Day: July 2, 2024

Visa Kenya has unveiled the top five women business owners competing for the prestigious Sh2.5 million grand prize in the She’s Next Kenya program. Launched to bolster women-led small businesses through funding, training, and mentorship, the initiative received an overwhelming response with over 2,300 applications across Kenya. The finalists—Busu Naturals, Cladfy, Code with Kids, Crafts with Meaning, and Timao Group—stand out for their exceptional business acumen and innovation.

Kenya and China have solidified their collaboration in the film and theatre sectors with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This agreement marks a significant milestone following Kenya’s earlier partnership with Hollywood Invention Studios, further positioning Kenya as a prime filming destination. The MoU aims to facilitate joint film productions, promote Kenya as a location for shooting multiple movies, and introduce Chinese films to Kenyan audiences.

Pieter Prickaerts, Managing Director of Kenya’s leading health insurance technology platform, M-TIBA, has been appointed as CEO of CarePay International, leading its global expansion. The Supervisory Board of CarePay International announced that Prickaerts will officially assume the CEO position on July 1, 2024, while continuing to oversee M-TIBA’s operations in Kenya. This transition marks a new chapter for CarePay, with Prickaerts poised to build on the company’s proven success.

East African countries have reached a remarkable milestone, achieving 100 percent mobile penetration with 199.7 million subscribers, outpacing Africa’s 92 percent average but still below the global average of 111 percent as of last year. Fresh data from the East African Communications Organisation (EACO) reveals that the region’s mobile penetration growth surpassed both the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Africa region and the global averages, which increased by 10 and four percentage points respectively.

Simba Corporation has achieved a significant milestone by delivering the first all-electric Mahindra XUV400 SUVs to Kenya Power, underscoring a key step towards sustainable mobility in Kenya. This marks the beginning of a broader initiative to incorporate electric vehicles into Kenya Power’s fleet, with a total of six electric vehicles acquired this year and plans to expand to nine electric vehicles and 25 electric motorcycles by December 2024.

Kenya and the European Union have successfully implemented a landmark trade agreement after a decade of negotiations, marking a significant milestone for both parties. This deal opens Kenya’s domestic market to tax-free goods from the EU’s 27-country bloc after 25 years. The EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will preserve unrestricted access for Kenyan goods to the European market, excluding arms.