Tech

25 Kenyan students complete Huawei digital tech immersion in China

Published

5 months ago

July 10, 2024

Twenty five Kenyan students under the “Huawei Seeds for Future” programme have completed a one-week digital technology immersion skills during an ICT study tour in Shanghai, China.

A statement from Huawei said the programme which coincided with MWC Shanghai 2024 only admits students from selected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and equips them with digital skills to innovate and create technological solutions for their communities and for the job markets.

“As part of the tour, the students worked on a group project dubbed Tech4Good aimed at leveraging technology to address current social and environmental issues,” the statement said.

“Sylvia Jebet of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology emerged second place during the 2024 Leadership Employability Advancement Possibility (LEAP) Summit, out of over 50 students from various Sub-Saharan Africa countries that participated. Kenya had four (4) participants.

“Jebet was feted for her outstanding performance in Digital Content creation that featured various sites during the tour including Huawei Watt Exhibition Hall, a visit to the DJI R&D centre in Shenzhen, and a tour of the Huawei Songshan Lake visit, among others.”

At the end of the training, Huawei announced a new plan to train an additional 150,000 talent in Sub-Saharan Africa over the next three years.

“The plan comes on top of the Company’s initial goal to equip over 100,000 people in the region with digital skills by 2025. Huawei has already exceeded its initial goal by 120%, 10 months ahead of schedule, training over 120,000 individuals over the past 26 months,” the statement added.

So far, Huawei has trained over 18,000 young African techies from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and other African countries.

Hover Gao, President of Sub-Saharan Africa, Huawei, who spoke during the graduation ceremony of the Kenyan students said:

“We have made much positive progress in talent development across African countries, but this would not have been possible without the joint efforts of government agencies, academia, and industry.

“Under the LEAP framework, Huawei trains its partners in the digital power and cloud ecosystem, hosts training and incubations for teachers and also hosts job fairs,” he added.

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Tech

Fintech startup DigMo launched in Zambia to gamify financial planning

Published

1 hour ago

November 24, 2024

Isaac Dachen

DigMo, a gamified fintech startup which helps users to build wealth tools from low to middle-income earners, has been launched in Zambia.

CEO of the DigMo Group, Sylvia Brune, who made the announcement, says the platform which is licensed by the Bank of Zambia to operate a wallet, offers a secure, free digital money account with a special account for users to play a financial planning game which incentivises customers to get started putting money away for the future.

“By giving customers the chance to win big rewards, DigMo is encouraging sustainable habits,” said Brune.

She stated that with an initial rollout in Zambia, DigMo wallet’s first offering, Save to Win, will make putting money away regularly, easy and rewarding with no fixed costs or fees.

“DigMo Save to Win allows users to start with small amounts – from just ZMW10 (US$0.37) – for the chance to win prizes of up to ZMW500,000 (US$19,000).

“We are committed to financial planning innovation for low and middle-income earners across Africa. To achieve this meaningful impact, we approach this like a game studio – where we constantly create and test many new products until we find those with an outsized impact,” Brune said.

“If we just take existing products and make them more affordable or accessible, it is unlikely that we can dramatically change behaviours.

“To succeed, we have engaged directly with users, observing and learning from them to develop DigMo, a solution that will dramatically improve their financial well-being and meet their unique needs,” she added.

Tech

Kenya’s startup BuuPass partners with GiftPesa to launch digital travel vouchers

Published

1 day ago

November 23, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Kenyan digital ticketing and transportation management solutions startup, BuuPass, has entered into a partnership with fintech company, GiftPesa, to introduce digital travel vouchers ahead of the holiday season.

In a statement by BuuPass cofounder and CEO, Sonia Kabra, the move will offer a more flexible and convenient way for Kenyans to manage and gift travel arrangements during the bustling holiday period.

“We’ve noticed a growing demand for digital solutions in the travel industry, especially during peak periods like the holiday season,” said Kabra.

“This partnership with GiftPesa enhances the travel experience for our customers, offering them a convenient way to send travel tickets as gifts and have a safety net for unconfirmed travel dates.

“Unlike traditional paper vouchers that can expire or get lost, GiftPesa vouchers are valid for 12 months and can be redeemed in parts at over 3,000 outlets across the country.

“This flexibility allows recipients to use the vouchers for multiple trips or select their preferred destination, making travel more accessible,” she added.

Founded in 2016 by Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass is a leading B2B2C mobility marketplace that enables users to search, compare, and book travel tickets via web, app, or USSD, while its SaaS platform helps bus operators manage their operations, inventory, and sales.

GiftPesa, on the other hand, is a fintech startup that provides businesses and individuals with a platform for creating digital vouchers.

The partnership between the two companies will introduce digital travel vouchers, helping users manage and gift travel arrangements during the bustling holiday period.