Nunu Ntshingila - Afrikan Heroes

Meta Launches Business Coach Tool on WhatsApp to Help SMBs in Africa Grow

November 9, 2021

Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director Meta Africa

Meta (formerly Facebook) has announced the launching of Facebook Business Coach, an innovative and easily-accessible way for owners of small-and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya and other English speaking countries to learn more about how to grow their business online with Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The Facebook Business Coach available on WhatsApp, is a free-to-use, low data cost educational chatbot tool that users can interact with in a simple, conversational and convenient way.

SMBs have access to automated, self-paced lessons that teach them how to establish a presence in today’s ever-evolving digital economy.

As a free curriculum platform, it features step-by-step courses and tutorials as well as helpful infographics, videos, and audio clips. Learning material is recommended based on the user’s needs and queries, with an option to navigate the curriculum via the menu. While the WhatsApp bot provides SMBs with an easy way to quickly learn the basics, users can also access more in-depth training and get officially certified with Meta Blueprint (https://bit.ly/3bW1AOI) courses online.

The content was created to assist business owners with multiple queries – from how to create attention-grabbing business pages on Facebook and Instagram, to how to use Messenger and WhatsApp to communicate effectively with clients.

Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director Meta Africa, commented: “In today’s social-media-driven environment, information on building your brand on online platforms can be crucial in what sets a small business apart and drives success. At Meta, we’re passionate about empowering SMBs in Africa with the skills they need to succeed online. We know that they are the backbone of the African economy and the drivers for economic growth. We hope the Facebook Business Coach (https://bit.ly/3BXOj2T) will be their partner along this journey, providing training they need through their mobile phones.”

The Facebook Business Coach (https://bit.ly/2YxlpZQ) educational tool on What

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

Facebook Opens a New Office in Lagos, Nigeria

September 19, 2020

Regional Director Facebook Africa, Nunu Ntshingila

As part of its continued commitment and ongoing investment in Africa, Facebook today announced it will be opening an office in Lagos, Nigeria – its second office on the African continent. Aimed at supporting the entire Sub-Saharan Africa region, the office is expected to become operational in H2 2021 and will be the first on the continent to house a team of expert engineers building for the future of Africa and beyond.

Facebook’s office will be home to various teams servicing the continent from across the business, including Sales, Partnerships, Policy, Communications as well as Engineers.

Commenting, Ime Archibong, Facebook’s Head of New Product Experimentation said: “The opening of our new office in Lagos, Nigeria presents new and exciting opportunities in digital innovations to be developed from the continent and taken to the rest of the world. All across Africa we’re seeing immense talent in the tech ecosystem, and I’m proud that with the upcoming opening of our new office, we’ll be building products for the future of Africa, and the rest of the world, with Africans at the helm. We look forward to contributing further to the African tech ecosystem.”

The investment of the new Facebook office follows the 2018 opening of NG_Hub, its first flagship community hub space in Africa in partnership with CcHub, and the 2019 opening of a Small Business Group (SBG) Operations Centre in Lagos, in partnership with Teleperformance. Providing outsourced support to all English-speaking advertisers across Sub-Saharan Africa, the SBG office supports Small Medium Businesses (SMBs) through its Advocacy, Community & Education (ACE) programme, as well as its Marketing Expert sales programmes – all aimed at enabling SMBs to accelerate the growth and development of their businesses.

“Our new office in Nigeria presents an important milestone which further reinforces our ongoing commitment to the region”, commented Kojo Boakye, Facebook’s Director of Public Policy, Africa. “Our mission in Africa is no different to elsewhere in the world – to build community and bring the world closer together, and I’m excited about the possibilities that this will create, not just in Nigeria, but across Africa.”

Since the opening of its first office in 2015, Facebook has made a number of investments across the continent, aimed at supporting and growing the tech ecosystem, expanding and providing reliable connectivity infrastructures and helping businesses to grow locally, regionally and globally. This includes the recent rollout of its SMB Grants programme in Nigeria and South Africa, aimed at supporting over 900 businesses by providing a combination of cash and ad credits to help small businesses as they rebuild from COVID. The development of 2Africa, the world’s largest subsea cable project that will deliver much needed internet capacity and reliability across large parts of Africa, as well as its ongoing training programmes across the continent which support various communities including students, SMBs, digital creatives, female entrepreneurs, start-up’s and developers.

Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa,said: “We’re delighted to be announcing our new office in Nigeria. Five years on from opening our first office on the continent in Johannesburg, South Africa, we’re continuing to invest in and support local talent, as well as the various communities that use our platforms. The office in Lagos will also be key in helping to expand how we service our clients across the continent.”

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

How Startups And SMEs In South Africa And Nigeria Can Access Facebook’s New Grant Programme

August 28, 2020

Social media site Facebook has launched a grant programme to provide funding for eligible startups small businesses in Nigeria and South Africa.

*Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa*

The grant, valued at over R8.5-million will be used to support 217 local small businesses in South Africa. For Nigerian SMEs and startups, Facebook is also offering N400,128 in cash grants and Naira 240,077 in ad credits to help during this challenging time. This grant programme forms as part of Facebook’s $100-million Global Grants Programme which was announced earlier this year.

“We know small businesses are the engines of the South African economy, the COVID-19 pandemic has extended beyond a public health crisis to an economic emergency, with these small businesses most affected. We’re listening to the challenges these small business owners are facing right now and want to provide useful resources for them during this difficult and uncertain year,” Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa said.

The Global Grants Programme aims to support 30 000 small businesses in over 30 countries across the globe and is aimed at stimulating economic recovering following the devastating effects of Covid-19.

How Startups And SMEs in Nigeria Can Have Access To The Grant

To be eligible to apply, a Nigerian SME or startup must:

Be a for-profit business
Have between 2 and 50 employees
Have been in business for over a year
Have experienced challenges from COVID-19
Be in or near a location where Facebook operates
All locations in Nigeria are eligible
Applicants must also include a copy of their financial statements or accounts along with a legal document proving that the business has been established for at least one year, such as annual tax return, business registration document (CAC documents), business licence or partnership agreement.
At a minimum, the financial statements provided should include a balance sheet and an income statement/profit or loss statement. A balance sheet typically includes a summary of all of the business’ assets and liabilities.
For example assets include items such as cash, balances due from customers, buildings owned by the business, stock held by the business etc. For example, liabilities include balances due to suppliers, loans due to financial institutions etc.
An income statement/profit or loss statement includes a summary of income, expenses and profit for a year.
Abridged financial statements or accounts will not be accepted.

For Nigerian applicants, applications are open from 2pm on 24 August 2020 to 5pm on 04 September 2020.

For more information about Facebook ‘s grant programme, click here.

To apply as a Nigerian SME or startup, click here.

The grants will be managed and administered by Deloitte Nigeria. Provided as a combination of cash and ad credits, the grants aim to assist small businesses in their rebuilding, re-engineering, and recovery operations.

How South African SMEs Or Startups May Apply For The Funding

Small business owners are encouraged to apply for the funding and will undergo an eligibility selection process.

Eligibility criteria

In order to be eligible to apply for the grant programme, small businesses must meet the below requirements:

Have between 2 and 50 employees
Have been in business for over a year
Have experienced challenges due to Covid-19
Be in or near a location where Facebook operates

Applications will be open from 27 August and will close on 5 September 2020 at 6pm.

Businesses can apply here .

More information about Facebook ‘s grant programme can be found here.

The grants will be managed and administered by Deloitte South Africa. Provided as a combination of cash and ad credits, the grants aim to assist small businesses in their rebuilding, re-engineering, and recovery operations.

Free digitalisation training for small businesses

Facebook has also launched a series of free webinars that offer training in digitalisation and improving social connection infrastructure as more consumers are moving to online purchasing.

Titled, ‘Boost with Facebook Across South Africa’, small business owners are encouraged to attend these webinars as it will cover a range of topics from businesses resilience, how to take your business online, and more.

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

Facebook Innovates, Launches Avatars Across Africa

August 17, 2020

To help its teeming followership across Africa express themselves in far more diverse ways than hitherto available, global leading tech and social media platform Facebook has launched Avatars in Africa to provide alternative modes of expressions online. The Avatars are digital personas that enable people to engage across Facebook and Messenger in a more personal and dynamic way. You can use your personalised avatar to share a range of emotions and expressions via a digital persona that is unique to you.

There are many ways you can use your avatar including in comments, Stories, Messenger and soon, text posts with backgrounds too. With so many emotions and expressions to choose from, avatars let you share your authentic reactions and feelings with family and friends across the app. You can customise your avatar with hairstyles, complexions, outfits, COVID-19 support stickers and more. To create your avatar, go to the Facebook or Messenger comment composer, click on the “smiley” button, and then the sticker tab. Click “Create Your Avatar”.

According to Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa, “Facebook is home to some of your most personal content and we want to allow people to share and react to that content in the most personalised way possible,” adding that “we’re excited to give people more options to convey their identity on Facebook, allowing them to share in a more personal, light-hearted way.” Avatars include hundreds of global sticker packs and integrations with GIF providers and can also be shared across Facebook and Messenger by Setting as Profile Picture, Sharing to News Feed, and Using on Gaming Profile.

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