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The countries that have seen the greatest growth in flight bookings from travellers in Kenya in the last 12 months are the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Spain, according to an analysis conducted by Travelport , a leading Travel Commerce Platform.   From 1 August 2017 to 31 July 2018, bookings made in Kenya through all global distribution systems (GDS) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) increased by 675 on the previous 12 months. Due to the large volume of flights that leave Kenya for the UAE, this represented an overall growth of 2%.  The greatest spike in bookings to the UAE was registered in June 2018, up 33% on June 2017.  Bookings to Pakistan from Kenya over the last 12 months rose by 631, up 47%, and to Spain by 564, up 26%. Volume growth to Pakistan was largely driven by a 551% jump in bookings in September 2017 compared to September 2016. Bookings to Spain enjoyed a peak in July 2018, with volume up 109% on July 2017.   ...

Effective public financial management is essential for economic success, and at its core is the need to build and maintain trust. Trust grows out of a culture of rigorous independent scrutiny which enables citizens to see that the decisions their leaders take are in the public interest. According to ICAEW’s recent report on building trust in public finances, a culture of trust is pegged to a number of factors and elements. Strong public financial management requires transparency in how resources are raised, managed and used, together with accountability, to instil confidence and promote continuous improvement. For example, in Uganda, the budget information is usually uploaded on a website. This promotes transparency and accountability by showing detailed information on how resources are allocated and used, plus performance indicators from national down to parish level. Citizens and other stakeholders can provide feedback on service delivery in their local areas and report ...

(from left): Charles Natai (Country Director Maxcom Africa), Jameson Kasati  (Director General Maxcom Africa), Juma Rajabu (Founder and Executive Director Maxcom Africa) and Sunny Walia, (General Manager - East Africa) of Visa. Visa, the global leader in payments, today announced a strategic partnership with Maxcom Africa PLC - a merchant aggregator also known as Maxmalipo - that will enable more than 30,000 retailers in Tanzania to accept Visa on mobile payments, as well as 20,000 local agents to conduct cash deposits and withdrawals. This effort aims to connect more Tanzanian consumers to the global payment system.  This comes as part of Visa’s strategic move to provide mobile payment services across East Africa. This follows Visa’s success in Kenya where the solution was launched in partnership with partnerships with Barclays Bank, Cooperative Bank, Ecobank, Family Bank, KCB Bank, National Bank of Kenya, NIC Bank, Prime Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank. “Vis...

DPO Group, the Leading African payment service provider, announced today the appointment of Lourens Brink as the Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective August 1, 2018. Brink, who was serving as the Head of Finance for DPO PayGate South Africa, will bring 11 years of financial, strategic and operational experience to the DPO Group. He will be based in Nairobi. Lourens Brink, the new Chief Financial Officer at DPO Group “We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Lourens Brink as DPO Group’ s Chief Financial Officer. Brink’s broad mix of financial, sales and product management experience will be a fantastic addition to our group’s Top Executive Team,” said DPO Group CEO, Eran Feinstein. Offer Gat, DPO Group’s chairman, added, “On behalf of our Board of Directors, I welcome Lourens Brink to his new position at DPO. Brink has a long tenure serving in various leadership roles, extensive experience in strategic planning, business development, corporate financ...

Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments, and international mobile financial services firm Branch have announced a partnership under which  Branch will offer custom financing to merchants who accept payment via Visa (Visa on mobile or Card). The loans will provide merchants with funds to grow their business through supplemental stock, infrastructure investment, and other key operational needs. Loans will be disbursed directly to the merchants’ phones. “ We are happy to work with Branch to offer seamless access to finance through our Visa network, as they seek to provide micro-credit facilities to merchants across Kenya “, said Visa General Manager for East Africa, Sunny Walia. “With this partnership, we seek to offer value beyond just transactions. We would like to help the merchants grow their business and drive financial inclusion among the small merchant segments that are often unable to access quick loans,” he added. Through this partnership, Visa and Branch aim to...

Visa, a long-standing worldwide sponsor of the Olympic Games and supporter of the Olympic Movement, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced an extension to Visa’s Olympic sponsorship through 2032.  As part of the renewal, Visa will continue its support of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Paralympic Games.    “Since 1986, Visa has brought the latest payment innovations and digital experiences to the Olympic Games, all while helping athletes in their quest to achieve greatness,” said Al Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, Visa Inc. “By continuing our support of the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games through 2032, we will ensure the next generation of athletes, fans, cardholders and clients are able to get more out of their Olympic experience and be part of a movement that inspires and unites us all to do great things.” IOC President Thomas Bach said: “We are particularly happy with this extension of our partnership be...

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 ...

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 ...

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 Johan...

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 W...

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 V...