Tech

25 Kenyan students complete Huawei digital tech immersion in China

Published

4 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

South Sudanese telcos increase tariffs as exchange rates soar

Published

3 days ago

October 23, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Telecommunication companies in South Sudan have been forced to increase their tariffs as a result of a hike in the official exchange rate.

Local media reports that the likes of MTN South Sudan, Zain South Sudan, and Digitel Holdings have jointly announced a tariff adjustment in response to an increase the official exchange rate following an agreement between the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Bank of South Sudan (BOSS) to align telecommunications service prices with the official exchange rate.

The adjustment will occur in three phases from October to December 2024 with the first change taking effect on the night of October 18, followed by subsequent changes on November 18 and December 18, 2024.

In a joint communique, the telcos confirmed that notifications about the initial adjustment were distributed via various channels and the decision was made after considering the potential impact on customers and the telecom sector.

“Since the first phase began, operators have increased the cost of internet and mobile airtime subscriptions by 600 South Sudanese pounds,” a media platform reported.

“Thus, subscribers now pay SSP1,565 for 100 MB with Zain, SSP1,790 with MTN, and SSP1,835 with Digitel, rather than the previous SSP900.

Meanwhile, another report has also indicated that the parliament will address rising telecommunications tariffs once the committee investigating alleged malpractices within telecommunications companies has submitted its findings.

According to one lawmaker, these practices have significantly raised the cost of communication services in the country, affecting the general public.

Tech

Rwanda’s e-mobiility startup IZI expands electric bus fleet after getting grant from Green Fund

Published

5 days ago

October 21, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Rwanda’s e-mobility startup, IZI, has announced the delivery of five electric buses to Kigali, the country’s capital city, after obtaining a substantial grant from the Rwandan Green Fund.

IZI, a frontrunner in electric vehicle solutions which says it is on a mission to electrify Rwanda’s public transport sector, has, in just four months of operation, grown its initial fleet of five electric buses to an enviable height.

CEO of the startup, Alex Wilson, believes the grant is a testament to the success story of IZI.

“These results validate our E-Mobility-as-a-Service model. We’re not just reducing emissions; we’re proving that sustainable public transport is economically viable in Africa.

“Building on this success, IZI has secured an RWF 300,000,000 grant from the Rwanda Green Fund to deploy five additional electric buses in Kigali.

“These vehicles will represent the most advanced public transport in Rwanda to date, boasting features such as an independent intelligent driver’s cabin, air suspension balanced driver’s seat, full LCD dashboard, one-step entry, and a flat-floor design for improved passenger comfort,” he said.

He added that the success of IZI’s pilot has led to strong demand from other Rwandan public bus operators.

“IZI has now signed contracts with 4 leading transport companies for the deployment of over 100 buses, marking a significant expansion of its operations.

“Looking ahead, IZI plans to establish a state-of-the-art battery maintenance and repair facility in Kigali, supporting the entire EV ecosystem in Rwanda and positioning the country as a centre of innovation in the EV industry,” he added.