Think About The Digital Tomorrow, Today

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmMWWGGwTpwHv0EsGssX2NF1x75iWdrsFc1JttTlrXPioWBanWkEC9V4FRnwWNX_QV5kANfVR5XWej_4NNnO0QmOpxZri-nDFwzhsYyCSiZG6EaebG0An6ut-Deyp4SuPy-eSH3yS9Jha/s1600/SAP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmMWWGGwTpwHv0EsGssX2NF1x75iWdrsFc1JttTlrXPioWBanWkEC9V4FRnwWNX_QV5kANfVR5XWej_4NNnO0QmOpxZri-nDFwzhsYyCSiZG6EaebG0An6ut-Deyp4SuPy-eSH3yS9Jha/s400/SAP.jpg" width="257" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">By Ashley Boag, Acting Managing Director of SAP East Africa <br /> 'Disruption' is a word one hears in the business context all the time these days. Being told that your business is in danger from unseen and unpredictable forces is not comforting.<br /><br />The truth is that potential of something coming along and hurting or disrupting your business has always been a reality. If you were a small retailer, the equivalent of a grocery Uber is not as worrying as a serious competitor opening its doors down the road from you. The local market might shift to new demographics, customers may relocate en masse for reasons beyond your control and a commodity crisis or natural disaster could quickly raise the cost of your staple products, thinning your margins to losses. I don't need to tell business owners about disruption; they recognise it all too well.<br /><br />Yet there is reason to focus on disruption: we are currently experiencing a technology revolution that is rewriting all the rules and doing so fast. In the past 15 years Kenya's internet penetration has grown from less than one percent to over 70 percent. Uganda has passed the 50 percent mark for mobile user numbers and ICT is already nearly 10 percent of its GDP. Tanzania is fast growing its digital citizenry since introducing 3G, LTE and Voice-over-IP technologies.<br /><br />These are great numbers, but they also signify the challenge modern companies face: we are all reliant on technology, from the humble phone and email interaction to customer-facing websites and customer relationship management systems. No enterprise leaves home without its enterprise resource planning tools (ERP) in tow - in fact, home is where the ERP is- and even that trusty system saves many executives from many sleepless nights. Having said this we now need more than ERP to clear a strategic path to growth and success in this highly complex world, we now need agility, deep insight (from structured & unstructured sources) and then to become innovative to find new paths.<br /><br />Trends like this are growing. If you haven't paid attention yet to the piles of documentation and mountains of data your business is collecting, you should. It's not just about staying ahead and keeping up with audits. It's about the future.<br /><br />Data is a common example. Businesses don't like uncertainty, which is why the unknown unknowns are so bothersome. But every aspect of your enterprise - equipment, staff, customers, markets, competitors, trends, suppliers, stock, etc. - generates data and often hides terrific insights. The question that every forward-looking executive should be asking him/herself is: do I have a plan to transform my business and effectively harness that data? This should be top of mind. Most companies are okay at understanding historical structured data to glean insights as to where they may have gone wrong but very few harness real-time insights and are using these to hone daily activities and eek out more immediate advantages. It need not be said that even fewer are yet immersed in predictive analytics with a deep understanding of both their structured data and customer behaviours but also all the unstructured data that now with the relevant technology you can blend to create more comprehensive insights and far more accurate predictions and simulations.<br /><br />Other questions that one should be asking oneself include: How are mobile devices changing the habits of my customers and supply chain partners? How might technology help a competitor undercut me? How can automation create efficiencies and free up resources? And, is my business the lean and mean machine it ought to be? Surely if we have such high mobile penetration and social media usage customers will expect the same ease of experience and type of interaction from you as your customer.<br /><br />The reality is these and many more challenges make one realise that we need to be ready to benefit from rather than be a slave to the trends that are inevitable. More importantly as this is an ever changing world we need to ask how whatever we do will fit into the longer term perspective and ensure its relevance in the longer term in terms of future-proofing your business yet providing sufficient flexibility to quickly adapt to new trends.<br /><br /><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001UpIIqN0KWCOUzVytXGbvvSTyN1H-P3nyKS2nST_TSuimsgKczRL-NJuTheqGxG0x1AkRmvlQnz3CR0sUlVMlUeeQNIvTl8b4tVt0LOMKbXoefKBYxtcqOG2tMWhcTH_5BlWu1ACgoytKtH06CeX6T4KWlC6swq6ckcUrOO5XDTuuVBFfhoKcc2cbd-zlTDkQZqT_9dygOULZeNiljWVexMvlmJD8bKEK&c=0d5kdxf-RZwIEPSvFY6nrQREwyzN5JUmZAk3-dNZQWRfs0FfmR9WYw==&ch=1eslEpl4Y9N3_18SIUW114_P8s957nBxSyrEl6SGVRRgDlfOxfGXHQ==">SAP HANA</a> is the in-memory technology platform that can position your business for a successful, sustainable future and with over 40 years of industry experience, SAP caters to the nuances of 26 sectors. Not only does this provide a platform for the future but it ensures you can understand your business in real-time today and help build the basis of predictions for the future. The limitations now become only how creative you can be in embracing technology and combining information in new ways to optimise and adapt your business.<br /><br />This is a great time to be in business as the world of transformative technology is truly your oyster. The real work is up to business owners: they need to ask themselves whether they are having the right kinds of discussions around the boardroom table? A vision and a concrete plan to enable that technology-powered future is no longer a nice-to-have, but a must.<br /><br />Harnessing the power of Cloud or operating On-Premise, no matter the size of your business, SAP uniquely helps create that roadmap in partnership with you.<br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of SAP Africa.</span></div> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>

Think About The Digital Tomorrow, Today

By Ashley Boag, Acting Managing Director of SAP East Africa 'Disruption' is a word one hears in the business context all the ti...

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Mundipharma becomes the 'Official Healthcare Product Partner of Manchester City Football Club'

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpYjOQMAlerCNvOjzyg3KJWhSyb94yfzx-o8v4Y7IZDYa0qQKcZxIBHNZDWIqiFslDVf_pxNJswmIBA6IhPmJLw1dFMjvf-SpCp77jR9PqtaesDkl7QtxM9tDXcNn5IHjV-8i_knM2ybHe/s1600/mpira.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpYjOQMAlerCNvOjzyg3KJWhSyb94yfzx-o8v4Y7IZDYa0qQKcZxIBHNZDWIqiFslDVf_pxNJswmIBA6IhPmJLw1dFMjvf-SpCp77jR9PqtaesDkl7QtxM9tDXcNn5IHjV-8i_knM2ybHe/s400/mpira.png" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Premier League club Manchester City have signed healthcare and pharmaceutical business Mundipharma as one of their most recent regional partners.<br /><br />The multi-year deal sees Mundipharma Pte Ltd named the 'Official Healthcare Product Partner of Manchester City Football Club' in Mundipharma's markets in Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. It reflects both partners' commitment to deepening the connection they have with their fans and people in those emerging markets. <br /><br />Under the partnership, Mundipharma will be incorporating Manchester City branding in a selection of their marketing and advertising campaigns and the logo of its popular range of BETADINE medicines will feature on the sleeve of the Club's medical staff at friendly matches in Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.<br /><br />As the partnership progresses, Mundipharma will also collaborate with the Club to offer young fans the opportunity to travel to Manchester for an unforgettable football experience at the Club's elite youth development and training facility, the City Football Academy. On the trip, young fans will enjoy training sessions delivered by qualified City Football Schools' coaches dedicated to providing participants with an authentic Manchester City experience.<br /><br />Speaking as the partnership was announced at the City Football Academy, Manchester City's elite youth development and training facility, Raman Singh, President, Mundipharma, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, said:<br /><br />"We are proud to become an Official Healthcare Product Partner of Manchester City Football Club. Manchester City are one of the world's best football teams and are known all over the world. Sports reaches and inspires people around the world. We intend to harness this power to raise awareness on key health issues such as preventing the spread of infectious diseases, which is a major focus for us in emerging markets where there have been a number of recent outbreaks. <br /><br />Echoing Mr Singh's sentiments, Manchester City's Chief Operating Officer, Omar Berrada, said:<br /><br />"We are delighted to announce our partnership with Mundipharma, who like Manchester City continually strive for excellence. Their commitment to connecting with their in-market consumers in innovative and meaningful ways reflects that of Manchester City making them a fitting partner for the Club. We look forward to working together across emerging markets, where our fanbase also continues to grow." <br /><br />Manchester City, who have 400 million followers around the world, are currently enjoying a successful start to the season, under the guidance of manager Pep Guardiola. <br /><br />Mundipharma's emerging markets business has grown significantly in recent years and its medicines are distributed in more than 120 countries worldwide.<br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Mundipharma.</span></div> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>

Mundipharma becomes the 'Official Healthcare Product Partner of Manchester City Football Club'

Premier League club Manchester City have signed healthcare and pharmaceutical business Mundipharma as one of their most recent regional ...

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World Bank Group President makes strong economic case for Investing in the Early Years

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGaPJ8cYHEFtuvxcYtwjD7j2cF1KZbJwO3LKi325jnjDl_LD5Zr3lTbqWIW1WxxjoLaqN_aIPA9Zu-BxMn3ghtUZqmyyZgQgJKHGe7fNrKEzcqnmdknkDGGgAiuRI1DAu9j5u1_Kgfd_C/s1600/bank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGaPJ8cYHEFtuvxcYtwjD7j2cF1KZbJwO3LKi325jnjDl_LD5Zr3lTbqWIW1WxxjoLaqN_aIPA9Zu-BxMn3ghtUZqmyyZgQgJKHGe7fNrKEzcqnmdknkDGGgAiuRI1DAu9j5u1_Kgfd_C/s400/bank.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: large;">At a groundbreaking summit at the World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings, nine countries today pledged to make a range of major investments designed to dramatically reduce childhood stunting and equip tens of millions of young children with the abilities they need to succeed in a fast changing world. Today’s commitments are expected to help create future economic growth by preparing people – in the early years -- for the jobs of the future. </span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />“Poor nutrition, few opportunities for early learning and stimulation, and toxic environments literally hardwire young children to miss out on opportunities to learn and later to earn good wages,” said Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group. “But when Heads of Government and Ministers of Finance commit to fight stunted development and nurture the power of children’s brains, we can avert future crises where people and economies will not reach their full potential.” <br /><br />Speaking for a country where 47 percent of children under age five are stunted from chronic malnutrition, H.E. Jimmy Morales, President of Guatemala said: “If our children are not healthy and well nourished, they will not be able to go to school and they will not be able to learn well; as adults they will not be able to find good jobs with good earnings so we will not have a productive, safe and secure society. This is why for me, for my government and for my country, the reduction of stunting by 10 percent during my period is the most important priority.” <br /><br />Côte d’Ivoire’s Prime Minister HE Daniel Kablan Duncan said: “Côte d’Ivoire hopes to achieve dynamic economic, social and cultural growth. This development cannot be achieved without the development of human capital, the first wealth of any nation. This national consciousness has revealed the need to make early childhood a priority in order to make growth more and more inclusive and achieve shared prosperity.” <br /><br />Worldwide, 156 million children under age five suffer from chronic malnutrition, only half of all three- to six-year-olds have access to preschool, and children from the wealthiest families hear as many as 30 million more words by age three than those from the poorest families. Also, according to a recent report by UNICEF, the number of child refugees has risen 77 percent in 5 years. Further, a Lancet report released yesterday noted that in Sub-Saharan Africa, 66% of children are estimated to be at risk of poor development due to stunting and poverty, while the share is 65% in South Asia. <br /><br />The situation grows critical as an increasingly digital global economy places a large premium on the ability to reason, learn, communicate and collaborate. However, new evidence shows that brain development during a brief window of opportunity in early life has a profound impact on these abilities both for people and economies. The World Bank Group estimates that countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia would have 9 and 10 percent greater GDP per capita today had they eliminated stunting when today’s workers were children. <br /><br />Recognizing that nutrition, stimulation, and safe environments for young children have a direct bearing on learning, health, behavior, incomes, and national economic development, the Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire, and Finance Ministers of Cameroon, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Madagascar, Pakistan, Senegal, and Tanzania pledged strong action at home on a number of fronts to put tens of millions of children on the right track. <br /><br />FROM COUNTRY STATEMENTS: <br /><br />Cameroon: The Government of Cameroon has been firmly committed to investing in early childhood in Cameroon, with a view to continuing its rapid economic and social development. We intend to reduce the chronic malnutrition rate among under-fives from 32% to 25% by 2019. To achieve these outcomes, we will continue to pursue a multisectoral approach that creates synergies among our education, health, and safety nets programs focusing in particular on the northern and eastern regions of the country. <br /><br />Cote d’Ivoire: In May 2016 we launched the National Multisector Plan for Nutrition which will mobilize $470 million to scale up investments in nutrition, of which the Government of Cote d’Ivoire is funding US$70 million. Leaders must guarantee universal access to essential services for the development of young children. <br /><br />Ethiopia: IDA has been a key supporter and partner in our efforts to address the challenges we face in our early years agenda. We are moving forward with an additional US$150 million for a health project which includes a strong nutrition component. We are also requesting US$900 million in additional resources to support the early years agenda in education and social protection. We will complement these national efforts with US$600 million for decentralized services to support local health, education, and agriculture services. <br /><br />Indonesia: Indonesia has a number of efforts to improve results for the early years, including a conditional cash transfer program to incentivize behavior change and promote child development; and an earmarked fund to support early childhood education. Indonesia will also improve institutional effectiveness through harmonized policies and better coordination among different government institutions and civil society. <br /><br />Madagascar: We have accorded priority to the social sectors, focusing specifically on actions that will improve conditions for mothers and children. The Ministry of Education is preparing a new education sector strategy that includes preschool education. We are piloting several types of interventions aimed at reducing chronic malnutrition and our social protection policy includes conditional cash transfers designed to encourage children to attend school and mothers to participate in stimulation activities for young children. <br /><br />Pakistan: Pakistan plans to strengthen political leadership and institutional arrangements, and implement priority early childhood interventions through multiple key sectors at large scale. We plan to aim for innovation and partnerships with private sector using public financing and to commit increased funding from the Government. <br /><br />Tanzania: The Tanzania Social Action Fund provides conditional cash transfers to the poorest 15% of households, to promote prenatal care and pre-primary school enrollment. We are also using results-based financing to improve nutrition outcomes, as well as innovative financing initiatives which leverage the private sector, including the Power of Nutrition. <br /><br />Senegal: Investing in early childhood in Senegal will generate returns through increased internal and external efficiency in education, enhanced productivity, the country’s human resources, employability, and increased revenues in the long term, thus resulting in higher, more sustainable, and more inclusive economic growth. <br /><br />The World Bank Group stands ready to support these countries as they invest in nourishing, stimulating, and protecting their greatest resource. A growing network of committed partners include the Global Financing Facility for Every Woman, Every Child; Power of Nutrition, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement, and the Early Childhood Development Action Network which was launched in April 2016 by the WBG and UNICEF. <br /><br />* The World Bank’s International Development Association, established in 1960, supports the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 77 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change for 2.8 billion people living on less than $2 a day. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 112 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $18 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent going to Africa. </span></div> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>

World Bank Group President makes strong economic case for Investing in the Early Years

At a groundbreaking summit at the World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings, nine countries today pledged to make a range of major investments...

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The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) announces Financing of 21 Renewable Energy Projects

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSIwOQnAb3kFnvXnVy04Gh7EDhaZooRXeuJAQTaADt6PKzgBxYPlFDt20ePDxPImitDKkDjWe16BleoqCgRmVSoRDeCRSZ1cPPDSHyOEkb7Ws52_mkKLQcHG6uajy0Nfa2D2EN3qBAa3q/s1600/ABSA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSIwOQnAb3kFnvXnVy04Gh7EDhaZooRXeuJAQTaADt6PKzgBxYPlFDt20ePDxPImitDKkDjWe16BleoqCgRmVSoRDeCRSZ1cPPDSHyOEkb7Ws52_mkKLQcHG6uajy0Nfa2D2EN3qBAa3q/s400/ABSA.jpg" width="307" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The Development Bank of Southern <a href="http://www.dbsa.org/">Africa</a> (DBSA) has financed 21 renewable energy projects since the launch of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPP). This was revealed today at the annual SA Gas Options conference in Cape Town and follows the announcement of South Africa’s Gas to Power Project Information Memorandum (PIM). Ms Lucy Chege, General Manager for Energy Financing at the DBSA, said “The DBSA’s achievements in the renewable energy space confirms our role as an instrumental partner in developing integrated solutions for and on behalf of the Department of Energy’s IPP office and National Treasury.” <br /><br />This announcement comes two weeks after the release of the DBSA’s financial results which revealed that the bank had delivered a net profit of R2.6bn and sustainable earnings of R1.4bn in the 2015/2016 financial year. In this 12 month period ending March 2016, the DBSA delivered R28bn across the total infrastructure value chain, with development assets now standing at R77bn and total assets at R82bn. <br /><br />To date, the DBSA has contributed to 2512 megawatts of power being installed on the national grid through the funding of 21 projects across South Africa. This has significantly addressed the energy crisis challenges across South Africa and the region. Approximately R14.9bn of commitments have been made by the DBSA to support government programmes in the energy space. Some of the successes include the construction of two IPP Peaking power plants in South Africa - Avon 670MW and Dedisa 335 MW.<br /><br />The 21 projects funded by the DBSA with a total capacity of 2512MW are part of SA’s REIPP Programme and the Department of Energy’s s Peakers IPP Programme. All projects are currently operational and delivery power to the national grid. These projects include 5 Commercial Solar Panels, 9 Solar PV’s and 5 wind projects.<br /><br />Approximately R2, 167 billion has been provided to enable the participation by BBBEEE players and local community trusts in various energy projects. Funding has been provided in the form of senior debt, mezzanine debt and BEE funding.<br /><br />The bank has also financed numerous gas fired plants and infrastructure throughout the continent as part of regional integration efforts to address the power crisis. Regional projects include Cenpower, Ghana powership and funded the Bulk Oil Storage Terminal of Ghana.<br /><br /> “The energy portfolio accounts for the banks largest exposure and this signals our commitment to working with all partners and promoting the DBSA’s regional integration and infrastructure programme, says Ms. Chege. <br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). </span></div> </div>

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) announces Financing of 21 Renewable Energy Projects

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has financed 21 renewable energy projects since the launch of the Renewable Energy Indep...

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There are 1.4bn smokers on the planet today and 1.4bn deemed overweight

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYClnKiNWDEOt2_8JX74TXuN7lDF5k0WIAGGhhBPI_hE4WIdEESnprajFF9hKn3_CqgD9BWSzDHpdqjK_vb5sxeDpseI3l9SPpe0oegIT8SWe_c0Kca9BPMiBc_WBrjPsX_Sf184XJvBVL/s1600/Cameroon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYClnKiNWDEOt2_8JX74TXuN7lDF5k0WIAGGhhBPI_hE4WIdEESnprajFF9hKn3_CqgD9BWSzDHpdqjK_vb5sxeDpseI3l9SPpe0oegIT8SWe_c0Kca9BPMiBc_WBrjPsX_Sf184XJvBVL/s400/Cameroon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: large;">Scientists, healthcare providers, policymakers and private sector companies met in Dubai for the first ever Middle East and Africa (MEA) Health Forum on 'Harm Reduction for Healthier Societies'. With a focus on obesity and tobacco, participants at the inaugural forum considered some of the major developments and transformative innovations being adopted to help build healthier societies in these regions. </span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />Panelists and speakers discussed how potentially preventable risk factors such as poor diets, high blood pressure, high body mass index (an indicator of obesity and being overweight), and smoking are contributing to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in the MEA region. There are 1.4bn smokers on the planet today and 1.4bn deemed overweight. These numbers are of crisis proportions. As these non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are looming as the greater threat, forum attendees recommended that existing public health policies and strategies be revisited in order to allow the formulation of new, evidence-based measures for harm reduction. They held that such measures including smarter policies based on ongoing robust scientific research. <br /><br />Dr Nasim Ashraf, CEO of the DNA HealthCorp, noted that for the first time in the history of humanity, the new generation of children, the millennials, will be worse off economically and also from a health perspective. And for this to change the whole system needs to change, which is too often skewed towards treatment rather than prevention. <br /><br />In the final remarks summarising proceedings from the discussions there was a consensus that harm reduction should be part of any effective public health strategy in national efforts to lower the health burden associated with smoking and the overconsumption of sugar, saying that these two health issues are widely acknowledged as a leading cause of NCDs. <br /><br />Novel products such as vaping, for example, were 95% less toxic than traditional cigarettes and could simply not be discarded in policy formulation. At the same time, obesity should not be looked at in isolation. Sleep deprivation for example is a contributing factor to an unhealthier lifestyle. <br /><br />Too often policy makers, scientists and industry are working in isolation when they needed to collaborate and engage more closely to develop better solutions.            <br /><br />In its summary the forum called for more alternatives and innovative solutions, including the establishment of an independent research fund or institution to research, evaluate and develop solutions in the area of tobacco. <br /><br />On sugar harm reduction, the Forum noted a consensus that sugar in itself is not harmful when consumed in appropriate quantities. However, the Forum called for the establishment of mechanisms to identify instruments and published studies on health risks associated with the use of sugar in all its forms, broader public health awareness programmes on this issue and smarter regulation when it comes to acceptable sugar levels in consumer products. <br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of IC Publications.</span></div> </div>

There are 1.4bn smokers on the planet today and 1.4bn deemed overweight

Scientists, healthcare providers, policymakers and private sector companies met in Dubai for the first ever Middle East and Africa (MEA) ...

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Ecobank renews Partnership with the Global Fund

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBJXQLlZxkB9u2Lm4A3su-JHK9IHZnrK90QRhSfdEk5W70EBqcopyLl6QMm_iWY-ucR_BpoPTR1sRO8CsJSBGhZk_dXFKSCOTPWRgVh9Q2aviM5NM1Yu6_So3Hl1X6J8CBPt-2ub49aUh/s1600/bank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBJXQLlZxkB9u2Lm4A3su-JHK9IHZnrK90QRhSfdEk5W70EBqcopyLl6QMm_iWY-ucR_BpoPTR1sRO8CsJSBGhZk_dXFKSCOTPWRgVh9Q2aviM5NM1Yu6_So3Hl1X6J8CBPt-2ub49aUh/s400/bank.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.ecobank.com/">Ecobank</a> Transnational Incorporated, the leading Pan-African financial institution, through its Foundation, has renewed its partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for a further three years. The relationship between the two organisations began in 2011,and the new agreement formalises Ecobank’s support for the Global Fund’s work in Africa. 
<br /><br />A selected high-level audience composed of business leaders and development experts were present at the signing ceremony on September 16 2016, in Montreal, Canada. The event, ‘Changing Africa: Enabling growth through the private sector’, led by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ecobank Foundation, Ms. Julie Essiam, took place on the side-lines of the Global Fund’s Fifth Replenishment Conference. According to the terms of the agreement, Ecobank Foundation will work with the Global Fund to build the partnership into an engagement and advocacy platform for organisations and individuals who share a vision of accelerating the transformation of Africa.<br /><br />Ade Ayeyemi, Ecobank Group Chief Executive Officer, pledged USD3 million at the Global Fund's Fifth Replenishment Conference in Montreal. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosted the event attended by Heads of State, government officials and hundreds of private sector and development leaders from across the globe. The Fifth Replenishment raised USD 12.9 billion with a goal of saving 8 more million lives.<br /><br />Mr. Ayeyemi said, “Our job as bankers is to build the technical infrastructure that brings tens of millions more Africans into a more formal financial system. Ecobank’s founding fathers established a Pan-African bank to support Africa’s transformation. We are pleased to renew our productive partnership with the Global Fund. I am confident that we are a step closer to enabling prosperity across Africa.”<br /><br />Through its Foundation, Ecobank will continue to take a prominent role with the Global Fund To Fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on the African continent.<br /><br />Julie Essiam, Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank Foundation signed the agreement with Mark Dybul, Executive Director, Global Fund. She said, “The Ecobank Foundation is pleased to be part of a historic moment with the Global Fund and what we are trying to do in Africa, which is to create a “thriving Africa”, and a prosperous continent. It is important for the private sector to collaborate to ensure that we use our platforms to unlock funds which will deliver sustainable progress and prosperity to Africa.”<br /><br />Programmes supported by the Global Fund partnership have put 9.2 million people on antiretroviral treatment for HIV, provided 15.1 million people with TB treatment and distributed 659 million mosquito nets to protect families from malaria.<br /><br />Mark Dybul, Executive Director, Global Fund said, “We are excited about the Ecobank partnership, which improves the impact of our grants in numerous ways. When you workto advance financial management, all the way down to sub-recipients in rural areas, that’s hugely important for development.”<br /><br />The Global Fund is an organization designed to accelerate the end of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria as epidemics. As a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by diseases, the Global Fund mobilizes and invests nearly US$4 billion annually to support programmes run by local experts in more than 100 countries and supports attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations.<br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of Ecobank. </span></div> </div>

Ecobank renews Partnership with the Global Fund

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, the leading Pan-African financial institution, through its Foundation, has renewed its partnership ...

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Balozi Seif awataka viongozi wa chama kujipanga

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4-HLTpEd_2JjbKO5aHah0LlYpVAhRFp4vzJ1Y3hw7PrpRv4xpu4c-D5M6yel4kXRATDOqhH69aWTHUSvfKTaDyTA1nFLqbNLwvJNl3zcLz0_fp2xoLQGcYSmYdHAIVe3qL1_5SbkRTdB/s1600/355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4-HLTpEd_2JjbKO5aHah0LlYpVAhRFp4vzJ1Y3hw7PrpRv4xpu4c-D5M6yel4kXRATDOqhH69aWTHUSvfKTaDyTA1nFLqbNLwvJNl3zcLz0_fp2xoLQGcYSmYdHAIVe3qL1_5SbkRTdB/s400/355.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Viongozi na Wanachama wa Chama cha Mapinduzi {CCM } ngazi ya Matawi Nchini wameagizwa kujipanga vyema ili kuhakikisha Viongozi watakaowachagua wakati utakapowadia wa uchaguzi ndani ya chama hicho hapo mwakani wana sifa sahihi zitakazokidhi mahitaji yote ya kuwatumikia wanachama hao katika kipindi cha miaka Mitano ijayo.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />Mjumbe wa Kamati Kuu ya Halmashauri Kuu ya Taifa ya CCM Balozi Seif Ali Iddi alitoa agizo hilo wakati akizungumza na Viongozi wa Kamati za Siasa za Matawi ya Mangapwani na Mangapwani Bondeni katika mkutano wa kuwashukuru wanachama hao baada ya kumalizika kwa uchaguzi Mkuu uliopita.<br /><br />Balozi Seif Ali Iddi ambae pia ni Mwakilishi wa Jimbo la Mahonda akiambatana pamoja na Mbunge wa Jimbo hilo Mh. Bahati Ali Abeid na Madiwani wa Wadi zilizomo ndani ya Jimbo hilo alisema CCM ikiendelea kujipanga vyema kwenye chaguzi hizo itakuwa na uhakika wa kuendelea kuongoza Dola ya Watanzania katika miaka mingi ijayo.<br /><br />Alisema wapo baadhi ya wapinzani walijipenyeza kwenye chaguzi za Chama hicho mwaka 2012 na kuomba Uongozi wakitumia hila na ujanja wa fedha na hatimae kuwayumbisha Viongozi na Wanachama wakati wa kupanga safu ya utekelezaji wa Ilani na Sera za CCM.<br /><br />Mjumbe huyo wa Kamati Kuu ya CCM Taifa aliwapongeza Wana CCM na Wananchi wa Mangapwani kwa uamuzi wao walioufanya mwezi Oktoba mwaka 2015 na Machi 2016 wa kuipa dhamana CCM iendelee kuongoza Dola ya Tanzania katika chaguzi zote mbili ile ya Zanzibar na ya Tanzania.<br /><br />Balozi Seif alisema kazi inayowakabili Wananchi kwa hivi sasa ni kuelekeza nguvu zao katika kuimarisha miradi ya Kiuchumi na Maendeleo na kwa upande wa Uongozi wa Jimbo hilo tayari umeshajipanga kuhakikisha changamoto zinazowakabili Wananchi wa Maeneo hayo zinapatiwa ufumbuzi muwafaka.<br /><br />Alisema yeye pamoja na Mbunge wake Mh. Bahati watashirikiana na viongozi wa Jimbo hilo ngazi ya Jimbo na Matawi katika ujenzi wa Jengo Jipya la Ofisi ya CCM Tawi la Mangapwani Bondeni litakalolingana na hadhi ya Chama chenyewe.<br /><br />Balozi Seif aliwahakikishia Viongozi na Wanachama wa CCM wa Tawi la Mangapwani Bondeni kwamba yeye binafsi pamoja na Viongozi wenzake atasimamia maandalizi ya kuanza kwa msingi wa ujenzi wa Jengo hilo ili kuondoa kiu ya muda mrefu waliyokuwa nayo Wanachama hao.<br /><br />Naye Mbunge wa Jimbo la Mahonda Mh. Bahati Ali Abeid aliwathibitishia Wanachama na Viongozi wa Matawi hayo kwamba juhudi za awali zimeanza kuchukuliwa katika mwanzo wa kuzitafutia ufumbuzi changamoto zinazowakabili wananchi wa maeneo hayo.<br /><br />Mh. Bahati alisema katika utekelezaji wa ahadi, Ilani na Sera za Chama cha Mapinduzi za kusimamia upatikanaji wa huduma za Maji safi na salama kwa wananchi wa Matawi hayo Uongozi wa Jimbo hilo umeanza harakati za kuliondosha tatizo hilo sugu linalowakabili Wananchi hao.<br /><br />Alisema ulazaji wa mabomba ya maji katika mradi maalum ulioanzishwa unatekelezwa katika Vijiji vya Kiomba Mvua, Fujoni na Mangapwani na kilichobakia kwa wakati huu ni Mamlaka ya Maji Zanzibar { ZAWA } kukamilisha uwekaji wa Mashine ya kusukumia Maji katika kisima kilichochimbwa kwenye eneo hilo.<br /><br />Mbunge huyo wa Jimbo la Mahonda alifafanua zaidi kwamba juhudi hizo za uimarishaji wa miundombinu katika Sekta ya Maji zimechukuliwa kwa makusudi na Uongozi wa Jimbo hilo kwa kushirikiana na Mamlaka ya Maji Zanzibar baada ya kubaini kwamba Kisima kilichokuwa kikisambaza huduma ya maji katika kijiji hicho kiliopo Mfenesini kuzidiwa mara dufu.<br /><br />Akigusia uhai wa Chama cha Mapinduzi Mh. Bahati aliwakumbusha Wanachama wa Matawi hayo kuhakikisha wanalipa ada zao kama kawaida bila ya kusibiri kusukumwa kufanya hivyo ili kukipa nguvu chama chao kiweze kutekeleza majukumu yake kama kawaida.<br /><br />Mapema Mke wa Mwakilishi wa Jimbo la Mahonda ambae pia ni Mjumbe wa Kamati ya Siasa la Wilaya ya Kaskazini “B” Mama Asha Suleiman Iddi waliwanasihi Wazee wa Vijiji hivyo Kuanzisha Kamati ya maadili itakayosaidia kutoa elimu kwa vijana waliojitumbukiza katika matumizi ya Dawa za kulevya.<br /><br />Mama Asha alisema inasikitisha kuona jitihada kubwa zilizochukuliwa na Uongozi wa Jimbo hilo kwa kutumia fedha nyingi katika kuwapatia ushauri nasaha vijana hao kwenye nyumba za kurekebisha tabia { Sober House } hatimae ziligonga mwamba.<br /><br />Alisema Kamati itakayoundwa katika Kijiji hicho cha Mangapwani itapaswa kwenda kujifunza kwa Kamati kama hiyo iliyoanzishwa katika Kijiji cha Fujoni ambayo imeleta mafanikio makubwa katika kukabiliana na wimbi la vijana waliojitumbukiza katika wimbi la matumizi ya dawa za kulevya.<br /><br />Mama Asha alieleza kwamba Vijana wa Fujoni walioamua kuacha dawa hizo tayari hivi sasa wamekuwa na mafanikio makubwa katika muendelezo wa mradi wao wa Uvuvi unaokidhi mahitaji yao ya kimaisha baada ya kupatiwa msaada wa Boti pamoja na Mashine yake.<br /><br />Othman Khamis Ame</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Ofisi ya Makamu wa Pili wa Rais wa Zanzibar</span></div> </div>

Balozi Seif awataka viongozi wa chama kujipanga

Viongozi na Wanachama wa Chama cha Mapinduzi {CCM } ngazi ya Matawi Nchini wameagizwa kujipanga vyema ili kuhakikisha Viongozi watakaowa...

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NORWEGIAN CHURCH AID (NCA) WANOGESHA TAMASHA LA UTAMADUNI HYDOM.

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgpXFM5mxMGx67L6Zf90DMwP8jdHIxF_8_Ih9Fnx6AW9Uv_AYU4f2rmImwHxGxhLvTCo7eWQ2jL3BSZFQDvB7t7Gf1CCLDmQqcaG3_BTiHNqCVtoCxJU-ecJFiEJ9L06GIu4zZ2JUEzJY/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgpXFM5mxMGx67L6Zf90DMwP8jdHIxF_8_Ih9Fnx6AW9Uv_AYU4f2rmImwHxGxhLvTCo7eWQ2jL3BSZFQDvB7t7Gf1CCLDmQqcaG3_BTiHNqCVtoCxJU-ecJFiEJ9L06GIu4zZ2JUEzJY/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span lang="EN-US">NA IMANI NSAMILA</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Kila mwaka shirika la Four Corner Culture Program (4CCP) huandaa tamasha la kiutamaduni ili kukuza na kuenzi tamaduni halisi za kitanzania . <br /><br /> Tamasha la mwaka huu limekuwa lakipekee sana kutokana matukio mablimbali ya kimaendeleo na kiutamaduni yaliyofanyika .Ambapo Shirika la Norwegian Church Aid kwa kushirikiana na 4CCP Hydom walizindua miradi mabli mbali ya maendelea katika sekta ya maji (Visima)ili kupunguza tatizo kubwa la maji linalo wakumba wananchi wa wilayani Mbulu mkoani Manyara na mkoa jirani wa Singida.</span></div> </div>

NORWEGIAN CHURCH AID (NCA) WANOGESHA TAMASHA LA UTAMADUNI HYDOM.

  NA IMANI NSAMILA Kila mwaka shirika la Four Corner Culture Program (4CCP) huandaa tamasha la kiutamaduni ili kukuza na kuenzi tamadu...

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Carlson Rezidor on Track to achieve More than 23,000 Rooms in Africa

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCkjPJic1VHiCxl5Cs3nNgZrsLuhTDZ46yA9Zr4aJk8EcjtNN0_Lki6ZcADRDC0PwDkAaLOE7B2CNozZSvEqpk_c_NPvckM3t8-Vl6AcNUgY8C_EsTc_68PweOKdbZ_zBoJ38PFnbhFac/s1600/CArl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCkjPJic1VHiCxl5Cs3nNgZrsLuhTDZ46yA9Zr4aJk8EcjtNN0_Lki6ZcADRDC0PwDkAaLOE7B2CNozZSvEqpk_c_NPvckM3t8-Vl6AcNUgY8C_EsTc_68PweOKdbZ_zBoJ38PFnbhFac/s400/CArl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">An accelerated African growth strategy for <a href="http://www.carlsonrezidor.com/">Carlson</a> Rezidor , one of the world’s largest hotel groups, is on track to achieve its target of more than 23,000 rooms open or under development in Africa by the end of 2020.<br /><br />Rezidor’s President and CEO, Wolfgang M. Neumann, who is a speaker at the Africa Hotel Investment Conference in <a href="http://www.africa-conference.com/">Kigali</a>, Rwanda, says the hotel group launched its accelerated African growth strategy in 2014 with ambitions to double its portfolio in Africa by the end of 2020. “Africa has always been close to our hearts. We were the early movers on the continent in 2000 when we established our dedicated business development base in Cape Town.<br /><br />“Today, Africa is our biggest growth market with a fully functional Area Support Office in Cape Town since 2016. We also converted our joint venture company with the four Nordic Government Development agencies, AfriNord, from a mezzanine debt funding facility to a minority equity investment vehicle to support our strategy and owners.” <br /><br />Rezidor first entered Africa in 2000 when it opened its first Radisson Blu in Cape Town. Today Carlson Rezidor’s footprint in Africa has grown to include 69 hotels open and under development in 28 countries, incorporating more than 15,000 rooms. <br /><br />Neumann says in the past 24 months Carlson Rezidor has signed a new hotel deal in Africa every 37 days. “Of course, we are aware that it is not just about signing. It’s really about delivering the pipeline. We have opened a new hotel in Africa every 60 days over the past two years. This year, we have already opened six Radisson Blu hotels and expect to open a Park Inn by Radisson in South Africa in the next six months. We intend to keep up this momentum of signings followed by successful openings.” <br /><br />The six hotels opened in 2016 include Radisson Blu hotels in Nairobi, Kenya; Marrakech, Morocco; Maputo, Mozambique (first residence in Africa); Abidjan, Ivory Coast (first airport hotel), Lomé, Togo; and the Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre in Kigali, Rwanda, East Africa’s largest convention centre and host to the 2016 Africa Hotel Investment Forum.<br /><br />Carlson Rezidor Senior Vice President Business Development Africa & Indian Ocean Andrew McLachlan, says Radisson Blu leads the way with more hotel rooms under development than any of the other 85-plus hotel brands active in Africa today, according to the W-Hospitality Report. “Our ambition is to be the leading player in the travel and tourism sector across the continent.”<br /><br />Exciting new developments on the cards for Carlson Rezidor in Africa include the signing of the first Radisson RED, which is expected to open in Cape Town in the course of 2017, as well as the signing of the first Quorvus Collection to be built in Lagos, Nigeria, expected to open in 2019.<br /><br />Carlson Rezidor aims to open 15 or more hotels in South Africa and Nigeria alone by the end of 2020, incorporating its full brand portfolio, ranging from the Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson RED, and Park Inn by Radisson.<br /><br />McLachlan says Africa presents an opportunity for Carlson Rezidor to grow its resort portfolio under Radisson Blu and Quorvus Collection in locations such as Mauritius, Seychelles, Zanzibar, East Coast of Kenya and Tanzania and the Cape Verde Islands.<br /><br />He adds that the challenges experienced in Africa are no different to those experienced in other emerging markets. “Generally-speaking, the owner class in Africa today is typically a local, first-time owner and local professional team with limited or no hotel development experience. This means the learning curve is high and expensive. In addition, there is a high demand for imported products and equipment in many of the markets. To mitigate these risks, we offer hotel turnkey design and build contractors to ensure the owners and their teams have significant support when it comes to delivering each hotel.”<br /><br />“Water and electricity are the two most expensive running costs in African hotels today and we are constantly looking at ways to design and operate our hotels with a view to saving costs and improving results, as part of our responsible business strategy,” says McLachlan.<br /><br />Notably, 77% of Carlson Rezidor’s hotels worldwide have been eco-labelled and the hotel group has recorded a 22% energy saving since 2011 and a 29% water saving since 2007 across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. The hotel group is particularly focused on conserving the planet’s scarce water resources and its Blu Planet initiative is aimed at providing safe drinking water for children in disadvantaged areas in partnership with international water aid charity, Just a Drop.<br /><br />Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group also partners with IFC, a member of the World Bank Group that focuses on private sector development, to promote the design and construction of green buildings in emerging markets. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Through the partnership, Carlson Rezidor will use the EDGE eco-analysis software for all of its future hotel projects in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. As 40% of the world's carbon emissions are generated through the construction and operation of buildings, designing green hotels supports the industry's responsibility to meet COP21 targets.<br /><br />Expanding its footprint into Africa also means creating employment for the local population in each country, with an emphasis on developing women to leadership positions. “Many hotel jobs do not require tertiary education and present opportunities for locals to be trained and upskilled to fulfil particular roles,” says McLachlan.<br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. </span></div> </div>

Carlson Rezidor on Track to achieve More than 23,000 Rooms in Africa

An accelerated African growth strategy for Carlson Rezidor , one of the world’s largest hotel groups, is on track to achieve its target...

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Ambition and opportunity in IT in Africa

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYBfNeb31ESSD6nkTF_onbBxZb5KFiHdghIT3iJc-uY4MAxdpQL3DwQ6uVAeCTl6kl5Bvmg5k1FG3LgDEfMqkWj18CCQyrM-RPmmiVLnOuMVjITDyn8K87UF8fgL0MMDMv5ujQ7-blMJU/s1600/SAP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYBfNeb31ESSD6nkTF_onbBxZb5KFiHdghIT3iJc-uY4MAxdpQL3DwQ6uVAeCTl6kl5Bvmg5k1FG3LgDEfMqkWj18CCQyrM-RPmmiVLnOuMVjITDyn8K87UF8fgL0MMDMv5ujQ7-blMJU/s400/SAP.jpg" width="265" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: large;">The potential gains to be made from the rapid growth of the African digital economy cannot be overstated. An estimated 360 million mobile devices, $75billion in annual e-commerce sales and a $300billion internet-driven boost to GDP is forecast by 2025.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />Yet conventional wisdom would dictate that the current lack of legacy Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure in Africa is a barrier to realising this enormous digital growth. While mobile internet access on the continent has been increasing rapidly, a recent report stated that fixed internet connections account for only about 10% of all internet connections in most African nations. And although recent years have seen advances in internet accessibility (such as undersea cabling connecting Africa to the rest of the world), there are still many parts of the continent that have no internet access whatsoever.<br /><br />However, instead of a barrier, IT providers entering African markets should instead see this as a significant opportunity. Many governments are recognising the important role that ICT infrastructure plays in economic growth and are explicitly promising to harness the power of modern technologies, such as high-speed internet access, to empower their citizens and boost their economies. Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Kenya, to name but a few, have developed ambitious ICT strategies and policies to achieve these high-level goals.<br /><br />There is certainly scope to gain project funding for expansive ICT projects across a multitude of countries and many foreign investors remain committed in the longer term. Furthermore, businesses that invest now to lay the groundwork for ICT infrastructure will undoubtedly reap the rewards as these markets reach maturity. Just think about those who invested in mobile infrastructure in Africa 10 or even 20 years ago and consider the massive returns they are seeing now.<br /><br />Leapfrogging to innovative tech solutions<br />In a sense, a lack of existing infrastructure can be seen as beneficial in so far as there is no need for ICT solutions to be constrained by old-fashioned ways of thinking about, and engaging with, technology. Without the burden of these embedded 'old school' approaches that plague many more mature markets, there is the opportunity for innovative technology providers to start with a clean slate and provide leading-edge solutions that directly address the communication needs and day-to-day realities of many Africans.<br /><br />The most well documented example of this willingness to "leapfrog" technologies is, of course, Kenya-based Safaricom's M-PESA mobile money solution. In a market with high mobile device penetration, but very little retail banking infrastructure, M-PESA gave millions of Africans their first bank accounts by turning virtually any mobile phone into a money transfer device.<br /><br />Since then, fuelled by burgeoning start-up hubs in Nigeria and Kenya, there has been a surge of African start-ups, covering everything from <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001RKcYkRkjappW8Lrn5XXrf8aIFXmsTFhUpiQgOAnWtIW6A5s3SLhQqXBq5_P4qlkayT0wLrMs0t0U7lzJZZhmJ5N2KREafouBo6HOim-6Gmlg2YORsKPHI77SHvT_JJqqNYHjZKLhOgGdBFWEy_6ijyhdIjxN4q7hgvuAcTL_uFY=&c=3X3SoDnAqih6NmoiuVeAfJoXFqOIP9DNdKiMFlXqkooDjYsmSiMs8Q==&ch=NvW0c9PffoH8zL1GpB54aevqjx00hi22XnYg_vtuv40GviayGRmJZA==">fashion</a> to <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001RKcYkRkjappW8Lrn5XXrf8aIFXmsTFhUpiQgOAnWtIW6A5s3SLhQqXBq5_P4qlkacorW9zqGvO84XEQL9iSJD7rHJGMHTubJJzbJp0oZdRmzhxLFs0CgomP-BArcx_7raUgfdKjitll7cCOtlqgghh513GkdD_2dwl23n7xY9SA=&c=3X3SoDnAqih6NmoiuVeAfJoXFqOIP9DNdKiMFlXqkooDjYsmSiMs8Q==&ch=NvW0c9PffoH8zL1GpB54aevqjx00hi22XnYg_vtuv40GviayGRmJZA==">shipping</a> and <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001RKcYkRkjappW8Lrn5XXrf8aIFXmsTFhUpiQgOAnWtIW6A5s3SLhQqXBq5_P4qlkaGscwiAX5qGooRQl92f3R_UIcbEl3U-sCFI4Q8OWpsX6pd4auI3boxLGoVd0WITF4RR4gKqzPYGlhaiEf9tHQ40-C7oI_wCc2yq0OJrwkEeo=&c=3X3SoDnAqih6NmoiuVeAfJoXFqOIP9DNdKiMFlXqkooDjYsmSiMs8Q==&ch=NvW0c9PffoH8zL1GpB54aevqjx00hi22XnYg_vtuv40GviayGRmJZA==">employment </a>solutions. And, because these solutions specifically cater to markets that are encountering technology for the first time through a mobile device, they can bypass many of the intermediary technological steps and unlock true innovation more quickly. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">This means that many home-grown tech solutions are developing to tackle local issues, such as the video-on-demand platform <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001RKcYkRkjappW8Lrn5XXrf8aIFXmsTFhUpiQgOAnWtIW6A5s3SLhQqXBq5_P4qlkaGYoza2ATDAsH70K-cV7wG9H81PD14oMR913q6WUkvabCvOCHb_aprK8aSyjENHybf-A24EcVdDO5lcg4XwQAPqAqB9NaD5f_LliIBf0-UdM=&c=3X3SoDnAqih6NmoiuVeAfJoXFqOIP9DNdKiMFlXqkooDjYsmSiMs8Q==&ch=NvW0c9PffoH8zL1GpB54aevqjx00hi22XnYg_vtuv40GviayGRmJZA==">iROKOtv</a>, which was created to address piracy problems arising in relation to Nigerian films, or the <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001RKcYkRkjappW8Lrn5XXrf8aIFXmsTFhUpiQgOAnWtIW6A5s3SLhQqXBq5_P4qlkaBIW73PU7zeQU68jtKtSlER790VvCxuhYpO_JEtKUExbkPRqN0iks96L6UwQxznuJ6DxN_YnYqklrx4WMsHQKHwFZbN3bARvoj1KjOpIYzAQ=&c=3X3SoDnAqih6NmoiuVeAfJoXFqOIP9DNdKiMFlXqkooDjYsmSiMs8Q==&ch=NvW0c9PffoH8zL1GpB54aevqjx00hi22XnYg_vtuv40GviayGRmJZA==">BRCK</a> portable Wi-fi hotspot and battery extender device used to address wireless internet dead zones.<br /><br />On the other end of the scale, big business in Africa is also embracing technology's power to stay ahead of the game in world markets. Engen Petroleum, as an example, employs technology to help ensure excellence in its operations. The highly competitive and dynamic petroleum industry makes it even more necessary for the company to use software solutions that drive efficiencies and improve profitability at the same time. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">With over 1,000 retail sites in South Africa alone, Engen needed to address technical challenges it faced when processing a monthly average of 26 million sales transactions from convenience sites around the country. Working with SAP, the company has improved operational efficiency to collect income from turnover levies. Improved data compression and query performance has given the company the edge it needs to analyse high volumes of data and gain insight into opportunities and risks across its large retail network.<br />Seize the day<br />There are two ways to look at the future of IT in the African continent. Either as a difficult and onerous job, because of a lack of legacy infrastructure and building block tech systems, or as a blank page, rich with opportunity in a set of nations intent on economic prosperity, digital expansion and citizen-empowerment.<br /><br />Providers that take the latter viewpoint stand to take advantage of huge financial rewards and significant growth. But perhaps the bigger incentive is extraordinary technological innovation, which will positively impact the lives of millions of Africans throughout the continent.<br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of SAP Africa.</span></div> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>

Ambition and opportunity in IT in Africa

The potential gains to be made from the rapid growth of the African digital economy cannot be overstated. An estimated 360 million mobile...

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Aggreko brings 100 MW of ADDGAS-generated Power to Benin

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWi0T09tz214mc0jp43VN1FF0_D9Cca6bjmBLePFViWgRHgC3znTfEeAX8t7atOe-kNJQwSt206vJn2XOZokXhYksrak2Dw2ALerRueEh-OCCMuIUlVm9dI09mwxarr1pnu5278Ii3qE3W/s1600/anggreko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWi0T09tz214mc0jp43VN1FF0_D9Cca6bjmBLePFViWgRHgC3znTfEeAX8t7atOe-kNJQwSt206vJn2XOZokXhYksrak2Dw2ALerRueEh-OCCMuIUlVm9dI09mwxarr1pnu5278Ii3qE3W/s400/anggreko.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.africa.aggreko.com/">Aggreko</a>  has won a bid to supply 100 MW of ADDGAS-generated power to Benin.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />The one year contract will support the country’s national grid with energy generated from ADDGAS – an add-on technology, which substitutes a significant portion of diesel fuel with natural gas.<br /><br />With an annual GDP growth of nearly 6% and a rapidly expanding industrial sector, power demands across Benin are increasing exponentially. In its role as the national power utility and system operator in Benin, Société Béninoise d'Energie Electrique (SBEE) is working to bring high quality electricity to the country’s 10 million inhabitants by increasing generation capacity and further developing transmission and distribution networks.<br /><br />In response to the public tender process, Aggreko’s bid was the only one to include an ADDGAS option. By maximising available fuel types, SBEE will be able to make significant savings over the duration of the contract as a result of the flexible ADDGAS solution.<br /><br />Aggreko is also installing specialist high voltage equipment as part of its turn-key offering.<br /><br />Aggreko has a strong and established relationship with SBEE having previously supported the national grid at various intervals over the last 12 years, providing an interim solution to Benin helping to maintain economic growth in the country.<br /><br />“We signed with Aggreko because Benin can count on its ability to mobilise within the contractual deadlines and on its experience as an operator” said, Mr Laurent Tossou, Managing Director of SBEE.<br /><br />“Aggreko’s proposition considers Benin’s availability of gas, while also allowing production units to operate with diesel only. The additional production capacities will enable the Beninese government to fulfil a daily structural deficit ranging between 40 and 60 MW per day for more than a year.”<br /><br />Managing Director, Aggreko Africa, James Shepherd, said: “We are delighted to be working once again alongside SBEE to bring reliable power to the people of Benin. By delivering this fast-track power, we are helping to provide a more consistent and reliable energy supply to the people of Benin, while helping to support the economic growth in the country.”<br /><br />The 100 MW is expected to be mobilised by the end of the year.<br /><br />With around 2.3 GW currently installed across 34 African countries, Aggreko is the largest supplier of modular, mobile power to the African continent. This new project will bring the company’s total generating capacity to 2.4 GW across Africa.<br /><br />It will create more local jobs with the recruitment and training of a local workforce specialised in the power industry, a critical sector for the future development of the continent.<br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of Aggreko plc. </span></div> </div>

Aggreko brings 100 MW of ADDGAS-generated Power to Benin

Aggreko   has won a bid to supply 100 MW of ADDGAS-generated power to Benin. The one year contract will support the country’s national g...

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Standard Bank predicts Increased M&A Activity in African Telecom, Media and Technology

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33mhiiP04aPWBiCRtJy4KVyluCzu_VXfRpmazjIkMmEk9zhJdQSUr65T-eju1sQ29Ig_rjXz6bqM3K8nYOmlnYQ-niBl9RPJRaSGGKUIkpE9htK56Dngatk4CxKXxb6K03dUfMgB7EzqC/s1600/TMT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="54" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33mhiiP04aPWBiCRtJy4KVyluCzu_VXfRpmazjIkMmEk9zhJdQSUr65T-eju1sQ29Ig_rjXz6bqM3K8nYOmlnYQ-niBl9RPJRaSGGKUIkpE9htK56Dngatk4CxKXxb6K03dUfMgB7EzqC/s400/TMT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Standard<a href="http://www.standardbank.com/"> Bank</a>, Africa’s largest bank by assets, is partnering with international news and events provider TMT Finance for the inaugural TMT Finance Africa in Lagos 2016 Conference, which is bringing together the leading decision makers in African telecoms, media and technology (TMT) to <a href="http://www.tmtfinance.com/lagos/">Lagos</a> on September 20, 2016.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />The event will feature over 60 key C-level speakers from the most active and innovative companies, investors and advisers in Africa, including: IHS Towers, Airtel, Standard Bank, Etisalat, MTN, Vodacom, Africa Internet Group, Ringier, iRoko, MainOne, iPNX, Spectranet, Fibersat, Citi, Convergence Partners, Standard Chartered PE, Carlyle, Africa Capital Alliance and Emerging Capital Partners.<br /><br />“As one of the leading TMT banks in Africa, we are excited to partner with TMT Finance for this event, which will bring the key telecom, media and technology companies, investors and advisers to Lagos in Nigeria,” said Standard Bank’s Global Head of TMT, Nina Triantis, who will be speaking on the TMT M&A Panel at the conference in one of the key sessions of the day.<br /><br />The event comes at a time of accelerating investment, innovation and M&A activity across Africa, and in particular Nigeria, with Lagos widely viewed as the central hub for technology innovation and investment in Africa.<br /><br />“Investment and M&A in TMT continues to be especially active in Africa, with many companies across the continent considering strategic options, growth along diverse verticals, private debt and equity financing rounds, M&A, and public listings,” said Standard Bank’s Triantis. “The debt markets continue to be supportive for the right companies in Africa, despite macro challenges in many African countries as well as global uncertainty, though the funding currency and medium will inevitably reflect these challenges,” she added.<br /><br />Current deals in Africa being reported by TMT Finance News include MTN’s Nigerian IPO, the sale of South Africa’s Neotel to Liquid Telecom, Millicom’s strategic review of its African assets, several fibre investment projects and fundraisings, and the potential listing/ sale of Nigerian fintech firm, InterSwitch.<br /><br />The conference includes five Leadership Panel Debates, five Visionary Keynote Speeches, 8 Peer to Peer Round Tables and Five Networking Sessions.<br /><br />Key session themes announced include: Telecom Leadership Africa: Broadband Infrastructure Investment; Digital Africa; Mobile Infrastructure Strategies; Mergers and Acquisitions; Private Equity Africa Roundtable; Regulation and Policy; Financing Telecoms; Broadband Infrastructure; Investing in Mobile Data and Services; Mobile Banking, Fintech and M-Health; and Media and Convergence.<br /><br />Distributed by APO on behalf of TMT Finance. </span></div> </div>

Standard Bank predicts Increased M&A Activity in African Telecom, Media and Technology

Standard Bank , Africa’s largest bank by assets, is partnering with international news and events provider TMT Finance for the inaugura...

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ProCollect, an Innovative Data Collection Solution Wins "Outstanding Enterprise Solution" at the West Africa Com Awards

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBsyZX44UZFC_yPXIch8L-0nZM2NH9jPDtTTZQYL-tRIBpQjLW6YgWPzJ5zu3oaXB-gWkJkjc24fUxuJ_RNli9mGFhlzk5ju_Ie5lNY9ZNq08DPFhSsVNg_bpU1afvogbofBMneTnchEF/s1600/Put.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBsyZX44UZFC_yPXIch8L-0nZM2NH9jPDtTTZQYL-tRIBpQjLW6YgWPzJ5zu3oaXB-gWkJkjc24fUxuJ_RNli9mGFhlzk5ju_Ie5lNY9ZNq08DPFhSsVNg_bpU1afvogbofBMneTnchEF/s400/Put.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">In order to address the lack of reliable statistical data in most companies , the digital agency People Input , has implemented a technology solution called ProCollect , a modern data collection system that enables companies to collect, process, analyze and digitize statistical data in record time. <br /><br />ProCollect was awarded "Outstanding Enterprise Solution " at the 2016 edition of the West Africa Com Forum , the largest Telecom & Digital event in West Africa . The awards came following the vote of a panel of judges consisting of experts in the business of digital at the West Africa Com Awards.<br /><br />ProCollect provides opportunities for companies to have real-time market information, reliable management of sales, marketing , surveys and field studies, which help professionals make business decisions.<br /><br />"African markets face a clear lack of reliable statistical data. Our ProCollect Solution is THE answer to this need" said Serigne BARRO, CEO of People Input. "With ProCollect, any business company can, at short notice, get an affordable turn-key solution for collecting, geolocalizing and analyzing data. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">ProCollect works on any mobile device (smartphone or tablet). Once the device is connected to the Internet, it synchronizes in real time all the information entered. Several big agribusiness and distribution companies use ProCollect each day to get reliable real time marketing and commercial data on sales management, opinion polls, field surveys ... ProCollect revolutionizes the information gathering system!".<br /><br />ProCollect was developed in 2015 by the People Input Lab. It helps any entity collect, store, enter and process data more easily. ProCollect is a robust and customizable solution, and proves to be an excellent tool for informed decision making. It enables the user to gain plenty of time and to store data on a secure server that is accessible via a dedicated web-based interface. <br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of People Input.</span></div> </div>

ProCollect, an Innovative Data Collection Solution Wins "Outstanding Enterprise Solution" at the West Africa Com Awards

In order to address the lack of reliable statistical data in most companies , the digital agency People Input , has implemented a techno...

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Nokia malware report shows surge in mobile device infections in 2016

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokB-Rj2hPNfIZ-pH7M3SyTtv6PwtNnZmF2hyphenhyphenfFOSdMfeQuzMZyD1a65TrO3NTbfcXavrS_NL9Zuw6nYHOQaAfxgwLYlpFcie8wPpkDrCxUgLPl7CGXU9yz2KeT1noBjzdXnWYdUyDFOrh/s1600/Nokia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokB-Rj2hPNfIZ-pH7M3SyTtv6PwtNnZmF2hyphenhyphenfFOSdMfeQuzMZyD1a65TrO3NTbfcXavrS_NL9Zuw6nYHOQaAfxgwLYlpFcie8wPpkDrCxUgLPl7CGXU9yz2KeT1noBjzdXnWYdUyDFOrh/s400/Nokia.png" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Nokia today issued the Nokia Threat Intelligence Report - H1 2016, revealing a sharp rise in the occurrence of smartphone malware infections in the first half of the year. Issued twice per year, the report examines general trends and statistics for malware infections in devices connected through mobile and fixed networks. <br /><br />According to the report, smartphone infections nearly doubled between January and July compared to the latter half of 2015, with smartphones accounting for 78 percent of all mobile network infections. The malware infection rate hit an all-time high in April, with infections striking 1.06 percent of all mobile devices tracked. In addition, devices based on the Android™ operating system were the most targeted mobile platform by far, representing 74 percent of all mobile malware infections. <br /><br />The report also highlighted the emergence of new, more sophisticated malware that can be more difficult to detect and remove. <br /><br />Kevin McNamee, head of the Nokia Threat Intelligence Lab, said: "Today attackers are targeting a broader range of applications and platforms, including popular mobile games and new IoT devices, and developing more sophisticated and destructive forms of malware. Nokia's network-based security solution is the best approach to address this growing threat to all types of devices. It detects and prevents malware activity that device-based solutions may miss." <br /><br />Key findings of the latest Nokia Threat Intelligence Report include: <br />* 96-percent surge in smartphone infections: The average smartphone infection rate increased 96 percent in the first half of 2016, compared to the second half of 2015 (0.49 percent vs 0.25 percent). </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />* New all-time high: In April 2016, mobile infections hit an all-time high, with 1.06 percent of devices infected by a range of malware, including ransomware, spyphone applications, SMS Trojans, personal information theft and aggressive adware. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />* One out of 120 smartphones infected: In April, one out of every 120 smartphones had some type of malware infection. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />* Android OS hit hardest: Android smartphones were the most targeted mobile platform, accounting for 74 percent of all malware infections compared to Window/PC systems (22 percent), and other platforms, including iOS devices (4 percent). </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />* 75 percent jump in malware samples: The number of infected Android apps in Nokia's malware database soared 75 percent, from 5.1 million in December 2015 to 8.9 million in July 2016. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />* Mobile game infections detected within hours: Downloaded mobile applications are a key conduit for malware attacks. The Nokia Threat Intelligence Lab detected infected copies of an extremely popular mobile game within hours after they were posted on untrusted third-party download sites. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />* More sophisticated malware: Malware is becoming increasingly more sophisticated, as new variations attempt to root the phone in order to provide complete control and establish a permanent presence on the device. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />* Top three mobile threats: The top three mobile malware threats were Uapush.A, Kasandra.B and SMSTracker, together accounting for 47 percent of all infections. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br />* Fixed residential network infections rise: The overall monthly infection rate in residential fixed broadband networks reached an average of 12 percent in the first half of 2016, compared to 11 percent in late 2015, primarily due to an increase in moderate threat level adware. These infections are mostly due to malware on Windows PCs and laptops in the home, but also include infections on smartphones using home WiFi. <br /><br />Data in the Nokia Threat Intelligence Report is aggregated from deployments of the Nokia NetGuard Endpoint Security solution around the globe, covering more than 100 million devices, including mobile phones, laptops, notepads and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. <br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Nokia.</span></div> </div>

Nokia malware report shows surge in mobile device infections in 2016

Nokia today issued the Nokia Threat Intelligence Report - H1 2016, revealing a sharp rise in the occurrence of smartphone malware infect...

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TAARIFA KWA VYOMBO VYA HABARI: Africa Unites at Sauti za Busara 2017

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5enn_bYvAJyDfbVFA7RMT1713b75ICFW22_HqkNRVNKt9xTdayUyHBeYoxAUxsR6V6c5TgUj58qCc-Nnwg_0izhOH44_t8FJkNpQubDPKThC0hiwuZ0JJK94Ab3-8QV1X6YMi3pIz38Cl/s1600/Sauti.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5enn_bYvAJyDfbVFA7RMT1713b75ICFW22_HqkNRVNKt9xTdayUyHBeYoxAUxsR6V6c5TgUj58qCc-Nnwg_0izhOH44_t8FJkNpQubDPKThC0hiwuZ0JJK94Ab3-8QV1X6YMi3pIz38Cl/s400/Sauti.png" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Joto la Sauti za Busara linazidi kupanda baada ya kutangazwa kurudi tena kwa tamasha hilo bora kabisa barani Afrika litakaloanza tarehe 9 – 12 Februari 2017. <br /><br /> Baada ya kupokea maombi takribani mia sita kutoka kwa wasanii wanaotaka kushiriki, waandaaji wameshachagua vikundi shiriki na kwa hakika mwezi februari wapenzi wa muziki watashuhudia wasanii mahiri watakaokutanishwa ndani ya kanda ya Afrika Mashariki. <br /><br /> Taarifa kamili kuhusu wasanii watakaofanya maonyesho yao ndani ya tamasha la Sauti za Busara 2017 itatolewa mwezi wa kumi. Wasanii mia nne watakaokuwa kwenye vikundi arobaini watashiriki ikijumuisha majina makubwa na vijana wanachipukia kutoka Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambiki, Afrika Kusini, Ghana, Gine, Kameruni na Ethiopia. <br /><br /> Dhima ya tamasha la mwaka 2017 ni Africa United. Kama anavyoelezea mkurugenzi wa tamasha bwana Yusuf Mahmoud, “dhumuni la Sauti za Busara ni kuwaleta watu pamoja wenye asili tofauti ili kusheherekea utajiri na muingiliano wa muziki wa Afrika. Tamasha huonyesha muziki wa laivu tu, wenye asili na ubunifu, na wenye kutoa ujumbe mahsusi kwa jamii na kuvutia unapopigwa jukwaani. Ikiwa unapigwa kwa ala tupu au uliochanganywa na umeme, tamasha hutoa vipaumbele kwa muziki wenye vionjo vya kiutamaduni”. <br /><br /> Aliendelea zaidi, “Muziki ni lugha ya ulimwengu, kupitia muziki dunia inaona na kutambua bara la Afrika ni lenye misimamo chanya, Afrika ni mahiri, Afrika ni tajiri kwa tamaduni zake. Tunatakiwa tuimarishe hali ya utulivu na amani kwa Afrika nzima; ni ipi njia ya kufanya zaidi ya kutumia lugha ya ulimwengu?” <br /><br /> Ili kuonyesha umakini katika kuiunganisha Afrika kupitia muziki, Sauti za Busara imeshatangaza nusu bei kwa wageni wote wenye uraia wa Afrika. Punguzo zaidi litapatikana kwa watanzania au wakaazi wa Afrika Mashariki.</span></div> </div>

TAARIFA KWA VYOMBO VYA HABARI: Africa Unites at Sauti za Busara 2017

Joto la Sauti za Busara linazidi kupanda baada ya kutangazwa kurudi tena kwa tamasha hilo bora kabisa barani Afrika litakaloanza tarehe ...

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Axis and Canon Announce Change of Global Sales and Marketing Framework for Network Video Portfolio

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYMHwxiQ8fFG_-Ojm-HeYJq8ylGCkRFpgvdOajJ_HmFas23CYKKfhv35Q9nulmNWsmLHGNe6PPdZn8yNqixkPSsksdWLFeyHwzjvegPvW7MjcTr5Ayafn5C9PacgHBJef1AoTzvlEH4ir/s1600/Lons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYMHwxiQ8fFG_-Ojm-HeYJq8ylGCkRFpgvdOajJ_HmFas23CYKKfhv35Q9nulmNWsmLHGNe6PPdZn8yNqixkPSsksdWLFeyHwzjvegPvW7MjcTr5Ayafn5C9PacgHBJef1AoTzvlEH4ir/s400/Lons.png" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Axis Communications and Canon Inc. announced today an agreement under which the two companies would change their sales and marketing efforts in major regional markets worldwide. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and North America, Axis will assume responsibility for the marketing and sales of Canon's entire network video product portfolio, starting in EMEA from September 1 and in North America from October 1<br /><br />"The network video surveillance market continues to show great potential. As a leader in the industry, Axis is in an excellent position to include the sales of Canon network video products to our broad portfolio of products and solutions in EMEA and North America. These changes show Canon's strong commitment to build a long term presence for Axis on the market," says Ray Mauritsson, president of Axis Communications.<br /><br />Since Axis became a part of the Canon Group in 2015, both companies have discussed various options for leveraging their network video product and solution offerings. This new sales and marketing framework provides an effective means of maximizing the synergies of the Canon-Axis combination.<br /><br />In the Japanese market Canon (Canon Marketing Japan) will continue to sell Canon's network video product portfolio and will in addition become a partner for Axis to sell the Axis product portfolio. This will be in addition to Axis' existing partner network. As for the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, options for the handling of Canon's network video product and solution portfolio are still being explored.<br /><br />Under the new framework, Canon partners and customers will benefit from Axis's marketing, sales and technical expertise and will have access to a wider range of products and solutions from the leading company in the network video market.<br /><br />Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Axis Communications.</span></div> </div>

Axis and Canon Announce Change of Global Sales and Marketing Framework for Network Video Portfolio

Axis Communications and Canon Inc. announced today an agreement under which the two companies would change their sales and marketing eff...

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Telecom M&A and Digital Convergence to lead Deal Activity in Africa

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2uvUuTxj343dDxqsZNKrdvcsO_UFzPiIyvIgOXrmP2SiDMbY1oPbDxxaKCrw41rKVe8F1EZOhiA1z4fnhDdMOnu-IFMwn2hIrTJnZz6QQ1HCjoBvaz5N8g1zb4vCjUSuujORfdoAFBSp/s1600/tmt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="54" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2uvUuTxj343dDxqsZNKrdvcsO_UFzPiIyvIgOXrmP2SiDMbY1oPbDxxaKCrw41rKVe8F1EZOhiA1z4fnhDdMOnu-IFMwn2hIrTJnZz6QQ1HCjoBvaz5N8g1zb4vCjUSuujORfdoAFBSp/s400/tmt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Converging technologies, expanding connectivity and telecom mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are predicted to be the main drivers of investment and deal activity in Sub Saharan Africa in 2016 and 2017, according to global news and events company, TMT <a href="http://www.tmtfinance.com/">Finance</a></span><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The topics will top the bill at the inaugural TMT Finance Africa in Lagos 2016 conference on<a href="http://www.tmtfinance.com/lagos/"> Sept 20</a>,  which will gather over 60 international and regional CEOs, CFOs, strategy heads, private equity chiefs, and senior investment bankers, consultants and lawyers to discuss the latest investment strategies for telecoms, media & technology (TMT) across Africa.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">TMT Finance is teaming up with IHS Towers, the largest mobile telecommunications infrastructure provider in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, to bring an international audience to Africa’s technology hub, Lagos, for the first event of its kind in Nigeria.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Ben Nice, Director, TMT Finance Africa in Lagos, said: “With now just a month to go we are really excited to be holding this event at such a critical phase for investment and M&A in Nigeria and Africa’s telecom, media and technology sectors. Lagos is the hub for innovation in Africa and the conference will act as a crucial dialogue between local, regional and international stakeholders and decision makers in the sector.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Key C-level executives will be attending from companies such as: Airtel, MTN, Vodacom, MainOne, DLA Piper, Etisalat, IHS Towers, Ntel, Jumiah, Nokia, Standard Bank, Emerging Capital Partners, Carlyle, Barclays, African Capital Alliance, IpNX, Rack Centre, Spectranet, Iroko, FIbersat, Standard Chartered, Citi and many more.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Among the main themes on the agenda are: African Telecoms M&A and Financing, Africa Broadband Infrastructure Investment, Digital Africa Strategies, Venture Capital and Private Equity in Africa TMT, the Evolution of the African Towerco, Protecting Risk, Datacenters and Enterprise Cloud services, and Connecting the Unconnected.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">“Our team of TMT Finance News journalists have been reporting on a number of themes and specific situations across Africa this year, including the strategic review of Millicom’s regional assets, the sale of Neotel to Liquid Telecom, Google’s fibre rollout projects in various countries, Orange’s consolidation in West Africa, MTN Nigeria’s IPO, and a number of fundraisings for flourishing digital media and technology-based companies throughout Africa. It really is a captivating time for the sector,” Nice added.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Distributed by APO on behalf of TMT Finance.</span></div> </div>

Telecom M&A and Digital Convergence to lead Deal Activity in Africa

Converging technologies, expanding connectivity and telecom mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are predicted to be the main drivers of i...

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flydubai participates in Dubai Tourism’s first-ever East Africa roadshow

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_WeXE7RnQshyphenhyphenIrqMZ7hKQbjNDvjCchiEfmDi37RgS-7lfRcDGgsqIiBq6YZHtCo9-ZzPKubJtYZADxzUMKJRrSTyXtf0qOJfCfAC5t0mpzw9T8qhWZ5oa1zlT3JNBTYXWrG7HfCJLIqa/s1600/dubai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_WeXE7RnQshyphenhyphenIrqMZ7hKQbjNDvjCchiEfmDi37RgS-7lfRcDGgsqIiBq6YZHtCo9-ZzPKubJtYZADxzUMKJRrSTyXtf0qOJfCfAC5t0mpzw9T8qhWZ5oa1zlT3JNBTYXWrG7HfCJLIqa/s400/dubai.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Dubai-based airlin</span><a href="http://www.flydubai.com/" style="font-size: x-large;">e flydubai</a><span style="font-size: large;"> is participating in Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s (Dubai Tourism) first-ever East Africa roadshow joining 14 Dubai-based partners in showcasing a wide range of services and upcoming attractions. flydubai will take part in the road show in Kampala on 24 August, where it will then continue to Dar es Salaam on 30 August.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The roadshow is a great platform for local operators to meet directly with the airline and learn first-hand about the services and choices passengers from the market have when choosing to fly directly to Dubai for business or leisure.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Commenting ahead of the roadshow, Issam Kazim, CEO at Dubai Tourism, said: “The potential of Uganda and Tanzania as a source market is positive, and this roadshow provides us with the opportunity to directly interact with the operators here and showcase what Dubai has to offer. We look forward to making long-lasting and fruitful trade relationships during the trip to further grow the tourism market in Uganda for the benefit of all.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">flydubai was launched in 2009 to help create free flows of trade and tourism in the region and further support Dubai’s vision to become an internationally recognised aviation and tourism hub. flydubai’s reliable, affordable and high quality product offering with both business and economy classes, makes it possible for more people to travel more often to Dubai.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Sudhir Sreedharan, SVP Commercial Operations at flydubai (GCC, Africa & Indian Sub-Continent), said: “We are very pleased to take part in Dubai Tourism’s first-ever roadshow to East Africa and to showcase brand Dubai and flydubai. We are committed to opening up underserved markets and providing reliable, direct air links to destinations that previously had no or very few connections to Dubai. East Africa is a very important market that has shown significant growth over the past few years. We currently operate 82 weekly flights to 11 points in Africa, including 3 weekly flights to Entebbe and 4 weekly flights to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. These weekly frequencies will increase to 4 flights to Entebbe and 7 flights to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar from October.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">flydubai currently flies to 11 destinations in North and East Africa: Addis Ababa, Alexandria, Asmara, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Entebbe, Hargeisa, Juba, Khartoum, Port Sudan and Zanzibar.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Business Class is available on most of the routes on the flydubai network and the carrier has recently introduced WiFi and Live TV on select flights.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The carrier, which is the second largest operator out of Dubai International, has built a network of 90 destinations in 44 countries and operates more than 1,700 flights a week out of it is home in Dubai International (DXB), Terminal 2 and the newly opened Al Maktoum International- Dubai World Central (DWC).</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Distributed by AP on behalf of flydubai.</span></div> </div>

flydubai participates in Dubai Tourism’s first-ever East Africa roadshow

Dubai-based airlin e flydubai is participating in Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s (Dubai Tourism) first-ever Ea...

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London Protesters are cons Bidco says

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5iNRy6ZvYwhM03xlXdyj9l84GPoJ2c0WyDOtzQKlbBVOi67_I-t2E9VxSvowpBEa5s5NfslJ1omZhoxl0Q2WYUq0995gdvaCTJ1ym58FPHCdf8m-KMxjMUyviBnfYjk_thG1R54NZSRn/s1600/bidco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5iNRy6ZvYwhM03xlXdyj9l84GPoJ2c0WyDOtzQKlbBVOi67_I-t2E9VxSvowpBEa5s5NfslJ1omZhoxl0Q2WYUq0995gdvaCTJ1ym58FPHCdf8m-KMxjMUyviBnfYjk_thG1R54NZSRn/s640/bidco.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.bidcoafrica.com/">Bidco </a>Africa</span><span style="font-size: large;"> has said the protesters that picketed outside Standard Chartered and Barclays Banks in London on Tuesday are con artists trying to blackmail the company.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The company says it has been fighting an anonymous and faceless group of online con artists masquerading as activists for over a year.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The group has been harassing the company and its partners on social media and via email. It has also been staging fake protests in various locations.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The London Protests lack credibility according to the company. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">“These guys are just bodies for hire. If you watch the video the incredible thing is they cannot even get the company name right. They are protesting against 'Bisco' and 'Vamil Shah', that tells you all you need to know about these people,” CEO Vimal Shah explains.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">"At one point they asked for 500,000 USD to stop the harassment and we said no and so they have kept coming," he adds.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">"There is no activism here. We know who is behind it and what they hope the pressure will lead to but we will not buckle. We will not give in to extortion.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">"We also know they have been approaching PR agencies in Nairobi trying to recruit them to run a smear campaign against. We have this information."</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">KEPSA, the apex private sector body in Kenya received emails from the group but when they invited them to present evidence-no one showed up.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">"We asked them to come forward and prove their claims but have heard nothing from them since," the CEO Carole Kariuki says.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Bidco Africa insists the claims made by so called activists are outright lies and distortion of facts. The claims of deforestation are manifestly untrue.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">"No forests were taken in Uganda, there have been four independent Environmental Impact Assessments done and they all give the project a clean bill of health. On the question of land, out of 9000 hectares acquired for the project, there is only one dispute with one farmer who was a squatter on someone's land and the case is in court," Kodey Rao the Bidco Uganda Managing Director says ( The Uganda unit has different ownership and management from its Kenyan counterpart.)</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">"1750 farmers earned 1.5 Billion Ugandan Shillings last month, I wish someone could talk about that and how their lives have changed, the houses they have built, the cars they have bought and how they are taking their children to private universities," he adds.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">"Or the 44 Million USD that has gone into infrastructure on the island, the jobs, the tourism and the total economic transformation of the district. It used to be one of the poorest in the country, position 71 out of 76 and that is now one of the top ten in the country."</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">The company says its labour record is being misrepresented.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">"The pictures you see on social media are a big joke. There are 1800 employees at Bidco HQ - If they go on the streets to protest, everyone will know. It won't be 10 or 20 guys." Zipporah Mburu the executive in charge of Employee Welfare says.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">"It's annoying to see people who have never even set foot in Bidco purporting to represent our interests," Linus Muendo a union rep at the company says.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">"They know nothing about the company and how we live."</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Vimal Shah says the allegations of tax evasion the most saddening.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">“We are a proudly Kenyan company. We gladly pay on average about 70M USD a year in taxes and just because we have one dispute over the computation of one tax bill we are bad guys. The case is in court, why not let the courts decide?”</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">In the meantime the CEO says there are plenty of other things to talk about.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">“Talk about the 4,500 entrepreneurs who form our supply chain or the 12,000 plus farmers who have a guaranteed market for their farm produce. Or our investments in new industries and technologies.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">That’s what Bidco is really about.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Distributed by APO on behalf of Bidco Africa</span></div> </div>

London Protesters are cons Bidco says

Bidco Africa  has said the protesters that picketed outside Standard Chartered and Barclays Banks in London on Tuesday are con artists...

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Join Africa's first paid fellowship for content creators

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgju6DP0P3fn8JRhfsWJJi_ybCx6uOjmrXARrOaIZ6honSxHRgARcN9_dedGwJdayJ0TiyZLIF2a-9mVfkDq6JL3HZwY3P7JThTUuNWftg1sE4-7jTAauNbkTmeIHM1IBWm3VIxax-9K_BB/s1600/akoma.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgju6DP0P3fn8JRhfsWJJi_ybCx6uOjmrXARrOaIZ6honSxHRgARcN9_dedGwJdayJ0TiyZLIF2a-9mVfkDq6JL3HZwY3P7JThTUuNWftg1sE4-7jTAauNbkTmeIHM1IBWm3VIxax-9K_BB/s400/akoma.png" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">aKoma Media, a content platform and storytelling company focused on Africa, is pleased to announce the inaugural session of Amplify, a media and content creation program in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Amplify's mission is to develop a fellowship of young, dynamic multimedia content creators who will craft compelling stories about Africa. The Fellows will be immersed in a six-month holistic and individualized instruction program that starts to fill a much-needed media and storytelling talent pipeline in Africa, providing access to job opportunities. Fellows will receive a monthly stipend and digital hardware as part of their program benefits. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">aKoma CEO and co-founder, Zain Verjee is spearheading Amplify which will launch in Kigali (Rwanda), Lagos (Nigeria), and Nairobi (Kenya) in September 2016. "Amplify is a great platform to find and nurture talented Africans who want to create amazing content, acquire and develop creation skills, and distribute their work globally." The former CNN anchor adds that aKoma sees Amplify as an added weapon to "develop an exclusive network of multimedia storytellers who will be able to tell universal stories about Africa, and armed with the skills to work for major media outlets, freelance, or start their own storytelling shops." </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">For the inaugural class of Amplify Fellows, aKoma is seeking applications from talented individuals and creators in the written, photo and video content spaces. The 2016 program will be in Nairobi, Lagos and Kigali, so individuals in those cities are encouraged to apply. aKoma is looking for the most committed candidates who are up for a fun but challenging experience. The Fellowship selection process will be rigorous, and a total of only twenty-five Fellows will be chosen. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Founded by CNN alumni Zain Verjee and Chidi Afulezi, aKoma is an open source content platform and storytelling community where a combination of user generated and original content about Africa and its diaspora are created, published and shared with the world. With a mission of building Africa's content management system (CMS), the media company was developed with the long-term vision to become the center of a thriving ecosystem of Africa focused content and media services such as photo galleries, short, mid and long-form video, branded content, blogging tools and others, powered by aKoma's modern media stack that allows creators to build innovative creative products. Visit <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001PAAyXz2ci90c1woBVuD7a-8dRk3pyAnX_oTWnAph9jqiNUtQIbdn2OQWzV63v3J_m9G4xyFC8_5AjkEZE6e4xe7wd62vGoW8bUcXUWdWFIefIlgKVbwEhGwsQEnt3nyd1jH6WxUL8GDfS1UckMQIdVcL4irFq7EniReMhcET3zE=&c=7qKpceJa6mQsRYz893DsXazRlgM2SEfULYPujlVU9WQg0zI97uwAsw==&ch=JWrxLj6NQJnwwSBJbdzCTlSs3IHuVvi0ITLuXnT6x0ihthIBxMp3kQ==">aKomanet.com</a> for more information. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of aKoma Media.</span></div> </div>

Join Africa's first paid fellowship for content creators

aKoma Media, a content platform and storytelling company focused on Africa, is pleased to announce the inaugural session of Amplify, a m...

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Mining Indaba Appoints Harry Chapman Director of Content

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0p08fsRRzaE4lBCCBf6qKA_bBDeFgeQ_sIwJ7Wj5sYix0Qh-Pew0EgAGoU7rQ01Q2csVjr1Fg48Jd6CxOk6qsZK-3-7LvO7uXzXj1sQOHvSnROa8hE_cISS43Kp-sQ6MKvPCQI8UxzJxE/s1600/image001+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0p08fsRRzaE4lBCCBf6qKA_bBDeFgeQ_sIwJ7Wj5sYix0Qh-Pew0EgAGoU7rQ01Q2csVjr1Fg48Jd6CxOk6qsZK-3-7LvO7uXzXj1sQOHvSnROa8hE_cISS43Kp-sQ6MKvPCQI8UxzJxE/s400/image001+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Investing in African Mining <a href="http://apo.af/RCMXkp">Indaba®</a> , the world’s largest mining investment event, today announced the appointment of Harry Chapman as Director of Content. In this role he will oversee all content for the Mining Indaba and new mining investment events developed globally.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.miningindaba.com/">Harry joins </a>Mining Indaba having developed outstanding content for Metal Bulletin, Mines and Money/Aspermont and most recently Informa. He will be located in our London office and will work closely with our other directors on creating world class content for the mining community.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">“Harry is a veteran content leader with excellent experience in mining and metals. Adding his skills, relationships and content acumen to our team will allow the already strong content at Mining Indaba to reach even greater heights” said Jonathan Moore, Managing Director of Mining Indaba. </span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Moore went on to say. “A strong content leader is critically important to ensure that timely, cutting-edge topics are presented by the top industry leaders to Mining Indaba participants. This addition will allow us to further refine our offering and ensure that the most pressing issues facing investment in African mining is expertly covered.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Content has always been a core strength of the Mining Indaba and has helped to solidify its position as one of the most respected events in all of Africa.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: large;">“I'm pleased to be joining the Mining Indaba team, the global gathering of the industry that I have always seen as the world's leading mining investment event. I look forward to applying my content skills, sector knowledge, ideas and innovations to the event content and to make the onsite networking experience the best yet” says Chapman.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> </div>

Mining Indaba Appoints Harry Chapman Director of Content

Investing in African Mining Indaba® , the world’s largest mining investment event, today announced the appointment of Harry Chapman as ...

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