StartUp Magazine December 2018

FRESH.INSPIRING.ANALYTICAL

DECEMBER 2018 STARTUPMAGAZINE.CO.KE

KSHS. 400/ USHS. 9000 TSHS. 6000/ RWF. 2200

TALKLIFT

Helping businesses engage with their customers via messaging apps

HOLIDAY CARS & TOURS Disrupting the vehicle leasing industry locally

TUJENGE HOMES Tony Wood, MD, MYDAWA

Championing affordable homes for Kenyans

QUANTARISK Using tech and analytics to provide bespoke actuarial advisory

TRAVEL A date with Nature at Nairobi Safari Walk

MYDAWA: DISRUPTING THE HEALTHCARE LANDSCAPE IN KENYA

December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

Startupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

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December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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Contents

18 Holiday Cars and Tours limited is the largest car rentail firm in the region servicing both SMEs and corporates with exceptional customer experience.

20 Pooja Bhatt talks about her experience in actuarial consultancy in international market is key to dsirupt the local one

36 34 Success happens by design

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A date with nature at the Nairobi Safari Walk

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December

2018

Contents 24 12

TalkLift

MYDAWA

The platform helps business engage with clients through social messaging apps.

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18

28

Human Capital How to achieve your most important career goals in 2019

Affordable Housing Formed by two young entrepreneurs, the Tujenge Homes is championing the contruction of affordable homes for Kenyans.

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First of its kind in the market, MYDAWA is an online retail pharmacy that allows patients to purchase quality medicine and wellness products through MYDAWA.com website and mobile app.

Car Rental James Mwaura talks about founding a leading vehicle rental company in the region that has a fleet of over 500 vehciles servicing small, medium and large enterprises.

Cover Story

Woman of Power Pooja Bhatt talks abot her international experience in actuarial science and how she’s set to disrupt the local marke.

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Agriculture and Tech Transforming the African agribusiness sector: tech, transparency hold key to inclusive growth

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Business Enterprise Success happens by design

Coffee Break 22

My Hustle George Nyutu shares his entrepreneurship experience and how he aims to shape the local tours and travel space through his agency.

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Travel and Leisure Book Review Pictorial Blog Review Song Review December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

6 Managing Editor Sylvester Habil Okumu sylvester@startupmagazine.co.ke Associate Editor Adisa Hudson Oroni Tendera Contributors Perminus Wainaina Frederick Masse TRacy Francis Business Development Manager Washingtone Terry Nickson Juma Marketing Executive Irene Okoth Operations Simpson Ayodi Photographer Decorus Click Photography Creative Designer Kreative Hub Media

Published by Kreative Hub Media 4th Floor, Bihi Towers, Moi Avenue next to Bazaar.

P.O Box 3875-30200, Nairobi Kenya.

Tel (+254) 20-2088776 Cell (+254) 724 113 683 / (+254) 776 061 644

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StartUp Magazine is published monthly. Copyright 2018 Kreative Hub Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced or transmitted in any form including photocopy, or any storage and retrieval system without publisher's permission in writing.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the publisher. Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information contained in this publication.

Important Information for Contributors to StartUp Magazine By submitting content before publication you confirm that: (a) You (and/or other named contributors) are the sole author(s) of the content submitted; (b) The content you submit is orginal and has not previously been published (unless you specifically advise us on the contrary); (c) You haven't previously licensed the use of the content you submit; (d) So far as you are aware, the content submitted will not infringe any third-party rights, be defamatory or in any way illegal.

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Editor’s Pen

The year that was The 2017 election cycle was unprecedented in many ways, with long political upheavals that affected businesses which did not bode well for the country’s economy. For 2018, the country’s economic outlook started slow from the brunt of the presidential election and was expected to resume with increased vigour. It did, albeit unsubstantially.

More populist policies such as President Kenyatta’s commitment to development with the big four agenda served well to win back investor’s confidence in East Africa largest economy. But his administration unwillingness to root out corruption, given the vested business interest of some politicians now casts a dark shadow of Kenya’s long walk to economic prosperity as we head to 2019.

Rising commercial debt has been of concern, considering the government borrowed excessively to fund its development agenda and paying of previous debts which will mature in 2019. The gains made in 2018 will be crucial for 2019 economic performance and businesses should be prepared for tougher economic times if the government’s increased appetite for commercial loans won’t be capped. info@startupmagazine.co.ke

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StartUp Stories

Letters to the editor “Our main goal is to bring back the love for African print. We want to show how beautiful, classic and colourful African prints are”

Rahma Bajun, Tanzanian

IPAY I have ever bought household items on Jumia among other ecommerce sites and i am thankful for such convenience brought about by technology.

Knowing that such payments is powered by locally owned iPAY is just amazing. Kenyan can be really a hotbed of innovations.

Ellen Hill Karen, via Email

The 29 year old entrepreneur is the founder and creative director of MnM Clothing Line-an afro-centric clothing brand based in Tanzania. The brand produces affordable clothes and fashion accessories for men and women using the popular African Kitenge fabric. The company sells its products across East Africa and is pondering to venture into the rest of the world.

‘‘I respect education but it should be a tool to create opportunities. The problem with our system is that it prepares one on how to get a degree, get a good job and retire at 50 or 70 year’s or even get sacked in between.’’

Mubarak Muyika, Kenyan

Digital economy I read your last edition on ecosystems of a digitally disruptive economy and i must commend your editorial team for such a well written copy. It is clear that tech is going to dsirupt any sector within our economy and it is prudent that we as business owners be prepared and align our businesses to such disruptions. Lest, we will be bypassed.

James Kagiri Entrepreneur, Nairobi

50th Law book review

Ordinarily, most people would fancy for a chance to study at Harvard University, but not Mubarak Muyika.

The 24-year-old turned down a fully paid scholarship to the Bretton-Woods institution, opting to pursue his entrepreneurial dream.

At 16, he founded Hypecentury Technologies, a web hosting company. As the company grew, established businesses began approaching the young CEO with offers to buy a stake in Hypecentury Technologies. He later sold the company for a fortune, opting to start a new venture, Zagace. Zagace, is a cloud software that helps businesses manage inventory such as accounting, payroll, stock management, and marketing – all neatly organised into a simple and easy-to-use format called Zag apps.

“While most services tackle urban trips, Loue1Voiture is hoping to make renting a car for the day, to leave cities, or go on longer trips, easier.”

Nour Drissi, Moroccan Nour Drissi, 26, is the founder of the online car rental platform Loue1Voiture.com, a website that is available on mobile phones that is (translation: Rent Car 1) the first company that allows customers to compare car rental prices and reserve a car in Morocco. She got the idea to start her venture while working as a marketing manager for a car hire company. She discovered that most car hire companies in Morocco had suffered from a poor online presence and lack of online booking and payment options.

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Rapper 50 Cent has gone through hardships towards achieving a better life. I bought the book after reading a review in you magazine and realised that anyone can grow from grass to grace. Just like 50 cent, you must be prepared to face hurdle thrown your way. He dishes best examples of succeeding from streetlife.

Emmy Mwende Machakos

HAVE YOUR SAY ONLINE The editor welcomes reader’s opinions but deserves the right to edit them for publication. Please email to info@startupmagazine.co.ke More comments are published online about news stories published on startupmagazine.co.ke

StartUp Magazine EA @StartupMag_EA

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News Hugo Boss opens luxury store in Nairobi Germany luxury apparel brand Hugo Boss has entered the Kenyan market as it moves to tap the growing demand for designer fashion brands among the middle class population .

The company, which has had a presence in the Kenyan market for over 20 years, has opened its first store at Westgate Mall, through the local partner Fazal Group, where they expect to attract more affluent customers and expatriates.

Mr Andreas Pfeiffer, the team leader for sales in direct markets, says Kenya is the 27th African country to host a HUGO BOSS store.

“We have started with men’s line as the anchor in Kenya as we test the market. We will introduce the ladies line and Hugo for the young trendy customers as we get to better understand the Kenyan market,” Mr Pfeiffer said.

[L-R] Amaan Fazal, Raeesa Fazal and Alykhan Fazal of Fazal Group and Little Red, Hugo Boss partners in Kenya, share a light moment during the launch of the luxury fashion brand store at Westgate in Nairobi.

BASF is looking for start-ups for joint projects

Its women line, Boss Lady, is already in the Kenyan market through its local partners, Fazal Group and Little Red, which retail HUGO BOSS brands locally.

HUGO BOSS, headquartered in Metzingen, Germany, is one of the market leaders in the upper premium segment of the global apparel market, focusing on premium fashion and accessories for men and women.

•Start-ups worldwide can apply with their solutions •Up to €100,000 budget will be allocated in pilot projects •The best solutions are rolled out across the company BASF is breaking new ground in the field of digitalization. The opportunities are enormous. For example, digital products and services can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of processes and create additional value for customers. At the same time, however, digital change also raises completely new questions and challenges. BASF is looking for start-ups from all over the world to tackle and solve these challenges together.

Interested start-ups can apply until January 15 for specific tasks, socalled “digital challenges”, in the areas of Human Resources, Performance Materials, Sales and Smart Surface. After successful application, the teams work on the questions in three- to six-month pilot projects and receive budgets of up to €100,000. The best solutions are then rolled out globally.

“With the ‘digital challenges’ we can use the valuable start-up expertise for concrete digitalization projects,” said Thomas Paschkowski, Digital Technology Scout in the BASF 4.0 project at BASF. “In doing so, we are meeting start-ups at eye level and creating lucrative business opportunities for both sides. We are looking for finished products and solutions which can be quickly purchased and implemented in an accelerated process.”

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News Orange the World: #HearMeToo

PG. 12

TALKLIFT The platform helps businesses engage with customers via social apps

PG. 14

FEATURE This year, UN Women and partners around the world are marking the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November – 10 December) under the theme of “Orange the World: #HearMeToo”. Coming on the heels of global movements and grassroots campaigns such as ‘#MeToo’, “#TimesUp”, “#BalanceTonPorc” “#NiUnaMenos”, #MeTooIndia and “HollaBack!”, the 16 Days of Activism will be a rallying moment to bring together governments, communities, survivors, activists and the public through high-visibility events, using the signature colour orange.

As in previous years, iconic buildings and monuments will be ‘oranged’ to call for a violence-free future. In events around the world, including in schools and universities in Malawi and Barbados, public transportation hubs in El Salvador, Vanuatu, and The Philippines, and soccer matches in Egypt, global citizens will stand in solidarity with survivors and advocates.

The global event “Dance for Kindness” commemorated International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women with more than 5,000 dancers participating in an event near Hoan Kiem lake, in Hanoi, Viet Nam. A two minute Freezemob paid tribute to victims and survivors of gender-based violence, and an impressive Flashmob welcomed World Kindness Week and the kick off of the 16 Days of Activism. At the same time, a photo exhibition showcasing photos and stories on ending violence to women and girls was opened to the public.

In Durres, Albania the municipality building was lit in orange on 25 November to commemorate the

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and to kick off the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. UN Women Country Representative Giuseppe Belsito and the Mayor of Durres, Vangjush Dako attended the event.

UN Women and partners in Colombia organized a public concert on 24 November and lit public buildings in orange calling for women’s right to live a life free of violence. Throughout the 16 Days, many more activities will follow, including a tribute to women’s rights activists and women’s human rights defenders during a joint event with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights to commemorate the International Day of Human Rights Defenders.

In Morocco, UN Women along with the UN Country Team, UNCT, national partners, and NGOs launched the #HearMeToo campaign at the Chellah historic site, where orange balloons were released to mark the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism. UN Women, in partnership with 2M media group will support broadcasting of TV and radio programs and spots to raise awareness on ending violence against women, host interactive theatres and film screenings. Many public buildings, including the Parliament building, Modern Art Museum, train stations, EU offices and Maroc Telecom building will be oranged and Orange Tunisia will send free sms messages about the campaign to their subscribers.

Driving East Africa’s Corporate Vehicle Leasing Industry

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AFFORDABLE HOUSING Run by two young enterprising individuals, Tujenge Homes is championing affordable homes for Kenyans.

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TECHIE

Felix Cheruiyot, co-founder, TALKLIFT

Moses Korir, co-founder, TALKLIFT

How TalkLift helps businesses engage with customers through social apps

g lobally, chatbots are gaining more popularity than ever. They are redefining new ways of how businesses run marketing, and have become the latest addition to every brand’s bag of strategies.

With nearly everyone now operating social accounts, chatbots offers businesses huge advantages from customer support to lead generation.

Locally, TalkLift is revolutionizing how businesses are selling online and engaging with their customers. The platform helps business convert user interStartupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

action into sales opportunities through the use of chatbots. “With our chatbots, you can run sales campaigns on social platforms, engage users and close leads faster than ever before,” says Moses Korir, a co-founder and head of business development at TalkLift.

The technology provides an easy way for businesses to manage conversations with their customers from different communication channels. It also allows businesses to offer instant responses to queries through in-built Artificial Intelligent powered Chabot engines. “The idea is to offer more personalized customer experience and have customer issues addressed within a given time frame,” adds Felix Cheruiyot who is a technical lead and co-founder at the firm.

They say the technology was necessitated by the problems faced by small and medium enterprises in communicating with their clients. “And given that many people in Africa are using social media platforms more than any other media on a daily basis, it is the easiest and the right platform to get in contact with consumers.”

“It is also relatively affordable compared to other media platforms,” he explains.

“Our platform has different capabilities,” says Felix. “It is user friendly and clients can create a profile and get a customized or generic template based on the product or brand you want to promote.”

How it works From the dashboard, a client can create

13 a contact list from his interaction with clients on social media such as comments, likes and followers. Since the platform is connected to social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, one can send bulk messaging to all potential leads. This can be in the form of new products arrival, special offers, responses to frequently asked questions and sales enquiries among many others.

TalkLift is automated and messages such as images, videos and texts can be send to clients instantly. You can even schedule an even for a later date. Admittedly, one can segment a contact list to offer personalized services based on a customer need and preference.

A client can further analyze data and key metrics gathered on the platform to build better relation with clients and even run effective social media campaigns, says Moses. “You can know which product is selling out faster through customer’s orders, comments and feedbacks. You

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can also use their feedback to enhance your product offerings and many more possibilities.”

System integrity “We deployed robust security measures to come up with a very reliable platform.

And the fact that we met Facebook’s key security metrics and they approved our integration, it underscore TalkLift’s integrity,” says Felix who studied Computer Engineering from Kenyatta University. He has worked with various industry players including Viralstyle.com and Kenya Apps Network before partnering with Moses to form Biashara Bot in 2016.

They rebranded to TalkLift after a year with a focus on global adoption of the technology.

Moses holds Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

Since starting out, over 50 businesses have/are using the platform. “Our plat-

form has been vital in helping them create unique selling processes, generate leads and increase revenue over time,” says Moses.

Despite TalkLift’s organic growth over time, they are still faced with challenges of creating awareness about the importance of chatbots in marketing. “It is a new concept and people are trying to embrace it, albeit slowly. We are optimistic that this will change in the foreseeable future with digital disruptions,” adds the executive.

Going forward, the firm hopes to work with more businesses helping them actualize their mandates through effective communications with their customers on social platforms. “Customers are also going to demand instant responses. In this view, we are looking to offer more data analytics and use AI in advising businesses on digital communication strategies that can work,” ends Felix.

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CAR RENTAL

Holiday Cars and Tours: Driving East Africa’s Corporate Vehicle Leasing Industry

James Mwaura, CEO HOLIDAY CARS & TOURS The firm, one of the largest car leasing and tours companies in Kenya, provides bespoke transport solutions to a range of customers

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In Nairobi and most other East African cities and towns, getting affordable and reliable car hire and tours services is a hassle. The car hire and tours industry is hugely unreliable because most of the operators borrow a leaf from the chaotic public transport industry, notorious for being disorganized, unreliable and for

providing low quality services. Holiday Cars and tours is gradually changing this. The firm provides bespoke transport solutions for individuals and corporates at an affordable cost.

They are surely making a mark in the industry. Holiday Cars and Tours provides

15 flexible and reliable services to their ever-increasing customer base. Driven by their mantra, “We take you there,” the company works closely with its clients, providing them with quality services at competitive rates. “Whether you are looking for corporate leasing, or you simply need an alternative to pooled cars, we are always at hand to develop a flexible program that fits your needs,” says James Mwaura, the founder and chief executive of Holiday Cars and Tours.

By providing a range of transport solutions, including vehicle hire, leasing, taxis, hotel transfers, tours and safari bookings and shuttle transfers, Holiday Cars continues to offer leadership in the local car hire and tours industry. Their driving force, according to the chief executive, revolves around flexibility, competitive rate, reliability and great customer services.

To get their customers the best rates in town, they price their services in terms

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of volumes, although they also have a daily, monthly and leasing rate.

With a variety of vehicles to choose from, including vans and buses, saloon cars, and SUVs, they cater for a range of customers. These include sporting clubs, religion groups, tour groups, schools, businesses, NGOs and big organizations. “We help you to make your corporate, social and sporting events a breeze when you rent a bus from us.”

Their bus-hire and bus-charter services are among the most popular products, for a reason.

“Our approach is simple. We offer the lowest bus leasing and coach leasing rates in the market.”

He adds that the firm’s services are reliable, cost-effective a tailored to suit the needs of the customers.

“We allow you to go wherever you want, in a safe and reliable way. We have local coaches, local drivers and local knowl-

edge of locations, areas and events.”

With a fleet of over 500 vehicles, no one can deny that Holiday Cars is among the largest car-hire and tours companies in Kenya. But this has not always been the case. The company has beaten odds on its journey to become a successful venture.

Mwaura started this business as a side hustle in 2000, having worked for more than ten years in the industry. “I was working as a chief accountant for Avisowned by DT Dobie, and that’s how I felt the need to start a business that I was familiar with.”

At about the same time that he was starting his business, he says the economy was on its knees and retrenchment was the order of the day for most employees. He remembers how the thought of getting retrenched could unsettle his mind, the reason that he started looking for an alternative well before the situation worsened. Although he didn’t have

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16 any experience as a business person, he marshalled his courage, took a leap of faith and started his venture. He kicked off his entrepreneurial journey with a fleet of 16 cars. They say the hallmark of a successful entrepreneur is the ability to find opportunities and to pounce on them, making a successful business out of that, Mwaura has both. As soon as he spotted the opportunity in the car hire industry, he set out to introduce a new way of doing things, and this set him up for success right from the onset.

Within a short period, 12 out of his 16 cars had won lucrative contracts with Central Bank of Kenya among many other companies, marking his entry in the car hire and tours industry at a higher level. It didn’t take him long before he realized that he was making way much money from his side hustle than he could from his day job. Seeing the opportunity to grow his business, he quit his day job and worked full-time in his fledgling business. He says that there’s a huge difference between being in employment and being in business. For instance, while the former has its comfort zones, the later has none. “In business,

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you have to take care of the many responsibilities that come with running a business,” he says.

He adds that businessmen need to work strategically to sustainably grow their businesses. It’s these business lessons that has seen him grow his business from a side hustle to a leading service provider in the industry. Indeed, with his ever-increasing fleet of vehicles, his business has since expanded and provides employment to many people. He says that their slogan has paid off. “Our slogan is not just a marketing campaign but a mantra that we have incorporated in our culture,” he says.

To his customers, he says the slogan promises better services and gives them the confidence in the services offered by Holiday Cars. “For us, it means providing our customers with the best solutions for every situation.”

Along the way, the firm has made a reputation for being consistent, and for keeping its word. They say the most successful companies innovate continuously to stay ahead of competition and this

rings true for Holiday Cars. For instance, when the founder realized that there was a growing need to take charge of the ever-increasing insurance needs of his fleet, he diversified to form an insurance brokerage-Bridgesure Insurance Brokers Limited. The insurance agency helps the firm to meet its insurance needs. Over time, it has grown to offer similar services to other companies and individuals. Another offshoot of Holiday Cars and Tours is Holiday Defensive Driving School that was started in 2009. It has a foot print in 28 locations in Kenya. Besides offering driving lessons, it equips learners with road safety tips and defensive driving skills with excellent customer care.

The road ahead Mwaura foresees a huge demand for reliable transport solutions, triggered by massive infrastructure development across Kenya and a booming economy.

He says that his firm is strategically positioning itself to take the lion’s share of subsequent opportunities that come with a resurgent economy. In the meantime, he intends to continue doing what he knows best-providing bespoke car leasing and tours solutions.

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REAL ESTATE

Tujenge Homes: Championing affordable homes for Kenyans

a

s our economy changes, young entrepreneurs are emerging as leaders of industries, bringing significant fresh ideas to the market place and creating employment opportunities for many people.

Derrick Ngeno and Joshua Mbugua founded Tujenge Homes in 2016, a firm that specializes in selling properties and constructing affordable homes for Kenyans.

“We conducted research and established a huge gap in the market. No one was offering affordable properties and housing solutions for Kenyans yet there was immense need for such solutions. That informed the formation of Tujenge Homes,” says Joshua during an interview with StartUp Magazine at their office at Spur Mall in Ruiru.

Contrary to the popular belief that you need a lot of capital to start a real estate firm, we founded Tujenge Homes with a capital of Kshs 200,000, adds the executive.

Starting off, they embarked on disruptive mechanisms to woo buyers with a range of projects across the country.

“We went to Malindi and bought a parcel of land. At the time everyone in the industry was selling an eighth of an acre.

We wanted to do it differently, but with value addition and settled on selling quarter of an acre plots. The move was not to make any major profit but to sell Startupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

valuable land to our clients and create a good reputation. We sold it at Kshs 300,000, a first in the industry,” explains Derrick.

The project sold out within two weeks.

Besides affordability, the firm has cultivated a culture of trust.

“When you buy a property from us, our process is transparent,” notes Derrick, adding that, “We are a tech driven company and run everything on a robust digital system. Within our website, there is an option where a client can create a profile and monitor his property and payment plans.”

The process is simple, secure and transparent, he says.

A customer can make any request on the web platform. For instance if you want a house to be constructed, fenced or any other additional options, there is a provision for that. The system will then calculate the resulting cost and the orders will be executed once you make a payment. The property will then be uploaded for your review. Refunds can also be initiated via the platform in a seamless order.

This culture of trust, transparency and digital capability has enabled the firm to attract interests from Kenyans in the Diaspora. “We serve clients from US, UK, Australia and Dubai among other places,” says Joshua.

Tujenge Homes has further adopted the use of latest and affordable technology in the construction of houses. “We use

pre-cast panel technology to construct a house in less than a month. It is cheaper than conventional construction stones.

The government has even recommended the use of the technology in its housing plans for Kenyans,” explains the executive.

The duo explains that property will always appreciate in value. “Real Estate is the only investment that you are assured appreciation of value over time.”

“This increase in value of properties over time has been fueled by infrastructural development by the national and county government,” says Joshua who met his colleague while in high school.

“We were the pioneering lot of microprocessor technology and instrumentation degree at the University of Nairobi in 2009,” adds Derrick.

The entrepreneurial bugs bite them while they were in campus with the formation of their first company, Naviga Business Solutions.

They started learning PHP, Java and other programming languages on their own while studying. With such knowledge they were able to develop websites and web applications and selling computer software to clients.

With time, their work attracted interest from a Tanzanian Billionaire who owns Cloud Media.

“He recruited us and we left campus to work in Tanzania. The opportunity really opened our eyes and we realized we can

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Derrick Ngeno, co-founder, Tujenge Homes actually survive as entrepreneurs,” adds Derrick.

They lived in Tanzania for two years while growing their business in leaps and bounds.

Soon, they started sourcing for government and corporate tenders and creating networks.

Joshua Mbugua,co-founder,Tujenge Homes

Mbele Iko Sawa initiative which greatly propelled President Uhuru Kenyatta as a favourable candidate for his re-election.

We also worked with the County government of Kiambu. Often, the Jubilee presidential secretariat would consult us on social media strategies. So we influenced a lot of political narratives,” explains Joshua.

Their impeccable work soon attracted interests from politicians like Moses Kuria and Ferdinand Waititu, whom informed their venture into political consultancy.

After the presidential campaigns, they were offered employment opportunities by the government but declined. “We have always lived by the mantra that we will never be employed. This is because we realized that with our entrepreneurial spirit, we are better off running initiatives that would create employment opportunities for people and impact lives in a major way. That informed our focus on Tujenge Homes,” says Derrick.

“In 2017 we focused on designing digital campaign strategies for the Jubilee government. We were the brains behind

Tujenge Homes is planning to build affordable homes by the beach side in Malindi.

“We worked with KCB, Red Cross Africa, Gakuyo Real Estate, Urithi Housing Co-operative, Hass Consult, Dinara Developers, Angaza Real Estate and County governments among others.”

“Tech is disrupting everything from transport to hospitality. With our holiday homes, you will have the opportunity to earn extra income by listing it on Airbnb,” explains Derrick .

Plans are also underway to establish the first Eco-Village in Africa where everything will be powered by green energy.

“Besides featuring eco friendly buildings, the project will also have preferential drainage systems with recycled water.

The project will look to save costs of water and energy by over 80 per cent. We are proud to mention that it has attracted interests from Samsung, KCB Capital and Honda among others.”

Going forward, the firm is also in talks with Africa Diaspora Fund to develop affordable houses across Africa.

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WOMAN OF POWER increase revenues while mitigating costs.

Pooja Bhatt: Shaping the insurance landscape in East Africa

In view of this, I co-founded QuantaRisk alongside my business partner, Jai Pandit, in May 2018. QuantaRisk is an insurance consulting firm that helps businesses actualize their mandates by harnessing the power of analytics and technology.

Our experience in international and local markets gives us a unique insight into the present and future insurance landscape in East Africa.

I earned my Fellowship as a fully qualified actuary from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (UK) in 2014. This came after I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science and Finance at Drake University in the USA. I later moved to London, England to study a Master of Science degree in Actuarial Management at Cass Business School.

In 2018, I was featured in the Business Daily Top 40 Under 40 Women survey.

In 2015, I was awarded the Stars of the Future (Top 30 under 30) by the Actuarial Post magazine in the U.K. While growing up I had a lot of interests including mathematics and biology.

I was fascinated by actuaries and how they use statistics to predict and quantify risk events such as natural disasters that may occur in the future.

t

The economic landscape in Eastern Africa is changing significantly, and with the use of technology, businesses can Startupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

At a young age, I would see my father dressed in suits and carrying a briefcase and I thought that was powerful.Women tend to thrive in the business world when they have support from loved ones. It is because ofsuch unwavering support from my parents, that I would later establish QuantaRisk.

At college, I did a double major in actuarial science and finance which was intense. I had to be focused and be disciplined as I had to juggle studies with extracurricular activities. While at it I was fortunate to do internships at Ernst & Young and Allianz Life Insurance which

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shaped my career in a major way.

I moved to London in 2011 to start a fulltime career at Willis Towers Watson, a global actuarial consulting firm and in 2013, I moved in-house to XL Catlin, a major player in the Lloyds insurance market. I worked across various teams including group reserving, emerging markets reinsurance and insurance pricing functions.

Working in a consultancy exposed me to a lot of invaluable experiences. I later learned they were critical in business and life, key among them being communication skills. You need excellent communication skills because everything is built on relationships. If you can’t put your point across even if you have the best idea no one will understand you.

Why choose us?

We understand that in many organizations, there is a strong need for bridging

the gap between technical information and commercial decisions. It is common when using new and innovative technology with complex back-ends. We appreciate the commercial pressures of running a business and we help businesses harness the power of technology to gather relevant data, and combine it with advanced analytical methods to increase efficiencies.

Analytics is a powerful tool to predict a consumer’s behavior. This will then inform how a business develop, package and price a product.

Innovation Time is ripe for the insurance sector to adapt to technology. The banking sector has largely benefited from technological innovations which insurance sector needs to benchmark with.

In the insurance industry, we are still operating in the brick and mortar ways with

intermediaries who end up affecting the quality of data as it changes hands from one to the next.

We are set to disrupt this with an introduction of a product that will revolutionize the market. We are in the process of partnering with a company that uses artificial intelligence to help curb fraud and mitigate risks in motor insurance.

For instance, in case of an accident, an individual will be able to record what happened with his voice, take videos and photos and send it to insurers for analysis. Ultimately, this will lower the cost of insurance and time taken to settle a claim.

Going forward, we aim to market our brand and create more awareness about our solutions.

We are working in partnerships with industry players, tech startups and other likeminded brands to actualize this.

Stima Sacco is proud to serve the people of Embu. Join a fast growing deposit-taking sacco, committed to providing you with the faciities you need to secure your financial freedom. Our new Embu branch is located at Pearl Centre next to Outspan Hospital, off the Embu-Meru Road.

Call us on 0703 024 024 or email info@stima-sacco.com for more information.

December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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MY HUSTLE

Bella Safaris: Best bet for tours and travel services

t

ourism in Kenya is one of the leading sources of foreign exchange along with coffee and tea according to statistics from the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB).

KTB is responsible for maintain information pertaining tourism in Kenya.

Eco-tourism, sports tourism, cultural tourism and beach tourism forms part of the tourism sector in Kenya. However, a large proportion of the country’s tourism centres on safaris and tours of its national parks and game reserves. Coastal cities like Mombasa ad Lamu have also attracted a lot of tourists due to their rich cultural history and practices.

George Nyutu talks about founding a leading tourism and travel agency and his fast-rising journey as an entrepreneur

Locally, a leading tours and travel firm has been aligning itself to promote tourism and offer the best travel and safari experiences for visitors.

“We are a Safaris company based in Kenya. Our firm delivers outstanding adventure and travel experiences to our clients,” says George Nyutu, the founder and CEO of Bella Safaris Limited.

Bella means beautiful, he adds. “With

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our experienced travel experts, we have perfected the art of customer experience to offer beautifully packaged solutions to meet the dynamic needs of broad market segments and tailored solutions for specific industries.”

The firm’s range of transport and travel menus include airline bookings and ticketing, business travels and airport transfers for corporate and individuals. It also offers curated tours, custom safaris and chauffeured services from its unlimited fleet of vehicles. Its leasing arm offers courtesy cars, vans and bus hires.

Sitting at his office in Rattansi Building in Nairobi’s Central Business District when he met StartUp Magazine Team for the interview, Mr. Nyutu recalls the firm’s journey from humble beginnings.

“We recently won the most coveted spot at the Top 100 Mid-Sized SME’s survey by KPMG and Business Daily. It did not come as a surprise because of our unique business model and fast growth in just under three 3 years of our incorporation.”

“We first started with the idea of leasing courtesy cars for corporates before introducing tours and safaris services,” he recalls. “In 2015, Jubilee Insurance introduced a new insurance package targeting lady vehicle owners dubbed Lady Auto Insurance. With it, in case of any eventuality inform of an accident, the vehicle owner was supposed to hire a vehicle and use it for a given period of time. So I came up with the idea of courtesy cars and proposed to the insurer and got a contract where they could hire a vehicle from us for their client and they pay after a given period of time.”

At the start, he did not have any vehicle to lease out. He sub contracted from his colleagues who owned vehicles and began with a fleet of five vehicles.

Within a scope of one year, the venture had expanded to a fleet of 50 vehicles servicing several clients across different sectors.

“Very few people know about courtesy cars. It is a unique product that has helped a lot of people who have been inconvenienced with a breakdown of their vehicles and they do not know where to turn to for a better experience,” says the director.

“Our tours and safaris arm grew out of frequent inquiries from clients. Most often, they would want us to take them on a safari and we weren’t licensed to do it. After time, we realized that we were missing out on a huge business opportunity. So we got the necessary certifications from the government agencies and introduced tours and safaris services in 2016.”

As the business grew, the firm introduced e-hailing taxi app for corporate travels

outside Nairobi. “When e-hailing taxis launched in Nairobi, we saw a need and introduced our own app but with a focus on corporate travels outside Nairobi,” says Mr. Nyutu.

With increased business opportunities and increased clientele line, the firm saw the need to improve its efficiency and engage better with clients. “We introduced a web based platform where clients can engage us any time of the day from where they are and get instant responses.”

“With a bias on offering the best experience for our clients, we take care of their needs from the time they engage us until they depart. This is because revolutionary businesses are built on better relationships. And the fact that we have built a loyal clientele base in a short time underscores this,” explains Mr. Nyutu.

Going forward, Bella Safaris aims to establish more strategic partnerships build a renowned brand globally.

December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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Cover Story

MYDAWA: Disrupting the Healthcare Landscape in Kenya One of the most progressive technology models in the healthcare space is an e-health platform that has enabled accessibility to quality and affordable drugs at the tap of a button.

First of its kind in the market, MYDAWA is an online retail pharmacy that allows patients to purchase quality medicine and wellness products through MYDAWA.com website and mobile app.

i n May 2018, the firm was granted a new license by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), making it the first ever e-retailing pharmacy in Kenya.

“It was a huge milestone as it allowed us to operate as an online retail pharmacy providing the full suite of retail services to patients directly through our digital platforms,” said Tony Wood, the Managing Director, MYDAWA while speaking to StartUp Magazine at his office in Nairobi.

Startupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

MYDAWA aims to address the long, lengthy and quite often fragmented process in the supply of pharmaceutical products. “The reality on the ground shows that at nearly every stage that a pharmaceutical product changes hand, new costs are introduced which makes the cost of essential drugs highly prohibitive,” he added.

MYDAWA features an innovative mechanism that gives consumers great value for money since products sold at the platform are at least 40 per cent below the market price for MYDAWA own branded products, whilst all other 3rd party products are sold at a 20 per cent cheaper rate.

It gratifies then that MYDAWA concept

was conceived to leverage on the power of technology to provide better and affordable healthcare products for all.

It also demonstrates how technology is enabling efficiencies within the supply chain which reflects in reduced medication costs to patients.

Consumers can access the platform online via MYDAWA.com or download the app on their mobile phones and register themselves. They can then browse a wide array of products, select what they need- be it wellness products or prescription drugs – and add it to their shopping cart. For prescription drugs, consumers are required to scan and upload a valid prescription onto the platform where it will be reviewed by one of our team of pharmaceutical professionals. “We

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Tony Wood, MD, MYDAWA

will then transcribe and fulfill them from our fulfillment centre ensuring that their products are securely and conveniently delivered,” says the executive.

Once a client makes an order on the platform, delivery is done within 4 hours in Nairobi and its environs. The products are delivered with a tamper proof seal to your home, office or nearest pharmacy for prescription medicines.

“For MYDAWA own brands, we have

Consumers can access the platform online via MYDAWA.com or download the app on their mobile phones and register themselves. They can then browse a wide array of products, select what they need- be it wellness products or prescription drugs – and add it to their shopping cart.

secured all our packs at the production line with tamper-proof seals. That seal contains an authentication code that you can scratch off to reveal. You can SMS this to a short code and get a response. It not only lets you know that it is a genuine product, but that it’s exactly what you ordered,” notedthe executive.

The brand has partnered with Pharmaceutical Technologists (Pharmtechs) to deliver medicines. This is a huge step towards reducing medication non-ad->> December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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Cover Story herence, a rising epidemic where people do not take their prescriptions as directed by the doctor. The Pharmtechs will also provide further instructions and counseling on how patients can take their prescriptions.

Why Kenya?

“Kenya is a hotbed of innovations driven by the receptive nature of most Kenyans to embrace new technologies and solutions that fit their needs. A point in case is of M-Pesa; a world leading mobile money innovation that is more relevant many years after its inception. Penetration of internet and smart phone is also high,” explained Mr. Wood.

Wider benefits With the hindsight of the company being tech driven, Wood asserts that the efficiencies brought about by such innovations can also benefit the health insurance industry through better pricing and fraud reduction. It is estimated that huge savings of up to 46 per cent on an outpatient medicine cover can be achieved

by Insurance companies through the reduced cost, fraud reduction and operational efficiencies gained from the solution. Further, this could be replicated across the industry both for private health insurers and for Government schemes such as the NHIF (National Health Insurance Fund).

This informed the firm’s partnership with Smart Technology and insurance firms such as Sanlam Insurance among others.

MYDAWA has also partnered with iPay, an innovative payment processing solution and payment gateway for Africa.

Startupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

The move is meant to scale up its service delivery in line with achieving better health outcomes through the increase of payment options for customers based in various locations. It is expected that this will increase customer retention and loyalty.

With the partnership, MYDAWA customers will pay for their prescription, health and wellness products through loyalty points, Mastercard, VISA, Bonga Points, Equitel, MPESA, Airtel money, eLipa, PesaLink and Kenswitch. The iPay Partnership also allows customers to make easy, fast and convenient online and offline payments from one account.

Going forward “Over time we have established that some patients may want to acquire certain medications but they cannot afford it. Some medicines are also expensive, especially those that have to be taken for a longer period,”says the executive

“We are working on a financing mechanism with micro financiers to help patients acquire medicines on our platforms. This will be incorporated as a payment option in our platforms,” he adds.

Mr. Wood further emphasizes the need for healthcare operators to continue embracing disruption in the industry to become more efficient, lower costs, increase accessibility to healthcare and provide patient-centric care.

Technology, especially the internet, has added immense value where the consumer is now more informed and empowered. Technology will continue to play a greater role in healthcare and increase universal healthcare coverage.

MYDAWA’s unique business model also fits into President Uhuru Kenyatta’s big four agenda and Kenya’s commitment to achieve Universal Health Care (UHC) by 2020.

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December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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HUMAN RESOURCES

How to achieve your most important career goals in 2019

PERMINUS WAINAINA

Mr. Wainaina is the head of recruitment at Corporate Staffing, a human capital development and recruitment agency

Startupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

29 What a fast year 2018 has been right?

You have noted by now that more and more people are getting ready to unwind and recharge starting next month.

Things seem to be on a go slow as most people anticipate to relax and spend time with their families and friends.Perhaps you are in the same group of people and you can’t wait to take that much needed break!

But before you do so, ask yourself, “what have I accomplished in my career in 2018, and where do I see myself in 2019?”

When you think about it, 2019 is less than 50 days away!

It is for this reason that you should start designing a strategy of how you will accomplish your most important career goals by next year.

As you do that, you also need to do an objective assessment/SWOT analysis of what worked or hasn’t worked for you in 2018.

This will give you clarity and focus as you plan for your career success in 2019.

And here are 3 strategies you can use to start achieving your career goals next year…

Strategy #1: Put your goals in writing A recent study conducted in the US showed that describing your goals in written form contributed to at least 80% of goals success. The study further revealed that people who wrote down their goals had a higher success rate didn’t.

So as we get ready to usher in a new year, move away from simply verbalizing your goals.

Writing them down also gives you a

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Measurable, Accurate, Realistic, Time bound).

However, failing is part of the process. But like I always say, whenever you fall, get back up, dust off and try again. By so doing, the goals you set in 2019 will slowly but surely start to become a reality.

point of reference. You can look back and see where you are doing great and the areas of improvement. Unlike having information existing in your mind alone, you can always go back to the goals you wrote and review them accordingly.

And the more you write, the more you remember and hold yourself accountable.

Strategy #2: Get yourself a career mentor One of the greatest marks of career and emotional maturity is the ability to know when to ask for help.

It is knowing that there are certain things in your career you cannot do alone and you need the help of an expert to move from point A-B in your career.

This is where a career mentor comes in.

As you purpose to achieve your most important career goals for 2019, get yourself an expert who will hold you accountable and help you design a tailor-made road map for career success.

You need someone to guide you through the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in order for you to start making the right choices for your career.

Your career mentor will also help you with designing your career goals by ensuring they are S.M.A.R.T. (Specific,

Strategy #3: Remain committed to the cause The truth is; achieving something you really want is hard and more often than not, you will be tempted to give up.

You will feel as though your goals are too far-fetched and almost impossible to achieve.

However, failing is part of the process.

But like I always say, whenever you fall, get back up, dust off and try again. By so doing, the goals you set in 2019 will slowly but surely start to become a reality.

And this is why it is so important that you remain committed to the cause. Don’t fall by the way side when things get hard. Develop a high level of emotional intelligence and resilience when things get tough along the way.

And when you fail don’t quit! Learn from your mistakes and take every lesson you learn along the way with you. Have a positive mindset by anticipating good times and hard times for your career in 2019.

Persist until you achieve…

Let this be your motto come 2019, “persist until you achieve”.

Make an intentional effort not to repeat the same mistakes you have been making in your career.

At the same time anticipate an uneven terrain. Know that things may not always go your way and the goals you set will be subject to a number of modifications.

Be ready for the setbacks you will encounter but despite the challenges, keep your eyes focused on the ultimate vision you have for your career.

December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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AGRICULTURE & TECH

Transforming the African agribusiness sector: tech, transparency hold key to inclusive growth

Frédéric Massé

Massé is the Africa Agriculture Industry Head at SAP Africa

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a ccording to experts, the African population is expected to double by 2050, which means that food demand on the continent is expected to at least double by then. Beyond feeding the population, the social and economic benefits induced by the increase in production and productivity in Africa are obvious.

This increase in production would create jobs in agriculture but also in upstream, downstream and support activities; would help to eradicate hunger; would improve the economic situation of populations and would offer farmers new opportunities in international markets. This means that self-sufficiency is achievable, and that Africa could be a net exporter of food products instead of its current status as an importer.

However, the agricultural transformation models implemented in the rest of the world are not transposable as they stand. The African agricultural sector is unique in that it is largely dominated by millions of small family farmers, who cultivate small areas with poor farming techniques. They have limited access to inputs, financial services or technology and mainly practice subsistence agriculture because of their difficulties in accessing the market. These small family farmers are one of three groups that make up the African agricultural sector: the other two are large African and multinational agri-food companies that operate on a large scale on the continent and internationally; and small and medium-sized enterprises that process, transport, refine food or operate farms under conditions similar to those in industrialized countries.

80 % According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the 250 million African smallholder farmers produce 80% of the food consumed in Africa. These small farmers are therefore essential to Africa’s food security, economic and social development

An organic horticultural nursery and farm outside Woodstock. A woman holding a digital tablet. — Image by Tim Robbins/Mint Images/Corbis According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the 250 million African smallholder farmers produce 80% of the food consumed in Africa. These small farmers are therefore essential to Africa’s food security, economic and social development: in fact, even if all large and small and medium-sized enterprises operating on the continent completed their transformation, this would only affect a maximum of 20% of the African agricultural sector.

Today, the transformation of the smallholder farming sector is hampered by the lack of access to information, best agricultural practices, inputs (fertilizers, seeds, pesticides), mechanization, market opportunities and financial services.

On average, the smallholder farmer cultivates a plot of land of less than 2 ha and earns less than $1,000 per year, an income that provides a living for the entire family who must contribute to agricultural work. The transformation of this sector therefore requires a concerted – and specifically African – approach because of the uniqueness of its model and its challenges.

Ensuring inclusive transformation and upliftment The transformation of the sector and the increase in production must be inclusive. This means that the transformation of African agriculture cannot follow the same path as that followed by European or North American agriculture. Indeed, there will be no massive rural exodus to industrial jobs. The 250 million farmers represent 250 million families who earn a living and will have to continue to earn a living through agriculture. As the population increases, the number of farmers will continue to increase accordingly.

The role of the private sector is crucial in the transformation of African agriculture. Agri-food companies have massive purchasing power, while smallholder farmers are looking for ways to improve productivity and quality as well as increase their production and income.

When farmers are integrated into global value chains, both sides benefit: farmers improve their incomes by having easier access to markets and private companies have access to the raw materials needed to produce their goods.

However, integration remains a challenge. Sellers and buyers lack data>> December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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REAL ESTATE on small family farmers and their cooperatives or other groups with whom they would like to work. There is too little data on crop types, production areas and harvest prospects. This complicates planning while often leaving smallholder farmers without the necessary advice and support to improve their production and income potential. It also complicates the implementation by small farmers of the quality and food safety standards necessary for food businesses.

Banks have strict risk management requirements that complicate the provision of financing to small family farmers: without precise knowledge of their farms, harvests and incomes, the risk of granting loans is simply too high and the interest rates on loans granted by banks or microfinance institutions vary between 20 and 40%, which limits their scope. The same phenomenon can be observed in the insurance sector.

Integrating smallholder farmers into the formal agri value chain Most of these challenges can be solved by connecting the different actors in the agricultural value chain through digital marketplaces that manage the supply from smallholder farmers, manage the stocks and manage the commercialization of agricultural products and their transport. The viability of these marketplaces can be guaranteed if they are operated by private companies and financed by fees levied on the commercial transactions they allow. Indeed, other models based on philanthropy or national or international public funding have shown their limits. This private model does not exclude state control and regulation to avoid the creation of Startupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

monopolies.

The aggregation of farmers into formal groups and cooperatives is also necessary. This will make it easier to work with them for sellers and buyers, but also to train and support them, for example in traceability and certification processes that are generally mandatory for food manufacturers.

Through these digital marketplaces, banks and insurance companies will have access to the data necessary to reduce their risks and thus be able to serve the untapped market of smallholder farmers.

Based on the data, input suppliers will also be able to sell directly to farmers or cooperatives. For example, fertilizer companies could significantly increase their incomes by working directly with cooperatives and smallholder farmers.

On average, smallholder farmers use only 15 kg of fertilizer per hectare in Africa: significantly less than the global average of 120 kg/ha and the African Union recommendation of 50 kg/ha.

Part of the problem is that smallholder farmers often do not have direct access to fertilizer companies but go through intermediaries who subtract a large part of the value by significantly increasing prices. The double consequence is that small farmers do not have access to the quantities of fertilizer they would need, and producers’ sales are limited by the profits of intermediaries.

Buyers of agri-food products will be able to buy more easily from small farmers through their organizations, knowing that the quantity and quality promised by contract will be delivered and that they will have the means to monitor the progress of crops and agricultural operations.

33 Finally, through better stock management, storage conditions and adjustment of supply to demand, these digital marketplaces will also help to reduce food waste and loss, which, according to FAO estimates, currently represents 20% for cereals and up to 50% for fruit and vegetables in total food production on the continent.

SAP’s solution to connect smallholder farmers to agricultural value chains In recent years, SAP has worked with several smallholder farmer organizations and agribusinesses in Africa to develop and test a dedicated solution to connect smallholder farmers to agricultural value chains. This solution is called SAP Rural Sourcing Management, and it is designed to capture, maintain and share individual data of smallholder farmers such as crop types, geographical location of fields, farm size, harvest prospects, farmers’ production sales transactions, and more.

It also connects smallholder farmers to information providers (training in best agricultural practices, weather data, market data, etc.) and facilitates access for smallholder farmers to various stakeholders in the broader agricultural value chain, including financial services, buyers and suppliers of inputs (fertilizers, seeds, pesticides and agricultural equipment).

For governments, access to some of this data is also very important. It enables more effective and efficient public policy and intervention decision-making to ensure, for example, food security and safety, crop diversification and farmer financing at the local, regional and national levels.

SAP Rural Sourcing Management, sometimes in combination with other

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SAP commodity trading solutions, is currently being evaluated and implemented in several African countries as part of public-private producers partnerships managed and financed by private companies.

The most recent example is CBI Innovations Ltd. (CBIiL), the for-profit arm of CBI Nigeria, who chose SAP Rural Sourcing Management to integrate 850,000 small maize producers into the agricultural value chains. CBIiL will be combining the use of SAP Rural Sourcing Management with the model of private extension services agents they have developed: the Community LIFE Agents (LIFE stands for Livelihoods Information Field Entrepreneurs).

PG. 34

BUSINESS ENTERPRISE Success happens by design

PG. 36 Each LIFE agent supports 50 to 100 smallholder farmers. They are young unemployed graduates recruited from around the communities in which they will serve. They are trained by CBIiL and equipped with a dedicated Android device on which various applications specific to their missions are installed. They receive commissions on the products and services (inputs, telephone credit, banking, etc.) they sell to farmers and a premium based on the productivity growth of each farmer with whom they work.

A successful, thriving, highly productive African agricultural sector is possible.

The transformation of the smallholder farming sector into a high-performance producer integrated into the global food value chains will not only grow local economies, ensure a more successful agri value chain, contribute to achieve self-sufficiency and safeguard food security, but will transform the lives of the 250 million smallholder farmers and their families whose livelihoods depend on their produce.

TRAVEL & LEISURE A Date with Nature at the Nairobi Safari Walk

PG. 38

BOOK REVIEW Americanah

December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

Success happens by design

TRACY FRANCIS

Our analysis reveals that the best-performing companies share certain characteristics, including treating design strategically as an integrated user experience.

Tracy Francis, is the head of McKinsey’s Consumer Packaged Goods and Retail Practices in Central and South America; she previously founded and led our Latin American Healthcare Practice.

Startupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

t he Apple iPhone, the Swiss Army knife, the Google home page, even the Disney World visitor experience. Strong design is at the heart of commercial success.

But it’s also hard—and getting harder.

These days, only the very best designs stand out from the crowd. So how do

35 some companies deliver exceptional designs, launch after launch? What is design really worth?

To answer those questions, we tracked the design practices of 300 publicly listed companies in multiple countries and industries over a five-year period, and codified our results into a performance index. Our analysis reveals that the best-performing companies share certain characteristics, including treating design strategically as an integrated user experience.

Take a hotel chain, for example. Some hotels focus primarily on the quality of service they provide between check-in and check-out. Obviously, that’s important. But best-in-class hotels might do more—making the most of digital opportunities like social media or their own apps to promote early awareness, or providing physical mementos that customers take home. One hotel group gives departing guests a rubber duck adorned with the image of their host city, plus a note suggesting that they build a collection by visiting the group’s other properties. A small touch—but one that improved retention by 3 percent over time.

FRESH.INSPIRING.ANALYTICAL FRESH.INSPIRING.ANALYTICAL

As for the link to financial performance, we found a strong correlation between companies with leading design practices and business results: top performers increased their revenues and total returns to shareholders substantially faster than their industry counterparts did.

like second-class citizens. Talented designers at a consumer-packaged-goods company well respected for its design credentials started leaving because of the amount of time they were spending styling slideshow packs for the marketing team. Conversely, Spotify’s appeal

to top designers is often attributed to the balance it strikes between autonomy and connectivity, as well as to a working environment characterized by diversity, fun, and speed to market.

More and more, customers expect products and services that are not only designed to meet their needs but that provide unexpectedly delightful experiences and address their ever-heightening aesthetic sensibilities. Companies that meet those criteria are rewarded with fierce brand loyalty and higher spending, which translates into fatter profit margins. But that kind of success only happens by design.

As for the link to financial performance, we found a strong correlation between companies with leading design practices and business results: top performers increased their revenues and total returns to shareholders substantially faster than their industry counterparts did. Their top teams shared a bold, design-centric vision—and accordingly, had also successfully integrated designers with other functions, overcoming the usual isolationist tendencies.

One caveat: companies can’t thrive in this world if they treat their design leaders December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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At the back

Travel & Leisure

A Date with Nature at the Nairobi Safari Walk “A traveler without observation is a bird without wings”-Moslih Eddin Saadi.

By Oroni Tendera

Startupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

After a 20-minute- ride in a matatu from Nairobi’s bus station, I am finally here at the entrance of Nairobi Safari walk. It is 1pm but the sun’s big eye is shut. Thick grey clouds are hanging dangerously above my head. On my left, stands Nairobi National Park’s gate, almost shadowing the view of Nairobi animal orphanage. A group of 3 foreigners, speaking animatedly in Australian accent are taking too long at the reception. One of them, a loud man with heavy make-up and feminine moves is raising eyebrows from onlookers. My patience is on trial.

I am tempted to change my mind. Unlike Nairobi animal orphanage and the national park, very little has been written

about Nairobi Safari Walk.

“I came here on a mission to ‘discover,’’’ I reassure myself as I force my way past the Australians, Kenyan style. The ticketing officer, lifts his face to meet my gaze.

I am expecting a growl or a bark from his no-nonsense face. “Hallo,’’ I attempt to break the tension. “Hallo, welcome to Nairobi Safari walk. Are you a Kenyan citizen?’’ he asks in a calm voice. I nod.

“You will pay Ksh 210,’’ he says. I display my national identity card and part with Ksh 500. Impressed by his professionalism, I ask him to keep change but he politely declines the offer.

37 Distant lion roars and birds chirping and swooping in the air, welcome me in style.

I am almost breathless and quite scared of walking on the raised wooden boardwalk. However, the further I walk, the less tense I become. I hear sharp cracking noise ahead of me. I stop, listen intently, look left and right but there is nothing.

I walk cautiously, conscious of the danger of the wild. Eureka! There are pigmy hippos grazing a few metres from me.

They look healthy and undisturbed by my presence. The ecosystem around here is wetland with large masses of water lilies.

Not far from the hippos, lies an adult Nile crocodile, eyes closed and mouth wide open. I guess he must have had a very heavy lunch.

The adventurous spirit in me urges me to move ahead. I grab my camera and photograph them. From the corner of my right eye, I see a rungu wielding Masaai man approaching me. Startled, I freeze on the ground. We exchange formal greetings and he offers to show me around. “Why is that crocodile asleep?’’

I ask him in Kiswahili. He laughs and dares me to jump into its enclosure to find out whether its asleep or alert.

“Is the whole habitat of Nairobi Safari walk a wetland?’’ I ask my host. ‘‘No. We are transiting onto Savannah environment,” he says pointing at a rock hyrax.

A white signpost stands at the edge of the trail. It bears pictures of three rock hyrax and an elephant. “Hyrax and elephants are cousins,’’ reads the signpost in part, “The 2kg rock hyrax is a distant cousin to the 1200kg elephant. Forty million years ago, there was a beast called moeritherium. The hyrax and the elephant can both be traced back to this ancient ancestor.’’

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Growls rent the air accompanied by purrs. I follow into the footsteps of my host without uttering a word. We enter a medium-sized shelter with walls made of glass. Outside, a restless big cat, I guess it is a cheetah, is purring. “Is that a cheetah or a leopard?’’ I break the silence. “It is a cheetah. The main difference between the two is that cheetahs have a tear line running from the inside of their eye to the mouth while leopards lack that feature.’’ Beaming with satisfaction, I hand my camera to the guide and request him to take photos of me. I pose like Usain Bolt in front of the fastest animal on earth, smiling sheepishly. Bang!

A loud noise on the glass wall awakens all the demons in my head. I yell and jump in the air. My host is busy laughing like a hyena and capturing that awkward moment on camera. I gasp and look behind me. The cheetah is hitting the wall with its head. ‘’That glass wall is stronger that what you imagine. Not even an elephant can break it.’’

er,’’ my host cuts me short. ‘’As you say,’’ I respond leading the way, unaware of the exact location of the river. The clouds have scattered and the sun is partially exposed. I hum to myself Reuben James, hoping that the clouds will scatter further.

I force a short laughter. “Time to leave,’’ I mumble. “Not before viewing the riv-

Thank you Nairobi Safari Walk for showing me love.

We are at the end of the boardwalk. Below us, the river flows silently. I whistle. A scared dik-dik hops to the bush. A buffalo materializes from the forest and drinks water. Next to the buffalo, are mating Oryx gazelles? ‘’There is love in the wild,’’ my guide comments. ‘’And I am in love with the wild,’’ I reply. “That’s lovely,’’ someone shouts from behind.

I turn back. The three Australians are right behind us. The sissy loud dude is dancing− gyrating his hips and pointing at the mating gazelles with his lips. The burly man is holding his slim girlfriend in a tight embrace, taking selfies and chanting ‘that’s lovely’ after every 3 seconds.

“This is just the beginning of pleasure,’’ the tour guide accelerates my adrenaline. “What next!’’ I exclaim. ‘’Be calm and follow me.’’ I trail behind the Maasai warrior, passing a number of colourful signposts and diverse indigenous tree species. From a distance, I can spot an endangered rhinoceros grazing. Not far from the rhino are herds of zebra, antelopes and a proud ostrich−a lone bird amid grazers.

December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

38

Coffee Break

Book Review AMERICANAH Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Reviewer: Tracy Francis

AMERICANAH by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of those novels that gives you an empty feeling as you finish the last page—you can’t bear to leave these characters. Beautifully written, it is about two young Nigerians who leave their country for the United States and London, later reuniting in their homeland. It’s a book about race and racism, but also a love story between two young people seeking identity and meaning. I then picked up Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions and Half of a Yellow Sun, both by the same author.

nesses can achieve it. What Works mixes data, personal stories, and practical recommendations to debunk the notion that this is a problem too big or too difficult to solve. She talks about unconscious bias and what can be done to tackle the organizational structure that creates it.

I recently watched both the film and the television series that depict the Getty kidnapping and decided to read The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power by Daniel Yergin. It is a dense but fascinating read that lays out the history of the petroleum I also recommend What Works: Gender Equality by Design by industry from the 1850s onward. I am still plowing through it!

Iris Bohnet. I am passionate about gender parity and how busiStartupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

FRESH.INSPIRING.ANALYTICAL

1 GOOGLE IMPACT CHALLENGE GALA

4

2

5

3 1.Google Impact Challenge Kenya Judges Filmaker Salim Amin, media personality Caroline Mutoko, Her Excellency Rachel Ruto, Industrialist Manu Chandaria, Google Kenya Country Manager Charles Murito and Community Empowerment, Development and Governance Expert Janet Mawiyoo.

Murito addressing the finalists.

5.Creatives Garage.

2.StartUp Lions receive their award from Turkana Governor Joseph Nanok and Caroline Mutoko.

3.Somo Project receive their award from Community Empowerment, Development and Governance Expert Janet Mawiyoo.

4.Google Kenya’s Country Manager Charles

Google.org has announced the 12 finalists for the first Google Impact Challenge in Kenya, which sought to identify and fund the most innovative social enterprises using technology to improve society on a local or national scale.

December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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FRESH.INSPIRING.ANALYTICAL

Coffee Break

Blog Review Blog name: Big Ideas for Small Business Founder: Barbara Weltman Reviewer: Adisa Hudson Favorite Recent Article “Tax Issues for Spouses Co-owning Businesses.”Spouses who co-own a business have special tax issues and the blog addresses tax filing and what happens if couples divorce.

About the Blog The Big Ideas for Small Business Blog has a lot of content focused around the legal and more technical aspects of running your business, which is not surprising

since Barbara has been a tax and business attorney since 1977. Trying to figure out your estimated taxes, they have a how-to for that.

Wondering exactly what you have to do to keep on the right side of minimum-wage rules? Big Ideas has an article for that too.

If you have any legal/technical questions about your business that you need answered, the Big Ideas blog probably has the answers you are looking for.

Paying your Electricity Bill Paying your Electricity Bill with M-Pesa (Safaricom) 1. Select “Pay Bill” from the M-Pesa menu.

2. Enter the Kenya Power business number 888 888 / 501200 / 800904.

3. Enter your full Kenya Power account number e.g. 123456-01.

4. Enter the amount you wish to pay which should be between KShs.100 and KShs.35,000.00 5. Enter your M-Pesa PIN. 6. Confirm that all details are correct.

7. You will receive a confirmation of the transaction via SMS.

Debit Card / Credit Card

How to Buy Kenya Power Prepaid Tokens via M-PESA Paybill Number 888880/501200/800904 • Go to Safaricom SIM Tool Kit, select M-PESA menu, select “Lipa na M-PESA” • Select “Pay Bill” • Select “Enter Business no.”, Enter Kenya Power Lipa na M-PESA PayBill Number 888880/501200/800904 and press “OK” • Select “Enter Account no.”, Enter your Kenya Power Prepaid Meter Number (e.g. 0100 xxxx xxxx x) and press “OK” • “Enter Amount”, between KShs.100 and KShs.35,000.00 and press “OK” • Enter your M-PESA PIN and press “OK” • Confirm all the details are correct and press “OK” • M-PESA HAKIKISHA. You will get a notification with the intended recipient’s name e.g. “Pay Kenya Power KShs.1,000.00 for Account 0100 xxxx xxxx x Press 1 within 20 seconds to STOP this transaction.”

• Kenya Power will then generate prepaid token valid for your meter and send via SMS.

Paying your Electricity Bill with Airtel Money (Airtel) 1.

2.

3.

4.

Select “Airtel Money’’ from the menu.

Click on “Make Payments”.

Select “Paybill”.

Choose Kenya Power Bill for postpaid bill OR Kenya Power Prepaid for purchase of tokens.

5. Enter the amount you wish to pay.

6. Enter your Airtel Money PIN. 7. Under the reference option, type your full Kenya Power account number e.g. 12345601.

8. Confirm that all details are correct.

9. You will receive a confirmation of the transaction via SMS.

You can check your Kenya Power bill by sending the first part of your account number e.g. 123456 by SMS to 95551.

Powering people for better lives

December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

At the back

Song Review

Title: Taki Taki DJ Snake, Selena Gomez, Cardi B & Ozuna Review by Oroni Tendera

Startupmagazine.co.ke December 2018

DJ Snake’s star-studded ‘Taki Taki’ somehow manages to live up to the deafening hype. An absurdly catchy celebration of Latin music, the song fuses reggaeton, island beats and hip-hop in a way that is both unexpected and accessible. Puerto Rico’s Ozuna gets the party started with a silky smooth verse that rides the bone-rattling beat and introduces us to the insidious hook (is that a flute?). Next up is frequent chart-topper Cardi B, who instantly makes it clear that “Taki Taki” doubles as a floorfiller and a bedroom anthem.

“If the text ain’t freaky, I don’t wanna read it,” Cardi declares with trademark attitude. “And just to let you know, this punani is undefeated.” Ok, then! The rapper then switches to Spanish — a formula that Selena Gomez follows on her contribution. In many ways, the “Back To You” diva is the MVP of this collabo-

ration. She brings a playfulness to the banger that strikes the right balance between cheeky and lewd. “Careful when you come through my way, my body already know how to play,” she coos sexily. “Work it, keep it tight every day.” It’s worth downloading just for her breathy pronunciation of “DJ Snake.”

Given the streaming success of all three contributors, “Taki Taki” is going to destroy Spotify. (It already broke the record for the most pre-saved song in history).

However, it will be interesting to see how radio responds. The song is certainly catchy enough to slice through the language barrier à la “Despacito” and “Mi Gente,” but it definitely puts it at a disadvantage. On the other hand, the video is certain to deliver huge numbers.

FRESH.INSPIRING.ANALYTICAL

December 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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