Author: Kaluka wanjala

Oracle has announced its intention to establish a public cloud region in Nairobi, Kenya. The is part of Oracle’s wider strategy to expand its global cloud infrastructure in Africa. The announcement comes after a meeting between an Oracle delegation led by Scott Twaddle, Senior Vice President responsible for OCI Product and Industries, and Kenyan Government officials, including President William Ruto, President of Kenya, and Eliud Owalo, Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy in Kenya. Oracle’s decision to base the new cloud region in Nairobi is set to capitalize on the country’s renewable energy sources…

Carry1st has announced a strategic investment from Sony Innovation Fund, the venture capital arm of Sony Group Corporation. This significant partnership marks the inaugural investment from Sony Innovation Fund: Africa, established by Sony as a commitment to fostering the growth of entertainment businesses across the continent. The African gaming industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, fueled by the rapid adoption of technology. With over 200 million unique players, the industry is expected to reach a market size exceeding $1 billion in 2024, according to data from Newzoo and Carry1st. Despite limited formal console presence, the African gaming sector presents a promising…

The Kenya National E-Commerce Strategy 2023 was launched on December 13 by the Ministry of Information, Communications, and The Digital Economy. This was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Investments, and Industry, and supported by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). This plan is designed to provide an enabling environment for the development of trusted e-commerce services accessible to all, laying the groundwork for enhanced growth, competitiveness, and accessibility of services within the sector. The Three Pillars The strategy is structured around three main pillars: E-Commerce Infrastructure, E-Commerce Services, and E-Commerce Skills Development. Each pillar…

Zoho Invoice has announced integration with M-Pesa to offer a seamless way for businesses to simplify their payment processes. Before diving into the integration process, it’s essential to generate the necessary app credentials in Daraja 2.0, Safaricom’s Developers Portal. Here’s a quick overview: How to Set Up the M-PESA Integration in Zoho Invoice Once you have the required credentials, let’s proceed with the setup in Zoho Invoice: Receiving Payments from Customers Once the integration is complete, you can start receiving payments from customers seamlessly. Here’s how: Other Actions – Edit and Delete Integration Zoho Invoice offers flexibility with the ability…

Apollo Agriculture has announced a financial partnership with Swedfund and ImpactConnect. The injection of a combined $10 million in debt investment marks a pivotal moment for the agri-tech industry in Kenya and beyond, as Apollo Agriculture gears up for rapid expansion to drive increased profits, sustainable farming practices, and enhanced food security across the continent. Apollo Agriculture’s mission is to assist small-scale farmers in Africa in maximizing their profits and adopting sustainable agricultural practices. The injection of $10 million from Swedfund, the Swedish development finance institution, and ImpactConnect is set to accelerate the startup’s growth trajectory, At the heart of…

Village Capital has partnered with Standard Chartered Bank to launch a pioneering financing facility. The primary focus of this initiative is to invest in early-stage, impact-focused start-ups led by women founders, providing them with the much-needed catalytic capital to overcome the challenges they face in accessing investment and financing opportunities. The collaboration between Village Capital and Standard Chartered Bank aims to uplift women globally by driving more investment capital towards impact-driven women founders. “We’re extremely excited to partner with Standard Chartered Bank to support their vision to lift participation of women globally by driving more investment capital to impact-driven women…

Revolut has once again disrupted the financial landscape with the introduction of Mobile Wallets. This feature is set to redefine the remittance experience, providing a quick and seamless option for sending money abroad. For countries like Kenya, where mobile wallets play a pivotal role in daily transactions, this development holds the promise of simplifying cross-border financial transactions. Mobile Wallets from Revolut are designed to offer users a low-friction, intuitive process for international money transfers. This means that users can now send money abroad swiftly using recipient IDs such as names, phone numbers, or email addresses. This not only streamlines the…

OPPO has added yet another smartphone to its portfolio in kenya. This new series, the OPPO Reno 11, has been unveiled in Kenya today and will be available on pre-order through OPPO stores across the country and on e-commerce platforms from tomorrow (26th January 2023). The Phones will be available to purchase in retail stores from 1st February 2024 after the pre-order period. The recommended retail price is Ksh 67,999 for the Reno11 5G and Ksh 85,999 for the Reno11 Pro 5G. The OPPO Reno 11 series is made for photography enthusiasts thanks to its Ultra-Clear Portrait Camera System, spearheaded by…

AltSchool Africa, the Nigerian edtech startup founded in 2021, has announced its official entry to kenya. This will be its second country in East Africa after Rwanda. The startup provides a number of in-demand courses that seek to transition Africans into global tech roles. The Kenyan arm will be led by Tabitha Kayvu. According to its Co-founder and CEO, Adewale Yusuf, Kenya is its second biggest market just behind Nigeria. The high number of enrolments in kenya is what pushed the company to expand to the country. He did not share the specifics of each country but the company says…

Xiaomi Kenya is set to unveil the Redmi note 13 series in Kenya. The company has confirmed that it will be launching this phone next week on January 31, 2024. The confirmation statement from the company read, “Brace yourself for a groundbreaking moment as Xiaomi Kenya steals the spotlight on January 31, 2024, unveiling the much-anticipated and truly iconic Redmi Note 13 Series.” The Redmi Note 13 is the successor to the Redmi Note 12 that I reviewed last year. I did love this series as they did offer good value for money compared to what competitors had on the…