflated cost structures.

The newspaper cited a number of letters between government officials also expressing concern about the contract.

According to our records, the contract was awarded last July and was for 2,000 base stations with LTE upgrade capability.

The company said the unit price for a base station tower per unit had come down by $10 000 to $170 000 offered by Huawei since the last US$45 million network upgrade in 2010.

NIGERIA’S REGAL DEVICES LTD LAUNCHES ONLINE STORE.

Shiko Gathoni

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December 10, 2013

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NIGERIA’S REGAL DEVICES LTD LAUNCHES ONLINE STORE.

Nigeria-Regal Devices Ltd has rolled out an online site that now guarantees customers fast and easy purchase of products from their store.

The mobile company offers a wide range of mobile devices; Nokia, Samsung, Tecno, HTC, Sony, Apple, electronic appliances ,accessories, laptops and cameras which will be delivered without pay around Lagos and Kaduna to the customer on order with an option of payment that includes Cash on Delivery, Credit card payment and Debit card.

With all products on warranty, the electronic distributor offers the consumer a seven day return policy on devices purchased from the newly put up online store.

“Be it our path-breaking services like Cash on Delivery, a 7-day replacement policy, free shipping- and of course the great prices that we offer, everything we do revolves around our obsession with providing our customers a memorable online shopping experience. Then there is our dedicated Fedex delivery partners who work round the clock to personally make sure the packages reach on time.” said a RegalBuy

Place an order by dialling 08055260250 and enjoy Regal Devices Limited services.

Today On The TECH- tionary

Tech

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 10, 2013

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Its easy to pass a tech story because one word doesn’t make sense to you, or your just too bored to look it up. So here is your tech dictionary of the day.

Some of the words that have been difficult for many but not for you who knows; we use some not knowing their meaning, lets take for example your phone

HD Super amoled- amoled is display technology for use in mobile devices and television; it is used in addressing pixels or digital imaging. It is therefore responsible for an image’s clarity displayed by the latter. HD super amoled when the pixel count becomes more, meaning that no detail is left out. That’s why we find that some phones produce clearer and better photos than others.

iOS- This is a mobile operating system that was developed by Apple Inc and was purposely made for iPhone but it has also been included in the iPad, iPod, and others. The sad thing about Apple’s iOS is that is cannot be used by any other devices except for theirs (yeah, i know, typically Apple)

Android- Android is more than just that robot with a face that appears on your android phone when make or receive a call. Android refers to an operating system that was created by Google and is used by most touch screen and smartphone. The Android operating system is an open source meaning that developers can make a different one for each phone, as well as which is what makes it different form iPhone OS.

Windows Phone- This is a mobile operating system for smartphones that is the successor to Microsoft’s initial mobile OS platform that is more consumer market oriented. unlike other smartphone that apps are on the screen the windows phone consists of a start screen which has tiles which link to apps and features. The bottom line is that the start screen looks like Windows 8 software in a computer.

Posta Kenya Launches Commemorative Stamps For Kenya @50

Tech

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 10, 2013

0

Posta Kenya Launches Commemorative Stamps For Kenya @50

The postal corporation of Kenya (Posta) has unveiled a new set of stamps as Kenya celebrates the 50^th Anniversary of independence.

The 100 stamps capture different milestones in Kenya’s journey and highlight epochal events n the country’s history as well as its heroes and the eminent personalities who have shaped its politics, arts, culture and social life.

The cabinet secretary ministry of Sports, Culture and the arts, Dr. Hassan Wario said that the stamps depict different aspects of Kenya’s liberation struggle and other key historical interest to philatelists.

“There is a story behind every postage stamp. Each of the iconic images on all those little bits of paper captures a unique angle of the Kenyan history. They play a significant role in honoring national heroes and showcasing important feature of our culture and history,” He said.

The chairman of Posta, Cyrus Maina said that the commemorative stamps aim at showing the strides the country has made in various spheres- social, economic, political and cultural.

He added that the Kenya @50 commemorative stamps are available in Post Offices countrywide for use in postage and collection by lovers of philately.

There were two different kinds of stamps that were launched, the definitive, which are mainly used for postage services; and the commemorative which are issued to mark special events or occasions of national and international importance.

NAIJAWORKMAN.COM TO BEAT FRAGMENTATION IN THE SERVICE PROVIDERS MARKET IN NIGERIA

Business

Shiko Gathoni

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December 10, 2013

0

NAIJAWORKMAN.COM TO BEAT FRAGMENTATION IN THE SERVICE PROVIDERS MARKET IN NIGERIA

Nigeria’s online services market place set to redefine and procure local services, Naijaworkman.com will launch in January, 2014 in a bid to make the search experience in the state whole.

The platform will converge consumers and service providers in a more secure, comprehensive and transparent way. With a provision of better and qualified service providers who have been screened and found suitable to provide the services needed in a professional and timely manner. Naijaworkman.com will help in the selection process through offering detailed service provider profiles and ratings as well as reviews from past customers.

There will also be reward schemes for customers who reach specific milestones.

The platform aims to solve challenges of local service search in underdeveloped markets and offer a secure, convenient and easy way to determine the best service providers to fulfill their job requests.

The service providers will include licensed and qualified local skilled artisans and tradesmen that operate in vast service category cross-section, who would otherwise be unemployed or displaced. They will be offered with a cost effective medium to market their services and get more customers.

According to company founders; Bassey O Bassey and Anthony Kuyoro, the company plans to aggressively expand its service breadth to encompass almost all types of local services over time and is the only platform that incorporates background and licensing checks on artisans .

MTN Launches DoBox

Telcos

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 9, 2013

0

MTN and Nigeria’s Do Media have come together to let users access MTN DoBox, a subscription service that provides access to the latest and most exclusive movies on their mobile phones.

“The initiative is borne out of the desire to deliver top-of-the-range entertainment to MTN’s subscribers at unprecedented and unrivalled speed,” said Senior manager, Consumer marketing, MTN, Saidat M’hammed Lawal.

The only one in the market, the Mobile Cinema will be showing Nigerian Blockbusters, premiers and short movies by subscribing to MTN DoBox app. Users will rent to films on their mobile phones for a set time period.

“We are very lucky to have chosen the right partners, MTN, to promote this initiative and also this is one of MTN’s bold steps to deliver a new digital world to its customers. Indeed, this move has reinforced MTN’s leadership position in leading the charge in the delivery of invaluable digital world to ICT subscribers in Nigeria,” said the CEO of Do Media, Gafar Williams.

Lovers of premier and blockbuster movies will just have to download the app, register and rent movies with a token. This will not involve further use of data to access and watch movies.

Movie producer and director, Charles Novia, said the product would go a long way to solve the distribution challenges confronting the industry.

“Now that technology has met with creativity, I believe Nigerian movies will be taken to the next level. As one of the producers, who has his movie on MTN Dobox, I must commend MTN for this initiative; now our films can reach everyone’s hand in a jiffy,” said the Producer.

Airtel Money Partners Proflight Zambia to Enable You Purchase Air Tickets Via Your Mobile Phone

Shiko Gathoni

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December 9, 2013

0

Airtel Money Partners Proflight Zambia to Enable You Purchase Air Tickets Via Your Mobile Phone

Airtel money has partnered Proflight Zambia an airline company, now enabling customers purchase air tickets via handsets.

The airline based in Lusaka is the first to offer mobile money payment option in the state posing as a convenient, efficient and easy medium to get the tickets.

Speaking on the signing of the partnership agreement, Proflight Government and industry affairs officer, Captain Philip Lemba noted that the company is proud of being at the forefront of the new ideas and technology hence boosting customer service satisfaction.

“The partnership is a reflection of the synergies that exists between airlines and telecommunication companies across Africa in bringing innovations across the two industries,” Said Airtel money director, Brenda Thole

Airtel Money- Zambia accounts have increased to over 1.2 million and five million subscribers which the company has termed a milestone in the industry.

The new mobile money service is currently effective for the flight users.

Get U2opia Mobile And Twit Without Internet

Tech

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 9, 2013

0

Get U2opia Mobile And Twit Without Internet

Singapore based U2opia Mobile together with Twitter are going beyond internet technology; the two have linked up to make 140-character messaging service available to users in emerging markets who have entry-level mobile phones which cannot access the internet.

The start-up has also done the same with Facebook and will launchthe twitter service early next year.

All a user needs to do is dial a simple code and they will be connected and will get a similar code to get a feed of the popular trending topics on Twitter, this is according to the CEO and co-founder Sumesh Menon.

U2opia Fonetwish seervice has managed to capture more than 11 million users, the love for this service is that the users get to access Google Talk, Facebook and soon Twitter with no data connection as it uses a telecom protocol named USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) which does not allow viewing of pictures, videos or other graphics.

U2opia, which is present in 30 countries in seven international languages, will localize the Twitter feed according to the location of the user.

The company, whose biggest markets are Africa and South America, partners with telecom carriers such as Telenor, Vodafone and Bharti Airtel Ltd. U2opia usually gets 30 to 40 percent of what users pay its telecom partners to access Fonetwish.

SAMSUNG TO STREAM LIVE KENYA@50 EVENTS

Tech

Shiko Gathoni

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December 9, 2013

0

Samsung in partnership with Alliance media and Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) will stream live Kenya at 50 events across the country.

The multinational electronics company will also put up strategic bill boards across the country as the 50 years of independence commemoration continues. The screens set up round KICC’s top floor can be easily spotted from multiple locations in the city and will also serve as backdrop for Uhuru Park- streaming live footage for the next 12 months.

“The screen, which will be launched at the Governors Ball, will be a prime opportunity for the country to showcase its digitalization campaign to foreign dignitaries and Kenya at large,” said John Muswa, Alliance Media’s business development manager.

These new age screens are based on Samsung’s digital sign-age display technology and are the first in the region according to Samsung Electronics East Africa Chief Operating Officer Robert Ngeru.

The screens are part of a strategic initiative to diversify income platforms at the meeting centre away from the usual. They will be on energy saving mode during daytime showing Samsung branding and will show Kenya@50 video during the night which is in line with agreement between the two organizations.

5 Global Consumer Growth Trends – Crystal Ball Predictions For 2014

Business

Brian Wafula

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December 9, 2013

0

5 Global Consumer Growth Trends – Crystal Ball Predictions For 2014

By Aneesh Reddy, Co-Founder and CEO, Capillary Technologies

It would be nice for any business to be able to know market trends before they happen and plan accordingly. Unfortunately, no one can see the future.

But don’t worry: some market trends are unmistakable. And when you can see trends develop in real-time based on proper analytics and flexible game plans, your business can capitalize, no matter how the market behaves.

So regardless of your industry, here are five insights you can take to the bank on consumer behaviour in 2014.

#1: Mobile will overtake desktop for internet usage.
It doesn’t take a single statistic for your average city dweller to describe the power of mobile phones (especially smartphones) in the mind of the consumer. Phones are a constant in society; The average person checks their phone 110 times per day!

A Microsoft infographic perfectly illustrates the degree to which mobile internet users will surpass desktop users, along with several other rather startling stats about American mobile phone use (US users spend 2.7 hours per day socializing through their mobile devices, and 29% are open to using a mobile device to scan for coupons. The story doesn’t change when it comes to email, either: 48% of all emails read are now opened and read on a mobile device.

When the internet is right there in the palm of consumer hands in the form of their trusty portable communications device, it is only natural for them to surf the web more often and use that device to purchase. That’s what we are seeing, and that’s what we will continue to see, too.

#2: Emerging Markets will continue their torrid growth.
Emerging market growth has gone from overlooked opportunity to crowded, explosive, high-growth market. In 2013, growth in emerging markets outpaced advanced markets for the first time ever, coming in at nearly $2 trillion higher. An Ernest & Young report on global markets suggests 70% of growth over the next few years will come from emerging markets, including 40% from India and China alone. These markets will take their place as major competitive territory for big and small brands alike, as the volume of consumers balloons more and more.

To reap the largest profits, be open to opportunities in all markets.

#3: Older markets will continue to grow.
We all get older, and we live longer than ever. Therefore, it only makes sense that the 65+ consumer is becoming more and more plentiful. This key consumer segment makes up roughly 40% of all consumer spending. That spending is overrepresented given the actual population of this consumer group; while the population is growing overall, the 65+ crowd makes up roughly 12% of the actual population.

Expect a continuation of this overall trend. Older consumers will make up the largest consumer group on the open market soon; how much acceleration toward that natural trend outcome we see in 2014 is a question that can only be answered by the spending habits of consumers.

#4: Crowdfunding will POP.
Modern crowdfunding has been around since 1997, but it has been around in some form or fashion for a few hundred years. Still, crowdfunding has gained much greater popularity in recent years with the rise of Kickstarter (the non-profit engine started in 2009) and RocketHub (started in 2010).

This movement has yielded excellent results for several incredible companies, including virtual reality champion Virtuix’s $1 Million+ campaign in their launch of the hyper advanced Virtuix Omni; Sock Monkeys Against Cancer (SMAC), which raised $35,000 creating huggable sock monkeys for cancer victims; Makey Makey, an invention kit product that raised more than half a million dollars; and many more.

These are not entirely isolated incidents; it turns out crowdfunding is probably here to stay. An industry report from MassSolution claims crowdfunding will double from $2.7 billion in 2013 to $5.4 billion in 2014. Small businesses are putting campaigns out there, and consumers are opening their wallets.

#5: Customers will more actively engage brands on social media.
Either social media is an effective tool to foster customer loyalty, customers actively seek out brands they like on social media, or social media advertising works. Whatever the cause, consumers continue to engage brands on social media on a regular basis. The number of people following brands on social networks has more than doubled the last few years.

There is some interesting deeper data behind this trend, too. Customers who do engage brands on social media are 53% more likely to be loyal customers of the brands they follow.

And the #1 reason customers follow brands is to get discounts and coupons.

Look for more customer chatter, and for companies to respond more commonly, encouraging that chatter to grow even more.

About the author

Aneesh Reddy is the Co-Founder and CEO of Capillary Technologies. A visionary who believes that advances in technology can lead to significant advances in business value and ROI, Aneesh leads the Capillary team and works with enterprise customers to help them put the right communications for the right products into the hands of the right customers at the right time. He is also a featured entrepreneur in leading publications like Forbes, Harvard Business Review and The Economic Times, and is a frequently featured expert at global retail, marketing and technology forums and premier educational institutes worldwide.

Libyan Government Enter Into A $209 Million Deal With AECOM

Tech

Caroline Vutagwa

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December 9, 2013

0

Libyan Government Enter Into A $209 Million Deal With AECOM

Libya will soon have a major upgrade in the Urban centres because Libya’s Housing and Infrastructure Board (HIB) and Aecom Technology Corporation signed an agreement worth $209 million.

AECOM is the lead program manager for the Libyan HIB for all urban areas throughout the country, with the contract expected to run over a 25-month period.

So in this agreement, AECOM will serve as the overall program manager of the HIB capital budget program, a comprehensive housing and infrastructure development program for Libya that will create an enhanced environment for its citizens and visitors.

The program expands and becomes fully reestablished, the HIB capital budget program is expected to exceed $100bn addressing critical housing and infrastructure needs throughout the country. AECOM led the HIB’s housing and infrastructure program from 2007 until it was suspended in 2011.

AECOM is also the main advisor to the Ministry of Housing and Utilities (MHU), which oversees the HIB and other agencies, with responsibility for ensuring that common systems and standards are applied to similar projects in other MHU agencies.

“We look forward to engaging in our work to advance the quality of life for the Libyan people in terms of housing and critical infrastructure,” said John M. Dionisio, AECOM chairman and chief executive officer.

The deal includes the construction of new housing and infrastructure systems for all cities in Libya; urban design and development; housing units and residential settlements; upgrades to existing infrastructure, roads, highways, bridges, water, wastewater and other utility systems; and environmentally focused, sustainable processes.

“This contract with AECOM reflects the significant commitment that Libya is making in reestablishing the development of our national housing and infrastructure program,” said Ali Sharif, minister, Libyan Ministry of Housing and Utilities. “We are moving forward to enhance the quality of life of our people and the economic potential of our country through this major housing and infrastructure development initiative.”

Airtel Wins coveted African Operator of the Year 2013 Award

Telcos

Sam Wakoba

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December 9, 2013

0

Airtel Wins coveted African Operator of the Year 2013 Award

Airtel Africa has been recognized as the African Operator of the Year at the CommsMEA Awards 2013 which recognizes excellence within the telecoms sector across the Middle East and Africa.

Airtel beat strong contenders on the shortlist like the MTN Group, Vodacom and Nedjma, Airtel has consolidated its position as the best African Operator. The event was attended by telecoms CEOs, vendors, ministers and regulators attended the eighth edition of the event at a 300-strong gathering at the Awards gala dinner held at Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai.
The winners were decided from a record number of nominations by a judging panel consisting of Akshay Lamba, chief architect and head of IT strategy at MTS; Milan Sallaba, managing director at Accenture Middle East; Erik Almqvist, partner and global head of operational consulting, Analysys Mason; Mark Kremers, partner, Oliver Wyman; Riad Hartani, partner at Xona, and Alan Horne, CEO Broadband Pioneer and Special Advisor to Global eHealth Foundation.

According to Manoj Kohli, the MD and CEO (International) at Bharti Airtel, “We are humbled by this recognition and the trust that the international industry panel, consumers and other stakeholders have placed on Airtel since our entry into Africa in 2010. During the past three years, we have managed to serve more communities within the countries that we operate in and hopefully change their lives through not only the voice but also the data and mobile commerce services that we provide. The latter are increasingly becoming essential in Africa.”

Airtel Africa now has the largest 3G and Mobile Commerce country footprint in sub Saharan Africa. The telecommunications company provides 3G services in 14 African countries and Airtel Money services in 17 countries across the continent.

Airtel Money is positioned to become Africa’s widest financial services provider. With a coverage across Airtel Africa’s operations in the 17 countries, the mobile money platform is poised to serve more diverse communities than any other financial institution in Africa. Currently leveraging a network of over 100,000 agent locations, Airtel Money facilitates access to financial services for the unbanked population.

A recent survey conducted by the African Business magazine indicates that despite only a 3 year presence in Africa, Airtel is one of Africa’s top ten most admired global brands.

Uncertainty beclouds MTN-VISA partnership

Paul Adepoju

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December 9, 2013

0

Uncertainty beclouds MTN-VISA partnership

The much awaited kickoff of the game-changing partnership involving telecoms giant, MTN and global e-payment solutions company, VISA, as the telecoms company has exclusively revealed that both parties have not fixed a date for the launch of the partnership.

“A date for the launch has not yet been set,” MTN said.

Through the partnership, MTN customers would be able to make online payments at all Visa merchants; they would also be able to withdraw money from their MTN Mobile Money account at any Visa ATM.

Pieter Verkade, MTN Group Chief Commercial Officer said “The partnership between MTN and Visa will provide MTN Mobile Money customers with access to the entire Visa network, which includes merchants, online vendors and ATMs, to enable a “mobile” payment experience.”

Although it initially said the service would debut in Ghana before the end of 2013, current indications suggest that the launch may be pushed till next year.

MTN said after launching the service in Ghana, it would gradually be introduced in other African nations where the network is operating.

According to Vish Sowani, Visa’s Head of Global Mobile Network Operator Partnerships, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships Group, the partnership would serve as an extension of the benefits of electronic payments to mobile money services in Africa.

Sowani said: “We are delighted to launch this exciting new service with MTN. This is significant as we look to extend the benefits of electronic payments to mobile money services in Africa. Visa recognises that mobile technology is the single most significant driver of financial inclusion and improving access to financial services is a critical building block to help more people improve their lives.

“We look forward to building on this broad based partnership with MTN to bring further innovative payment related products to their customers in the future.”

Online platform offers visitors free and confidential access to reliable health information

Paul Adepoju

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December 9, 2013

1

Online platform offers visitors free and confidential access to reliable health information

Chibuike Alagboso, the co-founder of HealthNewsNG.com, Africa’s leading online platform for health news, has revealed that the media platform is bridging the gap between health professionals and individuals without any form of medical training.

In an exclusive chat, he said the platform was set up to provide visitors with sufficient information that would enable them to take informed and correct medical decisions.

“The goal is to help bridge the enormous gap that exists between health professionals and individuals without any form of medical training. HealthNewsNG.com enables them to take informed and correct medical decisions whenever the need arises,” Alagboso said.

Already, he said the platform has helped in raising the level of health consciousness and awareness among its thousands of daily visitors from across the world.

He said: “We have been able to raise the level of awareness among our diverse readers who are not restricted to Nigeria or Africa; in fact, we get thousands of visitors daily in USA, United Kingdom, China, Ukraine, India, Canada, Australia and several other foreign lands.”

For the health professionals, he said the platform is offering them access to the latest medical researches as well as helping them with professional development through partnerships with various local and international conference organizers.

“Various health professionals have been able to get continuing professional development (CPD) through our platform; also, many of them have attended international conferences and symposia as a result of our working partnership with organizers of highly revered conferences and exhibitions such as Medic West Africa, Africa Health Conference & Exhibition holding in South Africa, Africa Healthcare Summit holding in London, and the International Conference and Exhibition on Pathology holding in San Antonio, USA,” he said.

On the choice of internet as the medium of choice for disseminating confidential health information, he said the reach and potentials of the internet are immense and limitless.

He said: “The internet is no doubt the best place because of its limitless reach and potential as people tend to turn to the internet daily to find answers to their everyday questions.

“The internet is a good platform because people can easily obtain information without having to contend with the challenge of confidentiality.”

On why the platform is also attracting visitors from countries where citizens don’t speak English language, he said technology allows translation into their native language.

“English has always been a universally accepted language and that is the language of choice on our website. But with increasing sophistication in technology, and introduction of translators, language is no longer a barrier as our readers can translate our pages and the entire website to their desire language,” Alagboso said.

Schneider Electric partners With DONG Energy to Power Remote Islands in Africa

Tech

Brian Wafula

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December 7, 2013

0

Schneider Electric partners With DONG Energy to Power Remote Islands in Africa

Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management, and DONG Energy, one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe have partnered to help supply energy to remote islands in Africa.

The two will enable African electric network operators of remote or isolated island grids to increase the share of renewable used while maintaining grid stability and reliability for consumers in Cape Verde, Comoros, Guinea Bissau, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe and Seychelles.

In Africa alone, at least 300 remote islands distanced from mainland grids exist. These isolated island grids are often heavily diesel-dependent, incurring high electricity costs and subject to fluctuating fuel prices. This is a barrier for local economic development, for improving living standards and for reducing carbon emissions. Many island utility operators aim to replace diesel with renewable generation to reduce costs and reach renewable targets. However the main challenge of integrating intermittent renewable energy is the ensuing complexity of balancing the grid and maintaining reliability and stability. In effect this can cap the amount of renewable energy which can be efficiently integrated.

With Dong Energy’s virtual power plant technology and Schneider Electric’s market-leader distribution grid field devices and management systems, the partners will address these crucial environmental issues. The aim is to create a new platform offering real-time generation and demand forecasting, monitoring and control.

“DONG Energy has developed a virtual power plant system called Power Hub, which aggregates loads and generation capacity for network flexibility through a software platform. The system has already successfully demonstrated its capability and value in optimizing, balancing and improving the stability of remote micro-grids at the Faroe Islands. Integrating Power Hub with Schneider Electric’s power and grid management software platform will enable us to deliver a unique solution that address an important challenge of how to run an isolated electricity system in a safe, economically optimal manner, while making maximum use of renewables. Not only in Europe, but also in Africa and globally” says Evert den Boer, Senior Vice President in DONG Energy.

“Alongside DONG Energy, Schneider Electric will bring its market-leader expertise in grid field devices, network automation and grid management systems in a uniquely modular approach to virtual power plants in order to overcome the operational challenges of dynamically balancing supply and demand.” confirms Frédéric Abbal, Executive Vice President of Schneider Electric’s Energy Division. “Our joint architecture includes Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS), Power Control System (PCS) and Renewable Control Center (RCC) applications offering real-time generation and demand forecasting, monitoring and control. Thanks to weather and load forecasting and fast load shedding capabilities, island utility operators will be able to operate sustainable, efficient and economically viable power systems and benefit local communities.”

Schneider Electric enjoys active collaborative partnerships with utilities to test and validate innovative solutions endeavoring to solve their operational, environmental and regulatory concerns. Schneider Electric’s global footprint in more than 100 countries and unique position on both the demand and supply side of the grid will connect all energy players (generators, network operators and prosumers).

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