Author: Kaluka wanjala

M-KOPA has announced the appointment of Rajeev Suri as Chairperson of its Board, effective 1st December 2024.  Suri is a recognised leader in technology and telecommunications, with deep experience leading companies across the globe. Having served as CEO of Nokia as well as Inmarsat, and now also serving as chairperson of Digicel and board director at Singtel, his executive and board level expertise will help M-KOPA as it continues to innovate and expand its reach across markets. M-KOPA provides financed smartphones to underbanked every day earners and builds an ongoing financial relationship through its AI credit analytics and smartphone app.…

Safaricom has today announced the expansion of its International Money Transfer (IMT) to Ethiopia. With this, M-Pesa customers in Kenya will now be able to send money to Ethiopia through M-PESA Global. Customers in both countries will only require their M-PESA wallets. Safaricom says this move seeks to increase mobile money use and penetration across Ethiopia. Safaricom was granted the license to roll out M-Pesa in Ethiopia back in May 2023. Uptake was quick reaching over 3 million M-Pesa users out of over 5 million total subscribers. Ethiopia still has a long way to go as reliance on cash is…

XA Network has announced its expansion into Africa with the launch of XA Africa. The move underscores the network’s vision and commitment to fostering innovation and supporting promising startups globally. XA Africa is founded by a trio of experienced tech professionals: “Founders of technology startups in Africa are uniquely placed to solve some of Africa’s most profound challenges and unlock its greatest opportunities. We see the foray of XA Network into Africa as a natural progression, allowing us to connect amazing founders to experienced and expert operators from the tech industry”, says Nitin Gajria, Co-Founder of XA Africa. XA Africa…

Safaricom recently introduced M-Pesa Ratiba to allow M-Pesa registered customers to set up recurring payments from their M-Pesa accounts to other M-Pesa accounts or to a Lipa na M-Pesa shortcode. Think of this like a standing order that you can set up on your bank account for recurring monthly payments. With Ratiba, you can automate regular payments including rent, utility bills and school fees through Lipa na M-Pesa payments to M-Pesa Buy Goods, Business tills, and Paybills. With automated payment, you will no longer miss crucial payments. Offers There are two main types on M-Pesa Ratiba: How M-Pesa Ratiba Works…

Huawei Kenya has kicked off the registration for the 2024-2025 ICT Competition in collaboration with leading universities and TVET institutions in Kenya. This annual competition is part of Huawei’s ongoing commitment to nurture digital talent and enhance ICT skills among the youth, aligning with Kenya’s digital transformation agenda. The Huawei ICT Competition is designed to offer a platform for students to demonstrate their knowledge in key ICT areas such as networking, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, and cybersecurity. The competition gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, access training resources, and network with industry professionals, ultimately contributing to the development…

Vertiv is pleased to share its expertise in a series of webinars relating to and addressing the unique IT challenges that span the data centre and industrial IT arenas across the continent. The ‘Africa Technology Update’ webinar series aims to educate all participants with professional interests in data centres, energy issues, and industrial IT, among other subjects. The webinar series will provide deep dives into the latest and most innovative solutions to date and prepare the participants for the distinct progress and changing African landscape in the next few years. Jonathan Duncan, Vertiv technical director for Africa, notes, “Issues around energy…

Jiji has been named the 2024 Best E-commerce platform of the year. They received the prestigious award in the “Business of the Year: Creating an Impact Online” category at the esteemed Digitally Fit Awards ceremony. The event was held at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi.  Director of Operations at Jiji, Yuliy Shenfeld, expressed gratitude for the award. He said, “Innovation fundamentally drives the e-commerce industry. We’re truly grateful to have the trust and support of our customers. They’ve been instrumental in our success. We’re committed to empowering them to buy and sell online with ease. It’s a true honour to be…

Standard Chartered Kenya in collaboration with @iBizAfrica – Strathmore University, on Tuesday 8th October 2024, awarded Ksh 8.75 Million to seven women-led startups in the sustainability sector as part of the seventh cohort of the Women in Tech Incubation Program. The award ceremony, themed ‘Empowering Women for a Sustainable Future,’ was presided over by Standard Chartered Bank CEO and Managing Director, Kenya & Africa, Mr. Kariuki Ngari, Standard Chartered Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing, Kenya & Africa, Ms. Joyce Kibe, Strathmore University Vice Chancellor, Dr. Vincent Ogutu, and @iBizAfrica-Strathmore University Director, Dr. Joseph Sevilla. “We are immensely proud…

Visa has announced the launch of the Visa Airport Companion (VAC) app. This is a premier digital solution made to enhance airport lounge access for eligible Visa cardholders. This has been developed in partnership with DragonPass, a leading global travel and lifestyle service platform. This new app will replace the existing lounge access program. Some of the benefits of the Visa airport companion app include access to more than 1,200 lounges across more than 140 countries for eligible cardholders. It provides detailed information regarding participating lounge locations, real-time eligibility checks, and tracks the number of visits redeemed versus remaining eligibility…

Yesterday, Visa announced the launch of the Visa Tokenized Asset Platform (VTAP). According to the company, this new platform allows banks and financial institutions to integrate blockchain technology by issuing and managing fiat-backed tokens. This helps bridge the gap between traditional currencies and blockchain networks. What is VTAP? VTAP is a B2B solution made for financial institutions. It helps the financial institutions mint, burn and transfer fiat-backed tokens such as tokenized deposits and stablecoins. “Visa has been at the forefront of digital payments for nearly sixty years, and with the introduction of VTAP, we are once again setting the pace…