Do you have an idea for how to improve children's lives?

The application period for 2013 is now open. The deadline for submitting applications is 11:59 pm on November 29th.

Then you can apply to the Tigo Reach for Change Program. If selected you will receive financial support (beginning with seed funding of $25,000 in Year 1) as well as coaching from experienced business people to help you turn your idea into a sustainable venture.

The criteria they are looking for includes:

• Be innovative, creative, and fresh.
• Be early-stage or ready to grow.
• Be something doable, clear and focused.
• Have potential for great social impact, being able to improve the lives of children (up to 18 years).
• Have potential to be system changing. By system changing, we mean ideas that can create long-lasting change for many children by changing the system which is either causing the problem, or restricting or limiting its solution. System change takes time, but is the ultimate strategic goal of all the ideas which we bring into our Incubator
• Be scalable. Ideas which have the potential to improve the lives of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or even millions of children.
• Have a sustainable financing plan. You should be able to explain to us how you intend to generate revenue to finance the delivery of your idea in a way that minimizes the risk of the social impact stopping due to running out of money

The person we are looking for (you!) must have: - Entrepreneurial skill, such as being result-driven, goal oriented, pragmatic and flexible - Leadership skills; able to inspire other and get people involved - A passion for improving the lives of children - You must also be the leader of the organization established to bring this idea into reality. For More Details follow this link.

The Information has been provided with Tigo reach for change Team.

CAPE-TOWN, South-Africa Featuring ground-breaking technology and an affordable cost structure that quickly turns to profitability for telecoms, World Panel Inc. will launch a suite of powerful handheld solar chargers at AfricaCom in Cape Town, South Africa, Nov. 12-14. The World Panel 500 and 1000 portable phone chargers will be unveiled for the first time at the largest African telecom conference, to showcase a solution for the revenue gap caused by charging difficulties, and provide branding opportunities for wireless carriers, their partners and OTTs, with colorful units that pack a lot of consumer appeal.

A key feature of the new chargers is the patented ‘direct-from-the-sun’ technology that charges a phone as fast as a wall outlet and allows for a low price-point as well as remarkable durability.  Utility-grade materials from the solar industry are used in the construction of the rugged devices so they can endure the harshest environmental conditions in the Sub-Saharan.  A full array of accessories including powerbanks, lights and charge-on-the-go backpacks will also be on display at the Booth P7 at AfricaCom.  The chargers can power any USB device and can be linked together using our patent-pending PowerLink to double or triple the output.

“I arrived in the Sub-Saharan in 2011 with a solar prototype for boiling water and left with the clear message that people wanted a better way to keep their phones charged,” said World Panel CEO John Anderson.  “After an intense R&D and testing period, I am returning to Africa to launch a line of patented chargers that meets the requirements of those I interviewed:  it is as fast as a wall plug, it will last, and the price is right.  Income generation is possible also for both entrepreneurs and the telecoms since 10 phones can be charged in a day.”

Recent independent tests performed on the chargers show that the most popular phones in Africa charge in an hour, which provides five to six hours of talk time.  Blackberry smart phones charge in two to three hours and provide three to four hours of talk and data time.  Test reports for charging Nokia phones, Samsung, iPhone, iPads, etc. will be available at the show and upon request.  In-booth demonstrations with sun simulators, including charging while under water, are also available at P7.

Meetings with U.S. and European executives from World Panel are being scheduled now for Nov. 12-14 in Cape Town with operators who would like to discuss preferred pricing at the show. 

 By eliminating the charging costs associated with phone ownership in many areas, and allowing for fast and easy charging for up to 10 phones per day via free sun energy, operators can review programs that recoup the cost of the chargers within a few months and generate ARPU for years to come.  On-the-go charging can pave the way for more airtime purchases and smart phone use.  World Panel will offer attractive co-branding and bundling opportunities to those interested in adding mobile electricity to their line of subscriber services.  GSMA states that charging solutions represent a $3.37 billion USD opportunity for the operators, and the U.N.’s energy initiative has published that African telecoms suffer a 20% revenue loss due to unreliable phone charging.

Exclusive arrangements are in place for multi-colored solar cells to be used in the manufacturing process, allowing for various color combinations in the finished products and specific branding requests.  World Panel Inc. is prepared to take orders at the show and products will be available in early 2014.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of World Panel Inc

After being cost effective startup for some time you realize you need to stop innovating and working with the limited resources possible and start to look for venture capitals. The question is “when is the right time to do this”. Most of us we like venture capitalist to invest into our products and ideas at the very early stage something which totally not advised since it might make you lose a very large chunk of share from your company.

Even though to work and innovate require someone to have some incentives to do so but still the need of running and operating your company your own ways is very important until your company as matured enough to require support and funding from outside. Sometimes it takes more than 3 to 4 years to realize what your customers need is different from what you are offering them. After working with your own company for sometime only then you will be able to go through your revenue model and correct some stuffs to come up with a successful working model.

Is there a period of time during your startup development you can stop bootstrapping? The answer is no, every time you require proper management of funds and resources you have so that to attain maximum profit. So either you got funding from the VC or angel investor making proper utilization of funds and resources remains inevitable.

From my experience, one of the biggest challenges that are facing most of the local innovators and startups owners is seeking fund from the very early stage of the product development and idea generation. The problem not only affects them in the way they run and manage their companies but also tends to push venture capitalists from investing on their products and ideas. Most of the ideas and products at this stage they are too risks for an investor to inject money or even considering supporting them. At this stage it is even difficult for startup owners to understand their business models, their client base and sustainability of their ideas or products.

I agree with the fact that some of the ideas are getting opportunity to attract investors from the very early stage when they are just at development phase but the decision of allowing someone wither to invest in your idea or not still remain something that is very delicate that has to be handled wisely. The call you make that day when you decide to sell your share to someone is when you decide to give the power to control your product to someone else.

So when is the right time to find someone to inject money to your project? The answer is it depends with so many things but these are among the factors you should consider before making the tough call.

How much do you know about your product? Before you run and start looking for investors to put money in your product you should understand your product, the value of innovation within your product and your intellectual property rights. How much you know about your product is directly proportional to being able to convince someone to put money in your product. Always remember good ideas don’t exist every good idea have already implemented and put into practice. This means before starting looking for investors make sure your idea (product) work.

If you were the investor why would you want to such a product? If there is something very difficult is to tell yourself the truth, but if you can manage to do this definitely you can easily realize the right time to look for an investor. When you are half percent sure that your idea will work that is never the right time to approach the VCs, you will just waste your time. If you can’t believe in your product, who will?

Where does the supreme power of your product come from? Some of the products are directly related to consumers and their usage depends solely to the usability of the clients while other products will require intermediate companies that are well established to link you through. For example having a popular android app that have over a million user base means the power solely comes from the users. It’s always about you and the users while having a product that depends on developing USSD based platforms whereby you have to pay a lot of money to a certain local mobile company that power is distributed between you, the user and the service provider. For project that share same execution environment as the second one, you might be squeezed to look for investors from very early stage. Why should you run and start looking for funds while you don’t need to do any major investment in the beginning? If your operation power come from the people make sure you leverage the opportunity and use it.

What are you losing if someone doesn’t invest on your product? Opportunity to grow, which is the easiest answer someone can offer for that question. I don’t believe the only thing you require for your company to grow is funding. A lot of companies receive funding at early stages of their operation and ended up bankruptcy due to lack of proper management of funds and organizational skills. Sometimes what you real need is something far from funding.  

The speed of growth of your product and usability, they say patient pays. You should ask yourself one does someone run quickly to you and offer millions to buy shares from your product. You might not have enough knowledge on investment skills but always know that investor only invest money were the possibilities of positive returns are very high. When they came in running to you it is the time you realize the product you own has the ability to grow fast than you think. Take your time and be prepared for the bigger offers.

Finally, you only can decide the right time to go for external funding of your innovative idea and there is no replacement for bootstrapping the concept itself is the reason for success of most of the startups. If you read this article and you want to understand more please check the concept of venture funding, frugal innovation and startups management online. 

Jumanne Mtambalike
Tech360 Founder

One of the winner of "Miliki Biashara Yako" promotion

A COUPLE of weeks ago, Elias Hamisi Mbamo (47), received a weird phone call from an unknown number. A resident of Tabora region, western part of Tanzania, he was not sure of the intention of the other guy speaking to him over the phone.

It was around 1pm local time, he remembers. The guy asked me a lot of questions before telling me that I have won, the tri-cycle commonly known as Bajaj through the ongoing "Start Your Own Business" win a Bajaj promotion by a local mobile phone company operator known as Tigo.

A once in a lifetime opportunity in mid July this year landed on the feet of Tigo subscribers in the country where they can win an auto rickshaw, popular as Bajaj, through a lucrative promotion.

At the launching of the promotion dubbed 'Start your own business', Mr Mpinga was quoted to have said that 60 auto rickshaws had been

issued for a competition to run through eight weeks.

Tigo Tanzania wanted to change the lives of Tanzanians through that they have recognised the importance of Bajaj in improving the lives of Tanzanians and its aim was to enrich and impact peoples' lives, he said.

"We believe that this promotion will give our customers another reason to smile where 60 lucky winners each will walk away with a brand new Bajaj that they can use to start their own businesses," he said.

Mr Mpinga said that Bajaj transportation was a lucrative business where the owner makes a conservative figure of 25,000/- to 30,000/- per day earning him around 900,000/- a month and roughly 10.8m/- a year.

Tigo customers stand a chance to win one Bajaj every day by recharging with 1000/- on a daily basis and this doesn't have to be in lump sum as long as by the end of the day, it credit totals 1000/-.

"I thought someone was playing pranks on me. How could a man living in Tabora, more than 460 miles from Dar es Salaam, win a promotion by a mobile phone company? "You know, I thought that promotion like these were for people who live in major towns like Dar, Arusha, Mbeya, Tanga, Mwanza and the likes. Not for us who live so far away from the centre of attention.

"But they called again, on another day and asked if I had any document verifying that I am the real Elias Hamisi Mbamo. They wanted to be sure of that and I told them I did have them.

Tanzania DailyNews 

Prof Makame Mbarawa

EAST, Central and Southern African states have been challenged to utilise information and communication technology (ICT) services to achieve social and economic development.

The Minister of Communication, Science and Technology,

Prof Makame Mbarawa made the challenge yesterday during the Connect to Connect Summit in Dar es Salaam, noting that the use of ICT services will help facilitate service delivery in all sectors for economic growth.

"The use of ICT services will help to build a well informed and knowledge-based society," he said.

He said the government has invested dearly in construction of National ICT Broadband Backbone with a view to achieving its vision of making the country a hub of ICT infrastructure and solution, thus transforming Tanzania into knowledge-based Society.

"The initiatives came with a view of reducing poverty and accelerating socio-economic development in the country and across the region," Prof Mbarawa said.

He added that Tanzania has good strategic and geographic position linking it with the Indian Ocean Sub-marine cables at the landing points in Dar es Salaam for international connectivity to neighbouring countries.

He mentioned countries which have been connected to Tanzania NICT Backbone as Malawi, Burundi, Rwanda, Zambia and talks were at advanced stage to connect South Sudan and Mozambique.

TTCL Chief Executive Officer, Dr Kamugisha Kazaura, said that the National ICT Broadband has enabled the country in the transformation from analogue to digital systems with quality and improved services.

"We expect all regions in the country to get digital broadcasting services after switching off the analogue system," he said.

He said his company was committed to ensure that new technology is widely used in telecommunications sector by providing more employment opportunities and boost fast internet penetration.

Earlier, Sudanese Minister for Science and Communications, Dr Eisa Bashari Mohamed Hamid said the summit has helped them to learn and share experience with Tanzanian government on transformation from analogue to digital broadcasting.

"My government is in final stages of talks with Tanzania on connecting Sudan to the Tanzania National ICT Broadband Backbone," he said.

The summit attracted participants from eight countries from East, Central and Southern Africa where the summit main theme was ìDiscuss and Explore the use of ICT for Socio-economic Development.

Dailynews Tanzania

CAPE-TOWN, South-Africa, 

• Express company estimates that 60% of IT hardware growth in 2013 will come from tablets and smartphones

•  “Technology companies who locate themselves in Africa will spend significantly less on logistics” – Brewer

Competition within the technology sector is becoming more intense and Asia’s importance as both a manufacturing location and a consumer market is growing. However, although Asia is still key to the sector, Africa has also witnessed an explosion in technology adoption recently and is set to develop as a region. 

This is according to Charles Brewer, Managing Director for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa , who says that a recent DHL global technology conference revealed these trends around the changing dynamics of the technology market.

He says that due to the increased competition within the sector, suppliers need to adapt and improve products and services in order to retain and grow market share. “This presents an opportunity for suppliers to be innovative and provide consumers with the best possible products, services and prices.

“Both of these trends also promise to amplify the role of logistics as a competitive differentiator in the technology industry, notably as global companies are looking for strong and established partners to support and simplify access to the African market.”

Brewer says that within Africa, although there has been a significant rise in demand for electronic consumer products, the continent is still in need of increased investment from international technology companies, in order to become more than just an end-user for technology products.

He says that more than any other industry, the technology sector is driven by constant innovation, short product cycles and new sales channels. “From a logistics perspective this is a great challenge, but it also provides forward-thinking brands with an opportunity.”

Brewer says that by setting up shop in Africa, these brands are able to service this growing market and spend significantly less on logistics costs as they are based in much closer proximity to their customers.

According to a recent report by Deloitte entitled The Rise and Rise of the African Middle Class, the continent has a disproportionately young population with 62% of the population in Africa under 25 years. “This is positive from an outside investment perspective, as it effectively means that there is a guaranteed customer base for years to come when compared to a territory such as Europe, which has a shrinking population.”

The Deloitte report also forecasts that if the African middle class continues on its current growth trajectory Africa’s middle class will grow to 1.1 billion (42% of the continent’s population) by 2060.

The trend of mobile devices preferred over PCs as the access tool for the internet was also highlighted at the conference. Florence Noblot, DHL’s Technology Sector Head for Europe, Middle East and Africa, estimates that 60% of all IT hardware growth will come from tablets and smartphones this year. “Both devices also elevate a trend towards high innovation cycles, which demands logistics providers to improve time to market while supporting competitive price positioning.

“This trend is also clear in Africa, and according to the GSMA, Africa is now the world’s second largest mobile market by connections after Asia and the fastest growing mobile market in the world.”

He says that an overall trend towards simplified and lighter products, combined with price pressure, is challenging manufacturers, their suppliers, and sometimes even their competitors to develop collaborative solutions that improve the cost efficiency of the technology supply chain.

“Due to the expected economic growth, technology suppliers have the ideal opportunity to penetrate the African market, but should have experienced partners who are able to provide insight and have experience operating on the continent,” concludes Noblot.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Deutsche Post DHL.

Overview Tanzanian Employment Sector

          One thing you learn when dealing with 200 college graduate and college students everyday is that a lot of effort has to be done by our colleges to improve the qualities of our graduates in order to help them fit in the tough corporate environment.

               As a trainee manager of the innovation space i interact with different universities and colleges students throughout Dar es Salaam and Tanzania in general. From my experience there are lot of challenges facing these students. Most of these challenges make them weak to survive in the tough job competition and in the corporate world because they are not prepared to handle the the challenges.

                “ Why the big private companies hire people from abroad ?” that is the question i receive most of the time when discussing with graduates about the Tanzanian education system. Sometimes the issue is not the education system but the students themselves, the few mistakes that students should avoid includes;

                 Writing a CV instead of preparing it, most of the graduate fail to understand CV is not something you prepare over the night, CV is something you build throughout your educational career as a student. Most of the students who take part in college campaigns, leadership programme and volunteering activities are so likely to be hired compared to those who not. These activities help them for capacity building and hand on working skills that help them to survive in the job market.

                 Focusing on GPA, instead of building working skills most of our local graduates compete on who scores the better GPA. It is inevitable that someone has to score good GPA but there is something that is more important than GPA that most of the company prefer, which is working skills. Most of the companies don’t have time to invest in teaching freshers on how to work and be efficient member of the organization, instead they will hire someone who have the working skills ready with him. Someone who can work in team and understand a bit of their operations.

                 Locked within the walls of syllabus, the syllabus is just the guide but not the rules. A smart student will always try to understand what is happening outside the scope of the syllabus. The student can not allow the syllabus to control is learning abilities. In the fast changing technology world you can’t allow yourself to be confined within the walls of your rigid syllabus and hoping you can compete with student from abroad whose syllabus is always changing with the rate of changing in technology.

                 Project and research, how are you going to become competent if the only time you do project or research on something is when you are instructed to do so by your lecturer or supervisor. If you can’t even spend some time trying to understand the problems facing your local communities and thinking for solutions, how can you be benefited with your knowledge. Research and projects is what makes students competent that is why world class colleges invest a lot of time in making sure students focus on projects and research.

                    Failing to practice from the very beginning, most of the students don’t understand practicing is the only way to make things perfect. How do you expect to become a leader if you have never done a single public speaking session ? These skills are built with time, many mistakes will be made in the beginning but as you moving you become more expert and more confidence is built in you. I will invest my money on a student who spend a lot of time to do different  extracurricular activities that fit his or future career than who does not.

                    Internet is there for entertainment only, 50 percent of IT tips and tricks i use today in my daily office activities i learnt them from YouTube. Over 80 percent of unresolved IT tasks that i got the solution is coming from the web. Internet is the only weapon someone can use to attain the same knowledge and level of challenges that students from abroad is receiving but most of Tanzanian students will use internet to do unnecessary staffs. The site like coursera or edx they are great sources of high end knowledge and latest courses offered in the most reputed universities and colleges in the world, but very few of the Tanzanian students uses them.

                  Choosing role models and mentors, if until right now you don’t know what you want to be then you are in big trouble. Finding proper role models and mentors in our communities is not a simple task but still you have every reason to have one. Someone whom you can sit down and discuss with him about your career and your plans and expect good and professional advice from him. Most of the students ended hating their career options since they can’t even figure out what can they do after they graduate.

Failing to understand what they want, What you are doing right now is really what you want? We don’t expect you to perform hundred percent or offer your maximum efficiency level to something you don’t like. Don’t choose a course because everyone is taking it, take a course since you enjoy doing it. In the end it will be very easy for you to committed and dedicated to the course since its something you like to do.

        Value of time, It happens everywhere in the world everyone want to enjoy his/her college days, its not a problem, but remember we have different education systems and their education system favors them to do different kind of stuffs while they can still perform well in the class. For Tanzanian students time is very valuable and if you can’t manage it well. You will ended up losing everything.Its better you spend your free time learning new ideas, getting involved in project and do sideways courses to build your CV.

Choosing the right team,  They say “show me your friends and i will tell you who you are”. Most of the time we form friends in colleges because we use to know each other from the past either high school mates, neighbours at home or your fathers are friends. At the college level you really need to work out your methods of finding friends. Find friends who can build your skills, your confidence, motivate you and challenge you towards success. Choose friends who will help you to see opportunities as they come and guide you throughout positive behaviour skills.

Tech360 Correspondent

The AfDB’s Open Data Platform is now operational for the entire African continent

The African Development Bank’s Open Data Platform  is now operational for the entire African continent. This follows the completion in July 2013 of the last phase of the project for the following 14 African countries: Benin, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Kenya, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, and Togo. Statistical data for all 54 African countries are now available to all users at  In addition to social and economic statistics, data on key development topics such as climate change, food security, infrastructure, and gender equality can be accessed by researchers, analysts and policymakers worldwide.

The Open Data Platform is part of the AfDB’s Africa Information Highway initiative to scale up the collection, management, analysis, and sharing of quality statistics relating to the continent’s development. This ambitious initiative sees the establishment of live data links between the AfDB, National Statistical Offices, Central Banks and line ministries in all African countries on the one hand and subregional organizations, international development institutions, and a worldwide community of users on the other. By providing quality data aligned to the highest international statistical standards, the initiative will foster evidence-based decision making, good governance and public accountability. It will also allow for the tracking of progress in areas such as the Millennium Development Goals at both national and regional levels.

International development agencies, including the IMF, will be uploading and regularly updating their statistics on African countries onto the AfDB’s Open Data for Africa Platform. The Platform will function as a central hub for data-sharing with international development partners. In addition, the IMF and AfDB have formed a partnership to provide joint technical assistance to African countries to assist in their data submission and reporting.

The Open Data Platform takes statistics to a whole new level. Users can visualize time series development indicators, perform comprehensive analysis at country and regional levels, utilize presentation-ready templates or create their own visuals, blog, share their views and work with others. The website also provides new users with an introductory video on how maximize their use of the Open Data Platform, tailored to their own specific needs.
The AfDB initiative is expected to revolutionize the collection, analysis and sharing of information on Africa and so bring the continent to the forefront of the global information economy.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

ICANN’s Durban meeting will continue through Thursday, July 18.

The first group of Internet Registries and Registrars has signed new agreements with ICANN, bringing new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) into the home stretch of going live online.

“This is a huge accomplishment,” said Fadi Chehadé, ICANN President and CEO. “We can see the last mile before the first new TLD is activated in the Internet’s root.”

Chehadé made the comments during a ceremonial signing at the opening session of ICANN’s 47th Public Meeting in Durban, South Africa.

Three companies signed the Registry Agreement (RA) while five others signed the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA), including Registrars from Senegal, Australia, France and the U.S. 

Registries operate Top-Level Domains. Registrars are the entities through which domain names are registered.

The three registries applied for Top-Level Domain Names using language characters in Arabic, Chinese and Cyrillic.

During his remarks, Chehadé also acknowledged Nelson Mandela, the renowned former South African leader who is now hospitalized. Chehadé said Mandela’s philosophies should act as guiding principles in the Internet ecosystem.

“We must realize we are inherently interdependent and thus must learn to be conciliatory and Africa defines that, as does Madiba [Mandela’s clan name],” said Chehadé. “We need to maintain that Madiba spirit.”

Dr. Elham Ibrahim, the African Union’s Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy told the attendees, “The Internet is one of the greatest public gifts of the 20th century.”

“African domain names will bring financial, economic and sociocultural benefits to Africa,” said Ibrahim.

In referring to ICANN during a video address, Dr. Hamadoun Touré, the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union, said there needs to be a “goal of working together by cultivating a relationship based on collaboration and cooperation.”

“In a fast moving, rapidly evolving environment there are not permanent or even long term solutions,” said Touré. “What works today will not necessarily work tomorrow.  We need open on-going dialogue.”

ICANN’s Durban meeting will continue through Thursday, July 18.

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

The next Savannah Fund  accelerator class deadline on the 26th July.  The accelerator program is now open for the 2nd class scheduled to start in around August 2013. The accelerator program will invest $25,000 in each company in exchange for 15% common equity stake, non negotiable.  

They have also recently created an FAQ to address common questions regarding their Accelerator and have begun reviewing applications.  They look forward to reviewing your applications! If you have already applied, thanks, they are currently reviewing applications and will get in touch soon if you have progressed to phone/skype/in person interviews.

TECH360 Correspondent

Create, complete and present collaborative computer programming projects livestreaming with colleagues from the top USA universities: MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, University of California, Berkeley among others.

In Tanzania these event is going to be at  Buni Space

 COSTECH Building Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road, 

Kijitonyama (Sayansi),

 on 14 July 2013

Register http://tzmithackathon.com/ and attend these Big event.

For more information please contact

George Machibya

+255757022731/+255786692790/+255786693474

gman2them@gmail.com

Principle Systems Career Opportunities

JOB TITLE: Junior Developers

COMPANY NAME: Principle Systems

WEBSITE: www.principlesystems.com

WHAT WE DO:
We create market driven solutions, products and platforms for sales and distribution. Our
solutions focus on improving efficiency, enhance management through real time monitoring
and visualized reports.

Principle Systems is looking for hardworking and driven junior developers. The role is
working with the CodeIgniter framework to create better and more intelligent business
systems for our customers. We are a new startup based and funded in the British Virgin
Islands and are in the process of opening an office in Dar Es Salaam, with aims of moving
across East Africa over the next 12 months.

We offer a dynamic working environment in a fast paced and constantly evolving industry and
seek junior developers to integrate into our growing developer team.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:
- Fundamental website programming
- PHP / MySQL
- CodeIgniter
- JavaScript
- Git

How to apply
Email us at info@principlesystems.com

Nii Quaynor will join ICANN CEO and Board Chair in Answering Journalists’ Questions at Durban News Conference

DURBAN, South Africa, July 10, 2013/ -- Dr. Nii Quaynor, often referred to as the “Father of the Internet in Africa,” will join ICANN CEO and President Fadi Chehadé (http://www.icann.org), Board Chair Dr. Stephen Crocker, and Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement for Africa Pierre Dandjinou at a news conference on Monday, 15 July - the first day of ICANN’s 47th public meeting in Durban, South Africa.

A recent inductee into the Internet Hall of Fame, Dr. Quaynor has spent two decades promoting the Internet’s growth across the African continent. He will answer questions about the expansion of the Internet in Africa and how increased online access is expanding business potential and information access across the region.

The news conference will also address ICANN’s role in Internet growth and its increased efforts to internationalize the organization.

In addition to taking questions on the global expansion of the Internet, the four will also answer questions on a variety of other ICANN related subjects, ranging from the new expansion of Domain Names to ICANN’s plans to increase its presence in Africa.

Journalists are also encouraged to attend the Welcome Ceremony and President’s Opening Session on Monday, 15 July at 0830.  Dr. Elham Ibrahim, the African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy will be among the speakers. 

Press Release

iHub Research and Research Solutions Africa conducted a 6-month study in 2012 to increase the understanding of usage of mobile services, products, and applications at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) and to understand their potential for economic and social empowerment. With the cost of mobile devices decreasing and such devices increasingly being considered as basic commodities, even amongst the BoP, iHub Research was commissioned by infoDev to conduct a follow-up study with a small sample of Kenyans living on less than $2.5 USD/day to better understand how they use their mobile phones for work-related activities and to earn a living. 

More Details on their Site

Tech360 Correspondent 

Tefo Mohapi, Head: Business Development and Public Relations at KasiMP3.

From April to June 2013 the South African music platform almost doubled its unique visitors from 279,000 in April to just over 500,000 in June.

Information

South African music platform for music artists, KasiMp3, received more than 500,000 unique visitors for the month of June 2013. This is a growth of more than 80 percent when compared with the number of unique visitors in April 2013.

KasiMp3 has also managed to attract over 50,000 music artists from across the world to publish their songs on the platform and it remains committed to providing a platform focused on uplifting music artists. The bulk of the music artists currently hosting and promoting their music through the platform currently come from Africa, with South Africa and Nigeria having the most number of artists on the platform.

Apart from helping up and coming music artists promote their work, KasiMP3 has paid out numerous music artists royalties for the music they host on the platform despite the music being available for free to download by their fans.

Also KasiMp3, being a platform that aims to uplift music artists, has a ZERO TOLERANCE approach towards music piracy (i.e. copyright infringement). To date the South African platform has not received a single copyright infringement complaint in 2013 and has implemented strict processes that prohibit the uploading of songs whose copyright is owned by a person or entity other than the person uploading them.

Quotes

“It has been an incredible 3 months of growth for us. We appreciate and are thankful that so many music artists around the world trust us as a platform for promoting their music. This is not only evident in the number of artists registered on KasiMp3 but the numerous messages we receive on e-mail and social media daily.” 

“As a platform we remain committed to uplifting music artists and will continue to introduce new features to helping them with this. We also have implemented several features on our back-end to ensure that we clamp down on illegal uploads onto KasiMp3” added Tefo Mohapi

Mokgethwa Mapaya, Founder of KasiMp3 said “We encourage copyright owners to send us their DMCA takedown requests, as it is within their rights to do so as provided by the law. We will treat every case as an urgent matter."

About KasiMP3

KasiMP3 is a South African music startup that aims to help music artists earn royalties by making their music available for free download.

Music artists can register on KasiMP3 for free and upload their MP3 file (provided they have full copyright to the music on the file). They then have the ability to share their MP3 download link (e.g. E-mail, Facebook, Twitter) and earn royalties for each free MP3 download of their song/s.

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