Open Africa Innovation Summit

DEVELOPING AN INNOVATIVE ECOSYTEM IN AFRICA

The First-Ever Open Innovation Africa Summit (OIAS) (Press Release)

Naivasha, Kenya:  November 29, 2010… Will Africa be the next global success story in innovation? This is the question that over 200 selected thought leaders from 25 countries across the world are gathered in Kenya’s Rift Valley to address. The aim of the first-ever Open Innovation Africa Summit (OIAS) is to stimulate critical thinking about the role of innovation in sustainable socio-economic development and to contribute to creating a conducive environment for innovative entrepreneurial activity in Africa. The Summit intends to generate actionable ideas and recommendations for the gathered public policy specialists, researchers, entrepreneurs, ICT experts and financiers to take forward in their respective contexts for positive social impact.

The Summit is designed as a unique, three-day dialogue of critical minds and change agents intended to contribute to external dialogue and action on social innovation at the bottom of the economic pyramid. So far, delegates have identified a number of key issues for in-depth discussion including the need to create sustainable systems in the knowledge economy, heightened focus on research and development capacity building, and the role of broader local, regional and international partnerships among all stakeholders as basic steps to catalyze new, demand-driven innovations to improve the quality of life in Africa. Delegates have also highlighted the role of government in creating an enabling environment to foster innovation, ensuring continuity and predictability at the public institution level for continued knowledge development.

Technology Platforms: leveraging technology to deliver public and private services to the underserved is one of the key themes for discussion at the Summit. This dialogue will be taking place alongside three others on:

• African Innovation Ecosystem: enabling innovation for sustainable socio-economic development
• Emerging Business Models for Serving the Poor: building African success stories
• Human Capital – Education for All: developing skills using technology

Considering that Africa has the highest penetration growth rate for mobile phones in the world, the role of mobile technology in building an information ecosystem will also be central in discussions at the Summit.

Currently, many countries in Africa are enjoying improved economic growth with some countries achieving as much as 12% GDP growth annually. There is increased investment and an increasingly attractive business environment. The completion and operation of many submarine fibre optic cables linking Africa to the rest of the world has made more bandwidth available at significantly reduced prices making information more accessible to many more people. This also presents a valuable opportunity for young people to be heard and participate in development through information and ideas-sharing and entrepreneurship.

Still, some key considerations remain in order to achieve a robust information society and knowledge economy; content and human capital issues need to be addressed. Ensuring an enabling environment is pivotal to harnessing the power of innovations and developing a culture of technological entrepreneurship. Africa must also harness the immense human capital that it boasts. This is another key discussion point for the Summit. In many ways, the situation in this area is grim – currently, 32 million children in Africa are out of school and 59% will never get the chance to enrol. Africa needs about 2.4 million teachers by 2015 and there is need to bridge the huge teachers’ training gap through innovative learning methods. This is in keeping with the global “Education for All” goals.

Innovation entrepreneurship in Africa can flourish where there is emphasis on monitoring, evaluation and learning and the roles of the various players are recognised.

Delegates are expected to put forward proposals on “making it easy for innovators to get into the ecosystem” and sustainable market enterprises that offer social solutions.

DEVELOPING AN INNOVATIVE ECOSYTEM IN AFRICA

The First-Ever Open Innovation Africa Summit (OIAS)

Naivasha, Kenya:  November 29, 2010… Will Africa be the next global success story in innovation? This is the question that over 200 selected thought leaders from 25 countries across the world are gathered in Kenya’s Rift Valley to address. The aim of the first-ever Open Innovation Africa Summit (OIAS) is to stimulate critical thinking about the role of innovation in sustainable socio-economic development and to contribute to creating a conducive environment for innovative entrepreneurial activity in Africa. The Summit intends to generate actionable ideas and recommendations for the gathered public policy specialists, researchers, entrepreneurs, ICT experts and financiers to take forward in their respective contexts for positive social impact.

The Summit is designed as a unique, three-day dialogue of critical minds and change agents intended to contribute to external dialogue and action on social innovation at the bottom of the economic pyramid. So far, delegates have identified a number of key issues for in-depth discussion including the need to create sustainable systems in the knowledge economy, heightened focus on research and development capacity building, and the role of broader local, regional and international partnerships among all stakeholders as basic steps to catalyze new, demand-driven innovations to improve the quality of life in Africa. Delegates have also highlighted the role of government in creating an enabling environment to foster innovation, ensuring continuity and predictability at the public institution level for continued knowledge development.

Technology Platforms: leveraging technology to deliver public and private services to the underserved is one of the key themes for discussion at the Summit. This dialogue will be taking place alongside three others on:

• African Innovation Ecosystem: enabling innovation for sustainable socio-economic development
• Emerging Business Models for Serving the Poor: building African success stories
• Human Capital – Education for All: developing skills using technology

Considering that Africa has the highest penetration growth rate for mobile phones in the world, the role of mobile technology in building an information ecosystem will also be central in discussions at the Summit.

Currently, many countries in Africa are enjoying improved economic growth with some countries achieving as much as 12% GDP growth annually. There is increased investment and an increasingly attractive business environment. The completion and operation of many submarine fibre optic cables linking Africa to the rest of the world has made more bandwidth available at significantly reduced prices making information more accessible to many more people. This also presents a valuable opportunity for young people to be heard and participate in development through information and ideas-sharing and entrepreneurship.

Still, some key considerations remain in order to achieve a robust information society and knowledge economy; content and human capital issues need to be addressed. Ensuring an enabling environment is pivotal to harnessing the power of innovations and developing a culture of technological entrepreneurship. Africa must also harness the immense human capital that it boasts. This is another key discussion point for the Summit. In many ways, the situation in this area is grim – currently, 32 million children in Africa are out of school and 59% will never get the chance to enrol. Africa needs about 2.4 million teachers by 2015 and there is need to bridge the huge teachers’ training gap through innovative learning methods. This is in keeping with the global “Education for All” goals.

Innovation entrepreneurship in Africa can flourish where there is emphasis on monitoring, evaluation and learning and the roles of the various players are recognised.

Delegates are expected to put forward proposals on “making it easy for innovators to get into the ecosystem” and sustainable market enterprises that offer social solutions.

                                                 

  

                                                 

  

Nokia Ovi Learning Apps

Nokia’s Ovi Store offers great apps for learning

Nairobi, Kenya, 25 November 2010: Nokia’s Ovi Store is enhancing learning possibilities for Kenyans by expanding their knowledge through a set of applications on the Ovi Store that enables them to improve their know-how. With more young Kenyans in educational institutions and workplaces willing to learn more on mobile phone, Nokia is offering a great opportunity to meet the growing demand in content.


Dorothy Ooko, Communications Manager East & Southern Africa says the growth in the number of applications by Kenyan developers is poised to broaden relevant content for Kenyans in various areas in which Nokia users can access even more localized information.

“The mobile phone has proven to be the most popular way to access the internet in Kenya and Nokia is proud to be empowering its’ users with these apps for learning,” said Ms Ooko.


Ms Ooko said the number of apps on Nokia’s Ovi Store have grown by 1400 percent to reach 30 from April to October 2010, indicating new interest and growth of the developers’ community. She added that the Ovi Store has potential to reach over 60 million Nokia devices users globally, and is expected to reach up to 300 million consumers by 2012. This will make it the world’s largest media network.

“Downloads on Ovi Store are on a strong rise driven by new applications and games from a growing number of partners and more than 250,000 new consumers signing up for Ovi every day. We have a fast-growing number of Kenyans downloading these apps, in keeping with the global trend. We see this growth expanding even more especially in education and entertainment as we head to the festivities,” said Ms Ooko.


Last week, Nokia announced that Ovi Store has reached 3 million downloads per day and 92 developers each topped the 1 million download mark. Additionally, Nokia is gaining significant software developer momentum, with more than 400,000 new developers joining Forum Nokia in the past 12 months.


Some of the notable education apps in the Ovi Store include;


Dictionary  Translation Pro

Dictionary ; Translation Pro offers easy one-touch access to an extensive online English dictionary, thesaurus, and translation service supporting a wide set of languages including Hindi, Arabic, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and many more. The online dictionary features nearly two million words and is constantly updated by a community of language professionals. With Dictionary and Translation Pro you will never be lost for words.


Language Coach

Want to learn English words the easy way? Have fun with Language Coach while you learn common English words. Track your score and see how youre improving your skills.



Learn Science

Learn Science make your children be aware of basic science around him/her. This will make children to learn and experiment with science


IQ Lite

There is a scientifically proven method to increase the IQ. This application contains a brain training exercise known as a Dual N-Back task. According to Swiss researchers, it increases your intelligence in 19 days. The articles about this exercise were published in both scientific and popular journals. Lite version: only the easiest level. The full version is not free, but it could be viewed as an investment as IQ and income are correlated.


Multi Translate

Multi Translate enables you translate words and sentences confidently & easily by Google Translate. How to use? Select input language and target language, then input your original content, then the app will send the request via Internet connection smoothly, it's this easy! You can set it in homescreen widget or short cut icon for easy access.


Amazing Facts

This application is all about the most amazing crazy fascinating facts and interesting stories about people places history and things.


PhraseBook 18 in 1 Lite

PhraseBook turns your phone into your own personal interpreter, which lets you communicate with the locals without any previous language skills. The following source languages are available for selection: English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian, Polish, Spanish, Slovakian, Hungarian, Greek, Turkish, Czech.


About Nokia

At Nokia, we are committed to connecting people. We combine advanced technology with personalized services that enable people to stay close to what matters to them. Every day, 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia device – from mobile phones to advanced smartphones and high-performance mobile computers. Today, Nokia is integrating its devices with innovative services through Ovi (www.ovi.com), including music, maps, apps, email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, while Nokia Siemens Networks provides equipment, services and solutions for communications networks globally.


For further press information, please contact

Dorothy Ooko -Nokia or David Kimondo- Hill & Knowlton

Chase Bank Enablis Business Launchpad Competition Winners Unveilled

NEW CROP OF ENTREPRENEURS EMERGE AS CHASE BANK ENABLIS BUSINESS LAUNCHPAD COMPETITION UNVEIL THE WINNERS

 (Press Release)

Nairobi, Monday 22^nd  2010: The winners of this year’s Chase Bank Enablis Business LaunchPad Competition were announced at a gala event held at Michael Joseph Centre, Safaricom Headquarters.

 

Pauline Stella Onyango emerged the overall winner after impressing the judges with her elaborate business plan. Pauline runs Stella Gym and Fitness centre in Kisumu and she attributes her winning to her strong visibility study she did before starting her business in 2009. The study helped deliver unique services to her customers as compared to her competitors. “I am so excited today because I know my business is on the right track. Winning the competition has come at the best time because I intend to expand by business to other parts of the region, said Pauline. She also emerged winner in the tourism and logistics category.

 

Kombani Kinyanjui emerged the best in Marketing and communication category and was the 1^st runner up over all. He develops plastic identification cards for institutions e.g. schools, colleges and corporate companies. “This was a last minute entry but I am very happy that we emerged winners in our category. I have gained a lot from the training we have been given and I will use it to expand my business,” said Kinyanjui.

 

Other winners include Clifford Kimani Mwanja who emerged winner in the Agri Business category. He rears rabbits and involves the community in the farm which he intends to expand to other regions. “Rabbits are very simple too keep. I want to set up the biggest Rabbit farm in East Africa Region,” said Kimani.  He also won Ksh 500,000 in this category.

 

Lorna Ruto who runs a plastics recycling business emerged the winner in the Green and Ecological sector. She recycles plastics to create building materials e.g. poles, boards etc. She also won Ksh 500,000.  “1 want to change the world!  Specifically I want to fence all the national parks using these recycled poles,” Said Lorna

 

The competition attracted over 300 entries, from different sectors including Agribusiness, Green and Ecological sector, Media marketing and communication, IT among others.  The entries were received after two month of countrywide training by Inoorero University where the University offered the entrepreneurs a series of training sessions on key areas that need to be addressed when preparing a successful business plan. The participants were provided with a solid base of knowledge in core areas, such as Financial Management, Business strategy, Marketing, Human Resources and Legal aspects of a business. The training sessions also provided participants with hands–on experience and perspectives from business people on entrepreneurship and business start up.

 

“The annual competition is a driver for wealth and employment creation for Kenya as it stimulates an entrepreneurial culture in Kenya, providing inspiration and support to entrepreneurs in setting up their businesses, said Moses Mwaura, Regional Manager Enablis East Africa, adding that “we are very encouraged by the enthusiasm of the Kenyan youth, who want to venture in entrepreneurship. As Enablis, we believe that the business plan competition has opened avenues for more youth to contribute to the economy meaningfully.”

 

This year’s competition showed interesting emerging trends in the entrepreneurship field with the green and ecological business plans recording a high interest compared to last year’s competition. The sector contributed 17% of total 100 shortlisted.  However, Agri business had the highest entries, at 27% of the total 1oo shortlisted.  The business and professional services and ICT also generated a lot of interest especially noting that majority of the businesses demonstrated a way of incorporating technology in their businesses.

 

“We have seen increased interest in green and ecological business which many entrepreneurs now see as new field to exploit for business, and we also noted that most of the business plans submitted are start ups,” said Mr. Mwaura.

 

Youth dominated the competition with 47% of total shortlisted entrepreneurs being in the 26-35 bracket with another 29% being in the age group between 18 years and 25 years.  All parts of the country were well represented, but the majority of the finalists come from Nairobi County with 35%.

 

“The SME Market is a growing and vibrant sector with a lot of untapped potential. As a financial partner we have allocated resources as well as a strong team to grow our SME business and ensure that we take our entrepreneurs to the next level. As the SME Bank, our Bank’s core target is the SME owner who we strongly believe is the driver of this country’s economy. We are therefore proud to partner with Enablis to empower our entrepreneurs to enable them make sound business decisions,” mentioned Mr. Duncan Kabui, Chief Executive Officer, Chase Bank.

The competition is an initiative of Enablis Entrepreneurial Network East Africa, in conjunction with Chase Bank, Safaricom Foundation, East African Cables, Access Kenya, Africa Commission, Business Daily, ICT Board and Inoorero University.

For more information on the submission of business plans, call Joan Wekesa on 4454440/1/2 or 0722282253 visit our website www.businesslaunchpad.info

Winners’ contacts

1. Pauline-Stella Anyango Opondo - 0701-839073, stesh24@yahoo.com

    - Overall BPC winner

    - Winner, tourism and logistics category

 

2. Kinyanjui Kombani - 0722-970148, oldgoldsolutions@gmail.com

    - Winner, Business and Professional Services category

    - 1^st runners up (best overall business plan)

3. Lorna Rutto - 0721-953768, cherrychesh@yahoo.com

    - Winner, Green and Ecological category

    - 2^nd runners up (best overall business plan)

4. Clifford Kimani Mwenja - 0721-792220, cliffkimani@gmail.com

   - Winner, Agribusiness category

   - Youngest entrepreneur award   

5. Victor Ooroh Rasugu  - 0724-460009/0733-130340, victor.rasugu@gmail.com

    Winner, Manufacturing and Construction category

6. Richard N. Kimani -  0722-979545, mwalimu@vlckenya.com

    Winner, ICT category

ENABLIS FUNDS FIRST ENTREPRENEUR IN KENYA

Nairobi, Kenya, 17 November 2010 – Enablis Entrepreneurial Network East Africa today announced the first loan disbursement of KES 20 Million to a Kenyan entrepreneur through its Loan Guarantee Program with Chase Bank.

Speaking of the occasion, Enablis Africa CEO, Sally Moodley said, “This is another critical milestone for the Enablis network of more than 1,000 entrepreneurs in Africa. Our Enablis entrepreneurs in Kenya are now able to access loans from Chase Bank with Enablis providing the necessary guarantee, in partnership with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), that allows the Bank to consider the entrepreneurs’ applications favorably.”

Enablis, a public-private partnership, operates at the grass-roots level and is dedicated to delivering to its member entrepreneurs key business enablers like capacity building support, business management training, mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to finance. Enablis loan funding partners in East Africa include Chase Bank in Kenya and National Microfinance Bank PLC (NMB) in Tanzania.

Enablis member Athanas Matheka, the entrepreneur recipient of this KES 20 Million loan, is the owner of Greenforest Foods Ltd (GFL). GFL deals in refining, bottling and marketing of high quality pure natural honey. Greenforest Honey is a leading brand sold through all the major supermarket chains.

The funding will be used for expansion of the business into processing and marketing of edible nuts, and growth of the honey market regionally. While receiving the funds, Mr. Matheka said,

“With this facility, I will expand my business and create direct employment through additional staff, and indirect employment for the farmers and other suppliers from whom I will source materials. Clearly, access to this level of funding made possible by the Enablis guarantee and the Chase Bank facility will transform my business and contribute to poverty alleviation. I am extremely thankful to Enablis and the Government of Canada who made all this

possible and to Chase Bank for a wonderful new relationship.”

Moses Mwaura, Regional Director, Enablis East Africa, commented, “This Loan Guarantee Program gives us the ability to fulfill our mandate of providing support to entrepreneurs in all spheres of their businesses. It also allows us to make a substantial difference to the sustainability of Kenyan entrepreneurs in terms of skills development, networking opportunities and finally access to finance.”

BANK OF AFRICA PRE TAX PROFIT GROWS BY 105 PERCENT

BANK OF AFRICA PRE TAX PROFIT GROWS BY 105 PERCENT

…as customer deposits hit the Ksh. 18 billion mark

Nairobi, Wednesday 17^th November 2010: Bank of Africa Kenya (“BOA”) has reported a pre-tax profit of Kshs 280.2million for the nine months ending September 2010, representing a growth of 105 percent compared to the Kshs. 136.4 million reported for the same period last year.

“This year, we have seen tremendous growth in customer deposits and the loan book. This has greatly contributed to the good financial results we have recorded throughout the year,” said Mr Kwame Ahadzi, Managing Director, Bank of Africa.  

The bank has grown its total assets from Kshs.15.0 billion in September 2009 to Kshs. 24.6 billion in September 2010.

“Last year, we embarked on an aggressive branch expansion campaign, with the primary aim of taking banking services closer to the people. , We have opened four branches this year which has increased our asset base and greatly contributed to increased customer deposits which has grown from Kshs.10.9 billion in September 2009 to Kshs. 18.3 billion in September 2010, representing a 67 percent growth,” said Kwame.

The bank’s loan book stands at Kshs. 12.4 billion as at September 2010 as compared to Kshs. 7.8 billion recorded in the same period last year, representing a 58.9 percent growth.

Furthermore, the bank’s total interest income rose by 54 percent from Kshs 808.9 million to Kshs 1.2 billion during the same period in review, while its total operating income increased by 53 percent to reach Kshs 1.1 billion compared to Kshs. 727million in the same period last year.

“We anticipate positive full year financial results and we plan to develop more products and packages to target different market segments to ensure more Kenyans can access affordable financial services. Some of the products being developed will target athletes, health service practitioners and other selected sectors,” said Kwame. 

As a group, which covers Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, pre-tax profit rose by 62 percent, to Ksh. 380.8 million from Ksh 234.1 million with total assets grew from Kshs. 22.9 billion to Kshs. 33.5 billion.

…Ends…

About Bank of Africa

BANK OF AFRICA KENYA LIMITED is an all public bank which started operations in Kenya in July 2004 after taking over the banking business of Banque Credit Agricole Indosuez, which had operated with only two branches in Nairobi and Mombasa for over 20 years.. Today, BOA-Kenya has 13 branches in Kenya spread over the major towns. 

The bank is a member of the GROUP BANK OF AFRICA which is well established in 12 countries in Africa namely: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda. The Bank of Africa Group also has operations in France.

For more information please contact:

Mumbi Keega                                                       or                            Tom Kiuna

Account Manager                                                                                Marketing Manager            

Hill & Knowlton                                                                                    Bank of Africa Kenya

Tel. 4454461/0722865957                                                                               211175, 210546

Email: Mumbi.Keega@hillandknowlton.co.ke                                tom.kiuna@boakenya.com

Google Hotpot Search Review

It is openly manifest that Google is faced with an uphill task with the rise of social media websites such as Facebook and Foursquare. Google Hotpot ,Google's recently launched new service is an indication of its struggle to remain relevant in a rapidly changing market where search is not the prime commodity.

Google Hotpot smartens up local search by allowing users to recommend and rate places and locations.It introduces a social sharing element whereby users within a community can be able to see ones ratings and reviews.

Hotpot Recommendation Engine monitors ones online behavioral habits with respects to location searches and offers customized suggestion of places one may find useful.One can use Google Hotpot to check in to a location.The algorithm in use also monitors friends like in order to come up with a like minded suggestion.Google "hotspot" sic {hotpot} allows users to create an entirely separate  account from their Google or Gmail account in order to enable users have control on how their recommendations appear online to the public.

Will Google Hotpot remain relevant and prove successful?A wait and see approach seems to be the best option at the moment  but since the service seems to imitate the likes of already established and rapidly expanding Foursquare, i would not bet on it but the reality is that  its us the users who will determine that !
 (see screenshot below)

DealFish.Co.Ke Website

DealFish.co.ke is a brand new Kenyan classifieds website.The DealFish site makes it easy for members within a community to buy, sell, rent and find products and services as part of a like-minded community.The website lists a wide array of items and services  from property to jobs to second hand goods - all in one place! 

 The user friendly  E-Commerce platform enables one to find the best deals on accessories, clothings, cars...etc. It also enables users to trade off items that they no longer use.DealFish.Co.Ke also has a Facebook page where users can get the latest information on the portal. DealFish has a presence in the following African Countries:

•  South Africa
• Cameroon ,
• Cote d’Ivoire ,  
• Ghana ,  
• Tanzania ,
• Nigeria ,  
• RDC ,  
• Uganda

DealFish is run by MIH Internet Africa, a division of the Naspers group.

Safaricom New Advert "Niko Na Safaricom"

Many Kenyans are finding the new Safaricom  television advert impressive. It goes without mention that the filming of the advert must have cost the leading mobile telecommunication industry player quite some money.The  costly advert features   the majestic hills at  Suguta Valley south of Lake Turkana , the Longonot Crater  among other mountains and scenic locations of Kenya with a Safaricom choir singing an emotive and captivating themed song "Niko Na Safaricom " sang by a live choir .(See YouTube Video Below)



The remarkable cinematography behind the advert has raised eyebrows and upped the game a notch higher in the marketing ,advertisement and filmography industry in Kenya.Especially coming hot on the heels of a massive marketing campaign and price war mounted by newly acquired Bharti Airtels " Zain" mobile phone operator. With over 16 Million Subscribers Safaricom aims to retain its leading market share and evoke loyalty from its consumers.Thus the loyalty inducing theme"Niko Na Safaricom. Question is will the marketing campaign prove successful without substantive changes in the pricing structure and quality of services ?(the network often proves to be clogged during peak hours especially during Friday afternoons).


The  appeal of the advert was the gist of a discussion in a popular radio show this morning with much accolades being given to it.However in the online socialsphere the conversation is slightly different from accolades such as seen in the blogpost by TechMtaa   to Facebook conversations as to whether the advert was an original concept or in "kind words" a borrowing of  OR rather a remake of the Qantas :Spirit of Australia Advert (YouTube Video below):



I found this to be quite interesting .Seems Kenyans are so well informed nowadays,again this illustrates why the Big Brands ought to  monitor the social-sphere  for meaningful conversations developing around their brands .But without much ado , the advert perhaps is one of the finest and captivating Kenya has seen in the recent past.