Issue No. 6 www.Aspire-Africa.com
Committed To Promoting African Synergy
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FEATURING
AMROTE ABDELLA
ACCESS POWER
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
MICROSOFT 4 AFRIKA
SANKARA HOTEL
KOKO NETWORKS
Global Retailing is a Highly Sophisticated Tech Business
Chairman, Pick N Pay
GAMECHANGER How do you want to convey your success? What is behind African entrepreneurship? Who are the continent’s movers and shakers? What are the challenges they have successfully overcome? How are they making positive contributions towards collective growth and sustainability of the richest continent on Earth? What is the source of inspiration that drives them? These are some of the questions, successes and stories that we are aiming to showcase to our audience!
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Contents ARTICLES
FROM THE BLOG
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ENERGY
Cryptocurrency is becoming a side hustle for young Africans By: Gambling.com
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30 The 10 African Brands You Need to Know Right Now by Victoria Greene
Q&A FEATURE
RENEWABLES
INFRASTRUCTURE
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Africa going “mini” to bring grid to 140 million people
Access Power Riding the Wave of African Growth
By: William brent
42 REAL ESTATE
Fine-tuning energy access financing in Africa for bigger returns By: Peyton Fleming
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Amrote Abdella Regional Director, Microsoft 4Afrika
REGULAR FEATURES EditorialNote Note Editorial
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News in Brief
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News inNews Brief Start-Up
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Appointments Appointments
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Upcoming Events Upcoming Events
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6 Contents
An exclusive with Managing Director, Vahid Fotuhi.
HOSPITALITY
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Sankara Nairobi
Contents COVER STORY
COVER
FEATURE
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Gareth Ackerman
Chairman Pick N Pay Stores
TECH
EVENT PREVIEWS Editorial THE ANNUALNote DEBATE 2018
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News in Brief AFSIC 2018
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Appointments LBS AFRICA BUSINESS SUMMIT 88
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KOKO Networks: Fuelling Smarter Commerces For Urban Africa An exclusive with company CEO and Co-Founder, Greg Murray.
SOLAR FUTURE NIGERIA Upcoming Events
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AFRICAN UTILITY WEEK
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AFRICA TECH SUMMIT LONDON 94 Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0
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Editor’s Note
H
ello to you all.
I’m very proud to bring you the sixth edition of Aspire Africa, a publication which keeps growing and growing, bringing all the latest news of innovations from this thriving continent. Each edition seems to be filled with more stories of how Africa is moving forward, and myself and the team are always excited to bring them to you. In this edition, you will have access to features on the latest issues facing African energy access, in addition to all the usual news and views surrounding the most important developments in African business. We also take a look at how Microsoft’s investments are making a big difference for African innovation with the 4Afrika initiative. Our cover feature will introduce you to the South African retail scene, and the strides Gareth Ackerman and Pick N Pay are making to overcome some of the industry’s most significant logistical and infrastructure challenges. As a family-owned business, Pick N Pay’s success in South Africa’s retail environment is a positive example to all African businesses. We also take a look at the companies and brands making waves across the continent, those taking advantage of key areas of commercial growth to provide real impact to African citizens and businesses looking to make real change. It is a great privilege to continue publishing these stories for our growing readership, and we look forward to doing so in the months and years to come. If you have any suggestions for African companies or initiatives that deserve more attention, then please don’t hesitate to contact the team via the website or other available channels. Thank you for reading. Nicholas Paul Griffin, Associate Editor.
8 Editor’s Note
Publisher Sam Khan
Media Director Tabrez Khokhar
Associate Editor Sales Director Nicholas Paul Griffin Yasser Khokhar Contributors William Brent Peyton Fleming Victoria Greene Gambling.com
Publication Layout Zahir Malik Web Production Raizwan Butt
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© Aspire Africa 2018. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without written permission. Opinions expressed in the Aspire Africa publication are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. All reasonable care is taken to ensure truth and accuracy, but the editor and publishers cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in articles, advertising, photographs or illustrations. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome but cannot be returned without a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The editor is not responsible for material submitted for consideration.
#Fact China is Africa’s top trade partner, with Sino-African trade volumes now nearing $200 billion per year.
News
SolarReserve, ACWA sign PPA for 100MW solar thermal project in South Africa
The 100-megawatt Redstone Solar Thermal Power Project in Northern Cape, with 1,200 megawatt-hours of energy storage, will reliably deliver non-intermittent power to South Africa’s electricity grid – even well after the sun has set. RENEWABLE ENERGY
As part of the South African Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), a consortium led by SolarReserve and International Company for Power and Water (ACWA Power) have signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Eskom, South Africa’s public electric utility
company, for the Redstone Solar Thermal Power Project. The 100-megawatt power station with 12 hours of energy storage will be able to reliably deliver a stable supply of clean electricity to the equivalent of more than 200,000 South African homes each year. The Redstone project will be located near Postmasburg in the Northern Cape Province, adjacent to the 75 MW Lesedi and 96 MW Jasper photovoltaic (PV) solar power projects successfully developed and implemented by SolarReserve.
project, including the molten salt receiver designed and manufactured by SolarReserve, which is the heart of the power station, along with the heliostat collector field controls and tracking system.
Providing Power When It’s Needed Most The first of its kind in Africa, the Redstone project will utilise SolarReserve’s proprietary ThermaVault™ technology – the world’s most advanced solar thermal technology with integrated molten salt energy storage, which solves the intermittency issues experienced with other renewable energy solutions and is dispatchable 24/7. SolarReserve will supply the core technology for the
As identified under the power purchase agreement, Redstone will deliver continuous electricity to the national grid for up to 17 hours a day in order to meet peak energy demands, as a result of SolarReserve’s technology’s ability to store 1,200 megawatt-hours of energy daily. The project’s electricity price is the lowest of any solar thermal project awarded in the country to date.
This key technology will enable the Redstone power station to deliver 100 megawatts of non-intermittent clean energy to the South African grid, especially during peak periods – day and night.
Africa Oil Completes Investment in Impact Oil and Gas Africa Oil Corp. is pleased to announce that it has completed the previously announced (February 7, 2018) investment in Impact Oil and Gas Limited, a private UK company with exploration assets in South and West Africa. In connection with the OIL & GAS
10 News in Brief
investment, Africa Oil issued 13,946,545 common shares in the capital of the company to Helios Natural Resources 2 Limited and invested US$15 million in shares and warrants of Impact. Africa Oil owns an approximate 25.2% equity interest in Impact.
#Fact Over 55% of Africa’s labour force work in food production, with vast areas of arable and pastoral lands supporting agricultural economies.
PayPal, Safaricom and TransferTo announce collaboration in Kenya PayPal and Safaricom announced a revolutionary collaboration that enables Kenyans to seamlessly move money between their M-PESA and PayPal accounts. FINTECH
The new service eliminates significant barriers that have hindered consumers and businesses in the country from taking full advantage of global eCommerce. “PayPal’s collaboration with M-PESA is part of the company’s long-term strategy to enable eCommerce and democratize financial services on the African continent,” says Efi Dahan, General Manager for the Middle East, Africa and Russia, PayPal. “We are excited to bring the M-PESA mobile wallet and PayPal joint services to the Kenyan market, which makes it more convenient and secure for users to withdraw and add money to their accounts while participating in the global digital economy.” “M-PESA’s cooperation with
News Cairo to Cape Town road boosts crossborder economies, links Tanzania to rest of Africa Image: Paypal
PayPal will open up global marketplaces and the global economy to millions of Kenyan and Kenyanbased businesses and individuals,” said Joseph Ogutu, Director of Strategy, Safaricom. “This development ushers in a new era of speed and convenience beyond borders, as we work towards innovating robust platforms through which more entrepreneurs and consumers can benefit from international money transfers and the growing eCommerce industry.” The new service makes it possible for Kenyan consumers with an M-PESA account to shop with online businesses across the world. With the new service, Kenyan businesses and freelancers can now sell to global customers more easily, enjoying PayPal’s secure and trusted technology to collect their payment and the newly launched service to move their money to their M-PESA wallet.
LOGISTICS Rehema Tukai grew up in Kondoa and works in Dodoma, Tanzania’s capital city. Until now, visiting her family in Kondoa involved a five-hour journey along a Image: GT Bank bumpy and dusty road. Thanks to a new road co-funded by the African Development Bank, it takes her a little over one hour to travel the same distance.
Tukai was one of several locals to celebrate when the President of Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli, and the President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, commissioned the Dodoma-Babati road project. Until its completion, the Dodoma-Babati road was a critical missing link in the 10,228-kilometre Trans-Africa Highway, linking Cairo to Cape Town, connecting nine African countries from South Africa to Egypt, through Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan. Thanks to these efforts, the volume of trade between Tanzania and the rest of Eastern and Southern Africa has risen to US $1.1 billion in 2016, a level both Adesina and Magufuli described as Image: Guardian NG historic. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 11
#Fact
News
The African continent has the largest reserves of precious metals, with over 40% of the gold reserves, over 60% of the cobalt, and 90% of the platinum reserves.
Orange aims to become a key player in energy transition in Africa ENERGY Orange confirms its desire to become a key player in the energy transition sector in Africa, by providing services directly to the general public or as a wholesaler to public operators.
Orange already provides a service offering rural populations access to solar energy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar. Orange has announced the launch of this service in Burkina Faso, and further ahead in Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. Africa has a population of 1.2 billion, but 50% do not have access to electricity. In rural areas, far from the national electrical networks, this rate reaches 82% of the
population, over 600 million people, making it particularly important to bring electricity to these zones. Electricity at the heart of Orange’s ambitions in Africa. Committed to providing access to energy for many years, Orange has chosen to contribute to the challenge of electrifying Africa in countries within its footprint. After the launch of Orange Energie in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in December 2017, then Mijro in Madagascar in February, Orange is now moving forwards in the deployment of its electrification programme for rural zones by launching the service in Burkina Faso.
Image: Voice of Renewables
Offered in the form of a kit, including a solar panel, a battery and accessories (LED lightbulbs, kit to recharge several telephones, a radio and/or television), the equipment is provided by partners (BBOXX in the Democratic Republic of Congo, D Light in Madagascar and Niwa in Burkina Faso) selected by Orange for the quality of their products and their ability to respond to a massive demand.
EBRD and EU support ice cream maker GIPA in Tunisia Ice cream maker GIPA is celebrating 40 years of successful business in Tunisia and its CEO Youssef Ghrib has further ambitions to grow the company well into the future. FOOD & DRINK
With support from the EBRD’s Advice for Agribusiness programme, funded by the European Union, the company has modernised its business and is ready for new ventures.
12 News in Brief
Tunisia welcomes more than six million foreign tourists every year and, perhaps as a result, its ice cream industry is constantly evolving. Meanwhile, among locals, domestic ice cream makers have become so popular that world-renowned brands have taken a backseat. As one of the oldest Tunisian producers, GIPA knows this very well. The company started ice cream production in 1978 and is proudly one of the most competitive
companies on the Tunisian market. GIPA has been a summer staple for generations and includes some of the most beloved brands in Tunisia. This is good news for the local economy and for GIPA’s approximately 1000 employees. GIPA is an important source of employment for its suppliers and people working along the entire logistics chain.
#Fact There are fewer people with internet connections in Africa than there are in just New York City.
News
Anglo American completes sale of thermal coal operations in SA MINING Anglo American plc confirmed completion of the sale of its Eskom-tied domestic thermal coal operations in South Africa to Seriti.
The consideration payable for the operations as of 1 January 2017 is ZAR2.3 billion (approximately US$164 million). Mark Cutifani, Chief Executive of Anglo American, said: “We are pleased to have completed the sale of our Eskom-tied domestic thermal coal operations in South Africa to Seriti. This transaction continues the reshaping
of our global asset portfolio based on value and the optimal deployment of capital, while realising value for our shareholders and ensuring reliable supply of coal to Eskom.” Norman Mbazima, Deputy Chairman of Anglo American South Africa, commented on the transaction: “We believe the conclusion of the sale to Seriti, a broad-based, majority black-owned and controlled South African mining company, represents a major step change in transformation in the coal (and broader mining) sector, reinforcing Anglo American’s longstanding track record
of, and commitment to, economic empowerment and sustainable transformation.” The Operations consist of the New Vaal, New Denmark and Kriel collieries, as well as four closed collieries.
CrossBoundary with The Rockefeller Foundation launch Mini-Grid Innovation Lab for Sub-Saharan Africa RENEWABLE ENERGY
CrossBoundary, in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation, have officially launched the Mini-Grid Innovation Lab. The Lab, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, is the first R&D Fund for Sub-Saharan Africa that focuses exclusively on testing business model innovations in the mini-grid sector. Over 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to electricity. The Lab conservatively estimates that at least 100
million of these people are most cost effectively served by mini-grids today, and the investment required to connect them is USD 11 billion based on new analysis. This number could be as high as 290 million people according to the International Energy Agency’s Africa Energy Outlook report, based on forecast cost reductions and extrapolating universal access in 2030. However, mini-grid deployment in Africa has been low. Governments, policy makers and donors do not
see mini-grids as a viable substitute to the main grid. This deters investors, who also struggle to understand the business case. According to Crunchbase, from 2012 – 2017, the top five mini-grid developers in Africa raised less than USD 100 million. In the same period, Africa’s payas-you-go solar home system sector raised over USD 750 million. Partners include AMDA, Energy4Impact, Duke University, Carnegie Mellon University, tUMAS, and Power For All. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 13
#Fact Africa has the most extensive biomass burning in the world, yet only emits about 4% of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions.
Start-Up News
Orange Digital Ventures invests in Africa’s Talking Orange Digital Ventures Africa, the Orange investment fund’s new initiative for Africa launched last June, is proud to announce its first investment, helping Africa’s Talking to raise $8.6 million alongside the IFC World Bank and Social Capital.
Upon completion, Africa’s Talking plans to accelerate its internationalisation to support its clients’ expansion strategies. Beyond Kenya, the company has started working in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Nigeria and Ethiopia.
TELECOMMS
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa’s Talking is currently the leading company providing access to telecom operators’ communication and payment APIs (programming interfaces) for developers. It is now the favourite solution of many Kenyan startups
and over 15,000 developers, many of which rely on these APIs including SMS, voice and USSD, to design services that are revolutionising financial, energy, health and insurance services, among others. The transaction is subject to the usual conditions precedent, including the approval of the Kenyan’s competent authorities.
“We are delighted that the first beneficiary of our African initiative is a recognised player providing access to operators’ APIs. We believe that is it essential to support every initiative that aims to make these APIs more accessible to entrepreneurs in Africa,” said Marc Rennard, Chairman of Orange Digital Ventures.
Kenya’s mSurvey secures $3.5m Series A investment mSurvey, the mobile-first consumer feedback platform for businesses and consumers in Africa, announced a Series A round of USD$3.5m, led by Africa focused venture firm TLcom Capital with investment from Social Capital, Kapor Capital, Golden Palm, and Richard Owen; founding team of Net Promoter Score (NPS).
SMS conversations with its Voice of the Customer and Consumer Wallet products, as well as through its successful launch of Net Promoter Score [NPS] in Africa.
MOBILE
This follows Seed Investment rounds from Cross Culture Ventures, Alpha Angels and Safaricom’s Spark Venture Fund. The investment will enable the company to continue building out its infrastructure and partnerships, in order to 14 Start-Up News
scale and expand into more African countries. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and with a recently launched office in Lagos, Nigeria, mSurvey leads the way in developing in-depth understanding into the African consumer, gathering real-time insights via mobile
mSurvey is the first to bring increased visibility and understanding of the African consumer, coupled with two-way conversations between businesses and their customers. Over 66% of Africa’s economic activity takes place in the informal sector, making it challenging for any business to understand who their customer really is, and hindering the analysis of feedback.
#Fact Tanzania is the world’s second largest producer of sisal, after Brazil.
Start-Up News
Tshimologong Precinct hosts JP Morgan Startup Programme aimed at coaching early stage digital startups
Farmcrowdy bolsters farmland by 175% with launch of 7,500 new acres AGRITECH
Farmcrowdy, Nigeria’s first and leading digital agriculture platform, which allows Nigerians to venture in and sponsor agriculture, today announced the launch of 7,500 acres of new maize and rice farms in Nigerian states, Kaduna and Kwara. Image: Tshimologong Precint ENTREPRENEURS JP Morgan, in collaboration with Tshimologong Precinct, has launched Africa Rising 4.0, an incubation programme aimed at powering digital entrepreneurship and early stage startup growth in Johannesburg.
This 12-week intensive incubation programme is designed to coach the disciplines of entrepreneurship, while also building innovative digital businesses. 15 startups will be selected for the incubator programme and will receive advice from established entrepreneurs. The curriculum will be custom-designed to suit the various business entities participating in the programme. Masterclasses will be themed on topical and
relevant issues facing the startups, addressing trending digital technologies such as blockchain, digital marketing and women in technology. In addition, there will be hands-on support from experts dedicated to helping founders and early stage entrepreneurs. Africa Rising 4.0 will benefit from Tshimologong Precinct’s vast, combined network, which will assist founders and early stage technology companies to inject life into their startups. Those interested in participating need a valid proof POC with a mock-up or video presentation. The POC also needs to provide evidence that it can create value for customers and is a product or service that is in demand.
Sponsorship will be open from the 4th of April and 9th of April, 2018, for Maize and Rice farms respectively. Kaduna will see the cultivation of 5,000 acres of maize by 2,000 new Farmcrowdy farmers, while Kwara will witness 2,500 acres of rice being cultivated by over 1,000 direct rice farmers. This increase in land officially more than doubles the acreage of the agritech startup, which at the end of 2017 had cultivated 4,000 acres of farmland across 8 states in Nigeria. Farmcrowdy launched its mobile app in November 2017 and has marked 50,000 unique downloads from agriculture enthusiasts.
Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 15
Appointments African Development Bank appoints Dr. Hanan Morsya as Director, Macroeconomic Forecasting and Research The African Development Bank is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Hanan Morsy as Director, Macroeconomic Forecasting and Research, with effect from March 12, 2018.
and high-level policy dialogue and partnership. She has published extensively on a wide range of economic and development issues and led a number of major flagship publications.
Dr. Morsy is a citizen of Egypt and a renowned macroeconomic and public policy expert with vast experience in international financial institutions and the private sector. She brings a solid track record of top-quality policy analysis and research, a wealth of cross country experience,
Dr. Morsy has been working as the Lead Economist for the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Region at The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London since 2012. Dr. Morsy is a Board of Trustee Member at the London Middle East Institute
Image: AfDB
and a Research Fellow at the Economic Research Forum. Dr. Morsy holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the George Washington University, USA.
James Kamau appointed Chairman of DLA Piper Africa James Kamau, the Managing Partner of the DLA Piper Africa member firm in Kenya (IKM) has been appointed Chairman of DLA Piper Africa as of 1 May, 2018. He succeeds Chris Ewing, who steps down after four years and will continue in an advisory capacity. James has been a member of the board and the executive of DLA Piper Africa for the past four years, and has played a key role in the development of the DLA Piper Africa strategy. He is a leading corporate and projects lawyer in Kenya, advising local and multinational companies, private equity firms and DFIs with extensive business and investments in East Africa.
Image: CellC
James Kamau said: “I look forward to working with colleagues to build on the successes achieved by Chris during his tenure. Our unique reach and commitment to Africa means that we are already the legal advisor of choice for many African and multinational companies; as we move towards greater integration with each other, and with the wider DLA Piper firm, we will be even better placed to meet the needs of our clients.”
DLA Piper has been investing and building its offering in Africa for over twenty years. James’ appointment follows the creation of a DLA Piper Africa Swiss verein in December 2017 to increase the levels of connection, governance and collaboration across the 19 African countries in which DLA Piper Africa has a presence, and align its business across the continent. 16 Appointments
Appointments Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u appointed as Executive Director of AERC Former Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor, Prof Njuguna Ndung’u, has been appointed as executive director of a panAfrican economic research body, AERC. The appointment is effective from September l, 2018. Prof Ndung’u, who is credited with creating a legal policy framework for fintech innovations in Kenya, will take up the mantle at African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) from the outgoing director, Prof Lemma Senbet. As associate professor of economics at the University of Nairobi’s School of Economics since 1987, Prof Ndung’u has lectured in advanced economic theory and econometrics. He also takes credit for various books on economic policy issues and is a member of the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative (AGI) Distinguished Advisory Group.
Helge Lund to succeed Carl-Henric Svanberg as BP chairman BP announced that it has appointed Helge Lund to succeed Carl-Henric Svanberg as chairman of BP. Mr Lund will join the BP Board as chairman designate and a non-executive director on 1 September 2018. He will be appointed chairman on 1 January 2019. Mr Lund will have a base in London. Mr Lund, who is also chairman of Novo Nordisk AS in Denmark, will stand down with immediate effect from his
directorship at Schlumberger, the global oil service group. The search for the new chairman was conducted by the full BP Board, led by Ian Davis, the senior independent director. Mr Davis said that the search process had been worldwide and rigorous. This produced an impressive list of diverse candidates from the UK, continental Europe and the US. Helge Lund served as Chief Executive of BG Group from
Image: Courtesy of LinkedIn Image: BP
2015 to 2016 when the company merged with Shell. He joined BG Group from Statoil where he served as President and CEO. Prior to Statoil, he was President & CEO of Aker Kvaerner.
eCurrency announces appointment of Athu Karume to President of East Africa markets eCurrency Mint Limited announced the addition of a new member to its Markets team, Athu Karume as President, Tanzania and East Africa Markets. eCurrency is the pioneer of the innovative technology that enables central banks to issue a digital fiat currency. Athu Karume is joining eCurrency with more than twenty years of professional experience in business development in the financial services and technology industries in Tanzania, US and Europe. He was the Director of Business Development, Africa for First Access, Inc. and Country Director for First Access Tanzania. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 17
Q&A: Innovation Aspire Africa Presents
THE MICROSOFT
4AFRIKA
INTERVIEW w/ Regional Director, AMROTE ABDELLA
20 Amrote Abdella - Microsoft 4Afrika
Q&A: Innovation
A
s the Regional Director of Microsoft’s 4Afrika Initiative, Amrote Abdella spearheads Microsoft’s investments in Africa across 54 countries. She works closely with the internal teams in the Middle East and Africa – and globally – to enable and accelerate digital transformation opportunities across the continent. Before becoming Regional Director, Amrote was 4Afrika’s Director for VC & Startups, where she worked closely with startups, supporting the innovation ecosystem in Africa. In 2017, Amrote was named as one of Africa’s Top 100 Young Business Leaders, ranking 12th out of 100 leaders under 40, who are playing major roles in the continent’s economic development. Prior to joining Microsoft, Amrote worked with the World Economic Forum in Geneva, as an Associate Director for Africa. She also served as a Financial Analyst at the World Bank in Washington, and worked in micro-finance with the Global Hunger Project, an NGO based out of New York. Here, she oversaw projects across eight countries in Africa and worked with African women farmers, driving financial inclusion. Amrote constantly strives to learn new skills and believes in the values of passion, ambition and hard work. She encourages young women to have a grounding in STEM subjects.
Amrote Abdella, Regional Director, Microsoft 4Afrika Aspire Africa: Microsoft 4Afrika: a brief history of the Initiative? Amrote Abdella: Microsoft launched the 4Afrika Initiative in 2013 as Microsoft’s business and market development engine on the continent. To drive cloud technology and digital transformation, we first needed to develop affordable access to the internet, world-class skills for improved employability and entrepreneurship, and local innovation. These became 4Afrika’s core focus areas. Since 2013, 4Afrika has launched 15 TV white spaces connectivity pilots, brought over 500,000 SMEs online, upskilled close to 800,000 Africans and helped 82 local startups to grow their ventures. Click to view some highlights of Microsoft 4Afrika
Amrote holds a Masters degree in International Economic Development from the Heller School at Brandeis University in Massachusetts and a BA from Davidson College, North Carolina, USA. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 21
Since 2013, 4Afrika has been investing in entrepreneurs, youth, small businesses, governments, partners and markets.
To unlock and accelerate potential, 4Afrika invests in three critical areas of development: skills, access & innovation.
Aspire: Having being established for 4 years now, expand on the continuous vision of the 4Afrika Initiative?
leverage their network to deliver access to cloud technology to businesses of all sizes across Africa.
AA: Over the last four years, Microsoft
On the skills front, we adopt a blended learning methodology, combining online learning with internship opportunities and real-world experiences.
4Afrika has continued to deliver on its vision. We have been strategically investing in startups, youth and partners, delivering value to SMEs, and supporting governments’ digital transformation efforts – empowering Africans to shape Africa’s future through technology. We continue to focus on making access to the internet more affordable, youth more employable and entrepreneurial, and technology more locally-relevant. Technology, particularly cloud computing, is fast transforming our industries – from healthcare to education, agriculture, financial services and government services. There is a critical role that we as Microsoft 4Afrika play to ensure that we’re enabling the right solutions in our markets.
Aspire: What are the key offerings of the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative? AA: To accelerate cloud adoption and digital transformation in Africa, we run a number of initiatives across of the continent.
This includes free online learning platforms such as the Microsoft Virtual Academy; a partner-based youth internship programme; a series of AppFactory Academies for developers to work on real-world projects with senior software engineers; and a corporate volunteer programme where Microsoft employees from around the world volunteer their time, skills and expertise to empowering local organisations in their digital transformation journeys. Our innovation work involves collaborating with start-ups and entrepreneurs across the continent. They are the ones creating highly relevant solutions for Africa, by Africans, and we want to enable them. We provide them with access to technology, skills, finance, markets and information to accelerate the development of their solutions and applications.
On the affordable access front, we have piloted TV white spaces technology to bring low-cost, high-speed broadband to lastmile communities. This technology makes use of unused frequencies in the television spectrum to deliver wireless broadband and, as mentioned, we currently have 15 of these projects running in six African countries.
Aspire: How is Microsoft building a conducive environment for expanding the 4Afrika initiative across Africa?
Our global Affordable Access Initiative has also awarded grants to 11 African organisations, who share this same vision of bringing millions more people online. We have also partnered with Liquid Telecom to expand the use of TV white spaces technology, and
For things like affordable access to the internet and cloud, this includes collaborating on new policy approaches to spectrum management and cybersecurity.
22 Amrote Abdella - Microsoft 4Afrika
AA: 4Afrika does a lot of work in the public sector space, partnering with governments to create the enabling environments that accelerate the work we do.
A good example is our Africa Open4Business
Our innovation work involves collaborating with startups and entrepreneurs across Africa that are the creating highly relevant solutions for Africa.� Amrote Abdella
Q&A: Innovation
Satya Nadella at a Mawingu Networks container, a Microsoft backed Kenyan start-up using underutilized television frequencies
Initiative. In partnership with local ministries, this initiative uses the power of cloud technology to transform the delivery of services to the investor community. Governments can now share timely and accurate investor-related information, and investors can save on the time and costs associated with incorporating and maintaining their businesses.
4Afrika in 2014, is an online learning resource designed to drive awareness around IP rights, through a series of modules on copyright, trademarks and patents.
A more investment-friendly environment improves ease of doing business and accelerates the pace of job creation. In 2015, we also joined forces with the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), to accelerate affordable access, skills, innovation and the development of trusted cloud infrastructure in their 19 member states.
Aspire: How has the Initiative facilitated business and market transformation across Africa?
Most recently, we handed full ownership and management of our Intellectual Property Hub to them. The IP Hub, developed and piloted by
We have facilitated this growth and transformation by empowering individuals and businesses with technology.
In COMESA’s hands, the IP Hub will have an expanded reach and work towards promoting a culture of IP protection in Africa, so that more developers can monetize their innovations.
AA: The continent is growing at a rapid pace and it continues to build its competitiveness globally by embracing digital transformation across a number of various sectors.
Aspire Africa ¡ Issue 6.0 23
4Afrika’s goal is to enable African SMEs to start, grow & accelerate their businesses through affordable access to technology.
4Afrika has launched a number of programmes to help developers create and monetise their applications.
Paul Garnett, Microsoft Director of Affordable Access, at Gakawa Secondary School in Kenya With access to technology and the skills to successfully exploit it, Africans are innovating around mobile and cloud in a way that is improving livelihoods. People who were previously off the grid or excluded from the financial system are, for the first time, able to access key services. Technology and the work we do facilitates this inclusive growth. Smallholder farmers, for example, make up 80% of farms in sub-Saharan Africa, yet lack access to financial services due to their location. AGIN, a mobile and cloud solution created by a young entrepreneur in Kenya, is solving this challenge. With AGIN, smallholder farmers can use their mobile phones to capture farm-specific information, which in turn allows them to establish a credit profile and connect with service providers remotely. These farmers can now access insurance, inputs and small loans for the first time, 24 Amrote Abdella - Microsoft 4Afrika
without ever needing to visit a bank – a true example of business and market digital transformation in action. We have worked with AGIN since 2014, providing them with access to technology and finance. Through this support, AGIN hopes to reach 300 million farmers in Africa in the next four years.
Aspire: How is the 4Afrika Initiative leading the development of African tech across the continent? AA: Growth potential on the African continent is very promising. Countries like South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Cote d’voire, Kenya and Ethiopia are spearheading digital adoption and the development of African technology across a number of areas. Microsoft 4Afrika understands that in order
In order to continue driving growth across the continent, investing in skills development and enabling policies to promote innovation remains key.” Amrote Abdella
Q&A: Innovation
AppFactory Malawi, a fun and experiential space for young developers and ICT graduates to turn their ideas into reality to continue driving this growth across the continent, investing in skills development and enabling policies to promote innovation remains key. That’s why we continue to invest in infrastructural development and locallyrelevant solutions (such as AGIN), to foster new ideas and grow ideas into businesses through the right investment.
M-KOPA Solar now runs the largest Azure implementation in Africa. On a continent where only one out of three Africans has access to electricity, the cloud is enabling M-KOPA to provide affordable pay-as-you-go solar energy. Over 500,000 homes and two million people can now access electricity for the first time.
Aspire: How has the 4Afrika initiative enabled growth and innovation across Africa?
With Microsoft Azure and tools like Cortana, M-KOPA are also analysing important business data – from weather patterns to device life and the credit behaviours of a population who have never accessed the financial system. These insights allows them to continuously innovate and expand their product range.
AA: Since 2013, Microsoft has helped a number of start-ups develop and scale their businesses, through funding, access to technology and technical support. With this support base, these start-ups have since generated $5.1 million in reciprocal investments. However, the impact these startups have gone on to make with their own customers is what is most significant to us.
The Tulane University Centre for Global Health Equity, another 4Afrika beneficiary, now provides eHealth services to over 3,000 healthcare clinics across 10 regions in Ethiopia. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 25
Then
4Afrika @4
It’s been 4 years since Microsoft 4Afrika launched. Here are just some of our achievements to date
First TV white spaces pilot ‘Mawingu’ in Kenya
2013
2 AppFactories
90%
775,000 trained on MVA
opened to develop skills
and 1,500 partners trained in virtual classrooms
SME4Afrika
728,000 SMEs online + 500,000 consuming
portal launched to modernise SMEs
Microsoft cloud services
MySkills4Afrika
300 organisations
Microsoft volunteer programme founded
across Africa supported by
400+ volunteers
First partnerships established with
accelerator 12 partnerships across
iHub, IHub, AfriLabs & DTBi
Africa to enable ecosystem
2014
Youth Programme
launched to develop skills & jobs
and 82 supported, generating million in reciprocal investments
$5.1
400
partners
100% increase in IP registrations at
developers to monetise solutions
applications opened to develop government eServices
55 start-ups funded
interns placed with across countries
IP Hub created for
Innovate4Gov
countries, with $4.1 million from OPIC to expand Mawingu from AppFactories, with placed in jobs
Afrika Academy
Innovation Grants
15 connectivity pilots in 6
300 developers graduated
set up in South Africa & Egypt
initiated to accelerate start-up growth
Now
KECOBO, with COMESA scaling to 18 countries
2015
innovative 11 government solutions initiated & supported
Microsoft 4Afrika’s key audiences are SMEs and startups, because of their ability to drive economic growth and create jobs.” Amrote Abdella
Using Power BI dashboards, stakeholders are monitoring key health indicators and deriving insights from over 150 million digital health records. Machine Learning has been introduced to run predictive analytics and disease surveillance, and over 2,500 health information technologists have been trained, with another 6,000 still to come to drive the technology forward. In the public sector space, we have also incubated and supported 11 innovative, cloud-based solutions, which help governments to improve service delivery. These include the likes of BioSIM, which collects school data in local counties to help governments benchmark quality and take informed actions around education. 4Afrika will continue to invest in these solutions and business models relevant to Africa, especially in the agriculture, healthcare, education and government services sectors. We have built partnerships with 12 accelerators in Africa, and are working closely with organizations such as the Tony Elumelu Foundation, to help us identify the most promising start-ups and give them the tools and resources they need to succeed.
Aspire: The collective impact 4Afrika has had on the socio-economic development in its areas of operation? AA: By bringing people online, developing their skills and improving their access to digital services, we are empowering individuals, as well as businesses, to achieve more. Microsoft 4Afrika invested in its first connectivity pilot in Kenya in 2013, working together with Mawingu Networks. Four years later, what started as 15 WiFi hotspots has since grown into over 650 hotspots, serving roughly 100 customers each. New
Q&A: Innovation
businesses have been created because of this. Chris Baraka, a young student, for example, used this internet access to offer freelance writing services to American companies, earning up to $200 a month. He now teaches underemployed youth how to make money from the internet. Also through this project, 26 schools in the area now have internet access, with Gakawa Secondary School reporting an improved score in every subject on the Kenya National Exam. In Botswana, we are using the same technology to deliver telemedicine services and maternal care to over 3,000 patients. Six months ago, a young Kenyan named Gilbert Ngegtich was living in Gataka, a slum on the outskirts of Nairobi. He was using a nearby men’s washroom to study, as it was the only place with light and an electrical socket. Today, because of our internship programme, Gilbert has a full-time job as a Cloud Engineer at M2M Systems Limited. In July, he travelled to Washington for a business conference. It was his first time on an aeroplane.
Aspire: What is Microsoft’s commitment to encourage innovation and support local businesses and tech entrepreneurship in Africa? AA: Some of Microsoft 4Afrika’s key audiences are SMEs and startups, because of their ability to drive economic growth and create jobs. Our SME4Afrika initiative does a lot of hands-on work with entrepreneurs and small businesses – and has reached 1.7 million SMEs to date. We believe in giving entrepreneurs all the support they need to succeed, in one consolidated offering. Microsoft 4Afrika provides entrepreneurs with access to markets, finance, cloud-based technology, information, skills and services, through our Biz4Afrika Portal, BizSpark, Microsoft Virtual Academy and MySkills4Afrika platforms. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 27
www.microsoft.com/africa/4afrika
Startup presenting to Microsoft
With this kind of access, SMEs can expand their customer bases, network, develop their technical and business skills, and use cloud-based technology to modernize their businesses and scale. With the power of cloud, entrepreneurs can use data to make more informed decisions, and better serve their customers. Our focus has also been on developing a sustainable SME ecosystem, collaborating with and empowering SME organisations, enablers and service providers.
transform industries and old ways of doing things. The opportunities, at the moment, really are endless. 4Afrika is here to help you with the resources and skills (both business and technical) you need, so get involved with us and let us support your journey.
Aspire: What advice would you give to aspiring individuals who want to take advantage of the entrepreneurial opportunities in Africa?
doing what it’s doing, with a focus on driving impact at scale. We’re enabling Microsoft’s global mission in Africa: empowering every person and organisation to achieve more. We will continue to focus on driving digital transformation through access, skills and innovation. This includes doubling down and going big on certain investments that are achieving this, and introducing new ones that further accelerate the digital transformation of Africa. ASPIRE
AA: Now is the right time. Digital transformation is still steadily transforming Africa – with a lot of industries embracing technology to change their delivery of services and reach. Like the creators of AGIN or M-KOPA Solar, look for ways to use technology to 28 Amrote Abdella - Microsoft 4Afrika
Aspire: What can we expect in the immediate future for the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative? AA: Microsoft 4Afrika is going to continue
From The Blog
10
African Brands YOU SHOULD KNOW RIGHT NOW By: Victoria Greene
30 10 African Brands You Should Know Right Now by Victoria Greene
The world’s fourth largest solar facility is under construction in western Ghana. The Nzema solar project is adding 6% to Ghana’s overall power generation.
I
n the last few years, interest and education in IT have skyrocketed in Africa, creating a lot of would-be entrepreneurs looking for financial backing for their new, innovative business ideas. Traditionally, banks are reluctant to fund first-time entrepreneurs with no trading history. This is where angel investors and venture capitalists are stepping in
African Brands
to fill this gap. As of 2017, over 1,000 investment organizations are searching to invest in early-stage African startups, and they are seeing significant returns on their investments. It’s certainly an exciting time for African businesses, and for business in Africa in general.
Here are 10 African brands you should know right now.
1. Solar Powered Power-Houses
Image: Off-Grid Electric
Solar power uses Africa’s most abundant sustainable resource, the sun, to give people access to electricity off of the grid.
2. Internet Service Providers
iShack is leading the charge, bringing solar powered home systems and appliances to thousands of the 625 million people currently without electricity in Africa. The boom in solar power will hinge on innovative producers and regulators coming together to build a diverse, sustainable energy infrastructure.
Google and Facebook have both set up initiatives to get Africa connected to the world wide web. Facebook’s Free Basics, for example, develops informational websites for areas where mobile data coverage is prohibitively expensive for many to enjoy. Google’s Project Loon uses weather balloon devices to spread internet connectivity to farflung locales.
Tanzanian energy providers, Off-Grid Electric, are also set to power over 1 million homes in East Africa by 2017’s end, gaining $25 million from private investors, as well as a further $5 million from USAID.
Kenyan-based internet service provider, BRCK, has also created hardy internet modem devices, designed to offer 3G, 4G and Wifi connectivity through a unit with 8 hours battery life. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 31
From The Blog
South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya remain the most popular investment destinations on the continent.
3. Talent-As-A-Service Superstars As African startups look to scale up their businesses, accessing the right talent for the job can be a struggle. Combining Silicon Valley tech and specialist contractors, African entrepreneurs can temporarily fill these skill gaps with high impact initiatives designed to jump-start developing businesses across the continent. Gebeya offers comprehensive IT training, as well as a business opportunity marketplace for Africa’s emerging IT talent and business leaders worldwide.
4. Safer Drivers
Image: Gebeya
Building trust in ride-sharing services, the SafeMoto app connects Rwandan motorcyclists and passengers, making road safety paramount to its business model. Through its tracking and rating system, the app categorizes motorcycle drivers through their skills and safety on the road. Those with the lowest score get pushed further down the list displayed to passengers seeking a ride via the app.
5. Shim Stock Metal E-Tailers
6. Boosting Africa’s Farming Industry
The steel industry has been a major economic asset to South Africa for 103 years, but competition worldwide is fierce, and many regulations are making it tough for suppliers to thrive in this sales environment.
With over 200,000 using the service, the One Acre Fund has been a pioneer in raising a new generation of young African farmers. This initiative provides seed and fertilizer, as well as training on agricultural practices, to its associates.
Shim Stock Metals in South Africa utilize ecommerce tools to get them noticed on the global stage. Their site offers multiple payment options and great deals on international orders, as well as maintaining the highest standards of regulations and advice to customers.
Payments can be arranged under a credit agreement, providing access and flexibility for those just starting out. One Acre Fund also helps with the harvesting of its client’s crops through vehicle hire and advice. The scheme has been rolled out to Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania so far.
32 10 African Brands You Should Know Right Now by Victoria Greene
NIgeria is a stand-out leader for e-commerce on the continent, with 40 per cent of Africa’s e-commerce ventures located in the country.
African Brands
7. Ecommerce Giants Africa has a growing ecommerce market, as the middle class is getting larger with their income, and purchasing power also increasing. Konga is a leading electronics brand that offers consumers payment security and comprehensive customer service. The brand’s affiliate marketing program is packed with advice for smaller business owners. These affiliate programs, combined with simple dropshipping business models, can help African retail brands reach a wider audience and diversify their product range.
Image: Konga.com
8. Language Barrier Warriors With 11 separate languages in South Africa alone, the Aweza app breaks down language barriers with an easy-to-use and thoroughly tested translation database.
Through your smartphone, Aweza can translate words and phrases, as well as crowdsource certain phrases to ensure the app becomes more accurate over time. For many, having the tools to communicate can help bring communities together through mobile technologies. Aspire Africa ¡ Issue 6.0 33
Apartments in Ghana are fast becoming the popular accommodation choice.
From The Blog
Image: Flare
9. Emergency Services Responders Hailed as ‘The Uber for Ambulances’, Flare the app (still currently in the development stages) is soon to launch in Kenya, transforming the lives of locals who sometimes have to wait up to two hours for an ambulance to get to them in an emergency. Using geo-targeting, the app tracks every available response vehicle in a city, saving emergency service workers time in finding an available driver via a series of phone calls. Emergency response vehicles are properly certified and vetted through the Flare system. The company’s founders hope that the model will help lower some of the costs for ambulances as time goes on and the app becomes more mainstream.
Victoria Greene
10. Real Estate Rockstars MeQasa streamlines the process of both renting and buying a home, as well as offering an easy way for landlords and real estate brokers to advertise. This free of charge service runs through an app, and even though the brand is only three years old, MeQasa has received critical acclaim as one of Ghana’s top globally competitive brands in 2016 and 2017. Over the next few years, the opportunities for African startups will continue to grow. It is expected that by 2025 more than 360 million Africans will own a smartphone, giving new opportunities to young innovators to get creative and help make people’s lives easier both here and abroad. ASPIRE
| Brand Marketing Consultant and Freelance Writer.
34 10 African Brands You Should Know Right Now by Victoria Greene
From The Blog
CRYPTOCURRENCY IS BECOMING A SIDE HUSTLE FOR YOUNG
AFRICANS By: Gambling.com
36 Cryptocurrency is Becoming a Side Hustle for Young Africans by Gambling.com
BItcoin is not owned by any government or central bank and therefore gives its users the freedom to be their own bank.
T
he idea of side hustles is popular all over the world these days.
The millennial generation in particular has grown up in tricky economic times in much of the world, which leads a lot of young people to pursue multiple jobs instead of a single career (or in addition to a single career). And while many are too quick to lump all of Africa together in sweeping economic analyses, it’s true that this condition – the need for side hustles – has been amplified among some communities of young Africans. Particularly in areas or communities where finding a steady job is difficult even with a college degree, second jobs or smaller jobs can be necessary. And it appears that in some of these cases, young Africans are starting to turn toward a new and exciting form of side hustle: cryptocurrency investment. One story in particular has popularized this narrative. It concerns a 30-year-old Ugandan woman named Peace Akware, who lives on the outskirts of Kampala, and who previously tried ventures such as selling clothes and money lending in an attempt to generate more income. Like more and more African millennials, however, Akware also has a smartphone, and that allows her to tap into the worldwide cryptocurrency market as easily as anyone else. She has set up a digital wallet and, as she puts it, checks her bitcoin every day and any chance she gets. So far, according to articles published in January, her investments are paying off. Whether or not this new form of side hustle works out in the long run for Akware and other
FinTech young Africans remains to be seen. But it’s an interesting phenomenon one way or the other, simply because it has allowed Africa to tap into a worldwide financial movement of sorts. Bitcoin, due to its decentralized nature, does not belong to any government, bank or company. It is not regulated by any one financial system, nor is it restricted anywhere but a small handful of countries in the entire world. It is simply available online to be traded freely. It is therefore unlike so many forms of investment that are essentially available only to wealthy investors in thriving economies – as much an option for a woman like Peace Akware as to a multi-millionaire investor in New York City. Bitcoin isn’t alone, either. While it’s far and away the most popular and most valuable cryptocurrency on the market, there are others that can be traded as well. In fact, recent reports have indicated that an African cryptocurrency is in development, seen as a means of increasing trade between nations. It is to be called nurucoin, and it already has over 5,500 investors helping it toward a launch. What effect this will have on the “side hustle” utility of cryptocurrency on the continent remains to be seen, but it speaks more to the general interest in cryptocurrency that has spread among Africans. These are all intriguing developments and could mean a lot of good things, financially, for Africans. However, it’s also important for millennial investors like Akware to remember that cryptocurrency – while exciting, available, and potentially profitable – carries great risks as well. ASPIRE Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 37
From The Blog
AFRICA GOING “MINI” TO BRING
GRID
TO 140 MILLION PEOPLE By: William Brent | Power4All
T
he grid. For decades, it has conjured visions of huge centralized fossil fuel power plants, and thousands of kilometers of criss-crossing transmission lines. But a revolution in distributed renewable energy in the past 10 years is pointing Africa on a different path — one that has not only resulted in the recent surge of more than 1 million “pay-as-you-go” off-grid solar households, but will also lead to a constellation of green “mini-grids”. 38 Africa Going ‘mini” to Bring Grid to 140M People by William Brent
Only 35% of Africans have access to electricity.
For over 600 million mostly rural people in sub-Saharan Africa still living without basic electricity, renewable mini-grids hold the promise of providing power to homes, schools and hospitals, as well as to local industry, small enterprise and agriculture. It is estimated that at least 100,000 mini-grids — small, local generation and transmission powered by solar, micro-hydro, small-scale wind or biomass paired with battery storage — are needed to serve at least one-quarter, or 140 million, of the unelectrified population by 2040.
“Outside in” rural electrification Historically, rural electrification around the world has happened from the outside in: remote communities have collectively built, owned and managed local grids in order to obtain access to power, and then eventually integrated into national or regional grids. Why? Because for highly dispersed populations, extending the grid takes too long and is too expensive. Mini-grids, and other decentralized installations, are the lowest-cost option for providing over 70% of the new electricity connections needed to achieve universal electrification, according to a 2017 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Mini-grids, which IEA says are a $190 billion global opportunity between now and 2030, can stand alone or connect with each other or the existing main grid in a “mesh” network. That is highly relevant in sub-Saharan Africa, where the World Bank found in 2017 that less than half of state-owned utilities are able to cover their operating expenditures, with utilities in only 2 out of 39 countries able to
Energy cover both operating and capital costs. Adding the high cost of grid extension (about $15,000 per kilometer for transmission lines) to utility balance sheets would only increase their debt and inefficiency (data from Tanzania, for example, shows grid connection costing $2,300 for a rural customer, versus less than $1,000 via a mini-grid, while lifecycle costs also favor a decentralized approach). In addition, despite the fact that state utilities are heavily subsidized, those subsidies are not passed on to the people who most need relief through lower tariffs. In fact, only 10% of electricity subsidies flow to households with the lowest income, while subsidizing residential tariffs accounts for the single largest source of utility deficit. Mini-grids, on the other hand, are the domain of nimble, private sector or communityowned mini-utilities that can provide more connections per dollar while delivering better customer service and demand stimulation, higher reliability and quality of supply, as well as serve as a conduit for grid innovation.
Driving down grid costs via private sector innovation While most mini-grid activity has so far been concentrated in East Africa, particularly Kenya and Tanzania, eyes are now shifting to Nigeria, where about 80 million people lack electricity. Not only has Nigeria put forward a comprehensive mini-grid policy, it has also stated clearly that the private sector will play the central role in rural electrification. It has announced a goal to develop 10,000 viable community mini-grid sites by 2023, serving at least 300,000 households and 30,000 local businesses. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 39
From The Blog “The power sector in Nigeria should be driven by private funding, innovation and technology, which can achieve access much faster than the public sector,” said Damilola Obunyiyi, the managing director of Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency. “It needs to be private sector-driven access model for Nigeria.” At a recent mini-grid gathering in Lagos, more than 50 organizations explored ways to drive down the cost of mini-grids by 20% by 2020, through a mix of better customer engagement and demand creation, reduced hardware costs, increased volume of projects, better load management, remote monitoring, reduced cost of capital, and supportive policy. “We saw strong interest in building out a more detailed program to scale mini-grids, which must include reducing costs and developing country-specific plans,” said Kelly Carlin, senior associate at Rocky Mountain Institute, the organizer of the Lagos event. “We will also use mini-grid pilot projects to further de-risk solutions, thereby stimulating significant additional public and private sector investment.” If that happens, mini-grids could essentially be cost competitive with heavily subsidized central grid tariffs on a purely commercial basis. But why should private utilities be held to the same standards of service delivery as stateutilities (which are notoriously unreliable and poor quality in many countries), while receiving little if any of the same support that their public counterparts enjoy? Will governments and their funders continue to prop up a system that merely locks in energy poverty or become more solution agnostic and provide equal support to the best option available? How those questions are answered will be a critical factor in deciding whether or not mini-grids live up to their promise.
Levelling the playing field “Energy access in rural areas has always been subsidized, usually by government,” said Sam Slaughter, CEO of mini-grid company PowerGen and a member of the newly formed Africa Mini-grid Developers Association (AMDA). “It’s important that even as we advance private sector solutions to energy access in Africa that we don’t turn our back on the public sector legacy of supporting this endeavor.” The African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank and bilateral donors active in Africa appear to be coming around to this realization as well. The World Bank, for example, recently loaned Nigeria $350 million in part to scale the mini-grid opportunity. AfDB, meanwhile, wants 75 million off-grid connections delivered by mini-grids and other decentralized solutions. One innovative approach to supporting the private sector (that has worked in other areas of development, including access to healthcare) is results-based financing (RBF). RBF would make a fixed amount of funding available to private utilities for every customer connected to high quality power, ensuring that
40 Africa Going ‘mini” to Bring Grid to 140M People by William Brent
Energy
Read Anywhere. Anytime. RVE.SOL Mini Grid Project, Kenya. Image: (c) RVE.SOL incentives are grounded in project success and accountability. Scaling a RBF program across sub-Saharan Africa, by providing a catalyst for early market development and achieving a critical mass of projects, would unlock significant additional debt financing for the sector, a critical success factor that is still mostly unavailable. The AfDB is currently developing an RBF fund under its mini-grid market development program. Even as the remaining kinks are worked out, mini-grids are starting to show what they are capable of. Besides the dozens of innovative start-ups across the continent pioneering the market and developing projects, major international utilities such as Engie and E.on have also started to invest significant resources. ASPIRE William Brent William is a director at Power for All, a campaign to accelerate adoption of decentralized renewable energy and to end energy poverty before 2030.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY www.Aspire-Africa.com Aspire Africa ¡ Issue 6.0 41
From The Blog
FINE-TUNING
ENERGY ACCESS FINANCING IN
AFRICA
FOR BIGGER RETURNS By: Peyton Fleming | Se4ALL
I
t’s one of the most vexing challenges facing global leaders today: how to give billions of people electricity for reading and refrigeration and clean cooking fuels to help them breathe easier – but still slow climate warming.
42 Fine-Tuning Energy Access in Africa by Peyton Fleming
Kenya and Bangladesh were among the top scorers of 20 countries on energy access in the 2017 Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE) report.
For African and Asian governments that are confronting these energy access gaps, this challenge centers on finance – or a lack of it. While many studies have estimated the amount of investment needed to meet energy access goals, none have systematically analyzed how much finance these countries are actually committing to electrification and clean cooking access. Nor have they examined the overall effectiveness of these commitments in delivering modern energy services – including clean renewable energy – to more people, more affordably. New pioneering research unveiled by Sustainable Energy for All at last month’s UN General Assembly helps answer these questions. It offers key insights and pathways to help governments, development finance institutions, and other decision-makers accelerate progress on energy access. The “Energizing Finance” research – done in partnership with the World Bank, African Development Bank, Climate Policy Initiative, Practical Action Consulting and E3 Analytics – tracks and analyzes finance flows for electricity and clean cooking access in 20 key countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia that have significant energy access gaps. The results are sobering: overall investment in these countries is not nearly at the levels needed to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring access to affordable, reliable and clean energy for all by 2030. Annual finance flows for electrification averaged $19.4 billion, less than half the estimated investment needed to achieve universal electricity access in these countries. Spending was especially low in 14 SubSaharan Africa countries, where roughly half a billion people are living without power, most of them in hard-to-reach rural areas.
Energy
Decentralized renewable energy, such as household solar, offers a promising, moreaffordable solution for these populations, but precious little financing – only 1 percent of the finance that was tracked – is going toward these services. Even more shockingly, despite 3 billion people worldwide lacking access to clean cooking, investments in clean fuels and technologies for cooking are even lower. Financial commitments for residential clean cooking averaged just $32 million a year; that’s many orders of magnitude lower than the estimated $4 billion in annual investments needed. But the research also shows a myriad of encouraging indicators, including tangible gains in several countries that have made access to electricity, energy, and clean cooking key political priorities. It also shows early-stage shifts in financing strategies by governments and development finance institutions that will enable finance dollars to deliver energy to more people, more quickly. Bangladesh and Kenya, in particular, are making notable gains in urban and rural areas, with integrated electrification strategies that include centralized electric grid infrastructure as well as decentralized solar, which is already powering millions of rural households. They’re also enacting policies to spur diverse types of public and private finance for centralized and decentralized energy access projects and companies – such as the Infrastructure Development Co. in Bangladesh, which is helping renewable developers gain access to local debt, and the rise of pay-as-you-go solar enterprises like Mobisol and M-KOPA Solar in Kenya. It’s no coincidence that Kenya and Bangladesh were among the top scorers of these 20 countries on energy access in the 2017 Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE) report. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 43
Government, financiers & influencers need to work together toward targeted, integrated electrification strategies.
Still, scattered, incremental successes will never deliver the global results that are needed on energy access. More than ever, we need bolder, more refined strategies that will catalyze larger and smarter investment. Government leaders, financiers, and other key influencers, need to work together with greater urgency toward targeted, integrated electrification strategies that emphasize both large grid-scale projects and more affordable decentralized renewable energy.
Advertisement
Easily
AccessIBLE!
On clean cooking, we need fresh, bolder thinking on market-based strategies to deploy a wide range of clean fuels – as opposed to dirty, high-polluting fuels like charcoal – more rapidly and at far bigger scale. We can do better. The commitments governments made in adopting the Sustainable Development Goals and in joining the Paris Climate Agreement means that we need to extend energy services to people we have never reached before, and do so while decarbonizing. We believe the “Energizing Finance” research provides a pathway and concrete guidance for achieving this goal. ASPIRE Peyton Fleming
Peyton is lead writer at Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), a global initiative to achieve universal energy access, improve energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy. Prior to joining SEforALL, he was the communications director at the nonprofit sustainability group Ceres and was a journalist at numerous U.S. newspapers, writing on business and environmental issues.
44 Fine-Tuning Energy Access in Africa by Peyton Fleming
SUBSCRIBE TODAY www.Aspire-Africa.com
Cover CoverFeature Feature
Global Retailing is a Highly Sophisticated Tech Business
GARETH ACKERMAN Cover Feature
Chairman, Pick N Pay Stores By: Nicholas Paul Griffin
Sacha Poignonnec co-CEO Africa Internet Group
Cover Feature
G
areth Ackerman is Chairman of South African retail chain Pick n Pay Stores Ltd. He is a passionate contributor to the issues of global food security and sustainable development, and widely involved in philanthropy. Mr Ackerman holds a bachelor of social science from the University of Cape Town and a CMS from the University of Oxford. Pick n Pay, through its subsidiaries and associates, operates in the retail sector in Africa, and is the quintessential family store, its focus entirely on the customer. The Ackerman family vision has been growing and expanding, and now includes stores in regional Southern Africa. Aspire Africa recently caught up with Mr Ackerman at the Oxford Africa Conference in Oxford, UK to discuss issues such as the rise of digital tech and ecommerce, the African retail sector landscape, as well as the longterm vision of Pick n Pay, its footprint and impact in Southern Africa. Aspire Africa: Can you please give us a brief account of your professional background? Gareth Ackerman: I was born in Johannesburg, spent most of my life in Cape Town, went to school in South Africa, did an undergraduate degree from the University of Cape Town. I then worked in America for two years, working in a supermarket company in the United States. It started with an internship, which turned into a job. My father suggested I went to go and work for this particular
48 Gareth Ackerman · Chairman, Pick N Pay Stores
The Ackerman family vision has been growing and expanding, and now includes stores in regional Southern Africa.
company because they’d just come out of US Chapter 11 [bankruptcy], and it’d be a good idea to see how not to run a business. So, that was for two years, and then I came back to South Africa, went to Australia for two years, where we opened the Pick n Pay hypermarket in Brisbane. Then with all the political uncertainty in South Africa we were forced to leave Australia and went back to South Africa in the mid-80s, and worked in South Africa for many years in all different parts of the business, from our meat business to general management, and was the Managing Director of Pick n Pay. In about the late-90s I took a sabbatical, came to Oxford, did a lot of studying here, did a Postgraduate Diploma here, and have spent quite a lot of time lecturing at the Strategic Leadership Program and I’m an associate fellow at Green Templeton. For many years I ran my own little Corporate Finance business. I also ran our own family office Global Investment business. For the last seven years I’ve been the Chairman of Pick n Pay, I also am the co-Chairman of the International Consumer Goods Forum and the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, and I’m on the board of YPO International.
AA: With the rise of digital tech and ecommerce, how can the retail sector efficiently adapt to these growing trends? GA: The retail industry really started embracing technology back in the early-80s, when they adopted the barcode. Once you adopt the barcode and the scanning system, everything has flown since then. Global retailing today is a highly-sophisticated technological business, because the entire supply chain operation is run technologically, right the way through to the point of sale and the way you do point of sale. More recently, you’ve then had the add-on of the home
Every retailer around the world is looking at re-engineering its business processes to be more efficient.” Gareth Ackerman
shopping, the digital shopping, digital malls, all of those sorts of things. I think formal retail is adapting to it pretty well. The problem comes in how do you compete with pure digital players such as Amazon, which have a totally different cost base and business operating model. Retail is learning to deal with that. The real challenge is the property industry, which is going to have to change. With the technology you don’t need as big a retail stores as you used to. Consumers are using in many cases a store as a showroom, going in and having a look at a product and then going and buying it online. So you as a retailer need to always be monitoring your pricing relative to online pricing to make sure, particularly in higherpriced products, that those products are competitively priced to the online retailers. Then you’re finding a huge development in the click and collect model, where consumers are going back to the past. Before supermarkets, you used to go to the little grocery store, go to the counter and give them your list and they would give you what you want or send it to you on a bicycle, and it’s just the digitalization of that process. So the challenge for retail is cost, and how can you compete against online, but also how can you get your cost structures down so you can offer your consumers that value and the offering digitally as opposed to in traditional bricks-and-mortar stores.
Retail supply chain costs, the more able you are to reduce your prices to your consumers and therefore become more price-competitive in the marketplace. So it’s a virtuous circle.
AA: What are some of the challenges facing African retail and how can they be overcome? GA: I think some of the major problems for retailing in Africa, largely outside South Africa, is around the supplier chain and logistics issues. So, it’s how do you get products quickly, efficiently into your stores, without the long waits at borders, without having to go through road blocks. Because it’s all about the cold chain, it’s about reducing your supply lines to as low as possible. You need to get a lot of local supply, so it all then becomes around food quality, security issues, hygiene issues, to make sure you’re giving your consumer the right quality products, but source it as close to your point of sale as you possibly can.
GA: I think the point is not how it can
The other factor, which is a real challenge for Africa, is around infrastructure. With the growth in populations, it’s things such as too much traffic on the road, so how do you get your trucks there? It’s about electricity, is there enough electricity to power your stores? Because as soon as you put generators in, your cost of electricity goes up hugely. It’s about making sure you’ve got water, because in a lot of places you don’t have running water, and you need running water to run a proper, efficient retail system. It’s about having the right stores, the right car parks, but it’s also about funding, and how the banking and financial services industry fund the property developers to put up the retail outlets.
improve efficiency. I think every day, every retailer around the world is looking at reengineering its business processes to be more efficient, because it’s becoming a competitive advantage, is your back-end. So the more competitive you are in terms of reducing your
All of those are just some of the issues, but it’s all about getting that back-end right. The relatively easy part is actually putting your shelves up and putting product on your shelves.
AA: How can the retail sector improve efficiency in supply chain operations?
Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 49
I think the issue around consumer goods is going to shape the future. Populations in Africa are increasingly connected to the world, through smartphones and the Internet.�
Gareth Ackerman
50
The advice I would give is to pick a niche, go for absolute excellence, and be the best you possibly can be.” Gareth Ackerman
Retail
AA: What trends do you think will shape the retail sector in the near future?
and East Africa, are still pretty undeveloped in terms of formal retailing.
GA: I think the issue around consumer
The first step is now to get them into formal retailing, which is happening at a fairly rapid rate, and then beyond that, just follow the trends that are happening elsewhere in the world.
goods is going to shape the future, because increasingly populations in Africa are connected to the world, through smartphones, through Internets, and they see products and you get a huge amount of aspiration for particular products. So the question is, how do you get that product to the consumer in an affordable fashion? The problem with doing that is you marginalize small local manufacturers, because they can’t necessarily get the right quality or the right product to compete with the global multinationals. That’s the one side of it. The other side of that is that the multinationals then tend to become the priceformers in the marketplace, so they will set their pricing based largely on a global pricing model plus taxes and distribution costs. It gives an opportunity for local manufacturers to increase their pricing to just below the multinationals, so you do find increasing pressure on the consumer, because the local guys are looking for the extra margin.
AA: What advice would you give to aspiring African entrepreneurs who want to get involved in the retail sector? GA: The advice I would give is to pick a niche, go for absolute excellence, and be the best you possibly can be. Because there are too many ‘me too’ operators, particularly around in Africa, and you see all these small shops and all of them try to mimic everybody else So pick the niche, be the best, get your pricing as keen as you can be. Don’t look at profit maximization, look rather at how you can build your business and keep reinvesting into the business.
AA: Can you please give us a brief history of Pick n Pay? GA: Pick n Pay is a broad retail chain, started
So you do find a lot of inflation for the consumer. You look at a product, for example, in a country like Zimbabwe, where it’s expensive because of import duties and all this stuff, so people, where they can, they cross the border and shop in neighboring countries and bring the stuff back.
AA: What is next for Africa’s retail industry? GA: I think it’s not even next, it’s first, because you’re just starting to see the start of formalized retailing outside South Africa. The two major markets would be South Africa and Kenya, that East Africa area. But most of the other countries in Africa, outside SADC
exactly fifty years ago by my father, Raymond Ackerman, with three small stores in Cape Town. It has grown to over 1600 stores in seven countries, including South Africa, with operations hopefully going to begin in Ghana and Nigeria over the next year or two. We’re in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbawe, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland. We operate supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, liquor stores, a pharmacy business, and we operate a corporate and a franchise business as well as being in joint ventures in certain online markets. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 51
Cover Feature AA: Can you please expand on the vision of Pick n Pay? GA: The continuous vision of Pick n Pay is to be the pre-eminent retailer in the markets in which we operate. We believe in looking after our customer. Our business is built around three core values: consumer sovereignty, business efficiency and ‘doing good is good’ business. The model is really, not to maximize profits, but rather to make sure we make a good profit so that we can invest back into the community and then give all the stakeholders their share of the business as well.
AA: As Pick n Pay is a family run business, how do you ensure that these types of companies remain focused and profitable? GA: Pick n Pay is a family-controlled business, listed on the Johannesburg stock exchange, and it has been since 1967. The role of the family is to work with the professional management, to ensure that the core values of the business are maintained, and by doing that we believe that we’ve been able to prosper and grow and will continue to follow that model.
AA: How is Pick n Pay striving to build consumer trust? GA: Well, we’re not striving to build it, we believe we have built it. It’s been the core essence of our business for the last fifty years. Our total focus has been around consumer sovereignty and working with our consumers, and giving the consumers what they want and what they need, right down to every store being individually merchandised and displayed. That is our key essence.
AA: With Africa’s spending power growing, how is Pick n Pay ensuring it captures the maximum market percentage? 52 Gareth Ackerman · Chairman, Pick N Pay Stores
Gareth Ackerman is a passionate contributor to the issues of global food security and sustainable development, and widely involved in philanthropy.
GA: We now have in excess of 150 stores outside South Africa, in the countries that I mentioned. Our philosophy is not to capture the bulk of the spend, ours is to go into markets that we can believe are profitable. I think one of the issues when one deals outside South Africa is not about being first to market, it’s being able to build a profitable market share, and in many cases second-move is an advantage and not a first-move when you’re dealing with retail, because of breaking all the logistics barriers that we have to do. I think if you look at where you have to go to, you look at the demographics of the market, and say: is there a big enough market to put a number of stores to cover your overhead structure? So you can have a very wealthy but very small population in a marketplace, and it doesn’t work because of the logistics costs to make this business work. So it’s all about a business of scale, retail is all about scale. If you can’t get the scale, you can’t make money.
AA: What has been the impact of Pick n Pay on the socio-economic development of South Africa? GA: I think if you look over the last fifty years, we have put a huge amount of money back into our ‘doing good is good’ philosophy. We give about, between 6-7% equivalent of our after-tax profits every year to the different programs that we run in business. We also employ around about 85,000 people, so we make a huge impact on employment in the country. On top of that, we collect a lot of taxes for the government, we pay a huge amount of taxes, but for very simple things, like we are one of the major payers of the South African Social Security payments every month, and we do it through our system and we hardly charge for it. It doesn’t even cover our cost, but we do it as part of our social service.
www.picknpay.co.za
The plan is to keep growing in our existing markets.”
Gareth Ackerman
AA: What are some of the major milestones Pick n Pay has achieved recently?
AA: Can you please tell us about your expansion plans for the near future?
GA: The first one I would say has been
GA: The plan is to keep growing in our existing
the centralization of the business and the rejuvenation of the company over the last 5-7 years. The second one has been, I think, the expansion of our business out of South Africa into the northern areas, including our proposed ventures into Ghana and then into Nigeria. Our relationship with our staff and our labor partners is an important part of what we do and how we do it. I think the development of our people has been critical. We look at the diversity of our management teams that we have now, compared to what we had maybe 5-10 years ago, it’s something we’re really proud of. For a company to build and grow and prosper as a family-controlled business for fifty years is a milestone we’re actually very proud of.
markets. So, we’ve established a base. We don’t believe in going into a market just to plant a flag and move to the next market. Once we decide to go into a country, we actually have to develop into a proper, sustainable business model. So our challenge is to get those two open first [Ghana and Nigeria] and then establish that. We know that Nigeria is a huge country, with a huge population, maybe 4 or 5 times the size of South Africa in terms of population, so the growth prospects are endless with the markets that we’re in, but it doesn’t mean to say we’re going to stop at those particular markets. We are constantly looking at other opportunities. ASPIRE Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 53
Access Power
54 Access Power · Continental
Renewable Energy
RIDING THE WAVE OF AFRICAN GROWTH An Exclusive with Access Power, MD, Vahid Fotuhi By: Nicholas Paul Griffin
Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 55
Access Power is currently developing power projects worth over USD $1 billion in 23 countries across Africa and Asia.
Vahid Fotuhi Managing Director, Access Power
A
ccess Power is a fast-growing developer, owner and operator of power assets in emerging and frontier markets. The company is currently developing power projects worth over USD $1 billion in 23 countries across Africa and Asia and celebrates its six-year anniversary this year.
Access Infra Africa
Over this half-decade, the company has gone from acting as an advisor to being one of the leading developers of renewable energy projects in emerging markets. Managing Director Vahid Fotuhi spoke to Aspire Africa about the strides the company is making in providing invaluable assistance to the people of Africa.
“We are very much believers in providing sustainable energy for emerging markets,” Mr Fotuhi says.
56 Access Power · Continental
Access Power’s focus is on two emerging market regions, one of which is Africa and the other is, broadly speaking, Central Asia. The company has built two divisions with the dedicated skills and resources to focus attention on these markets.
“No continent represents the emergence of economies like Africa. In fact, 5 of the world’s top 10 growing economies are in Africa, and we see this as a huge opportunity.”
We already have projects that are connected to the grid and providing electricity.” Vahid Fotuhi
Renewable Energy
There are 600 million people on the continent living without access to electricity. For Access Power, this represents a significant opportunity to provide a completely sustainable energy solution, free from dependence on hydrocarbons.
Mr Fotuhi believes there are three key elements to the company’s offering, the first being the foundation of an extremely strong technical team with years of experience in identifying and harnessing a country’s best resources.
The urgent need for electrification, coupled with a rapid evolution of the power markets, provides an opportunity for the private sector to profitably develop, own and operate power generation assets. This has resulted in Access Power’s ongoing work in Africa.
“We couple that [experience] with a commercial team that is very skilled in chartering contractual documents that are very competitive for government off-takers. Thirdly, we have great relationships with leading banks.”
“The vehicle that we have established for the development of renewable energy projects in Africa is called Access Infra Africa, and through that we develop projects across 15 different markets in Africa.”
The strength of these relationships enables the company to secure low-cost financing solutions to bring to the table, presenting the opportunity to provide great technology, strong commercial terms and competitive electricity tariffs for the host government.
By utilizing solar and wind power, which all African countries have access to in some capacity, Access Power is able to equip people with stand-alone solutions that provide them with electricity day and night. “Solar and wind power champion these forms of electricity. It provides these countries not just [with] energy but also energy security and energy independence. They do not need to worry about importing diesel or HFO, importing LNG from other markets to fuel growth.” There are sufficient sources of debt and equity available for the funding of power projects in the emerging markets of Asia and Africa, but these markets suffer from a lack of suitable projects in which funds can be invested. The lack of projects could be directly attributed to the fact that very few companies with the appropriate experience and resources are willing to take a risk on early stage project development. Access Power looks to buck this trend to help solve Africa’s power problem.
Access Power is currently active in 15 African markets, from Egypt to Zambia and Mali to Uganda. It has developed key insight and understanding of trends and best practices across the continent, providing the best possible service to governments and utilities in Africa. “We already have projects that are connected to the grid and providing electricity,” Mr Fotuhi says. “[As well as] projects that are at a financial close and are ready for construction. And we have projects that are in late stage development.”
Cultivating Relationships One of the most important elements of Access Power’s business model is the relationships it forms with governments, relationships that require honesty and trust in order for work to proceed in the most efficient and prosperous manner. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 57
Access Power is a long-term player in each of the 15 African markets in which it is operating or developing projects.
“Wherever we go,” Mr Fotuhi explains, “we like to go hand-in-hand with the government of the country, and put in place foundations of a project that we can then work on together for at least 20 years in the form of a power purchase agreement.” Access Power is not a company to act disingenuously when working on a project, nor is it interested in flipping projects to in order to gain an unfair advantage. It is a long-term player in each of the 15 African markets in which it is operating or developing projects. “We are long-term investors in all our projects, and we strive to provide long-term solutions for the governments we work with. We work with them well beyond the completion of construction to operate the project using local resources and local manpower.” Equally important in getting the job done is the number of valuable strategic partnerships 58 Access Power · Continental
Access Power has power purchase agreements that have been executed in Mali, Nigeria and Zambia.
the company is engaged in. Over the last five years, the company has been able to establish positive relationships with many diverse partners across the continent. “In Egypt, for example, we’ve had a long and fruitful relationship with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), which is in charge of regulating and developing the electricity sector in the country.” The situation is similar in Uganda, where the company has maintained a long-standing relationship with both the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) and the Uganda Electricity Transmission Co. (UETCL). These partners are the country’s markets regulator and the transmission company respectively, and the partnerships have aided the development of the Soroti project in Uganda, currently producing sustainable
We are long-term investors in all our projects and provide long-term solutions for the governments we work with.” Vahid Fotuhi
Renewable Energy
The 10MW Soroti Project is Uganda’s first grid-connected solar plant and East Africa’s largest solar IPP power for over 40,000 homes, clinics and schools. The Soroti Project is one of many the company is involved with, including a 126MWp solar portfolio in Egypt, developed in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and PROPARCO. “Those projects will be [some] of the largest in all of Africa,” Mr Fotuhi explains. “We are very grateful to be able to be developing them and helping grow that very important economy.” Access also has power purchase agreements that have been executed in Mali and Nigeria, as well as a partnership in place in Zambia designed to harness the country’s emerging wind sector, making Zambia a formidable player in the continent’s wind energy market. “One of our core values is sustainability. For projects to be sustainable, we really need
them to be developed hand-in-hand with the local community, whereby everyone sees and enjoys the upside of the project.” In addition to the great benefits projects offer to both Access Power and its investors, they are ultimately installed in order to bring a similar level of benefit to local communities, helping local people lead better lives. Much of this social work has been achieved through the formation of the Access Foundation, a scheme born out of a recognition that holistic community growth initiatives are fundamental to the success of sustainable power project development. The foundation is driven by the conviction for sustainable power generation to alleviate poverty, aiming to inspire sustainable development through lasting partnerships. Efforts are focussed upon the key areas of education, electrification and clean water. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 59
Opening of the 10MW Soroti Project in Uganda “We’ve mentioned the Soroti project in Uganda,” Mr Fotuhi explains. “[On] that project, even before we secured the land, we had done extensive stakeholder engagement with community leaders, members of the town and across the spectrum to identify their needs.” Through the Access Foundation, the company has empowered various initiatives, notably the expansion and refurbishment of a school local 60 Access Power · Continental
to its solar plant, where facilities have been built for teachers whose only other alternative was hours of travel to fulfill their duties. “We have [also] helped the agricultural sector with the distribution of seedlings, and have installed a borehole which has been very important to the community, providing access to clean drinking water for the entire community near the project site.”
We are proud to be a partner of Power Africa, and to be actively involved in championing the cause of Power Africa.” Vahid Fotuhi
Renewable Energy
Through the Access Foundation, the company has empowered various initiatives
The Future of Sustainability With the US government’s recent withdrawal from the COP21 Agreement, there is some debate as to the impact that will be felt around Africa without every one of the world’s leading nations committing to tackling climate change. “The good news is that in many respects renewable energy today stands on its own two feet,” Mr Fotuhi says, dismissing the idea that Africa will struggle, “whereas before renewables needed government subsidies to become viable.” The world’s economies of scale have improved enough that current solar and wind power projects are much more viable and economically competitive compared to other forms of power generation, notably those based upon fossil fuels. “We see continental governments, particularly a country like Zambia, where they are paying 15-20 cents per kwh to generate power using heavy fuel oil or diesel. We can provide
sustainable power at half that price, something that even a few years ago was unheard of.” Thanks to the economic strides made in the harnessing of these new technologies, Mr Fotuhi insists that the future for solar and wind power is not only far from in trouble, but actually looks very bright indeed. Another concern is the impact of the US’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on President Obama’s Power Africa initiative, a project that looks to harness the potential of Africa, pairing it with international know-how to bring to life power projects. “We are proud to be a partner of Power Africa, and to be actively involved in championing the cause of Power Africa. There’s a target of bringing 30,000MW of power projects to the grid by 2030, and we here are believers in the target and a contributor to that campaign.” Like many other companies, Access Power has benefitted from resources provided by Power Africa, having recently been awarded a grant of USD $1million by USTDA through the initiative to finance the feasibility study costs for its wind project in Zambia. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 61
www.access-power.com
Construction of the 10MW Soroti Project in Uganda One thing that is not in doubt is Access Power’s commitment to encouraging innovation and supporting local business and clean energy entrepreneurship across the continent. One of the ways it demonstrates this is through the Access Co-Development Facility. “The facility is an incubator of local talent and entrepreneurs, identifying and nourishing local developers across the continent by providing technical know-how and funding to bring their renewable energy projects to fruition through our long-term partnership.” This initiative has now been running for three years, and Mr Fotuhi is proud that many of the projects initiated back at the facility’s start have reached a point where PPAs have been signed and executed, and are now working towards financial close. “This would not have been possible had it not been for this facility,” he explains. “To this day we’ve had almost 200 projects come forward for support and we are fortunate to have helped many of these projects through the facility to bring their projects to fruition.” 62 Access Power · Continental
Access Power continues to go through a phase of rapid growth, having almost doubled its employee numbers since its inception, as well as being in the position of having offices across the continent. “It’s a very exciting time for us,” Mr Fotuhi says, “and we’re very fortunate and grateful to be able to play a role in really riding the wave of growth in Africa and bringing to life the future of the renewable energy sector across the continent.” Mr Fotuhi believes it is also an incredibly exciting time to be an entrepreneur in Africa, with the ongoing economic growth streak across the continent amongst the highest in the world, along with signs of rapid urbanization and growth. “This presents opportunities for individuals. If they have ideas for renewable energy projects, they should know there are international partners like Access Power to support them. My message would be: have hope, reach out to us, and together we’ll make magic.” ASPIRE
Sankara Nairobi
AFRICAN
HOSPITALITY 64 Sankara Nairobi · Kenya
Hospitality
An Exclusive with Sankara Hotels & Resorts Managing Director, Krishna Unni By: Nicholas Paul Griffin
Aspire Africa ¡ Issue 6.0 65
Sankara Nairobi consists of 156
rooms, the hotel is aimed primarily at the business-traveller market.
Krishan Unni, Group Managing Director, Sankara Hotels & Resorts
S
ankara hotels operate under the belief that modern travellers desire a deeper and more authentic connection to the cities they visit, a belief reflected in its vibrant, urban spirit and a character deeply ingrained in the art, culture, lifestyle and food of its locations.
Nairobi Located in the upscale Westlands suburb, the Sankara Nairobi hotel invites customers to discover the city on a profoundly personal level, without having to give up the boutiquestyle and service of a five-star hotel.
Essential to the hotel’s vision is the belief in offering excellent and uncomplicated personal service, attuned to the individual needs of its guests.
Consisting of 156 rooms, the hotel is aimed primarily at the business-traveller market, with the entire operation dedicated to meeting the needs of guests by providing the very best services and facilities available.
Aspire Africa spoke to Sankara Hotels and Resort Group Managing Director, Krishna Unni, about why the establishment has been such an overwhelming success for Nairobi, and its outlook for the near future.
“The hotel has been around for about seven years,” Mr Unni explains. “We opened operations in 2010, so this is our seventh year of operations, but the planning for Sankara, the concept of Sankara, started much earlier than that.”
66 Sankara Nairobi · Kenya
Having a strong vision is something central to us. In every market that we’re in, we want to be the market leader.” Krishna Unni
Hospitality
Sankara Nairobi
Nairobi City, Kenya
Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 67
Sankara Nairobi
Sankara Hotel Nairobi
We always try to be true to ourselves, and we try to constantly have the African flavour in our hospitality.” Krishna Unni
Hospitality
Poolside view of Sankara Nairobi During the planning process, the hotel’s investors discovered that a lot of African cities had legacy hotels. The idea was that Sankara should be fresh, reflective of African flair and hospitality. This vision is clear within the design and service style of the hotel. “Having a very strong vision and core values is something that’s central to us. In every market that we’re in, we want to be the market leader. Whatever we do we want to do it to the best of our ability, and make sure we’re innovative and always ahead of the curve.” Sankara’s core values are based on respect, not only for its guests but for associates, suppliers and local communities too. The
group always looks to play by the rules, at the same time remaining innovative and always looking to improve. “We always try to be true to ourselves, and we try to constantly have the African flavour in our hospitality, and that comes through. That is quite refreshing, and I think a lot of our guests really appreciate what we try to do and being authentic to who we are.” Part of the hotel’s core values mean having the best services and amenities available to its guests. Mr Unni explains how the hotel’s design has been geared towards providing the very best possible service. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 69
Sankara Hotel was awarded ‘Best Luxury Hotel - East Africa’ in 2016.
Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for The Gallery 2014, 2012 and 2011.
Graze Steakhouse recognised as the Best Steakhouse in Africa recently
The Gallery wine bar at Sankara Nairobi
70 Sankara Nairobi · Kenya
Kenya has huge potential in the hospitality sector, it’s a major hub for east Africa, and I think it will only grow.” Krishna Unni
“Our guest rooms are very tastefully designed,” he says, “very spacious. Even the colour tones we’ve chosen, the items we’ve put in the room, have all been well thought out. Everything has a purpose, and we always try and see it from our guest’s point of view.” The hotel’s dining options are particularly impressive, with its signature Graze Steakhouse recently being recognised as the Best Steakhouse in Africa at the World Luxury Awards, a recognition Mr Unni and the team are very proud of. “We have a wine bar, called The Gallery, on the first floor, and of course our signature rooftop bar Sarabi, which is a very energetic, very relaxed venue. We have just revamped the
Hospitality
menu there to fit in more with a rooftop-style concept.” As the hotel is geared towards businesstravellers, there is also a functional business centre onsite, as well as a club lounge catered to the business-traveller. In addition, the hotel has plenty of meeting space, all equipped with the latest technologies.
Kenyan Market “Kenya has huge potential [in the hospitality sector],” Mr Unni explains, “already it’s a major hub for east Africa, and I think it will only grow, not only for tourism, traditional tourists, but also business-travel will be huge.” • Corporate Services • Airport Transfers • Chauffeur Driven
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Sankara Nairobi
Sankara Hotel Nairobi
The easiest way is to be successful. If you show success, people want to come and take a piece of that cake, so that’s the best way to showcase Kenya.” Krishna Unni
There are already several emerging markets looking to move into Kenya, such as the Far East, Australia, as well as newly planned air routes to the US which will be likely to open up new opportunities for people and businesses to come into the country. The opportunity for Foreign Direct Investors to enter the Kenyan market is something of an easy sell, as so many people are aware of the country’s growth potential. Mr Unni recognises that this is a trend not unique to the hospitality sector. “The easiest way is to be successful. If you show success, people want to come and take a piece of that cake, so that’s the best way to showcase Kenya. If all hotels are successful, foreign investors will say, it’s a great idea, let’s go build a hotel in Kenya.”
Hospitality
Part of Sankara’s competitive difference is its focus on trends, trying to keep up with the wants and needs of both its guests and staff. In a changing employment landscape, Mr Unni understands the need to move with the times. “It’s not only looking it at from the guest’s point of view, it’s also very key that we look at it from our associates’ point of view, what are the offerings we give them in terms of training, how do we interact with them? It all starts from there.” The hotel works on the principle that a welltrained, motivated staff base will take care of its guests in the best possible way. The key is to provide the team with the training and confidence needed to provide excellent customer service.
When the hotel first opened, it represented a breath of fresh air, working hard to remain true to its roots as an African brand. Since then, Sankara’s position in the market has had a positive impact on the Kenyan hospitality sector, particularly in Nairobi. “When the hotel first opened we tried to showcase African art, to promote local artists. All our rooms are tastefully done with African art. It’s something we’re very proud of, and that’s just one example of how Sankara changed the landscape of what a hotel should be.” The hotel has also been quick to implement necessary changes when something is not working as well as it should be. Mr Unni explains how the original Graze restaurant was not preforming well, so the idea was taken to change it into a steakhouse. “When you look back,” he says, “it was the best decision, because for 2016 the Graze Steakhouse won the Best Steakhouse in Africa. When we realise that there is something we need to do, I think the execution has been done very well.” Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 73
Best New Hotel Construction & Design, International Property Awards 2011.
“I think, hotels, sometimes they forget that,” Mr Unni says. “They always look at, what does a new business-traveller want, what does a new millennial guest want? But they forget to look at, what does a millennial associate want?”
Looking to the Future Ever since its opening, Sankara Nairobi has been recognised as a market leader. Alongside numerous awards for Graze Steakhouse, in 2016 the hotel was named Best Luxury Hotel for the East Africa region, and has also received the country’s highest certification for safety.
Wallpaper & Fortune Magazine’s Best Business Hotels 2010 listing.
“Safehotels is a third party auditor who comes and sees how safe you are—we were the first hotel to get the executive level, which is the highest level in terms of safety. This is not only the safety of guests, it’s also the safety of anyone who interacts with Sankara.” Despite the ongoing success of the hotel, changing trends and innovations are still having an effect on the industry, something Sankara must be aware of. New trends in hospitality in particular, such as Airbnb, have had a significant effect. “I think mobile technology is going to be another huge impact on hospitality operations, not only for Sankara, but just in general. That’s something that we are working on, making it easier for our guests who will be using this technology to interact with Sankara.” Another big area of focus for the hotel is the environment. Going forward, Mr Unni explains, the environment will be key, not just in terms of laws and legislations, but for the way customers interact with businesses. “I think society in general will demand, not only hotels, but industries to be more environmentally conscious. So these are the things that I see that we should focus on to make sure that we offer the best service possible, and always are ahead of the curve.” Mr Unni also recognises the importance of young entrepreneurs to the future of Kenyan hospitality, believing that the current exciting times for the country represent a wonderful opportunity for people to get involved. “I always say this to all the young interns we have in the hotel,” Mr Unni says. “They have to be patient. They will have good days and bad days, that’s just the nature of the business. There’s nothing wrong if they don’t enjoy it, but you need to give it a bit of time.”
74 Sankara Nairobi · Kenya
www.sankara.com
Mr Unni also admits that hospitality is not as easy as it looks. Hotels are a tough place to work, as they never close and tend to be at their busiest during other people’s holiday times. Those new to the business need to understand and adapt to this unique scenario. “For Sankara, we’re always looking at the future, saying how can we set ourselves up so we’re always ahead of that curve. That goes not only from the guest’s perspective, also from our team members, but also from suppliers and also the local community.” The hotel has a number of expansion plans for the future, beginning with an upgrade of its current facilities. Sankara will concentrate first on remaining relevant, continuing to move with the times and the changing preferences of its guests and staff. “People are looking at Sankara and saying, what are you doing next?” Mr Unni concludes. “Because they are always curious of what Sankara are doing next, so that’s a good position to be in.” ASPIRE
Click below to watch our Exclusive Interview with Krishna Unni
Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 75
KOKO Networks
Fuelling Smarter Commerce for Urban Africa By: Tabrez Khokhar
K
OKO Networks, a venture-backed technology firm whose flagship network was launched in Nairobi last year, provides the hardware and software to underpin a major new household fuels industry in urban Africa. But as Tabrez Khokhar finds out, KOKO’s tech platform presents commerce possibilities that extend far beyond the $25bn urban cooking fuel market.
76 KOKO Networks - Kenya
Tech
KOKO Networks Microtanker
As its name suggests, KOKO builds networks. As an Agent’s application, KOKO installs a cloud-connected “KOKOpoint” inside the Agent’s shop. KOKOpoints are physical kiosks that serve as consumer access points for a range of goods and services, and allow retailers to expand their product offering, boost footfall and increase revenues. The first consumer solution available through KOKOpoints addresses the $25 billion urban cooking fuel market in Africa’s major cities, the bulk of which is currently spent on dirty fuels - principally charcoal and kerosene. This market is ripe for disruption, with consumers
spending major portions of their hard-earned incomes on dirty fuels, yet keen to upgrade to a modern, clean and affordable solution.
Last-mile networks for clean fuel KOKO’s consumer offering is branded SmartCook, and includes a modern two-burner liquid ethanol stove and a refillable Smart Canister that docks with the KOKOpoint, enabling consumers to buy affordable clean fuel in small increments, or to refill the entire canister. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 77
A key benefit of liquid cooking fuel is that more than $10 billion of liquid fuel infrastructure already exists across Africa.
Customers order their SmartCook kit through the KOKOpoint, or the accompanying “myKOKO” smartphone app, and it is delivered the next day to the Agent, with customers receiving a pickup code via SMS. “KOKOpoints initially serve as smart ‘ATMs’ for clean cooking fuel,” explains Greg Murray, CEO and Co-Founder of KOKO Networks. “They are equipped with an internal fuel tank and a touchscreen that allows customers to order their SmartCook kits, refill their canisters and interact with video messages and surveys.” KOKOpoints themselves are refilled by Smart MicroTankers - bulk fuel carriers equipped with KOKO’s Fuel IoT hardware. KOKO’s fuel supplier partners store bulk fuel at nearby petrol stations. KOKO’s software controls the safe refilling of KOKOpoints through an external refilling box at the Agent’s shop, and automates payments to the fuel supplier. Customers are also able to use the “myKOKO” app to earn income through signing up their friends, or setting up a small business that promotes the SmartCook solution in local markets, church groups and savings groups. The recurring footfall associated with buying a household staple like cooking fuel - KOKO estimates that urban households spend an average of around $25 per month on it - is clearly attractive to retailers, who not only add a profitable new business line, but also recognise the possibilities for cross-selling.
Connecting suppliers, retailers and consumers KOKO’s platform connects suppliers, retailers and customers. KOKO isn’t a fuel supplier, nor a fuel retailer - it simply provides technology and services to wholesaler and retailer alike, earning fees from those partners for the use of the technology platform. A key benefit of liquid cooking fuel is that more than $10 billion of liquid fuel infrastructure “arteries” already exist across Africa, bringing petrol, diesel and kerosene efficiently and competitively into urban bulkstorage depots, more commonly called petrol stations. Adding a fourth line of liquid fuel to the existing infrastructure is a relatively lowcost task, so long as that fuel can find a way to move at low cost from the petrol stations to within a short walk of customers’ homes. KOKO’s technology suite was built to play that “last-mile veins” role for clean liquid fuel. Murray emphasises: “Africa is already equipped with major infrastructure for moving liquid fuels in bulk from plants and ports through to petrol stations. It would be pointless and expensive to reinvent or replicate that. By partnering with established fuels and retail players, we can overcome the challenges of last-mile distribution without owning or operating any of the fuel or infrastructure. Statue of
John Dube
Put simply, our technology suite enables fuel partners to add a profitable new business line and enter the mass-market segment that is currently dominated by deforestation-based charcoal.”
Delivery of the SmartCook Kit
78 KOKO Networks - Kenya
It’s a unique offering for fuel companies and KOKO is collaborating with several major and
Tech
Smartcook stove and canister
regional oil marketing companies who seek to enter wholesale fuel supply partnerships, in Kenya and in planned expansion markets.
A proven cooking fuel Liquid ethanol fuel is produced in East Africa from molasses, a by-product of the sugar industry. There are thirteen ethanol plants in East Africa, as well as port capacity to handle imported ethanol. Domestic producers seek to find a market for industrial ethanol, which historically has found its way into illegal alcohol production, leading to sensible government regulation of industrial ethanol in Kenya. Ethanol cooking fuel is denatured with a bittering agent that makes it undrinkable, and KOKO’s proprietary “smart-valve” technology
means no liquid or vapour is released during either the canister refilling process at KOKOpoints, or the stove refilling process in homes. Liquid ethanol has been commercialised at reasonable scale as a middle-income solution in a few African cities over the past few years, but using very low-tech “version 1.0” approaches that add significant cost to the delivered price to the customer. KOKO’s technologies have removed approximately 50% of the cost of getting fuel to customers, and so now enable this fuel to become affordable for even the poorest households in a city. The environmental impact of this is significant; the UNFCCC verified that the charcoal-ethanol switch delivers 5-10 tonnes of CO2e reduction per household per year, depending on household size and usage patterns. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 79
Within a short time, KOKO maps branded share of wallet and develops a detailed profile of its customers.
KOKO’s technology suite enables fuel partners to add a profitable new business line and enter the mass-market segment.
A Smartcook customer refills at a KOKOpoint in Nairobi
80 KOKO Networks - Kenya
We’ve been really pleased by the very strong demand from shopkeepers and customers across Nairobi.” Greg Murray
Tech
Customer purchasing a fuel bundle Switching households from charcoal to ethanol also reduces the huge pressure on local forest land that derives from the charcoal industry. Charcoal-driven deforestation is a major driver of food insecurity, because of the established links between deforestation and soil degradation, micro-climate changes and associated agricultural yield decline. In the US, much has been made of the “food versus fuel” impacts of using maize as a feedstock for ethanol transportation fuel, because of the impact on global corn prices. But in East Africa, ethanol cooking fuel from molasses is replacing charcoal, which means that ethanol cooking fuel actually improves food security by reducing deforestation. Following its commercial soft launch in
Nairobi last year, Murray gives a status report: “We’ve been really pleased by the very strong demand from shopkeepers and customers across the city - the key issue for us is now supply-side planning as we prepare to roll out the full network in Nairobi next year.”
Building a broader smart commerce platform It is not only suppliers of fuel that benefit from this platform, however. The customer behaviours associated with SmartCook (regular visits to KOKOpoints and interaction with KOKO through the app) are significant for suppliers of other products and services. Indeed, as customers buy fuel, they are played targeted video ads and given fuel credit to answer surveys about their brand preferences and desired purchases. Aspire Africa · Issue 6.0 81
www.kokonetworks.com
Within a relatively short time, KOKO maps their branded share of wallet and develops a detailed profile of its customers - information that is simply not available at scale in these markets today, and which can be leveraged by brands and suppliers seeking to better serve the mass-market. Similarly, KOKO’s logistics infrastructure can be used for the low-cost delivery of other products, cutting through the last-mile inefficiencies currently experienced in mass-market urban retail. These analytics tools equally present an enticing proposition for KOKO Agents. Realtime data allows shopkeepers to know their customers better than ever before, affording far greater visibility on what they are buying and when, and thus enabling better pricing strategies and targeted promotions. KOKO’s commerce offering builds on years of R&D in African cities. “We found the frustrations and challenges facing customers and retailers were remarkably similar across different cities,” explains Sagun Saxena, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder of KOKO. “Retailers often felt like they were left behind by the fast-growing cities they worked in, and by the fast-changing habits of their customers. At the same time, urban customers were seeing access to goods and services lag behind rising disposable incomes. Nowhere was this more pronounced than in the cooking fuel market, which is why we decided to launch the first solution in this category.” KOKO’s R&D team is looking at how best to expand the platform, through initiatives that extend beyond e-commerce and into connectivity, content, digital financial services and e-government. Saxena states: “Our ‘Labs’ team is dedicated to bringing products and services out of incubation and onto the platform. We are collaborating with a wide range of companies on these efforts and believe that some quite unique offerings will ultimately emerge - watch this space!” 82 KOKO Networks - Kenya
KOKOpoint refuelling
Geographic expansion through partnerships As KOKO grows its platform, so too will it expand its geographic reach. KOKO’s approach to geographic expansion is through partnering with large established operating companies in new countries, who can license the KOKO platform and build their own Networks. The company is currently in discussions with counterparties in a range of new geographies, who have a deep understanding of the opportunity in their own cities and seek to partner with KOKO to quickly build and launch networks in the coming years. With players in numerous sectors and countries lining up to get involved, KOKO is one of Africa’s hottest start-ups, with the potential to build a mass-market commerce platform that meets Africa’s growing consumer demand in a uniquely tailored way. The retail sector hasn’t kept pace with how its customers are changing; KOKO seeks to bring massmarket retail into the 21st century. ASPIRE
Event Preview
THE
ANNUAL DEBATE 24 April, 2018, London, UK
www.theannualdebate.com The Annual Debate is the flagship event of Invest Africa – Business Council for Africa - and is a staple in the diary for anyone investing and operating across the Continent. Returning in April for its 4th edition it has consistently positioned itself as Africa’s business forum in London. Always connecting businesses across Africa, The Annual Debate places key decision makers, thought leaders and senior officials together to discuss the region’s most pertinent themes. This year we will focus on the topics of:
Who will be there? 300 + investors, market leaders and senior decision makers from your industry: energy, finance, PE funds, professional services, government agencies, logistics, technology, infrastructure, retail, real estate, construction and leisure. Delegates at The Annual Debate will: • • •
• • • • •
Africa’s Role in the Global Economy Inclusive Financing in Africa Driving Africa’s Industrialisation: Leveraging the Power of ICT Entrepreneurship in Africa
84 The Annual Debate 2018 · United Kingdom
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Engage directly with thought leaders, industry experts and entrepreneurs. Gain invaluable insights into the future of business and investment in Africa. Share perspectives, expertise and experience with other professionals who are developing new and better business in Africa. Enjoy great company and conversation in the historic setting of The Law Society.
Africa’s leading business forum in London for global investors, corporates and policy-makers
PARTNERS
CONTENT PARTNERS
MEDIA PARTNERS
AIRLINE PARTNER
www.theannualdebate.com
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AFRICA FINANCIAL SERVICES
INVESTMENT CONFERENCE 2 - 4 May, London, UK
www.afsic.net AFSIC is one of the most important African investment events held globally. It has a very strong investment focus and is attended by many of the most important global investors investing into Africa and by investors interested in learning more about African investment opportunities. Now in its 6th year, AFSIC 2018 will be held in London on 2nd to 4th May 2018. AFSIC focuses on attracting investment into Africa’s financial services sector, and will be attended by financial services companies from across Africa including Banks, Insurance Companies, Microfinance Companies and Leasing Companies, as well as a wide array of Fintech companies and other Financial Services companies developed around a “new economy” model. The structure of AFSIC is specifically designed 86 AFSIC 2018 · United Kingdom
to provide African companies seeking investment with multiple opportunities to present their company to, and meet with, a very large variety of both debt and equity investors and also dealmakers focused on Africa with a view to attracting inward investment and developing strong and sustainable business relationships with investors. AFSIC has shown continued strong annual growth in delegate numbers and welcomed over 150 speakers in solo and moderated panel sessions in 2017. The integral focus of AFSIC 2018 is to provide opportunities for the wide range of investors attending AFSIC to meet a diverse, interesting and dynamic group of African focused companies seeking to raise debt or equity now in or in the future.
AFSIC - “One of the most important African investment events held globally”
Investing in Africa 2nd - 4th May 2018 Park Plaza, Riverbank, London
2018 Premier Sponsor
2018 Gold Sponsors
2018 Meet African Dealmakers (MAD) Event Sponsor
REGISTER NOW WWW.AFSIC.NET
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LBS AFRICA BUSINESS SUMMIT
25 - 26 Oct, Johannesburg, South Africa abs2018.lbsafricaclub.org The 17th annual Africa Business Summit is scheduled to be held on Saturday 12 May 2018. In keeping with the London Business School’s tradition of substantive thought leadership, this year’s summit theme is ‘Scaling for Impact’ and will explore the new realities of growing businesses in Africa and beyond and making a real impact. The summit attracts over 400 delegates each year and provides a platform for a frank debate on effective strategies for sustaining the continent’s positive momentum. Keynote addresses from a diverse and distinguished roster of high calibre leaders with significant experience on the continent offering practical insights: opportunities, challenges of doing business, individual market characteristics, and best practices. The proceedings will end with the Alumni 88 LBS Africa Business Summit 2018 · United Kingdom
awards ceremony during a seated Gala dinner reception with live African entertainment for a chance to deepen connections in a relaxed setting and carry on the day’s active debates. The ultimate networking and learning opportunity for students and professionals with a passion for doing business and investing in Africa. The Africa Club The Africa Club is a student-run club at London Business School and is governed by the “LBS Africa Club Advisory Board,” who provide support and oversight on the club’s ability to achieve its goals and objectives. Its mission is to promote the engagement between both the school and the broader community. Members are individuals who have either worked in Africa or have a cultural or professional interest in Africa.
LBS AFRICA BUSINESS SUMMIT
SATURDAY, 12 MAY 2018 THE LANDMARK HOTEL , LONDON www. lbsabs.com #LBSABS
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THE SOLAR
FUTURE NIGERIA 23 - 27 Oct, Cape Town, South Africa
nigeria.thesolarfuture.com Nigeria is considered one of the biggest economies in Africa with more than 182 million people, yet about 55% of the population has no access to grid-connected electricity. As the Nigerian government and the private sector are increasingly turning towards Solar PV to solve this issue, Nigeria is emerging to be one of the most attractive solar markets in the region. Solarplaza organizes The Solar Future Nigeria, a 2-day conference focusing on the opportunities and challenges in this exciting and evolving landscape, to be the keyplatform for all stakeholders to connect. Key characteristics: • The first Solar PV conference focused solely on the Nigerian market. 90 The Solar Future Nigeria 2018 · Nigeria
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All relevant companies, developers, financiers and investors, and decision makers in one place for unparalleled networking opportunities. Covering the full solar PV electrification spectrum: from utility scale to pico-solar and in between. Tailored B2B Business and Finance matchmaking session, connecting projects with financiers and other key market participants. This will be Solarplaza’s 10th event in Africa. Get informed on the latest policies and regulations, market trends and project finance mechanisms, and network during exclusive workshops, roundtables and by using our networking platform.
As a reader of Aspire Africa, you can enjoy a 10% discount on the conference tickets by using the code: AA-10.
THESOLARFUTURE
NIGERIA 15-16 MAY 2018 /// ABUJA
• The first Solar PV conference focused solely on the Nigerian market
• All relevant companies, developers, financiers and investors and decision makers in one place for unparalleled networking opportunities
• Covering the full solar PV electrification spectrum: from utility scale to pico-solar and in between
• Tailored B2B Business and Finance matchmaking session, connecting projects with financiers and other key market participants
2017
What did participants think of the previous edition? “A great event for the Solar industry in Nigeria. The conference was very well organised offering rich content and excellent networking opportunities. We look forward to taking part next year!”
- Marketing Director
“A must attend for anyone interested in Nigeria’s solar industry.”
- Consultant
“The right conference, the right people, the right companies at the right time.”
- Business Strategy and Planning Advisor
Register now : nigeria.thesolarfuture.com
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AFRICAN UTILITY WEEK
15 - 17 May 2018, Cape Town, South Africa
www.african-utility-week.com Over the last 17 years, African Utility Week has grown to be the premier meeting place for the entire power, energy and water value chain. In 2018, African Utility Week will showcase the latest technologies and services in generation (incorporating fossil fuels, off grid, nuclear and renewables), transmission and distribution (including metering) and new technologies (including storage, mini grids, micro grids, IOT and ICT systems). The event offers attendees the opportunity to discuss real commercial propositions and streamline their purchasing process by connecting African utility, municipality and commercial decision makers with technology and service providers. The event brings together over 7000 decision 92 Africa Utility Week 2018 ¡ South Africa
makers to source the latest solutions and meet over 300 suppliers. Along with multiple side events and numerous networking functions, the event also boasts a 6 track conference with over 300 expert speakers. African Utility Week provides the largest gathering of energy and water professionals focused on all aspects of the provision of energy services to the African market. We fulfil the needs of our various stakeholders through providing a professionally organised gathering where attendees can source solutions, generate business, and connect with new and existing energy markets. The African Utility Week app has a proactive, pre-show matchmaking platform enabling all pre-registered attendees to view profiles of participants and select who they want to meet at the event.
15 – 17 May 2018 Cape Town, South Africa www.african-utility-week.com
AFRICA’S LEADING POWER, ENERGY AND WATER TRADE EXPO AND CONFERENCE
GET ACCESS TO: ENERGY
WA
300+ exhibitors
TE R
1500 PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS
GAIN INSIGHTS FROM YOUR INDUSTRY PEERS Networking opportunities
BROADEN YOUR BUSINESS NETWORK
PO WE R
7500 industry influencers
IMPROVE EVERYDAY OPERATIONS
6 free hands-on technical workshops
REGISTER FOR THE FREE EXPO PASS
AFRICAN UTILITY WEEK
INDUSTRY AWARDS Benchmarking excellence in the power industry
16 MAY 2018
BOOK YOUR SEAT Rub shoulders with Africa’s power, energy and water achievers The fifth edition of the Industry Awards will take place on 16 May 2018 during African Utility Week. These awards bring together 850 of Africa’s most renowned power and water industry professionals at a glamorous black tie event. Contact Gary Meyer: +27 21 001 3808 or email: gary.meyer@spintelligent.com
Event Preview
AFRICA TECH SUMMIT
16 May 2018, London, United Kingdom
www.africatechsummit.com/london Africa Tech Summit London provides unrivalled insight, networking and business opportunities for African and international tech leaders and investors who want to drive growth in Africa.
entrepreneurs who were truly focused on business and investment in Africa.
The 3rd annual event will explore the latest trends, connect 250+ key stakeholders from across the continent through keynotes, breakout sessions and networking events.
ATSLondon brings together entrepreneurs and leading African ventures, African governments, trade bodies and leading start-ups to drive investment and business between Africa and the rest of the world.
ATSLondon was launched in 2016 to share globally the growth in the tech ecosystem across Africa. The mobile first continent provides opportunities that previously did not exist for investors, entrepreneurs and corporates. The vision for the first Africa Tech Summit London was simply to bring together these great companies and initiatives across the continent and connect them with international ventures, investors and 94 Africa Tech Summit 2018 ¡ United Kingdom
Insight, Networking & Business Opportunities
Learn from expert speakers and investors with passion, knowledge and experience from across Africa who share key insights, opportunities and trends from the African tech ecosystem. Previous speakers Include IFC, EcoBank, BRCK, Etisalat Nigeria, Draper Dark Flow, Safaricom, Atlas Mara, FNB, Barclays, BitPesa and MEST.
Join us at the 3rd Africa Tech Summit London, where African tech leaders connect with global ventures, investors and business opportunities in Europe.
To register, sponsor or exhibit please visit www.africatechsummit.com/london
@AfricaTechSMT
Let us promote your event. Email: events@aspire-africa.com
Upcoming Events May AFSIC Investment Conference
2 - 4 May, 2018 London, UK www.afsic.net
LBS Africa Business Summit
Nigeria Oil & Gas Conference
2 - 5 July, 2018 Abuja, Nigeria www.cwcnog.com
African Women in Technology
12 May, 2018 London, UK abs2018.lbsafricaclub.org
19 July, 2018 Nairobi, Kenya africanwomenintech.com
The Solar Future Nigeria
Ghana Tech Summit
15 - 16 May, 2018 Abuja, Nigeria nigeria.thesolarfuture.com
June AfricaRail 2018
19 - 20 July, 2018 Accra, Ghana ghanatechsummit.com
August Farm-Tech Expo
12 - 13 Jun, 2018 Johannesburg, South Africa www.terrapinn.com/africa-rail
8 - 9 Aug, 2018 Naivasha, Kenya www.farmtech-expo-kenya.com
DRC Mining Week
Buildexpo Africa Expo
13 - 15 June, 2018 Lubumbashi, DRC www.drcminingweek.com
Africa LPG Summit
19 - 20 June, 2018 Lagos, Nigeria www.lpgsummit.com/Africa2018
96
July
9 - 11 Aug, 2018 Nairobi, Kenya www.expogr.com/buildexpokenya
AFRICA PPB Expo
9 - 11 Aug, 2018 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania africa-ppbexpo.com
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