Africa In Focus

Africa In Focus: "The mainstream thinking now is that Africa is different and we could get it right if we want. The choice is fully ours, and it is now time for us to define what we want."

African Development Bank (AFDB) President, Dr. Donald Kaberuka.

Thursday 31 January 2013

MasterCard Study Reveals African Cities Economic Growth Potential




Accra, Lusaka and Luanda, the capital cities of Ghana, Zambia and Angola respectively, have been identified as the Sub-Saharan African cities that have the highest potential for growth over the next five years, according to the  MasterCard African Cities Growth Index. As the entire African continent with its population of over 1 billion people is going through a fundamental transformation, this new Index puts a spotlight on the economic and human factors driving urban growth over the next five years.

The Index, produced on behalf of MasterCard by Professor George Angelopulo of the University of South Africa (UNISA), was launched today at the second Africa Knowledge Forum hosted by MasterCard in Johannesburg, convening thought leaders from academic, business and government sectors. The Forum explores how cities across Africa are playing an increasingly important role in driving national and regional growth, how they need to compete on the global stage in order to attract inward investment, and how these cities urgently need to manage their natural and human resources more effectively as they grow.

The MasterCard African Cities Growth Index was developed in the final quarter of 2012 and analysed 19 cities across Sub-Saharan Africa ranking them according to their growth potential between 2012 and 2017. The Index rankings were developed from published historical and projected data on typical factors that impact cities’ growth rates, including: economic data, governance levels, ease of doing business, infrastructure and human development factors, and population growth levels.

Of the 19 researched cities, Accra, the capital city of Ghana, was ranked as having the highest growth potential, followed by Lusaka and Luanda, that were both identified as having medium-high growth potential.

“Some of the key reasons for Accra emerging as a high growth city include: its gross domestic product per capita growth over the past three years, its projected population and household consumption growth, its strong regulatory environment, and the relative ease of doing business in this city, compared to other African cities,” said Professor Angelopulo.While many of these larger and more established cities offer the expected potential for growth, other less prominent ones are quietly establishing themselves as those with even higher growth potential. This is primarily due to high scores on accelerated growth factors that include health, education, governance, infrastructure development, and the ease of doing business in those cities.

Johannesburg, although already a strong economic powerhouse city in Africa, achieved lower scores in certain categories as a result of lower growth expectations due to its relative maturity when compared to other African cities. For example, the expected growth of the middle class population is higher from cities such as Accra and Luanda than it is for Johannesburg, which has seen a growing middle class since the change of government in 1994.

Explaining why MasterCard chose to develop this new Index specifically for Africa, Michael Miebach, president, MasterCard Middle East and Africa says, “Africa is a region where the lines between the developed and developing worlds are dissipating owing to various economic, demographic and technological factors. Most of these factors have been associated with the increased urbanization of the continent. Therefore, understanding the long-term growth potential of Africa’s cities, and the resultant increase in African urban consumers, has never been as important.”

“We are committed to understanding the needs and challenges that consumers, businesses and financial institutions face as we partner with local stakeholders to enable economic growth through the increased adoption of electronic payments. African nations have taken the lead in moving toward a world beyond cash that is also a world of greater financial inclusion and economic empowerment,” said Miebach.

He noted that, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the urban population of Africa is expected to triple by 2050 to 1.23 billion (from 395 million in 2009), by which time 60% of all Africans will be living in cities or urban areas.

“This growth in urbanization, combined with the fact that the center of global economic gravity is shifting to dynamic emerging markets such as those found in Africa, means that the continent’s cities will play a much bigger role in driving the economic growth of their respective countries,” Miebach continued.

Harare (Zimbabwe), Kano (Nigeria), Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), and Khartoum (Sudan) were deemed to have the lowest growth potential of the 19 cities examined in the study.
Although these cities scored well in some categories, such as the overall health index and the levels of foreign direct investment, their potential for growth was negatively impacted by low scores in areas such as their political and regulatory environments, lower historical economic growth and the challenges of doing business.

“One of Africa’s key economic and social challenges is how its cities attract significant inward investment by being  globally competitive, serving as magnets for investment and growth, hot-spots of innovation and, most importantly, developing attractive and thriving business environments,” concludes Professor Angelopulo.

Mango Airline launches Service on iPad and iPhone App




Mango, a South Africa low-cost airline, has become the first domestic carrier to offer an App on the Apple platform. The app which was launched by the airline on Wednesday will be made available across most other mobile platforms during the next couple of months. In October last year, it launched an airline mobisite with a booking functionality.
Users will be able to book, pay, change flights, receive updated airline communication and participate in promotions among others functions. An information wallet will also allow users to store generic travel detail for future ease-of-use.

“In line with our strategy to make air travel more accessible to South Africans, we have added mobile platforms to our already extensive distribution channel bouquet,” says CEO Nico Bezuidenhout. Mango has the widest distribution and payment network in the domestic aviation industry.
Mango Low-cost Airline South Africa
“The response to the launch of our mobi-site last year indicated the growing need for mobile accessibility,” continues Bezuidenhout. “With the exceptionally high penetration of mobile technology in South Africa as well as an increase in bandwidth and the proliferation of ancillary devices such as tablets, we anticipate access by a new market segment of approximately four million new customers.”

Since the launch of its mobi-site, Mango has logged in excess of 30 000 flight queries via the platform. Currently usage via Apple platforms dominates device types used, ranking at 60% of enquiry volume.

Bezuidenhout says that Mango will continue to invest substantially in technology as it has over the past 24 months with further plans afoot to launch additional innovative products and services. 

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Advancing Africa Digitally: Bluegrass Digital To Expand To West Africa


                                           

From London to Lagos. Bluegrass Digital, a London born, Cape Town based digital agency is bridging the gap between South and West Africa. Experts in website technology, development, online marketing and forward thinking, Bluegrass have now set their sights on the West after working on exciting digital projects in collaboration with various ad agencies in Nigeria. The most recent being the creation of a microsite for Dettol using one of the world’s leading content management systems, Umbraco, developing a mini flash game for Morteins andMobile Money banners for Stanbic Bank.

“A huge opportunity exists in Africa as an emerging digital market”, says Bluegrass Operations Director, Mark Hawkins. Digital spend increased by 58% in 2012 and is expected to increase this year, most notably in the home and mobile sectors. Interestingly enough, although South Africa’s mobile internet penetration is 70%, its desktop internet penetration is only 11% compared to that of Nigeria where both mobile and desktop penetration are over 20%.”

Mark adds, “There’s demand for digital services as countries like Ghana and Nigeria need to outsource work internationally because there aren’t many digital agencies with the skills to provide a specialised service locally.”

The Great Trek

Bluegrass Digital is looking to broaden their business reach into Africa via a trip to Ghana in May this year. The expedition is looking to include five to ten local Cape Town businesses with a desire to tap into the West African market. The mission’s aim is to gather knowledge and begin building business relationships with the ultimate goal to attract new partner agencies and business in West Africa.

Managing Director, Nicholas Durrant says, “As the internet is continuously growing, we understand the need to grow with it and that means identifying emerging online markets and helping these grow too.”

iROKOtv Launches Mobile App on Nokia Lumia





iROKOtv App on Lumia fb timeline_1.jpgWorld’s largest online distributor of Nigerian movies, iROKOtv, has announced the launch of a brand new mobile app for the platform, in an exclusive partnership with global phone manufacturer, Nokia. The app has been designed to give Nollywood fans and iROKOtv PLUS subscribers access to Nollywood movies on the go, and will be accessible on the Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 8.

The iROKOtv mobile app is designed to give Nokia customers, Nollywood fans and iROKOtv PLUS subscribers access to their favourite movies and will be available for free on the Nokia Windows Phone 8 devices for the first three months, when users sign-up. The mobile app is available to Nokia customers who already have a subscription on iROKOtv PLUS.

According to iROKO Partners, the app is built with the same functionality as www.irokotv.com, allowing users to have total control over their viewing experience and the ability to search the catalogue of thousands of movies by genre and actor, as well as select movies to ‘watch later’.

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In addition to the menu on the app, the Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 8 provides customers with a number of additional features to give them a host of extras that include behind-the-scenes films from movie sets, interviews with Nollywood stars and additional news and gossip from the world of entertainment.

According to the Head of Business Development for iROKO Partners, Africa, Adibeli Nduka-Agwu “The iROKOtv app is a fantastic addition to the 'Nokia Collections within the Widows Phone Store'. Content is king, access is key and this app encapsulates this perfectly; awesome content, available on-demand, accessible on a mobile phone. Nollywood at your fingertips, wherever you are.

“The partnership with Nokia is an extremely exciting development for us. They are global leaders in the tech and mobile device sectors for emerging markets, with a dominant presence in Nigeria and West Africa. This combined with their considerable expertise and enthusiasm in promoting African content, is why we are delighted with this collaboration,” she added.

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Speaking on the development, Head, Ecosystem Developer Experience (EDX), Nokia West Africa, Teemu Kiijärvi said the iROKOtv app is one of the more interesting additions to the Nokia Lumia device, which lovers of Nollywood will very much appreciate.

“We are happy that this is coming first on the Lumia device using the Windows8 OS. This is one of the ways through which Nokia is championing and encouraging the development of local apps in the region and Nigeria as well. Aside from the serious work, users of the Lumia windows phone 8 who have a subscription on iROKOtv PLUS can access the website to get the latest news in Nollywood and also the latest movies and have some form of entertainment even while on the go”, he said.

The partnership extends to iROKO Partners’ music site, iROKING, the leading platform for African music. Nokia Asha users will also have access to over 35,000 tracks from 400+ recording artistes anytime, anywhere via Nokia Browser.

Online Security: Kaspersky Ranks Africa Low



The Director, Global Research and Analysis, Kasperky Lab, Mr. Costin Raiu, has rated Africa very low in the area of online security, saying the continent is not at par with developed nations.

“Compared to first world countries, Africa is not at par with online security; and, this certainly needs to change, as more broadband is being made available throughout the continent. It is for this reason that Kaspersky Lab is so passionate about educating the African market about cyber security, to ensure that such activity can be reduced and that consumers and businesses are equipped with the right tools and know-how to protect themselves from falling victims to cybercriminals,” Raiu said in an interview.

kaspersky coupon
In his opinion, increase in the availability of broadband in the continent would lead to increase in online threats.

Raiu said “There is no way of predicting how many viruses’ we can expect for 2013, however, from past experience, 2013 will no doubt continue to see more viruses being developed and discovered.”

He however said that there are precautionary steps consumers can take to protect themselves from malware and viruses, and falling victims to cybercriminal activity.

“First and most importantly, consumers must always be aware of the realities of malware and viruses. For example consumers must never click on hyperlinks within emails that look suspicious or that they do not recognise. Additionally, mobile device and Internet users should also take the necessary steps to ensure that the devices they utilise to access the Internet are protected with the right security software, for example, Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 or Kaspersky Mobile Security. Installing an effective security solution can give the user peace of mind and the protection they require.

BASA Education Programme Partners Etana To Launch Workshops




Business and Arts South Africa has long supported and taken the lead in arts education as part of its commitment to sustainability in the sector.

Now, in 2013, BASA unveils a comprehensive programme of education, training and upskilling, aimed at emerging and established arts organisations.

Known as the BASA Education Programme, the comprehensive initiative is supported by BASA member Etana.

It includes several of BASA’s long-running programmes including BASA Basics, BASA Mentorship and BASA BoardBank, whilst adding in a focused BASA Workshops programme. The 2013 BASA Education Programme now forms the basis for business volunteerism in the arts, with BASA’s corporate members and the wider business community providing the expertise, skills and knowledge to arts organisations through the programme.

The BASA Education Programme, supported by Etana, is also set to expand BASA’s footprint with many more regional events planned in 2013, including in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal and other provinces.

“Over the past few years we have developed a number of programmes and workshops that are aimed at all levels of arts organisations – from the basics to the board,” comments BASA CEO Michelle Constant.
BASA Supporting Grants
“The BASA Education Programme now puts these together in a comprehensive way that allows arts organisations to access elements of the programme according to their needs. We’re very grateful that Etana has joined us in presenting such a wide-ranging programme and expanding our reach to more parts of the country.”

“We energetically support BASA in their program because art is the very heart and soul of any country and its people and in South Africa our population is beautifully diverse. That diverse creativity needs to be supported and mentored so the creators can be financially self-sufficient and as strongly independent as possible,” says Josie Holley, Etana’s head of brand and the BASA partnership.

The BASA Education programme, supported by Etana encompasses BASA’s complete offering in the area of education, training and upskilling of the arts. The aim of the programme is to enable South African arts organisations to move towards sustainability as well as work more effectively with business in the areas of sponsorship and CSI.

The core of the BASA Education programme, supported by Etana is several successful BASA initiatives. These include BASA Basics, which aims to assist emerging and grassroots arts organisations to develop the structures and processes that can attract funding and become sustainable; the BASA Mentorship Programme which works with registered arts organisations and matches them with mentors who are able to advise on business plans and objectives and the BASA Boardbank which engages with business professionals who are interested in joining arts organisations’ Boards.

The BASA Education programme, supported by Etana, kicks off in 2013 with a series of workshops across the country. The workshop programme starts in February in Johannesburg with four workshops that cover Project Management, Corporate Sponsorship, Social Media and Marketing.



February Workshops:

Saturday February 9 - Project Management
Facilitator – Modise Moiloanyane, Management Consultant, KPMG
Have you ever wondered why your last Art project was a huge headache? It’s simply because the project was not properly managed and planning was inadequate. Come join us to learn how you can use project management techniques for the success of your future Arts project.

Tuesday February 12 – Corporate Sponsorship
Facilitator – Bandile Mngoma, Sponsorship & Events Manager, Old Mutual
Bandile Mngoma will outline some of the objectives of corporate sponsorship in the arts through marketing and sponsorship spends, as well as highlight key elements needed in making the sponsorship approach – all with the outcome of a mutually beneficial relationship

Thursday, February 28 – Marketing (morning session)
Facilitator – Pippa Kapelus, Freedthinkers
Knowing and connecting with markets.
Social Media (afternoon session)
Facilitator – Tara Turkington, Flow Communications
Acquiring the skills and knowledge to best use social media as a marketing tool.


To register or for more information on venues and times contact: Jessica Dennison - 
info@basa.co.za


Monday 28 January 2013

South African President, Jacob Zuma: Africa Is Rising




Jacob ZumaThe world gathered in Davos, Switzerland this past week, for the World Economic Forum 2013 annual meeting.

South Africa was well-represented at the Forum by government and the private sector, and together we set out to market our beautiful country which has so many positive attributes.

While the audiences were warmly receptive to our message, we could not help but notice the subconscious prejudice against our beautiful continent, although this may have been unintended.

For example, the first session I participated in, was a panel discussion entitled; "De-risking Africa; What are African leaders doing to mitigate investment risks?"

This means Africa is still considered as an investment risk!

Fortunately fellow panellists and the audience agreed that viewing Africa as a risk was an erroneous exaggeration. Doing business can be a risk in any part of the world as recent developments in the developed North have indicated.

The reality is that Africa is becoming a remarkable success story. In 2010, six of the world's ten fastest growing economies were in Africa, and seven African countries are expected to be in the top 10 over the next five years.

Africa's output is expected to expand by 50% by 2015. Africa's GDP per capita stood at US$1,630 in 2010.

It is expected to increase to US$2,200 by 2015, at a real annual growth rate of 5.7%, resulting in a 30% rise in the continent's spending power.

Africa's consumer sectors - goods, telecom and banking, amongst others - present the largest opportunity and are already growing two to three times faster than those countries belonging to the OECD.

The rate of return on foreign investment in Africa is higher than in any other region in the world. This is not surprising given the competitive edge of the continent.

Africa's advantages include its extraordinary mineral wealth and agricultural potential. It has a young working population and a growing middle class with considerable and growing purchasing power.

Almost each African country has been working hard, introducing wide-ranging measures that improve the climate for investment - both foreign and domestic.

Currently we encourage foreign investment in the massive infrastructure programme that we have embarked upon in Africa.

This includes the programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa and the Presidential Infrastructure Champions Initiative, with the flagship programme being the North-South Corridor, which South Africa has the honour to champion.

Domestically in South Africa, we have an infrastructure programme in place that will cost at least four trillion rand in the next 15 years. The continent is growing and is on the move.

Under the auspices of the AU we have launched an ambitious programme towards continental integration. As a first step, we have made considerable progress in the Tripartite Initiative that draws together countries of Eastern and Southern Africa.

By 2015 we expect to establish a free trade area amongst these countries, combining the markets of 26 countries with a population of nearly 600 million people and a combined GDP of US$1 trillion.

Importantly, this will form the basis for an Africa-wide Free Trade Area, which could create a single market of US$2.6 trillion.

It is important to emphasise that the so-called "risks'' in investing Africa are often more perception than reality.

When Moody's analyzed the performance of 20 years of project finance loans, accounting for about 45 percent of all projects financed since 1983, they found that only one project out of 92 in Africa had defaulted.

Estimates from the African Development Bank suggest that companies participating in infrastructure investments in Africa can earn commercial rates of return from 5 to 10 percent in the water sector, 17 to 25 percent in the power sector and 25 to 30 percent in telecoms. Across sectors, infrastructure investments average returns of between 15 and 20 percent.

In fact, returns on foreign investment in African infrastructure are higher than in any other developing region. African independent power projects, for example, have earned their investors internal rates of return of up to 25 percent, compared with 15 percent in Latin America and 12 percent in Eastern Europe.

There is a lot more that is happening in the continent, for example the many conflict resolution and peacemaking missions.

Africa must systematically share its positive stories and deal with these negative perceptions and stereotyping.

Sadly, in many of the foreign forums that we participate in, some of the people who are most critical and negative about Africa, at times, tend to be Africans. North Americans or Europeans are battling economically currently but when their nationals speak anywhere in the world, they talk positively in a manner that says the problems are being solved.

We definitely need a new mindset in Africa and also in South Africa, a renewed patriotism and love of the continent and its people. I agreed to a suggestion by the South African business delegation at a meeting with South African business in Davos, that there should be a government-business lekgotla soon to tackle all issues relating to promoting economic development. At this session we will be able to work out a programme of the implementation of the NDP and discuss other major programmes of government.

The meeting will also assist to iron out any possible misconceptions.
Our country needs such an intensive dialogue.

From the 26-28th January, we are gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the 20th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. The summit, taking place in the 50th year of the Organisation for African Unity, provides an opportunity to re-assert Africa's position in the world.

We are proud of being part of this continent and will continue playing our role in its development and positioning in world affairs.

From Davos to Addis Ababa, we communicate one message, that Africa is rising and is a continent of hope. Africa has a bright future.


Davos:NasdaqOMX Group To Power New East Africa Exchange (EAX)




The NasdaqOMX Group has been selected to provide the technology for the new East Africa Exchange (EAX), which is due to rollout in Q3 2013, and has been actively pitching for business today at the World Economic Forum’s Davos meeting in Switzerland.

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, and stakeholders Nicolas Berggruen of Berggruen Holdings and Wiebe Boer of Heirs Holdings, plus Jendayi Frazer of 50 Ventures, all presented the plans for the new East Africa Exchange today at 4:30pm at a Davos press conference. The other stakeholder in the private initiative, Ngali Holdings, was not present.
Nicolas Berggruen, the founder and president of Berggruen Holdings, said that: "A transparent, modern exchange will make investment much more likely. Agriculture is key to Africa's prosperity, and so aiding the flow of information and finance within the agricultural sector will be especially helpful."

Nasdaq OMX, Egyptian Exchange Extend Technology DealNasdaqOMX will deliver its widely deployed X-stream technology solution to power the trading and clearing activities for equities and derivatives – particularly farming and commodities derivatives – on the nascent exchange, which is based in Kigali, Rwanda. It was selected ahead of a number of other global exchange technology providers in a competitive tendering process.

Through private sector led investment and under the terms of an agreement signed with the government of Rwanda, the East Africa Exchange aims to increase regional market efficiency and liquidity, as well as giving the region's population of 130 million people, especially smallholder farmers in the area, better access to international markets. The exchange will initially focus on establishing an auction facility and spot trading for agriculture and non-agriculture commodities, but will also develop futures trading across the East Africa Community region.

Commenting on the contract win, Lars Ottersgård, senior vice president and head of market technology at NasdaqOMX, said: "This is a significant honour for us to be chosen to help launch a new exchange in Africa. As the East Africa Exchange grows and expands its vision for greater market efficiency, liquidity and transparency, we are dedicated to supporting its efforts through our proven trading and clearing technology."

NasdaqOMX's X-stream trading technology is currently used by over 25 exchanges globally. Just last week, NasdaqOMX announced plans to build a technology powerhouse as part of the company’s plans to decrease its reliance on declining trading volumes for its profits. The East Africa Exchange technology provision is just one small part of its plans.

New Zealand Creates New Council To Enhance Trade Ties With Africa



New Zealand has created a new organisation, New Zealand Africa Business Council, to promote trade ties between it and African nations.
The new council currently has 15 members and they are already planning to hold an event that will give their country and African business people the chance to network together.
The council will be officially launched at an event in Auckland on February 5 and it will have a number of Canberra-based African High Commissioners in attendance.
New_Zealand_flag_1024x768      According to Chris Jones, the chairman of the newly formed New Zealand Africa Business Council and the chief executive of Auckland-based Mobilis Networks, which has supplied software for mobile networks across more than a dozen African countries including Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania and Kenya; one of the group's main aims was to highlight the opportunities that exist for Kiwi businesses from Cape Town to Cairo.
"Certain countries in Africa are challenging, but it's certainly one of the growth areas that present a massive opportunity. The whole goal of the council is to encourage trade," Jones said.
He said New Zealand companies in the IT, energy - especially geothermal - and primary sectors were particularly well-placed to do business in Africa.
According to the International Monetary Fund, seven of the world's 10 fastest growing economies between 2011 and 2015 will be African nations. The African nations include Ethiopia (8.1%), Mozambique (7.7%), Tanzania (7.2 %), Congo (7 %), Ghana (7 %), Zambia (6.9 %) and  Nigeria (6.8 %).

 New Zealand Herald reported that New Zealand exports to Algeria, South Africa and Nigeria are now worth close to $1 billion.

Thursday 24 January 2013

Strategy Analytics: Smartphone Shipments Grew By 43 % Annually





A latest research from global, independent research and consulting firm, Strategy Analytics, has revealed that global smartphone shipments grew 43 percent annually to reach a record 700 million units in 2012. Samsung was the star performer, capturing 30 percent marketshare worldwide and extending its lead over Apple and Nokia.
Neil Shah, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, "Global smartphone shipments grew 38 percent annually from 157.0 million units in Q4 2011 to 217.0 million in Q4 2012. Global smartphone shipments for the full year reached a record 700.1 million units in 2012, increasing robustly from 490.5 million units in 2011. Global shipment growth slowed from 64 percent in 2011 to 43 percent in 2012 as penetration of smartphones began to mature in developed regions such as North America and Western Europe."
Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "Samsung shipped a record 213.0 million smartphones worldwide and captured 30 percent marketshare in 2012. This was the largest number of units ever shipped by a smartphone vendor in a single year, beating Nokia's previous all-time record when it shipped 100.1 million units during 2010. Despite tough competition in stores and courtrooms, Samsung continued to deliver numerous hit models, from the high-end Galaxy Note2 phablet to the mass-market Galaxy Y. Apple grew a healthy 46 percent annually and shipped 135.8 million smartphones worldwide for 19 percent marketshare in 2012, broadly flat from the 19 percent level recorded in 2011. Apple had a strong year in developed regions like North America, but this was offset partly by its limited presence in high-growth emerging markets such as Africa."
                                                Smartphone Unlocking Illegal
Linda Sui, Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added, "Samsung and Apple together accounted for half of all smartphones shipped worldwide in 2012. Large marketing budgets, extensive distribution channels and attractive product portfolios have enabled Samsung and Apple to tighten their grip on the smartphone industry. The growth of Samsung and Apple has continued to impact Nokia. Nokia retained its position as the world's third largest smartphone vendor for full-year 2012, but its global marketshare has dropped sharply from 16 percent to five percent during the past year. Nokia's Windows Phone portfolio has improved significantly in recent months, with new models like the Lumia 920, but we believe the vendor still lacks a true hero model in its range that can be considered an Apple iPhone or Samsung S3 killer."
Exhibit 1: Global Smartphone Vendor Shipments and Market Share in Q4 2012 (1)
 
 
        Global Smartphone Vendor Shipments (Millions of Units)     Q4 '11    2011  Q4 '12    2012
        ------------------------------------------------------     ------  ------  ------  ------
        Samsung                                                      36.5    97.4    63.0   213.0
        Apple                                                        37.0    93.0    47.8   135.8
        Nokia                                                        19.6    77.3     6.6    35.0
        Others                                                       63.9   222.8    99.6   316.3
        ------------------------------------------------------     ------  ------  ------  ------
        Total                                                       157.0   490.5   217.0   700.1
        ======================================================     ======  ======  ======  ======
        Global Smartphone Vendor Marketshare %                     Q4 '11    2011  Q4 '12    2012
        ------------------------------------------------------     ------  ------  ------  ------
        Samsung                                                     23.2%   19.9%   29.0%   30.4%
        Apple                                                       23.6%   19.0%   22.0%   19.4%
        Nokia                                                       12.5%   15.8%    3.0%    5.0%
        Others                                                      40.7%   45.4%   45.9%   45.2%
        ------------------------------------------------------     ------  ------  ------  ------
        Total                                                      100.0%  100.0%  100.0%  100.0%
        ======================================================     ======  ======  ======  ======
        Total Growth Year-over-Year %                               55.9%   63.8%   38.2%   42.7%
        
 
 
To read more on the report, click here: http://tinyurl.com/9djv7u8 .
SOURCE: Strategy Analytics


Tuesday 22 January 2013

Jobberman Makes Funke Akindele Brand Ambassador For A Year




In its pursuit for excellence, West Africa’s leading jobsite,  Jobberman.com has signed on Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele using the Jenifa character as the face of the brand for one year.

This is to reach the large young population in Nigeria and West Africa at large, reaching out to a new set of people who are not aware of the usefulness and aptness of its services on the access to job opportunities they can enjoy, a statement released by the company said..

Funke Akindele, the AMAA Best Actress 2009, who is also known as Jenifa affirms the fact that being a youth ambassador, the jenifa brand shares the vision of Jobberman as it is about youth empowerment and talent development. The two brands have therefore teamed up to achieve their set goal on talent related opportunities and employment.

Recently, listed amongst the top 50 Job websites in the world by Designore, a design development firm in the USA; Jobberman has firmly placed its feet on the international jobs industry tackling the economic problem of unemployment. Named as West Africa's most popular jobs board and ranked as the #8 in the Top 20 tech start ups in Africa, by Forbes; Jobberman has clearly mapped out a significant path in Africa.

Jobberman.com is known for easing job search and access to job market information, opening the door to job opportunities. It advertises job vacancies for free and provides active jobseekers with the best opportunities to get jobs in Nigeria.

Established in August 2009, and has since its inception made waves in the industry, having processed over 2 million applications with over 600,000 users and 4000 companies (ranging from start-ups to fully established companies in Nigeria) on its platform.

LeapFrog, ARM Partners To Boost CrystaLife





Leading emerging markets fund LeapFrog Investments today announced a strategic partnership with Nigeria's largest non-bank financial company, Asset and Resource Management Company Limited (ARM). Further to ARM's recent acquisition of a majority stake in CrystaLife Assurance Plc, the partnership's ambitious aim is to make CrystaLife, currently the sixth largest life insurer in Nigeria, the industry leader in Africa's most populous nation.
"Africa's time has come," said LeapFrog founder Dr. Andrew Kuper. "It is the place for investors to find top-tier returns, and make an enormous difference too. The accelerated growth and increased stability over the past ten years is nothing short of phenomenal. The world is just beginning to understand that Africa is home to hundreds of millions of consumers, workers and entrepreneurs. They are actively acquiring products and services, lifting families and nations out of poverty."
                                              Leapfrog Investments expected to invest Rs 137 Crore in Microfinance and Microinsurance Companies logo
LeapFrog's support, drawing on its extensive team of insurance experts and actuaries, is expected to help CrystaLife to cover millions of Nigerians, tapping the vast opportunity of Africa's emerging consumers. CrystaLife intends to expand its successful group life insurance offering and to develop a new retail offering.
The IMF estimates that real GDP growth in sub-Saharan Africa has averaged 5.4% annually over the past five years. Foreign direct investment in the continent has grown by over 20% each year, pushing Africa's share of the world's investment to almost a quarter.  Even in this context, Nigeria has been an outperformer at an average 7% growth for the past decade. With 162 million inhabitants, it is also Africa's most populous nation. 
McKinsey reports that around 90 million African households had joined the world's consuming classes by 2011, meaning that almost 500 million Africans now have the means to pay for critical financial tools. However, nearly 110 million people in Nigeria alone still lack access to financial services, presenting a significant challenge and opportunity. Over 60% of the current retail market in Nigeria is underserved by vital financial services.
"Nigeria is one of the continent's jewels. We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with ARM, a reputed and fast-growing leader in financial services in the country" said LeapFrog partner Dominic Liber, who leads the fund's work in Nigeria. In Africa, the fund has previously made investments in insurance providers across Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Mrs Oluseyi Ifaturoti, CrystaLife Managing Director and CEO concluded: "The market opportunity for insurance in Nigeria has grown rapidly, requiring businesses to rethink product design, pricing, and distribution strategies to effectively reach the increasing pool of potential customers. LeapFrog's extensive experience building insurers in emerging markets will help CrystaLife seize the moment, stimulating significant growth in both value and reach."
Launched in 2008 with President Bill Clinton, LeapFrog Investments recently won the Investor of the Year award from Business Insider and the Sustainable Investor of the Year special commendation award from the Financial Times and IFC.

On the other hand, Asset & Resource Management Company Limited, ARM, is the largest non-bank financial services provider in Nigeria, and has emerged as one of the leading long-term investors in Nigeria, managing assets of $2.5 billion. The ARM Group supplies financial and investment products through Asset Management, which includes pension and non-pension retail, wealth and institutional asset management, and Specialized Funds, which includes private equity, hospitality and retail, infrastructure finance and real estate.

NISER: Despite Positive Economic Growth, Poverty Persists In Nigeria



Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) on Tuesday has projected a gloomy picture on the standard of living in the Nigeria.
It said despite the positive economic growth, poverty and income inequality remain prevalent among Nigerians.
Speaking on Tuesday at a national policy dialogue on growth, inequality and poverty in Nigeria, Director General, NISER, Prof. Isreal Taiwo stated that a study conducted by the institute in 18 out of the 36 states of the federation in 2012 indicated that GDP growth had not impacted positively on the lives of the people as poverty and the inequality gap had increased from where it was in previous years.
According to him, “This study covers the entire country and we sampled 18 states out of 36 and we also sampled two local governments in each of the states. The study also included a survey of the Federal Capital Territory.
“From the information collected, we discovered that although the economy is growing, poverty is not reducing and income inequality is also not reducing.”
He said: “That is the evidence that we have and we cannot manipulate the evidence. What we can do is to provide explanations as to why this is happening and the explanation that we can give is that the benefit of growth is not spreading sufficiently to the poor people.”
Taiwo explained that there was need to make technological advancement in order to reverse the trend, adding “We have been focusing on improvements in investment both private and public but we need to develop a technological base in the country, which if developed, will enhance our ability to produce thus making the country grow much faster.”
Nigeria’s labour force participation rate, he observed, was the lowest in the world and needed to be enhanced.
“Our labour force participation rate which is about 50 per cent is one of the lowest in the world needs to be enhanced by bringing more people into the labour market.
“There are a lot of programmes in the system such as the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, National Poverty Eradication Programme, but we don’t have enough information about the poor people that need the programmes and this should be focused on,” he said.