Technology could help fill mental health helpline gap
Many Kenyans become aware of a friend or relative contemplating suicide through posts on social media. It is at this
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Technology
Improving lives and financial inclusion in Kenya, one smartphone at a time
Jane Omondi sells freshly cooked fish from a stand on a bustling roadside in Utawala, a low- to medium-income neighborhood
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Little App drivers now accepting card payments
The taxi hailing service, Little App, has partnered with Absa Bank Kenya and digital payments heavyweight, Visa, to introduce an innovative Near Field Communication (NFC) payment feature. As players in the transport sector aim to enhance efficiency, this collaboration aims to streamline and expedite the payment process for Little App taxis by enabling drivers to accept card-based payments using an Android smartphone. The new platform utilizes Absa’s Mobi Tap app, which transforms a smartphone into a point of sale (POS), allowing customers to simply tap their contactless debit or credit cards on the driver’s Android phone or tablet to make a payment. “The introduction of
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Costs uploading bakeries online
Bakery business is shifting into informal spaces, neighborhood kitchens and sold online as it increasingly becomes difficult to produce cake as a small business. Bakers say that as costs of production increase, businesses are adapting by going informal. This way, they avoid layers of taxation and enjoy lower costs on the digital space to be able to sell cake. Ever increasing number of licenses, heavy taxes, monthly and yearly payments to counties and other authorities are becoming huge burdens to shoulder for small entrepreneurs. Instead when operating online, bakers can maximize reach to get clients. What’s more, they only do it on order leaving them at…
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Before mobile loans, Helb was the first debt
By the time Waragi, an aspiring young writer and poet, completed his secondary education, his father had retired and could not afford to finance his education at a private university. The best option was to qualify for government sponsorship, where the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) would cover his tuition and living expenses. This hope is shared within his village, where most families can barely manage to send their children to primary school, let alone high school or college. In many Kenyan households, sponsorships, at times from concerned relatives or friends, the church, and increasingly through WhatsApp groups, are relied upon, along with government assistance.
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Escalating cybercrime in Kenya fuels calls for heightened data security
Businesses and government entities have been challenged to prioritize investments in modern technologies that can safeguard sensitive data and vital systems against the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. This was the primary call to action following a meeting organised by tech giant Safaricom as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. In a summit held under the theme “Becoming a Cyber Resilient Organization,” over 400 cybersecurity industry leaders and professionals engaged in crucial discussions surrounding the latest cybersecurity trends and the evolution of enterprise networks. “Attackers are constantly working on designing, building, and evolving solutions to bypass or overcome the most advanced cybersecurity solutions. This has created
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Safaricom paves the way to a tech-driven future for Kenya’s youth
Software developers in Kenya can now come up with secure and better-quality applications by tapping into various resources in the newly launched Safaricom Developer Portal. The web-based platform serves as a central hub for software developers, offering essential resources and tools to streamline the development process while improving their efficiency and productivity. Safaricom Developer Portal According to the telco giant, Safaricom Developer Portal provides a user-friendly and responsive interface that helps enhance the overall developer experience. Safaricom Developer Portal is one of the three latest offerings from the company unveiled during the second annual engineering summit dubbed Decode 2.0. The other new platforms are Entertainment
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The making of an eco-friendlier tech industry
Just a few years ago, supply chains were all about getting things done quickly and efficiently. But times have changed. Now, companies are thinking about new challenges, such as the risks linked to climate change, and the urgent need to cut down on carbon emissions. This shift is happening because customers, investors, and employees are all pushing for more transparency and accountability when it comes to sustainability across industries. For telco giant Safaricom, this emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices is not just staying within the company walls; it’s spreading fast into their entire supply chain system. Carbon footprints “We are intentionally working
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Safaricom’s impact on Kenya’s economy up 7.4 percent to Sh909Bn
Telco giant Safaricom’s contribution to the Kenyan economy in the fiscal year 2023 increased by 7.4 percent to Kes909.5 billion, the company’s Sustainable Business Report shows. The amount, which is roughly 15 times the Kes62.3 billion financial profit reported by the telco in the year under review is attributable to the value created for customers, agents and merchants, especially through the flagship cash transfer system, M-PESA, which soared by 17 percent compared with FY22. Impact through M-PESA According to the report titled ‘Pathway to a Purpose-Led Technology Company,’ in FY23, M-PESA generated societal value amounting to Kes325 billion, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 17.66 percent.
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Bongo live ‘Beem’s into Kenya to declutter business socials
When Taha Jiwaji first stepped into his father’s computer retail shop in bustling Dar es Salaam city, the old man did not imagine over a decade later he would be in Nairobi watching his son bring into Kenya a tech solution that helps businesses declutter social media platforms. Last week, Taha’s father, Mr Mustafa Jiwaji, sat beaming with pride at the back of a conference room in Nairobi’s Radison Blu Hotel. He watched as his son eloquently explained this sophisticated concept to potential customers and the media. For Mustafa, it must have felt like a surreal trip down memory lane. Back in the day, when
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