By ROWAN BENN Before the Brexit vote, over 75% of the automotive industry in the UK voted overwhelming to remain in Europe. But since 52% of the UK has voted to exit the E.U. there has been significant speculation about the resulting political upheaval and economic uncertainty of the UK economy. Are we about to witness the decline of the UK car industry or will it ultimately be business as usual for the major manufacturers? Cheaper Car Prices The morning the announcement was made, the pound lost 10% of its value against the world’s key currencies. At the time of…
Author: Editor
Flora Mutahi is the new chairperson for Kenya Association of Manufacturers board, joining a list of the elite club whereby she is taking over from the chief executive of cement maker Athi River Mining, Pradeep Paunrama and will serve for a period of two years. Ms Mutahi, the first ever lady chair person since the association was founded in 1959, has the difficult task of expanding the markets through intra African trade based on three tenets; engage, entrench and expand. As the founder and CEO of Melvin Marsh International, the company behind the popular brand Melvin’s tea, salt, and rice,…
One of the most interesting and active delegations to the just concluded 14th session of UNCTAD in Nairobi was the one from Greece, led by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece, Mr. Dimitris Mardas. The minister had several meetings with the Kenyan authorities including ministries with the target to promote the increase of business activity between the two countries. While speaking in the General Debate about the issue of revising the UN Charter, Mr Mardas touched on the time-consuming bureaucratic overhaul that this decision would cause. In consideration of the 2030 Agenda, Mr Mardas said direct and practical solutions…
It was in the year 2010 when Susan Oguya, Linda Kwamboka and Jamila Abass were at iHub, an innovative centre for app developers so they could help small scale farmers sell their crops through simple mobile phones. The youthful ladies launched the digital start-up after winning the IPO48 competition – a 48-hour boot-camp event aimed at giving web and mobile start-ups a platform to launch their businesses. Of the 37 initial ideas, M-Farm took away $10, 000 prize that they used as capital investment. Although they all have strong backgrounds in Information and Technology, the trio brings on the table…
Multinational companies moving into Africa are looking for supply chain efficiencies that provide market-leading solutions that can optimise balance sheets and the use of working capital, says Standard Bank. According to Kent Marais, head of transactional products & services product management at Standard Bank there is still interest from multinational companies to expand into Africa due to the higher growth rates on offer than elsewhere in the world, but expectations around more sophisticated solutions are much higher than they were in the past. “Many of these multinational companies have been exposed to markets like the US and Asia. This means they expect…
BY JUMIA TRAVEL Most startup owners do not set out so they can sell their business at the finish line, but they often feel the need to eventually, either because they no longer have the means to sustain it, they consider it much more profitable to sell or they want to chase other dreams or develop new ideas. Selling a startup is a big step and one many business owners consider from time to time. Understanding how best to go about the process however is essential. Do a SWOT analysis This entails defining strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your…
L’Oréal has inaugurated its new Research & Innovation Center to study African hair and skin specificities as well as the beauty routines and expectations of sub-Saharan consumers. The Research & Innovation Center in South Africa is the Group’s 7th R&I hub globally. The company hosts product development, evaluation and advanced research teams and will employ scientists from the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, physiology, cosmetology and biochemistry. Speaking at the launch in Johannesburg end of July, Alexandre Popoff, executive vice-president Eastern Europe and Africa, Middle East said “Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the fastest growing regions for L’Oréal. Our new research arm…
The Sh1.5 million from the Just concluded Mount Kenya 3 Peaks Challenge fundraising climb and a subsequent One Stop Nanyuki event will go to the Mount Kenya Horse Patrol Team kitty to support the work they do to protect the northern forests and moorlands of Mount Kenya, organisers of the challenge have said. The money will be split into three categories with the first third going into expansion of the team, purchase of equipment and infrastructural upgrades at the team’s base at Kisima Farm. The second third will be used to cover a shortfall in funding for the operational costs of the Horse…
Securexpo East Africa, Kenya’s primary exhibition for the commercial and homeland security market, it set to grow significantly. The exhibition and conference will take place from November 8 to 10 at the Visa Oshwal Centre and has already substantially increased in size compared to the previous edition. The exhibition is expected to attract 70 local and international exhibitors and 2,500 trade visitors across the three-day exhibition. With already 90% of exhibitors from the previous exhibition having returned, as well as a large amount of new clients confirmed or interested, the exhibition is expected to double in size. The organisers have…
By David Wanjala It was a major milestone for Kenya and other African nations when ‘Maafikiano’, a work plan that will guide the United Nations Centre for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for the next four years was reached in Nairobi last month. Maafikiano gives a central role to UNCTAD in delivering the sustainable development goals and, in the words of its Secretary General Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, UNCTAD can now get on with the business of cutting edge analysis, building political consensus, and providing the necessary technical assistance that will make globalisation and trade work for billions of people in the…