Author: Kaluka wanjala

Huawei Kenya welcomed 18 top-performing students from universities across the country to its offices this week, marking the start of an intensive training program in preparation for the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Final of the Huawei ICT Competition 2024-2025. The students, who triumphed in the national finals, will represent Kenya at the regional showdown set for late February 2025. The participants, drawn from Moi University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Machakos University, the University of Nairobi’s ICT Center, Africa Nazarene University, and Mount Kenya University, will undergo rigorous mentorship, hands-on workshops, and collaborative sessions led by Huawei experts.…

Verto has launched the Verto Global Business Award—a transformative initiative to recognize and accelerate the growth of early-stage startups. With a prize pool of up to USD 15,000, the award will spotlight the most promising sector-agnostic startups with global potential, equipping them with the resources needed to scale, and expand into new markets, while building international supplier connections. This initiative underscores Verto’s ongoing commitment to breaking down payment barriers and enabling seamless global trade. Starting on 06 February 2025, applications will open to early-stage startups, that have been operating for a maximum of two years in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya.…

Investing can be a big task. It can be complicated, from evaluating the options to finalizing the best one that suits your targets. Fortunately, millennials have begun to crack the code with a strategy. It is with the phased approach: “SIP First, SWP Later.” This method simplifies the investment journey by focusing on building wealth systematically through regular investments and then carefully managing the withdrawal process to ensure financial stability later. But how is this approach changing the game for a new generation of investors? Well, read this to find the answer. Understanding SIP First SWP Later Strategy The ‘SIP…

Safaricom has partnered with Opportunity International to launch an AI chatbot called FarmerAI. This chatbot is designed to offer real-time, relevant farming best practices to smallholder farmers in underserved communities. The initial pilot is currently running till August 2025 and seeks to enroll 800 to 1,000 farmers across Kenya by the end of the year. FarmerAI used both generative AI and localized agricultural insights to deliver vital information on topics such as weather patterns, fertilizer application, pest management and market prices. FarmerAI will go directly to farmers through channels like SMS and WhatsApp, unlike other solutions that rely on their…

Samsung has opened a new Samsung Experience Store (SES) at Rupa Mall, Eldoret. The new SES at Rupa Mall is designed to provide customers with an immersive experience, allowing them to interact with Samsung’s cutting-edge products, including smartphones, wearables, tablets and mobile accessories. This initiative is part of Samsung Electronics East Africa’s larger strategy to offer consumers hands-on access to its latest innovations while demonstrating how seamlessly its ecosystem works together to enhance everyday life. “With this launch, we are reaffirming our dedication to bringing world-class technology closer to our customers across East Africa,” said Anthony Hutia, Head of Mobile Experience, Samsung…

NCBA has published its first Sustainable Development Impact Disclosure report, a new approach to sustainability reporting under the Impact Disclosure Guidance released late last year.  The publication of the report makes NCBA the first African financial institution to use the new guidelines released by the Impact Disclosure Taskforce in October 2024. The report was developed with the support of investment banks J.P Morgan and Blaylock Van. NCBA has published the report as a member of the Impact Disclosure Taskforce, a network of financial institutions and capital markets participants that aims to assist entities in their journey to produce an impact…

Connectivity and automation have undeniably revolutionised the manufacturing sector, boosting efficiency and productivity. However, they have also introduced significant vulnerabilities, leaving the industry increasingly exposed to cybersecurity threats. In fact, recent insights from Datacentrix partner,Check Point revealed that manufacturing emerged as the most impacted by cyberattacks in the third quarter of 2024, with the sector experiencing 30 percent of all reported ransomware attacks globally over the period. Another concerning statistic was the fact that – at a regional level – Africa bore the brunt of cyber threats over the timespan, with local organisations facing an average of 3,370 attacks per week…

TapSwap Exchange has officially launched its full web platform after testing a limited version from mid-2023 to mid-2024. With tens of thousands of early adopters validating the strong demand for an accessible and localized crypto exchange, TapSwap Exchange is now poised to transform the way Africans interact with the global financial system. The platform currently supports over 20 cryptocurrencies, enabling users to buy, sell, swap, send and receive crypto seamlessly. In a bold step toward enhancing financial accessibility, TapSwap Exchange is making it easier for users to buy and sell cryptocurrency this quarter. Soon, users will be able to buy…

Raxio Group has revealed that its 1.5MW data centre in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has successfully achieved the Tier Certification of Constructed Facility (TCCF) from Uptime Institute. To achieve this Tier III certification, Radio had to go through a 4-day on-site evaluation that Uptime Institute engineers conducted. Every aspect of the facility’s design and construction was thoroughly tested, inspected, and verified to ensure full compliance with Tier III standards. Successfully passing every test validates that the facility has been built entirely following the approved design documents, underscoring Raxio’s technical expertise and unwavering dedication to quality. “Achieving the TCCF…

Egypt-based VC firm, Foundation Ventures, has closed a $25 million fund, ‘FVFII.’ A portion of the capital will be allocated to investing in promising African startups. The fund has attracted investors such as the Egyptian American Enterprise Fund (EAEF), the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), and Onsi Sawiris. “Egypt boasts one of the region’s most talented tech pools and one of the largest economies in the Middle East and Africa. The devalued currency offers startups a rare chance to harness superior tech talent and use Egypt as a cost-efficient testbed,” said Mazen Nadim, Managing Partner at Foundation…