Blog - Afrikan Heroes

Huawei Partners MTN South Africa to Launch a Secure Payment Solution

March 16, 2021

Ernst Fonternel, Chief Digital Officer of MTN South Africa

A first of its kind ‘seamless and secure’ payment solution that allows users to make purchases using their airtime comes on-stream in South Africa courtesy of the new partnership entered into by Huawei technologies and MTN South Africa to launch Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) which will help unbanked customers to purchase online content and services.

With this solution, contract customers will now have the amount added to their monthly mobile phone bill, while prepaid customers will have the amount deducted directly from their available airtime. This means you can still pay for all your favourite offerings from Huawei Mobile Services without having to share your credit card details.

Speaking on the development, Ernst Fonternel, Chief Digital Officer of MTN South Africa says that it could not have come at a better time as “MTN recently reached 100 million active data customers across 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. This shows that our customers are increasingly adopting digital offerings and we are continuously looking to meet this demand with fresh offerings that will add value to our customers,”

“We are proud to partner with Huawei to offer our customers the simplicity of purchasing from the various Huawei Mobile Services with Prepaid Airtime or Postpaid Add to Bill. As we continue to roll out our 5G network, we believe that the demand for smarter apps will increase and we want to ensure that our customers enjoy the benefits of a modern connected life in an easy, convenient and safe way.”

The DCB service on Huawei devices will first be available on the MTN network, and then will be rolled out later to other networks. The billing service offers customers a multitude of benefits, including:

Better conversion rates: DCB requires the device users to only enter their phone number to make a payment.

Smooth customer experience: DCB is convenient. There is no need to sign up for any additional accounts or fill out any forms.

Protected consumer identity: Making payments with DCB is secure. No personal data is transmitted during the payment process so there is no need to worry about identity theft.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Why Liquid Telecom Rebrands as Liquid Intelligent Technologies

Nic Rudnick, Group Chief Executive Officer, Liquid Intelligent Technologies

The need to expand its expertise into the tech intelligence sector is behind the rebranding and restructuring going on at one of Africa’s leading telecommunications outfit; Liquid Telecoms. The company has over the last two decades established itself as the leading pan-African digital infrastructure provider with an extensive network spanning over 73,000 KM. This new development is a culmination of the company’s extensive business transformation from being a telecommunications and digital services provider to a full one-stop-shop technology group through a group-wide rebrand.

Over the last two decades, Liquid has firmly established itself as the leading pan-African digital infrastructure provider with an extensive network spanning over 73,000 KM. This rebrand to Liquid Intelligent Technologies highlights the organization’s expansion of its Cloud business, Cyber Security services, and other technologies added to its existing telecoms and connectivity capability.

This furthers the Group’s aim of accelerating growth by providing tailor-made digital solutions to businesses in the public and private sectors across the continent. This strategic rebrand reflects Liquid’s new digital-first product offerings, enabling employees and customers to interact with each other digitally irrespective of the time or location.

By aggressively expanding into new countries, including Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liquid Intelligent Technologies is bringing its award-winning high-performance network connectivity closer to more people and accelerating the development of the digital workplace. Liquid Intelligent Technologies will expand its Managed Services offerings to drive and ensure successful adoption of tools to re-imagine their customers’ businesses and how they work and connect. Whether they are focused on enabling collaboration or utilizing the most advanced cloud applications.

As a Microsoft Gold Partner, Liquid Intelligent Technologies is redefining Network, Cloud and Cyber Security offerings through strategic partnerships with leading global players, bringing innovative business applications, intelligent cloud services and world-class security to the African continent. With the future of network security-driven from the cloud, Liquid Intelligent Technologies’ recently launched its Cyber Security business unit, which uniquely delivers security at its core, protecting your business’s data throughout its lifecycle.

According to Nic Rudnick, Group Chief Executive Officer, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, “Our ongoing investment in our networks and data centres across Africa have uniquely positioned us to utilise our infrastructure to accelerate the availability of new intelligent technologies including the high computing power of the Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security to our customers.

We are now excited to be executing our vision of bringing new technological opportunities to the market with a highly differentiated product set supported by our existing infrastructure and digital innovation.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Founder Institute Opens Applications For The 6th Edition Of Its Programme In Tunisia

The Founder Institute (www.fi.co), the world’s leading startup launch and acceleration program, announced today that it has opened applications for its 6th semester in Tunisia. Since its launch in Tunisia in 2015, the program has created more than 33 promising innovation-driven startups, including several graduates developing innovative products. Founder Institute Tunisia has already launched some of the most promising startups in the Tunisian ecosystem such as Evey, Prefabulous, Moome, Vynd, Wattnow, ARCHIVART and many more.

Anyone interested in creating a startup can contact Founder Institute Tunisia at https://fi.co/join.

Events for the general public are planned soon, during which participants will be able to learn how to create a startup in Tunisia and find out more about our program.

For aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs who are up to the challenge, the Founder Institute’s comprehensive Silicon Valley step-by-step program provides the structure, mentor support and global network of entrepreneurs needed to launch a sustainable business. The Founder Institute is the only program of its kind that focuses on people versus ideas, accepts founders with day jobs, and shares equity with all participants. Among the companies graduating from the Founder Institute are fast growing start-ups on 6 continents like Udemy, Realty Mogul, Itembase, goplaceit, Appota, and many more.

The Tunisian chapter of the Founder Institute will be led by Emna Ghariani, Global Director MENA region Founder Institute, Ali Mnif, Partnership Director Founder Institute and the new recruit within the Achref Chafter team, Program Manager Founder Institute Tunisia.

Founder Institute has more than 18,000 mentors on six continents, including some of the world’s most renowned entrepreneurs and investors. Founder Institute participants create their businesses alongside 20 to 40 start-up mentors who have created, managed or invested in high-growth technology companies, and the average mentor / founder ratio in each program is greater than 2 / 1. Our mentors join weekly sessions, share experiences, facilitate office hours, and provide critical feedback, assessment and guidance throughout the business creation process. Here is a non-exhaustive list of our brilliant network of mentors who have never stopped supporting the program.

Yehia Houri (Managing Director, Flat6Labs)
Houd Ghozzi (CEO, Open Startup Tunisia)
Noomane Fehri (CEO, Our Digital Future)
Phil Libin (Co-founder & CEO, All Turtles)
Amel Saidane (Co-Founder & CEO Betacube)
Khaled Ben Jilani (Executive Partner, AfricInvest)
Mondher Khanfir (Co-founder, Wikistartup)
Karim Jouini (CEO Expensya)

Anyone interested can apply to Founder Institute Tunisia at http://fi.co/apply before the deadline for submitting applications, set at April 4, 2021. This year, the 6th cohort of Founder Institute Tunisia is launched in partnership with Equity Capital (known as CTKD) and the law firm Mezoui Knani & Khelif. A big thank you to our partners who continue to believe in the essential role of the Founder Institute in the Tunisian ecosystem.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

Swedish Investment Fund, Norrsken, To Pour $12m Into Rwanda Startup Ecosystem

Norrsken, a global entrepreneurship centre, has set aside $12 million for its Kigali Campus, which will target startups in Rwanda as well as the East African entrepreneurship scene. The campus, which is set to open in September 2021, will be the first of its kind in the world. Norrsken bought a plot of land in the city centre from a former Belgian school to create what would be East Africa’s largest entrepreneur hub.

The hub will house a mix of startups, incubators, accelerators, investors, lawyers, accountants and other corporates, forming an ecosystem that enables entrepreneurs to build strong companies that solve local and global challenges.

“Local entrepreneurs have been working on great ideas with potential to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges. However, they face scalability challenges due to limited resources and lack of powerful networks. Norrsken will provide an opportunity for such entrepreneurs to not only build useful products but also be able to reach as many people as possible in East Africa and beyond,” said Pascal Murasira, the Managing Director for Norrsken in East Africa.

Norrsken's presence n Rwanda will be a gamechanger for startups in Rwanda and East Africa. Photo credits: Norrsken — *Norrsken’s presence n Rwanda will be a gamechanger for startups in Rwanda and East Africa. Photo credits: Norrsken*

Why Rwanda?

Norrsken said it chose Rwanda as the base for its East Africa because of the country’s progress over the last decade on infrastructure, increasing internet penetration and improvement in its business environment.

Rwanda’s ease of doing business has significantly improved in 2019. The country ranked higher than any African country on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business list — 29th, even before Spain.

Even with a relatively small population (12 million) and tech scene, the government of Rwanda has prioritized tech events and development in the country. This includes becoming a leader on drone delivery and regulatory systems, working most notably with San Francisco based UAV startup Zipline.

“The legal ecosystem is evolving rapidly to become one of the most conducive for entrepreneurs across Africa. This will make it even easier for Norrsken to accelerate the growth of local startups towards unicorn status,” Murasira said
“Evolving legal environment, the creation of Kigali International Finance Centre, and top universities such as ALU and Carnegie Mellon starting to release highly qualified graduates — just to name a few,” he added.

Of the East African countries from which Norrksen will source investments, Kenya stands out as one of the continent’s top hubs for tech startup formation, VC, and exits.

Norrsken opened its second global centre in Rwanda in 2019, following the Stockholm (Sweden) hub, which is expected to help Rwanda achieve its goal of becoming a regional entrepreneurship and innovation hub.

Why Norrsken’s Presence In Rwanda Is Important For East African Startups As A Whole

The launch of Norrsken’s Kigali center in 2019 is so important and significant for startups in East Africa because this is Norrsken’s first launch outside of Sweden. The organization is hoping to open up 25 markets globally over the next decade.

Formed in 2016 by Niklas Adalberth, the founder of Swedish payments solutions unicorn Klarna, Norrsken aims to support impact-driven, early-stage ventures. Engellau-Nilsson was an executive with Adalberth at Klarna from 2013 to 2017.

“We wanted to use our experience and tech to solve real problems instead of finding another way to do things like deliver burrito’s faster,” said Engellau-Nilsson.

Norrsken has already invested in 17 ventures, including three Africa-focused startups- agtech company Wefarm, digital publisher Kognity, and weather forecasting firm Ignitia. Over 340 entrepreneurs and 120 companies currently work out of Norrsken’s Stockholm location.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

Kenya’s Sokowatch Makes it to Fast Company’s “World’s Most Innovative Companies 2021”

Kenya’s innovative e-commerce platform Sokowatch, which supplies and finances mom-and-pop stores across East Africa has been named in Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies (MIC) for 2021.The company currently has an established network of over 18,000 shops across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda, serving the neglected informal retail market that sells over $850 billion of basic goods to African consumers every year.

Sokowatch Global CEO and Founder, Daniel Yu

The list honors businesses that have not only found a way to be resilient in the past year, but also turned those challenges into impact-making processes. These companies did more than survive; they thrived—making an impact on their industries and culture as a whole. This year’s MIC list features 463 businesses from 29 countries. Fast Company’s editors and writers sought out the most groundbreaking businesses across the globe and industries. They also judged nominations received through their application process.

In response to the potential devastating effects of the pandemic, Sokowatch in 2020, launched an e-voucher scheme to support its ecosystem of shop owners and the local communities. The scheme was launched to ensure vulnerable families would have access to essential goods by redeeming sms vouchers at their local shop, maintaining a steady income for the shop during a precarious time.

The scheme supported over 10,000 beneficiaries, with participating informal retailers experiencing revenues rise by up to 54%. In December 2020, the company deployed electric tuk-tuks in Uganda where the air quality is 6x worse than global standards, the first-ever commercial deployment of such vehicles in Africa. This is part of the company’s drive to reduce the impact of carbon emissions and foster cleaner and more sustainable environments in the markets it operates.

On receiving the recognition from Fast Company, Global CEO and Founder, Daniel Yu, says that “this recognition is very exciting and we are delighted to be listed as one of the world’s most innovative companies across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It further validates Sokowatch’s efforts to support thriving retailers across the continent and demonstrates the real impact of innovative solutions”. Adding that at Sokowatch we are always looking at ways to reimagine the status quo to ultimately increase the purchasing power of African communities.”

The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides both a snapshot and a road map for the future of innovation across the most dynamic sectors of the economy.

“In a year of unprecedented challenges, the companies on this list exhibit fearlessness, ingenuity, and creativity in the face of crisis,” said Fast Company Deputy Editor David Lidsky, who oversaw the issue with Senior Editor Amy Farley.

To coincide with the issue launch, Fast Company hosted its first-ever Most Innovative Companies Summit on March 9 and 10. This virtual, multi-day summit celebrated the Most Innovative Companies in business, provide an early look at major business trends, and offer inspiration and practical insights on what it takes to innovate in 2021.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Morocco’s New Crowdfunding Law Takes Full Effect

Morocco’s Minister of Economy Mohamed Benchaaboun

Expected since 2018, law 15–18 on crowdfunding is now operational. This follows the publication of the newly passed law in the country’s Official Bulletin (BO). After the adoption of the new law by the two Chambers of Parliament, its entry into force which takes life from this publication, as specified in article 70 of the law.

Here Is What You Need To Know

Presented in March 2018 by the country’s Minister of the Economy and Finance, the new law is part of the efforts of authorities in Morocco to strengthen the financial inclusion of young project leaders and support economic and social development.

The bill was approved by the government council in August 2019, then presented to Parliament in December of the same year.

Three types of crowdfunding are permitted under the new law. These are loan, equity and grant crowdfunding.

The law only regulates crowdfunding portals, and goes ahead to state that to be eligible for license to own any crowdfunding portal, the applicant must:

Hold a minimum share capital of 300,000 dirhams ($33.5k). Under Nigeria’s recently approved crowdfunding regulation, this is $262k.

Have themselves a prevention and risk reduction policy to identify the origin and destination of funds.

Request additional information regarding the relevant funds.

Check the banking prohibitions of the various actors.

All activities related to crowdfunding under the new law will be regulated by Morocco’s central Bank, Bank Al-Maghrib.

Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission recently approved a new crowdfunding regulation. Under the new rules, startups are only allowed to raise a maximum of the following amounts within a 12-month period: i) The maximum amount which may be raised by a Medium enterprise shall not exceed N100Million ($260k); ii. The maximum amount which may be raised by a Small enterprise shall not exceed N70Million ($182); iii. The maximum amount which may be raised by a Micro enterprise shall not exceed N50Million ($130k).

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

Morocco crowdfunding Morocco crowdfunding

Boost Ghana And KudiGo Selected Into First Catalyst Fund Accelerator For Ecommerce Startups

In October last year, a partnership between Catalyst Fund, Mastercard Foundation COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program and the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) birthed a new accelerator programme, known as Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator programme. The accelerator which targets ecommerce startups would be Catalyst Fund’s first expansion of its flagship inclusive fintech programme outside fintech. A call for applications from qualified startups was thereafter made. Barely a few months after, the accelerator has announced the first cohort of digital commerce companies to be scaled, with the goal of improving the livelihoods of informal MSEs in Ghana.

“MSEs are the backbone of Ghana’s economy, representing about 80% of the MSME sector and employing over 50% of Ghanaians (MOTI 2019). Within the MSE sector, informal work is predominant and contributes to 90% of employment,” said Jane del Ser, Program Director for the Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator.

“Following the COVID-19 crisis, micro and small enterprises in particular lack access to a financial safety net, which significantly impacts their livelihoods and ability to do business. As most transactions and records occur offline, these businesses also lack digital financial records that can grant them access to the working capital they need to survive. Both Boost Ghana and KudiGo present digital solutions that have the potential to significantly impact the livelihoods of thousands of informal MSE owners,” del Ser concluded.

Here Is What You Need To Know

The selected startups are Boost Ghana and KudiGo, which are both enabling small retailers to grow by easing business administration, digitizing operations, improving access to working capital and reducing the cost of doing business, while providing suppliers with efficient access to MSE customers on the ground.

Both companies will receive up to US$120,000 in capital funding, along with: deep, bespoke, expert-led venture acceleration support; connections with Catalyst Fund’s growing global Circle of Investors and Circle of Corporate Innovators, and; in-market expertise from MEST.

Since launching the program in November 2020, Catalyst Fund conducted research on MSEs in urban and peri-urban retail shops around Accra and found that 100% of shop owners have smartphones, and more than half already market their businesses via social media.

However, few currently use digital means to purchase inputs, manage their businesses on a day to day basis, or fulfill orders; only 20% buy inputs online, and 80% purchase inventory in-person, at markets or at a store. This leads to costly transportation expenses, and it means MSEs cannot guarantee the availability of supplies or price stability enjoyed by larger retailers.

In addition to working with Boost and KudiGo, the Catalyst Fund team aims to grow the wider digital commerce ecosystem, by partnering with corporate innovators and investors who can help these companies scale, in an effort to create a more enabling investment and business environment.

“Digitizing MSEs is critical to growing the informal sector and unlocking their potential to scale up and be at the forefront of Ghana’s economic recovery. Leveraging the collective capacity of local digital commerce companies to lead this effort is definitely a step in the right direction,” said Nathalie Akon Gabala, Mastercard Foundation’s Regional Director for West, Central and Northern Africa.

A Look At Boost Ghana And Kudigo

Boost Ghana is tackling this problem by enabling underserved small businesses in Ghana to order stock digitally at the best wholesale prices, and receive efficient, same-day deliveries. For suppliers, they provide direct access to last-mile retail customers at scale, providing critical data and reducing the cost of distribution.

Founded in 2017 by Bright Ahedor, Gideon Boateng, Kingsley Abrokwah, Accra-based KudiGo provides a holistic retail management solution for small business owners, including inventory management, a CRM, mobile money payments and a digital storefront, enabling businesses to build a digital footprint and access financial services more easily. They also offer their MSE customers last-mile delivery via partners. In 2019, the startup raised $490,000 Seed from Founders Factory Africa and Standard Bank.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

Ghana Catalyst Fund Accelerator Ghana Catalyst Fund Accelerator

How Patrice Motsepe Won CAF Presidency

March 15, 2021

Patrice Motsepe, newly elected CAF President

African football took a commendable stride over the weekend with the unanimous election of South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe as CAF President by acclamation during the 43rd CAF Congress, which took place in Rabat, Morocco. His election by acclamation followed sustained lobbying by key sports groups across the continent on the need to move football forward and help Africa catchup with other regions. The choice of Mr Motsepe came as a result of efforts aimed at sanitizing the organization and bringing in hands-on skills in sports business to be part of the management of CAF. He is expected to not only lead a revised African confederation, but an organisation that will see substantial change at CAF Executive Committee and FIFA Council level following various elections which have also been held.

The event equally saw the election of Mathurin de Chacus (Benin), Isha Johansen (Sierra Leone), Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco), Amaju Pinnick (Nigeria) and Mamoutou Touré (Mali) will all join Hany Abo Rida (Egypt) on FIFA’s Council, while Kanizat Ibrahim (Comoros) and Mbombo Njoya (Cameroon) to the CAF Executive Committee. Other regional appointments were also made with Wadie Jary (Tunisia) elected to the northern zone and Elvis Raja Chetty (Seychelles) and Maclean Letshwiti (Botswana) both elected to represent the southern zone.

“Africa needs collective wisdom, but also the exceptional talent and work of every (national football association) president and every member nation,” new CAF President Patrice Motsepe said. “When we all work together, football in Africa will experience success and growth that it has not enjoyed in the past.”

It is a position fully endorsed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who also took the opportunity to congratulate all the presidential election candidates on their collective vision and team spirit.

“I would like to congratulate Patrice Motsepe for his wisdom, his engagement, for his passion,” the FIFA President said. “I want to wish all the very best for the next four years, to the new leading team of CAF, of African football, and to Patrice Motsepe, to all those who have been involved, to Augustin Senghor, Ahmed Yahya, Jacques Anouma, who will now have important roles in CAF’s administration. You all want a strong and united Africa, projecting itself forward. It is thanks to you, it is your decision, your wish, your hope and your ambition. I want to assure you that FIFA is not at your side, FIFA is together with you.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Kwik Delivery Launches Just-in-Time Delivery Service in Abuja

Innovative logistics delivery startup, Kwik Delivery has announced that it officially made available its breakthrough, just-in time delivery service to businesses, government agencies and merchants in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja. Kwik Delivery offers 1-hour delivery through its fleet of bike delivery partners and also provides access to a host of reliable, efficient and trusted 4-wheels vehicles.

According to Cofounder and Chief Operating Officer of Kwik Delivery, Yinka Olayanju, the desire to scale up delivery in Abuja was informed by the fact that “as the political center of Nigeria, Abuja is in strong demand for speedy, efficient delivery of goods and services” “Whether you are managing the office of the Permanent Secretary or the cabinet of a leading financial institution or a leading multinational company, you need to ensure your documents and parcels are delivered promptly in FCT.”

Using the Kwik Delivery app, customers can request a delivery vehicle and track their shipment in real-time. Kwik Delivery is vetting the vehicles and drivers and ensures consistent quality of service. It also provides goods in transit insurance.

“Kwik’s breakthrough delivery platform will enable businesses and government agencies to gain productivity and to optimize logistical expenses in the Nation’s capital” explains Romain POIROT-LELLIG, Founder & CEO of Kwik Delivery. Launched in 2019, Kwik Delivery is an on-demand, last-mile delivery platform that connects African businesses to independent delivery riders, dubbed Kwiksters. The Kwik platform is currently open to Kwiksters operating in Lagos State and Abuja. The Kwik Delivery app is available on iOS and Android. Kwik Delivery is the trading name of Africa Delivery Technologies SAS.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Organisation Calls for Creating of a Secure Culture

“There is a clear link between security culture and secure behaviour and that, in itself, correlates to a clear reduction in risk for the organisation,” this was the submission of Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy and Evangelist, KnowBe4 Africa. According to her, “By improving your security culture, you are immediately improving employee behaviour and potentially plugging one of the biggest security gaps in every business – people. People are often the weakest link. The ones who click on the link, who open the phishing email, who share their company passwords and who accidentally create vulnerabilities within the organisation.”

Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy and Evangelist, KnowBe4 Africa

Security. This is a word that can make a grown CFO tremble and an entire SOC crumble. It is the word that captures a complex landscape littered with complexity, cybercriminals and technology. It defines how well an organisation adheres to a growing body of legislation – GDPR, POPIA and other data protection regulations – and how its reputation fares when a breach is revealed and information exposed. Security should be on every boardroom agenda, in ongoing employee training, and in investment into the right tools and solutions. But, perhaps most importantly, security should be an inherent part of the company’s culture because it is this factor that ultimately determines its security risk and posture.

A recent study undertaken by KnowBe4 examined the behaviour and security culture of more than 97, 000 employees across 1, 115 organisations worldwide. The study dug down into the components and building blocks of security culture and unpacked how this has become a critical component for any robust security structure in a detailed whitepaper (https://bit.ly/3l7zVhP).

“IT leaders have always known exactly how important people are to the perfect security triumvirate – people, process and technology,” says Collard. “But, over the years, process and technology have been pushed to the forefront of investment and conversation, leaving the human element wide open and the business at risk. The reason for this shift is multi-fold – it’s hard to engage with a diverse workforce and the security message is not always that exciting.”

Yet, the research found a very clear proof that a robust security culture reduces the risk of credential sharing and improves the entire organisation’s security posture. In fact, it found that there was a 52x difference between the behaviours of people sharing credentials in a poor security class and the best which highlighted how a focus on security culture can significantly change the way employees adopt secure practices and behaviours. Which again underscores the value of setting up a security culture programme that explores the seven dimensions of security culture and how these can be improved within the organisation.

These seven dimensions include: attitude, behaviour, cognition, compliance, communication, norms and responsibility. And they provide the organisation with a solid framework within which to build an equally solid security culture that has longevity and relevance.

“The more that the business focuses on security culture, the more likely it is that employees will follow secure practices and adopt more secure behaviours,” concludes Collard. “This ground breaking research has provided a very clear and measurable link between security culture and secure behaviour and emphasises the value of investing into people, training and security communication best practice to ensure that this link is always maintained.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry