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Kshs. 300 / Ushs. 9000 Tshs. 6000 / RWF. 2200 ISSUE 28 / 2019
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PASSION AND LOVE FOR BEAUTY ARE MY DRIVING FORCE
SUZIE WOKABI, FOUNDER, SUZIEBEAUTY. www.destinafrica.co.ke
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You can now contribute directly into your NSSF account through M-PESA. This is a fast, easy and convenient way to increase your contributions through your mobile phone. Simply follow the instructions listed below to do so: PROCEDURES ON HOW TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION USING Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
M-PESA
Payment
Enter Business
Enter Account
Send Money
Services
Number
Number
Withdraw Cash
Pay Bill
333300
XXXXXXXXXX
Buy Airtime M-Shwari Payment Services My Account
Go to your M-PESA menu and select Payment Services
Step 5
Select Pay Bill in the M-PESA Menu
Step 6
Enter Business Number which is 333300
Enter NSSF Number you wish to pay for
Step 7
Enter Amount
Enter PIN
Pay Bill
3200
****
Pay Bill 333300 Account XXXXXXXXXX Kshs 3200
You will. Received a text message confirming that the amount has been sent to NSSF.
OK
Enter the amount you wish to pay for (Between Kshs. 200 – 70,000)
Enter your M-PESA PIN
Confirm details are correct and press OK
National Social Security Fund
P.O. Box 30599-00100, Nairobi, Kenya | Main Line 020 2729911, 2710552 | Toll Free Line 0800 2212744 Email info nssfkenya.co.ke | Website www.nssf.or.ke www.destinafrica.co.ke
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Editor’s note
5 Destin Africa
The Cancer Scourge – What’s The Way Forward? According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, and is responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Globally, about 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer. About 70% of deaths occur in low- and middleincome countries. In Kenya, cancer is estimated to be the third leading cause of deaths after infectious and cardiovascular diseases. Globocan 2018 estimates shows there are 47,887 new cases in Kenya daily and 32,987 deaths due to cancer annually according to a report tabled in the National Assembly by National Cancer Institute of Kenya. At least 90 people are killed by the disease every day. Esophagus, breast, cervical, prostate, colo-rectal cancers were listed as the top killers. Recently, Kenya has lost some of its prominent people to cancer, and this is just the tip of the iceberg: thousands of Kenyans have lost the battle to the disease. However, the death of the leaders is a wake up call on the government’s cancer strategy. In fact, some leaders are calling on the government to declare cancer a national disaster. While the cost of treating the disease is very high, almost half of the patients are diagnosed late, resulting in low survival rates. This stems down to lack of access to information among the population and high unemployment rates making it difficult for people to go for screening. In fact, so many families across the country are burdened by heavy medical bills and the only option is fundraising from their friends and Kenyans of goodwill. There is no doubt that the government must take the front sit in regards to creating awareness. It should put more emphasis on prevention, sensitizing people on what they need to eat to live healthy lives and the importance of frequent screening. People should however be proactive by taking responsibility of their own health. Building a strong health care system is important in dealing with the cancer menace. Health is a fundamental human right guaranteed in the Kenyan Constitution. In the recent past, President Uhuru Kenyatta launched Universal Health Care as part of his big four agenda, which seeks to provide quality and affordable medical care to Kenyans.
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Contents
7 Destin Africa
18. Inspiring Woman
5. EDITOR’S NOTE 10. GET INSPIRED
20 . Entrepreneur Watch
22. MAIN STORY
12. CORPORATE NEWS Co-operative Bank Equity Group Safaricom PrideInn
16. TECHIE Liquid Telecom Connects South Sudan to “One Africa” Broadband Network and the World
18. INSPIRING WOMAN I Found a Gap in the Retail Cosmetics Space So Decided to fill it with Suziebeauty
20. ENTREPRENEUR WATCH Entrepreneur Turns Sugarcane Fiber into Eco Friendly Packaging and Catering Disposables
Vickers Security, A force To Reckon With in Security Matters
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Destin Africa
8 Editor-in-Chief : SUSAN ARMSTRONG
GET 25% OFF
EDITORIAL Features Editor JENNIFER NYAWIRA Features Editor SHABAN AHAB Assistant Editor ALEX NYAMU Digital News Journalist JOE
DESIGN & PRODUCTION Art Direction & Design CAITLIN SHARON Graphic Designer FELIX CONTRIBUTORS James Macharia Samuel Gitari Ade Famoti Andrew Sordam Michael Armstrong James Claude 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 www.destinafrica.co.ke
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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 @destinafrica
© 2019 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.
9 Destin Africa
Contents 24.
26. HEALTH Living the good life with Goodlife Pharmacy
34.
OPINION 28. INSURANCE 30. AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY 32. GOVERNANCE 34. CLOUD COMPUTING 36. REAL ESTATE 38. BUSINESS ETHICS 39. DIGITAL ECONOMY 40. HEALTH & FITNESS Digital Wellness Enabled on Your Nokia Smartphone
44.
42. TRAVELWISE Hassle-Free Travel With Your Kids 44. DESTIN MOTOR Ford Everest
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Destin Africa 10
Get Inspired
Provoking Quotes By Entrepreneurs And Executives
“
“
Be prepared to sacrifice, and work harder than you’ve ever thought possible. Be prepared to work around the clock, to be laughed at, called a dreamer, and to be told several times that your ideas will not work
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
Nkemdilim Begho, Future Software Resources Limited
Ken Njoroge, Cellulant
“
“
“
A vision on its own is not enough. Hard work & dedication is required to make that vision a reality
“
Strive Masiyiwa, Econet Wireless,, Zimbabwe www.destinafrica.co.ke
“
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
Destin Africa
We Protect Yours
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.
CONTACTS: 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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Destin Africa 12
Corporate News
Equity Bank Named Most Socially Responsible Bank in Africa
Winners of the 2019 Edition of the African Banker Awards were announced at a Gala Dinner in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
E
quity Bank has been named as the most Socially Responsible Bank in Africa at the most prestigious Africa’s banking and financial sector event – The African Banker Awards 2019, affirming Equity’s social and environmental leadership on the continent. The award recognises Equity’s initiatives steered through the Equity Group Foundation (EGF) programs that are positively impacting communities.
The programs are across five thematic areas that include education and leadership development, entrepreneurship and financial education, health, agriculture and agribusiness, and energy and environment. The efforts they are geared towards, go beyond the philanthropic use of funds to use of overall knowledge, resources and reputation to improve livelihoods. Through EGF, the bank has had successful initiatives, key among them being the improvement of secondary school education access for 16,168 students under the Wings to Fly program; Financial Literacy training that has benefited over 1.7 million citizens; more than 400,000 households have benefitted from 84,708 clean energy products, and 638,522 peasant farmers have been transformed to agribusiness entrepreneurs. www.destinafrica.co.ke
and livelihoods of people socially and economically by availing modern, inclusive financial services that maximize their opportunities. The goal of the Foundation is to be champion the socio-economic prosperity of the people of Africa through economic opportunities, capacity, tools and technology. These are deployed to enable individuals and businesses increase their productivity, resilience and participation in socio-economic growth against the odds of poverty and other threats. EGF implements programs across five thematic areas that include education and leadership development, entrepreneurship and financial education, health, agriculture and agribusiness, and energy and environment. The efforts they are geared towards, go beyond the philanthropic use of funds to use of overall knowledge, resources and reputation to improve livelihoods.
In the Socially Responsible Bank category, Equity had been shortlisted alongside Access Bank (Nigeria), Bank Misr (Egypt), KCB (Kenya) and Qalaa Holdings (Egypt). Commenting on the impressive achievements of the banks shortlisted for the 2019 awards, Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher of African Banker said: “We’ve been following the work of the financial services industry for many years. The sector over the years has seen great returns, and 2018 was another strong year for banks.”
Under the education and leadership development pillar, EGF has to date supported 16,168 students through the Wings to Fly program, by enabling access to and transition through secondary and tertiary education Through its financial education and inclusion programs, over 1.7m women and youth have so far been trained. Additionally, EGF stimulates job creation and economic growth by providing Micro, Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (MSMEs) with advice, mentorship and entrepreneurship training. To date, 44,111 MSMEs have been trained.
In 2018, Equity Group CEO Dr. Mwangi won Banker of the Year Award for visionary leadership, and the Bank beat off strong competition from four other shortlisted nominees to win the coveted African Bank of the Year Award for registering top performance across all banking metrics. About Equity Group Foundation Equity Group Foundation (EGF) is a nonprofit implementing foundation set up in 2008 as the social arm of Equity Group, with the aim of transforming the lives
While addressing the challenges faced in the environment and energy sectors, EGF has increased awareness of the benefits of clean energy for cooking and lighting. To date, 84,708 households with an estimated 400,000 individuals, have been reached.
The winners of the awards, hosted by African Banker magazine in conjunction with Business in Africa Events, were announced at the African Banker Awards on the fringes of Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) on the evening of June 11, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
EGF increases access to comprehensive health financing and private sector-led, affordable, high quality and standardized health services for poor and middleincome families. EGF has so far opened five Equity Afia health clinics out of a targeted 300 clinics, providing out-patient care to more than 65,000 patients since inception. In its agriculture and agri-business programs, EGF has so far supported job creation, improving market access, and expanding agricultural production for 638,522 peasant farmers who have been transformed to agri-businesses.
13 Destin Africa Corporate News
Gearing up for Aviation conference: PrideInn MD Mr. Hasnain Noorani pointing at where Routes Africa will take place. This event will be held in Mombasa as part of a long-term commitment by Routes to help develop new routes to, from and within the continent.
Mombasa to Host International Aviation Congress at PrideInn
P
rideInn Hotel is set to host the 13th edition of Routes Africa, a mega international conference that aims at exploring and developing new routes to, from and within the African continent.
The congress is slated to take place from 8th - 10th December 2019 at the prestigious PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort and Convention Centre in Shanzu, Mombasa. It has so far attracted over 250 delegates across the globe.
The Routes Africa conference programme brings together the world’s leading airlines CEOs, airports, and tourism authorities who will take to the stage to discuss the future of aviation within Africa and the most pressing issues facing the travel and hospitality industry. PrideInn Paradise General Manager, Ann Peggy has confirmed that everything is in
place to stage the congress which comes barely a year after the same beach resort meticulously hosted the international SKAL world congress last year. The growth in conference tourism in Mombasa and Kenya at large indicates a huge potential this segment has in its overall contribution to the tourism sector. The Meeting Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector is on a major growth path globally and no doubt Kenya has begun to enjoy the benefits from this market to the economy and in enhancing the county’s brand equity.
“Hosting this congress is another reassurance that Kenya’s Conference Tourism has become a major niche that requires full exploitation to grow and make the destination attractive for more mega conferences. Therefore, there is need to look into areas of development within the tourism sector to capture the opportunities
in this ever growing industry,” said Mr. Noorani.
Kenya continues to position itself as a key meetings and conference destination in Africa. The phenomena of business tourism is taking a wider scope. “Kenya’s strategic proximity to Europe, Asia, Middle East, Americas and the rest of Africa makes it a profitable MICE destination,” Added Mr. Noorani. “Our status as a trade and tourist regional hub also makes Kenya an attractive last stop.” “We believe that the conference will be an opportunity to showcase Mombasa’s available facilities and places of interest.
We are indeed proud to host Routes Africa 2019 and look forward to welcoming delegates to Mombasa,” Routes Africa 2019 will be facilitated by Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), a State Corporation in charge of enhancing infrastructure for aviation services between Kenya and the outside world. The event will be supported by other Kenyan organizations, including the Kenya Tourism Board, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and Kenya Wildlife Services. www.destinafrica.co.ke
Destin Africa 14
Corporate News
(Left) Emmanuel Mutuma, Chief Executive Officer Brighter Monday, (Centre) Fawzia Ali Kimathi head of department consumer segment marketing Safaricom PLC,(right) Nicholas Nesbit - country general manager, Eastern Africa IBM demonstrate how the youth can unlock their potential during the Safaricom Blaze Link Launch held at the Technical University of Kenya.
Blaze by Safaricom Launches a Free E-Learning Platform Customized For Kenyan Youth
B
LAZE by Safaricom has launched a new platform dubbed BLAZE LINK, an aggregator of e-learning resources built to enable young people upgrade their skills through online courses and empower them to pursue success in their professions of interest. BLAZE has brought on board partners like Google, IBM, Wezesha, Cloud Factory and Brighter Monday to offer thousands of free online courses cutting across multiple disciplines including sales and marketing, finance, agriculture, creative arts, programming and development among others. The courses are targeting young adults under the age of 26.
“BLAZE LINK is a new addition to the Be Your Own Boss (BYOB) platform, which is focused on empowering the youth as they journey towards success. We are leveraging on the power of digital platforms so that we can reach those who cannot make it to
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the BYOB summits and creation camps,” said Michael Joseph, Safaricom CEO.
The platform has been developed in line with Safaricom’s ethos of linking people to people, people to knowledge and people to opportunities. In addition to offering knowledge through free online courses, BLAZE LINK will connect young Kenyans to opportunities by directing those looking for employment to available job openings and giving entrepreneurs visibility of market opportunities. Upon logging on to BLAZE LINK, users undergo an ‘about’ test to identify their strengths and skills, after which they are offered relevant courses based on their interests and academic background.
Users who complete course modules are directed to further learning opportunities and experiential training through partner organizations or available jobs for those looking for employment.
“BLAZE LINK is coming in as a career compass and job-finder that will empower Kenyan youth by linking them with skills that they require to be successful whether by becoming their own bosses or through employment,” said Mr. Joseph.
To augment the online courses, BLAZE LINK users will also have exclusive access to master class videos on Agribusiness, Creative Arts, Fashion, Film & Photography, Music, Technology and Production & Sales. The master classes will be delivered by local category experts including Caleb Karuga (Agribusiness), Tosh Gitonga (Film & Photography), Eric Musyoka and Naiboi (Music) among others. To access BLAZE LINK, visit https://link. blaze.co.ke/ BLAZE is a sub-brand of Safaricom and was created to give youth aged 26 years and below products, services and benefits tailored specifically to meet their everyday needs. A first of its kind platform in Kenya, East and Central Africa, BLAZE was founded on what Kenyan youth say is most important to them: freedom, friendship and success.
15 Destin Africa Corporate News
CoopBank's Vincent Marangu.Metropolitan's Ag.CEO Benson Nganga Mwangi.Chair Christopher Karanja.Vice Chair Lucy Kuria [Photo Courtesy].
Co-op Bank Supports Metropolitan National Sacco
C
o-op Bank has deepened its strategic partnership with the giant Metropolitan National Sacco (formerly Kiambu Teachers Sacco) to streamline and enhance service delivery to the members. The Bank is offering Corporate advisory services through its subsidiary, Co-op Consultancy to build capacity for long term sustainability. In addition, under a Corporate Restructure Program, the Bank has restructured the Sacco’s funding requirements to better manage the members’ monthly loan demands as well as the overall liquidity flows aimed at a complete turnaround of the Sacco. Metropolitan National Sacco is one of the largest Saccos in the over 15 million member co-operative movement and has a membership of over 100,000, a total assets base of Ksh 13.6 Billion and runs
8 branches spread across the country. The Sacco has stabilized its operations with additional effort geared towards recovery of the outstanding loans while availing the recovered funds for on-lending to members. The Bank has re-launched the Saccolink debit card, Sacco Personal Cheques and trade finance partnership to increase the Sacco’s revenue base through its front office service activity (FOSA). Speaking at the event organized to sign the restructuring agreement the Chairman of the Sacco Mr. Christopher Karanja, highly commended Co-operative Bank for the timely intervention noting the restructuring has really injected new impetus for growth at the Sacco. He further commented; “We thank the Cooperative Bank for coming to our great support at such a critical moment. The recommendations and measures that have so far been put in place will certainly get
the Sacco to new heights. The corporate restructure by the Bank is the best thing that has happened to the Sacco in a long time. We will now boldly and seamlessly offer services to our members.”
Speaking at the same function, the Director, Co-operatives Banking Division at Cooperative Bank, Mr. Vincent Marangu said that the bank has a strategic interest in the turn-around and long-term growth of Metropolitan National Sacco a key stakeholder in the co-operative movement. Mr. Marangu added that the corporate restructuring deal will ensure the Sacco has adequate working capital to support the members as well as improve the operational efficiency of the Sacco. “We have done it before for a number of co-operatives, with huge success, and therefore this will be in line with our mandate and commitment to the cooperative movement,” he concluded. The corporate restructuring program commenced this month.
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Destin Africa 16
Techie
Liquid Telecom Connects South Sudan to “One Africa” Broadband Network and the World
Transformative infrastructure will create a foundation for digital innovation and prosperity, while supporting the South Sudan Government’s positive economic growth forecast over the next decade
Connecting South Sudan to the ‘One Africa’ broadband network will also champion pan-Africa trade and help build Africa’s digital future “Liquid Telecom is immensely proud to bring fibre connectivity to South Sudan for the first time,” says Strive Masiyiwa, Executive Chairman of Econet Global and Liquid Telecom. “This modern ICT infrastructure will help address the most pressing challenges within South Sudan, including the urgent need for peace and state building, job creation and improved livelihoods. South Sudan’s 13 million citizens will be connected to 300 million people across the East African Community. Connecting South Sudan to the ‘One Africa’ broadband network will also champion pan-Africa trade and help build Africa’s digital future.”
Dr. Ladu Wani Kenyi, Director General National Communication Authority, South Sudan addressing the journalists during the inauguration in Capital Juba.
L
eading pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom will implement and operate South Sudan’s first fibre broadband network, connecting the country to the “One Africa” broadband network, which is approaching 70,000km across 13 African countries and to the rest of the world. This breakthrough foreign direct investment by Liquid Telecom has been recognised by His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of South Sudan. Ministers along with other national VIPs are joining senior executives from Liquid Telecom during a symbolic fibre digging inauguration on Monday 1 July. With phase one due to be completed before the end of 2019, Liquid Telecom’s network will eventually make reliable and affordable internet connectivity available for nearly 13 million citizens
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of South Sudan, as well as thousands of businesses, government institutions and non-governmental organisations.
South Sudan will link to Liquid Telecom’s network across the region which covers the East African Community, a regional intergovernmental organisation of six partner states, the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, and Republic of Uganda. The Community connects up to 300 million people and stimulates crossborder investment and trade.
This transformative infrastructure will ultimately create a foundation for digital growth, innovation and prosperity in this young country, while supporting the Government of South Sudan’s positive economic growth forecast over the next ten years.
His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of South Sudan, commenting on this new partnership, says, “The implementation of this critical fibre infrastructure is a landmark step in the delivery of affordable communications access to the people of South Sudan, the business community, government and civil society. By connecting South Sudan to the global internet, this important infrastructure development will help improve social mobility, enable economic diversification and drive inclusive private sector-led growth and productive employment. The agreement is also ideally timed, coinciding with the signing of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.” The first phase of the agreement signed between the Government of South Sudan’s National Communication Authority and Liquid Telecom will include a 300km fibre backbone operating from the border of Uganda, through South Sudan, to Juba. Multiple metro clusters will also support the capital city. This first phase is scheduled to go live in the last quarter of 2019. The network will be expanded to other cities in subsequent phases, in time supporting the country’s 13 million citizens.
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Destin Africa 18 Inspiring Woman
SUZIE WOKABI, FOUNDER, SUZIEBEAUTY. www.destinafrica.co.ke
19 Destin Africa Inspiring Woman
I Found a Gap in the Retail Cosmetics Space So Decided to fill it with Suziebeauty
T
Suzie Wokabi is a BeautyPreneur, a mother and a wife. She studied International Relations in college, and thereafter went to pursue a career in the fashion and beauty industries in New York. That’s where she discovered her love for beauty. Suzie worked for Clinique as well as MAC, and trained well by both. She also attended a make-up school in Los Angeles (LA) to study media make-up. Suzie was away in the United States for almost 10 years and moved back home to Nairobi in 2007 to work as a make-up artist. The beauty entrepreneur found a gap in the retail cosmetics space (all products imported and overpriced) so decided to try and fill it, with SuzieBeauty. Suzie talks to Destin Africa Magazine on how it all started.
ell us more about Suzie Beauty and your range of product offering? SuzieBeauty is a brand that I created from scratch, with a lot of love and passion – for beauty, and Africa. We offer a full range of colour cosmetics: foundation, powder, concealer, eye shadows, eye kohl, mascara, and blush. In 2018, we launched our skincare line which includes make-up remover, cleanser, toner, moisturizer and primer. We also offer a full range of application brushes. My brand is Kenya’s first beauty brand, created by an African woman, for the African woman. Great quality and affordable products, and that actually works for us.
What inspired you to start the company? SuzieBeauty started from a place of frustration. Having lived in the US for 10 years, I arrived back home in 2007 and worked in the media make-up industry. I found a gap in the retail cosmetics market, whereby all products were imported and way overpriced. I decided to create my own product for us, the African woman. SuzieBeauty is Kenya’s first beauty brand and we promise great quality product with affordability that actually works for us. What sets your company apart from other players in the market? Fortunately for me, I will always be able to
maintain the title of first Kenyan beauty brand. My brand promises international quality product, particularly created by myself, a beauty professional, for us, the African woman. We also promise affordability. I directly compete with international brands that have entered the Kenyan market, and I always say, I love competition. They prove my point and brand promises because theirs are different. There is space for many in the beauty industry! What can you say you have achieved so far? I have created and launched Kenya’s first make-up brand…. I could stop there! But there’s lots more. I created a brand and company that was never quite my plan, and we have been retailing in the (very difficult) local retail space for 7 years, quite a feat. I have also had the priviledge of being invited to speak on countless local and global stages, putting SuzieBeauty and Africa on the map. Lastly, it’s great when I get the recognition or accolades that help me to realize that I have done something right. To date I have been nominated for/ won 17 awards, both locally and globally. What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur? This was not quite a choice, I started
SuzieBeauty out of a gap that I found in the industry and decided to venture in, to fill that gap. At the end of the day, I’m proud to be a female entrepreneur.
Have you faced any challenges, and how did you overcome them? Running a business, as a creative, was very difficult. Finance issues have always been the biggest. I’m fortunate to have great partners (Flame Tree Group) after my brand acquisition in 2016, who help me to navigate the issues which are in operations, logistics and finance, all to which my business depend on. What are your future plans and aspirations for your company? To increase the visibility and availability of SuzieBeauty mainly within the continent and also internationally. I do a lot of public relations and speaking engagements so I have interest in the product worldwide, but we need to do the spread correctly! What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up? They must understand what business they are getting into in a very intricate way. Know WHY they want to do what they are doing. And thereafter start the process of getting into it. Knowledge, passion, interest, integrity.
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Destin Africa 20 Entrepreneur Watch
Entrepreneur Turns Sugarcane Fiber into Eco Friendly Packaging and Catering Disposables
in disease outbreaks due to overflows emanating from blocked sewer pipes.
By Shaban Ahab
According to Mochama, Eco centric biodegradable tableware, bakeware and packaging are designed for convenience and single use, but without the environmental impact. Unlike conventional single-use plastic products which may linger in landfills and oceans, our products are biodegradable, compostable and recyclable.
Eco centric biodegradable uses a variety of waste streams to create compostable and recyclable crockery designed for convenient singleuse
T
wo years ago, the Cabinet secretary for Environment and Natural Resources gazetted the ban on plastics in a move to curb environmental pollution.
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has since then embarked on the enforcement of the said ban. Indeed, this was a great move to save
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the country from plastic bags menace that has negatively affected the environment, as well as other sectors of the economy.
In the recent time, environmental pollution has reached worrying levels, not only in Kenya, but the world at large. Kenya in particular has witnessed plastic bag wastes clogging sewerage lines, which often result
However, for the lovers of the environment, and goodwill from some quarters, NEMA is at the forefront of cracking this riddle. One entrepreneur, Sammy Mochama, has invented ecofriendly packaging and catering disposables that are environmentally safe. The packaging materials are made from sugarcane fiber and are completely biodegradable.
These products are made from sugarcane fiber and turn into manure after disposal.
21 Destin Africa Entrepreneur Watch
It’s completely safe for marine life and human consumption. They are able to withstand temperature ranges between -35 to 215 °C, making them appropriate for freezing or cooking. Why you should care The health impacts of using nonbiodegradable containers are well known “If you put hot food in a hot container, you will ingest toxins that will leach out into the food. We often talk about healthy lifestyle, healthy eating, but what about the container in which we are eating from?”
According to Scientific American, heating plastic leaches chemicals 55 times faster than normal. It means some amount of plastic unavoidably get into the food, which is in turn consumed. It is therefore not recommended to pour or store hot food into a plastic container or heating in the microwave. In fact, some studies have shown that these chemicals can promote human breast cancer cell growth and lower sperm counts. Pregnant women, infants and children are especially at risk.
On that note, making reasonable efforts to replace plastics should be everyone’s agenda. Eco centric is helping to tackle plastic waste generation by providing a more durable biodegradable alternative. It’s completely safe for marine life and human consumption.
Who can be a part of the eco centric ware brigade? Quick Service Restaurants Want happy customers? Eco Centric ware makes serving simpler and quicker. With Eco Centric’s modular design, messy tableware options are a thing of the past. And your customers’ thank you for serving only yummy treats without a dose of carcinogens! Institution Want good karma on a platter? Use Eco Centric! Easier food service, no washing hassle, only good garbage. And you’ll be appreciated for leading the way to a cleaner planet. Caterers Want to be a game changer in your
industry? Eco Centric can help you. Your assortment of food looks even better in Eco Centric’s statement tableware. Your takeaway? Happy guests and more party orders! With the mission to replace the use of plastic & chart our course forward towards a greener planet, we bring to you Eco centric compostable tableware. At Eco centric, we believe that our activities can make a huge impact on us, our community and our planet.
About Eco centric Eco centric is a tableware brand that helps your business Eco centric is a tableware brand that enables your customers to eat safe
Eco centric is made out of sugarcane fiber Eco centric is strong, flexible and elegant Eco centric is compostable and biodegradable
Eco centric is microwaveable, ovenable and freezable
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Destin Africa 22 Main Story
something to do after retiring from active services,” he says. Together with two other retired Majors, (Major Bashir, MP Mandera North and Major A.M Shabello, director of external projects) they decided to form a company that would help Kenya on matters of security.
The security firm operates within the government legislated security policies. It is also a part of the Private Security Industry Association (PSIA) that was formed in 2007; an umbrella body to champion rights of all member companies. Vickers is a bonafide key player of PSIA and operates in full compliance with its policies and standards. Since inception, the company has grown in leaps and bounds to become a key player in the security industry. It is a medium level company employing approximately 1,800 guards.
Major (Rtd) Adow Jehow, the Director of Operations at Vickers Security Services Limited.
Vickers Security, a force to Reckon With in Security Matters
The private security company acts as a force multiplier for the Kenyan government by supplementing police responsibilities in addressing insecurity in high risk areas By Jennifer Nyawira
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or several years, Kenya has been battling with rising insecurity threats ranging from terrorism, banditry and urban criminals. The country has for instance borne the brunt of al-Shabab militant’s attacks, which have caused serious injury, death as well as loss and destruction of property. Additionally, alarming rate of population growth, high rates of unemployment among the youth, rising political temperatures and change of tactics among criminals have fueled insecurity in most parts. Against this background, the government www.destinafrica.co.ke
through state security agencies has been at the forefront of tackling insecurity to protect all Kenyans wherever they are. Private security companies (psc) have also come in handy to augment the policing responsibilities. They act as a force multiplier for the Kenyan government. One such company is Vickers Security Services Limited. Founded in 1998, it is one of the leading private security firms in the country. According to Major (Rtd) Adow Jehow, the Director of Operations at Vickers, the idea to establish a security firm was born in the jungle while on a military training. “It was my dream while still at the military, since I needed
It has partnered with major corporate organizations including Banking sector, Oil explorations sector, Communication industry e.g Safaricom and Global Guardian. It is also represented in the United Kingdom and the United States, besides supporting international organizations and investors venturing in remote areas.
Headquartered in Nairobi, South c, Vickers has other branch offices in Wajir, Nakuru, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Mombasa, Eldoret and Mogandishu.
Why Vickers? The directors bank on their hands on experience, skills and vast knowledge gained both in the military and other institutions at senior management levels. “They have worked outside the country on security assignments (for instance during the Ethiopia-Eritrea war of 2001-2002), Darfur, Somalia, Congo as well as in volatile regions, which exposed them to real life security incidences,” reveals Major Jehow. Vickers is therefore led by professionals, who understand security matters and have the capacity of driving the company to higher heights. “We are able to anticipate, analyse and critically assess what could happen and mitigate incidences in the field.” For them, having a security company is a calling.
23 Destin Africa Main Story
Vickers has positioned itself as a customer centric and market led Security Company costs are some of the challenges affecting the operations of private security companies.
The guards are also poorly remunerated, while most of them are illiterate, making it difficult to train them.
Furthermore, the company guards are hardened and can venture into austere terrains. That explains why Vickers is found in remote and volatile regions where others cannot dare. By virtual of coming from Northern Kenya gives the company a higher hand since it understands the people, culture and terrain; therefore it is able to advise the clients better. The guards are also well trained to ensure they meet the needs of their clients. The security programmes are based on training needs that are evaluated through the company’s continuous links with its partners in the security industry. Services Vickers has positioned itself as a customer centric and market led Security Company. It offers a range of reliable security services including 24 hours manned guarding, electronic security, electronic fence and perimeter, fire and alarm equipment, cash in transit, trips management, alarm response services, mobile patrol and courier services. Major Jehow says that electronic security such as tracking systems, monitoring gadgets and CCTV have become the mode of security in today’s world. Additionally, the company provides training to institutions on matters of security. Major Jehow notes that training staff in universities and other institutions helps in creating awareness on security matters. The need to train staff was inspired by the 2015 terrorist attack at Garissa University that left at least
147 people, mostly students, dead. The incidence acted as a wakeup call, not only for the state security agencies, but also for private security firms to come up with strategies to mitigate crimes.
Milestones Since inception, Vickers has made major strides in the security industry. It is recognized in the market as a security services provider, especially by the fact that it has brought sanity on security matters in the Northern Kenya. The company is protecting some of the most volatile areas, not only in Kenya, but also in Somalia – Port of Mogadishu.
“We are also at the forefront of providing training to people,” says Major Jehow adding that “We have initiated programmes for schools in Northern Kenya, particularly in Wajir and Mandera counties, where we are training staff on Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT).” The aim is to create awareness on target persons and change their security perceptions, and eventually mitigate and deter occurrences of avoidable incidences. As former military officers, the company directors are also consulted both at the national and county levels on what directions to take in regards to security issues. The talks usually focus on how to modernize the country’s security.
Hurdles Despite the major achievements, Major Jehow reveals that rising crime rates, political interferences and rising housing
Kenya has about two million guards operating from fragmented private security companies. There is no transparency and accountability on how they operate. “The government should support the companies through funding since they complement the public security in safeguarding the country,” says Major. Besides, there should be a strong regulating authority controlling the firms at a central level. Private security companies also train their guards independently, implying that they possess varied training. Major Jehow feels that there should be a centralized training school for all security guards to guarantee training uniformity, similar with how the state security is trained.
Way Forward Vickers is at a modernization phase to meet the security needs of the current world. “We are setting up a control room with modern monitoring gadgets.” The company has also embarked on modern fire and equipment alarm systems, electronic security systems, biometric finger prints and modern vehicles to remain relevant in today’s evolving world. The aim is to remain modern and market oriented. Moreover, the company focuses on getting the best brains in the industry such as well-trained retired officers from military, police or criminal investigation department or criminologists to help fuel the company forward. Major Jehow notes that Kenya should have a solid solution to address rising insecurity. He feels that it will be easier for the country to deal with insecurity issues if people remain united. The government should also rely on private security companies such as Vickers to fight crime and bring sanity in the country.
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Destin Africa 24 Real Estate
Petroleum Engineer Turns Into a Real Estate Professional
In his quest to acquire a property, Samuel Gitari ended up establishing Rosam Real Estates to address existing gaps in the market By Jennifer Nyawira
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hen Samuel Gitari was doing his Masters in Petroleum Engineering in the United Kingdom in 2013, he was also working part time and saved some money with the intention of investing in property. He however says owning a property was not easy as he thought. There is a huge gap in the market. “Prospecting, choosing and finally paying for a property in Kenya is hard even for someone living in the country.” It means that it’s even harder for someone living in the diaspora.
Bearing this in mind, Gitari kept his money safely until he came back to the country. He acquired his first property in Kitengela, and this was the beginning of his entrepreneur journey. “My friends and colleagues started requesting for similar properties and that’s how Rosam Real Estates was born.” Rosam is a property investment company that was established to provide professional support to Kenyans looking to invest in strategic land around the country. The company does not only sell land, but also adds value to it through fencing, grading roads, and providing water and electricity. “We sell land to people knowing that they will either put it into use or sell the property to someone else.” The value addition part has been the selling point for most of the company’s properties. Projects So far, the real estate company has done
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READY TO SERVE: part of Rosam Real Estates team.
a number of projects including Twiga Springs containing 52 plots along Magadi Road, Kisamis Breeze Gardens Phase 1 and 2, and Savanna Gardens Phase 1 and 2. Other recently completed projects include Waridi Gardens Phase 1, 2, and 3 along Kangundo Road comprising 46 plots. “I’m glad that construction has already begun on these plots.” The newest project is Beulah Gardens (means ‘land of plenty’) that was launched in May this year. It is also located along Kangundo Road on the proposed Greater Eastern Bypass. The property is selling at Kes 350,000 for a 1/8 acre and Kes
680,000 for ¼ acre plot. The project is fully fenced with barbed wire and has a main gate. Amenities include access to roads, electricity and water supply.
Commenting on their focus on Kangundo Road and Joska in particular, Gitari says the road is being expanded in a dual carriage from Caltex at outering to Kangundo town. Besides, there is the construction of the Greater Eastern Bypass that is going to open up the area. The two projects, according to Gitari, will make Kamulu, Joska and other satellite towns on this road to be the new Utawala.
25 Destin Africa Real Estate
that has been neglected by other realtors, whose main focus is the high end clients.
Risk management measures The real estate industry is growing at a higher rate in the recent time. It has attracted a range of real estate companies whose priority is to offer property solutions to Kenyans.
However, the industry is faced by various concerns including overpricing of properties and duping of clients hard earned money. In this regard, Gitari says that there are many things that investors should put into consideration prior to buying property. To start with is acquiring a property from trusted companies and dealers. A company that has a history of fulfilling its promises to other customers is more likely to fulfill your promises. Secondly is doing an extensive due diligence. It involves doing a search on a property that is on sale, site visits and involving a lawyer to protect your investments.
Despite these hurdles, Gitari observes that in the last few years, the market has grown exponentially due to such factors as: rapid urbanization – the joke on the street is that every day in Nairobi, 11 sixty two seater buses arrive carrying 682 people who make Nairobi their permanent residence.
“My message to our customers is simple; if you haven’t acquired property here, buy one. If you have one, acquire another one, and if you have two, acquire a third one, because you can’t go wrong by doing so.” At Rosam, our work is to offer clients more opportunities to fulfill their goal.
Why Rosam? “Over the years, and over the changing landscape in Kenya, we have retained a belief in the power of honesty, intelligence and creativity to deliver our goals and dreams,” says Gitari. One of our clients, when asked what he thinks about us said: ‘We are approachable and trustworthy’. We believe him.
Furthermore, the company offers affordable investment options for real estate solutions with flexible payment mode of up to 6 months.
So far, the property company has handed over a number of projects including Waridi Gardens Phase 1 to its clients. This was a ready to build project due to its proximity to amenities and construction has already begun on the ground. Rosam targets low to middle class, both employed and business personnel- as long as you have some income and the right attitude towards investing. This is a group
Other factors include high returns of 26 percent in the real estate sector, as compared to other sectors whose return is about 12 percent, stable Gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 5.6 percent over the last few years, and infrastructural developments such as improved roads and utility connections. Accordingly, the real estate sector has recorded high demand due to the growing population in general and the increasing middle class in particular. This has shown demand in ready to build plots.
Going forward, Rosam plans to dice into the affordable housing sector. “Our client will not only be able to acquire ready to build plots, but they will also acquire ready affordable houses on the same plots reducing the hustle and challenges of construction.” www.destinafrica.co.ke
Destin Africa 26 Health
Living the good life with Goodlife Pharmacy
The company focuses on quality and customer service to guarantee healthier lifestyles By Alex Nyamu
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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 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.
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The professional pharmacy focuses on providing high-quality individual customer care at an affordable price and convenient locations across the region. 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.
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.
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 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
27 Destin Africa Health
(KPA) to address the issue of sub-standard or counterfeit drugs in the market.
across the estate to enable them offer quality and efficient service to both our internal and external customers.
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.
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. 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 medical 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 good-better-best model where we were able to have solutions ranging across segments from high-end, middle to lowend,” 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
“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.”
Goodlife Pharmacy CEO, Amaan Nizar Khalfan.
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
Goodlife is committed to excellence in pharmacy practice and standards
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.
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. www.destinafrica.co.ke
Destin Africa 28 Insurance
By Mr. James Macharia
Insurance Covers are to Cushion You from the Unexpected
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here are multiple reasons as to why the insurance penetration in the country is still below 3 percent. Lack of public awareness has been cited as the main reason as to way Kenyans have so far failed to take up insurance covers. A huge population have no vital insurance protection such as life insurance or even income protection as some still cling on cultural beliefs that uptake of such are signs of bad luck.
Some of the life insurance policies, apart from covering the lives of the insured helps the policyholders save regularly over a specific period of time enabling the insured to get a lump sum amount on the policy maturity. Such amounts can end up helping one meet various financial needs such as children’s education. Loss of jobs, illnesses or death can happen to anyone and its high time we thought of ways of ensuring more people take up insurance covers. Income protection Protecting ones income is always a key factor especially for the self-employed whose income is directly affected by the number of days/hours they spend at work. This ensures that they maintain their income when occurrences such as sicknesses arise. Kenindia Assurance, Chief Operations officer, Mr James Macharia affirms that
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Lack of public awareness has been cited as the main reason as to way Kenyans have so far failed to take up insurance covers
29 Destin Africa Insurance
many Kenyans are thrown into financial oblivion once they lose their jobs without having a sustained plan of how to pay their rent or even school fees, yet there are covers to protects the earnings that pay for everything an individual buys in life. Life insurance policies offer threefold benefits. They go a long way protecting and insuring the policyholder’s loved ones financially, the lower returns notwithstanding, they offer great avenues for goal-based savings as well as fulfilling ones long-term investment objectives.
Critical illness scare It is commonly said that most people are just an illness away from poverty. This is reality that befalls most Kenyans who only depend on their income for everything including paying for medical bills. In the event of an illness that leaves you bedridden, insurance covers come handy as the insured can be paid a replacement income until the insured is fit enough to continue with the work.
premiums are always paid according to the terms of agreement and can either be monthly premiums, a one-off lump sum or in most cases both
The premiums are always paid according to the terms of agreement and can either be monthly premiums, a one-off lump sum or in most cases both. In the end one is able to realize much benefits therefore relieving the financial burden from family members as is always the case in most cases. This allows the insured to concentrate on getting well again. Life insurance policies should only be bought when the policyholder is certain of a steady income flow which can help the one pay their premiums regularly. Most of the policies are always long-term in nature and for a better overall benefit, a longer policy period is always advised.
According to Mr. Macharia, claims in regards to income protection can at times be complicated to asses as they in most cases depend on subjective judgments about claimant’s fitness to resume their work. However, he urges the public to secure their future and those of their families by considering taking up insurance covers. Mr. James Macharia, Kenindia Chief Operating Officer
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Destin Africa 30
Autonomous Technology
By Ade Famoti
Autonomous IT, Empowering Business to Be Its Best
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loud computing is rapidly becoming an essential component of business transformation. In Kenya, cloud is no longer just a possibility, it is the fundamental tool igniting innovation. At a high level, cloud is an economiser, requiring no massive start-up costs before results can be realised. Cloud is also an enabler: the very best technologies, ready to be put to work to help organisations innovate and differentiate. But as technology has become essential to the operation of modern business, and complex, organisations such as banks, retailers and many others have found that to be leaders within their chosen fields, they have also had to become exceptional in terms of their understanding and use of technology.
Take banking as an example. A bank’s core purpose is to be the best bank it can possibly be, not to run the best ‘tech-shop’. The thing is, over time, banks have become ever more reliant on technology to enable that purpose.
And as that dependency has grown, so their requirement for staff to manage that technology has grown. This has resulted in the creation of sizeable groups of staff who are dedicated to servicing technology in the back end, rather than servicing customers. But customers don’t choose a bank because it has the best possible back-end technology. They come because it offers the best products combined with the best customer service.
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31 Destin Africa Autonomous Technology
Autonomous technology means getting back to focusing on what the organisation does best, safe in the knowledge that the technology is taking care of itself
That vision of being the best possible bank might be powered by technology, but it is the technology at the front end that makes the biggest impact in the eyes of the customer – and you can’t invest in front-end systems if most of your resources are devoted to maintaining systems at the back-end.
New wave of technology Perhaps it is time that we let organisations get back to focusing on what they are best at – be that retailing, banking, or whatever their core mission is – and leave technology to look after itself. It sounds like a fantasy, but it is the promise made by the newest wave of business technology innovation – autonomous technology. Combining the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning, autonomous technology delivers the capability for IT systems to selfmanage, self-repair and self-secure across a wide range of functions and applications. Let’s take a step back to understand the concept of machine learning. While machine learning itself can be unduly complex, the basic ideas are easy to grasp. Let’s use the example of a business process both familiar and highly important to most organisations: selecting and on-boarding job candidates.
The basic components would start with a training data set: a complete history of all candidates selected and hired, their key attributes, how they were on-boarded, and their eventual performance in the organisation. Next, an analysis engine would extract key features that contributed to candidates’ success and create a recommendation engine that would rate new applicants and their likelihood to thrive at the organisation. So far, this scenario is somewhat similar to data analytics, except that the algorithms decide which factors matter and which ones do not. Machine learning goes one step further. It processes ongoing results of those candidates, and continually updates its recommendation engine rules over time. It learns from actual experience, and thus it makes better decisions over time. Think of adaptive intelligence as data-
driven learning at vastly increased speeds compared with humans.
When applied in a database, autonomous technology can not only automate the process of cleansing and organising data, it can also ensure patches are applied and the data is secured. And when applied in a data warehouse, autonomous technology can interrogate data to find correlations and patterns across structured and unstructured data, and then present these as insights back to business users. This is not a vision of the future, it is a capability that Oracle is making available to the market now. And it can do all of this with minimal human intervention.
Remove complexity, add value The key difference with autonomous technology is that it eliminates complexity. This frees people from performing many of the tedious tasks associated with managing backend technology, allowing them to focus on tasks that will make a real difference to their organisation and their customers. As technologies such as AI, machine learning and intelligent process automation become more widely available, finance leaders want to know: How can these technologies help me in my business? At Oracle, we are embedding intelligent digital assistants into our products and applications. In finance departments, digital assistants can perform similar functions to automate repetitive processes that consume employee hours - time that could be better spent on higher-level tasks such as faster decision-making and architecting a new financial strategy. Soon you’re going to see digital assistants help your organisation speed up financial year end, manage budgets, and perform financial forecasting. When viewed from an organisation-wide perspective, autonomous technology means getting back to focusing on what the organisation does best, safe in the knowledge that the technology is taking care of itself. So we can finally let organisations get back to doing what they do best.
Ade Famoti, Director, Sales Strategy & Business Development - Africa at Oracle www.destinafrica.co.ke
Destin Africa 32 Governance
By Michael Armstrong
The Importance of Proactive Governance: A Case Study of Kodak
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ith a few Kenyan companies over the recent past experiencing considerable losses or completely folding, the well-known narrative of Kodak’s downfall provides more than just a snapshot of why effective corporate governance is not simply about avoiding slip-ups, but about taking a proactive, innovative approach even when the picture seems full of colour.
In 1997, Kodak was amongst the most successful firms in the world. It was worth an astounding $31bn due to its profitable camera and film-processing business, and a strong brand. However, just 15 years later, on 19 January 2012, Kodak was forced to file for bankruptcy. Its shares ended that day at $0.36 when they’d been worth over $90 in 1997. Yet even nowadays, Kodak isn’t seen as a corporate governance failure. Bad corporate governance, several believe, arises when executives split the pie in favour of themselves or investors, at the expense of stakeholders. For instance, high chief executive pay or a share buyback is frequently met by outrage, owing to claims that this money could have been otherwise invested. Those actions are known as “errors of commission” – taking bad actions. Kodak didn’t make any such errors. No one lined their pockets at the expense of anyone else. Even when it went bankrupt, Kodak’s executives didn’t suffer the media backlash regularly reserved for well-paid executives.
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33 Destin Africa Governance
Indeed, whereas many alleged “fat cats” are notorious, few people know the names of the executives liable for Kodak’s collapse and the loss of 145,000 jobs. Instead, Kodak is often viewed as the innocent victim of changes in technology. But Kodak provides a great case study of poor corporate governance. Poor corporate governance isn’t just about CEOs taking slices of the pie from other stakeholders, but shrinking the pie through complacency and ruinous decisions. Shareholders and executives suffered alongside the 145,000 workers who lost their jobs. Kodak wasn’t an innocent victim of technology. It may well have taken action – considering the fact that it filed the first ever patent for a digital camera back in 1975.
Six years later, Sony developed the world’s first electronic camera, the Mavica. Kodak – then the unmistakable market leader in film – did some market research and what it found ought to have sent shockwaves around the company. Its head of market intelligence, Vincent Barabba, predicted that digital would replace film within 10 years. But Kodak didn’t do anything about it, because 10 years was a long time – far beyond executives’ horizons. The cash was still rolling in from film – sales had just passed $10bn in 1981 – and if it embraced digital, that might cannibalize its moneyspinning film business.
As Barabba said, “The company just never got around to developing the technology because the money to be made from its traditional business of old-fashioned photographic film was so much bigger.” But we know how this film ended – in Kodak’s bankruptcy. What lessons can Kenyan firms learn from this? Poor corporate governance isn’t just about “errors of commission” (taking bad actions) but also “errors of omission” (failing to take smart actions).
An executive’s goal is not just about avoiding media backlashes, but aggressively creating value for society – taking risks to innovate new products that transform customers’ lives for the better, working practices that enhance employees’ lives, and production procedures that preserve the environment. If a company fails to take such actions, substantial opportunities to grow the pie – for both shareholders and stakeholders alike – are
An executive’s goal is not just about avoiding media backlashes, but aggressively creating value for society – taking risks to innovate new products that transform customers’ lives for the better, working practices that enhance employees’ lives, and production procedures that preserve the environment
lost. Companies need to make innovation a deliberate priority. All boards have risk and audit committees to decrease downside risk. But good corporate governance is also about upside value creation. One action could be to create an innovation committee on the board. This steps back from day-to-day firefighting and ensures that companies invest enough financial and human resources into long-term projects. Equally important is to create a culture that encourages ideas from staff at all levels, embraces risk-taking and tolerates failure – a shift from the micromanagement and hierarchy that typifies large corporations. What about policymakers? Corporate governance reforms must not only prevent failures through complacency, such as Kodak, but also promote innovation.
We should be comfortable that failures through experimentation are a statistical inevitability of a governance regime that embraces risk-taking, given how many companies there are. This involves ensuring that new laws aren’t a kneejerk response to one or two high-profile failures, which may stifle hundreds of other companies that are acting responsibly and seeking to create long-term value for all of society. About ICAEW There are over 1.8m chartered accountants and students around the world – talented, ethical and committed professionals who use their expertise to ensure we have a successful and sustainable future. Over 181,500 of these are ICAEW Chartered Accountants and students. We train, develop and support each one of them so that they have the knowledge and values to help build local and global economies that are sustainable, accountable and fair.
We’ve been at the heart of the accountancy profession since we were founded in 1880 to ensure trust in business. We share our knowledge and insight with governments, regulators and business leaders worldwide as we believe accountancy is a force for positive economic change across the world.
The author is the FCA, and ICAEW Regional Director for Middle East, Africa and South Asia. www.destinafrica.co.ke
Destin Africa 34
Cloud Computing
By Andrew Sordam
The Huge Opportunity for Consolidation and Cloud in Africa
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t is only 100 days since I took up the post of VP for Africa at Oracle, but already it is clear why the continent is such a priority for the company, and why it is considered a land of opportunity in the tech space.
Consolidation of modernisation Africa is seeing huge population growth, and a marked increase in consumer spending, resulting in a big demand for 24/7 service. The much-discussed leapfrogging effect, which we have seen in areas like power and telecommunications, has helped the continent develop at speed, but it has also placed huge demands on modern businesses. Companies of various shapes and sizes are taking advantage of the newest tech to improve the way they do business, but a major, more recent trend is that many are now looking at the consolidation of this modernisation. These are companies that are growing very quickly, and they want seamless and complete integration between the front and back office.
This is happening across the board - major corporates, SMEs, financial services companies, those in retail, in financial services, for example, East and West African banks are beginning to merge, with such mergers requiring new strategies.
Adoption of technology is not just for the commercial sector, however. In the public sector, greater efficiencies are also being sought. Each government department used to have its own IT department, but that is now changing, and we are seeing convergence into one service centre. This is www.destinafrica.co.ke
35 Destin Africa Cloud Computing
a big trend across the continent. The public sector, like the private sector, is looking for integrated technologies to help it become more effective and keep up with demand. Vertical strategies Herein lies the opportunity for a company like Oracle. We help private, public sector organisations develop and improve processes and more, and more we are looking at complete solutions. The opportunity is massive in Africa in this regard. We see the impact of our
The growth of Africa as a business hub and therefore the success of our business on the continent - depends on building a selfsustaining ecosystem
organisation in every line of business. We are able to give customers choice to either go in with the entire stack - from apps, to infrastructure, to vertical solutions or multiple modular journeys to the cloud. In each instance, this is based on business needs and can be either private or public cloud. And that impact is set to be further scaled with our new approach on the continent. Our CEO Mark Hurd spoke recently about our plans for leveraging our leading Software-as-a-service (SaaS) business to seize business-to-business (B2B) market share. Africa is no different to anywhere else in this regard, though we see a particular opportunity in increasing our cloud business here, and will focus on this more and more.
Oracle’s model encourages the adoption of cloud particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, giving businesses the benefit of flexibility. Because we invest so much in innovation, it is easy for customers to manage, and we embed more optimisation than anyone else. Apps and databases are embedded with artificial intelligence (AI), making our services easy to adopt - a major benefit. Our solutions can basically run your business, saving you money on human capital. Yet where we truly stand out at Oracle is our cloud autonomous play. We have an advantage here, with the autonomous category being our own invention, and believe customers in Africa will adopt this technology and improve their businesses as a result.
The Oracle Autonomous Database, for example, completely reshapes our customer’s approach to IT, helping them free their budgets and resources to focus on business growth, while reducing risk. Using machine learning and AI-driven technology, our cloud services can be upgraded, optimised, secured, patched and tuned automatically, without human intervention. Easy management encourages adoption, which speeds business growth, vital to economic development in emerging economies such as those in Africa.
A full ecosystem For all the exciting trends and opportunities I have spotted in my first 100 days, however, there are also a myriad of challenges. At the heart of it all are skills. The tech may be there, but you still need the knowledge from within each industry and within each country to maintain a certain level of service. That is why Oracle does not just sell products, but also invests in capacity. The growth of Africa as a business hub and therefore the success of our business on the continent - depends on building a self-sustaining ecosystem.
That is why we focus on developing digital skills across the continent. Our open platform for developers works with local coding communities to build developer skills, while we also partner with development agencies, NGOs, NPOs, and educational institutions, among others, to address ICT skills shortages. That is also why we look at accelerating startups and entrepreneurs, and building skill sets across many countries. We recently announced, for example, the Ghana-Oracle Digital Enterprise Programme, a collaborative effort that will support 500 technology-enabled startups and entrepreneurs across Ghana through access to Oracle Cloud technology, mentoring and workshops, and businessenablement and support resources. SMEs are the backbone of emerging market economies, and it is vital we support them. We want to run initiatives like this in other countries too. Tech is key, but we feel knowledge needs to be nurtured as well.
A bright future Oracle has been present in Africa for nearly three decades, but never before have we been as excited for the future here as we are now. This is demonstrated by the launch of our first Oracle Innovation Hub on the continent, located in South Africa, to help drive the implementation of emerging technologies across the country’s businesses, public sector and academia. By Andrew Sordam, VP for Africa at Oracle
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Destin Africa 36 Real Estate
Why You Should Invest in Land in Kangundo Road Today
T
he Proposed Greater Eastern Bypass means different things to different people. To some, they are just three words put together to label a road. To others, it’s another massive road meant to ease traffic in Nairobi and its environs. To the tenderpreneurs, it’s time to prepare tender documents and supply construction material. To others, it means nothing at all. But the big question is – What does the Greater Eastern Bypass mean to you? To be able to answer this question effectively, you have to know the answer to its predecessor: What did the Eastern Bypass mean? Back in 2010 when the local newspapers first announced plans to construct a 39km road from the Ruiru- Kiambu road crossing Thika road, then kangundo road and proceeding to Mombasa Road via the Embakasi Garrison, this did not make news at all. That’s why the newspaper editors, knowing most Kenyans, decided to place this crucial information in the middle pages, somewhere between the classified, the obituaries and the sports. This only became major news a few years later when the construction of the bypass occasioned a major property boom in a number of city suburbs. Around 2010, property agents were selling 50*100 plots in Membley for a mere 500,000, with room to bargain. But after the bypass construction began the plots shot to about 6M.
“Everybody rushed to buy plots in these areas because the road opened up the zones. When the demand is high, the price goes up,” said Mr Mwaniki, a land agent, while being interviewed by a local newspaper. “Right now, it is not easy to get a plot near the bypass because they have sold out.”
A few people, who had read the news between the sports page and the obituaries two years earlier, had become instant
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Rosam Real Estates, a real estate company with several projects along kangundo road, have just launched Waridi Gardens phase 3, a gated community project located at Joska along the Proposed Greater Eastern Bypass
37 Destin Africa Real Estate
millionaires. Fast- forward, 9 years later to 2019, the investments this clique of investors have made on property they acquired for a song, will sustain their generations for years to come.
To many Kenyans, history repeats itself is a common-knowledge phrase cited in many casual discussions around the country. This phrase usually means that there is a strong likelihood that we (even those familiar with the phrase) will do, say or even think the same way we did, said or thought thus creating a similar if not the same outcome to a scenario. This has never been truer for most investors. That is why when the local newspapers reported plans to construct the Greater
Eastern Bypass link road; it did not make news at all. But to the investors who know what a bypass does to the economy in general and the owners of property in particular, then this was like music to their ears.
The Greater Eastern Bypass, which links Mombasa-Nairobi highway, the KangundoNairobi and the Thika-Garissa roads is the latest in a series of projects, either in various stages of tendering, about to start or underway meant to decongest Nairobi city. According to the KURA website, the Greater Eastern Bypass link road is 13.6% underway; this has been independently verified by Rosam Real Estates.
Rosam Real Estates, a real estate company with several projects along kangundo road, have just launched Waridi Gardens phase 3, a gated community project located at Joska along the Proposed Greater Eastern Bypass. About 200 Kenyans now have an opportunity to invest in a location that will change their lives and that of their loved ones. “We have floated a tender for the construction of a link road from Eastern Bypass to the Greater Eastern Bypass road. The tender will be opened next month, awarded in April and we expect the contractor to move on site come May,’ said Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) Acting director-general Silas Kinoti, while reporting to the media.
The Kenya National Highways Authority has already earmarked Kangundo Road for an upgrade to a dual carriage road. The works have already begun at the intersection of Outer Ring Road at the former Caltex Petrol Station (now Total) and expected to proceed all the way to Joska, Kamulu, Malaa, Tala and finally to Kangundo town. For Joska, being 38km away from CBD, dualling of Kangundo road will open the area up tremendously.
Kangundo road is also home to the Northlands City, associated with the Kenyatta family. The family, which is among Kenya’s biggest landowners, wants to build the mixed-use development on an 11,000acre farm that is currently occupied by its giant dairy processor Brookside. Going by Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) report submitted by Howard Humphreys (East Africa) Ltd for project and seen by the writer, the planned Northlands city will incorporate an industrial area, schools, a central business district, commercial spaces and low-to-high income residential areas. The SEA report indicates that the different zones will support a population of 250,000 people. Brookside, the only occupant of the 11,576 acre piece of land, will continue occupying 65 acres while Gicheha Farm, which supplies milk to the factory and is located inside the project area, will not be untouched. By Samuel Gitari, Founder, Rosam Real Estate
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Destin Africa 38
Business Ethics
In The Future, Ethics Will be a Key Differentiator. Is Your Business Ready?
H
ow will digital, new technologies, the global economy, politics, legislation, cyber security, ethics, and even climate change impact business and the Finance department?
How will the principles of ethics that have been taught and ingrained in professional accountants become a significant differentiator between firms of equal technical capability? How ready do you think your business is to cope with the new demands that will be put upon your employees’ ethical judgment?
Pick a number between 0 and 100%. 0% ready – where to begin Feeling totally unprepared for a more complex future? Unsure of your current policies and approach to ethics within the finance function? Now is a good time to start changing that. To instill trust, professional accountants will need to demonstrate ethics more overtly, learn new behaviours and adopt new ways of working. First step: read ACCA’s report Ethics and Trust in a Digital age, which will help explain where best to begin. 25% ready – made a good start Your business is starting to understand that ethical financial behaviour is much more than just an intuitive sense of following your conscience; it means demonstrating professional competency and applying ethical behaviour in work situations. Your business will need finance professionals trained in ethics, and strong ethical leadership setting the tone at the top. ACCA has identified six ways to promote ethics within your organisation – an easy framework to apply. 50% ready – halfway there You know that technical capabilities are www.destinafrica.co.ke
only half of the story, and that a wellrounded skillset needs to be complemented by strong ethical behaviours. Now it’s time to put an emphasis on new and emerging ethical considerations in an evolving digital age. ACCA can help you navigate the ethical implications of new, complex situations from a global point of view. 75% ready – feeling confident You are in a good place. Your teams are effective in learning new information quickly and applying their ethical judgment, often in situations they may not have seen before. You are confident they are meeting the standards of ethical behaviour expected. So now would be a good time to establish a robust evaluation process. ACCA can help you develop ways to assess objectively whether behaviour is ethical and if knowledge levels are adequate. 100% ready – so, what’s next? Congratulations! Your organisation firmly
believes in the value and importance of ethical behaviour – not just as an essential quality of the future finance professional but also as a driver for sustainable organisational performance. So how about you take a more prominent role in championing this important thinking, and help ACCA share and promote best practice across your industry, and indeed through our global network? At ACCA, we have always looked ahead to anticipate change and understand its impact on business, finance and the profession. We are working in partnership with employers around the world to help support them in preparing for that change. As part of a new initiative, we have looked at 10 major drivers of change and are inviting employers to explore just how ready their businesses are to cope with them. SOURCE: Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
39 Destin Africa Digital Economy
Africa’s Digital Economy Needs Cross-Border Cooperation to Succeed African governments have a crucial role to play in taking the continent to the next stage in its digital evolution
helping these private sector players to grow their solutions more rapidly and affect real change on the continent. This will require harmonising regulations that allow businesses and services to expand beyond country borders.” By James Claude
A
frica still lags behind the rest of the world in its digital transformation, and in spite of a growing number of innovative solutions, the ongoing lack of adequate infrastructure and connectivity is preventing the continent from realising its true economic potential. The best and fastest way to overcome these barriers may lie in heightened cooperation between countries and their various regulators.
This is according to James Claude, CEO of Global Voice Group (GVG) – a provider of IT solutions to governments and regulatory authorities – who says that while many countries in Africa are individually working to increase their infrastructure and digital capabilities, the most effective solution will be to approach these challenges from a regional perspective. While attending the 5thCrans Montana Forum in Dakhla, Morocco in March of this year, Claude noted that African governments have a crucial role to play in taking the continent to the next stage in its digital evolution. “Businesses, universities and young entrepreneurs are increasingly contributing to the digital economy and fostering innovation in Africa. Governments now need to work towards
Africa’s potential as a global leader in the world’s digital economy grows significantly with each passing year. Africa’s population is increasing exponentially, and is expected to reach between 1.379 billion and 1.486 billion by 2025. In addition to this, the market penetration of digital technology is accelerating. Importantly, it is predicted that half of Africa’s entire population is expected to own smartphones by 2020, which already goes a long way towards overcoming infrastructural barriers to digital transformation and connecting people and services online. “Building on this, mobile money platforms such as M-Pesa has fundamentally changed the way that money is circulated on the
continent. E-commerce is also growing rapidly as a result of mobile money, with online retailers that accept mobile money payments even providing people without bank accounts access a greater variety of goods. Similarly, small and medium businesses are able to increase sales and overcome many infrastructure restraints.” Claude explains that governments across the continent must build on this by creating more digital services based in Africa, facilitating more local tech companies, and continuing to invest in education and incubators that allow citizens to fully access and benefit from digital transformation.
“Equally vital, is to ensure that regulators in every region and country have the visibility, transparency and the necessary data to make informed decisions that will help the digital economy across the different jurisdictions. This is an area in which GVG already has a lot of experience, having pioneered the regulatory technology solution, RegTech on the continent.”
GVG has been helping regulators and government agencies to play a proactive and relevant role in developing their digital agenda. “Our solutions provide key data that help regulators to migrate from paperbased institutions to digital ones. We will continue to play this role, and focusing on Big Data for better regulation, compliance monitoring, revenue assurance, fraud prevention and also Digital Identity. We believe that these will be the key enablers allowing Africa’s citizens to become active participants in the digital economy instead of mere consumers of imported digital goods. Digital ID will also be key to improve better government services delivery,” Claude concludes. www.destinafrica.co.ke
Destin Africa 40 Health & Fitness
Digital Wellness Enabled on Your Nokia Smartphone
The full range of Nokia Smartphones come with Digital wellness feature of Android 9 Pie enabling you to get insight on the Apps you spend most time on and how to limit screen time
W
ellness is the state of being in good health and this can be achieved if actively pursued. We are faced with the option daily to make the right choices towards physical and mental health, enabling us to live a fulfilling life.
Digital wellness is the relationship one has with the online world and how this affects our physical and mental wellbeing. We are on multiple devices daily where we are accessing a range of key services online and information that was previously thought impossible. The mobile phone is the first device most of us wake up to look at, to gain information on the various factors that affect us like the weather, top news, the traffic and other information that
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is relevant to us at the time we wake up. What many people do not know is that the same device can help us towards making positive choices towards Digital Wellness.
HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, a Finnish start-up carrying forward the Nokia brand of legacy of quality and trust has confirmed that the full range of Nokia smartphones in Kenya are on Android 9 Pie and this comes with the Digital Wellbeing feature. To open it, you open your phone’s settings page, scroll down and activate it.
Once you activate it shows you a dashboard that shows you a circular chart of all the apps you have used each day. Taping on it will take you into a list of apps ranking them by screen time, you can also tap on an individual app you see the breakdown of time spent by hour.
This App on all Nokia smartphones will enable you to limit the time you can spend in an app, set a timer and keep track on how much time you are spending on the range on apps on your phone throughout the day. The wind down is particularly interesting as it combines the existing do not disturb feature when placing face down to also the setting of the phone going grey once you set it later in the evening.
The world today is busy and we will keep getting more information that is set to take up our attention thus key to get into any application that will lead you to good physical and mental health. You can get the Digital wellbeing app on the value flagship phone Nokia 8.1 and also on all other Nokia mid-range smart phones that are not on the Android Go edition.
41 Destin Africa Health & Fitness
Boehringer Ingelheim Rolls Out Training Programme For Local Health Innovators “The “co-creation” approach used in the workshop is one of the key tools in realizing our mission of establishing a network of financially sustainable social ventures. Co-creation is about bringing together diverse people and ideas and allowing them to learn from each other while challenging and improving innovative solutions, increasing their chances of success, “said Eduardo.
B
oehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, has called on innovators in Africa to adopt viable business models for their enterprises to ensure growth and sustainability.
Speaking during a two day training workshop for social entrepreneurs Eduardo Lioy, Director Corporate Strategy Development at Boehringer Ingelheim said the firm has invested heavily in training innovators and social entrepreneurs especially in human and animal health in an effort to tackle unmet human and animal health needs.
The ‘Making More Health’ (MMH) Accelerator programme was launched last year and brings together African social entrepreneurs, Ashoka, an innovators platform and Boehringer Ingelheims’ leaders from around the globe to brainstorm on ways to enhance the start-ups business models and identify opportunities for strategic collaboration to improve human and animal health. The programme also aims to review and improve social entrepreneurs’ business models as well as identifying opportunities for partnerships.
The programme has pooled innovators from Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria who are working on animal and human health programmes in rural areas in their respective countries. The social ventures will proceed to a pilot phase over the next six months where they will develop a minimum viable product specific to their market needs. It will then culminate in the social entrepreneurs pitching at Boehringer Ingelheim’s headquarters for scale up funding.
entrepreneurs are materialized, they attract the right investment and have the opportunity and tools to scale up. Working with Boehringer Ingelheim, we are keen to ensure that we are supporting these start-ups in strengthening their value propositions and become successful and sustainable businesses.”
The Making More Health Accelerator is part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s broader strategy to sustainably improve access to healthcare in sub Saharan Africa under the ‘In Reach Africa’ initiative. It focuses on adding more value to overall health systems by driving access to healthcare, support with the development of innovative health solutions, creating community-based partnerships and raising awareness around key disease areas as well as prevention mechanisms.
Through the Accelerator program, Boehringer Ingelheim seeks to build a network of financially sustainable social enterprises in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana so as to expand their outreach in remote areas.
The entrepreneurs bring in their vision and passion for improving access to animal and human healthcare for underserved populations in Africa along with new innovative ideas while Boehringer Ingelheim brings more than 125 years of experience on how to set-up and run a successful business.
Sara Jefferson, Senior Change maker Manager, Making More Health, Ashoka added, “Further to core business and leadership skills that these workshops provide within the accelerator, we are working across multiple disciplines to ensure that the dreams of these
Through ‘In Reach Africa’, Boehringer Ingelheim works with the partners throughout Africa with the aim empowering health systems and individuals alike to establish a sustainable and holistic approach that connects to human and animal health priorities.
The accelerator program aims to bring innovative and passionate entrepreneurs together with the brightest corporate minds from Boehringer Ingelheim with the aim of delivering meaningful sustainable social impact and improve access to healthcare for low-income populations.
Boehringer Ingelheim employees are exposed to the challenges, creativity and agility of a start-up and the start-ups are exposed to the tools, methods and people of an established Healthcare business. This common journey makes us all improve and learn from each other.
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Destin Africa 42
TRAVELWISE
HASSLE-FREE TRAVEL WITH YOUR KIDS www.destinafrica.co.ke
43 Destin Africa TRAVELWISE
Here are a few tips to have up your sleeve.
BEAR NECESSITIES: While flying, family friendly or familiar amenities help reduce anxiety build especially on long haul flights. On Emirates flights children and infants enjoy fantastic offerings which include _Fly with Me_ stuffed animals that they can keep after their flights.
GOOD FOOD, HAPPY KIDS: While parents are advised to carry formula or milk for infants, the dietary requirements for children between the ages of 2 and 12 are catered for on Emirates flights. The menu involves tried and true kids’ favorites, including vegetarian options.
T
he August school holidays are around the corner and you may be planning a trip overseas for your family. Frequent travelling, whether for work or vacation can be daunting especially if there are many connections and is more so when planning a trip with children, regardless of their age. Travelling with your young ones need not be a painful experience, as it’s the little things on board an aircraft that can make all the difference.
KEEP YOUR KIDS COMFY: Make sure your kids are attired comfortably. Take an extra layer of clothing that can double up as a pillow so they can blissfully drift away into sleep. ENTERTAINMENT: It’s important to find ways to keep children distracted especially when travelling on a long-haul flight. For those moments when they start to get jittery, your kids can watch the latest films, cartoons, and more on their own personal seatback TV. Families travelling on Emirates can avail complimentary baby stroller service at Dubai International Airport and priority boarding which helps settle in children ahead of the flight. www.destinafrica.co.ke
Destin Africa 44
GREAT DRIVE
Motor
Ford EVEREST
Smart Technology
ONE EPIC SUV Our most adventurous SUV is now more advanced. Introducing the 2019 Ford Everest. Incredibly dynamic on the road and right at home off-roading it. The design is bolder and more aerodynamic on the outside, while inside the tech is smarter and the addition of a new 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel with 10-speed automatic transmission takes power and fuel efficiency to the next level. So get ready to free your SUV and see what this Everest can really do. www.destinafrica.co.ke
The Everest has the smarts. Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping System5. can help you stay on track on long road trips. Reverse with confidence with a full and clear vision of what’s behind you. If the Everest senses there’s an obstacle in your way, the rear parking sensors will sound to alert you. If Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Collision Alert on Trend and Titanium models senses slow moving traffic in front, it will slow down the vehicle too.5.
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Safaricom Business is changing the way you do business. We provide digital solutions that enable businesses to respond to opportunities in the fast changing world. Let’s get your business ready for the future. Talk to us now to ďŹ nd out more. readybusiness@safaricom.co.ke
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