Are social impact innovations distracting Kenya from real business? Published by Dinfin Mulupi on 5 April 2012 Is there too much emphasis on social impact rather than building real tech businesses? Can Kenya build a Microsoft, Apple or Yahoo?
Microsoft head speaks about IT in west and central Africa Published by Richard Miles on 3 April 2012 “Today we are lagging behind, but in the next couple years as the internet revolution becomes a reality, I think this gap will be closed very quickly.”
The JSE Africa Board – a failed project or what? Published by Imara Africa Securities team on 3 April 2012 Business news headlines today have it that the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) will be scrapping its separate board for sub-Saharan African companies, after a three-year programme that was largely met with lacklustre demand from African firms.
‘In 10 years Kenya will have a substantial number of IT millionaires’ Published by Dinfin Mulupi on 2 April 2012 Dinfin Mulupi talks to Nikolai Barnwell, Head of Operations at 88mph, an investment fund specialising in seed funding for the east African mobile and web market.
Student accommodation in Nigeria – an opportunity for investors Published by Femi Adewunmi on 1 April 2012 Opportunities are opening-up for the private sector in the development and maintenance of student accommodation in Nigeria.
The end of the ‘fertiliser mafia’ and a new dawn for Nigerian agriculture Published by Femi Adewunmi on 30 March 2012 “The agriculture ministry … has tended to be controlled by what we refer to as the fertiliser mafia.”
Kenya’s luxury property market records highest growth globally in 2011 Published by Claude Harding on 29 March 2012 Kenya’s luxury real estate saw the greatest price increase globally according to Knight Frank’s Prime International Residential Index.
Breaking news: Oil discovered in Kenya Published by Claude Harding on 26 March 2012 UK-based Tullow Oil today announced that it has found oil in Kenya.
Wal-Mart shouldn’t expect an easy ride in Africa Published by Imara Africa Securities team on 23 March 2012 While Wal-Mart has not revealed its strategy on how it aims to grow its market share in the high growth developing markets of Africa, we think it will require careful scrutiny given the dynamism of the African consumer.
Watch out M-Pesa. The sudden rise of Tangaza Published by Dinfin Mulupi on 23 March 2012 Dinfin Mulupi talks to Oscar Ikinu, co-founder of Kenya’s fast-growing mobile money platform Tangaza.
Private equity firm sees opportunity in South Sudan agriculture Published by Claude Harding on 22 March 2012 “Africa is long on opportunities, but short of capital and short of experienced general partners.”
Will Konza City become Kenya’s Silicon Valley? Published by Gabe Joselow on 20 March 2012 It is hard to escape the images of “Konza City” in Kenya. Advertisements promoting the future high-tech hub, or “technopolis,” appear daily in the country’s newspapers and show regularly on the state television network.
Resilience pays off for two young IT entrepreneurs Published by James Karuga on 19 March 2012 At 32 years old, Philip Nyamwaya, the co-founder of Kenya’s Intrepid Data Systems (IDS), marvels at his staff of 17 people. He recalls the time when his fast growing software and mobile payment solutions company could only afford to pay him a salary of around US$50 a month.
Financial boost for Nigerian mobile money startup Paga Published by Femi Adewunmi on 17 March 2012 Nigerian mobile money platform Paga has received a US$2 million grant from Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA), a financial sector development organisation.
