Monday, 22 June 2015

KenInvest, Kenya Chamber signs partnership deal with China Trade Week


Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest) and Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) have announced a partnership agreement with MIE Events, to host over 150 Chinese exhibitors next month during the China Trade Week.
 
The China Trade Week, which will be the first comprehensive China-focused trade event to be hosted in Kenya and the East Africa region, will kick off from 1st to 3rd of July at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.

 
Speaking during the partnership agreement KenInvest, Investment Promotion (IPD), General Manager, Mr. Pius Rotich said that they are delighted to have partnered with MIE Events as they host the first ever China Trade Week exhibition in Nairobi.

 
“It’s important to note that Kenya has historically been the commercial hub of Eastern Africa, and with the integration and expansion of the East African Community, the country is now the commercial centre for a region comprising of over 138 million people and a GDP of US$ 82.1 billion and its gateway. The exhibition will go a long way towards opening more investment opportunities for our local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the region,” said Mr. Rotich.

 
The China Trade Week will bring together Chinese companies across various industry sectors including building and construction, consumer electronics, electric vehicles, plastic molding equipment and materials, home electrical goods, green energy solutions, portable housing solutions and elevators system.

 
Also commenting on the partnership, KNCCI Deputy Chief Executive Officer Ms. Nemaisa Kiereini said the China Trade Week signified the start of what could be a major trade milestone between SMEs in Kenya and the East African region and China.

 
“I would urge our partner members to take advantage of this upcoming exhibition to develop and cultivate long-lasting business opportunities with companies in China,” Ms Kiereini said. 

 
MIE Events, International Director Gary Robinson lauded the two institution for agreeing take part in the exhibition, adding that the trade fair would create a conducive environment for stronger ties between Chinese companies and the local business community looking to source for products and services from China.

 
“We want to link and empower many businesses with their counterparts in various parts of China and open up even greater opportunities for the local people and we thank both KenInvest and Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and industry for endorsing our effort,” added Robinson.

 
The 3-day event is designed to provide Chinese companies with a unique opportunity to meet, discuss and develop trading and business partnerships with both Kenyan entrepreneurs and the region’s business community across various commercial sectors.
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Celebrating #Dads on Twitter



Any man can be a father, but it takes a special someone to be a dad, this is a saying that is known across the globe. There are countless communities that use Twitter every day as a way to connect, often across the world. For Father’s Day this coming Sunday, Twitter would like to celebrate a community that delights the Twitterverse day in and day out with humor and candor: the dads.

Dads on Twitter connect and converse in real time with other dads who share their experience of fatherhood. About 2.5 million people active on Twitter mention 'dad' or 'father' in their profiles, take a look at how these guys discuss fatherhood with one another. To do this, Twitter analyzed terms that appear most frequently appear in Tweets about fatherhood. Below are the findings:


Fatherhood is….
1.     the best thing that ever happened to me
2.     not easy
3.     awesome
4.     an important job
5.     fun
6.     great
7.     a choice
8.     rewarding
9.     cool
10.  fulfilling
To celebrate all the dads, here are some Tweets we’ve surfaced reflecting their feelings about this long-term job:

Kenyans on Twitter are talking about their dads on Twitter using the hashtag #PapaTaughtMe, popularized by @FatumaVoice, an interactive forum that expresses hope through art, poetry and music. Ahead of Father’s Day, the focus is on Dads and when Kenyans were asked to share the most meaningful life lesson they had learnt from their fathers, this is what they had to say:


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Wednesday, 17 June 2015

Airtel completes network upgrade in Nairobi



Airtel has today announced the completion of phase one of its network upgrade in Nairobi area. 

The exercise involved a comprehensive change of legacy hardware and expansion of radio network elements.  This has now significantly enhanced network signals and improved voice quality for Airtel customers.    

Phase two of the upgrade which involves improving data speed is in progress and is expected to offer a stable and faster internet service. This upgrade exercise, under which Nokia Networks, one of the world’s leading specialists in mobile broadband deployed the latest wireless technologies, will enhance Airtel’s network capacity, robustness and help deliver best-in-class experience that include stronger and faster data speeds.

Airtel Kenya CEO Adil El Youssefi expressed his confidence in the completion of the upgrade saying that the company remains committed to ensuring that customers are connected to the most reliable and best quality network in the market.

“We are confident that the upgrade will increase our network capacity, improve voice quality and data speeds, helping us to continue enriching our customers’ internet and voice experience across the country,” added Mr. El Youssefi.             

The company has also announced that it will embark on a major rollout of new sites in Nairobi area, which will help in ensuring that customers remain connected to a stronger network both outdoor and indoor from any part of the County. The company will continue with the upgrade exercise in other major towns in the country allowing customers to enjoy better network quality and internet experience. 
  
The network upgrade makes Airtel Kenya 4G LTE ready. In November last year, Airtel Africa launched 4G in Seychelles and Rwanda, making the two countries amongst the first in sub Saharan Africa to commercially deploy the 4G network technology.  In India, Bharti Airtel was the first operator to launch the 4G service, making it one of the first countries in the world to commercially deploy this cutting-edge technology.     

Airtel currently has the widest 3G footprint in Africa, with all the 17 countries that Airtel operates connected to 3G services.  

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Tuesday, 16 June 2015

MasterCard and Ecobank Group to roll out electronic payments in 32 sub-Saharan African countries



 Ecobank Transnational Inc. (“Ecobank”) today signed a landmark multi-country agreement with global payments technology company MasterCard to bring MasterCard’s payment solutions to more than 32 sub-Saharan African markets.

Albert Essien, Ecobank Group CEO & Michael Miebach, MasterCard President, MEA exchange copies of the agreement
It is a move that is expected to increase the acceptance and adoption of electronic payments in Africa.

A culmination of the multi-country licensing agreement signed by MasterCard and Ecobank in January 2014, this initiative will see Ecobank issue MasterCard debit, prepaid, and credit cards to millions of its customers over the next 10 years.

Ecobank will also roll out innovative MasterCard acceptance solutions designed to expand the number of merchant locations that accept MasterCard payment cards on the continent.  

Albert Essien, Group Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank, says: “This collaboration with MasterCard will enable us to achieve our vision of contributing to the economic and financial integration and development of the African continent by rolling out convenient, accessible and reliable financial products and services to our customers. Specifically, the initiative enables us to extend our MasterCard acquiring capabilities at thousands of merchants across Africa, grow our e-commerce acquiring business, and expand our service offerings to retail and commercial customers in Africa.”

Michael Miebach, President, Middle East and Africa at MasterCard, adds: “Bringing the benefits of electronic payments to markets across Africa and creating a world beyond cash is a primary focus for MasterCard. By collaborating with a leading pan-African financial institution such as the Ecobank Group with its extensive regional reach and established infrastructure, another successful step has been taken in ensuring access to safe, secure and convenient payments via MasterCard payment solutions.”

Over 1300 Ecobank subsidiaries will issue MasterCard-branded cards in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Ecobank Nigeria, the largest of the Ecobank Group’s 36 African subsidiaries, already began large-scale issuing of MasterCard payment products in April 2014.

As a result of the agreement, cardholders will now be able to access their funds at millions of automated teller machines in Africa and worldwide. They will also be able to pay for products and services in 210 countries and territories where MasterCard payment cards are accepted today.

The agreement will also see Ecobank roll out thousands of mobile point of sale devices to retailers in selected African countries, further boosting Ecobank’s current pan-African network. Mobile point of sale devices allow merchants to process MasterCard payment card transactions by connecting their smartphone or tablet to a secure card reader, enabling them to overcome infrastructure and communication challenges that may arise when using traditional POS devices.
Ecobank will also introduce the MasterCard Payment Gateway Service in selected countries to enhance online commerce for Ecobank’s small and medium enterprise, commercial and corporate customers. The e-commerce payment technology enables merchants to accept MasterCard or other branded payment cards, extending the security and convenience of electronic payments to these e-tailers and their customers who previously depended on cash. It also brings an additional layer of online shopping security to cardholders through the implementation of 3D Secure technology.

“The increased number of MasterCard acceptance locations in Africa means that more consumers and merchants can enjoy the additional protection from the risks and costs associated with cash. This is especially important in Africa, where more than 90 percent of transactions are still conducted in cash,” says Miebach.

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