TechPression

Category: Entertainment

  • Spotify Starts ‘Talks With Africa’ To Grow The Music Industry

    Spotify Starts ‘Talks With Africa’ To Grow The Music Industry

    Spotify, a well-recognized and popular African music App in Africa, has grown and expanded over the last few years after it started. Several factors can be associated with this development, including but not limited to the collaboration with local and international artists, including music streaming and social media.

    But, somehow, only a few of these artists are benefiting from the success of this industry as a lot of them, including many skilled and talented creators, are still struggling to survive and break through this.

    Spotify has made it known that this is the reason for which it launched Spotify Talks Africa, a new development of video series that aims at bringing together, in conversation, the continent (Africa’s) music industry stakeholders.

    The Spotify Talks Africa is a forum created for featured panellists to dialogue and discuss issues facing the African music industry and further discuss and plan for the strategies needed to bring a solution to this and get an outcome of success and excellency among the artists and creatives.

    The quarterly released videos have been arranged and planned in a way that each video episode is themed around the various pressing issues in the industry. This includes but is not limited to the pressing issues ranging from how music streaming is keeping legacy acts alive to the lived experiences of women in the music industry.

    The panellists involved in the discussion and decision-making in the forum are drawn from experts and artists, including producers across the music industry. However, this does not exclude the Spotify Sub-Saharan African team members, who provide insight into the role of streaming in the music industry.

    Read also: A three-month free trial is now available on Spotify

    The previous highlight of the first episode

    Mariam Bishar hosts the first episode, a popular Kenyan media personality in conversation with the band leader of the legendary group Them Mushrooms, John Katana Harrison; Wangechi, a good and famous Kenyan rapper who just returned from a three-year hiatus; and Monica Kemoli-Savanne, Spotify’s Artist & Label Partnerships Manager for the East Africa.

    Further Details On The Panelists’ Discussion On Spotify Talks Africa 

    The long and robust discussion and dialogue in the forum touch on various aspects, such as the exportation of music to new audiences, music royalties and important tools needed to grow as an artist. They also never forgot to discuss technology’s role in all of these, as it is a crucial part that should not have been exempted.

    John Katana Harrison, while speaking on how streaming has changed the music industry in the whole of the continent of Africa, expressed his thought and remarked that it is a great thing and how surprised they are now where people are listening to their music.

    He then concluded by saying that it has brought a new avenue where music can be taken anywhere, not just within the country alone but also beyond the country, throughout Africa and beyond.

    In response to this, Wangechi added that collaboration is needed in music and probably any other industry because then you put the artist’s fan base.

    Another speaker in the forum among the panellists, Monica, then spoke, encouraging the artists to tap into the backend through Spotify for Artists and build and grow their strategies around that data. She also made another point for saying this when she added that you could see the demographic of who is listening to your music from age to gender and also by location.

    Mushrooms’ Participation in Spotify Talks

    Spotify Talks’ participation by mushrooms can result in even more growth for the industry, and if  Mushrooms are any indication, relevance and longevity can also result.

    Mushrooms’ participation in Spotify Talks is part of Spotify’s celebration of the band’s 50th anniversary.

    Additionally, you can watch the full conversation on spotifytalksafrica.byspotify.com

  • Twitter founder Jack Dorsey launches ‘Bluesky’

    Twitter founder Jack Dorsey launches ‘Bluesky’

    Jack Dorsey, The founder and former CEO of the social networking app Twitter, has unveiled a new social media platform called ‘Bluesky’.

    The launch is coming bare one week after serial entrepreneur Elon Musk, took over Twitter as the owner and CEO.

    Read also: Elon Musk Monetizes Twitter, Frowns At Impersonation

    Jack, as he is fondly called, says the new app gives creators independence from platforms and developers while enabling users freedom to customise their experience by giving them control over their algorithms.

    Bluesky

    Bluesky is currently in its testing phase, with over 30,000 people already signed up for its beta testing within two days of the announcement.

    Meanwhile, Bluesky has announced several job opportunities in the company, including UI site manager, mobile application developer, animation creator, and react native expert.

    Twitter To Charge $20 Monthly For Account Verification

    Jack Dorsey’s involvement in Twitter

    Jack Dorsey co-founded Twitter on March 21, 2006, briefly serving as its CEO, and returning as CEO between 2015 and 2021 when he stepped down. He is, however, still involved with Twitter.

    He rolled over his over 18 million shares in Twitter which is about 2.4 per cent stake, into the 16 year old company as an equity investor as opposed to receiving a cash payout.

  • Twitter Lays off African Employees

    Twitter Lays off African Employees

    In an effort to cut costs, Elon Musk, Twitter‘s new CEO, announced plans to eliminate positions at the microblogging platform.

    In the wee hours of November 4, 2022, Twitter employees found that their work laptops wouldn’t turn on, they couldn’t access their work tools, and their emails had been blocked. According to a source, several of Twitter’s 20-person African team have been laid off; another source speculates that the number may even reach half.

    These layoffs, which may affect more than 3,700 workers, were brought on by Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter on October 27.

    The email reads,

    “In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce.”
    “We recognize that this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions to Twitter, but this action is unfortunately necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward.”
    Read also: Twitter To Charge $20 Monthly For Account Verification

    How The Twitter in Africa Reacted

    Bernard Kafiu Sokpe, popularly known as Mistameister, a Senior Partnership Officer at the Twitter Africa office, tweeted from Accra, Ghana, “It’s been a year working at a place I never imagined I’ll ever get to work. I’m glad that I could represent for Africa & I didn’t let us down. My best career experience by far & it was beautiful whilst it lasted. Much love to all the amazing tweets that made it worth it.”

    Employees at Twitter’s Africa branch who received the Friday email through their personal email accounts are still unsure of their employment status because the letters claim they are suspended. Part of the email states, “For the avoidance of doubt, this suspension does not mean your employment has been terminated.” One worker criticised Elon for “coming for our jobs like the second coming of Jesus. In our sleep and like a thief in the night.”

    These layoffs also raised questions concerning the necessity of internet companies’ African headquarters. Additionally, it jeopardises Twitter’s capacity to continue serving as a platform for millions of Africans, who are already looking forward to the bugs and repairs Musk’s rule will bring.

    However, on November 3, 3022, former Twitter workers filed a class action lawsuit against the company, alleging that the company violated US employment law by giving the mass layoffs such little notice. Large corporations are required to provide 60 days’ notice before beginning mass layoffs under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of the United States.

    Initial Events That Preceded This Layoff of the African Twitter Team

    According to reports in Ghana, the content moderation team staff are already among those impacted as internal sources predict additional layoffs. In April 2021, the Ghana office officially opened as the organization’s regional headquarters for Africa.

    Even though the microblogging platform reached an agreement with the Federal Government of Nigeria last year, several outlets have predicted that the firm’s ongoing layoffs may impact Twitter’s ambitions to create an office in Nigeria.

    Twitter releases two new video enhancements features

    A firm representative said in September that there were no plans for the company to open an office in Nigeria.

    Two months after putting a hiring block in place due to an Elon Musk takeover offer, Twitter has let go of some of its recruiting teams.

    According to claims published on the 3rd of November, 2022, by a number of media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch, about a third of the talent acquisition staff was impacted. Insider received confirmation of the layoffs from a Twitter spokesman.

    Less than 100 workers were impacted by the layoffs, according to The Journal’s citation of Twitter.

    A “slimmer workforce would make more sense” at the social media site, according to Changpeng Zhao, the chief executive and founder of Binance, who supported the move to fire some employees.

    As part of Musk’s $44 billion buyout, which was finalised last week and has since been followed by a flood of adjustments and proposed overhauls of the company, Zhao, through Binance, invested $500 million (£441 million) in Twitter.

  • Twitter To Charge $20 Monthly For Account Verification

    Twitter To Charge $20 Monthly For Account Verification

    Microblogging and social networking service Twitter has revealed plans to introduce a monthly fee of as high as about $20 for account verification.

    In an official statement on Monday, Twitter said its subscription price would range from $4.99 to $19.99 per month, adding that users who do not pay will lose their verification.

    The social networking company explained that the charges would help the platform stay debt free after reports showed that bots comprise five per cent of all users while ‘heavy tweeters’ compromise less than 10 per cent of the blue app’s monthly users.

    The statement also indicated that Elon Musk, the new twitter owner, is exploring pushing forward a financially driven change.

    Read also: Elon Musk Finally Buys Twitter, vows to make the app a digital town square

    According to the statement, “Verified or ‘blue tick’ users would need to pay for their verification status going forward, or else it will be removed till it is paid.

    “The company’s objective is to set a monthly subscription of $4.99 for these users, which would further unlock other features.

    “But for newly verified accounts till after the launch will have to pay $19.99.

    “Current verified users will be given 90 days from the launch, to subscribe to the new feature, the statement added. 

    This news comes less than a week after serial entrepreneur Elon Musk took over as the owner and CEO of Twitter on Friday, October 28, 2022.

    Twitter Launches New Edit Button 

    The Twitter app, which currently has over 400,000 verified users, is also planning to launch the pay-for-play verification system on the 7th of  November.

    “Current verified users will be given 90 days from the launch, to subscribe to the new feature, the statement added. 

  • Netflix To Launch Ad-Supported Subscription Plan In November

    Netflix To Launch Ad-Supported Subscription Plan In November

    Netflix announced plans for a less expensive, advertising-supported subscription, hoping that a $6.99/month alternative for customers can maintain its earnings in increasingly difficult economic times. When the company’s once exploding subscriber growth turned into reverse as a symptom of market saturation in North America, Reed Hastings, chief executive, changed his previous resistance to advertising support early this year.

    Netflix has renamed this membership level “Basic with Ads” and made it clear that the current Basic plan will continue to be ad-free. Therefore, it will now be referred to as “Ad-free Basic.”The new ad-supported service, launching in November, will “expand membership and produce a substantial additional income and profit stream,” said Netflix COO Greg Peters.

    Read also: Netflix introduces in-game IDs for iOS and Android gamers

    How Netflix’s new cheaper plan works

    According to Netflix’s report, this plan’s pricing varies by location; the “Basic with ads” bundle will be on sale for £4.99 in the UK and $6.99 in the US. 

    There are now three levels of Netflix membership: “Basic,” which costs £6.99 per month, “Standard,” which costs £10.99 per month; and “Premium,” which costs £15.98 per month. Therefore, a Netflix user who switches from “Basic” to “Basic with ads” would save around £24 annually, while a user who switches from “Standard” to the new tier will save about £72 annually. 

    Which countries will Netflix begin offering advertising memberships in? 

    With ambitions to eventually extend to additional regions, Netflix will first introduce the new subscription tier in 12 nations. Along with the US and UK, it will also arrive in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Spain. 

    As they “learn from and enhance the experience,” Netflix claims that they intend to launch in additional countries over time. While Netflix subscribers on the new plan will save a bit of money, there won’t be as many movies and TV series to watch, which the platform is attributing to licensing issues.

    Netflix’s subscriber warning this year alarmed investors, who detest growth-at-all-costs streaming conflicts. Disney Plus will launch a $7.99 ad-supported tier in December while raising ad-free prices. Hulu, Paramount Plus, and Peacock are ad-supported. The image quality will also be slightly reduced, and subscribers on the new advert tier won’t be able to download content to their devices.

    Netflix will invest about $300,000 in Kenyan talent.

    How many minutes of ads will there be on Netflix?

    The streamer has confirmed that viewers will be shown five minutes of ads for every hour of content. This is slightly less than commercial TV channels, which usually run an average of seven minutes of ads an hour. Adverts will be 15 or 30 seconds in length and will play before and during series and films. The ads will be targeted by country and genre, with advertisers able to prevent their ad spots from appearing on content that doesn’t match with their brand.

    Morgan Stanley thinks Netflix may earn $3bn a year from advertising in 2026, with the majority coming from users moving down from ad-free tiers. 

    For advertisers, this means more premium video ad impressions globally, and Morgan Stanley analysts predict high demand. No solid examples exist to predict Netflix’s expansion. 

    While Hulu has switched from ad-funded to subscription tiers, no video company has introduced a cheaper ad-based offering while keeping subscription costs unchanged.

    Netflix has announced that Microsoft would control the advertising, so we anticipate appropriate adverts. Some material is limited due to licensing difficulties.

  • Roboost Secures $60,000 in seed funding

    Roboost Secures $60,000 in seed funding

    Flat6Labs has provided follow-on funding for Roboost, an Egyptian delivery management system. This is on top of a six-figure seed round investment from Falak Startups and AUC Angels.

    As a result of the new fundraising round, Roboost will improve its AI delivery management system and add more products to its line. This will speed up the company’s growth.

    Tayar is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered automated delivery management solution that was established in 2020 by Hassan Kamel, Mohamed Gessraha, and Mohamed Hassan. It simulates real-life operations digitally and handles day-to-day situations. It can also learn on its own to improve every part of the delivery process.

    Read also: Egyptian startup Seqoon Secures $500,000 in pre-seed funding

    Roboost aims to gives businesses more control over their delivery operations 

    The goal of the solution is to provide businesses who provide delivery services, such as retail, e-commerce, cloud kitchens, and delivery services, more control over their delivery operations by streamlining the process and providing real-time data. The client’s sales channels are the first thing that the system interacts with, giving it the ability to automate order management, group optimization, route optimization, automated dispatching, and delivery agent performance management while monitoring all of these elements in real time.

    Hassan Kamel, co-founder and chief operating officer, stated that “with Roboost, we are helping businesses reach their full operational potential,” and that “we’ve seen this as our clients reached the ultimate desired time of 20 minutes for customer satisfaction, and reduced their costs drastically by 30%.” Roboost was developed by Hassan Kamel. We are continually looking for new methods to improve our clients’ delivery operations and introduce new services, and we have collected data from more than 2,200 delivery agents who have traveled more than 9 million kilometers. We became the best option for local and international businesses because of the drastic and revolutionary changes we made to our delivery operations. We are proud to serve these businesses and have a 100% retention rate for them.

    Cryptyd Inc., an Egyptian gaming startup obtains funding

    Roboost will start using AI delivery marketplace to increase quality of service to customers 

    According to Mohamed Hassan, co-founder and CEO of Roboost, “Our next goal is to empower SMEs by automating their deliveries through Roboost’s AI delivery marketplace.” This would help the SME give the best service to their customers and grow their business.

    “We are very happy to further support Roboost’s team in adding value to their customers through their cutting-edge AI-powered solution.” Roboost is a company that we admire and respect. We feel that Roboost’s growth will be sped up as a result of this fundraising round because it will allow the company to extend its product offering and improve its AI delivery management system. According to Mohamed El Ghannam, Principal at Flat6Labs, “We’re excited to see what’s next for Roboost and how their technology will further empower their customers’ growth in Egypt and beyond.”

    “Roboost is a company we are lucky to stumble upon,” said Ahmed Hazem, Managing Director of Falak. “Not only is Roboost an incredible team with the grit and persistence to build a great solution, but Roboost comes in to offset the environmental impact caused by the quick commerce race while offering a boost to their operations—a win-win situation,” he added. “Roboost is a company we are lucky to stumble upon.”

  • Safaricom and Google Partner on YouTube content production

    Safaricom and Google Partner on YouTube content production

    Safaricom, a Kenyan telecommunications company, recently announced that it had made a deal with Google to promote and add more short videos from YouTube to its platform.

    During the promotion, which will last for a total of two months, content creators in the east African country will be able to get 1GB of data for as little as 10 Kenyan Shillings, or $0.08 USD.

    The telecommunications company also said that it is offering these services at such low prices to encourage Kenyans to get used to streaming videos.

    According to a statement from Safaricom, the company’s CEO, Peter Ndegwa, said, “I believe this new data bundle offer will help lift up new talent by giving them more chances to show off their skills and talents and get recognized both locally and internationally.”

    Read also: YouTube Takes on TikTok: Give Creators 45% Revenue

    The campaign will be called “YouTube shorts challenge” 

    According to the statement released by the telecommunications company, the campaign will be held in conjunction with a competition that will be known as the YouTube Shorts Challenge. Individuals who create and upload original videos will have the opportunity to win both weekly cash prizes and a grand cash prize.

    The weekly cash prize awards will honour 15 content creators. Depending on how much they won, each will get between KES5,000 ($41.20) and KES120,000 ($990) in cash.

    “At the conclusion of the competition, the content creator who achieved the highest ranking by garnering the most combined likes and views will be awarded a prize of KES1.2 million ($9,900). The runners-up will each receive KES 800,000 ($6,600), which puts them in second place, and KES 600,000 ($4,950), which puts them in third place, “the telecom company said.

    Customers can buy the daily KES10 for 1GB data bundles that are being offered for the YouTube shorts competition by dialing *544*55#.

    This brand-new campaign will be accessible to a significant number of mobile users in Kenya. As the telecommunications company that has only just activated its mobile network and services in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia,

    As of the second quarter of 2020, market research company Omdia said that the telecommunications operator Safaricom has 43 million members.

    Airtel Kenya, which has 16.4 million customers, comes in second place. In the second quarter of 2022, Telkom Kenya maintained its position as the third-largest mobile service provider in the country, with over 4.4 million clients. Jamii Telecommunications comes in at number four despite having only 275,000 customers.

    YouTube Introduces “Name Handle” To Make Creator Tagging Simpler

    About Safaricom

    Safaricom PLC is a publicly traded mobile network operator in Kenya. Its headquarters are located in Nairobi, Kenya, at the Safaricom House.  It is the most important provider of telecommunications services in Kenya and is consistently ranked among the most successful businesses in the East and Central Africa area. The company provides a variety of services, including mobile phones, mobile money transfers, consumer electronics, online commerce, cloud computing, data, music streaming, and fiber optics. The most well-known aspect of it is that it is the birthplace of MPESA, a mobile banking service that is based on SMS.

  • HUGO BOSS And Adobe Partner To Drive 3D Innovation In Fashion

    HUGO BOSS And Adobe Partner To Drive 3D Innovation In Fashion

     

    Adobe has proved to be very active lately, as it has been partnering with many organizations across different industries. The multination computer software company, Adobe, has formed another partnership with HUGO BOSS, a luxury fashion brand, to help power its strategy around 3D and immersive design.

    The collaboration will aid in exploring new customer experiences that involve both the digital and physical worlds. This was announced during the Creativity Conference by Adobe.
    Applications within Adobe Substance 3D have enabled the company to drive innovation in this space and create new workflows that take products from concept to streets in new ways.

    According to the published statement on Adobe’s website, 3D design empowers teams to design apparel, accessories and footwear with hyperrealistic models and experiment with different fabrics and colours. The statement also says It provides designers with greater creative freedom and convenience during the ideation stages, with a new canvas to produce inspired work for customers. 3D assets are also used to engage suppliers and retail partners in more efficient ways, where prototyping, reviews and changes can all be conducted digitally.

    Read also: Adobe acquires Figma in a $20 billion deal

    Sebastian Berg, vice president of business operations excellence at HUGO Boss, said “To support our vision of becoming the leading premium tech-driven fashion platform worldwide, HUGO BOSS was one of the early companies to explore the potential of 3D and immersive design in fashion. Now we have over 400 employees working with these innovative tools to produce more inspiring and sustainable products and to lead our industry in digital,”

    He continued, “With Adobe Substance 3D as part of our Adobe Creative Cloud stack, we have a powerful tool that provides hyper-realistic renderings of our products. It gives us greater speed in responding to global consumer trends while helping us experiment with new digital services to drive 3D innovation in fashion.”
    The brand has also been using 3D to explore new customer experiences, such as the creation of digital avatars, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and virtual fitting rooms, which it launched on its website in August.

    Adobe Partnership Train

    The software company has pivoted from collaborating with Mastercard and Meta for digital creative solutions to creating new automation and collaboration features across Adobe Creative Cloud and the Adobe product portfolio, helping small and mid-sized businesses modernize workflows while embracing new frontiers in creativity and productivity.

    It also acquired Figma, which is a collaborative design platform that is a strong competitor to Adobe, in a $20 billion deal. These are a few of the collaborations made by Adobe in recent years.

    Getty Images Bans AI-generated Content

    What to know about HUGO BOSS

    Hugo Boss AG often styled as BOSS, is a luxury fashion house headquartered in Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It’s one of the largest German clothing companies, with global sales of €2.9 billion in 2019. Its stock is a component of the MDAX.
    The company was founded in 1924 by Hugo Boss, a German fashion designer and businessman.

    Hugo Boss brand line originally produced general-purpose clothing then came the onset of the Great Depression and the rise of Nazism in the early 1930s, Boss began to produce uniforms for the Nazi Party. Boss would eventually supply the wartime German government with military uniforms, resulting in a large boost in sales.

  • Google Collaborates With Adunni Olorisha Trust To Preserve Osogbo Sacred Grove

    Google Collaborates With Adunni Olorisha Trust To Preserve Osogbo Sacred Grove

    The first and largest digital library of contents highlighting the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove has been launched, according to a press release from Google Arts & Culture in collaboration with The Adunni Olorisha Trust and CyArk.

    One of Nigeria’s last remaining holy groves has been preserved digitally with the introduction of Google Arts and Culture’s larger Heritage on the Edge initiative. A 75ha Street View of the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove, including the Busanyin Shrine before it was impacted by the water, and 3D representations of four of the dynamic shrines at the site are among the top highlights of this project.

    Features to expect from this collaboration

    The collection offers access to 900 high-resolution images of the location, as well as modern and antique sculptures, works of art, and spiritual figures.

    It also includes three audio interviews, including one with well-known artist Jimoh Buraimoh about Susanne Wenger, 28 stories about the art, community, and spirituality at the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove, as well as information about the impact of climate change there.

    Visitors can also witness 27 video interviews as part of the project, as well as aerial and 3D views of the location, and annotated 3D tours of the Busanyin and Iya Moopo shrines, which highlight the history of art and spirituality in the sacred grove.

    Read also: CcHub Collaborates with Google for Fintech Incubation in Rwanda

    Reactions To This Project

    Everyone who was opportune to see this project commended the good efforts of Google and other stakeholders for their roles in this project. Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Honourable Minister of Information and Culture, Federal Republic of Nigeria, adds

    “I am truly delighted that, for the first time, the Osun Osogbo Grove has been brought online, thanks to Google Arts and Culture, which has partnered with CyArk and the Adunni Olorisa Trust/Osun Foundation to digitize the shrine and its surroundings, thus protecting both for posterity.”

    On his part, Olufemi A. Akinsanya Akinsanya, Chairman, Save Our Art! Save Our Heritage! said this about the project “The Yoruba community is one of the largest in Nigeria and the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove is truly a unique and special place that embodies the essence of the Yoruba culture and heritage. We are excited about the digital preservation of the site and the partnership with Google Arts & Culture. It offers a noteworthy body of work that portrays the admirable culture of the Yoruba people to the world.”

    Similarly, Kacey Hadick, Director of Programs and Development, CyArk, said this about his team’s participation in the project:

    “CyArk’s work in Osogbo has been a true collaboration between Nigerian government officials, local NGOs, the community of Osogbo, and His Royal Highness Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun Larooye II, who are all working together to share the stories of Osogbo with a wider audience”.

    This project received massive acceptance from all the parties involved,, including the FG. This means that this project would last for a long time if all parties involved corporate to contribute to its success.

    Location Of Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove

    The Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is situated on the Osun River’s forested banks in Osogbo, in the Nigerian state of Osun. It is several centuries old and one of the last sacred groves of its kind that connected the edges of most Yoruba cities before the mass migration from rural to urban areas.

    Yoruba deities are represented in attractive, sculpted temples where imagination and spirituality are brought to life. The Grove has recently been in danger of being destroyed because of flooding, intense rain, and climate change.

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    More on the partnership

    Chance Coughenour, Program Manager and Digital Archaeologist at Google Arts & Culture, commented on the project:

    “Google Arts & Culture’s mission is to preserve and promote the world’s art and culture online, allowing anyone, anywhere in the world to share in it. We are grateful that through partnerships, we are now able to preserve one of the most recognized, culturally rich Yoruba heritage sites, known for active traditional worship and contemporary art movements”.

    Google’s dedication to protecting Nigeria’s cultural legacy is furthered by the inauguration of the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove project, which offers new audiences locally and internationally the chance to experience its past, present, and future.

    The goal of this project is also to promote community maintenance and conservation further, the project aims to assist site managers in digitally documenting historic places that are at risk from climate change.

    Google Arts & Culture has made it easier to explore history, culture, experience art, and natural wonders from more than a thousand organizations around the world. It can be accessed on all device app stores.

  • Kazi, a Kenyan start-up, offers employment opportunities

    Kazi, a Kenyan start-up, offers employment opportunities

    The Kazi app, whose creators won the 2021 MTN Business App of the Year Award for Best Africa Solution for making it, gives people who have to live from hand to mouth not only work but also hope and dignity.

    The founders of the start-up, Granville Wafula and Mwenesi Musalia had a simple idea: they wanted to make an app that would allow job seekers and employers to meet, negotiate, and set terms for employment that would be delivered as needed.

    According to Wafula, though, the reality was an entirely different story. It can be challenging to identify qualified candidates for open positions in Nairobi. In the past, we have relied on networking, which entails getting in touch with friends and family members in the expectation that they will know someone who can come highly recommended. After that, you would have to get in touch with the person who is involved and hope that they can spare some time to assist you. The process can be drawn out and difficult, particularly when a pressing need arises.

    Read also: Egypt’s Nexta raises $3 million for its “next-generation banking” app

    Wafula also said the turning point came when Musalia approached him. At the time, Musalia worked for an NGO that helped people living in informal settlements all over the city by giving them food and other help.

    “Musalia believed that there had to be another means to put jobless people in contact with others who had employment opportunities to offer. According to Wafula, “For us, technology and mobile phones, which just about everybody here has, were the obvious answers.”

    “We thought that everyone, whether they were unskilled workers or skilled artisans who were out of work and looking for work, could benefit from an app that put them in touch with possible employers.”

    Kazi helps jobless people showcase their skills

    Kazi was then brought into the world at that time. The acceptance began on a limited scale but quickly expanded. People offering their skills come from more than one hundred different occupational fields. There are typically around one thousand more calls in a busy month than the typical monthly total of 500 contacts for assistance. Every applicant undergoes a screening process. Before they can join the platform, they have to show proof of who they are and what qualifications they have. They also have to give character and work references.

    People are now able to look for work from home, which is one of the primary advantages provided by our software. This indicates that there is no requirement, in situations where income is restricted, to incur expenses and go to sites hoping to find some work. This is because there is no need to do so. A worker who posts their information can also use a built-in tool to find job openings close to them.

    Companies that provide materials that are needed for home and business-based tasks have subscribed to the platform, making it possible for people to connect with them to purchase materials, and the use of subscriptions to develop a low-cost insurance offering has made it possible for many workers to have access to health insurance. This adds an even greater level of convenience.

    The start-founders are using the money from the MTN Business App of the Year prize money to help spread the word about the Kazi app. According to Wafula, “We have the workers, and at this point, our primary focus is on increasing the number of potential clients who are aware of who they are and what they do.”

    Kholofelo Magagane, head of marketing at MTN Business, said, “It’s great to see that one of our prize winners is a business app that makes money for its creators and the people it helps.”

    “Kazi is a shining example of how mobile devices and apps may provide opportunities and services to those who, in other circumstances, would not be able to take advantage of these possibilities. We hope they continue to do well, and we are sure that they will continue to grow, giving more jobs and opportunities to thousands of Kenyans.

    This week sees the MTN Business App of the Year Awards take place, during which app developers from all around the African continent will compete for the chance to win a total of R1 million.

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    About Kazi

    Kazi was developed by Kenyans Granville Wafula and Mwenesi Musalia, who saw a need for a platform where workers and businesses could connect and discuss compensation and other details of contract labour. Provided image by Ventureburn

    Many people in Kenya struggle to put food on the table because they can’t find work. Nonetheless, with the help of mobile technology and a service-on-demand startup called Kazi, the employment prospects of those who dwell in the numerous informal settlements around Nairobi are gradually improving.