Author: Kaluka wanjala

The European Investment Bank (EIB Global) and KCB Bank Kenya have today announced a €230 million (KShs. 32 billion) partnership to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), youth and women in Kenya. €115 million will be a credit line from EIB Global to KCB, matched by €115 million from KCB’s own funds. Through the ‘Investing in Young Businesses in Africa’ (IYBA) initiative, a total of €30 million (KShs. 4.1 billion) will go to women-led/owned microenterprises. The package will also see €100 million (KShs.14 billion) dedicated towards working capital and new investments of small and medium enterprises specifically targeting businesses owned…

Binance has announced that users in Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Togo and Senegal can purchase crypto directly through mobile money payments enabled through local partnerships. This comes a few weeks after Binance announced that users in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia can now buy and sell crypto assets using mobile money. This new functionality further strengthens Binance’s commitment to providing simple and secure access to cryptocurrency for users across the continent, reinforcing the platform’s vision of financial inclusion. Samantha Fuller, Spokeswoman for Binance says “We remain focused on advancing financial inclusion and delivering user-friendly solutions for…

Ampersand has opened a new manufacturing facility in Nairobi for its electric motorcycles. The company says with the opening of this new facility, it will triple its production capacity in the country. Josh Whale, CEO, Ampersand, said, “Our new Nairobi factory is a major step forward in both scale and impact. It reflects our dedication to providing sustainable, affordable EV solutions that directly benefit riders and the environment. With this expanded capacity, we’re in a stronger position to support the electrification of Africa’s commercial motorcycle transport and to scale Ampersand’s proven business model.” This facility will help Ampersand meet the…

Yellow Card has closed a $33 million Series C equity financing round led by Blockchain Capital, with participation from Polychain Capital, Third Prime Ventures, Castle Island Ventures, Block, Inc., Galaxy Ventures, Blockchain Coinvestors, Hutt Capital, and Winklevoss Capital.  This financing marks a significant milestone for the company and the African FinTech industry as a whole, as it validates the vision and progress for stablecoins on the continent and practical applications for the technology worldwide. “This fundraise not only demonstrates our resilience, but also highlights the vital role of digital assets for businesses across Africa,” said Chris Maurice, CEO and co-founder…

Google has started rolling out Android 15 to some of its own Pixel phones. The devices getting this update include the Pixel 6 series and newer according to Google. Google has also shared some of the key features that it is introducing with this new Android update. Here is the detailed look at all the Pixel devices scheduled to get Android 15. What is New With Android 15 These are just some of the handful of new updates, you can learn more on Google’s own blog. Read: These are the Samsung Smartphones Scheduled to Get Android 15 Update

Red Hat has announced a collaboration with Lenovo to deliver Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI) on Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675 V3 servers. With this collaboration, RHEL AI is validated to support SR675 V3 servers and will be factory pre-loaded for customers to more easily develop, test and run artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (gen AI) models on a trusted foundation model platform, built on an AI-optimised operating system.  While gen AI poses a significant opportunity for organisations to speed up innovation, AI workloads require a combination of high performance servers and flexible software that can support these intensive…

 Vertiv and the Kenyan National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), recently deployed a new integrated modular data centre infrastructure solution to boost data centre performance and service delivery. As part of its digital transformation strategy, the NTSA embarked on the modernisation of its Transport Integrated Management System (TIMS) to allow citizens to experience maximum service efficiencies when registering their motor vehicles, and to promote a positive economic impact within the country. Kenya established the NTSA in 2012 to manage vehicle growth within the country as well as the safety of drivers and pedestrians. The NTSA was later boosted with the addition…

Safaricom’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), George Njuguna, is set to exit the telco. He will be replaced by James Maitai from 1st November 2024. George Njuguna joined Safaricom back in 2019 and the Director IT and has been key in digitizing the telcos operations. He has also been influential in the roll out of Safaricom’s telco to Techco strategy growing talent in the technology team fourfold to over 800. A statement by Safaricom’s CEO, Peter Ndegwa, that we have seen says George has taken the decision to pursue other interests outside Safaricom. “I wish to thank him for his contribution…

If you own a Samsung smartphone, we have a list of the devices that will get Android 15 when it is available. Samsung is one of the manufacturers that supports a wide range of devices with the latest software updates when they are available. Samsung is known for its remarkable 7 years of software updates for its current flagship, the Galaxy S24. For some of its entry level devices like the Galaxy A16 5G, the company promises up to 6 years of software updates. Samsung is yet to release One UI 7 interface which will be based on Android 15.…

Earlier this month, Spotify launched Offline Backup for those who want to listen to music offline without any downloads. The music streaming giant says it is targeting those who want to save in data while still listening to the music or anyone who may find themselves in an area with no internet such as on a plane. This can also be appealing to those who have limited data but may access unlimited data during the day. This feature is only available to Spotify Premium users. How Spotify Offline Backup Works Spotify Offline Backup works by taking your queued and recently…