Volume 2 issue 10

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An AwArd for AfricAn LeAdership

A CompliAnt Country: CentrAl AfriCAn republiC

WelCome to the City of life: VArAnAsi

miss rWAndA 2015 sets bAr high As KundWA is CroWned

dhl named Africa’s number

one international freight

forwarder

Namibian President Wins $5 Million Prize

An award which is bestowed each year to an elected leader who governed glowingly, raised living standards and then left office, has been given to the outgoing

Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba, the Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership.

Mr Pohamba, a former rebel who fought for his country's independence, has served two terms as Namibian president. He was first elected in 2004, and again in 2009. Mr Pohamba was a founding member of the South West Africa People's Organization (Swapo), an armed movement that waged a decades-long campaign against South African rule.

Mo Ibrahim is a British-Sudanese mobile communications entrepreneur and philanthropist who made billions from investing in Africa. He launched the prize to cheer African leaders to leave power serenely. The inaugural prize was awarded in 2007 to Joaquim Chissano, Mozambique's former president, who has since acted as a facilitator in several African disputes. The $5m prize is spread over 10 years and is followed by $200,000 a year for life.

Mr Pohamba, 79, was named recipient of the 2014 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership at a ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya on 2nd March, 2015. Since its commencement,

intra-Africa trade can also encourage infrastructure development

Wassupafrica02

Paga, one of Nigeria's leading mobile payment companies, has announced the launch of a new customer transaction channel - Paga for Android in a bid to make payment more accessible for its users.

The firm, in a statement explained that the application is available for download at Google play store. It also stated that the application designed by Paga's in-house technical team, gives users direct access to Paga services from any android device.

In addition, with limited reliance on Internet, low data consumption and network connectivity the application, according to the firm, had been positioned to provide users with a better and faster experience.

Commenting on the launch of Paga for Android, the Head of Consumer Business at Paga, Daniel Oparison said: "At Paga our service offerings are carefully designed to respond to our customer's pain points and this additional channel simply reinforces our commitment

DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist within Deutsche

Post, has scooped the award for Africa’s International Freight Forwarder of the Year for the 3rd time. The International Award for Excellence in Air Cargo was voted by STAT Times’ readers worldwide and given to DHL at the STAT Times Awards in Johannesburg on February 26.

Roger Olsson, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Sub Saharan Africa, who received the award, said: “DHL offers tailor-made solutions to businesses in Africa and it’s a service that’s second to none. It’s a tribute – to be named number one by STAT Time’s readers – to DHL’s strong African team that their dedication to excellence in international freight forwarding has been recognised yet again. DHL

Liquid Telecom raises US$150m to extend broadband in Africa

The Liquid T e l e c o m Group recently announced that it has raised US$150 million which will fund the further expansion of its fibre network in Africa.

Liquid Telecom is a pioneering company that has improved the telecoms infrastructure of Africa.

It has spent more than five years building what is now Africa's largest independent cross-border fibre network which runs across 15 nations in East and Central Africa, covering Africa's fast-growing economies where no fixed network has existed before and connecting to all the subsea cables.

The network currently spans over 18,000km and includes fibre rings around a multitude of towns and cities and The East Africa Fibre Ring - the first fully redundant regional fibre ring in East Africa.

The new investment will be used to extend Liquid Telecom's fibre network into additional countries as part of the company's continuous expansion strategy. It will also finance ongoing Fibre to the Home (FTTH) builds in Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe which

MTN Congo and Airtel Congo have invested USD50 million and USD20 million, respectively, on enhancing their networks with a view to improving coverage and quality of service, Biztech Africa reports.

As noted in TeleGeography's GlobalComms Database, Yves Castanou, director-general of the Agence de Regulation des Postes et Communications (ARPCE), revealed in April 2014 that both mobile network operators had

Paga launches Android customer transaction app

Congolese mobile duo given until June 2015 to complete network improvements

dhL named Africa’s number one international freight forwarder

towards eliminating the stress of traffic, bank queues or carrying cash around.

"Paga for Android is designed to put the power back in the hands of the consumer; by giving them the freedom to pay their bills, buy airtime, and send money to bank accounts and much more, on the go.

"The ability to solve issues around payments unique to our region of the world, is one of the many reasons Paga continues to be the number one option for millions of Nigerians looking for simple solutions to pay and get paid.”

Furthermore, the statement stressed that in line with the company's promise to deliver

accessible payments options, the application allows users to transact with a debit card.

They can also use the app to send money or airtime directly to contacts on their phones list; or find their nearest Paga agent, it added.

Commenting on why Paga introduced the additional transaction channel to the market, the company's Founder/CEO, Tayo Oviosu said: "Paga for Android brings a world of convenience to the fingertips of every Nigerian with an Android phone. I am very excited about that and about the various payment innovations we plan to bring to the market

Balancingact-Africa

has been supporting the business in Africa for more than 35 years now but what’s most important is that we have continued to anticipate, adapt and create services that clearly meet Africa’s fast evolving business needs and help fulfill its vast potential.”

According to the 2014 year-end report(1) by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), trade activity across the African region remained positive despite major economies Nigeria and South Africa underperforming for parts of 2014. Regional growth supported demand for air freight and capacity rose just 0.9% for the year as a whole, helping to strengthen load factors. African carriers’ freight tonne kilometers (FTKs) grew by 12.2% in December and 6.7% for the year as a whole. Globally, the air cargo business is growing again

after several years of stagnation with demand growth up 4.5% compared to 2013 measured by freight FTKs. As a global market leader, DHL Global Forwarding has been the leading service provider in the region’s air freight industry. With a focus on the Oil and Gas and the Mining sectors in the past few years, DHL’s freight management team has been very successful in developing customized solutions for customers in these sectors. DHL Global Forwarding also saw significant volume growth in Africa in both its regular and charter operations connecting all regions with Africa for the Oil and Gas and the Mining sectors. In addition, the India-Africa and China-Africa lanes are growing strongly, driven mainly by the life sciences, pharmaceutical and high tech sectors. Organized by STAT Times, the international multimodal transport media, the International Award for Excellence in Air Cargo was launched in 2006 to support excellence across different sectors of the air cargo industry during its biennial International Air Cargo events.

Worldwide readers of STAT Times vote for the industry leader through an online poll, spanning a month. The award was presented to DHL at the Barnyard Theatre in Rivonia, South Africa, on February 26 as part of the AIR CARGO AFRICA 2015 event.

African Herald Express

will provide homes and businesses with unlimited data packages and 100Mbps, the fastest broadband ever available in Africa.Liquid Telecom's customers include

other wholesale carriers, mobile network operators, ISPs, financial institutions and businesses of all sizes and homes. It also operates retail businesses in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Nic Rudnick, CEO of the Liquid Telecom Group, who has been listed as one of the top 100 most influential people in the global telecoms industry said, "We believe in the power of connectivity to transform lives and our goal is to connect as many people in Africa as possible. Our fibre networks provide capacity for high-speed fixed and mobile broadband networks, enabling Africans to access digital content, apps and OTT services. This funding will help us in our mission of building Africa's digital future.”

The US$150 million loan for Liquid Telecom was facilitated by Standard Chartered and provided by large global investment banks.

Balancingact-Africa

been fined failing to adhere to legal and regulatory obligations related to performance, quality and availability of their mobile infrastructure. With both having committed to carrying out work to improve their networks, these projects had initially been scheduled for completion by December 2014. Now, however, Mr Castanou has confirmed that both MTN and Airtel will continue work until June 2015, following delays which had been

attributed to electricity and logistics challenges. Having recently met with officials of both companies, the regulatory head noted that he had extended the deadline for work after considering requests from the cellcos, saying: ‘It's true that the operators are experiencing a couple of problems, but they are working. We postponed the deadline to June as we believe that all the work will be completed by then.

Balancingact- Africa

Roger Olssen, CEO, DHL Global

MONDAY | MARCH 09, 2015

Wassupafrica 03

FRoM page 01

the prize has gone to three former presidents, from Cape Verde, Mozambique and Botswana.

Asked why so few African leaders had won the prize since its inception in 2007, Ibrahim said that his foundation was not willing to lower its standards.

"I think [Pohamba] gave us a wonderful example of a leader who came in democratically and moved his country forward, improved education ... and paid attention to social cohesion," Ibrahim said. "It is a prize for excellence in leadership. We are not lowering our standards.

"If this prize was offered to European presidents and leaders, how many ... would have won this prize in the last eight years?" Ibrahim founded mobile phone company Celtel, which he sold in

2005 for $3.4bn.He then set up the Mo Ibrahim

Foundation to inspire better governance in Africa, as well as crafting the Mo Ibrahim Index, to appraise nations' presentation in categories such as human rights, development and the rule of law. Stating to the index, the foundation said that Pohamba ticked approximately all the boxes of excellence.

An announcement from the Namibian presidency said Mr Pohamba was "humbled by this gesture".

According to the statement, the president anticipated to use the reward money to spread the ideas of the Hifikepunye Pohamba foundation, which helps students from underprivileged backgrounds to pursue higher education. Mr Pohamba was a

The 5th Anzisha Prize application phase is now open, and the search is on to find Africa’s youngest, most exciting social and business entrepreneurs under 22 years of age. Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with over 600m people under the age of 25. The Anzisha Prize is a growing social impact program entirely focused on accelerating the entry of millions of young Africans into viable and exciting entrepreneurship opportunities within high growth economic sectors.

The impact and success of the program to date has encouraged co-hosts African Leadership Academy and The MasterCard Foundation to extend their collaboration for a further 5 years. The Anzish Prize will be a feature of the entrepreneur landscape in Africa until 2020, and aggresively expand its activities to not only encourage young entrepreneurs, but strengthen and celebrate the ecosystem of organisations that develop young African entrepreneurial talent in this age group. They call it the #AnzishaEffect, and it is the power of stories about the very youngest entrepreneurs among us to encourage others to follow in their footsteps. Africa needs strong, innovative entrepreneurial young leaders to create jobs, solve problems and drive our economies.

Greenland Fedha Limited (GFL), a microfinance institution for small-scale tea farmers in Kenya, has implemented a new software solution to improve its efficiency and remain competitive in the market. According to the institution, it had chosen the Microsoft Dynamics NAV platform.

With the system in place, GFL revealed that the system had not only automated its processes, but also enabled it to develop a mobile payment solution.

GFL is wholly owned by the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Holdings and provides financial services to the tea sub sector in the country. According to GFL, the institution is unique in that it offers its loan recipients the option to apply for and repay their loans using green leaf as collateral, with specific formulas in place to work out the interest and repayment rate. The manual system it had in place, prior to the installation of the new system, was cumbersome to log loans, work out interest rates, manage inventory and run the business effectively. This made it challenging to compete with commercial banks and other microfinance lenders.

“We realised that to get ahead, we needed to use technology,” says GFL ICT Manager, Godfrey Waiharo. “We chose Microsoft Dynamics NAV because we could see Microsoft is trusted, well-known, offers a lot of after-sales support and most importantly has good relationships with its partners. This was the fastest implementation that we had ever seen with no down time at all.”

Most notably, GFL was able to build a mobile payment solution with the help of the latest system. “This has changed

Africa’s youngest entrepreneurs to win $75,000 by applying to 2015 Anzisha Prize

Microfinance institution to expand beyond tea sector

Our continent’s future will be determined by entrepreneurial leaders across all sectors.

“We have already seen the #AnzishaEffect at work through the inspirational stories and leadership of Anzisha Fellows like Laetitia Mukungu, Andrew Mupuya and Thato Kgatlhanye. They are now globally recognized and celebrated role models,” says Reeta Roy, President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation. “We’re excited about expanding our support of the Anzisha Prize so that many more young entrepreneurs in Africa can make a lasting impact in their communities and countries.”

Each year, 12 finalists win a two-week trip to South Africa for a learning experience of a lifetime at African Leadership Academy, and share over $75,000 USD in cash funding. At a Gala Dinner, the grand prize winner is announced and recieves $25,000 with which to grow their business. From 2015, Anzisha Fellows will be actively supported through the recently launched Youth Entrepreneur Support Unit (YES-U), based at African Leadership Academy, which is a collaboration with leading business incubators on the continent. Mentorship, consulting services, community gatherings and travel opportunities will now define the fellow experience as

founding member of the South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo), an armed movement that waged a decades-long campaign against South African rule.

Since the country won independence in 1990, Swapo has ruled politics, typically winning huge majorities in elections. Before becoming president, Mr Pohamba served as a Minister for Land Affairs. He supervised a scheme under which some land that had been possessed by white farmers since the colonial era was bought by the government, for redistribution to black farmers.

The erstwhile recipients were former presidents Pedro de Verona Rogrigues Pires of Cape Verde, Mozambique's Joaquim Chissano and Festus Mogae of Botswana. South Africa's Nelson Mandela was also given an honorary award.

they grow their business ventures. New programs will be announced soon that focus on and invest into other areas of the youth entrepreneur value chain.

Applications close on April 15th, 2015, and nominations are encouraged. The Anzisha Prize is one of the most accessible and inclusive pan-African opportunities for youth from any background. Application forms and information are available in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic, and the Anzisha Prize Tour team will visit key hubs and engage local media in every region. There are also over 25 country partner organisations who are available to assist applicants in countries where the tour does not reach. Both paper and electronic applications are accepted.

“There are few programs with the reach and potential of the Anzisha Prize that are so focused on this age group,” comments Josh Adler, Director for the Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership at African Leadership Academy, and Manager of the Anzisha program, “This year, we will see the various parts of the ecosystem we’ve been investing into since 2010 begin to really work together for the benefit of Africa’s youngest entrepreneurs, wherever they may be!”

African Herald Express

the way we operate because we are now able to get money to farmers regardless of whether they have a bank account or how remote their farms are – by simply paying the money directly into their mobile phones. It’s also now possible for our customers to access the system on the go and work out their qualifying loan amount and repayment installment,” explains Waiharo. The mobile solution has been such a success that GFL has developed a separate mobile sales unit.

Kunle Awosika, Country Manager, Microsoft Kenya says, “A recent study from the Boston Consulting Group states that SMEs that embrace technology can increase revenues 15 percentage points faster and create jobs almost twice as fast. SMEs like GFL are contributing to a growing economy across the world and especially an economy like Kenya, where their contribution adds about 40% to the GDP”.

According to Waiharo, “Thanks to GFL’s implementation of the latest system, the MFI sales volume has increased and its business processes have become more streamlined, flexible and efficient. The software’s scalability also means that GFL can progress with its future plans to build its versatile mobile banking platform that is can expand beyond the tea sector.

IT News Africa

Meet the Mentor: Hifikepunye Pohamba!!

» Born in 1935 in northern Namibia – an area that would become a base for the Swapo liberation movement;

» Educated by missionaries and active in a copper mine as a young man;

» Co-founder of Swapo and close supporter of Namibia's first President, Sam Nujoma;

» Imprisoned for political activism by South African-backed authorities, later left to study in the Soviet Union;

» Worked on land reform as minister in post-independence Namibia;

» Was selected by Mr Nujoma to flourish him as president in 2004;

» Progressively arose from Mr Nujoma's shadow as a soft-spoken consensus builder.

mONDAY | mARCH 09, 2015

countryoftheWeek04

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Paranthaman Exporter .... Page 02

Chadha Power ................. Page 02

Prime Electric Limited ..... Page 03

PHEL ............................... Page 04

LESDEP ........................... Page 05

Modern Agro ................... Page 05

Linc Pens ......................... Page 07

EMAT Africa ..................... Page 08

Mill India Ltd. ................... Page 10

Laxmi Publications .......... Page 11

ISIC .................................. Page 11

Prakash Ameusment ....... Page 11

Agritec Africa ................... Page 12

A landlocked country in Central Africa, the Central African Republic is

bordered by Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon. The currency of the central African nation is CFA fanc. Amongst the country’s most important exports, diamonds form a major part, accounting for 40-55% of export revenues of CAR. Another sector that dominates CAR’s economic scene is agriculture. The sector is dominated by production and sale of food crops such as cassava, millets, sorghum, millet, sesame and plantain. The country is self-sufficient in the production of food crops.

CAR’s primary import partner is Netherlands, along with Cameroon, France and South Korea. Belgium is the largest export partner, followed by China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, and France.

The CAR is also a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).

Agriculture- Driver of the Economy

Agriculture is the main economic activity in The Central African Republic with 74% of the population involved in this sector. The economy is largely driven by

cultivation and sale of food crops such as yams, cassava, peanuts, maize, sorghum, millet, sesame, and plantains. Cassava which is produced in large quantities is also the staple food crop of many Central Africans. Around 200,000 to 300,000 tons of cassava is produced every year. The second major crop that grows in CAR is cotton. Around 25,000 to 45,000 tons of cotton is grown in CAR and is the principal export crop of the country.

Prospective Forestry

Located in the basin of the River Congo, with forests covering about 34 million hectares, Central African Republic has major forestry potential and the country’s forests contribute to reduce harmful greenhouse gases.

Overall, Central African Republic has a humid, tropical climate with a rainy and dry season. Rainfall usually varies between 300 and 2500 mm a year.

In 2008 the government outlined a national action plan to adapt to climate change. This plan aims to identify priority actions and is an important lever for the efficient mobilization of resources to finance projects. The mobilization of resources for five projects has begun. Central African Republic is also a member of the coalition that launched the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation – REDD – programme.

Doing Business in CAREfforts of the last years,

undertaken by successive governments and supported by development partners, enabled encouraging improvements in public sector management. Thus, Central African Republic attained the completion point of the HIPC initiative in June 2009, brought its economic and financial programme with the IMF to a close and became a compliant country to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in 2011.

The government in Central African Republic has launched many reforms to make doing business in CAR a pleasant and easy experience.• Getting Credit: In the Central

African Republic and other members of the Central African Monetary Union, the regional public credit registry provided online access to information for banks, simplifying the task of filing and retrieving information in the public registry and allowing expanded coverage of borrowers. Access to credit in the Central African Republic was improved

through amendments to the OHADA Uniform Act on Secured Transactions that broaden the range of assets that can be used as collateral (including future assets), extend the security interest to the proceeds of the original asset and introduce the possibility of out-of-court enforcement.

• Starting a Business: The Central African Republic simplified business start-up by establishing a one-stop shop (Guichet Unique de Formalité des Entreprises), which merged several procedures into one. The authorities also reduced business registration fees and replaced the requirement for a copy of the founders’ criminal records with one for a sworn declaration at the time of the company’s registration.

• Registering Property: The

Central African Republic halved the cost of registering property.

• Protecting Minority Investors: The Central African Republic strengthened minority investor protections by introducing greater requirements for disclosure of related-party

transactions to the board of directors and by making it possible for shareholders to inspect the documents pertaining to related-party transactions and to appoint auditors to conduct an inspection of such transactions.

A CompliAnt Country:

centrAL AfricAn repubLic

2012 2013 2014 (e) 2015 (f)

GDP Growth (%) 4.1 -36.0 1.0 5.3

Inflation (%) 5.9 6.6 7.3 5.7

Budget Balance (%GDP) 0.0 -6.4 1.0 -6.4

Current Account Balance (% GDP) -5.1 -5.5 -11.8 -17.0

Public Debt (% GDP) 30.5 51 45.7 47.2

Major Macro Economic Indicators of the CAR


BusinessBuzz 05Update on IBTM Africa

ibtm africa, a highly targeted event, offering an exclusive opportunity for African and Indian Ocean exhibitors to connect and engage with top-level international decision makers, has confirmed a strong lineup of international buyers with proven business to place. Suppliers from the continent will attend the show which is set to take place in Cape Town, South Africa (13-15 April, 2015). Top international meetings, events and incentive planners from large corporations and agencies included in the lineup of Hosted Buyers who have been qualified to participate include; BI Worldwide China (China), HelmsBriscoe (Turkey), Maesse Marketing Consultancy Ltd. (Germany), Blaycation (Canada), The Scienomics Group (U.S.), Inception Global Ltd. (UK), Haye Incentive Travel (Netherlands), Paragon Europe (Belgium), Speed Sailing International (UK), AstraZenace (Russian Federation) and Abbott (United Arab Emirates).

“The quality of our international buyers have proven business to place with exhibitors and those who

Twenty Ghanaian high-potential startups have concluded the first national bootcamp designed to promote local entrepreneurship and innovation in clean technologies. The initiative was organized last week by the soon-to-be-launched World Bank/infoDevs Ghana Climate

Innovation Center (GCIC). The bootcamp aimed to identify and launch growth-oriented Ghanaian e n t r e p r e n e u r s and new ventures involved in d e v e l o p i n g profitable and locally relevant solutions to climate change. Several studies, including the World Banks report Economics of Adaption to Climate Changeand Ghana's National Climate Change Policy Framework, have stressed how significant the impact of climate

are participating in ibtm africa 2015 will benefit from this opportunity so if there are pan African venues and services that are still wanting to join this MICE community for business, networking and learning, we welcome them, but they need to be quick!” said Shinu Pillai, Exhibition Manager for ibtm africa.

The value of being a Hosted Buyer is evident from those all ready to participate in this year’s event. Mark Stiles, Chief Vacation Officer, Blaycation, Canada commented, “It will be key to meet the local experts who can offer travel and incentive solutions for our business. I am hoping to meet a few like-minded travel partners that can act as my

"go to" suppliers in Africa.”Yakub Khan, Purchasing

Manager, Gulf & Levant Region, Global Sourcing Global Purchasing Services, Dubai commented,

“Attending ibtm africa is very important for our business as it allows us to understand the destination and what Africa has to offer us in terms of events, incentive meetings, hotels, site seeing, team building activities etc.”

ibtm africa, part of Africa Travel Week, will bring together up to 60 African and Indian Ocean suppliers including Hotels and Venues, National/ State Tourism Organisations and Convention Bureaux, Travel Management Companies, Destination Management Companies, and other MICE related suppliers for this exclusive showcase of their products to the same number of international Hosted Buyers.

Eturbo News

change will be on Ghana's economy, people and development. Crop yields are predicted to decline by 7% by 2050 due to higher temperatures, while sea levels are expected to rise over one meter this century, causing the erosion of 1,120 square kilometers of land.

Ghana is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and as such, its prospects for continuous growth will depend on the country's ability to build competitive and climate-resilient industries, said Yusupha B. Crookes, World BankCountry Director. In line with the National Climate Change Policy, by accelerating the development of local clean technology companies the Ghana Climate Innovation Center will help reduce the countrys vulnerability to climate change, while also creating jobs and promoting investments in new clean technologies.

The twenty clean-tech companies in the bootcamp were competitively selected after a nation-wide campaign that led to almost 90 applications in a few weeks. Only the companies with the highest level of innovation, technical expertise, and potential

for commercial success were invited to the bootcamp. The bootcamp consisted of an intense two-day training program designed to refine the entrepreneursbusiness concepts and a pitching contest held in front of a panel of local investors and industry experts. The bootcamp is the first of a series of activities that the Ghana Climate Innovation Center will implement to support the countrys National Climate Change Policy. After its official inauguration in mid-2015, the center will provide up to 200 local companies with business facilities and a targeted suite of services that includes early-stage financing, technology commercialization, business development and capacity building support.

Modern Ghana

Tanzanian cellcos Vodacom and Tigo have signed a mobile money interoperability agreement to enable their respective M-Pesa and Tigo Pesa subscribers to transfer money directly into each other's mobile wallets, in what they claim represents the first deal of its kind in Africa.

Vodacom described the move as: ‘another tangible step towards the enhancement of financial inclusion [and] the expansion

Vodacom, tigo claim ‘Africa's first mobile money interoperability deal'

of the mobile money eco-system in Tanzania.' Meanwhile, Rene Meza, managing director at Vodacom Tanzania added: ‘We expect to launch the service by the end of the year and are currently working on upgrading our M-Pesa platform which will see us invest in excess of TZS150 billion (USD80.8 million) to cater for the expected growth of users.'

Balancingact- Africa

World Bank-supported bootcamp jump-started the 20 most innovative green startups in Ghana


fRaNkLY sPeaKinG06

By kirit soBti, editor, [email protected]

Six years ago, on my first visit to Nairobi, Kenya, I thought I had arrived in heaven. The sky was so blue and the green savannah stretched to the

end of the horizon. There’s a buzz going on in Nairobi. International communities have designated cities that have the utmost capability to create opportunities and flourish in the broadband economy.

Nairobi is the most intelligent city in Africa according to a report released by The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF). Nairobi has been enumerated among the 21 most intelligent cities for a second year in a row and the only African city to make the cut. Though, Nairobi missed out on the top 7 position, losing out to three cities in the US, New Taipei City, Rio de Janeiro, Ipswich in Australia and Surrey in Canada.

The East African region is, without a shadow of doubt, evolving as one of the most productive oil and gas exploration sites in the world. Predictors at Standard Bank say Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Mozambique that have recently made discoveries, have the latent to profoundly renovate their economies through investments in road, rail, power and industrial infrastructure.

Nairobi is truly the biggest city with the most subscribers of mobile money and has approximately 70 percent mobile phone penetration. The mobile money ecosystem has shaped connected enterprises and products. The report gives an illustration of M-Shwari savings product which has a customer base of 7 million and assisted $14 million in loans in the last two years after launch. ICF credits the growth of the mobile money economy to the liberalization of communications sector towards the late 90's.

With many more companies pointing consumers on-the-go, worldwide developments in IT are witnessing a shift towards mobile tech. This is perceived, for example, when companies augment their websites for mCommerce or discover new options in mobile advertising. And this is what makes Kenya so attractive. As a country where 93% of the population owns a mobile phone but less than 10% own a personal computer, IT innovators have chiefly absorbed on mobile tech with better than average results.

Feasibly the much-admired IT/financial invention to come out of Africa is Kenya’s M-Pesa. Functioning under service provider Safaricom, it is often flaunted as the world’s first efficacious mobile money transfer service and it is enormous in Kenya. Out of the world’s roughly sixty million mobile money users, almost one in three is a Kenyan. In fact annual transfers in Kenya have now scaled the US$10billion level. Directly translated as ‘mobile money’, M-pesa permits any

UHUrU Kenyatta President, Kenya

FranK-Walter Steinmer Former Vice- Chancellor, Germany

Kenya will become the fastest growing economy in East Africa, said a World Bank report. The World Bank has forecasted a growth of 6.0% in 2015 and 6.6% in 2016. The biggest reason of this growth is the recent fall in oil prices and bigger infrastructure development.

In 2014, Kenya grew at an estimated 5.4%, while the growth could shoot up to 7.0% by 2017. But the bank also said Kenya's exports growth has been lagging that of imports, and urged the country to support the manufacturing sector to boost exports.

"After growing an estimated 5.4 percent in 2014, its economy is poised to be among the fastest growing in the region," the report said. The bank although urged the country to support its manufacturing sector stating that Kenya’s export growth has been lagging that of imports.

"Sluggish external demand for exports, especially from the Euro area and emerging economies, has contributed to the widening of the current account deficit in recent years," the bank said. Last September, Kenya changed the base calculation year for measuring its gross domestic product to 2009 from 2001, sending the east African nation into the continent's top 10 economies.

Last September, Kenya transformed the base calculation year for calculating its Gross Domestic Product to 2009 from 2001, sending the east African nation into the continent's top 10 economies. Analysts say the east African nation has struggled to accomplish its full growth potential in recent years.

The big 5, a stunning variety of landscapes, animals, bird and plant life and enthralling cultures. Kenya is gifted with all these and more.

Kenya Reaching New Heights

By supporting innovation in the ICT sector, we are transforming opportunity. It is also expected to contribute at least 8 percent of our Gross Domestic Product in the same period. We are determined to expanding our ICT exports by directing our innovations to the regional and global market and called for greater partnership between government, the private sector and educational institutions.

The government's careful move to make ICT one of the central pillars in the Vision 2030 development plan has been adored as progressive.

Kenyan who owns a mobile phone to send and receive money in a manner as simple as sending and receiving a text message. It breaks down the concept of financial services so that barely literate users can deposit, withdraw, and transfer money. And it can be used on any type of mobile phone, not just smart phones.

The success of M-pesa in Kenya has perceived Vodafone, which owns 40% of Safaricom, attempt to launch it in Tanzania, South Africa, Afghanistan and India with variable results. Safaricom, taking advantage of M-pesa’s success, has also rolled out a couple of additional products including ‘M-kesho’. This is a financial product, introduced in conjunction with Kenya’s Equity Bank which allows customers to withdraw and deposit cash through M-pesa into their M-kesho account, a virtual bank account. This account also gives customers access to micro-credit facilities and micro insurance facilities as well as a personal accident cover that translates into a full cover after one year.

A glance at the ‘writeboard’ on the iHub website exposes a stimulating mix of messages. One post

proclaims the establishment of a subsidiary from a Berlin-based creative communication agency while a Canadian-based VC invites “young ihubbers” to send in their proposals for funding. An iHub member presents the community to software he has developed, providing a link for free download, while

yet another posts about a vacancy in the UNHCR for a website and database developer. And it goes on and on. This is iHub.

Describing itself as Nairobi’s Innovation Hub for the technology community, iHub acts a tremendously informal melting pot for local techies, investors, tech companies, software developers, engineers and other creative minds to come together and discuss new ideas. The only space of its kind in the region, it has proven an ideal place to scan for viable IT startups.

The Intelligent Community Forum identifies iHub as the origin of innovation hubs that have now spread across the country. The model has permitted tech entrepreneurs develop and launch innovative products, not just in Kenya but across Africa. Multinational organizations have found a working system to plug-in and partner with. ICF gives a specimen of how Microsoft has associated with Intel and a school association to create devices bundled with educational apps and affordable data plans.

The government's careful move to make ICT one of the central pillars in the Vision 2030 development plan has been adored as progressive. The government's prominence on ICT has been one of the key factors tech multinationals have set up base in Nairobi. "If present trends continue and gain greater momentum, Nairobi may achieve the coveted goal of

Kenya is a country that has continued to promote regional cooperation. We are interested to hear more about all those areas in which it has been possible to initiate cooperation at a regional level. It is not only the area of regional cooperation that we have an interest in, we also want to make sure that our bilateral relationship continues to flourish.

congrAts nAirobi for being the smArtest city in AfricA

developed status sooner than anyone expects," states ICF.

Multinational and regional tech corporations are associating with universities to equip practical skills of students. Huawei, Intel, Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, Google, Samsung are some of the companies that have university programs.

Nairobi accounts for 60 percent of Kenya's GDP with numerous sectors such as manufacturing, financial markets and tourism contributing to the economy of the country.


traVeL&touRism 07

The Bharat Mata Temple houses a huge map of the whole of Indian subcontinent and Tibetan plateau. Other attractions of Varanasi are the Benares Hindu University (BHU), the Archaeological Museum, Sarnath, Bharat Kala Bhavan and the Buddhist Stupas and temples at Sarnath.

Besides numerous temples, Varanasi also brags Buddhist Stupas and Jain temples. Varanasi is also a mirror of the age-old Indian civilization. The archaeological museum at Sarnath houses numerous remains of the past, including the National emblem of India, the Ashoka pillar.

Another major tourist attraction in Varanasi is the Ramnagar fort. The fort is situated around 14 km from Varanasi, and is the ancestral home of the Maharaj of Benares. The Ramnagar fort houses a

museum displaying the Royal collection which includes vintage Cars,

Royal palkies, an armory of swords and old

guns, ivory work and antique

c l o c k s .

Mark Twain, the famous English author once wrote:

“Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legends and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”

Varanasi, also known as Benares is situated on the banks of river Ganga and is the state capital of Lucknow. The city is said to be the oldest living city in the world, with a known prominence in Hindu mythology.

Pilgrims flock to Varanasi every year. The city is considered a very auspicious place to die, since dying here offers moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death).

Being located in the Indo-Gangetic plains, the land in Varanasi is very fertile. The climate is subtropical and large variations can be seen between summers and winters. Temperature ranges between 22 and 46°C in summers. The average annual rainfall is 1,110 mm (44 in). Fog is common in the winters, while hot dry winds, called loo, blow in the summers.

Jalebis here are served in a dip of Rabri, which is sweetened condensed milk, making it a famous Banarasi grub.

• Lassi- This cold and luscious sweetened yogurt is served in Kulhads (small earthen cups) with a thick topping malai (cream) making it absolutely irresistible.

• Chaats (Aloo & Tamatar) – A famous saying in Varanasi states that people come to Varanasi for two reasons-“Ek banaras ke ghats dusra banaras ke chatpate chaats”, do we need to say more?

• Thandai- It is a cooling drink made of purified water, sugar, seeds of watermelon and muskmelon, almonds, lotus stem seeds, cashew nut, cardamom, saunf, rose-flower, white pepper, saffron.

• Paan- One just cannot leave Banaras without tasting the epic Paan. A preparation of betel leaf combined with

nuts, cured tobacco, katha, chuna, etc., Banarasi Paan is the most renowned Paan in the world.One of the blindly colorful, unrelentingly

chaotic and unapologetically indiscreet places on earth, Varanasi is a must visit place.

Varanasi- Where to go?Varanasi is famous for its spiritualism and mysticism. Pilgrims and tourists flock to the city to experience some of the rare experiences. Varanasi is most famous for its ghats and temples. Situated on the banks of the river Ganga, ghats are a major tourist attractions. The Ganga Ghats (river fronts) are the main center of religious activities and rituals and also form one of the main attractions of Varanasi.

The Alamgir Mosque, blend of the Hindu and Mughal styles of the architecture, is another important attraction of Varanasi.

Some of the most important temples of Varanasi are Durga Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Sankat Mochan Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple and the Bharat Mata Temple.

The Durga Temple and Chhinnamastika Temple are also located at Ramnagar.

River boat rides at Varanasi are an exquisite experience. The early-morning light is particularly inspiring, and all the color and clamor of pilgrims bathing and performing puja unfolds before you. An hour-long trip, south from Dashashwamedh Ghat to Harishchandra Ghat and back is popular.

Paan Benares Wala…

Varanasi’s food is defined by its prominence in Hindu culture and tradition and its regional influences. The food is mouthwatering, and a relief from the otherwise hustle bustle of the chaotic city. Here’s a list of delicacies in Varanasi, one mustn’t miss:• Kachori-subzi: A traditional breakfast

of UP-ites, it’s the best meal one can start their day with. It’s blissful especially after the “Ganga snaan (bath)”. A reasonable and filling dish popularly sold at “Kachori Gali” filled with the heady aroma of fried

batter, Kachori is like puri

w i t h

d i f f e r e n t avatars and is

served with perfectly cooked spicy sabzi.

• Jalebi Rabri- Jalebiand Rabri is a killer combination. If you are in Varanasi, you should not miss the stalls at Vishwanath Gali.

Boat Ride in Ganga, Anyone?


taLkiNGtecHnoLoGy08

What We do? Informa provides academics,

businesses and individuals with unparalleled knowledge, up-to-the minute information and highly specialist skills and services. With over 6,000 employees working in over 100 offices in 25 countries, our global reach and breadth of offer is unique.

Our Academic Publishing division publishes books and journals with over 55,000 titles available that provide individuals and organisations with the knowledge they need to carry out their work.

Our Business Intelligence division offer structured databases, subscription-based services, real-time news, research and business-critical information creating business advantage.

We are one of the largest publicly-owned organiser of exhibitions, events and training in the world. Our Global Events division provides inspiring marketplaces and the opportunity for knowledge to be shared.

In all businesses we have the technology to deliver dynamic, multi-platform solutions tailored to our customers needs, we have many leading product brands in the various markets we work in and, due to our focus on operational efficiency and excellent management, we are highly respected by shareholders and the financial markets.

Where We work?Academic PublishingIn Taylor & Francis, we have

a leading International academic publisher with over two centuries’ of experience. The main subject areas are, humanities, behavioral & social sciences and science & technology. There are in excess of 55,000 titles available and over 1,600 journal titles for a wide-ranging audience including researchers, students, academics and, to some extent, the cross-over professional market.

The Taylor & Francis Group includes the publishing imprints of Routledge, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, Garland Science and Psychology Press, all of which have strong reputations for providing high quality, authoritative and insightful knowledge.

In-line with modern publishing practice, technology is utilized in the delivery of material with all journal content and in excess of 25,000 book titles available digitally either online or as eBooks or databases. This facilitates the rapid delivery to the customer in their choice of formats anywhere in the world.

In recent years the Group has expanded rapidly serving its customers through a network of global publishing offices including its headquarters near Oxford in the UK plus New York, Philadelphia and Boca Raton in the USA, Singapore, New Delhi and Beijing.

Business IntelligenceOur Professional & Commercial

Information businesses serve the industry intelligence needs of corporations and governments

worldwide in a large range of vertical sectors, including IT, telecoms & media, life sciences and healthcare, banking and financial services, maritime, automotive and logistics, agricultural commodities, energy consumer packaged goods and retail.

Informa Business Information (IBI) has market-leading global news and analysis products Informa Business Intelligenceincluding Lloyd’s List for the maritime industry and Scrip Intelligence for the pharmaceutical industry, to databases such as Citeline for the clinical drug trials market.

Informa Telecoms & Media deliver strategic insight on the global telecoms and broadcasting industries founded on global market data and primary research. Working in partnership with clients, informing their decision-making with practical analyst supported services such as the World Cellular Information Service and Intelligence Centres.

Informa Financial Information, based in the USA, provides real-time news, data and analysis electronically across a number of key financial markets 24 hours a day, through a range of services including Informa Global Markets, Informa Research Services, imoneynet and Informa Investment Solutions.

Digital delivery remains at the forefront of all our business strategies with online news and data services becoming increasingly important and popular with our customers. In

fact, over 83% of our Lloyds List customers now use the online offering.

Global EventsEvents and Training

represents a considerable area expertise and experience in the Informa group of companies. With leading brands such as IBC, Euroforum and IIR we have a long and enviable reputation as the world’s largest publicly-owned events, conference and training organiser. Many of our large scale events such as The Monaco Yacht Show, IPEX, Arab Health and Cityscape have become the premier shows in their respective sectors.

Informa Telecoms & Media delivers strategic insight through a portfolio of over 100 events each year along with a highly successful training academy and the market-leading independent news portal telecoms.com. IIR is among the world’s most recognised and

trusted providers of exhibitions, trade conferences, seminars, specialised business information and networking experiences.

Informa Energy Events is building on Informa’s experience of over 30 years in energy conferences to provide a new range of high quality, market-driven events for the global energy and power sectors.

Informa Exhibitions has the unique claim to fame of having operated shows since 1880, with the launch of the print industry mammoth event, IPEX. Somewhat more recently its trade show portfolio really began in the 1970’s with Arab Health and Middle East Electricity which were acquired and grown to the notable success stories they represent today.for any query:-Rebecca PottertonMarketing AssistantCom World SeriesE:[email protected]: +44(0)203 377 3161

A unique cLAim to fAmeMONDAY | MARCH 09, 2015

trysomethiNGNeW 09uPCOMING

The true measure of success is how many times you can bounce back from failure.

tHougHt oFtHe WeeK

Mining Business optimization

The SAIMM is a professional institute with local and international links aimed at assisting members source news and views about technological developments in the mining, metallurgical and related sectors as well as embracing a professional code of ethics.The SAIMM also attempts to fulfill what it sees as its obligations to the various communities and the environment in terms of the SAIMM’s Charter. In addition, the institute is active in bringing together the mining and metallurgical fraternity in terms of research, shared-experiences, education, personnel as well as students.

Date: 09-10 Mar 2015 Venue: Mintek Conference Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

International Water Technology Conference

It is organized by the International Water Technology Association (IWTA). The conference will cover areas like Minster of New Communities, and Minister of State for Scientific Research, Minister of State for Military Production, Governor of Alexandria, and President of Mansoura university.

Date: 12-14 Mar 2015 Venue: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

IRF Road Safety Challenge for Africa

It is organized by the International Road Federation. The conference will cover areas like The International Road Federation (IRF) is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization with the mission to encourage and promote development and maintenance of better, safer and more sustainable roads and road networks.

Date: 11-12 Mar 2015 Venue: Addis ababa, Ethiopia

Marocotel 2015

This event will be held for four consecutive days in Casablanca, Morocco. It is also an extensive program of activities, creations, design workshops, demonstrations leaders ... Menu, the meeting of the greatest leaders of national and international time present the latest trends and culinary innovations and renowned architects and designers who will share their expertise. It is the only professional major event in the international and national. Its main objective is gathering supporters in the hotel and all those associated to showcase quality amenities and encourage sharing and interaction.

Date: 9-12 March, 2015 event: Foire Internationale de Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco.

The union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari witnessing the signing of the agreements between Kamarajar Port Ltd. and Toyota Kirloskar motor Pvt. Ltd. for import & export of cars throu

PictUre oF tHe WeeK

Jollof ChiCken and RiCe (BenaChin)

1. i like your shirt. J'aime ton tee-shirt.

2. Just kidding. C'est juste une blague.

Handy French

ingredients

• 3lbschickenpieces• 2tablespoonsoil• 1mediumonion,chopped• 16ouncescannedtomatoes,cutup• 11/4cupschickenbroth• 1bayleaf• 1/2teaspoongroundginger• 1/2teaspooncinnamon• 1/2teaspoonthyme,crushed• 1/2teaspoonsalt• 1/4teaspoongroundredpepper• 1cuplonggrainrice• 1tablespoonparsley,chopped

directions• Inalargeskilletbrownchickenonbothsides

in hot oil about 15 minutes; remove from skillet. Set aside chicken, reserving drippings.

• Addtheoniontodrippings;cooktilltenderbut not brown. Drain off fat.

• Returnchickentoskillet.• Combineundrainedtomatoes,broth,and

seasonings. Pour over chicken. DO NOT STIR. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.

• Cover;simmerfor30minutes.• Skimofffat.Addrice,makingsurealltherice is covered with liquid.• Cover;simmerfor30minutesmoreoruntil

rice is tender.• Removebayleaf.Sprinklewithparsley.

Research continues on the vast health benefits of resveratrol, found in purple or red grapes.

Here are some of the amazing healing benefits of resveratrol:

Power up Your Weight Loss

Exciting research led by MaryAnne DellaFera, PhD at

the University of Georgia found that resveratrol (particularly when

combined with soy isoflavones) works on the body in two ways to

significantly assist with weight loss efforts: 1) it dramatically reduces

cells’ ability to store fat by about 130 percent; and 2) causes fat cells to disintegrate at arate246percenthigherthannormal.

Protect Your Heart

In research, resveratrol demonstrated the ability to improve the dilation of blood vessels, which may allow blood to flow more easily through blood vessels. It has also been shown to relax the walls of the blood vessels, making their diameter larger, thereby lowering blood pressure, and allowing a higher volume of blood to flow through all areas of the body, delivering increased oxygen and nutrients to the body’s

Healing abilities of Grapescells. Another study found that just 10 mg of supplementary resveratrol resulted in a dramatic reduction in heart-attack risk factors.

Mop Up Brain Damaging Plaques

Studies at the University of Switzerland proved resveratrol’s brain-protecting ability. They found that resveratrol mopped up brain-damaging plaques and free radicals, which have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. So powerful is this important nutrient that it has even been referred to as

“Reverse-it-all” by many health practitioners.

Improve Brain Power

In a British study, students given resveratrol increased blood flow to their brains by 200 percent. Scientists believe resveratrol can help speed our mental responses.

Protect Your Skin from Cancer

In numerous studies, resveratrol has had a positive effect on cancer. Research also shows that resveratrol protects the skin from damaging UVB rays of the sun, thereby protecting it against skin cancer.

Protect Your Body from Radiation

What’s more, this potent nutrient has even been shown to protect the body against radiation therapy when used as an adjunct to radiation treatment of cancer.

Turn On Your Longevity Gene

In one study, scientists identified resveratrol as a nutrient that activated the human gene for survival and longevity.

Fight Diabetes

Prediabetics given resveratrol had a 10 percent drop in blood sugar levels, according to research by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Turn Down Inflammation

Resveratrol works as an anti-inflammatory, which may be one of the reasons it may be effective for heart disease.

Supports Muscle Recovery

As a potent antioxidant, it supports the cells and organs in eliminating uric acid and other toxins from the body, supporting muscle recovery for athletes.

3. no entry. Entrée interdite.

4. no smoking Interdiction de fumer

5. this restaurant isn't as good as mc.Donald's. Ce restaurant n'est pas aussi bon que le Mc.Donalds

6. lots of love! Avec beaucoup d’amour!

Madagascar is the largest island in Africa and the fourth largest island in the world. It is in the Indian Ocean off the East coast of Africa.


thefasHionistas10

Radio Personalities Yaw and Lolo 1 to Host Pearl Look 2015

Rwandan movie to premier at Egyptian film festival

Show Scheduled To Hold April 4th, 2015 at Oriental Hotel with six-month salary and a modeling contract with Ice Model Management in South Africa at Stake.

Organizers of freshly model competition has announced two indigenous radio personalities Yaw and Lolo as hosts for its 3rd edition tagged “Pearl Look 2015”

The show which saw thousands of hopeful auditions in 5 cities in Nigeria, for a chance to be the next model and the best run way model is now ready for its 3rd edition with all 15 contestants going to South Africa on tour.

To be hosted by Actor, OAP, Producer and Business Man, Steve Onu fondly called Yaw and Comedienne/Radio Diva Lolo 1, the show includes each contestants battling it out in styles, attitudes and catwalk for a shot at the grand prize of a six month salary and a modeling contract with Ice Model

Local filmmakers are eager for the world to watch their movie, Dark Days. The movie that was shot in late January and edited by Samples Studios, last month, is set to premier at the Luxor Africa Film Festival (LAFF) in Egypt from March 16-25.

SynopsisDark Days is a 25-minute

film by Musafiri Kayambi. It tells the story of Gilbert, (Innocent Munyaneza), a young man with the dream of being a journalist. He tries to film the struggles of his fellow students as they are wildly evicted from a country called

Advertisement please email to

[email protected] call at

+91 8595166674+91 9350564995

To book your

Management in South Africa.Yaw is a versatile, seasoned

host and we are thrilled to be working with him," said Doyin Haastrup Olatokunbo, Producer, Pearl Look Nigeria. "With Lolo also as a co-host introducing surprising and competitive twists, guests are sure to be immersed and entertained’’. Adds Doyin Haastrup. “The past ones have

been amazing, this year promises to be more electrifying! Guests are assured to have a pleasant evening.” Says Yaw.

“I look forward to excite the guests” enthused Lolo 1. The much anticipated modeling competition, which made its debut in 2013, has produced winners, which include Julia Otobo & Bukola Anthony.

Modern Ghana

Tumbami.Richard Mugwaneza, the

founder of Samples Studio and the editor of the movie, says, “It is basically a movie about the struggles of a film maker but, it

German film festival kicks off in KigaliFour days after the Japanese Film festival ended at the Goethe-Institut, Germans have started screening their own at the same venue.

A movie titled, Sound of Heimat (2011) was shown at the Institut’s premises in Kiyovu. The movie centers on musician Hayden Chisholm, a New Zealander, who traverses German to explore the country’s folk music.

In the town of Buchenwald, he

meets an elderly man who was in a concentration camp during Nazi Germany. People who attended the movie had mixed reactions. Kaetjas, a Belgian national, said that the movie sent her into soul-searching about her own folk music. “I have to ask my parents and grandparents about Belgian folk songs. Don’t know anything about it myself and this movie has invoked an urge within me to find out,” she said.

Patrick Kiruhura, a filmmaker and director of Roots Foundation, says that the movie didn’t appeal to him because it was too German. “Maybe the people who chose it for viewing have better answers as to why did. “It is more about Germans and has nothing to do with me as a black African,” he told The New Times.

The next movie, Full Metal Village, will be screened next Tuesday at the same venue. Entrance is free.

New Times

Miss Rwanda 2015 sets bar high as Kundwa is crowned

Perhaps this is the year that Miss Rwanda search got the whole country talking. The public picked a lot of interest never

seen in the history of Miss Rwanda. Indeed, it was not surprising that Kigali Serena Hotel waspackedtothebrimduringthegrandfinale.Theshowthatstartedat6:30pm,endedwiththe crowning of 19-year-old Doriane Kundwa asMissRwanda2015.Outofthe15finalists,Kundwa was also the public’s favourite from the beginning. She walked away with a brand new Suzuki SX4 courtesy of Cogebanque and will get a monthly stipend of $1000 (Rwf 700,000) among other prizes. At 7pm, the judges including musician Intore Massamba, Kigali fashion Week founder John Bunyeshuli, fashion critic Blanche Majoro and former Miss East Africa, Cynthia Akazuba set the ball rolling.In thefirst session, thecontestantswere

tested on their knowledge of culture. They came on stage each carrying an item related to culture. Each contestant described the item they were carrying and what it’s used for.

The second session was question time

as contestants answered questions ranging from development, education, current affairs and politics. After the question and answer session, the girls changed into casual wear and did catwalk. After the three sessions which were spiced up by interludes of music, it was time for the Judges to reveal the winners.

And it was Doriane Kundwa, Fiona Ntaringwa, Balbine Mutoni, Vanessa Raissa Uwase and Lynca Akacu who had made it into the top five. However, to get Miss Rwanda,the girls had to answer more questions from the judges relating to what they want to accomplish if crowned Miss Rwanda.

Akacu said that if crowned she would provide a safe environment for orphans. Kundwa said she would promote talent development among the youth. She emphasised it by saying that Rwanda is a land-locked country that is not rich in minerals; the only way to develop the country is by building a knowledge based economy which promotes talent.

Ntaringwa said she would focus on promoting ICT among the youth since it provides various avenues for employment.

Uwase talked about rehabilitating sex workers and raising awareness about the dangers of prostitution. Mutoni said she would work hard to promote the Rwandan culture among the youth.After listeningtothefivegirls, thejudges

deliberated and at 11:55pm, Doriane Kundwa was announced as the winner.

Akacu was second runner up while Uwase was first runner up. However beforethat, Sabrina Kalisi Ihozo was crowned Miss Photogenic, Doriane Kundwa (Miss Popularity), Joannah Keza Bagwire (Miss Congeniality) while Darlene Gasana was crowned Miss Heritage.

Musical performances were done by former Tusker Project Fame winner Hope, Jules Sentore, Marie Yohana, Tonzi, Ciney and Nigerian duo Additiction.

The search for Miss Rwanda 2015 started in January with auditions in all provinces including Kigali city. 120 girls registered for the competition which would eventually produce the fourth Miss Rwanda.

New Times

also tells the story of Rwandans who have been chased from numerous countries around the world. We hope people who have been in a similar situation can connect with the movie, it is short but it has a universal message

and a good picture and sound.”The project was funded by

the Etisal Fund, which supports upcoming film producers.

New Times


sPorts2WatCh 11

Globecast has announced that it has risen to the considerable challenges of this year's Orange Africa Cup of Nations, EQUATORIAL GUINEA 2015, football tournament, proving a variety of successful contribution and distribution services that helped bring the tournament to screens around the world.

Globecast gathered a highly experienced team from its staff and began the process of configuring and shipping seven HD flyaway uplink kits - there was a total of 4.5 tons of equipment - then had to organise local logistics and seven different satellites for contribution and distribution.

Globecast supplied uplinks and contribution - main and backup feeds - from the four stadium locations for its customer, to sports marketing agency SPORTFIVE AFRICA. Distribution was global to 51 broadcasters, with Globecast supplying a

globecast rises to the challenge of the orange Africa cup of nations, equAtoriAL guineA 2015

Gymnastics federation launched

Rayon book first round date with Zamalek

field team of engineers and a coordination manager in Africa as well as a MCR in Paris with a dedicated engineer and coordinator for each match. There was also a supervisor for worldwide distribution plus remote live monitoring for each downlink on every satellite. Additional French commentary was added in the Paris MCR, giving a total of eight language broadcasts.

Persiaux said, "This was clearly a very big project carried out in a very short space of time. Having shipped and set up all the equipment, we produced 170 hours of live HD transmission using four C-Band and three Ku-band satellites. This was the biggest single flyway operation managed by our Paris office using skills from across the company. We are very proud to have succeeded so well.”

Balancingact-Africa

Rwanda Gymnastics Federation (RGF) was launched recently with activities including artistic, rhythmic, aerobic and acrobatic gymnastics at the NPC gymnasium.

Ten clubs from across the country have already registered with RGF and competed in monocycle, juggling and pyramid activities at both individual and team levels respectively.

They include Gatenga, Kimisagara, Gisenyi, Petit Seminaire de Butare, Club de Bugesera, Club Kimisagara Youth, Club Umurabyo de Musanze, Club de Gatenga Don Bosco, Club Aigles Acrobatiques de Muhanga and Club Hirondelle (Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle).

Club Gatenga Don Bosco won the juggling trophy while Club Hirondelle (Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle) clinched the pyramids trophy. Club Kimisagara Youth was crowned as the best team overall.

Striker Isaac Muganza netted a spectacular goal to inspire Rayon Sports to a 1-0 victory over Cameroonian side Panthère Sportive du Ndé in the Caf Confederation Cup preliminary round return leg game yesterday at Amahoro stadium.

Rayon, who also won 1-0 in the first leg in Doula a fortnight ago, go through to the first round where they will face Egyptian giants Zamalek.

Leo Uwambazimana, scorer of the lone strike in Cameroon, made a spirited run on the right flank before cutting on the inside and

passing to a very alert Muganza in the penalty box, who quickly slotted the ball past Panthère goalkeeper Theo Lali Fodjo in the 13th minute to send the home fans into wild celebrations.

The Blues embarked on several counterattacks with Peter Otema using the left flank and Muganza on the right but these efforts did not amount to much in the final third with several goal attempts going wide.

In the 69th minute, Muganza picked up a pass from the centre line, made a run at goal but was stopped in the penalty box by

Panthère’s central defensive duo of Meuteng Meuteng and Francis Eboungue Eyoum.

Muganza sustained an injury to his right ankle and was carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Burundian midfielder Pierrot Kwizera, who brought positive energy into the Blues’ attack in injury time.

Rayon Sports will face Zamalek in the first round with the first leg scheduled for the weekend of March 13-15 in Egypt and the return leg in Kigali during the weekend of April 3-5.

New Times

The federation will have several other games including gymnastics for all, men and women’s artistic, rhythmic, trampoline, aerobic and acrobatic gymnastics as they seek affiliation to the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), the world governing body based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

RGF Marketing Manager Clarisse Mukarugendo said, “Gymnastics provides access, connectivity and mobility which are essential tools for economic, community and personal development. We noticed that young people have been practicing gymnastics for a long time so we have decided to start the federation. We believe that strong communities are built by strong sports.”

The RGF executive committee includes Jean Pierre Turatsinze (president), Aimable Rwabidadi (vice chairman) and Eugene Nzabantura (secretary general) among others.

New Times


ibtm africa is an exciting opportunity to enhance ones customer base by interacting with prospective buyers. What are your expectation from ibtm africa 2015?

ibtm africa (www.ibtmafrica.com) is the leading inbound event for Africa's meetings and incentive industry, offering an exclusive opportunity for African exhibitors to connect and engage with top-level international decision makers. ibtm africa is all about connections which are built between buyers and suppliers over the three days, through one-to-one appointments, 10 networking events and the ibtm africa forum on day one.

ibtm africa is a cost effective way for leading inbound suppliers in South Africa and global decision makers to meet each other in a highly targeted environment.

To be accepted onto the Hosted Buyer Programme, buyers must prove that they have purchasing authority and business to place in Africa. Buyers are carefully selected under the following criteria: » Purchasing authority » Annual budget for meetings and

events » MICE business to place in Africa » Future business potential

ibtm africa will host 60 buyers to the event who will be international senior decision makers representing corporations, associations and agencies, including:

» Corporate Meeting Planners » Travel Agents Handling Incentives » International Associations and

Societies » Travel Management Companies » Incentive Houses » Event Management Companies » Professional Conference Organisers » Corporate / Business Travel

Managers

Top international companies included in the line up of Hosted Buyers who have been approved to participate include; Lbddz (U.S.), HelmsBriscoe (Turkey), Maesse Marketing Consultancy Ltd. (Germany), Blaycation (Canada), The Scienomics Group (U.S.), Inception Global Ltd. (UK), Jjgrt (U.S.), Paragon Europe (Belgium), Speed Sailing International (UK), AstraZenace (Russian Federation) and Abbott (United Arab Emirates).

How would you explain the trade and commerce scenario in Africa? What steps do you think are necessary for maintaining a stable and conducive trade environment in Africa?

Trade and commerce go hand-in-hand in terms of their contribution to economic development within Africa. Many factors influenced the stability of these two sectors last year i.e. the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, infrastructural challenges and a decelerated China Economy. These factors will continue to affect 2015’s projections, however there is definitely room for improvement and growth in 2015.

In order to maintain a stable and conducive trade environment as well as grow this sector, the following objectives should be met; Good governance, an increased injection of international capital and investment, improved political stability across Africa, a sustainable model for growth as well as the development of strategic partnerships between countries in Africa, working together to further grow trade relations regionally and internationally.

According to you, which sectors in Africa have a promising future and what can be done to boost them?

As a continent with many emerging markets, Africa has a promising future in terms of its impact and contribution towards the global economy across many of its key sectors such as; infrastructure development, tourism, importing Luxury Brands, banking, energy as well as trade export. Numerous international investors are still looking to invest their capital in Africa and the trends point towards further boosting the sectors and African economy in general. There is currently a big focus on the development of infrastructure that leads to accessible transport between African countries which opens up the profitable platform for inter– continental trade.

The need to soften Africa’s trade borders was stressed at the World Economic Forum this year. Do you think enhancing intra-Africa trade

is a crucial step towards Africa’s economic development?

Intra-Africa trade is key to sustainably and the acceleration growth within Africa’s economy. Intracontinental trade can create competitive drivers, strengthen communication, establish product diversity, and facilitate increased knowledge and education between borders. To expand on this, intra-Africa trade can also encourage infrastructure development and attract foreign investment. For these reasons intra-African trade is key to accelerations in economic growth and development.

Do you think the growing trade in Africa will contribute to reinforcing regional-integration in Africa?

With the rapid expansion of Africa’s footprint in the global economic arena, regional integration has become critical as it can considerably contribute to Africa’s economy as well as reduce poverty continentally. Africa needs to adopt sustainable models and policies for growth regarding inter-African trade. International trade allows for the implementation of support systems that endorses the growth in infrastructure. This infrastructure allows for feasible solutions to problems many African countries find themselves in, a lack of connection with their neighbours. Once the gap is closed and connection becomes more accessible, we will find greater regional integration.

With the rapid expansion of Africa’s footprint in the global economic arena, regional integration has become critical as it can considerably contribute to Africa’s economy as well as reduce poverty continentally. In a candid interview to Indo Africa Times, Shinu Pillai, Exhibition Manager for ibtm Africa explained about ibtm africa which is all about connections which are built between buyers and suppliers over the three days, through one-to-one appointments, 10 networking events and the ibtm africa forum on day one.

"Intra-Africa trade can also encourage infrastructure development"

eNCouNteR WitH eDitor12

Owner / Publisher / Editor: Mr. Kirit Sobti from 3rd Floor, Plot No. 3, Block PSP-IV, Service Centre Opp. Sector-11 (Extn.), Rohini, Delhi-85Printed at LIPEE SCAN PVT. LTD. 89 DSIDC SHED Okhala Phase 1, New Delhi

shinu PillaiExhibition Manager

for ibtm africa


News & Politics

Volume 2 issue 10