Destin africa by destinafrica

Kshs. 300 / Ushs. 9000 Tshs. 6000 / RWF. 2200 ISSUE 19 / 2018

INSIDE ESTHER MUCHEMI QUIT HER 16-YEAR AUDIT CAREER IN SEARCH FOR GREATNESS

25 YEARS OF

KENBRIGHT'S TRIUMPHANT JOURNEY

CLOUD COMPUTING CAN IMPROVE LOCAL REALITIES IN KENYA IWAYAFRICA AIMING TO PROVIDE HIGH POWERED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY

PAUL GONDI, CHAIRMAN, KENBRIGHT HOLDING LIMITED www.destinafrica.co.ke

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Stima Sacco is a licensed deposit-taking Sacco established in 1974 with branches countrywide including our latest branch in the heart of Nairobi. You can get easy access to a variety of benefits and facilities that will help you maximize opportunities to secure your financial freedom. Visit us to know more about how to invest with us and accelerate your financial growth and stability. Call us on 0703 024 024 or email info@stima-sacco.com for more information.

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note

Devolution at Five

018 marks the fifth year of the devolved system of government in Kenya. It was the foundation of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new constitution that was promulgated in 2010. Devolution was, and is still a major milestone, since it stipulates the dispersal of economic resources and political power to the grassroots. Most Kenyans had high expectations of the devolved system of governance, but are there any gains made by the county governments so far? There is no doubt that devolution has its own successes and failures. Some governors are for instance using the billions channeled to their counties to improve service delivery and develop infrastructure. They have been instrumental in the expansion of the Kenyan economy. However, the issue of corruption cannot be overlooked. It has been a major hindrance to development. In the just concluded 5th annual devolution conference held in Kakamega, stakeholders highlighted the gains made by county governments. The main focus was the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big Four agenda- Universal Health Care, Food Security, Affordable Housing and Manufacturing. During the weeklong conference that attracted over 6,000 participants, governors argued that devolution is working, and it should be strengthened.

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Contents 20.

INSPIRING WOMAN

18.

5. EDITOR’S NOTE 10. GET INSPIRED 12. CORPORATE NEWS

Equity Bank Mobile money interoperability Sanlam Kenya Cytonn Investments

18. TECHNOLOGY iWayAfrica

20. INSPIRING WOMAN Esther Muchemi

22. YOUNGPRENUER 24. COVER STORY

The reputation of University of Kent alumnus and interior design entrepreneur Zameer Verjee continues to prosper in the pages of some of the world’s leading business publications

Kenbright

22.

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Africa 8

Editor-in-Chief : SUSAN ARMSTRONG

GET 25% OFF

EDITORIAL Features Editor JENIFFER NYAWIRA Features Editor SHABAN AHAB Assistant Editor ALEX NYAMU Digital News Journalist JOE

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Art Direction & Design CAITLIN SHARON Graphic Designer FELIX CONTRIBUTORS Peter Kamande Paul G Dr. Jaimini Gohil Bob Dewar Publicity MARKETING & DIGITAL Head of Digital and Marketing JACKSON THUITA Digital Content Producer AMANDA Digital Coordinator KATE ISSAH FINANCE & OFFICE MANAGEMENT Accounts – accounts@destinafrica.co.ke Head of Sales & Media STEVE – steve@destinafrica.co.ke

One year's subscription to the digital edition of Destin Africa

Published by Forafrica Media P. O. Box 74298-00200 Nairobi, Kenya. Cell: (+254) 774 680 871 / (+254) 739 553 074 E-mail: info@destinafrica.co.ke Website: www.destinafrica.co.ke Destin Africa

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© 2018 Destin Africa published by FORAFRICA MEDIA. Copyright subsists in all work published in this magazine. Any reproduction or adaptation, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited and is an act of copyright infringement which may, in certain circumstances, constitute a criminal offence. www.destinafrica.co.ke

Contents OPINION

28.

26. CLOUD COMPUTING 28. CUSTOMER SERVICE 30. KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY 32. HUMAN CAPITAL 34. CORPORATE FITNESS

Immunisation Essential For a Healthy Nation

36. Living the good life with Goodlife Pharmacy

34.

40.

40. MOTOR New 2018 Volkswagen Touareg is VWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most advanced car yet

44. TRAVELWISE JKIA Named Best Improved Airport in Africa

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Africa

Get Inspired

Inspiring Quotes From Africa’s Top Entrepreneurs on How To Start a Successful Business “If I had worried about everything that could go wrong, I would never have started. Sometimes, you just need to take a leap of faith.” ~ Kennedy Njoroge of Cellulant, Kenya “Work hard and be patient. The main problem I see with young African guys is they want to grow overnight. Yes, they have to be ambitious, they have to think big, but they have to be patient. Rome was not built overnight.” – Francis Kibhisa, Rex Energy, Tanzania “Focus on making [your product or service] awesome. I see a lot of guys go into business with a ‘how can I make money’ approach. But if you go in there saying ‘how can I make something awesome’, the money will follow.” ~ Alex Fourie, iFix, South Africa “Whether you’re a farmer, builder or engineer, the opportunities are equal: Just add a little innovation ” – Strive Masiyiwa, Econet Wireless, London, Zimbabwe

“In my experience, in Africa there is space for innovation. And you don’t have to look far, especially when you are at a disadvantage. Look around you. You might be experiencing a problem that is a need in the community.” – Sizwe Nzima, Iyeza Express, South Africa “The journey is forever. Do not ever let yourself feel like you have arrived, because if you do someone else will come and run right past you. You always have to keep going because you haven’t reached the mountain top yet.” – Kevin Ashley, Java House, Kenya “Today is the beginning of the Rest of your Life! You are the Pilot of your life! Lock in your destination; take off to it, from where you are!.” – Vimal Shah, BIDCO, Kenya

“It’s difficult to identify one specific reason or catalyst [for my success], but above all other things, I believe a strong sense of perseverance, always thinking big and aiming high, and of course positivity, has allowed me to realize my vision.” – Ashish J. Thakkar, UAE

“Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to failure. Every great success has always been achieved by fight. Every winner has scars….The men who succeed are the efficient few. They are the few who have the ambition and will-power to develop themselves. So choose to be among the few today .”

– Chris Kirubi, Centum Investment, Kenya

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Vickers Security Services Limited is a public liability company duly incorporated under the provisions of the companies Act under the laws of Republic of Kenya in the year 2000. Vickers is one of the leading regional security providers and has over time delivered highly trained security personnel to private and commercial enterprises , Banking sector, residential estates, Government institutions, Non-Government Institutions (NGOs), shopping malls and other vital institutions locally and over seas.

Sungura Lane,South C Next to Health Ways Clinic | P.O. Box 5570-00506 Nairobi Tel: 0722288859 / 0729444900 / 0721255998 | Email: vickersecurity@gmail.com, info@vickersecurity.com | www.vickersecurity.com

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Africa 12 Corporate News

Equity Bank Introduces New Tariffs For The Equity Paypal Withdrawal Service The new tiered tariffs will see PayPal users charged a gradual fee based on the withdrawal amount from Equity.

Equity Bank Group CEO and MD, Dr. James Mwangi.

hile announcing the new development, Equity Bank Group CEO and MD, Dr. James Mwangi noted: “Financial inclusion continues to remain at the core of our business strategy. We have listened to our customers and introduced new tiered withdrawal charges.”

The new rates for withdrawals from PayPal to Equity bank accounts will see customers withdrawing $5001 and above being charged 1% of the withdrawal amount, between $2001-5000 will be charged 1.125%, between $1001-2000 will be charged 1.25%, between $501-1000 and customers withdrawing $500 and below will be charged 1.5% of the withdrawal transaction respectively as indicated below: Withdrawal amount in USD 5,001> Fee

1% of the Withdrawal amount

2,001-5,000

1.125% of the Withdrawal amount

1,001-2,000

1.25% of the Withdrawal amount

501-1,000

1.375% of the Withdrawal amount

<500

1.5% of the Withdrawal amount

“The PayPal service with Equity allows our customers to accept payment globally and withdraw locally. By introducing tiered pricing, we hope to encourage more usage from businesses and consumers already using PayPal. At the same time, we hope to continue creating value for our users and as a result, increase their engagement level with this platform,” added Dr. Mwangi. According to its 2017 end of year Financial Results, Equity Bank recorded a 132% increase in the volume of transactions across its international money transfer platforms. PayPal’s volume of transaction increased significantly in the past year as well. PayPal withdrawal time was last year reduced from 8 days to 3 days. Equity Bank, which is the only Bank in Kenya where PayPal customers can make withdrawals from their accounts, reiterated its commitment to continue putting in place innovative channels geared towards enhancing customer experience in line with the technology advancement. Through Equity Bank, customers are able to withdraw funds from their PayPal accounts through their Equity bank accounts.

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Mobile Money Interoperability in Kenya Goes Live

obile Money interoperability has officially kicked off in Kenya starting with Airtel Money and M-Pesa, a move that has been welcomed by the Central Bank of Kenya. Customers will be able to transfer funds across networks in real time, at low cost, and in a secure environment. The benefits of “wallet-to-wallet” interoperability to customers will be immediate and significant.

Customers wishing to transfer money across networks will avoid the cost and inconvenience of needing to reload or withdraw money through network agents. Customers’ mobile wallets will reflect funds immediately these are received, regardless of the network from which these funds are sent. Customers will also be able to withdraw the money in their wallets from the agents on their network, as is currently. The service is accessible via USSD and it’s not embedded within the SIM ToolKit thus sending money from M-Pesa to Airtel Money will require you to remember some certain codes. To send money from Airtel Money to M-Pesa: • Dial *222*1# • Select Language • Select option 1 – Send money • Select option 2 – Send money to Mpesa • Enter recipient’s number • Enter PIN when prompted To send money from M-Pesa to Airtel Money: • Dial *234# • Select option 1 – Mpesa products • Select 98 – More Services • Select option 8 – Tuma Pesa popote • Enter recipients number • Enter PIN when prompted Interoperability is a significant milestone for Kenya’s mobile money. It will play an important role in enhancing the usage of mobile money services, thereby deepening financial access.

Mobile money subscriber accounts have grown to 37.8 million in January 2018. Mobile money transactions in January 2018 were valued at Ksh.323.0billion in1.4billion transactions.

Slogan: Together we fly high

Vision: To be the Financial institution of choice in positively transforming livelihoods & enterprises. Mission: We exist to satisfy our customers need through offering innovative products in the most efficient and effective way. Core Values: Visionary Integrity Customer Focus

Team work Innovativeness Professionalism

TAI SACCO SOCIETY LIMITED gives convenient range of products and services to suite the general public. They include; Loan Products: Account types: 1. Agri based Loans & Advances 1. Ordinary Account 2. Business Loans and Advances 2. Children Account 3. Salary and Pension Loans 3. Business Account 4. Chamaa / Group Loans 4. Special Account 5. Fixed Deposit 5. Holiday Account

You can also access a range of our products and services tailored conveniently to suite you Mobile Banking – Register, dial *645# and there you go! Mpesa Paybill – Mpesa paybill no. is 644700 (Deposit to your Account, anytime, anywhere) E- loan – Quick, convenient and timely soft loan on your Mpesa wallet. Personal Cheques – Personalized cheque book. Visa Branded ATM Card – Access your Account anywhere worldwide! Sacco Assurance – We have partnered with CIC insurance and gotten insurance cover just for you! Biogas Loan – We are ready to go ‘GREEN’ – Affordable domestic cooking solution for all households Inua Jamii – We have partnered with KCB to bring government fund for the aged close to you.

Our Branch Network Githunguri, Gatundu, Kamwangi, Kagwe, Kigumo, Ruiru, Thika, Githurai, Kimende and several mobile offices. TAI SACCO SOCIETY LIMITED Head Office : Githunguri Town, Tai Plaza P.O Box 718 – 00216, Githunguri, Kenya Tel: 020 2010334 / 020 2014150 Website: www.taisacco.coop Email: info@taisacco.coop Twitter: @taisacco Facebook: Tai Sacco Society Limited www.destinafrica.co.ke

Africa 14 Corporate News

Sanlam Kenya Celebrates Mother Company for Completing Africa’s Largest Insurance Firm Acquisition Deal

“At Sanlam Kenya we welcome and celebrate the developments. Fundamentally, this transaction has no material impact on Sanlam Kenya’s operations at a corporate level as it is an acquisition at the continental Group level,” Kuria said adding that, “our clients can now enjoy the added advantage of knowing that we have sufficient scale to cover their needs as we belong to the Sanlam Group; Africa’s largest non-bank financial services provider.” Speaking in South Africa last week at the release of the firm’s Annual Results, Sanlam Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ian Kirk, said: “The acquisition of the remaining 53% of SAHAM Finances, which increases our shareholding to 100% in the Group, is the next logical step for Sanlam and enables us to have an even more meaningful presence across subSaharan and North Africa, in line with our strategy. Since our partnership began in 2016, we have developed a number of projects to unlock synergies between SAHAM Finances and Sanlam. Given our footprint, the transaction positions Sanlam as the ‘go to’ financial services provider for multinationals, brokers, banks, other distribution entities as well as a preferred network of partners for international insurers with no African footprint.”

he local Sanlam Group affiliate has welcomed the completion of a US $1billion corporate acquisition of the North Africa headquartered insurance firm, Saham Finances.

The acquisition, subject to regulatory approvals announced last week and billed as the single largest insurance firm transaction in Africa, will not affect Sanlam Kenya’s local operations and will only serve to enhance the firm’s service delivery capacity. Sanlam Kenya is part of the Sanlam Group and operates under the Sanlam Emerging Markets (SEM) business cluster which will

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also cover Saham Finances moving ahead.

The deal at a US$1050 million consideration, allows the Sanlam Group to become a truly Pan-African insurance, investment and ancillary services group, able to service multi-national clients and their intermediaries more effectively than any other group operating across the continent. Speaking when he acknowledged the corporate developments, Sanlam Kenya Acting Group CEO, Mr. George Kuria said the acquisition has effectively positioned the Sanlam Group as Africa’s largest non-bank financial services provider with added benefits for the firm’s clients.

Commenting on the transaction, SAHAM Group’s spokesperson, Mr Moulay Mhamed Elalamy, said: Saham Group values greatly the partnership with Sanlam, a company that shares the same values and the same ambition for the continent. We wish to deepen and diversify this kind of alliance with other major players in order to fasttrack our development.” The acquisition of Saham Finances will enable Sanlam, its subsidiaries and associates (the “Sanlam Group”) to deepen its direct presence in North Africa as well as Francophone West Africa and Southern African Lusophone countries, which provides it with a unique positioning on the African continent. The two entities will also enjoy potential synergies in general insurance, including optimisation of reinsurance and enhancement of Sanlam’s product line diversification.

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Africa 16 Corporate News

Karen, Kilimani, Ridgeways, Juja and Kasarani are the Best Sub Markets for Land and Real Estate

provided, rather opting for unserviced land which is cheaper, and providing the services on their own, in areas such as Ngong, unserviced land is 36.0% cheaper than serviced land.

The report noted that the land sector is facing challenges such as inadequate infrastructural development as seen through the shortage of trunk infrastructure such as electricity, water drainage, sewer and roads in specific areas, slowed real estate sector performance as a result of the extended electioneering period and thus reduced demand for land, and a difficult legal environment characterized by long procedures in title deed issuance and cases of double titling. The factors expected to shape the sector in 2018 are government land banking initiative, digitization of land ministry, and the relaxation of zoning regulations of some suburbs such as Spring Valley. Cytonn Investments,CEO, Edwin Dande.

ytonn Real Estate, the development affiliate of Cytonn Investments, released its 2018 Cytonn Nairobi Metropolitan Area Land Report. The report themed “Nairobi Metropolitan Area Land Report 2018: The Resilient Investment Option” focused on land price appreciation in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area in 2017. It is based on research conducted in 17 suburbs and 11 Satellite Towns in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. According to the report, the land prices appreciated in most areas in Nairobi Metropolitan Area, growing with an annual appreciation of 3.7% in 2017, down from growth with a 6-year CAGR of 17.4%, attributable to the tough operating environment in 2017. Speaking during the release, Senior Manager, Regional Market, Johnson Denge, noted that “the key factors driving land prices have mainly been positive demographic such as high population growth rates of 2.6% p.a, higher than global averages of 1.2%, a rising middle class with increasing purchasing power, continued investments in infrastructure such as roads, water,

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sewer and power connection, reduced supply of development class land at affordable prices, and a robust real estate sector.” Based on individual zones performance, High rise residential areas recorded the highest capital appreciation rates, growing by 4.8% y/y against a market average of 3.7%. The growth was supported by high returns per unit of land value as the areas allow for densification and increased demand for housing from the growing middle-income population. Areas zoned for commercial development such as Westlands and Kilimani recorded annual appreciation rates of 3.4% y/y, down from a 6-year Compounded Annual Growth Rate “CAGR” of 20.0%. The slowdown in growth is attributed to the increased supply of commercial developments, with offices having an oversupply of 4.7 mn SQFT in 2017, and therefore a decline in demand for land for commercial developments. Site and service schemes had the lowest appreciation rates with the asking prices growing by 2.7% y/y, lower than the 3.0% recorded for unserviced land in the same localities. Implying that buyers are not willing to pay a premium for the services

“Karen, Kilimani, Ridgeways, Juja and Kasarani were among the best performing sub markets in terms of capital appreciation, recording annual rates of more than 5.0% in 2017, and are thus the most attractive areas for both land and real estate development, while for site and service, Thika offers investors the highest expected returns of on average 9.7% against a market average of 3.7% ” Speaking during the release of the report, Research Analyst Juster Kendi noted that “ Thika’s price appreciations was boosted by speculative tendencies brought about by the growth potential of the area and urbanization pressure due to devolution”.

The submarkets with the lowest returns were Nyari, Riverside and Upper Hill attributable to increased land prices over the last 5 years, whereby the area recorded an annual growth of 20.8%, an oversupply of office space in the node as well as traffic congestion into and out of the area that has led to many developers focusing on Kilimani, an upcoming office node with lower supply

The report indicates a positive outlook for the land sector in Nairobi and the firm expects the land and real estate market witness price increments driven by the stable macroeconomic outlook and positive legal reforms.

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Africa 18 Technology

iWayAfrica Aiming to Provide High Powered Internet Connectivity

The company has also revamped its offering and is providing a range of services that go hand in hand with connectivity By Shaban Ahab

Kenneth Munyi, managing director, iWayAfrica.

n today’s fast changing world, internet has become an invaluable tool for societies around the globe. From simple online research to complex work in different fields, internet plays a major role. In Africa, internet users are increasing by the day. With a penetration rate of 31.2 percent as of June 2017, the continent remains a region of interest for internet service providers. In Kenya, over 38 million people browse the internet every day. It is a move that has led to the growth and penetration of service providers in a bid to meet the growing demand. iWayAfrica is one such provider.

With MPLS, we can connect your multi-national branch offices securely to the head office in the continent or any global location

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The company was formed as a result of the amalgamation of MWEB Africa, Africa Online and AFSAT in 2008, when MWEB Africa was purchased by Telkom South Africa. With presence in over 44 African countries, iWayAfrica is the leading internet service provider in the continent. It offers solutions under satellite, fibre optic and wireless networks. The company’s expertise lies in designing, installing and operating networks to meet the need of its customers. With a client base of 67,000 corporate and over 20,000 consumer subscribers across

Sub-Saharan Africa, iWayAfrica remains a top player in the industry.

Product Offering The company offers a range of products including wireless broadband services to cater for the small and medium enterprises and corporate markets. “We provide corporate connectivity between offices using licensed or unlicensed microwave offering between 5Mbps and 400Mbs,” says Kenneth Munyi, managing director at iWayAfrica.”We also offer Backhaul transmission links for connecting the base stations of mobile operators and Point to Multi-Point Wireless Broadband - connectivity on LTE / WiMAX or other PtMP technologies to deliver broadband to end users or business,” he adds.

When it comes to VSAT Services, the company has created offerings for SMEs and Corporates – full sub-Saharan footprint to provide services in more than 44 countries in Africa. To seamlessly offer excellent service on this front, the company has formed strategic partnerships with leading satellite providers and satellite hardware vendors offering broad solutions. iWayAfrica also offers outdoor and indoor hotspot Wi-Fi for various applications and public places such as shopping

iWayAfrica plans to provide consultancy services to help customers audit their networks by identifying areas of exposure

malls, coffee shops, community centres Multi-tenant dwellings, office parks, campus environment and fully mobile environments for public transit, buses, trains, police and security among others.

In regards to secure connectivity using Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) for voice, data and video requirements, iWayAfrica provides a means to connect multiple branch offices across cities and countries on a secure MPLS connection using virtual private networks. Mr. Munyi says that is accomplished by utilizing local transit in each country and international transit across fibre submarine links to servers in multiple countries. It guarantees a seamless and secure connection across MPLS network. That is important, especially to organizations that have several branches with a central head office. “With MPLS, we can connect your multinational branch offices securely to the head office in the continent or any global location,” notes Mr. Munyi.

iWayAfrica also offers a variety of value added services including hosted web and email services on multiple platforms, such as MS Windows and Linux, hosted servers for email, data storage and applications co-located in iWay data centres in each

country of operation, VoIP in specific territories and Cloud-based services. As part of the value addition services, the company provides full end-to-end managed servers such as email, firewall, security, data storage and support & maintenance. Mr. Munyi offers, “Our solutions include all hardware and software for the SME markets with features such as Managed Hosted Services with round the clock support and client based server with cloud support provided, installed and supported by us.” Customers can choose from the following services or take the full package - Mail hosting, network security, virus protection, data storage and backup DR.

iWayAfrica also provides (Voice over Internet Protocol) VoIP service. It is offered through strategic partnerships agreements with the major mobile and fixed carriers on the continent, allowing international routing of calls at lower rates than traditional switched voice. “Multinational companies with branch offices on the continent can take advantage of our VoIP offering to reduce their costly voice burden, and be guaranteed the highest available quality.”

Recently, the company launched a new product named Jola. It is a flexible Ku-Band,

managed satellite service for Sub-Saharan Africa. Jola is delivered out of a hub based in South Africa. It uses one of the latest technologies to provide broadband enterprise solutions to most parts of the continent. The company integrated with the Hughes Jupiter platform to offer a flexible, efficient and superior product to what is already available in the market. Enhancing Connectivity In addition to connectivity, iWayAfrica is revamping its wireless infrastructure by migrating to platforms that are LTE capable.

It is also focusing on Information Technology security, an important issue that has been ignored for a long time. “We are bringing on board a range of products to address the problem, to enable our customers to better protect their offering,” shares Mr. Munyi. The managing director notes that the company plans to revamp its IT infrastructure, including building management solutions. “Most of the new buildings require structured cabling, since it acts as a platform for providing different solutions and services such as security, surveillance, internet access and telephoning services.”

Hurdles Despite the speedy growth of the internet industry in the current time, players have to contend with challenges that come with it. Service providers, for instance, are facing stiff competition, making it important to differentiate their products to remain at the top. They also need to get and retain the right staff, with the level of expertise required to propel the companies to higher heights. iWayAfrica has been able to navigate through such challenges through constant innovation. The company looks forward to achieve exponential growth in the African market.

Road Ahead Going forward, iWayAfrica plans to provide consultancy services to help customers audit their networks by identifying areas of exposure. That will help the company provide the most ideal solutions to its customers. www.destinafrica.co.ke

Africa 20 Inspiring Woman

Esther Muchemi Quit Her 16Year Audit Career in Search For Greatness Today, she has built a successful group of companies that employs over 600 people

Esther Muchemi is one of Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most outstanding and seasoned entrepreneurs. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Samchi Group of Companies. She quit her 16-year audit career in search for greatness, which led her to establish a telecom company. Today, she has built it into a successful outfit and diversified into other business segments including microfinance,hospitality and real estate. There is no doubt that Esther is an innovative entrepreneur seeking to put Kenya on the map by creating long-term solutions through business and social impact. When Esther and I met for this interview at her office, she recounted on her journey as an entrepreneur, spoke about her take on business and the fundamentals of starting a business. By Jennifer Nyawira

Who is Esther Muchemi? ne of the things I know is that I love God with all my heart. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like defining myself outside who God has made or called me to be, because it impacts on how I relate with people. I refer to myself as a common village girl, and am a living example

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that people can come from a local setup and become successful. I went through the hustles of a village girl, schooled in local institutions and tarmacked like anyone else. I am a value-based person and manage my businesses based on values. I believe in success based on hard work and investing in businesses that are both scalable and bring change to the society. What’s your academic and professional background? I graduated from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor of Commerce – Accounting option. I then got a job in an audit firm, where I started off as a junior auditor. In my sixteen-year audit career, I worked for top audit firms where worked my way up to become a salaried partner.

Looking for greatness? During my working years, I realized there was a greatness I was not realizing. Something within me was being curtailed. I needed to discover who I was, since I was the only one who could determine my destiny. Time and opportunity are given to us equally; it is how you choose to deal with them that makes the difference. That was when I made a daring move by quitting on something that I had heavily invested in—my career. How did you get started as an entrepreneur? I initially founded an audit firm, where I faithfully worked for five years. That gave me the best exposure to succeed in business. That line of business was however not leading me to the kind of greatness I desired. It was also not scalable and did not sit well with my family since it was based on professionalism. I therefore quit the business and started Samchi Telecom. It initially started as a one shop business that engaged in selling airtime and mobile phones. Through a journey of sacrifice, the company has grown in leaps and bounds to become one of the leaders in the telecommunication sector. After fifteen years, I decided to diversify to other sectors including hospitality (After 40 Hotel), real estate, microfinance and agriculture. Plans are underway to open a fast food restaurant along Tom Mboya

The youth should also know that there is no shortcut to hard work, since it is the only way of building a solid foundation to wealth Street dubbed Heavenly Wings, since it will offer a heavenly experience to our clients. I always ensure every venture is stable prior to investing in new ones.

What can you say you have achieved so far? Man was created to take care of the land by improving it. One of my greatest satisfactions is that I am part of making the world better by providing solutions. My greatest achievement is being able to influence and bring change to the society. I have created employment for the youth, currently with a staff base of 600. This is what makes me feel good. I am proud of my entrepreneurship journey, and still aiming to do more. What’s your take on business ethics? Ethical issues in business can only be eliminated by doing the right thing. People should have a personal conviction of doing things ethically. At Samchi, ethics is at the heart of our business. We have maintained a strong ethical culture by identifying and integrating core ethical values in everything we do. That’s why Samchi has previously been recognized as the best ethical dealer. We want to be honest and do our business with integrity as this is what governs our relationship with our clients and dealers. I however regret that many people have become a bad example to the youth. It is a pity and so unfortunate that they have lost their moral authority. The behaviour is unacceptable and we should find a way of undoing it. Parents have a responsibility

of bringing up the society in the right way. The youth should also know that there is no shortcut to hard work, since it is the only way of building a solid foundation to wealth.

Could you tell us some of the fundamentals of starting a business? First, people must identify what they want to do and focus entirely on it. Focus and consistency are very important. Don’t leave anything to chance to make it a success. If the first idea doesn’t work, go back to the drawing board and start all over again. There is nothing as good as getting an opportunity to reconstruct again with the information and knowledge gained from the first failure.

Another important thing is your name and what you stand for. Can people trust you as their business partner? My name is what has made me who I am. We were the pioneers to be given credit by Safaricom. I recall being given a one month credit worth 64 million, which I repaid to the last coin. Finally, is advertising your business to your friends. Small businesses start with the circles you know. Who are some of the personalities you admire? The people I quite admire are Manu Chandaria and Richard Brandson. They are wealthy, yet so human, humble and passionate about their families. I also admire Duncan Ndegwa in terms of succession. He has done it so well. This is how I want to be perceived. To be admired because of my values.

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Africa 22 Youngprenuer

Zameer Verjee, managing director, Studio AZ. www.destinafrica.co.ke

Top Business Accolades for University of Kent Kenyan Alumnus The reputation of University of Kent alumnus and interior design entrepreneur Zameer Verjee continues to prosper in the pages of some of the world’s leading business publications

reviously named as one of Kenya’s top 40 successful entrepreneurs under the age of 40 by Business Daily Africa in 2016, he was also listed on the Forbes Africa 30 under 30 list.

Zameer, who studied Business and Economics at the University of Kent, is also a previous winner of ‘Best Interior Design Apartment Africa’ and ‘Highly Recommended For Office Space’ (2015).

Despite his current success, Zameer’s journey has been a test of his personal and professional resolve. After planning to enter the family business when he graduated, he was forced to change his plans when the business went into receivership in 2010. However, having been prepared by his time at the University to expect and maximise the opportunities that challenge often presents, he was undeterred by the road ahead.

When asked how the experience at the University of Kent influenced his life, he said the years spent at the University were unquestionably the most important and formative years, during which both he and his wife created the foundations of their personal and professional lives. They met at the University, where they learned how to highlight each other’s strengths. This was the place where they learned how to face adversities and stand strong on their own two feet when unfortunate things happened in life, and this was also the place that taught them not to give up on their dreams and to work hard. According to Zameer, ‘The University of Kent did not only give us the professional and technical skills for the base of our careers, but most importantly, it gave us transferable skills, which proved to be essential in the building of our venture’. After going back to Nairobi, he said to himself: ‘There are two of us, we have overcome a lot of difficulties already, we graduated, we are clever and we can definitely do more than just settling for a good job.’ The pair decided to be entrepreneurs.

They found a need in the market and started the interior design company STUDIO AZ. Getting people to trust them, at the beginning, was one of the biggest challenges. Neither suppliers nor clients were ready to believe in two 23-year-old recent graduates, with no practical experience or portfolios. Furthermore, finding the start-up capital, for example for a car to move around, or to market themselves, was initially a challenge. The initial start-up money came from small funds saved during their university time.

They overcame those initial difficulties by believing in their capabilities and not giving up on the idea that they can find a way to make their dream come true. Then the first client believed in them. They treasured the assignment they were given and proved their worth and from there on, the client introduced them to some friends and to friends of friends and that’s how the business came into being. After those initial obstacles, they faced newer ones: how to build a recognisable brand name with a good reputation, so a ‘domino effect’ could be created and more people would come to know about them. Later they faced challenges with creating teams with relevant skills. It took time to fulfil all those tasks but they kept strong and overcame them gradually.

When asked what kept him going, Zameer said, ‘Perseverance is my motto. What most inspires me to keep going is my vision of the company which I know I can create, and I know I can achieve the things that I am sure about. Moreover, the support of my family and the belief they have in me have played a fundamental role in keeping me strong through all difficulties’. When asked what comes next, Zameer said that he is planning to launch another branch of the business this year in partnership with a building material supplier in Dubai.

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Africa 24 Cover Story

Mr. Paul Gondi, Chairman, Kenbright Holding Limited He is a seasoned insurance professional with over 30 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in the East African financial services sector. Trained as a financial analyst specializing in credit evaluation and Insurance Credit Risk Mitigation. He is a Board Member of the E-plus road evacuation company (a subsidiary of Red Cross). He was the founding chairman of the Geothermal Development Company.

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TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF KENBRIGHT’S TRIUMPHANT JOURNEY Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Kenbright now focuses on building an African company and move it forward to a more comprehensive and competitive business By Jennifer Nyawira

018 marks a significant milestone for Kenbright Holding Limited, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. Founded in 1993 by Paul Gondi, Kenbright started out as an insurance brokerage employing only one person. The company was initially offering medical and general insurance but today, it has grown tremendously, diversified into other sectors and brought a team of experts on board to manage and move the business forward. Kenbright’s Chairman Mr. Gondi says that the idea of starting an insurance brokerage firm was born after leaving employment. “I wanted to venture into business and had two options: getting into the insurance or the banking industry.” He however decided to settle on an insurance brokerage firm since it was not capital intensive. It only required about 5 million to start. Additionally, he had in-depth industry knowledge, having been trained as a Financial analyst specializing in credit evaluation and Insurance Credit Risk Mitigation. “One of my key strengths was that I built lots of networks from my previous job. I was also good in marketing, something that enabled me to propel the business to higher heights,” offers Mr. Gondi. After being in the industry for some years, Mr. Gondi felt the need to diversify to other areas such as Actuarial, Pension and Financial services. “My first attempt with a South African partner never succeeded. We had a stint for only two years,” he says. In 2016, Ezekiel Macharia joined the company as the Chief Actuary, Partner and CEO. He had industry knowledge

and technical expertise, which he used to assist the company to expand and venture progressively in the new emerging markets.

Since then, Kenbright’s journey has been accentuated by numerous transformations. It has been on a growth trajectory backed by a team of professionals with the technical capacity required in the industry.

Today, Kenbright Holdings has four divisions namely Kenbright Insurance Brokers, Kenbright Actuarial and Financial Services, Kenbright Healthcare Administrators, and Kenbright Reinsurance Brokers.

Kenbright Holdings has four divisions namely Kenbright Insurance Brokers, Kenbright Actuarial and Financial Services, Kenbright Healthcare Administrators, and Kenbright Reinsurance Brokers.

The company has also gone regional and has footprints in Uganda and Tanzania. It has also expanded into Nigeria, Namibia, Swaziland, and South Africa through strategic regional partnerships.

Product offering Kenbright has partnered with leading insurance companies in Kenya to offer insurance solutions to its clients. The company offers a range of products including motor, medical, travel and home insurance. Medical insurance is offered under Mint, a health fund that allows the company to pool funds together. The insurance broker has also partnered with First Assurance Company to offer insurance cover to Uber riders. It is a personal accident cover for accidental medical expense costs while on hospital confinement, ambulance emergency as well as compensation for death or serious injury suffered by a passenger amongst others while on a trip with Uber.

“We have also partnered with insurance and reinsurance companies in the country to ensure that if a product is too complex, we can get capital support both locally and internationally,” says Ezekiel. Furthermore, Kenbright offers consulting services including risk management, training and compliance on insurance related matters, actuarial and financial services that are tailored to meet client’s needs. Why Kenbright? “One of our main strengths is local technical capacity,” says Ezekiel adding that “We have a team of technical experts

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Africa 26 Cover Story

25th Anniversary Founded in 1993 by Paul Gondi In 2016, Ezekiel Macharia joined the company as the Chief Actuary, Partner and CEO Sammy Makove joined the company in 2017. He is the Regulatory Affairs and Advisory director at Kenbright Actuarial and Financial Services

Chrispin Onyancha heads Kenbright Reinsurance Brokers as the Chief Executive Risk department is headed by Mukami Njeru who joined Kenbright Actuarial and Financial Services as a Risk Director in 2016 Kenbright Healthcare Administrators is headed by Dr. Kanja Koinange who help the risk carrier in different areas including actuarial, supervision and reinsurance. The company targets the youth and discerning consumers who are searching for a partner to help them manage risks. Ezekiel reveals that the consumers have been seeking out assistance from international players.

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Key milestones Kenbright has gone through major transformations in 25 years. “Our key milestone is setting up a whole 360° onestop shop for the insurance and financial services company.”

The company has moved from just being an insurance broker and focused on other disciplines including actuarial and financial services and reinsurance where we are geared to offer solutions. Furthermore, Kenbright has brought in key technical people to head the team. One of them is Sammy Makove who joined the company in 2017. He is the Regulatory Affairs and Advisory director at Kenbright Actuarial and Financial Services. Mr. Makove is a former Commissioner of insurance and Chief Executive of the Insurance Regulatory Authority. Another notable person is Chrispin Onyancha who heads Kenbright Reinsurance Brokers as the Chief Executive. Prior to this, Chrispin was the Regional Manager, Eat Africa at Munich Reinsurance Company.

Kenbright Healthcare Administrators is headed by Dr. Kanja Koinange who is also a Director of the Company while the Risk department is headed by Mukami Njeru who joined Kenbright Actuarial and Financial Services as a Risk Director in 2016.

The company has also grown its staff base, from two people in 1993 to the current 35, who are technically equipped.

The chairman notes that the dynamics in the insurance industry have changed. “We have changed our traditional ways of doing things and we are now focusing on offering specialized and value-added products to our clients.” Hurdles Despite making major strides in its undertakings, Kenbright has faced a few challenges. To begin with, many Kenyans do not want to accept change. That has led

to low acceptance level of new insurance products in the market.

Secondly, is hiring people who are good on paper, yet they can’t execute what is required of them. “In that regard, we have embarked on thorough training of our staff in different areas including work pressure, quality and peer review,” observes Ezekiel. Thirdly, as the company grows, people’s roles have expanded. “We are therefore working on dynamic restructuring of the processes.” Kenbright has also outsourced some of its functions including human resource, information technology, public relations and compliance.

Mr. Gondi however notes that despite the ups and downs, the 25 years have been a learning experience. “I personally feel I have learnt a lot and I’m determined to remain focused to steer the company ahead and be one of the front leaders in the changing insurance dynamics.” The road ahead Ezekiel observes that the world is turning into the digital and artificial intelligence age. In that regard, Kenbright is well positioned to be a digital frontier partner and have a strong intelligence platform. “We are nimble, don’t have legacy issues, and have a young and robust team of actuaries who are the old data scientists.”

It also wants to be viewed as the technical partner of choice when it comes to providing financial solutions in Africa, especially in East and Central Africa.

“In reinsurance broking, we want to be the broker of choice and establish a strong footprint in the continent, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa,” says Chrispin. “We also want to be the first reinsurance broker to support the roll out of cyber products in the country,” he adds. “Our synergies will make Kenbright the dream choice to partner with,” says Mr. Gondi.

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Africa 28 Cloud Computing

By Corine Mbiaketcha Nana

Cloud Computing Can Improve Local Realities in Kenya

enya has distinguished itself as a hotbed of technological innovation and creativity. The challenge now is how to consolidate these gains and leap forward as a country– to enhance the quality of life for all.

Cloud computing in layman’s terms ‘Cloud’ is a service you use every day, without even realising it. Whether with your mobile apps, email service (Gmail, Mozilla, Outlook) Facebook, online shopping services such as eBay/ Amazonthese are all services based in the cloud. Cloud computing is a general term associated with the delivery of services through public networks such as the Internet or private networks like corporate intranets. Cloud computing enables companies to consume IT resources – Hardware, Software and Storage - as a utility -- just like electricity -- rather than having to build and maintain computing infrastructures in house.

With cloud computing, projects that took years to implement and action now take a matter of weeks or months, with predictable budgets. In such a context, more development and testing can happen at a lower cost and its effects can be seen on technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Machine Learning, Internet Of Things, Blockchain, Bitcoin and others.

Communities stand to benefit from the endless new services that can be launched, www.destinafrica.co.ke

from financial services, healthcare and even manufacturing. We have seen manufacturers introduce products faster and cheaper than ever before, giving them the freedom to pursue real change and innovation across the entire supply chain. Industries that are heavily regulated because of security concerns or full data access requirements should turn to unique models that combine the benefits of having data on servers in an on-premise data centre, with those of a pay-as-yougo model with a technology provider maintaining it all.

By having the ability to design their own map to cloud success, companies have almost limitless paths and roadways that they can draw – and reshape – to help drive their business growth. For Africa, by Africans Kenya can lead Africa forward, taking

Kenya is the clear leader in Africa when it comes to internet and mobile penetration, which stood at 89.4% in June 2017 Morocco (58%), South Africa (56%) Nigeria (54%)

the next step onward becomes critical. How can we leverage these ingredients of technological innovation to drive inclusive development for all? The solution for Africa’s challenges will come from within Africa. Technology is the same all over the world; the difference lies in building solutions that answer and address local socio-economic challenges.

Presently, Kenya is the clear leader in Africa when it comes to internet and mobile penetration, which stood at 89.4% in June 2017, with the next three lagging further behind: Morocco (58%), South Africa (56%) and Nigeria (54%). The continental average is 31.2% The innovation ecosystem in Kenya is flourishing, drawing global interest. The most famous being mobile payment which sprouted from the need for efficient funds transfer by those working in urban areas to their kin upcountry. While the rest of the world is struggling to make mobile payments work for them, Kenya is already a global example. There is also significant goodwill from government as well as private sector players; business leaders are always looking for technology that gives them an edge in their industries. Individually, Kenyans are generally fast adopters of new technology and the youthful population is creative and not afraid of innovating. There are a number of global innovations that have spread to Africa and are significantly disrupting lives. The challenge lies in taking this further. For instance, the impact of Uber in facilitating transportation in many African cities is massive; however, we need to consider how to make the concept work in rural areas too – which also have their unique transport challenges. Technologies such as cloud computing have made this possible; by reducing the cost of access, we have the ability to scale solutions to meet these challenges and make a positive impact on people’s lives. Africa can play a strong role in the fourth industrial revolution and create heavy wealth out of it. This is only possible if technological innovations are used to address social

challenges and the untouched market potential.

Cloud-led innovation Cloud computing leads to faster development and quicker learning, therefore accelerates innovation as it drastically removes costly overheads when it comes to maintenance and updates, while localisation of technology to suit the circumstances on the ground also helps with data security and regulatory compliance.

The greatest value of technology is realised when it is applied across the value chain, leading to massive impact on people. The backbone of many economies in Africa is the agricultural sector; deployment of artificial intelligence and robotics can help multiply agricultural production and productivity, and deliver more value to the farmer, the rest of the value chain, and the economy as a whole. Similarly, in the healthcare sector, artificial intelligence and robotics can help enhance access to medical facilities, even for communities living in the hinterland.

Using technology, people seeking medical attention do not necessarily have to travel to get to larger, better equipped facilities. The same applies to the control of our finances with the urgent need for less human intervention if we want to collect more taxes and require more revenue to be redistributed with minimum loss.

In Kenya, such is easily achievable as the fintech and telco digitalisation speed is surely among the fastest on the continent. Africa has a unique opportunity enabled by cloud technology; focus should be on using it in a manner that delivers maximum developmental impact. The secret is in unleashing the capacity to develop and educate with a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. The onus is on Africans to make sure the best available platform and tools in the world are used to secure and get the most out of local data usage. Data tomorrow is what oil is today and the battle is on who will control it.

Corine Mbiaketcha Nana is the Managing Director Kenya Hub covering East, Central and West Africa at Oracle

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Africa 30 Branding

By Special Correspondent

You do the math in terms of the negative business impact incivility may be having at your workplace Good manners are said to be ageless, classless and priceless. ecently, I visited a well-known electronics store in town to buy a computer part. For those not in the know, this store stocks numerous electronics, computer parts, gadgets, phones etc. The set-up is such that you have the shop assistants

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How Civil is Your Brand in Business?

attending to the customers in a rather chaotic and noisy fashion all over the floor whilst in strategic corners around the shop the “owners” sit on chairs behind counters keeping a mindful eye on proceedings.

their awareness of others as well as giving confidence and self-esteem, we may lessen hostility and aggression, and who knows – the world might become a slightly happier place. Good manners never go out of style and are crucial in business. Research has shown your technical ability and academic qualifications account for as little as 15 per cent of getting a job and progressing within an organisation, and as much as 85 per cent really boils down to your people skills and how you navigate office politics. At the crux of this is how you relate to other people – are you the congenial office colleague or the co-worker from hell.

Customers were practically cowering and my jaw was literally on the floor as this guy was ranting and raving loudly in language that would make a soldier blush. I asked the sales person helping me if this was normal and he muttered under his breath that it happened practically every day.

Good manners Civility underpins all good business relationships and it does not take any more effort to be nice than it does to be rude and it is one of the things in life that is still free.

Whilst I was there, one of the owners was on his cell phone walking up and down whilst screaming all manner of obscenities at the unfortunate person on the other end of the line. Never mind the store was full of customers – this man was either oblivious to the fact or he wanted to make a point to everyone that he was not to be messed around with. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife, it was so palpable.

Personal branding When looking at the ABC’s of personal branding – appearance, behaviour and communication, behaviour is the glue that holds the staff of an organisation together. Those of us who speak, write and coach others on personal branding have declared rudeness to be rampant for some time and have seen the toll it has taken especially in the office. Bullying, profanity and insensitivity are making work lives unpleasant and as a result, customer service and productivity are suffering. It goes without saying that good manners in the workplace need to come from the top. When the tone is set from the top down, civility becomes part of the company culture. Leave alone the effect on customers (I for one will never shop there again) but studies show that a large percentage of all employees choose to leave rather than put up with this kind of uncivil behaviour – a clear impact to how efficiently a business runs.

Does civility matter in business and is it even necessary at all? Good manners are said to be ageless, classless and priceless. If we can raise people’s level of behaviour by increasing

If we all followed the guidelines of good manners and mutual respect, we would treat each other more kindly, behave more honestly and enjoy greater professional success. People with good manners treat others cordially, think of others before themselves and have respect for each other. People buy from people and so better manners mean better business. Having good manners is an essential business tool and it is vital to take a survey at your place of work on whether lack of civility is harming your business or the cost of overall performance. Bad manners can cost businesses by contributing to loss of revenue and increased customer loss and decreased employee morale. One of the leading companies in the area of business etiquette, The Emily Post Institute, did a workplace study on manners and the results were as follows: Of the 775 persons who had an uncivil act committed against them, 28 per cent lost work time by avoiding the instigator. A further 53 percent lost work time through stressing over the event. 22 percent experienced decreased work effort and 12 per cent actually quit their job. You do the math in terms of the negative business impact incivility may be having at your workplace.

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Africa 32 Knowledge Economy

By Special Correspondent

Leveraging knowledge gives societies the power for social and economic transformation, setting them on a path of progress and increasing what is now called the gross national happiness

enya is paying a steep price for failing to invest in the knowledge economy. The Economic Survey 2016, which was released early May, shows that real estate continues to experience the most robust growth. An earlier study on the property market indicated that in some parts of the capital, land costs as much as Sh1 billion an acre. That means an individual with 143 acres could have afforded to fund Kenya’s education budget for the current financial year.

This is very well for the creation of individual wealth. It means that the people who had the foresight to buy land when the cost was lower will reap handsome dividends. The only problem, from a public good point of view, is that these type of transactions do not create jobs and the wealth generated remains concentrated in a few hands with no real value created in the economy.

Knowledge economy The danger with this trend is that for the rest of the economy – including the upwardly mobile middle class and for entrepreneurs – the cost of owning land as a factor of production becomes prohibitive. It also pushes up the cost of owning homes, even when such a home is a flat bought on mortgage in a leafy suburb. The second danger in failing to invest in the knowledge economy became evident with the collapse of the storeyed building www.destinafrica.co.ke

Investing in Knowledge Will Cure Many of Our Ills

in Huruma, Nairobi. The building, which housed more than 300 families, was built very close to a river. With the flooding of the city, the huge volumes of water began to eat away at the river banks. When a chunk of soil was washed away from near the ill-fated building, it tilted and eventually caved in. By the time of writing this, close to 100 people were yet to be accounted for and 36 had been confirmed dead.

Such tragedies are unlikely to occur in a knowledge economy, first, because the advice of professionals would be sought before such an investment is made and during the construction. As such, professionals would have ensured that the building had a firm foundation and they would have taken measures to mitigate against any undesirable eventuality, such as flooding, considering that the building

was constructed right next to a water way. Because investment in knowledge was not made, many families have lost their loved ones and their property. Similarly, the two brothers who invested their money in the building have not only lost their asset but are now in court facing manslaughter charges. Health and wealth Let us turn from property to health. In the last one year, more than 200 people have died of cholera in various parts of the country, including northern Kenya, the Coast and Nairobi. Did these people need to die?

In his book, The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality, Deaton Angus says that in the 21st century many people in poor countries are dying from diseases that used to ravage Europe during the industrial revolution in the 18th century. “We need to ask why people are still dying of things we know how to prevent,” says the scholar who won the Nobel Prize for Economics last year. According to him, it is not right that thousands of children in poor countries die before their fifth birthdays because they contract diseases like pneumonia and malaria, yet these diseases have been wiped out in richer countries for over one hundred years.

The answer lies in the fact that these countries invested in knowledge. They studied the causes of the diseases and how to prevent and treat them. For cases such as cholera, their leaders took actions needed to stop further deaths – like separating drinking water from sewage – and for cases like bacterial infections, their scientists developed antibiotics, which with government intervention, became readily available to the public. No wonder such countries continue to enjoy better quality of life for their citizens who are living longer and have more wealth relative to their counterparts in poor countries. This, in my view, is one of the reasons why people from poor countries are always seeking refuge in Europe and other well-off countries as Paul Collier has ably demonstrated in Exodus: How Migration is Changing the World, his book on the causes and effects of immigration. Those poor

souls who perish off the coasts of Libya and Italy trying to make the perilous journey to Europe are doing so in the hope of living a better life, if not for themselves, at least for their children. Two sides of the same coin Often, when people from poor countries travel to richer ones, they always come back with tales of how they were impressed by systems that work. Hardly, however, do they make the connection between such systems and the knowledge economy, yet these are but two sides of the same coin.

In Europe, for instance, the obsession with land that is so prevalent in Kenya is virtually non-existent. As such, if a European country was to build a railway line in the same year and to cover the same distance as the Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya, it would cost them much less because there will be no “entrepreneurs”, civil servants and politicians buying land cheaply from peasants and inflating the price when reselling to the government. In a knowledge economy, the cost of public goods and services is moderated to benefit the highest number at the lowest price. In an economy like ours, a few benefit sometimes by abusing the privilege to leverage information that is otherwise not in the public domain. Such private gain, of course, comes at a cost to the public.

Similarly, in a knowledge economy, those in position of power do not sub-divide land in water towers to their political allies as so often happened in the past because they would recognize that water towers are a public good meant to be shared by all; the rich and the poor, the urban worker and the rural farmer, man and beast alike. Too often, however, when we say that knowledge is power, we fail to grasp the full import of this otherwise self-evident truth. Leveraging knowledge gives societies the power for social and economic transformation, setting them on a path of progress and increasing what is now called the gross national happiness. Of course, for knowledge to benefit societies, it must be coupled by the political will to make systems work, such as ensuring that citizens have access to the drugs and infrastructure that prevent 18th century diseases from afflicting them in the 21st century and conserving the environment for present and future generations. www.destinafrica.co.ke

Africa 34 Human Capital

By Paul G

Use People Skills to Hone Your Competitive Edge

o remain competitive, we must take time to sharpen our competitive edge. As a busy business owner or executive, your days can turn into weeks and the weeks into months before you even realize what is happening. So what is competitive edge? Where can business owners and executive find it? Unlike what most management course will tell you, it is not found in your balance sheet. Profit is only the evidence of a competitive edge. The edge itself is found in your relationships.

Your business is the ‘people’ business, and every enterprise is. Certainly, you have skills, experience, expertise and product to provide, nonetheless the most important aspect that you need is the people. There is no enterprise that can attain any meaningful economic progress without people.

People are the economy. It is people you react to and prepare for. People have wants and needs. People create cooperation and competition, expectations and demand, deadlines and timelines, urgencies and emergencies. It is people who make or break a business. To sharpen your competitive edge, you must strive to hone your people skills. Excellent people skills build trusting relationships and solid links. These are pivotal to your bottom line, symbolically and literally. Whether you are relating with your workforce, your colleagues at work, folks you work for or live with, the better your skills, the more likely the relationship will be fruitful and rewarding. Sharpening your skills then makes ultimate sense. It will not only save you energy and time, but also pain and fear. www.destinafrica.co.ke

It is common knowledge that our world has speeded up. We have changed our perception of time and urgency. We live in an era of instant communication with a desire for instant gratification. In this light, if we blink, we are afraid we might miss something. If we slow down, we are terrified we might be passed. If we stop, we are scared we will be too far out of pace to recoup our position. Our radar is on 24/7. It’s exhausting.

To work and live at ease, we need to cultivate and refine our ‘people skills’. This will serve as a buffer to your own sanity as well as contributing to our business success. The wisdom of Bob Pritchard should always guide every business. He stated that, “When you’re not learning — someone, somewhere else, is. When you meet — guess who has the advantage?”

The questions that comes to everyone’s mind is, how do you improve your competitive business edge, improve customer, workplace relationships and keep your sanity and health simultaneously? The answer is creating succinct goals, established priorities, well –grounded people skills, thoughtful time management, efficient organization and

basic integrity. Even though this may be simple to say, it is not always an easy to do.

To sharpen your competitive edge, you should seek to harness the following skills: Be Assertive, not aggressive Be clear and succinct. It is important to know what you want and why you want it. Know what is important for your business and why it is important. It is

only after defining that will you be in a position to communicate respectfully and assertively. The success of your business will be in direct proportion to your clarity. Assertiveness denotes being willing to ask for what you want and need. Assertiveness necessitates that you speak about business, your feelings, your thoughts, your wants and needs. It is a declaration of where you stand. It is not an opportunity to trample on other individuals. That is aggressiveness. Assertive business owners or traders communicate in ways that enable them to maintain self-respect, pursue happiness and the satisfaction of their wants while protecting their personal space and rights. All this is achieved without abusing the rights of other people. In his excellent book, People Skills, Robert Bolton states that assertive people express their thoughts, feelings, wants and idea at the expense of others. Robert further states that it is always difficult to feel safe and comfortable around aggressive people.

Communicate clearly Communication entails two distinct acts: the ability and willingness to listen, and the ability and willingness to pass your message succinctly. Listening is much more difficult than talking. It is so difficult to listen because we long to be understood, we are impatient, and instead of listening to the other person’s point of view, we are always busy formulating our response, defense and rebuttal in our minds. Listening requires caring. One has to want to listen, be willing to ask question so that everything is understood as it is. When speaking always endeavour to choose your words meticulously to pass the message to the audience. Always remember, you can say a great deal without speaking. Body language is a powerful communication tool. Leave nothing to chance that is within your control to communicate succinctly. Manage conflict productively Conflict is not just a four letter word! In its simplest definition, conflict is an expression of opposing drives, demands, needs and wishes. The challenge is how conflict is managed.... or, if it managed at

all. A majority of people have had poor experiences with conflict. It is not unusual for conflict to be equated with disrespect. That is, of course, because of the awkward ways in which it has been handled. It is important to note that assertive people can manage conflict more productively than aggressive people. Such people can communicate their positions and support them with evidence excellent ideas and facts. Assertive people contribute to the conversation instead of fuelling the conflict to unmanageable level. The first crucial step in managing conflict is clarifying the underlying issues. It is important to delineate whether it is a conflict of feelings/emotions and values/ needs. These are very different. Conflicts of emotions/feelings are easier to manage and solve because we create our own feelings by what we choose to think and perceive, and this can be altered depending on the prevailing situation. Conflict of needs is much more complex to solve. They normally take longer to explain, fathom and manage. It is essential to maintain a certain level of decorum when conflict is present. When fear surges, defensiveness and attack rise as well. Always take care to avoid piling hurt upon conflict. Learn the skills of assertion. Clarify your thoughts and approach people with whom you have a conflict at a quiet time, not when you are in full flight and gun loaded.

By sharpening these three essential people skills, you will be more confident when you move into a new business relationship and much more comfortable strengthening and managing existing ones. Successful business persons and successful business entities focus on their plans, objectives and goals. Successful business relationships are the cornerstones to successful marketing. Strive to build yours on integrity, honesty, and skills. Only then will you be able to build a lasting relationship with customer, suppliers, and other stakeholders. The writer is a marketing research expert, currently working with the County Government of Kirinyaga

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Africa 36 Corporate Fitness

By Dr. Jaimini Gohil

Immunisation Essential For a Healthy Nation

his week as we observe World Immunisation themed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Vaccines work, Do your partâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, we highlight the collective action needed to ensure that every person is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases yet many of us may not be familiar with the importance of being immunised against infectious diseases that can be fatal. Immunisation is providing protection against an infectious disease by introducing to the body a preventive antigen or immunogen, in the form of a vaccine which is either the killed or altered form of the bacteria or virus. This vaccine is responsible for ensuring the body produces the fighting mechanism, i.e. antibodies protecting against subsequent exposure to the disease or infection.

The diseases caused by these viruses and bacteria have not been eradicated, they still exist, and in this era, where a person can travel across the globe in a day, the risks of

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Immunisation is essential for infants and the elderly as they are at higher risk of serious infections, however, vaccinepreventable diseases can affect anyone and therefore it is crucial to stay protected exposure and transmission is much higher than anticipated. All vaccines contain a certain amount of the virus or bacteria to protect against. This triggers the body’s defense mechanism in readiness to fight the virus or bacteria should the person get exposed to it. Generally, vaccines are much safer, and the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of the infection by the bacteria or virus. The short-term and long-term complications of the infection are much higher than any known side effects of vaccination.

The Ministry of health since 1980’s, through the Kenya Expanded Programme on Immunisation (KEPI), has enabled the country to immunise children and antenatal women to curb six childhood disease, i.e. Tuberculosis, Whooping cough, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, and Diphtheria, and protect against neonatal tetanus respectively. This is a crucial step to ensure our nation has healthy individuals and prevent the economic and social loses due to the vaccine-preventable diseases. Immunisation has a significant impact on the well-being of an entire family and the country at large. When a person of the household is infected, chances of passing the infection unknowingly to other family members is very high especially children including neighbours.

In addition to the above vaccines, there are additional vaccines that protect against diseases like Rota Virus that causes diarrhoea and the Flu vaccine that protects against influenza which is highly recommended for the elderly and children. During the 2017 National Immunisation Stakeholders Meeting by the Ministry of Health, it was indicated that eight out of every ten children are fully vaccinated before their first birthday which has significantly reduced cases of childhood vaccine preventable diseases like polio, meascles, diarrhoea among others.

The stakeholders namely Ministry of Health, Kenya, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Health Organization (WHO) and Clinton Health Access initiative (CHAI) are working together to ensure that every child is immunised especially in the urban informal settlements, where the prevalence of unvaccinated children is higher. Each one of us, can make a difference, by educating one another and encouraging each other to prevent loss of lives by achieving universal immunisation. Vulnerable individuals such as people living with HIV/ AIDS, or cancer patients, whose immune system is compromised, can significantly benefit from these vaccinations by consultation with their healthcare provider to avert possible infections and communicable diseases.

Immunisation is essential for infants and the elderly as they are at higher risk of serious infections, however, vaccinepreventable diseases can affect anyone and therefore it is crucial to stay protected. In the US, approximately 50,000 adults die annually due to vaccine-preventable disease and not HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, or road traffic accidents. Just like eating healthy food, doing regular exercise and going for screening for colon and breast cancer, it is important to follow the recommended vaccinations for your age group and aim to prevent diseases that are preventable. After all ‘prevention is better than cure’. www.destinafrica.co.ke

Africa 38 Corporate Fitness

Living the Good life with Goodlife Pharmacy The company focuses on quality and customer service to guarantee healthier lifestyles By Alex Nyamu

question on what should be done to ensure the health sector progresses towards the right direction.

It is through this understanding that Goodlife Pharmacy was established in 2013 with the aim of helping the nation to look and feel good one person at a time. The professional pharmacy focuses on providing high-quality individual customer care at an affordable price and convenient locations across the region.

Amaan Khalfan, chief executive officer, Goodlife Pharmacy.

he health sector forms a major component of the social pillar of the Vision 2030, with a goal of developing a healthy and productive population. A healthy nation plays a key role in the growth of a country by actively participating in other sectors of the economy. In spite of this, Kenya is still struggling with increased disease burden and an undersupply of important health infrastructure. This leaves the

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flagship, classics and neighborhoods. The models are differentiated by the clientele and the type of products sold. “What is sold is determined by the locality and the social economic needs of each area.” The expansion is an important step towards consolidating Kenya’s retail pharmaceutical industry, and ensuring that consumers have access to high-quality products.

The company has also created employment opportunities, with a staff base of 225, most of whom are pharmaceutical professionals. As Goodlife, we pride ourselves in continuous development of our teams, in which case we have heavily invested in regular training for our teams across the estate to enable them offer quality and efficient service to both our internal and external customers.

The pharmacy chain previously operated under the brand name Mimosa before rebranding to Goodlife, as part of its expansion strategy. “In 2016, we received financing from a private equity firm Leapfrog Investments to aid in rebranding and further expansion,” says Amaan Khalfan, the chief executive officer.

Product Offering Goodlife is committed to excellence in pharmacy practice and standards. It is also a trusted pharmacy brand that is dedicated to delivering high-quality products and services. The pharmacy has a range of offerings that are backed by highly skilled staff to ensure their customers get the best experience. They are divided into four different groups which are pharmaceutical, health care, over the counter, and personal care products. The offerings are intended to make the patients better educated, besides providing the right solutions for their medical issues.

Its expansion strategy involves acquisition of existing pharmacies and setting up stand-alone units in locations with large traffic such as shopping malls and petrol stations. Currently, the company has three types of expansion models including

The pharmacy has also invested in the area of telemedicine where it provides health assessments and consultations to its clients through electronic means. This development has improved access to medi-

Today, Goodlife has grown in leaps and bounds from a small enterprise to become one of the fastest growing pharmacy and health hubs in the East Africa region. “We have quickly grown to about 39 stores, with plans to expand our footprint to 55 by the end of the year and over 100 stores across the region over the next five years,” says the CEO.

Furthermore, the company has started offering nutrition services motivated by the rising incidences of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. “We advise our clients on their nutrition needs to help them live healthier lifestyles,” offers Khalfan. Plans are underway to bring nutrition specialists to the stores to offer advanced dietary education to the patients.

“We also work very closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) calendar, which helps us tailor our projects based on the particular event of the month.” Huge Market Khalfan feels that there is a large market for high quality, affordable and reliable pharmaceutical products. There is also room for good customer service and for expansion of product range. “We are currently working with Kenyan companies manufacturing generic drugs in order to use a drug regimen that is cheaper and accessible.”

Goodlife is also working with community groups outside Nairobi, therefore taking healthcare to other regions.

cal services by overcoming the distance barrier. According to Khalfan, the services are offered at much lower rates compared to in-person visit.

“During rebranding and detailed segmentation of the market, we realized there was a product range that was needed for different sectors. We therefore set the goodbetter-best model where we were able to have solutions ranging across segments from high-end, middle to low-end,” reveals the CEO. Goodlife also organizes medical camps in different areas across the country, where it offers screening services and helps patients have better access to cheaper pharmaceutical products. They take place once in every two weeks and attract between 80 and 100 people. “By accessing the health status of people in a specific area, we are able to tailor-make other programmes in our subsequent visits.”

Focusing on Quality Maintaining quality standards of the drugs requires the company to have solid links with manufacturers and suppliers. It understands its supply chain, deals with reputable suppliers, buys products designated

only for the Kenyan market, and sources its products directly from the manufacturers. The Pharmacy has also differentiated itself from other providers in the market by continuously training its pharmacists and conducting prescription audits. It also advices its patients on possible drug reaction in case they are under other medications. Additionally, it works closely with the Kenya pharmaceutical regulator, Pharmacy and poisons’ board (PPB) and the pharmaceutical professional bodies; Pharmaceutical society of Kenya (PSK) and the Kenya Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) to address the issue of sub-standard or counterfeit drugs in the market.

During rebranding and detailed segmentation of the market, we realized there was a product range that was needed for different sectors

The CEO however notes that the city is still underserved since investors are scared to invest in certain areas. “Our plan is to expand into such areas through a safe model.” Hurdles The pharmaceutical industry experiences a range of challenges. To start with is the issue of counterfeit drugs. A research conducted around two years ago showed that about 50 percent of over the counter drugs are counterfeit. In addition, other drugs that are not designated for the Kenyan market enter the country through a secondary channel. Khalfan feels that there is need to tailor products for the Kenyan market. Besides, many small pharmacies across the country engage the services of untrained pharmacists, something that may compromise quality of care. To a large extent, the cost of healthcare is very expensive, and this is attributed to the high cost of branded drugs that lack substitutes.

In spite of these challenges, Goodlife is committed to continue with its expansion model while maintaining quality. Plans are underway to open new stores in various regions of the country and continue to be a medical hub for the people that it serves.

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Africa

GREAT DRIVE

motor

NEW 2018 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG IS VW'S MOST ADVANCED CAR YET www.destinafrica.co.ke

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Africa 42 GREAT DRIVE

E market.

ven on our early test drive, the Volkswagen Touareg’s superb levels of comfort and refinement were apparent, so we’re looking forward to getting our hands on one in the Kenya. It’s packed with tech and handles well, too. We just hope VW gets the pricing right when it comes to

The new Touareg is a big car in more ways than one; as well as being VW’s flagship SUV, the third-generation model is set to inform the design and technology of the brand’s next series of products. We’ve been behind the wheel of a pre-production car.

Despite the camouflage, you can see it’s not only wider and longer than the previous-generation Touareg, but also lower, to give it a sportier stance. It has a bigger boot, too, at 810 litres as opposed to the present car’s 697 litres.

• New 2018 Volkswagen Touareg revelead in full The interior was totally uncovered for our test drive, and the tech on display is one of the most impressive things about the new model. A huge 15-inch touchscreen display dominates the dashboard, and it blends into a smaller – but still very high resolution – digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel.

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Volkswagen calls this set-up the Innovision Cockpit, and on first impressions it’s a superb system; it’s bright, responsive and looks fantastic. The Touareg shares its MLB platform with Audi’s Q7, while our pre-production model uses a version of the VW Group’s 3.0-litre V6 developing 282bhp. This is paired with a smooth eight-speed auto. While VW hasn’t yet confirmed torque, it’s clear that the engine produces plenty at low revs, making for easy progress. It’s also very quiet, getting noisier only at high revs. The Touareg’s general refinement is highly impressive.

• Best 4x4s and SUVs on sale right now

Along with this comes a very smooth ride; running on the optional air suspension and set to Comfort mode, the Volkswagen rides very smoothly over harsh ground. It uses multi-link suspension all round, with electromechanical, adjustable anti-roll bars to help reduce roll in corners. This

means the big SUV feels more nimble than you might expect. The use of the MLB platform also allows the implementation of rear-wheel steering, which boosts the newcomer’s agility.

Key for many owners will be the Touareg’s ability to pull a caravan or trailer – and its 3.5-tonne towing capacity means the big VW is one of the few SUVs with the kind of serious hauling capability usually found only on pick-up trucks.

Key specs

Model: Volkswagen Touareg

Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel Power: 282bhp

Transmission: Eight-speed auto, fourwheel drive 0-62mph: 6.5 seconds (est) Top speed: 150mph (est) Economy: 45mpg (est) On sale: Late 2018

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Africa 44 TRAVELWISE

JKIA Named Best Improved Airport in Africa

irports Council International (ACI), the voice of world airports, recently recognized Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for its excellence in customer service.

JKIA was named as the best-improved airport in Africa in the prestigious 2017 Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards. This recognition is a testament to the airport’s on-going commitment to service excellence.

Jomo Kenyatta emerged winner in the Best Improvement by Region-Africa Category in what is considered as the aviation industry’s most comprehensive passenger service-benchmarking program; the ACI ASQ Survey has captured passengers’ experience at all airport passenger contact points at more than 340 www.destinafrica.co.ke

airports worldwide. ACI ASQ has industry recognition as a world-class benchmarking program that aims to allow airports plan improvements and benchmark their customer services against other airports. Kenya Airports Authority’s Managing Director, Jonny Andersen noted that the recognition was timely; coming at a time that JKIA is undergoing major reorganization and modernization works set to stamp its position as a regional hub.

“Today’s recognition shows that the measures we have put in place to improve services are beginning to bear fruit. The benefits of all agencies working as a team are clear to see. We still have a lot to do but I believe that we are on the right track.” Mr. Andersen added.

“The benefits of all agencies working as a team are clear. We still have a lot to do but I

believe we are on the right track.”

Casablanca Airport was named the best airport in Africa with over 2 million passengers per year, followed by Mauritius and Durban. In the Asia-pacific region, Mumbai scooped first place serving over 40 million passengers a year. In North America, this top spot goes to Toronto Pearson and in Europe to Rome Fiumicino. The ASQ survey measures passengers’ views of 34 key performance indicators in 74 percent of the world’s top 100 busiest airports.

JKIA recognition comes weeks after the airport rolled out a service charter signed by all Government agencies committing to provide consistent, professional and highquality service.

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Sammy Makove is an expert in Regulatory Compliance and Liaison, Corporate Risk Management, Corporate Governance, & Insurance Management and Strategy. He is the former Commissioner of insurance and Chief Executive of the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) of Kenya.

Holly Bakke is an International Financial Sector Expert with over 44 years of experience. She is a principal at Strategic Initiatives Management Group LLC and the former commissioner of Banking & Insurance for the US state of New Jersey.

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