Author: Victor Adar

BY VICTOR ADAR Rosemarie Anyango Omondi has been creating jewelry using bones, beads and brass since 2015. Her passion has grown so much that today she designs and creates pure leather handbags as well as bespoke accessories. And the forces of the market tends to work in her favour, more so given that her collections comprise of accessories which are hand crafted and sourced in Kenya. Over the last five years Ms Omondi has grown Zanta Adeyde from simple startup to become one of the familiar Kenyan brands in accessories. Indeed, when you give alternative advantage to customers while offering…

By VICTOR ADAR Kenya’s gaming tech start-up, Usiku Games has launched a made-in-Africa video conferencing system that will enable users enjoy calls with unlimited attendees, at more affordable prices. Dubbed Gumzo, a Swahili word that means chatting, the service is free for users to attend meetings, and only costs Sh100 per week for those who want to host their own meetings. Users are able to pay via Mpesa. The web-based Gumzo system is also one of the most secure platforms with all calls encrypted ensuring that users’ calls are private and protected. To avoid the problem of “Zoom Bombing”, which…

BY VICTOR ADAR Imagine your relationship hits the rocks. The father of your child allegedly makes it clear that he would no longer support your baby. It reaches a point where you might be back to factory setting and even feel that your aspirations are crushed. Because you are not financially well-heeled, it is, therefore, critical to go back to your parents place and start all over again. One day, Irene Oduor was on this lonely path. Safety net, though, was her dad who catered for her first three months rent, looked for a vacant house and asked her to…

BY VICTOR ADAR Many are generally hopeful that what they venture in will bear fruits. As always the case, you only hear of the pitfalls when things turn horribly wrong. But in the midst of those challenges, Alex Owiti would be one novel Kenyan to learn some tactics from. Quite focused, he seems to lead the pack in public relations and communications space. Mr Owiti’s career started after a few years in the mainstream media as a journalist. One day he took a bold step from the defunct Kenya Times and joined Gina Din Corporate Communications, a local PR agency…

Invest in Africa, IIA, is a Pan-African, private sector-led initiative working to empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the continent to create jobs. Since 2016, the platform has grown in leaps and bounds with over 2,400 SMEs and 245 women in business registered; supporting over 47,000 jobs; with more than Sh300M contracts won by SMEs through the platform. The organization’s country director spoke to NBM’s Victor Adar on achievements, opportunities, and what goes into business partnerships. Is there room for growth of SMEs? We believe that SMEs are the catalyst for the social and economic development of Africa and…

BY NBM WRITER As Stima Sacco performance in 2019 improved, shareholders will benefit from a Sh2.3 billion payout in dividends and interests on deposits. The Sacco’s board of directors recommended payment of a first and final dividend of 14% per share on fully paid up shares as at December 31 last year, and interest rebates on members’ deposit at the rate of 10.5% for the year under review. The society’s national chairperson Rebecca Miano is enthusiastic about the significant improvement on brand equity. She said, while speaking at the 46th Annual General Meeting at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies…

BY VICTOR ADAR A majority of individuals found themselves working from home and are only required to report to work when necessary thanks to Covid-19 pandemic. This sudden occurrence has seemingly led to a surge on the number of people seeking for ways to make the stay home order possible and fun. As the masses await this cloud to pass while trying to be safe, companies are going to need a good strategy to stay relevant and at least bounce back easily once things go back to normal. In response, Kenya’s mobile games company, Usiku Games, has free-rated its fees on…

BY VICTOR ADAR In 2000, when Anna Nichol Wanyee founded Revodesign Studios while still residing in a small city in the Bay Area called Tracy, Northern California, there was a remarkable window of opportunity. The reason Ms Wanyee started the company was because deep down her heart it was a daily struggle to go to her work place, Expo Design Centre. Besides heavy traffic, she says, the distance to main road was just too far and it would take her four hours to and from work. Starting a business made sense. “We started with interior design and specialised in doing…

BY VICTOR ADAR Managing a successful business in this age of technology and innovation is a challenging task, especially with the cutthroat competition and harsh economic environment in nearly all industries. As you work towards breaking even, you need to raise your head high and look above your shoulder to see if in the long run things will go according to plan. Times and attitudes change like opinion polls, and most probably, Hotpoint Appliances is one distributor and retailer that has always embraced this phenomenon of the changing world. The company started from the humble beginnings of a small shop.…

Are digital lenders genuinely solving the issue of financial inclusion? BY VICTOR ADAR You no longer have to visit a brick and mortar bank to fill forms in order to access a credit facility. Through online portals or mobile apps, consumers can key in details like real names, monthly income, and identification number to get loans. Some digital lenders even validate potential borrowers based on their social media accounts. As if that is not enough, depending with your score and the app in question, a good credit history alone can qualify you for the facility in a matter of minutes. …