Uncategorized - Afrikan Heroes

Safaricom May Earn $481-Million from Kenya Power Meter Deal

September 19, 2021

East Africa’s leading telecom company Safaricom will most likely make $481-million (Ksh53.5-billion) for installing smart electricity meters to Kenya Power’s largest consumers in a new deal meant to curb power theft, and electricity leakages while also fixing significant weaknesses on the utility firm’s transmission network.

Martin Mutuka, Kenya Power’s GM for business strategy, — Martin Mutuka, Kenya Power’s GM for business strategy

According to the letters of the deal, Safaricom is planning on spending $281-million to install an intelligent system that will connect 333,300 electricity meters to a central location and track electricity use, power outages and load on transformers. The system will allow the reading of the meters remotely, as well.

The system will help bring down the share of electricity bought from generator firms like KenGen that does not reach homes and businesses, known as system losses, from 23.93% to around 8%, which will earn Kenya Power $644-million in additional revenue in the next eight years.

84% of Kenya Power sales are expected to be covered by the smart meters. They will be connected to homes and businesses that consume more than 200-kilowatt hours (kWh) monthly.

“This solution is expected to result in a turnaround of Kenya Power’s current financial position by reducing energy losses,” Kenya Power board papers read.

“In addition, it will improve collection, increase business operational efficiency and enhance cost efficiency.”

Also according to the papers, Safaricom is set to earn 75% of these additional sales or $481-billion, with the power utility taking the remaining $162-million (factoring KSH to USD exchange rates).

Notably, this will mean that Safaricom will be able to recover its investments in four years and transfer the smart reading network system to Kenya Power after eight years. Kenya Power executives will apparently seek a review of the revenue share once a final deal is inked between the utility and the telecom firm, arguing that this draft agreement is in favour of Safaricom.

“Safaricom will have recouped its full cost in year four hence the need for a further discussion on the revenue uplift sharing proportion,” said Martin Mutuka, Kenya Power’s GM for business strategy, in a preliminary report.

“Basis to support the 75 to 25 per cent sharing proportions — KPLC should negotiate for a better sharing proposal,” Mutuka added.

Safaricom has selected four manufacturers that will provide the smart meters to 1,292 Kenya Power distribution feeders, 73,000 distribution transformers and 256,000 private consumers with monthly uses over 200 kilowatts.

The installation of the meters will be done in three phases, beginning in areas near Mombasa Road. Current targets are for the installation of 6,200 meters over the first nine months. The second phase will see the connection of 330,300 smart meters to the large power users who account for 84% of Kenya’s total energy consumption.

This second stage is set to run across 2 years before completion, with a further six years set aside for the operation of the devices. Kenya Power will continue installations for the final phase, leveraging infrastructure established by Safaricom.

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

Okonjo-Iweala Calls for Support for Africa With IMF Allocations

August 28, 2021

The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has asked developed countries to channel their shares of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to poorer countries, particularly those in Africa, to support their Covid19 fight.

On August 23, 2021, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, announced the largest allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) in history—about US$650 billion to combat this unprecedented crisis.

Ms. Georgieva, in her statement, noted that the largest SDR in the IMF’s history comes into effect to help countries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“SDRs are being distributed to countries in proportion to their quota shares in the IMF. This means about US$275 billion is going to emerging and developing countries, of which low-income countries will receive about US$21 billion – equivalent to as much as 6 per cent of GDP in some cases.”

“To support countries and help ensure transparency and accountability, the IMF is providing a framework for assessing the macroeconomic implications of the new allocation, its statistical treatment and governance, and how it might affect debt sustainability. The IMF will also provide regular updates on all SDR holdings, transactions, and trading – including a follow-up report on the use of SDRs in two years’ time,” she added.

Commenting on the historic allocation, the WTO DG, in one of the tweets, applauded Kristalina Georgieva, and shareholders, saying the “SDRs which will strengthen members’ reserve positions and assist them to better fight the pandemic.”

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala also encouraged developed countries to support poorer counterparts in the fight against COVID-19. She added that these developing countries would use the support to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although Africa is entitled to about $33 billion, French President Emmanuel Macron, during a summit of African leaders in May, pledged to urge richer nations to support an allocation of $100 billion to Africa.

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

Kenya Airways Signs Deal to Launch Flying Taxis in Nairobi

August 22, 2021

Kenya Airways has signed an agreement with Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer to launch flying taxis in the capital city of Nairobi in a move aimed at spearheading this transport innovation in the market. According to reports, the vehicles are expected to cut travel time from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Nairobi’s city centre down to just six minutes.

Embraer signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kenya Airways last week, through the national carrier’s newly established subsidiary Fahari Aviation, for the establishment of the Brazilian company’s Electric Vertical Aircrafts (EVA) in Nairobi from 2025.

Fahari is Kenya Airways’ new wing which deals with unmanned aircraft like drones and has already opened a few unmanned aerial vehicle schools to train interested Kenyans.

Embraer’s EVAs are capable of carrying a load of 250 kilograms (about two to three people at most, or less including luggage) at 400KM per hour with an average range of 250KM per flight. The aircraft are completely autonomous, not requiring any human pilots and capable of flight via automatic systems such as radar, lidar and 12 onboard camera sensors. However, when they launch in 2025, Embraer says, there will be one pilot on board.

The vehicles are also completely electrical, which is a key in the deal that is anchored on the need to introduce zero-emission electric planes in the transport sector in Kenya. The flying taxis would also provide an alternative mode of transportation for passengers in a rush, says Andre Stein, CEO of Embraer’s Urban Air Mobility Solutions unit.

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

Huawei partners with Mondia Pay for Digital Payment Options in Algeria and Tunisia

July 9, 2021

Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) inked a partnership with Mondia Pay – a leading digital payment provider, which is set to provide Ooredoo Algeria and Orange Tunisia users with safe and convenient payment options. Huawei device users can now pay for their monthly services, latest games, and favourite applications seamlessly on HUAWEI AppGallery using Direct Carrier Billing services (DCB).

With over 2.1 billion global monthly transactions, Mondia Pay aims to provide users in North Africa with secure, convenient, and contactless payment options. This integration is a result of a strategic partnership that was formalised in September 2020 and has since witnessed an increase of DCB coverage and IAP (In-App Purchase) kit capabilities for global developers.

“We are extremely proud of our continued partnership with Huawei Mobile Services, and to bring Mondia Pay’s fully integrated digital payment technology to serve the Africa region. We remain committed to delivering innovative digitalisation and payments solutions that enable the natural progression towards cashless societies throughout the rest of Africa”, said Simon Rahmann, CEO Mondia Pay.

Adam Xiao, Managing Director of Huawei Mobile Services in the Middle East and Africa, Huawei Consumer Business Group, said, “We are pleased to partner with Mondia Pay to provide HUAWEI AppGallery users in Algeria and Tunisia with seamless, safe, and secure payment options. This partnership further cements our commitment to enable technology around the world and to provide Huawei users in Algeria and Tunisia with convenient access to services by Huawei Mobile Services.”

The service went live with multiple DCB services providers such as Ufone Pakistan, Vodafone Egypt, and Etisalat UAE.

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

Sub-Saharan Africa to Reach 70 Million 5G Subscriptions in Next 5 Years

July 7, 2021

Sub-Saharan African countries are poised to latch on to the latest internet technology offered by the 5^th generation networks. This is according to a new report from Ericsson stating that 5G mobile subscriptions will exceed 580 million by the end of 2021, driven by an estimated one million new 5G mobile subscriptions every day.

The forecast, which features in the latest Ericsson Mobility Report, confirms the expectation that 5G will become the fastest adopted mobile generation. 5G is expected to surpass a billion subscriptions two years ahead of the 4G LTE timeline for the same milestone. The report features breakout statistics from Sub-Saharan African markets where around 15% of mobile subscriptions were for 4G at the end of 2020.

Mobile broadband subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa are predicted to increase, reaching 76% of mobile subscriptions by 2026. However, 5G volumes are not expected to grow in the region for 2021 but are likely to reach around 70 million 5G subscriptions in 2026.

Separately, the Global Telecom Market Report (GTM) also known as “The Future of Urban Reality Report” was also recently launched by the Ericsson ConsumerLab, to assess the penetration of 5G and the tremendous potential it holds to markets around the world.

People in Sub-Saharan Africa Spending More Time Online

The latest Ericsson ConsumerLab report is Ericsson’s largest consumer study to date, revealing key insights about what Sub-Saharan African consumers believe will happen beyond the pandemic, into the year 2025, through surveying a sample of 1,000 to 2,000 respondents between the ages of 15–79.

The report found that when entering the “next normal”, consumers in Africa will have added an average of 3.4 online services to their daily online activities, while also increasing the time they spend online by 10 hours per week by 2025, in comparison to their pre-pandemic habits.

This move is also expected to bridge the gap between moderate and advanced online users, with the more moderate online users having introduced more online services in their daily life over the course of the pandemic.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of online education at schools and universities as well as remote working has increased to 87% and 63% respectively. Going forward online education and remote working are collectively expected to remain at a level of 51%.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of online shopping stood at 28% out of the total number of all shopping events, both online and at physical stores. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this figure increased to 47%.

Consumers anticipate their habits around online shopping will remain at a level of 37% after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed.

“The recent reports have demonstrated the success of setting #AfricaInMotion. Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to see continued growth in mobile broadband thanks to the young population, increased coverage, and more affordable smartphones,“ Todd Ashton, VP and Head of Ericsson South and East Africa says.

“By 2025, we will be looking at a new normal with online activities becoming more common daily. 4G will become more pervasive and 5G will start to grow. As a result, we will definitely see increased economic growth and acceleration in Africa’s digital inclusion.”

Ericsson has found that despite the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, service providers continue to switch on 5G, and more than 160 service providers have launched commercial 5G services.

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

Civil Protests in Eswatini Disrupts MTNs Network Operations

July 2, 2021

The ongoing protests which has led to the shutting down of the internet in the southern African kingdom of Eswatini has disrupted telecoms operations in the country it has spread to the capital, Mbabane. Amid the crisis, the telecoms major has also closed all of its outlets for now, according to a notice sent to customers.

The Kingdom of Eswatini has seen waves of pro-democracy protests break out over the past few days amid calls for political reform and the removal of King Mswati III. Eswatini is the only absolute monarchy in Africa and one of the few that remain across the world. Several videos of the protests have been circulating on the internet, showing protesters burning tyres and barricading roads as government security forces fired gunshots and tear gas to disperse the large crowds. On Wednesday, pro-democracy activists said overnight clashes with police resulted in multiple casualties.

The demonstrations have also led to looting overnight, reports say, and caused intermittent disruptions to communication services.

The local unit of MTN Group in the country said it had been “experiencing disruption to services and connectivity as of 29 June 2021” in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“Meeting our customers’ needs remains a key priority for us. We are committed to restoring our services and connectivity as soon as possible; we encourage all our customers to make use of the various self-service offerings through our digital platforms,” MTN Eswatini CEO Wandile Mtshali said.

“As a precaution, we are exploring all necessary measures to ensure the safety of our customers, staff, and partners. We will monitor the situation and keep our customers updated on all relevant developments,” he added.

The notice comes amid social media reports alleging that King Mswati’s government had ordered network operators in the country to block access to the internet, as the army terrorises protesters in towns and rural areas. Eswatini government shuts down the internet amid violent pro-democracy protests.

MTN Eswatini added that it will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders and authorities to minimise and limit the duration of the disruption.

Road freight logistics between Eswatini and South Africa have also been disrupted. Trucks carrying goods from the latter were reportedly looted and damaged and supermarkets set on fire. Meanwhile, the government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew and closed schools while banks remain shut amid the crisis.

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

Standard Bank Partners Microsoft to Boost Innovation and Drive Growth in Africa

June 18, 2021

Standard Bank Group Chief Executive, Sim Tshabalala

One of Africa’s leading financial powerhouses, Standard Bank Group and Microsoft announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the digital transformation of Africa’s largest financial institution and further drive the continent’s growth.The Bank’s growing investment in the Microsoft Cloud will enable the innovation, efficiencies, and resilience required to respond to market dynamics and customer needs.

This partnership builds on the 30-year relationship between the two companies and involves migrating workloads, applications, and platforms to Microsoft Azure to drive organisational efficiencies, as well as workforce collaboration with Azure, PowerApps, Workplace Analytics and Microsoft Teams.

“Investing in the cloud will allow Standard Bank to achieve its strategy to transform from a traditional financial services company into a digital platform company, providing financial services, plus ancillary and associated services. We have adopted a cloud-first strategy, underpinned by end-to-end security and data-driven insights that will enable transformation with tangible results,” says Standard Bank Group Chief Executive, Sim Tshabalala.

“Standard Bank’s cloud-first strategy underlines the growing momentum in financial services to deliver differentiated experiences that today’s customers expect,” said Judson Althoff, Microsoft’s executive vice president of Worldwide Commercial Business.

“As a long-standing technology partner, we are pleased to collaborate with Standard Bank in realizing this strategy and in becoming Africa’s future-first financial services firm through digital skilling-focused initiatives that will expand economic opportunity for young people across Africa.”

As part of the partnership, the companies will also: Establish the African Digital Foundry (The Foundry), a strategic alliance, for Standard Bank and Microsoft to collaborate to co-create unique solutions through new technology to meet the financial needs of Africa’s consumers. Through the Foundry, the companies aspire to reach 100 million customers in Africa over the next five years.

Bring together their resources and know-how to provide youth with the relevant digital skills needed to secure future-ready jobs and equip Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with digital skills and capabilities so that they can take advantage of the growing shift to digital technologies.

Standard Bank and Microsoft, through the Foundry, will co-create and execute joint go-to-market digital services related to trade, payment, and risk-based (lending and insurance) solutions. They will also develop ecosystems enabling digital trading to facilitate Africa’s growth.

“The Foundry is a digital initiative established in Africa, for Africans, to address the unique challenges the continent faces with customised innovations, services and solutions,” says Tshabalala

“The partnership will further enhance and create ongoing collaboration between our firms around co-engineering solutions for African consumers’ unique needs.”

Harnessing the power and reach of both organisations, the partnership will also drive digital skills development, boost youth employment, and accelerate the growth of SMEs on the African continent.

Both organisations believe that digital transformation represents an opportunity for the continent to leap ahead, taking a leading role in enabling economic and societal growth in Africa.

Microsoft and Standard Bank will leverage their combined research, industry, partner and start-up programmes to impact the continent – where similar opportunities and challenges exist – using technology such as mixed reality and artificial intelligence.

“Continuing to build on the partnership is part of the ongoing journey that Standard Bank and Microsoft are on to invest in digital transformation as the enabler of meaningful and tangible innovation. Our journey is underpinned by collaborative efforts to develop, scale and roll out digital solutions that will deliver personalised services to 100 million Africans and by meeting their unique and evolving needs and demands,” says Tshabalala.

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

African Startups Called to Apply for support from Bayer Foundation

May 17, 2021

African-tech-startup-funding-rises-51-to-195M-in-2017

Calls for applications have opened as early-stage African tech startups have been invited to apply for support from Bayer Foundation, which helps impact startups validate their solutions. Annually, the Bayer Foundation partners the Ingolstadt School of Management in the Social Impact Startup Academy (SISTAC) to help entrepreneurs from Sub-Saharan Africa validate and prove their solutions, with the goal of helping these entrepreneurs grow their business.

Selected startups gain access to mentors from the Ingolstadt School of Management, access to the Bayer Foundation network, and free business consultation. They can also access funding possibilities and competitions, the SISTAC knowledge database, and workshops and events.

The foundation is looking for businesses whose main focus is on Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 3 – zero hunger, and health and wellbeing. They should be in the validation stage, with some customers but looking to optimise and validate their solution to grow.

There is also a preference for female founders or co-founders, but this is not a hard criteria, and all businesses must be for profit and operating within Sub-Saharan Africa.

Interested parties can visit https://getinthering.co/challenges/grow-your-social-innovation-startup-from-sub-saharan-africa-with-bayer-foundations-social-impact-startup-academy/ before end of May 2021 to apply.

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

Classes.ng Launches Open Marketplace for Educational Classes in Nigeria

A new entrant into the Nigerian edu-tech startup space, Classes.ng has launched a free and open marketplace for classes, where tutorial centres, freelance tutors, schools, universities, training institutions and online institutions can list courses and programmes that are instantly available for registrations and enquiries. Classes.ng was established in September 2020, with the aim to provide a listing platform for “classes” of all kinds, driving more organic traffic, and students, to the institutions and tutors listed on it.

Highlighting what they are bringing to the table that makes Classes.ng different from all available platforms, co-founder Daniel Osi said that “Unlike conventional on-demand tutoring platforms like Tuteria and PrepClass, we do not provide the training and we do not take commissions on bookings. It’s a totally free and open marketplace and we generate revenue mostly from traffic with only a select number of institutions benefitting from the commission model.

The bootstrapped startup, which is in discussions with “a few angels” around investment, has been growing steadily since launch, and is averaging 1,500 unique hits per month and 10 enquiries per day.

On a few select institutions, based on agreement, we take a commission of between eight and 15 per cent on each class booking. On others, we drive traffic for free and the ones who want to get more reach can pay for boosted posts and adverts. It’s primarily an ad-based model,” Osi said.

“We are currently operating in Nigeria but we have a global target, starting from Africa. We’ve currently purchased a couple of related and highly relevant domain names in preparation for scale.”

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

Kenyan e-boda Startup Mazi Mobility Launches Electric Bikes

Jesse Forrester, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) at Mazi Mobility

Kenyan startup Mazi Mobility has launched its electric motorcycle fleet with backing from global venture builder Satgana. Mazi Mobility is using motorcycles, locally known as “bodas”, to accelerate the transition to efficient, affordable and clean transport in Nairobi.

Its flagship motorcycle, the Magnus 3000 (M3K), is a better alternative to petrol-driven bodas, while the startup is also introducing battery swapping stations that provide on-demand energy, reducing transportation costs by 50 per cent.

The MK3 offers a choice between a single and dual battery, capable of up to 70 kilometres and 140 kilometres of range respectively, while the startup’s Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model will see Mazi lease batteries to boda boda riders on a per-use fee.

“We are also developing a smart swapping station network to cater to the rider’s biggest concern – range anxiety. Through sensor technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) and our algorithms we are optimising route selection in a bid to avoid minimal disturbance to an ongoing trip,” said Jesse Forrester, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) at Mazi Mobility.

“At Mazi, we believe that Africans should be able to move efficiently, and affordably across cities at less than the price of personal vehicle ownership while reducing CO2 emissions. What industry is better to see this change than the boda one? Mazi is taking a long approach to mobility, we don’t want to just have the same status quo but with electric vehicles. At Mazi we move people, data and things.”

The startup is still in the piloting phase, but has already established its first battery swapping station and logged over 100 swaps.

“Boda operators have been excited about the possibility of owning an electric motorcycle. Our M3K is especially eye-catching due to our bold color choices and sufficient specs. In fact, we are pacing ourselves to meet demand,” Forrester said.

Supporting Mazi on their journey is Satgana, a global venture builder on a mission to launch and fund responsible startups aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which has provided the startup with a minority investment and hands-on venture-building support.

“The urgent need to decarbonise our economies places transportation at the cusp of a fundamental shift towards electric solutions, and mobility in Africa is ripe for disruption. As such, Satgana is beyond excited to be involved in the launch of Mazi and truly believes in the founding team’s ability to make it happen,” said the founder and CEO of Satgana.

“Since day one, we have been impressed by Jesse’s vision and execution capability. As a venture builder, we are humbled to be able to support Mazi in its mission to make urban transportation sustainable while empowering low-income drivers.”

Forrester said Mazi would soon be raising further external capital, and also planned to expand beyond its Nairobi headquarters.

“We are planning to grow over the next few years across East Africa and eventually to the continent and beyond. Moreover, we see opportunities in various modes of transport including tuktuks, 14-seaters, buses and long-distance travel,” he said. “However, for now we are essentially focused on boda bodas.”

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