Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers and does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
Verdant Capital (www.Verdant-Cap.com) is pleased to announce a new investment advisory partnership with Invest in Visions GmbH (“IIV”) of Germany. Under the partnership Verdant Capital will, on a pan-African basis, originate, prepare for execution, and monitor investments for IIV’s funds investing in inclusive financial institutions (“IFIs”). These institutions include microfinance banks non-banking financial institutions, credit-only institutions, leasing businesses, innovative or technology-driven credit businesses, as well as commercial banks that credibly serve SMEs.

The partnership with IIV is an important additional pool of capital for Verdant Capital’s Specialist Funds platform. Verdant Capital Specialist Fund’s principal aim is to alleviate the impediments to access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises across the Continent by providing innovative and impactful funding solutions to inclusive financial institutions. Each funding solution targets meaningful financial and social returns. The partnership with IIV, fits alongside the Verdant Capital Invoice Discounting Facility, a USD 30 million facility for financial institutions to grow their SME-focused receivables finance portfolios, and Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund, a USD 100 million fund to invest hybrid capital and subordinated debt into African financial institutions. Verdant Capital is a responsible investor aligned with the globally recognised principles and best practices for impact investing.

https://bit.ly/3yvcK6f

Verdant Capital announces a new partnership to invest in financial inclusion

Edda Schröder, founder and managing director of IIV, describes the newly formed partnership with Verdant Capital as a milestone for IIV’s expansion to Africa. “We are looking forward to working with an experienced advisor like Verdant Capital, who shares our values and fosters impactful funding solutions with social returns. This partnership helps us to further diversify our investment portfolio and expand our impact to African countries.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Verdant Capital.
Contact: Liezel van Greunen
liezel.vangreunen@verdant-cap.com

About Verdant Capital: Verdant Capital is a specialist investment bank and investment manager operating on a pan-African basis. Verdant Capital has exceptional expertise in high impact sectors including inclusive financial institutions&#038;microfinance, fintech, agro-industrial, renewable energy, and telecoms. 
About IIV: Invest in Visions GmbH was founded in 2006 with the aim of providing access to impact investments to institutional and private investors. In addition to financial yields, their funds’ investments also target positive social returns. In addition to microfinance, IIV invests in renewable energy and the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). The investment focus is on newly industrialized and developing countries. Globally, IIV have funds under management in excess of USD 1 billion.

Verdant Capital announces new investment advisory partnership with Invest in Visions of Germany

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The new player allows for shifting languages while users are playing a video; During school holidays, children will continue learning languages while having fun; All services have the KidSafe Seal that guarantees safely online learning for African children.

Telecoming, international monetization tech company, has developed an innovative multi-language feature in all its services addressed to kids in the African market. The new multi-language technology reinforces Telecoming’s digital edutainment commitment and will be available for more than 1,000 multimedia contents.
Technically, the new feature is a player adapted to select different languages. When users are watching a video, they can shift the language at any moment, instantly. This development fosters a better learning experience while playing and consolidates the company SVOD platform in the African digital edutainment industry. Children will be able to change the audio [1] of the most popular characters, at any time and from any device.
All Telecoming services adding this option have the ‘KidSafe Seal’. It is an independent safety certification designed for children-friendly sites that covers online game sites, educational services, mobile apps, tablet devices and other similar online and interactive services. This way, during their summer holidays, African children will be able to continue safely learning with Telecoming contents in the language of their choice.
According to David Murillo, Telecoming Product Director, “this innovative functionality enables us to offer large-scale, impactful educational content among children in the African market. Our edutainment offer already has a remarkable uptake, favouring diversity and multicultural immersion at the same time. In addition, we guarantee parents a safe digital environment for their children”, states Murillo.
The new technological development is another step in a growing and extraordinarily dynamic digital market such as the African one, where Telecoming monetizes digital content since 2015 in partnership with the main mobile operators and the best local content producers.
1. Available languages depending on the region: English / Spanish / Arabic / French / Kiswahili / Luganda / Yoruba / Kikuyu / Luo / Kinyarwanda / Hausa
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Telecoming.
Telecoming’s press contact: Bárbara González barbara@bg10.es M. +34 603 578 654
About Telecoming: Telecoming is an international company deploying a complete suite of technologies for digital services monetization. In a scalable, flexible and secure platform, it integrates seamlessly revenue generation tools based on User Acquisition, User Engagement and Business Optimization. Leader on the economics of digital content since 2008, Telecoming currently operates in 27 countries. The London Stock Exchange has acknowledged the firm as one of the most inspiring European organizations. Moreover, it’s among Europe’s fastest-growing companies, according to Morningstar’s Inc.5,000 ranking. For more information please visit: www.Telecoming.com

Telecoming implements a multi-language feature in all its services for kids

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South African born Avatar Cape Town, a subsidiary of the Avatar Agency Group, triumphed in a hotly contested TECNO global pitch by demonstrating its mantra of ideas that move people against international network agencies in the Europe and APAC. TECNO (www.TECNO-mobile.com) is one of the top 10 largest smartphone brands in the world and one of the largest and most admired on the African continent.

As lead brand agency, Avatar will be spearheading TECNO’s global brand campaign in several countries in South America, Africa, central-Europe, and Asia. The scope of their appointment includes Creative, Digital, Social, Public Relations and Media.
Zibusiso Mkhwanazi, Group CEO of Avatar Agency Group: “World-class people and ideas wins the day. As an agency, we’ve had significant experience developing work for countries outside of our borders, and to be appointed as a global lead agency for TECNO is a giant leap in achieving our vision of building an African-owned agency network. As this is not our first rodeo for work of this magnitude, I believe it opens up significant opportunities to expand our scope of influence with prospective clients and brands around the globe.”
Right team with the right experience
In a category dominated by functional promotion and vanilla messaging, Avatar’s challenge would be to show meaningful differentiation, seeded in brand purpose​. Its multi-market campaign will seek to “liberate customers in the pursuit of their limitless potential​.”
“After much internal deliberations between very compelling proposals, Avatar’s strategy and creative and logical approach are the reasons why we appointed Avatar in a critical time for TECNO in the midst of a global pandemic. Their holistic multi-channel approach in redefining how the TECNO brand will show up was impressive. We are thrilled to have them on board and help us with our brand campaigns.” explains Danni Xu, Chief Marketing Officer for TECNO.
“Having the right team with the right experience was key to the win. It was important to understand the human truth behind the data when looking at the matrix of TECNO customers and this became the foundation of our strategic thinking. We then discovered the target market rituals and connected fused the brand so we could tell the new story of TECNO in a meaningful and compelling way,” adds Mkhwanazi.
World-class capability + local expertise = Global campaign
Following a trail of recent wins like Edgars, Old Mutual, and KFC Add Hope, Avatar is no stranger to managing global accounts. Previously, it was the global agency for South African Airways supporting the Sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia markets, as well as regional agency for Fox Africa Channels.
“Avatar Agency Group is only the largest fully black-owned marketing agency group in South Africa. But there’s still the rest of Africa and the world &#8211; that’s why we improve and try harder, every day,” adds Mkhwanazi. “This win is not only a win for Avatar, but also for every South African-born agency that is looking to break the barriers and vie for a spot on the global stage.”
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of TECNO Mobile.
For media queries, contact: Innocent Dlamini Avatar Public Relations innocent@avataragency.co.za
About Avatar Agency Group: Avatar Agency Group is an award-winning agency founded by Africans for Africans, Avatar is owned by M&#038;N Brands, co-founded by Zibusiso Mkhwanazi who owns a 65% stake in the business and creative veteran, Veli Ngubane who owns 35%.
The Group boasts expertise across its independent agencies, including Avatar Johannesburg, Avatar Cape Town, Avatar DBN, Fresh AF, Avatar PR, Resilience, a B2B growth practice and Avatar Media Agency.

TECNO appoints Avatar Cape Town as its global brand campaign agency in 2021

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers and does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
TECNO&#39;s (www.TECNO-mobile.com) release of its premium flagship PHANTOM X hitting the mid-to-high-end brought no small disturbance. It is not only a major move for TECNO, but also a positive signal for the industry – mid-to-high-end smartphone technology and market has become more mature today, and market demand is likely to spread rapidly to global emerging markets led by TECNO, a global expert dedicated to bring the latest technology and innovative designs to consumers in emerging markets.

The Newest Global Evolvement around “Flagship” and “Premium” 
Looking at today&#39;s mid-to-high-end market, although competition has reached a fever pitch and the market seems to have been divided up, yet changes around “premium” and “flagship” have started long ago.
While each brand is fighting in the flagship market through its own differentiation, the previous method of dividing the high and low end by pure performance or technical parameter stacking has evolved into new set of dimensions including design, details and total user experience, which are now the new fashion to define a premium phone.
Under such trend, TECNO PHANTOM X resembles the industry trend. Considering TECNO’s strategic focus on emerging markets, TECNO might be pushing the competition into new boundaries to make flagship technology and premium design innovations available sooner to global consumers.
TECNO’s Breakthroughs in “Premium” with PHANTOM X
TECNO’s journey to a premium reflects the new trend of current competition of peers in technology, design details, overall experience.
Premium Flagship Means Breakthroughs in Design with Exquisite Details
Consumer behaviors will change with time, but the core is always the same &#8212; the pursuit of beauty and a better life. Smartphones are the most used portable devices nowadays, which require a more ergonomic design that is practical and stylish with exquisite details. Post near a hundred testing trials, a huge and flexible 70-degree curves, industry leading 3D borderless screen with borderless display and a golden grip of 36.5-degree have been implemented on TECNO’s newly flagship. Ensuring users with high standards have the most comfortably experience in the palm, while providing the unbounded visual experience. Also, PHANTOM X replaces the universally used mobile phone back cover with an industry leading silk glass etched texture that almost doubles the challenge of production. But the intensified efforts are totally worth it due to the premium flagship quality that TECNO has promised to meet for customers.
Premium Flagship Redefined More by Smooth Experience of Cutting-technology, not simply by technical parameter
Without a doubt, the camera is an essential feature of any smart phone in current times. TECNO are an actively innovative, international brand dedicated to elevating smartphone photographic technology to another level. They have six TAIVOS laboratories spread across the globe, driving extensive research and development and helmed by a robust leadership that aims to create the most optimized photographic experience.
There has been a huge rise of customized, large-pixel sensors being integrated in premium smartphone designs. Increased pixel dimension results in paramount performance allowing users to capture the most detailed and vivid snaps. Photosensitive detectors have been significantly enhanced to deliver pictures that capture the most light. TECNO have successfully incorporated the most impactful digital trends dominating today’s markets in their latest flagship device, the PHANTOM X. This includes the advanced 50MP Ultra-Night Camera with a 1/1.3-inch Ultra-Large Sensor, enabling much greater light sensitivity and a better sensitivity to low-light environments, helping users capture the most striking images which display excellent visual quality and extreme clarity.
Premium Flagship Differentiates with its Service
TECNO believes, while continuously satisfying consumers&#39; high standards for technology experience and exquisite design, the premium flagship also differentiates with its exclusive concentration on exploring new demands of premium markets in the ever-evolving social context. For example, with the advent of the Internet of Everything era, people&#39;s lives are becoming more and more dependent on mobile phones. Occasionally, users’ business documents, family affairs, financial documents will have to be processed on the smartphone which has led to a privacy protection issue. TECNO accurately identified and provided a premium service in data security and privacy protection by introducing newly launched PHANTOM X.
While the fierce competition in the smartphone market will continue, the players among which have been changing all the time. It is no doubt that there will always be full of changes and opportunities with various smartphone brands are raging in mid-to-high-end market. However, from newly launched flagship of TECNO, the company has figured out a right strategy in terms of many aspects like elegant design language, technology, and fast and smooth user experience.
Just like General Manager of TECNO, Stephen Ha said “With PHANTOM, rules are challenged, broken, and redefined.” The future of TECNO is worth looking forward to.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of TECNO Mobile.

TECNO Is Going Premium with PHANTOM X, And 2021 Marks Its New Focus

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers and does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
Verdant Capital (www.Verdant-Cap.com) has successfully completed its fourth major fintech transaction in the last 12 months.  The debt and equity raise for leading challenger fintech, Zeepay, head-quartered in Ghana, follows a USD 20 million equity and debt capital raise for Tugende, an East African technology-enabled asset financing business, an USD 11 million debt capital raise for Retail Capital a technology-driven SME-lender in South Africa, and a USD 13 million equity and debt raise for Planet42 an innovative car subscription business in South Africa. 

Zeepay is a pioneer of digital remittances from the diaspora to mobile wallets, bank accounts and visa cards across 20 markets in Africa, where it either operates a mobile money business or has approved partnerships. The business is successfully transitioning into an integrated omni-channel digital payments and value-added financial services provider operating across the continent.  Verdant Capital positioned Zeepay’s USD 7.9 million equity and debt raise as Series A.0.
Zeepay, prior to the fund raise, had efficiently deployed a total of about USD 450,000 since its go-to-market in May 2016 to achieve a cumulative average growth rate of about 146 percent in the following five years.  Zeepay has achieved this growth rate while maintaining operating profitability and reinvesting the profits.
In Verdant Capital’s view, Zeepay has the potential to transform how Africans implement payments across borders and domestically; and how these payments are integrated into value-added services such as credit and insurance. Zeepay has built a formidable market position in its anchor market of Ghana, which it is now replicating in synergistic markets across the continent. Verdant Capital expects this strategy to continue driving rapid revenue growth, profitability and financial inclusion.
The lead investor arranged by Verdant Capital was Investisseurs&#038;Partenaires (I&#038;P). I&#038;P is an impact investing group with over USD 250 million in assets under management.  Other investors in the round included the holding company of the Managing Director, Andrew Takyi-Appiah and his wife Zoe Takyi-Appiah, GOODsoil VC, Absa Ghana and FNB Ghana. Verdant Capital is financial advisor to Zeepay.  The lawyers for Zeepay were JLD&#038;MB.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Verdant Capital.
About Verdant Capital: Verdant Capital is a specialist investment bank and investment manager operating on a pan-African basis. Verdant Capital has exceptional expertise in high impact sectors including fintech and financial services.
Contact: Liezel van Greunen liezel.vangreunen@verdant-cap.com

Verdant Capital successfully raises USD 7.9 million for leading challenger fintech, Zeepay

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Milwaukee and Phoenix Meet in Quest for Long-Sought NBA Championship; Bucks Make First Finals Appearance in 47 Years; Suns Make First Finals Appearance in 28 Years and Eye First Championship. 

The National Basketball Association will crown its 75th champion when the Eastern Conference Champion Milwaukee Bucks meet the Western Conference Champion Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals 2021 presented by YouTube TV beginning Tuesday, July 6 at 9 p.m. ET, airing on ABC and ESPN Radio in the United States and on Sportsnet, RDS and TSN in Canada. This year’s Finals will reach fans live in 215 countries and territories in 59 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile devices and tablets.
Download document: 2021 NBA Finals &#8211; By The Numbers (https://bit.ly/2Uvenm4)
Here is a by-the-numbers look at NBA Finals 2021 presented by YouTube TV:
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns
 	1 – The Suns are seeking the first NBA championship in franchise history. 	3 – Milwaukee and Phoenix are both appearing in the NBA Finals for the third time. 	11 – The Suns have made the NBA Finals in their first playoff appearance in 11 years. 	28 – Phoenix last competed in the NBA Finals 28 years ago (1993), when Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and the Suns lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games. 	47 – The Bucks last competed in the NBA Finals 47 years ago (1974), when they lost to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 in Milwaukee after winning Game 6 in double overtime in Boston. 	50 – Milwaukee won its only NBA championship 50 years ago (1971), when Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson led the Bucks to a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Bullets. 	1968 – The Bucks and Suns both joined the NBA in 1968. 	1969 – Phoenix and Milwaukee participated in a coin flip to determine which team would receive the No. 1 overall pick in the 1969 NBA Draft.  The Bucks won the coin flip and used the top pick to select Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who helped lead them to an NBA championship two years later. 	1978 – The Bucks and Suns played each other in the first round of the 1978 NBA Playoffs, a best-of-three series won by Milwaukee 2-0. 	1,829 – The distance between Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum and Phoenix Suns Arena is approximately 1,829 miles. 
Players, Coaches and Executives
 	1 – The Suns’ Jae Crowder is the one player on either team who has played in the NBA Finals, competing with the Miami Heat in the 2020 Finals. 	3 – Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are three of the 12 players who have been selected to play for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team at the Tokyo Olympics. 	4 – Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer won four NBA championships as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs. 	5 – Milwaukee’s P.J. Tucker played five seasons with the Suns from 2012-17. 	7 – Phoenix General Manager James Jones, the 2020-21 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year, advanced to the NBA Finals in each of his last seven seasons as a player. 	12 – Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of 12 players to win the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award in back-to-back seasons, accomplishing the feat in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. 	16 – In his 16th season, the Suns’ Chris Paul has reached the NBA Finals for the first time. 	23 – Phoenix’s Deandre Ayton, a standout in his first NBA Playoffs, celebrates his 23rd birthday on July 23 – one day after a potential Game 7 in the NBA Finals. 	34 – Bucks General Manager Jon Horst, the 2018-19 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year, was named to his current position at age 34 in 2017. 	70 – Devin Booker scored 70 points against the Boston Celtics on March 24, 2017. 	2017 – Suns head coach Monty Williams won the inaugural Sager Strong Award (https://bit.ly/3AyNgqI) in 2017. 
NBA Finals Broadcast in the United States
 	2 – Doris Burke returns for her second time as a game analyst for the NBA Finals when she joins play-by-play voice Marc Kestecher and fellow analyst Jon Barry for ESPN Radio’s coverage.  Last year, Burke made history when she became the first women to serve as a game analyst on any platform for the event. 	13 – ABC/ESPN’s broadcast team of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson will work The Finals together for the 13th time. 	15 – Jeff Van Gundy will provide analysis for his 15th consecutive NBA Finals, which is the most for a television analyst covering the event. 	16 – Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Mike Breen will call his 16th straight NBA Finals – the most by any NBA play-by-play commentator. 	19 – ESPN will produce The Finals on ABC for the 19th consecutive year. 
NBA Finals Around The World
 	2/4 – The Suns feature two former Basketball Without Borders (BWB) campers: Deandre Ayton (Bahamas; BWB Global 2016) and Dario Šarić (Croatia; BWB Europe 2010). This will mark the fourth straight NBA Finals with at least one former BWB camper. 	7 – Seven international players representing six countries are on Finals rosters. 	Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Mamadi Diakite (Guinea) and Axel Toupane (France) 	Suns: Deandre Ayton (Bahamas), Abdel Nader (Egypt) and Dario Šarić (Croatia) 	8 – Eight international television networks – from Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico, Serbia and Spain – will be conducting onsite commentary at The Finals. 	9 – The Spurs’ 2014 NBA championship team featured a record nine international players during the playoffs. 	27 – There has been at least one international player in The Finals for the past 27 years. 
NBA Digital
 	4 – Four is the total number of Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP awards won by NBA TV analysts Isiah Thomas (1990) and Shaquille O’Neal (2000, 2001 and 2002), who will be covering this year’s series. 
NBA Social Media
 	22.8M – Giannis Antetokounmpo has generated over 22.8 million engagements on his Instagram account this season, ranking fourth among all current NBA players. 	57.4M – The NBA Instagram account surpassed 57 million followers during the 2021 NBA Playoffs. 	100M – Content including Suns star Devin Booker has generated nearly 100 million views across NBA social platforms this postseason.  Since the start of the playoffs, Booker has gained the second-most followers of any player in the league on Instagram (+914,000), behind only LeBron James. 	225M – Throughout the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the NBA YouTube account has generated more than 225 million video views. 	1.4B – The NBA Instagram channel has generated 1.4 billion views throughout the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the second most for an account on the platform during that time. 
NBA Cares
 	1 – The first Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award (https://on.nba.com/3wl95GE) was presented recently to Carmelo Anthony of the Portland Trail Blazers. 	The four other finalists were Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings, Tobias Harris of the Philadelphia 76ers, Jrue Holiday of the Bucks and Juan Toscano-Anderson of the Golden State Warriors. 	2 – Both the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks will leave a lasting impact in their communities, unveiling two new live, learn and play spaces together with State Farm and Kaiser Permanente. The Suns will unveil a refurbished basketball court at the Maryvale Community Center while the Bucks will renovate a recreational room at the Running Rebels Community Organization. Through NBA Cares, the NBA family has created more than 1,675 live, learn and player spaces around the world. 	29 – Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum and Phoenix’s Phoenix Suns Arena are both certified as sensory inclusive venues in partnership with KultureCity, providing permanent accommodations within their arenas to be accessible to and inclusive of the one in six individuals in the United States living with sensory needs. All 29 NBA arenas have taken steps to be inclusive of fans and families with sensory needs. 
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).
Media Contact: Mike Wade NBA (212) 407-8690 mwade@nba.com

NBA Finals 2021 Presented by Youtube TV: By The Numbers

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers and does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
Opera (www.Opera.com) is launching Hype Clubs, public and interest-based group chats in Hype, the new chat service built into the Opera Mini web browser. Hype is currently available and quickly gaining popularity in Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Zambia, Nigeria and other English-speaking African countries.

Chatting with others who have the same interests is a great way to find new friends and become a part of an interest-based community. With Hype Clubs, fans of sports, gaming, the arts, and even software development are now able to find a community they can truly belong to.
Chatting with those who are on the same wavelength
Hype Clubs are organized into topic-based channels where users can easily chat about their mutual interests. If a user is into something, there is a good chance they can find a Club for it. There they can share opinions with others and gather interested people together.
All of the Clubs are public, so no invite is needed to stay in touch and spend time together. The communities are generally centered around specific topics such as Euro 2020 or Minecraft. Here are some examples of the clubs users can easily join: Music and Art Club, Football Club, Relationship Drama, Citizens of Earth Club&#038;Money Talk, Health Club and more.
“It’s important to belong. Hype Clubs is a place where users can be themselves and spend time with others who share their hobbies and interests,” said Jørgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile at Opera. “There&#39;s no algorithm deciding what users should see, no endless scrolling, and no news feed. Conversations on Clubs are driven only by shared interests.”
Hype suggests Clubs to users based on their interests. They can also use the integrated search function to find something specific. Hype Clubs are currently available only on mobile with more to come. Joining any Club is free and invites are not required.
Browsing and chatting, all in one app 
Hype is the first African-inspired chat service built into a mobile browser, allowing users to easily set up an account and start chatting with secure end-to-end encryption right away. Hype was built because younger generations of internet users are expecting more social connectivity from the apps they use on their devices. It’s now available in Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and Zambia, with more to come.
With Hype, Opera Mini has become the first major browser in the world to integrate a social component that keeps users connected to the ones that matter the most. This unique and innovative blend is something that no other mobile browser in the Google Play Store offers.
Opera is constantly working on improving the chat experience. Recently, Opera introduced new features to Hype: users can now use link previews, GIFs, and the unique built-in meme creator to make chatting with friends even more personal and fun.
Free data campaigns
As a response to the high data costs in Sub-Saharan Africa, Opera has partnered with nine leading carriers in the region to bring as many people online as possible. Through these partnerships, they are providing free data every day to those who use Opera Mini as their personal browser on their mobile phones. With this free data, they can browse, chat on Hype, access news articles, and stay informed about local events. Details of the free data deals are available on Opera blogs (https://bit.ly/3ysyeRi).
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Opera.
About Hype: Hype is the first African-inspired chat service built into a mobile browser, allowing users to easily set up their account and start chatting with secure end-to-end encryption. Hype was launched in 2021 in Kenya as a pilot market, however it is already showing impressive results with more than 520k activations and more than 10k invites to join Hype per day. This launch was one facet of Opera’s emphasis on investing and growing its digital ecosystem in Africa, with the goal of bringing more people online.
About Opera Mini: Launched in 2006, Opera Mini is a small, fast and powerful browser. It comes with unique features such as Data Compression, Offline File Sharing, and a built-in Ad-blocker. Today, Opera Mini is used by more than 170 million people who chose it over the pre-installed browsers on Android mobile devices. Opera Mini (https://bit.ly/3dMsM3O) has a 4.3 star rating on Google Play and has been reviewed by more than seven million people worldwide.

Opera launches interest-based social Clubs in its fast growing chat service Hype

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers and does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.
Today, Opera (www.Opera.com) has announced the launch of its dedicated chat service Hype, built into the Opera Mini mobile web browser, in Nigeria. With the introduction of Hype, Opera is redefining the concept of mobile browsers, providing users with a personalized, engaging browsing experience that enables seamless chatting, surfing and sharing – without compromising speed or driving increased data consumption.

Browsing and chatting, all in one app
Hype is the first African-inspired chat service built into a mobile browser, allowing users to easily set up an account and start chatting with secure end-to-end encryption right away. This means users can now browse the web, chat with friends, and share self-created memes, stickers and GIFs with other Hype users, all in one app.
Hype was built because younger generations of internet users are expecting more social connectivity from the apps they use on their devices. With this integration, Opera Mini becomes the first major browser in the world to integrate a social component that keeps users connected to the ones that matter the most. This unique and innovative blend is something that no other mobile browser in the Google Play Store offers.
“Hype is an original instant messaging service from Opera, designed for the new generation of African internet users to elevate the traditional browsing experience and make it more engaging. With Opera Mini and a Hype account, Nigerians can enjoy a browsing and chatting ecosystem tailored to their needs,” said Jørgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile Browsers at Opera. “Hype bridges cultures from Sub-Saharan Africa with mobile technology, as the world’s first African-inspired chat service.”
Hype was first launched in 2021 in Kenya as a pilot market, and it is already showing impressive results with more than 400k activations and more than 10k invites to join Hype per day. This launch was one facet of Opera’s emphasis on investing and growing its digital ecosystem in Africa, with the goal of bringing more people online.
Free chatting with Hype up to 1.5GB per month
To help familiarize people with the concept of an easy-to-use chatting service built into a browser and as a response to the high cost of data in Nigeria, Opera has partnered with the leading carriers in Nigeria to enable free daily browsing and chatting for those using the service. Users of Opera Mini (https://bit.ly/3hjdqWT) and Airtel, MTN and Globacom can activate the free data anytime by opening the Feedback Bot in Hype, sending “Unlock my free data” in chat, then clicking the link in the reply message. The free mobile data will be activated when the page is loaded.
Key features 
Opera is constantly working on improving the chatting experience. Hype users can now use link previews, GIF support, and the unique built-in meme creator to make chatting with friends even more personal and fun. Moreover, users can join interest-based channels Hype Clubs to chat with those who are on the same wavelength.
Hype Clubs 
Hype Clubs are organized into topic-based channels where users can easily chat about their mutual interests. If a user is into something, there is a good chance they can find a Club for it. There they can share opinions with others, or even create their own Club and gather interested people together.
Chatting with others who have the same interests is a great way to find new friends and become a part of an interest-based community. With Hype Clubs, fans of sports, gaming, the arts, and even software development are now able to find a community they can truly belong to.
The built-in meme creator 
Memes are an essential part of internet culture. People not only use existing memes, but also wish to create and spread their own. Now, Opera has introduced the first meme creator built directly into a browser’s messenger! Users can choose memes in Hype chat, then edit them by changing the text and experimenting with fonts, colors and placement – more easily than ever. This comes in handy as users no longer need to copy links from websites and switch between apps to share the memes they want.
GIF support in chat
Hype supports GIFs, and makes choosing them super simple with its search capabilities and scrollable GIF grid. To help users choose the one they want, GIF previews and full screen view are also available.
Link previews 
It’s always good to know what’s hiding behind a link we’ve sent or received, which is why Hype comes with the link preview feature. With it, a snapshot preview, website header and description will automatically appear in chat. This function is also available in encrypted chats and on metered networks.
Share online content in a snap 
Today, new generations are relying on formats like memes and stickers to express themselves. To make this easier, Hype includes WebSnap, a feature already known from the Opera desktop browser, allowing users to take snapshots from the web. Once a websnap is captured, users can edit it by adding colors, text and emojis, making it fun and entertaining before sharing with others. WebSnap also allows users to smoothly share the link of the original website from which they took their snaps, so users no longer need to switch between apps to share the content they want.
First African inspired chat service in the world
Hype is the first African inspired chat service built into a mobile browser. It offers its users a series of stickers created by African artists such as Okolo Chibuike and Mayowa Alabi from Nigeria. The sticker packs have been designed to include everyday expressions currently popular in Nigeria. This unique offer from Hype stands out from other chat services and gives Nigerians the new ways of expressing themselves more accurately when using chat apps.
Hype account setup 
To activate the Hype account, users should have an Opera Mini application. Users set up a Hype account by tapping the Hype logo at the bottom of the Opera Mini browser, or through the O menu. Next they choose their name and take a selfie or upload a personalised photo, which will become their profile picture and will be visible for other Hype users. Once this process is completed, users sync Hype with their phone contact list to start chatting with others.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Opera.
About Opera Mini: Launched in 2006, Opera Mini is a small, fast and powerful browser. It comes with unique features such as Data Compression, Offline File Sharing, and a built-in Ad-blocker. Today, Opera Mini is used by more than 170 million people who chose it over the pre-installed browsers on Android mobile devices. Opera Mini has a 4.3 star rating on Google Play and has been reviewed by more than seven million people worldwide.
About Opera: Opera is a leading global web innovator with an engaged and growing base of hundreds of millions of monthly active users. Building on over 25 years of innovation that started with browser products, Opera is increasingly leveraging its brand as well as its massive and highly active user base in order to expand its offerings and business. Today, Opera offers users around the world a range of products and services that include PC and mobile browsers, the AI-powered newsreader Opera News, and recently launched fintech and classifieds apps. Opera is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange (OPRA).

Opera launches Hype, an in-browser chat service for Opera Mini users, in Nigeria

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A new report published today by the Internet Society (www.InternetSociety.org) outlines the state of Internet interconnection in Africa and the critical role Internet Exchange Points (IXP) play in improving access and lowering costs. The report, entitled “Moving towards an interconnected Africa: the 80/20 Initiative,” examines the Internet ecosystem in Africa.

There is an urgent need to increase Internet access across the continent, especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, fewer than 1 in 5 households have Internet access (https://bit.ly/3hjNg6h). Reliable and affordable Internet access also fuels economic growth. A recent study estimates that the Internet economy has the potential to contribute up to USD180 billion to Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) (https://bit.ly/3Ayu0JW) by 2025.
An IXP is technical infrastructure where multiple networks, including Internet service providers, mobile operators, enterprise networks, research and education networks, e-Government services, and content delivery networks (CDNs) come together to connect and exchange Internet traffic.
IXPs enable the local exchange of Internet traffic instead of using expensive international transit routes. This not only makes Internet access much more affordable but also improves the quality of access by providing more direct network connections. Access speeds for content can be up to 10 times faster with an IXP because traffic is routed locally versus international transit routes.
According to the Internet Society report, the number of African IXPs has increased by 58 percent over the past eight years, from 19 in 2012 to 46 in 2020. In addition:
 	More than half of the countries in Africa have an IXP; six countries have more than one. 	The most developed Internet ecosystem is in South Africa followed by Kenya and Nigeria . These countries have the most interconnected networks and have succeeded in exchanging 70-80% of their traffic locally. 	IXPs provide significant savings by localizing Internet traffic. The report shows that a network can save up to US240,0000 per year by connecting to a local IXP. 	The presence of content delivery networks has increased significantly and the amount of locally available content and demand for content hosting has increased. 
The new report expands on a 2020 analysis (https://bit.ly/3xgdWdE) of IXP growth in Kenya and Nigeria and provides an overview of the evolution of Internet interconnection on the continent by examining a country in each of the six subregions: Angola (Southern Africa), Burkina Faso (Western Africa), Democratic Republic of Congo (Central Africa), Egypt (Northern Africa), Mauritius (Indian Ocean), and Rwanda (Eastern Africa).
“Thanks to the continued work with partners over the years, we have many more sustainable IXPs that exchange a considerable amount of Internet traffic in Africa. But there’s still work to do to ensure that more Internet traffic is exchanged on the continent,” said Dawit Bekele, Africa Regional Vice President for the Internet Society, a global nonprofit organization promoting the development and use of the Internet.
“A key success factor for IXPs is that governments understand the value that Internet infrastructure provides, which encourages the adoption of policies and regulations that enable Internet ecosystems to thrive,” added Bekele.
Since 2008, the Internet Society has been working with the African Internet community, including community groups, technical experts and policymakers, to improve local Internet infrastructure by helping to establish IXPs and strengthen the trust and cooperation between those that build the Internet. The overall goal is for 80 percent of Internet traffic in Africa be exchanged locally, and only 20 percent routed from outside the continent.
The report, “Moving towards an interconnected Africa: the 80/20 Initiative (https://bit.ly/3yuwpTR),” is now available. A topline media brief is also available for download here (https://bit.ly/3dOY4Y2).
A webinar will be held on July 6, 2021 from 1pm-2pm UTC to discuss the findings of the report and lessons learned from the 80/20 Intiaitve. https://bit.ly/3jLYaDB
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Internet Society (ISOC).
Media Contact: Allesandra deSantillana Internet Society desantillana@isoc.org
About the Internet Society: Founded in 1992 by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society is a global non-profit organization working to ensure the Internet remains a force for good for everyone. Through its community of members, special interest groups, and 120+ chapters around the world, the organization defends and promotes Internet policies, standards, and protocols that keep the Internet open, globally connected, and secure. For more information, please visit: www.InternetSociety.org.

Internet Exchange Points Are Critical to Improving Internet Access and Lowering Connectivity Costs in Africa, says New Report from the Internet Society

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Business Insider Africa (https://Africa.BusinessInsider.com), a licensee publication of Pulse, has marked its first year anniversary. Business Insider Africa re-launched as a pan-African innovative business news provider in August 2020, in partnership with Pulse, Africa’s leading innovative media company. Prior, Pulse was publishing Business Insider content on its platforms since 2017.

Since its full launch, Business Insider Africa has attained relevance across the continent through insightful and timely business coverage in the continent’s major markets &#8211; with a specific focus on interviews and individual business leaders’ stories. Today, Business Insider Africa covers pan-African business news and insights; technology; disruptive trends; innovation; business leaders and entrepreneurs; career development; and a range of general interest topics including entertainment and lifestyle.

Speaking on the anniversary, Founder&#038;Publisher of Pulse, Leonard Stiegeler said: &#8220;It feels great to be at the one year mark with Business Insider Africa. In this short year, we have established the brand as a dependable and timely business news outlet on the continent &#8211; with a keen eye for the people behind the business. I look forward to more growth in the future as we work to further highlight what makes Africa’s business scene tick.&#8221;

Business Insider’s International Partner Manager, Roosa Kivisto commented: ‘We are excited about our continued partnership with Pulse to bring the Business Insider content and spirit to Africa &#8211; and tell African business stories regionally and world-wide. On the strong basis established we will continue to build together.’

Victor Oluwole, Head&#038;Editor of Business Insider Africa, also commented: &#8220;In the time since Business Insider has been relaunched, we have seen a lot of growth in our readership and viewership as well as an increase in the size of our social communities. We strive to ensure that we deliver detailed and timely business news coverage, as well as strong background information, which our community has come to rely on us for.&#8221;

Business Insider Africa has grown a robust followership across its website and social platforms, with close to 1 million followers on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter combined. The website had its largest audience on record in 2021 with an average of about 800,000 unique visitors per month in Africa.

The news outlet will mark its first anniversary with a special interview featuring three African entrepreneurs named in this year&#39;s Bloomberg New Economy Catalysts (Abasi Ene-Obong, Founder 54gene (https://bit.ly/3xlhHi6); Shamim Nabuuma Kaliisa, Founder Chil Artificial Intelligence Lab (https://bit.ly/3jKSvgN); Alloysius Attah, Co-Founder, Farmerline) (https://bit.ly/3hGR0Ol), as well as an exclusive interview with Seigne Ndanck Mbaye, CEO West Africa&#038;Country Head Ghana, DHL Global Forwarding (https://bit.ly/36gTeOQ).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Business Insider SSA.
Links: Pulse Website (Corporate) &#8211; Pulse.africa
You can follow Pulse on: LinkedIn (http://bit.ly/36MEXYo) Instagram (https://bit.ly/3kmbH1r) Facebook (https://bit.ly/2RtjvSK) Twitter (http://bit.ly/2Z5qwfv)
Business Insider Africa: Business Insider Africa is Africa’s leading innovative business news provider. It is targeting aspirational business leaders and is featuring the latest innovation, technology and business news from Africa alongside features on lifestyle, markets and more verticals. It runs all the global Business Insider content alongside Africa-focused interviews, data and more.
Pulse: Pulse is Africa’s leading innovative media company.
It informs and engages Africa’s young audience &#8211; and provides expansive media reach and creative marketing solutions to its partners.
Pulse’s mass media platforms and social media channels reach millions of users monthly. Pulse TV is its innovative video producer, creating formats across all channels. The Pulse Network brings together top media assets&#038;creators. Pulse Studio is its creative brand&#038;content studio, supporting clients to express their own media vision. Pulse Marketing is its 360 degree digital marketing partner, providing comprehensive marketing solutions. Pulse Products is an offering to Pulse’s users that is enabled by its media brand, content and distribution.

Business Insider Africa marks 1 year anniversary under Pulse license

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The U.S.-Africa Energy Forum 2021 (October 4-5, Houston) will connect American investors with African investment opportunities across the energy value chain; An in-person networking event will be held in Washington D.C. on July 12, 2021, leading up to the main summit and gala dinner in October. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase for the private networking event (20 tickets available; $300 each); Also on July 12, 2021, the USAEF will hold an online seminar free to watch and including U.S. and African policymakers and finance leaders. Registration is now open.

The U.S.-Africa Energy Forum (USAEF) 2021 is gaining ground as the premier platform for U.S.-African energy discussions, following confirmed ministerial participation from Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia and Senegal in its Houston summit on October 4-5, 2021. Event organizers Energy Capital&#038;Power (ECP), in partnership with the African Energy Chamber’s U.S.-Africa Committee, invites investors, industry leaders and financiers to participate in USAEF 2021, as well as a preceding virtual seminar and private networking event on July 12, 2021, leading up to the event.
ECP is excited to announce that confirmed featured speakers at USAEF 2021 in Houston will include H.E. Gabriel Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea; H.E. Aissatou Sophie Gladima, Minister of Petroleum and Energy of Senegal; Hon. Puot Kang Chol, Minister of Petroleum of South Sudan; Hon. John Munyes, Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining of Kenya; Hon. Jadeen Ali Abed Hassan, Minister of Energy and Petroleum of Sudan; Hon. Abdirashid Mohamed Ahmed, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of Somalia; and the Minister of Energy of Zambia. The ministers will present investment projects and licensing opportunities to U.S. operators, finance firms and service providers.
Under the theme ‘New Horizons for U.S.-Africa Energy investment’ USAEF 2021 will introduce American companies to African opportunities, promote greater investment in African nations’ energy value chains, and advance an agenda of sustainable, long-term investment in African energy (including petroleum, clean energy, power infrastructure and mineral resources) and other sectors by U.S. organizations.
A free-of-charge virtual seminar will be held on July 12, 2021, setting the agenda for the USAEF 2021 summit and gala dinner in Houston (October 4-5, 2021). Speakers include: H.E. Gabriel Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea; Hon. Danies Chisenda, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy of Zambia; and representatives of the American Petroleum Institute, EXIM, Genesis Energy Group, the Rwanda Development Board, the Development Finance Corporation, and Energy&#038;Natural Resource Security. The event is sponsored by GETESA and will be moderated by the African Energy Chamber and the United States Energy Association.
Also on July 12, 2021, the USAEF will gather a group of 100 U.S. energy policy makers, friends of African business, representatives of African firms, and U.S. financiers at the Watergate Hotel, Washington D.C., for a private networking event sponsored by Energy&#038;Natural Resource Security and Alpha Sierra. A limited number of 20 tickets are publicly available for purchase for the private networking event.
 “This is an exclusive opportunity for American investors to gain early access to industry insights into Africa’s fastest-growing energy markets,” says James Chester, Senior Director at ECP. “From strategic minerals to natural gas and renewables, the African energy transition is a key potential recipient of U.S. technology and investment and a contributor to shaping the global transition through its new projects, resources and value chain development. We invite investors and project developers across the United States to seize and engage with these opportunities first-hand.”
USAEF 2021 and its partners will connect U.S. E&#038;P companies, service providers, technology developers, venture capital, and other sources of finance with African projects, governments and commercial partners. African ministerial delegations from Africa’s energy hotspots will present upcoming licensing rounds, among other world-class projects across the energy value. The two-day Houston event will feature discussions on eliminating barriers to trade, commerce and deal-making; positioning non-energy sectors as key drivers of growth in Africa; and discussing and identifying bespoke solutions for market entry in targeted markets, among other key objectives. The conversation begins at the online event on July 12, 2021, and at the networking function in Washington D.C., where participants will have the opportunity to shape program development.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&#038;Power.
To learn more about U.S.-Africa energy investment opportunities, visit: www.EnergyCapitalPower.com or contact James Chester at james@energycapitalpower.com.

U.S-Africa Energy Forum Confirms Seven African Ministers; Kicks off with Networking Event and Online Seminar Next Week

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The U20 Barthes Trophy kicked off in Nairobi on Saturday 26 June 2021 with a clash between hosts Kenya and Senegal who were third place finishers the last time the competition was held in 2019.

When the action got underway at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium, it was Kenyan winger Andrew Matoka who got the scoring underway, landing the tournament’s first eight points through a try and penalty.
It will be recalled that it was Matoka who scored the last points of the 2019 competition, kicking Kenya to a 21-18 win over Namibia that saw them crowned the new Africa U20 champions and in the process, claiming Africa’s sole ticket to that year’s World Rugby Junior Trophy in Brazil.
His contribution with boot and ball in this year’s opener accounted for 20 of Kenya’s points in the 50-3 win over Senegal as the youngster, who has also been capped at test level for Kenya used the experience gained in recent years to calm the nerves of his team mates, many of whom are playing in their first U20 Barthes Trophy competition.
Not to be outdone was Madagascar’s Salotra Rokomalala Lucas who had a blinder of game when his side took on Senegal in match day two action at the same venue on Saturday 3 July 2021.
Quick thinking from the Junior Makis inside center saw him execute a deft chip that was expertly claimed by scrum half Erica Bruno who touched down thirty five seconds into the tie, scoring the fastest try of the tournament thus far.
Lucas would be rewarded with two tries either side of half time as Magadascar consigned Senegal to a 34-3 defeat.
When he was not scoring tries, Lucas was at the center of everything creative from Madagascar, his evasive running and elusive pace a joy to watch.
Kenya and Madagascar will clash on Sunday to determine the winner of the 2021 U20 Barthes Trophy and it will be exciting to watch these two players come up against each other as the next generation of African rugby stars continue with their quest for success in Nairobi.
B-roll footage available for download HERE https://bit.ly/3yrZ8ci.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kenya Rugby Union (KRU).
Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com

U20 Barthes Trophy: Matoka, Salotra shine bright in Nairobi

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The Ecobank Group (www.Ecobank.com) and Semoa a Fintech based in Lomé,   are enabling mobile money users  in Togo to carry out  banking faster and easier, across West African Economic and Monetary Union ( WAEMU) through a new digital banking service via Whatsapp called “ Express cash by Semoa”.

The Ecobank Group, whose network covers 35 countries across Africa, is the first bank to integrate this type of service at its ATMs and Express Point Agency locations. Customers simply send a Whatsapp message – which means the service is available 24/7 – to Semoa’s BOT called Dédé to request for tokens for withdrawals, payment of bills or money transfer to friends and relatives in Togo and across the WAEMU region.

Semoa’s development of the API – the application programming interface which allows apps to talk to each other – is creating the next generation digital customer experience and further validating the Ecobank Group as one of the innovative leaders of Open Banking in Africa. By leveraging this technology, the Ecobank Group is providing a bridge between the digital and cash economy. This allows unbanked merchants and traders to accept and make payments digitally thereby accelerating financial inclusion.

Edem Adjamagbo, CEO and founder of SEMOA during the launch of this new innovative service said: “Xpress Cash by SEMOA- whereby Ecobank enables its cutting-edge infrastructure with SEMOA&#39;s secured online services, is the perfect example of a true partnership in financial innovation with the potential to change the lives of many in West Africa. Indeed, the fact that people with no bank accounts, or credit cards, can now cash out their mobile money directly out of Ecobank ATMs and Xpress Points throughout the WAEMU region is a game changer that will help foster financial inclusion”.

Djiba Diallo, the Ecobank Group’s Senior fintech adviser said: ‘As digital banking becomes increasingly important, the Ecobank Group is joining the growing number of banks, card companies and payment service providers around the world using developers like Semoa, one of the most prominent fintechs in Africa, to enhance customer experience. Made more accessible by Open Banking, which provides secure access to the Bank’s data, fintechs develop systems which issue commands via APIs to third parties, creating a seamless service for customers to perform their transactions and track their finances in one place.’

The success of the new wallet service is made possible by Semoa’s ability to test connectivity, authentication and authorisation of customers’ transactions before the new service went live through Ecobank’s Sandbox. Furthermore, the income generated by the service is being split equally between the Ecobank and Semoa, creating great business opportunities for other fintechs. As a result, the Ecobank Group is encouraging other financial technology companies to access its Sandbox API to develop more innovative and smarter services.

Register for Sandbox access on the Ecobank Group’s API website at https://bit.ly/3AEkyov.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ecobank.
Media Contact: Christiane Bossom Communications Manager Group Corporate Communication Tel +228 22 21 03 03 E-mail: cbossom@ecobank.com

About Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’ or ‘The Group’): Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (‘ETI’) is the parent company of the Ecobank Group, the leading independent pan-African banking group. The Ecobank Group employs over 14,000 people and serves about 29 million customers in the consumer, commercial and corporate banking sectors across 33 African countries. The Group has a banking license in France and representative offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Beijing, China; London, the UK and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The Group offers a full suite of banking products, services and solutions including bank and deposit accounts, loans, cash management, advisory, trade, securities, wealth and asset management. ETI is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchanges in Lagos, the Ghana Stock Exchange in Accra, and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières in Abidjan. For further information please visit www.Ecobank.com.

About SEMOA &#8211; Fintech 4 Banks: SEMOA is B2B panafrican Fintech providing banks and other financial institutions with a unified SaaS platform enabling them to securely engaging their respective customers and prospects with value added mobile services like bank2wallet transactions capabilities, vocal customer care live chat (whatsapp, telegram…) or perfect reporting and data analytics capabilities thanks to its cutting edge back office platform for industry specialists.
At heart, SEMOA is a secure transactions and private communication expert, catering your most essential needs. For further information please visit www.Semoa-group.com.

Ecobank Group reaches another milestone in financial inclusion in Africa

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Andrew Amonde captains the Kenya Men&#39;s Sevens National Team, Shujaa to the Tokyo Olympics and is one of four survivors from the squad that did duty at the Rio Olympics in 2016 where they finished 11th overall. Also returning for their second Olympic appearances are Collins Injera, Billy Odhiambo and Willy Ambaka.

Commenting after unveiling the squad, Head Coach Innocent Simiyu said, &#8220;The selection was tough as all the boys put in the work. We are happy to have a few experienced players fit and back into the fold.Our key target is getting out of the pool. Our first pool game will set the standard for our performance in Tokyo.&#8221;
The men&#39;s rugby sevens competition in Tokyo will run from 26th to 28th July and Shujaa are in Pool C of the twelve-team competition alongside South Africa, USA and Ireland.
Shujaa Olympic squad Andrew Amonde (KCB,Captain), Alvin Otieno (Homeboyz), Vincent Onyala (KCB), Herman Humwa (Kenya Harlequin), Collins Injera (Mwamba), Daniel Taabu (Mwamba), Willy Ambaka (Kenya Harlequin), Johnstone Olindi (KCB), Eden Agero (Kenya Harlequin),Jeffrey Oluoch (Homeboyz), Nelson Oyoo (Top Fry Nakuru), Jacob Ojee (KCB), Billy Odhiambo (Mwamba) Non Travelling Reserves: Bush Mwale (Homeboyz), Derrick Keyoga (Menengai Oilers), Dennis Ombachi (Nondescripts) Management: Innocent Simiyu (Coach), Anthony Muchiri (Assistant Coach), Lamch Francis (Medic), Erick Ogweno (Manager)
Olando captains the Lionesses to Tokyo
Kenya women&#39;s National Team Head Coach Felix Oloo has also named his 13 strong squad to do duty in the women&#39;s Olympic Sevens competition in Tokyo from 29th to 31st July.
Captain Philadelphia Olando is one of three survivors from the Lionesses squad that played at the Rio Olympics in 2016, the others being Sheila Chajira and Janet Okello as the Lionesses seek to navigate their way out of Pool A where they will face New Zealand, Russia and Great Britain.
Oloo gave an insight into squad selection, saying, &#8221; We based our selection criteria on attendance, discipline, medical assessment, player fitness as well as an understanding of the game and positional roles each player has. This  is what guided our selection of the final 13 players.&#8221;
&#8220;We also have a few players who missed out on the selection because they are yet to recover from injuries picked up in previous tournaments.&#8221;
With the Lionesses drawn against New Zealand, Russia, and Great Britain, Oloo said, &#8220;I am very excited to play against the greatest teams in the world at the Olympics, much as we are the underdogs, we plan to play to win. We shall give our best and let character win the day when we take on to the pitch. We ask our fans back home to support us throughout the tournament.&#8221;
Lionesses Olympic Squad: Philadelphia Olando (Northern Suburbs, Captain), Sheila Chajira (Homeboyz), Stellah Wafula (Impala Saracens), Christabel Lindo (Impala Saracens), Leah Wambui (Homeboyz), Judith Auma (Homeboyz), Vivian Akumu (Top Fry Nakuru), Sarah Oluche (Mwamba), Grace Adhiambo (Top Fry Nakuru), Cynthia Atieno (Homeboyz), Janet Okello (Mwamba), Sinaida Aura (Northern Suburbs), Diana Awino (Impala) Non Travelling Reserve: Enid Ouma (Homeboyz) Management: Felix Oloo (Coach), Samuel Njogu (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Ben Mahinda (Medic), Camilyne Oyuayo (Manager).
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kenya Rugby Union (KRU).
Media Contact: Rugby@APO-opa.com

Kenya Rugby Union unveils Kenya’s men and women’s rugby sevens teams to the Tokyo Olympics

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The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Volker Perthes, together with the Special Envoys to Sudan and South Sudan of Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (the Troika) conducted an official mission to Kauda, South Kordofan on 2 to 3 July 2021. SRSG Perthes was also accompanied by country representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

The delegation met with representatives of the Liberation Council of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North Abdelaziz El Hilu faction (SPLM &#8211; N) and also with members of the civil administration, civil society, the Women’s Association and Christian and Muslim religious leaders.
SRSG Perthes commended the resilience of the people in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile having experienced tremendous suffering during the time of the former regime and the life they are building today.
SRSG Perthes emphasized that now is the time for peace for all Sudanese and recognized the courage of SPLM-N and the Transitional Authorities in signing the 28 March Declaration of Principles which encapsulates a shared vision of the new Sudan.  In addressing the SPLM-N Liberation Council, SRSG Perthes underscored, “Now is the time for joint efforts to realize peace.  The basis for a peace agreement has already been laid with the Declaration of Principles signed in Juba on 28 March which both sides should remain committed to and live up to”.  He also reiterated the commitment of the international community to support the parties in peacemaking and peacebuilding.
The delegation also visited a local school and a hospital where they listened to students and medical staff on their achievements but also local challenges and needs. A UN humanitarian-development technical mission will be travelling next week to Kauda.
The United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) is committed to support ongoing and future peace negotiations in Sudan, in collaboration and coordination with other partners, in line with Security Council resolutions 2524 (2020) and 2579 (2021).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations in Sudan.

Statement By Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) Perthes on the visit to Kauda, South Kordofan

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Female soldiers of Kenyan Defence Forces, KDF, serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM, on Saturday donated foodstuffs and medical kits to the community in Kismayo.

In a ceremony held at the AMISOM Sector 6 base in Kismayo, the female soldiers donated the items to enable fellow women in Kismayo to meet their nutrition and health needs.
Senior Sergeant Josephine Kwamboka, an AMISOM nurse with the Kenya AMISOM contingent, said the donation aimed to contribute to Somali women’s empowerment and capacity building.
“Women are the backbone of society. When we bring women together, it creates unity, harmony and peace. In Somalia, when you get to a woman, you reach society. So, we decided to give medical aid and donate foodstuffs to their families,” said Kwamboka.
The commanding officer of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion under AMISOM, Lt. Col. Owuor Godfree, noted the donation was part of efforts to build cordial relations under the contingent’s initiative of:  ‘women empowering women.’
“In the AMISOM mandate, women participation in peacekeeping is essential, and over time, we have encouraged and increased the numbers of women peacekeepers in AMISOM to touch the hearts of the women in the host communities. Women understand the special needs of fellow women as well as youth and children in the community,” said Owuor.
A beneficiary, Dahabo Nur Mohamed, a mother of six, hailed the AMISOM troops for the support and requested them to reach out to more women in need.
“The female AMISOM soldiers have supported us with food and medicine, and we appreciate their support,” Dahabo said.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union Mission in Somalia.

AMISOM Kenya contingent supports women in Kismayo

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Liquid Technologies (www.Liquid.Tech) and Facebook announced a partnership to build an extensive long haul and metro fibre network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that is expected to improve internet access for more than 30 million people and help meet growing demand for regional connectivity across Central Africa.

Facebook will invest in the fibre build and support network planning. Liquid Technologies will own, build and operate the fibre network, and provide wholesale services to mobile network operators and internet service providers. The network will help create a digital corridor from the Atlantic Ocean through the Congo Rainforest, the second largest rainforest after the Amazon, to East Africa, and onto the Indian Ocean. Liquid Technologies has been working on the digital corridor for more than two years, which now reaches Central DRC. This corridor will connect DRC to its neighbouring countries including Angola, Congo Brazzaville, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
The new build will stretch from Central DRC to the Eastern border with Rwanda and extend the reach of 2Africa, a major undersea cable that will land along both the East and West African coasts, and better connect Africa to the Middle East and Europe. Additionally, Liquid will employ more than 5,000 people from local communities to build the fibre network.
“This is one of the most difficult fibre builds ever undertaken, crossing more than 2,000 kilometres of some of the most challenging terrain in the world” said Nic Rudnick, Group CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies. “Liquid Technologies and Facebook have a common mission to provide affordable infrastructure to bridge connectivity gaps, and we believe our work together will have a tremendous impact on internet accessibility across the region.”
“This fibre build with Liquid Technologies is one of the most exciting projects we have worked on,” said Ibrahima Ba, Director of Network Investments, Emerging Markets at Facebook. “We know that deploying fibre in this region is not easy, but it is a crucial part of extending broadband access to under-connected areas. We look forward to seeing how our fibre build will help increase the availability and improve the affordability of high-quality internet in DRC.”
Liquid Intelligent Technologies is present in more than 20 countries in Africa, with a vision of a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Liquid Intelligent Technologies.
For more information contact: Angela Chandy Email: Angela.chandy@liquid.tech
About Liquid Intelligent Technologies: Liquid Intelligent Technologies is a pan-African technology group present in more than 20 countries, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Liquid has firmly established itself as the leading provider of pan-African digital infrastructure with an extensive network covering over 100,000 km. Liquid Intelligent Technologies is redefining network, cloud, and cybersecurity offerings through strategic partnerships with leading global players, innovative business applications, smart cloud services and world-class security on the African continent. Liquid Intelligent Technologies is now a comprehensive, one-stop technology group that provides customized digital solutions to public and private sector companies across the continent under several business units including Liquid Networks, Liquid Cloud and CyberSecurity and Africa Data Centres. https://cd.Liquid.Tech/

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