Author: Kaluka wanjala

Uber has finally bowed to pressure and agreed to raise ride charges in Kenya by 10%. The ride hailing app confirmed this yesterday saying the price changes will apply to all its products.  Over the past few weeks, taxi drivers using apps like Uber and Bolt have been complaining saying most of the rates these apps charge are just too low. They claim that the high cost of living and high commission taken by the apps may put them out of business. Some drivers have even been demanding more money from the riders from what is indicated on the app. …

 Binance has announced that from January to July 2024, it prevented over $2.4 billion in losses from potential scams and fraudulent activities that could have impacted more than 1.2 million users. This achievement is the result of Binance’s comprehensive risk management measures, which help to effectively detect and flag suspicious transactions across the platform. Binance employs a sophisticated internal risk engine that conducts real-time monitoring on a 24/7 basis, leveraging a hybrid of artificial intelligence (AI)-based and manual review. This allows the Binance team to dynamically and precisely detect suspicious transactions and take action to protect users quickly. The risk engine operates across…

Bolt has announced a strategic partnership with Hakki Africa to provide vehicle financing for drivers on its platform, in efforts to enhance their earnings. This partnership aims to deploy 1,500 vehicles over the next 18 months to drivers on Bolt’s platform that reach certain criteria for consideration. Driver partners shall have access to lower loan down payments and will receive incentives based on their performance. Hakki Africa offers a credit scoring system and other fintech solutions to provide loans to taxi drivers who have limited access to traditional financial services in Kenya. This partnership between Bolt and Hakki Africa provides…

OPPO is set to launch the Reno 12 series in Kenya later this week. The launch event will be on August 22 in Nairobi. This is the successor to the Reno 11 series that was launched in Kenya earlier this year. I have the OPPO Reno 12 5G for review and will be sharing my thoughts on it in a few days. The OPPO Reno12 series launch comes after the global launch of OPPO’s strategy to democratize AI for all mobile phone consumers across the brand’s device range. Reno12’s series launch will introduce two groundbreaking AI Phones with the Reno12…

d.light has announced the launch of its new customer loyalty program – the first of its kind in the off-grid solar space. d.light officially launched the loyalty scheme, called “d.light Points Program”, in Kenya on 7 August, with plans to extend it to customers in Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria later this year. d.light’s aim is that more than 500,000 customers will benefit from the program before the end of 2024. The d.light Points Program rewards customers who make regular and frequent payments towards their PayGo products with points that can be redeemed for discounts on future purchases and other rewards…

Liquid Intelligent Technologies has announced a strategic partnership with American connectivity innovator Globalstar to deliver advanced 5G connectivity solutions across Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf. Strive Masiyiwa, founder and Chairman of Liquid Intelligent Technologies said, “I’m really excited by the connectivity solutions now emerging from breakthroughs in 5G private networks technologies. With this technology we are now able to provide services to large businesses like mines with their own 5G private networks that can also enable NextGen services like AI; this is huge”. The partnership will provide Liquid with exclusive rights in the Gulf, Middle East and Africa…

 Wimbart is conducting the second edition of its pan-African research, ‘Startup Performance Reporting in Africa: Aligning Startup and Investor Expectations.’ The survey aims to understand the intricacies of investor relations within the African tech ecosystem and is now open for participation from startups and investors. Findings from the inaugural report revealed that nearly one-third of startup investors do not receive periodic updates from their portfolio companies, which causes investor dissatisfaction and potentially hinders future funding. This year’s edition will build on these findings by incorporating new insights from startup founders, aiming to track progress and chart the trajectory toward improved reporting in Africa’s tech ecosystem. Supported by…

Xiaomi Kenya has today announced the launch of the Redmi Note 13 Series Offers Festival 2024, running from August 9th to September 9th. This month-long promotion offers a chance for tech enthusiasts and smartphone users to upgrade to the Redmi Note 13 Series with discounts of up to Ksh 3,500. Upgrade to Top-Notch Performance and Stunning Features: The Redmi Note 13 Series is known for its impressive performance, sleek design, and cutting-edge features. This offer is the perfect chance for users to experience the latest in smartphone technology at a reduced price, making it more accessible than ever before. Also…

Ecobank has announced the top finalists for the first-ever and inaugural 2024 Ecobank Fintech Challenge Hybrid Semi-Final event held at the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. The finalists were selected from a cohort of 40 highly competitive Fintechs that made it to the semi-final stage of the competition. This year’s challenge attracted over 1,550 applications from 70 countries in Africa and other global regions. The finalists will showcase their innovative solutions at the Ecobank Fintech Challenge Grand Finale, scheduled for 27 September 2024, at the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Lomé, Togo. The event will be streamed live…

All is set for the last leg of the 2024 LOOP Safari gravel series, set for Saturday, August 24th at the Vipingo Ridge, Kilifi County. The leg will mark the conclusion of the 2024 LOOP Safari gravel series which kicked off earlier in the year at Tatu City, in February, before moving to the hills of Iten in March and hosting the first ever UCI Gravel series event at Hell’s gate in June, attracting over 1000 cyclists from across America, Europe, and Africa. Speaking during a ceremony hosted to celebrate the winners of the previous leg in Naivasha, Eric Muriuki,…