Growth of online retail driving DHL Africa eShop’s rapid success

Since its initial introduction in April of this year, the DHL Africa eShop (https://www.Africa-eShop.DHL/) app has seen its user base grow rapidly, and within the first three months of operation, it had already been rolled out to 20 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). DHL Express (https://www.DHL.com) announced this week that the innovative mobile and desktop platform is now available in 14 additional countries across the region. This increases the platform’s reach to 34 countries across SSA.

Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa, says that user uptake on the DHL Africa eShop app has been remarkable over the last five months, not only from the number of downloads, but just as importantly, from an order perspective. This is why we’re excited to launch DHL Africa eShop in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Sudan, and Togo.

“DHL adopted a phased approach for the rollout of the platform on the continent, with the initial launch implemented in 11 countries to test the market’s reaction. Within the first seven weeks, the response from the consumer market was so impressive, that the second phase was initiated – which added 9 more countries to the list. Now we are once again able to build on that momentum, with the biggest single rollout phase so far.”

The DHL Africa eShop app offers African consumers unprecedented access to international retailers on an easy-to-use platform, with great convenience and speed. It also enables many global brands to connect with a captive African market. The DHL Africa eShop enables African customers to shop directly from over 200 US- and UK-based online retailers, with purchases delivered to their door, by DHL Express. This solution was developed in partnership with Link Commerce – a division of Mall for Africa.

He adds that while Africa’s ecommerce market is still lagging behind the rest of the globe in terms of annual turnover, it may well make significant strides to catching up in the near future. “A report by Statista reveals that e-commerce in Africa was valued at $16.5 billion in 2017. McKinsey adds to this calculation by predicting that this value could potentially reach $75 billion by 2025.”

As the global leader in express logistics, DHL is well positioned to connect African consumers with these exciting global brands. “We are committed to driving e-commerce growth on the continent for etailers as they work to expose their brands to international markets and also for consumers, who want easy access to global brands,” concludes Heymans.

DHL is celebrating the launch of the new countries with a promotion of $20 flat rate shipping for up to 5 items from over 100 US/UK selected sites to all DHL Africa eShop countries. The promotion is limited to Clothing and Accessory items only, and buyers need to use coupon code CELEBRATE when completing their order.

Nokia 8 takes its first bite of Oreo™

Nairobi, Kenya 29 November 2017 - HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, is excited to announce that Android™ 8.0 Oreo™ is now available for the Nokia 8. If you own a Nokia 8, you can enjoy a truly pure and secure version of Android Oreo, packed with the latest features to make content creation and sharing even more fun. 

Patrick Henchie – Head of Product, Sub-Sahara Africa, said:

“We’re proud to deliver our pure and secure take of Android 8.0 Oreo on the Nokia 8. We always want to give our fans the best possible Android experience. That’s why we’ve taken the time to test, optimize and refine the platform.

“Working together with our fans under our newly setup up Nokia phones beta labs, we’ve created a pure version of this highly anticipated mobile platform, delivering all the exciting new features with none of the unnecessary clutter paired with great performance and even better battery life. Android 8.0 Oreo is packed with new features that make communicating, creating, gaming and exploring even more fun.”

Always pure, secure and up-to-date Android experience

Nokia 8 delivers a pure version of Android 8.0 Oreo with no skins and no changes in the user interface. And with no pre-installed apps you don’t need or hidden processes that eat up battery life, it guarantees a snappy experience every time you pick up your smartphone. Monthly security updates come as standard to keep your smartphone safe, and give you real peace of mind in the palm of your hand.

Super powers that give you the best real-life experiences

Android 8.0 Oreo update on Nokia 8 enables fans to enjoy new features that will enhance their day-to-day experiences with none of the gimmicks:

-          Picture-in-Picture mode gives you the power to multi-task while processing power of Nokia 8 ensures the smooth operation of even the most demanding apps. Watch a YouTube clip while catching up with friends or check your bank balance while ordering from Amazon – the Nokia 8 processor ensures smooth operation.

-          No unnecessary apps come pre-installed on Nokia 8 and with Android Instant Apps, you can de-clutter your software even further. Just go to the supported link on Chrome and you’ll be able to use new apps without having to install them. Google Play Protect works to keep your device and data safe from misbehaving apps by scanning over 50 billion apps per day, even the ones you haven't installed yet.

-          Smart software helps the Nokia 8 power up even faster, letting you create content quicker than ever as moments unfold in front of you. Exclusive to Nokia smartphones, Dual-Sight™ mode means you can also stream your reaction to events on social media in real time, using both the front and back cameras simultaneously.

-          Android Oreo smart features limit background activity on the apps you use least, maximising battery life so your Nokia 8 will be ready for action when you are.

-          Because Nokia 8 stands for self-expression through content creation, fans can now visualise their emotions better than ever before thanks to the fully redesigned set of emojis on Android 8.0 Oreo – more than 60 of them being brand new!

Your Nokia 8 will automatically update with Android Oreo. You will receive a notification on your smartphone when it becomes available in your country.

Android Oreo will be coming soon to other Nokia smartphones, stay tuned for updates.

National Bank bets big on mobile banking services to spur growth

Nairobi, October 19^th 2017:- National Bank is revamping its mobile banking services as it seeks to expand its retail banking business, the Bank’s Managing Director Wilfred Musau has said.  

Effectively, the Bank has upgraded its mobile banking capabilities to include new service offerings backed by enhanced safety. 

The app, NatMobile, now allows users to conveniently access an array of services via their mobile phones as it opens new opportunities for the bank to grow new revenue streams by deepening its digital banking offerings.

“Our customers want efficient and convenient ways to bank at their fingertips. With this app, we can more easily offer our customers the banking products and services they need to help them reach their financial goals and at the same time offers the Bank the opportunity to grow revenue streams," National Bank Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Wilfred Musau said.

The new mobile banking platform can be accessed through the Bank’s USSD code *625# or the mobile app. All transactions are authenticated by an OTP (One Time Pin) validation through customers’ registered phone numbers.

The services available on the new NatMobile includes account to account & account to mobile transfers, Mvisa, Pesalink, forex rate information, statement requests and applications for cheque books and cards. Other services available are school fees payments, Credit Card statements, NHIF contributions, and Kenya power utility payments.

The bank is also working to expand its mobile banking offering to include the mobile lending service to enable customers’ access financial facilities easily. It also provides additional widgets like Currency converter and loan calculator.

Part of digital transformation

The move to revamp the mobile banking offerings is part of the Bank’s digital transformation agenda which is expected to help the Bank leverage on technology to improve customer experience via self-services, improve efficiency in processing customer transactions, control cost, manage operational and market risk as well as adopt best practices in organizational performance.

“National Bank continues to embrace innovation while driving a digital bank agenda as a way of increasing efficiency in service delivery and driving financial inclusion. Our goal is to become the go-to digital bank and we are therefore excited over our unique mobile banking solutions, which offer versatility to our customers,” he said.

Over half of the Bank’s customers have already registered to use the NatMobile Banking platform and do an average of 6000 transactions per day.

Jumia Travel Launches “Travel Wednesday"

This comes as a successor to the recently celebrated Black Friday, seeking to extend travel bargains throughout the season.

Nairobi, 20th December, 2016 – Following the successful 2016 Black Friday campaign, Jumia Travel has launched a campaign dubbed “Travel Wednesday” running every Wednesday to Friday on the company’s official website. The campaign’s main objective is to carry on readily negotiated rates referred to as “Dream Deals” with the aim of encouraging and facilitating travel through the year.

With 2017 having been designated as the “Year of Sustainable Travel” at the United Nations 70th General Assembly, one of the major goals for industry players will be to draw policies that contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic growth throughout the seasons in the tourism circuit.

While initially a maximum of 8 hotel deals will run during the promotion, they will in the coming days be increased to a total of 12 deals running until every Wednesday and Friday. “This is designed to meet our customers’ demand to have access to affordable travel options through Jumia Travel. Following the impressive public response on Black Friday, we want to create a new appointment for all travellers, an opportunity to get more deals that we have negotiated with thousands of hotels across Africa,” noted Paul Midy, CEO of Jumia Travel.

The deals have been launched in African countries where the company has been on the forefront in providing accommodation and travel packages within the means of most travelers. They include Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Senegal, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Algeria.

As in the case of Black Friday, the Dream Deals will also be co-marketed across all Jumia ecosystem in the countries they operate in. “More than 25% of our Black Friday bookings came from the Jumia ecosystem. Thus, it is vital to continue working closely with our sister companies to increase the traffic of the customer, as this was the main objective of the rebranding” added Midy.

Other channels through which the Dream Deals will be run include Jumia Travel’s social media pages, newsletters, and SMSs among others 

Ways Technology-inspired Trends Have Shaped the Travel Sector

Different sectors have experienced the reign of technological innovations in different ways, but perhaps it’s the travel sector that has gained more than any other. From search, to bookings, transport, payment, in-room entertainment and even itineraries; the sector continues to enjoy fresh discoveries that would have been passed as wishes not so long ago. Here are five of the current tech-inspired trends taking over the travel and tourism sector.

Rise of the DIY Traveler

The do-it-yourself customer is definitely on the rise. This trend is catapulted by technology, and a tech-savvy Millennial community that seem to prefer clicking to speaking. Travelers are becoming more and more independent, aided by technology that virtually covers all aspects of travel. It’s however important for travel companies to be careful not to lose their human touch, which possibly will be the only thing separating them from a myriad others offering similar service.

Multi-device operations

Cross-device use during the search and booking process has become the norm more than the exception. Travelers now rely on desktop, tablets, and smartphones to aid in their decision making process. For instance, a study by travel.jumia.com on internal booking trends reveals that, while short stay customers will have no qualms going through the whole process of pre-search and actual booking on a mobile devise, long stay customers are more likely to take their research on a desktop device (bigger screen), while completing their payments via mobile option. The use of cross-device while booking is also supported by the rise in smartphone penetration, mobile payment options and the characteristic convenience book-as-you-go.

Wearable Technology

Wearable technology is basically pieces of hi-tec solutions that you literally wear around your sleeve, neck, wrist, eyes and the like. The most common of this is perhaps the smartwatch and Google Glass. This advancement in technology allows travelers to perform digital tasks without reaching for their smartphones therefore enriching the whole experience and adventure. It’s now common to spot wrist bands that double up as storage gadgets, bracelets that can monitor heart rate and body activity as well as the futuristic forecast of smart shoes supposed to guide travelers in new cities.

Trending: The Sharing economy

The emergence of ride sharing services, accommodation and even workspace is a high impact trend in the travel sector. Travelers now have the option of booking a hotel, or lodging up with locals who give up some of their extra space to accommodate a ‘stranger’ at an agreed fee. The idea of airbnb.com, couchsurfing.com, Uber ride share and such are great examples of this rapidly rising trend. Travelers also find it useful to pop into shared workspaces that allow per day usage fee if they want to work while on the road. Away from that, it’s now common to find online travel communities formed by members looking to cut on costs by traveling together or taking advantage of group fees.

The Mobile-first Market

Mobile has become the first point of online contact for the larger fraction of the traveling population. It’s convenience also gives a boost to the rising prevalence of mobile bookings. Therefore, adoption of mobile apps by travel companies is vital for both marketing and positioning purposes. Booking apps should be designed with an impressive user experience to enable a hassle-free process when accessing and navigating a company’s website.