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Visa,  the world’s leader in digital payments, announced a tech startup based in Kenya, Mookh Africa, as the overall winner of its first-ever Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) Everywhere Initiative, a global program aimed at startups and designed to encourage the development of the next big thing in payments. The winning solution beat 11 other finalists selected from 238 submissions to emerge as the champions. Eric Thimba, Co-founder and CEO of Mookh Africa, Overall winner of Visa’s Everywhere Initiative in Sub Saharan Africa and winner of the Social Business Payments Challenge” The SSA program was structured around three real-life business challenges: 1.      Merchant Payments Challenge : How to enable smaller merchants to accept payments in-store digitally  OR  Provide a safe and secure solution for online merchants to drive eCommerce and reduce cash on delivery? 2.      Social Business Payments Challenge : How can startups use Visa’s APIs to leverage mass reach and social media pa

Boeing and Kenya Airways have announced an agreement to use Boeing’s Consumable & Expendable Services offering which will improve fleet reliability and performance through a global network of parts and on-demand services. As a result, Kenya Airways will be the first carrier in Africa to use Boeing’s Consumable & Expendable Services offering which will help the airline to improve aeroplane reliability and turnaround times. Keeping aeroplanes ready for the day’s flying requires a dependable flow of crucial parts, materials and knowledge. Under the deal, Boeing will deliver materials, offer innovative services and understand the needs to keep maintenance operations running at optimum efficiency. “This program will provide unparalleled support for our fleet of 737s and 787-8s and we expect to continue to grow our operations with increased reliability and quicker turnaround times,” said Jan de Vegt, Chief Operating Officer of Kenya Airways. The agreement  covers more than

South Africa's High Commissioner to Kenya, Koleka Mqulwana, with students from the Olympic Primary School during the celebrations at the United Nations Offices in Nairobi Hundreds of children gathered with diplomats, government officials and business leaders on Wednesday at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) to celebrate the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela on the occasion of the 100 th  anniversary of his birth. With 2018 also marking the centenary since the birth of anti-apartheid stalwart, Albertina Sisulu, the South African High Commission in Kenya also remembered and celebrated the life of the struggle stalwart who lobbied for the education and equal rights of women and children. Mama Sisulu was widely regarded as a mother of the South African nation due to her motherly role and maternal instincts as a nurse and caregiver. Led and hosted by the South African High Commissioner to Kenya, Her Excellency Koleka Mqulwana, the Mandela centenary events included

·         Leading startups from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia among 12 finalists from 238 entries ·         Will compete in Johannesburg (South Africa) for a chance to secure funding of up to US$50,000; Winners will be announced on July 24 Leading fintech companies from the dynamic Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) technology startup community have made it to the finals of Visa’s Everywhere Initiative , a global innovation program that tasks start-ups to solve commerce challenges of tomorrow, further enhance their own product propositions and provide visionary solutions for Visa’s vast network of partners .     Among the 12 chosen, from the 238 total entries, Kenyan startups M-Changa, Mookh, WayaWaya and LipaPlus will compete against innovators from across Sub Sahara Africa for a chance to secure funding of up to US$50,000 to develop their ideas when the initiative concludes in Johannesburg on July 24.   Fintechs in Africa are making incredible strides; not only t

Today, Truecaller is introducing a new Premium feature, Call Recording, to help report harassment and fraud for its users. This comes as another great upgrade in their efforts to improve their Premium offerings.   People use Truecaller to help their communication be more safe and efficient. From their users identifying new business clients, to empowering women to avoid and report harassment, or for everyone being protected from potential fraud. Truecaller has been there to safeguard calls and SMS and give you the right to know who is trying to get in contact. With the added feature of Call Recording, this will empower their users to keep track of important conversations they have with businesses, colleagues, and people.   Call Recording has been a highly-requested feature from Truecaller users for some time, therefore, the team decided to develop and combine it into their Premium package along with Who Viewed Your Profile.   How Call Recording Works   Whe

Visa, the Official Payment Services Partner of FIFA, today released an analysis of spending inside the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ stadiums from the opening match on June 14 through the semi-finals on July 11. The data highlights the increased consumer adoption of innovative payment technology, as fifty percent of purchases with Visa in tournament venues utilized contactless transactions, including cards, mobile devices and wearables. Commemorative card released by Visa Visa cardholders on average spent 1,408 rubles (approximately $23.00) per transaction inside the stadiums throughout the tournament, with fans from Russia spending the most, followed by the United States and Mexico, respectively.  The largest average individual purchases were seen on in-stadium merchandise (4,200 rubles; approximately $68.00), Fan Fest merchandise (3,300 rubles; approximately $53.00) and in-stadium food and beverage (800 rubles; approximately $13.00). Commemorative payment ring released by Visa

British Airways has launched a brand new app for members of its Executive Club. Members can use the app to discover new ways to collect and spend Avios, find new offers and see personalised ways to spend Avios based on the member’s Avios balance. The Executive Club Reward app will complement the current British Airways app, which is designed to help all British Airways customers book and service pre- and post-travel needs. The app has a simple, intuitive design, to help members navigate its different features. These features include the ability to access and make purchases through the British Airways Avios eStore – an important way many members collect Avios. Customers can also see different ways they can spend their Avios including a helpful tool which says how many more Avios are needed until a member can book reward flights to different destinations. As well as this, customers can see the latest Avios deals, view their last five transactions, and buy Avios, view accou

British Airways is bringing laughter to the skies with the announcement that comedy content from Soho Theatre is now available on board. Five stand up shows will be added from well-known comedians including Nish Kumar, Mae Martin, Joel Dommett, Rhys James and Dane Baptiste. All the comedians will be recognisable not only for their performances at Soho Theatre, but also for numerous UK television appearances. The announcement comes just in time for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s biggest arts festival. With content launching across British Airways’ long-haul network, customers visiting the Fringe from afar will have a taste of what to expect when they arrive, with Soho Theatre presenting new theatre, comedy and cabaret from across the globe in Scotland’s capital during August. Carolina Martinoli, British Airways' Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said: “We are always improving our service to give customers more choice and quality, and the introduction

Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, announced today the launch of the ‘In Reach Africa’ program, an initiative aimed at facilitating quality and innovative human and animal healthcare access across the African continent. The program, set to kick off in Kenya and expand throughout major African markets including Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Rwanda, comprises a range of key elements that aim at adding more value to overall health systems, in an effort to drive access to care, support with the development of innovative health solutions, creating community based partnerships and raising awareness around key disease areas as well as prevention mechanisms. A delegate of senior executives from Boehringer Ingelheim’s global network has recently arrived in Kenya to inaugurate the start of ‘In Reach Africa’ by participating in a series of activities and workshops that are the building blocks of the newly

The Ivorian government, represented by the Minister of Finance and Economy, on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Visa, the global leader in payments, to digitize government services and ensure financial services are accessible to more Ivorians.   Adama Koné, the Minister of Finance and Economy and Andrew Torre, Visa’s Regional President for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) signed the MOU, at a ceremony held in Abidjan, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA) fact-finding mission.   Speaking at the signing ceremony, Andrew Torre said: “This MOU signing represents an important milestone in our ongoing cooperation with the Ivorian government. It is a major step forward in our effort to bring more Ivorians into the formal financial system with all the associated benefits. Our shared vision for enhancing the quality of services and employing the latest payme

Iconic celebrities including Sir Michael Caine, Olivia Colman and Joanna Lumley have come together to create the second instalment of British Airways’ star-studded pre-flight safety video, which launches on board from July.* In the video, seven celebrities are seen ‘auditioning’ in humorous sketches while also landing important safety messages. They are under the watchful eye of comedian Asim Chaudhry, who attempts to direct their every move. The new film builds on the success of the first instalment, which featured the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Sir Ian McKellen and Thandie Newton, and has been seen by customers nearly 25 million times. As with the first instalment, the new film brings together a collection of Britain’s most-admired celebrities to create a humorous video, while also helping customers take in important safety information. The video promotes Flying Start, the global charity partnership between British Airways and Comic Relief which has supported over hal