[Rwanda] Electric mobility startup Ampersand achieves major milestone with 1,000 motorcycles

Ampersand, the Kigali-based electric motorcycle startup now has more than 1,000 commercial-use electric motorcycles on the roads in Rwanda and Kenya.

This is more than any other electric motorcycle company in Africa with the company planning to reach 3,000 by the end of 2023.  

“Our team is incredibly proud of this achievement”, said Alp Tilev, co-founder and CTO  of Ampersand. “Our e-motos have been embraced by the community as a reliable, climate-friendly and cost-effective mode of transportation. We are ramping up local production of our battery packs to meet growing client demand for our e-motos and continuing  to innovate for a more sustainable public transport option for East Africans.” 

Ampersand launched its first electric motorcycles and battery swap stations four years ago. The company currently has a network of 25 battery-swap stations across Kenya and Rwanda where riders can swap out depleted batteries for fully charged ones in only 2 minutes. Ampersand works exclusively with commercial delivery and taxi motorcycle drivers, who earn 50% more than with petrol bikes due to fuel and maintenance savings, all while reducing harmful carbon emissions.  

Ampersand says it’s focused on providing the fuel network of the future and working with a variety of motorcycle manufacturers to serve this market. Its success it says is partly due to the focus on R&D from day one, being the only company to commercially develop and manufacture battery packs for motorcycles on the ground in Africa, creating green jobs. 

By combining its reliable, smart battery pack with its low-cost swap stations and batter fleet software backend, Ampersand riders now spend less per km than on fuel-powered motorcycles or any other electric motorcycle on offer.  

Transportation is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions globally. Sustainable mobility for all is one of the United Nations SDGs, meaning that clean transport is essential to meeting the target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2050. In addition to reducing emissions, the co-benefits of electrification include a reduction in air and sound pollution, cost savings to African economies, riders and commuters, and a more resilient transportation economy that is less reliant on volatile energy markets. 

“We believe that e-mobility is the future of transportation in Africa, and we are committed to making it accessible to as many people as possible,” said Josh Whale, co-founder and CEO of Ampersand. 

“Our partnerships with fuel network operators like Total Energies and SP have also been critical to our success, allowing us to expand our network and reach new customers whilst building a low-carbon future for the continent’s existing transport energy infrastructure. Smart EV policies in East Africa, especially in Rwanda and soon in Kenya, have created an enabling environment for our growth. We look forward to increasing the number of e-motorcycles further and playing our part in developing more sustainable public transport systems for future generations.” he added.

www.ampersand.solar

[Rwanda] Applications for 2023 Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition open

The Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition has opened applications for its fifth annual edition.

ABH is a philanthropic initiative sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Philanthropy that seeks to support entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries

Every year since 2019, ABH conducts a continent-wide search with its partners for 10 outstanding, mission-driven entrepreneurs that are striving to make a difference in their local communities. Over a 10-year period, ABH will recognize a total of 100 African entrepreneurs.  

“At ABH, we have long recognized the potential of entrepreneurs as engines of economic and social growth. Now in the fifth year of the competition, we are encouraged to see that ABH has grown into a truly Pan-African initiative that is positively impacting the continent’s entrepreneurship landscape. We are extremely impressed with the increasing diversity of our Heroes and how they’ve been taking tangible steps to solve some of Africa’s most challenging issues. ”Zahra Baitie-Boateng, Head of Partnerships & Programs of ABH, said. 

At the Grand Finale to be held later this year, the 10 finalists will take the stage to present their businesses to a panel of legendary business people. The journey to the finale will also include access to a community of international business leaders and innovators, industry experts, investors and accelerators, as well as multi-disciplinary bootcamps and training sessions to help the participating entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level.

Apart from grant, mentorship and networking opportunities, ABH creates a television show every year which follows the finalists of the previous year on their exciting journey to the Grand Finale, featuring their on-stage pitches as well as behind-the-scenes moments. The ABH Show aims to provide a masterclass in entrepreneurship, as audiences can see first-hand how Africa’s top entrepreneurs refined their final pitches and faced challenging questions from the judges. The upcoming edition of the ABH Show will be in shorter episodes, and released on ABH’s official YouTube channel and ABH’s social media platforms from March 2023 onwards. A combined longer version will be launched at CNBC, StarTimes and Vox Africa later this year.

To date, over 72,000 entrepreneurs across the continent have participated in the ABH Prize Competition. The 10 outstanding finalists for 2022  were chosen from over 21,000 applicants from 54 African countries, representing a broad spectrum of industries including agriculture, consulting, energy environmental protection, healthcare, information and communication technology (ICT), and retail.

The ABH Prize Competition is Pan-African, inclusive, sector-agnostic and grassroots-oriented. Entrepreneurs in Africa, across every sector, gender and age group and all levels of society, are encouraged to submit their applications, in either English or French, for a chance to become one of the top 10 finalists to compete for a share of US$1.5 million in grant money.

Applications can be done here and are now open until May 12, 2023, with the top 50 candidates announced in July, semi-finalists announced in August and the top 10 finalists unveiled in September. 

www.africabusinessheroes.org

More public services in Rwanda to go digital with new €37 Million financing deal

Rwanda has signed a 37-million-euro loan and a 1.2 million euro grant with Agence Française de Développement to digitize the country’s public services. 

Under Priority Area three of Economic Transformation Pillar of the National Strategy for Transformation One (NST1), Rwanda aims to establish itself as a globally competitive knowledge-based economy including providing high standards, quality services and customer care across public and private sectors. Public services are still hampered by old local computer networks, and the potential for using geospatial data is still untapped. Moreover, after initial emblematic successes such as the use of drones to deliver blood bags to health centers, the government has expressed its desire to accelerate the development of the drone industry.

Government of France through AFD is supporting these priorities with a €37 million loan and a €1.2 million grant. This support will allow, starting from 2023, modernisation and harmonisation of network infrastructure of central and local administrations, in particular those having direct interactions with citizens (districts and sector offices, hospitals and other government agencies), with the aim of improving the efficiency and capacity to provide quality public services.

A Geospatial Hub (GeoHub), a centralized geospatial data infrastructure and services will also be set up and managed by the Rwanda Space Agency. It will help improve evidence-based development, planning, monitoring and evaluation of public policies in various fields (urban planning, response to natural disasters, health, agriculture, etc.).

Finally, AFD will support the drone sector, in which Rwanda has been a global pioneer by financing the construction of a centre of excellence as part of a Drone Operations Center (DOC), in Huye, Southern Province, which will be a place to test new-use cases for the industry. The DOC will be managed by a private company.

In parallel, AFD granted a €1.2M envelope to mobilize French expertise in the areas of the project.

The structuring of this ambitious project was made possible by the D4D Hub, a global digital cooperation of the European Union, which financed the feasibility studies.

“We are delighted with the signature of this new project, AFD’s first financing in Rwanda in the digital sector! Because it will enable the delivery of quality public services in key institutions across the country, this project will help reduce access gap between the capital and the rest of the country. It will also make the country more attractive and create economic opportunities in Huye district thanks to support for the drone industry,” said Arthur Germond, AFD’s Director in Rwanda.

Dr Uzziel Ndagijimana said  “The financing we just concluded today with AFD will support Government of Rwanda’s efforts to modernize the administrative network infrastructure, operationalize a Geospatial Center of Excellence and a Drone Operation Center with the objective of improving government’s efficiency and capacity to deliver services, unlocking drone private sector development, and supporting policy design, monitoring and evaluation across government. It will also support innovation and economic development based on geospatial and drone generated data-base.”

www.minecofin.gov.rw

Africa Data Centres to build its first data centre in Kigali

Africa Data Centres has revealed plans to build its first data centre in Kigali, Rwanda. The data centre will have 2MW of IT load and will be purpose-built to meet growing demand in the region.

“It is an exciting time for Africa Data Centres,” says Tesh Durvasula, the company’s CEO. “Our decision to build a data centre in Kigali was an easy one, given Rwanda’s robust economic recovery post the COVID-19 pandemic and the Government of Rwanda’s focus on digital transformation”.

“This latest announcement adds to and complements our existing investments in Rwanda and elsewhere in East Africa. We will work closely with both public and private enterprises in Rwanda to ensure that they can harness the benefits of our data centre facility to enable the provision of  digital services that Rwandan citizens need,” Added Hardy Pemhiwa, Group President & CEO of Cassava Technologies.

According to Durvasula, “This new data centre brings three main benefits to the market – global standards, high quality of service and affordability. In addition, enterprises will achieve cost savings associated with building and maintaining their own facilities”.

Although Rwanda is a landlocked country in East Africa, there is stable network connectivity and infrastructure connecting it to Uganda and from there to the Kenyan coast into Uganda. Africa Data Centres will ensure that Rwanda becomes part of their ecosystem in East Africa by connecting the new data centre to their site in Nairobi

Speaking of the need for colocation services in the country, Durvasula says the local enterprise market is eager to benefit from Africa Data Centres’ colocation services and a stable data centre environment. “They will also be able to make the most of global connectivity through a range of global service providers and cloud service providers”.

Ultimately, Africa Data Centres wants to extend the same experience to clients in Rwanda as it does in other countries by building a world-class ecosystem to which the Rwandan market can connect.

www.africadatacentres.com

[Rwanda] Face scan account opening a big hit with Bank of Kigali customers

Bank of Kigali (BK) says it has recorded increased uptake of its mobile banking services following the launch of new digital customer onboarding and lending features. 

The bank on September 30 unveiled its upgraded digital platform including BK Mobile App with new features, Internet Banking 2.0 and BK Digital Lending.

The new digital products have become a hit with customers of the bank which is listed on Rwanda and Kenyan stock markets, helping to enlist new clients including from the diaspora.

The new BK Mobile App enables new customers to onboard themselves and open a bank account with just a scan of their face and ID. It also allows several transactions including transfers and scheduling of advance payments. 

The App has reduced the time it takes to open a bank account to just a few minutes, from previously when it would take up to an hour.

“We want people to open accounts from where they are and start using them. Technology will help us to achieve our goal of reaching many customers and that will earn us more profit,” said Dr, Diane Karusisi, the Bank of Kigali Chief Executive Officer.

The bank has set a target to onboard 80 percent of its customers onto its digital lending platform in the next two years, up from the current 40 percent who are using the service.

The BK mobile App has 57,000 active users, which is expected to increase significantly based on the rise in customer uptake.

“We have great people in Bank of Kigali who come to work every day with a sense of responsibility and purpose. We believe we are not just any bank, we are the home bank and we have a responsibility in the critical journey our country has taken,” said Dr Karusisi.

BK in mid-October also signed a partnership with World First Asia to enable customers to send money instantly to China at a fraction of the cost of other cash transfer services in the market.

The partnership saw BK establish integration with China’s Ali Pay, a third-party online payment solution owned by Ant Financial, a subsidiary of World First Asia. It enables BK account holders to send money from Rwanda to China instantly through Ali Pay.

Sending under $10,000 via Ali Pay will cost customers $25, way below other providers who charge above $100.

bk.rw/personal

[Rwanda] Mobile Finance Can Increase National Gross Domestic Product, Report

Successful deployment and adoption of mobile financial services is associated with a positive impact on GDP growth in developing markets. This is according to new research from Vodafone Group, Vodacom Group, Safaricom, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The research notes that mobile finance can help businesses to reduce costs, access credit to invest and connect with consumers that were previously excluded from financial services.

The econometric modelling research – which examined 49 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America – found that countries with successful mobile money services had an annual GDP per capita growth rate up to 1 percentage point higher than countries where mobile money platforms had not been successful or not introduced.

Based on previous World Bank research on the relationship between economic growth and reductions in the number of people living in poverty[2], this GDP per capita growth implies that countries with successful mobile money adoption could reduce poverty by around 2.6%.

The analysis was conducted as part of the companies’ Africa.Connected campaign, an initiative to drive sustainable development through collaboration and help close the divides that prevent progress in Africa’s key economic sectors. The findings are part of a new research paper, Digital Finance Platforms to Empower All, the fourth research paper developed and released under the Africa.Connected umbrella.

“Mobile financial services platforms like M-Pesa are vital drivers of financial inclusion in society which can improve individual life chances and enable enterprises to launch and expand, bringing wealth and jobs into developing economies. There remains though barriers both to accessing platforms – including digital literacy and smartphone accessibility – and to developing them – with an un-level regulatory playing field for non-traditional financial services providers in many countries.” Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, CEO of M-Pesa Africa and Chief Financial Services Officer at Safaricom, said. 

As part of the Africa.Connected research, consumer surveys were conducted focusing on users of M-Pesa in Kenya and Tanzania, and results were extrapolated to Ghana and Mozambique. A business survey was also conducted in Kenya. The resulting research underpinned the continuing importance of the world’s first mobile money service 15 years after it launched in 2007.

The researchers estimated that 17.6 million current users in the four countries did not have access to any formal financial services before using M-Pesa. 98% of businesses surveyed said that M-Pesa helps them to do business, with the main benefits of M-Pesa being its facilitation of faster and safer payments and enabling the sale of goods and services online; and 95% of businesses surveyed indicated that they use M-Pesa for at least half of their business transactions.

“Financial inclusion is both a pre-condition and a key enabler for meeting many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including reducing poverty, boosting economic growth, promoting market access and championing investment in key sectors like education, agriculture, and healthcare. But more importantly, it is about putting people at the center, empowering them with more agency over their money and increasing their resilience. Eliminating financial exclusion in Africa, and across the globe, must be a priority if we are to deliver on inclusive, sustainable prosperity for all on a healthy planet.” Ulrika Modeer, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy at UNDP, said.

The report is available for download here. 

www.vodacom.com

MTN Rwanda introduces extended warranty and repair services for smartphones

MTN Rwandacell Plc (MTN Rwanda) has introduced extended warranty and repair services for all customers that purchase smartphones from any MTN Service Centre. This service is launching soon after MTN Rwanda’s announcement that it would be launching a device financing initiative in partnership with Bank of Kigali, offering customers the opportunity to buy brand new smartphones on credit.

MTN Rwanda’s extended warranty offers customers additional protection for any smartphone purchased at any MTN Service Centre or Connect Shop and also for any smartphone a customer has owned for less than three (3) years, upon the purchase of a screen protector and/or phone case for that existing phone. The warranty is for a period of twelve (12) months.

MTN Rwanda is also offering customers one free repair of their smartphones if any fault develops during the warranty period. For any additional repairs, customers will receive an eighty per cent (80%) discount on the repair costs.

“Smartphones are the gateway to unlimited information and an array of digital services, and we want to ease the process of owning and maintaining one. For a lot of our customers, smartphones are the first big-expense item they purchase for themselves, meaning screen protectors and phone cases are a must-have given the durability of smartphones. The idea of introducing an MTN extended warranty and repair service went without saying. This is part of our commitment to ensure that as we connect everyone to the digital world, we think of the entire customer journey and offer our customers peace of mind,” said Yaw Ankoma Agyapong, MTN Rwanda Chief Consumer & Digital Officer.

The extended warranty (beyond what is covered in the manufacturer warranty) insures against accidental damage, cracked screens, cracked casing, water and liquid damage as well as malfunction after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired.

MTN Rwanda’s repair service offers top-notch diagnoses at designated MTN Service Centres. Customers located in Kigali will have their phones repaired within 3 days and those located upcountry will have their phones repaired within 5 days.

“We look forward to our customers enjoying this service as we continue to pursue the delivery of digital solutions for Rwanda’s progress,” concluded Agyapong.

www.mtn.co.rw

MTN Rwanda launches a communication solution for businesses

MTN Rwandacell (MTN Rwanda)  announced the launch of MTN Unicall, a new product that is set to streamline the integration of enterprise communication services under the Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) product umbrella. A first of its kind in the market, MTN Unicall provides a consistent unified user interface and user experience across multiple devices.

These products, SIP Trunk, Hosted PBX (Office lines) and Hosted Call Centre integrate all communication services easily and conveniently, allowing enterprises to increase flexibility and productivity.

“Ease and convenience play a vital role in the creation of our business solution products and services. We are pleased to announce the launch of MTN Unicall, that will enable customers to transition from their fixed lines into an internet-powered phone system, keeping their business lines connected 24/7. Additionally, MTN Rwanda offers enterprises the option of having hosted call centers & PABX, eliminating the hassle and cost of setting up the required infrastructure. Furthermore, the Hosted PBX accelerates workflow, saving upfront costs with automated attendants and automatic updates at no extra charge,” commented Didas Ndoli, MTN Rwanda General Manager, Enterprise Business Unit.

MTN Rwanda Hosted PBX offers a range of capabilities such as enabling code-based dial-in on conferences (conference bridge), Hunt Group (call transferring), Cloud IVR, and mobile applications.

This, coupled with SIP Trunking, allows the integration of the following communication services: instant messaging (chat), presence information, voice (including IP telephony), mobility features, audio, web & video conferencing, fixed-mobile convergence (FMC), desktop sharing, data sharing, with non-real-time communication services such as unified messaging.

These integrations provide the option for migrating businesses, those looking to move premises out of the local area but wish to keep their business-critical numbers, to do so without the cost of call forwarding.

“We are dedicated to offering digital solutions for the progress of Rwanda and with MTN Unicall, we would like to assure our enterprise customers that their business communication services will continue to operate seamlessly, while optimizing the business capabilities, everywhere they go,” concluded Ndoli.

www.mtn.co.rw

Call for Applications for Tech African Women program, by United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in partnership with Betacube

ECA (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa), in partnership with Betacube, has announced the launch of its first Tech African Women program, inviting female-led idea stage startups from Ethiopia, Senegal, Tanzania and Tunisia to submit their applications.

TAW (Tech African Women) is a program that is launched with the objective of empowering female founders to leverage their skills in order to build strong tech startups from scratch, accelerate the transformation of project ideas into validated business models and to develop alliances between different African ecosystems.

The program will run from August to December 2022 and is composed of 3 main phases:

  1. Intensive 3-day training bootcamps & pitching competitions to be held in Tunisia, Senegal, Ethiopia&Tanzania in partnership with local ecosystem players. The winning team of each bootcamp will win a cash prize of 2000$.
  2. A 2-months online incubation program for the best 2 startups from each country that will allow them to reach market&investment readiness.
  3.  A final Ceremony in Ethiopia in Addis Ababa at ECA Conference Center where 8 startups will be invited to pitch to win the final prize of the program (cash grant of 7000$ for the best startup) TAW targets female-led&idea-stage tech startups and offers teams an exclusive opportunity to acquire new entrepreneurial skills, establish partnership with their African peers, increase regional business visibility and access funds.It supports ideas addressing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by developing the capacity of female entrepreneurs who desire to understand how to play a role in the continent’s development and want to deep dive into building impact-driven startups.

Throughout the duration of the incubation program, teams will have access to a pool of tech developers and designers who will develop their MVPs free of charge and work closely with top experts in Marketing and Finance in addition to the participation in tailored webinars provided by international trainers.

How to apply?

Participants entering the program have to be nationals of Tunisia or Tanzania or Senegal or Ethiopia, have an idea of a tech startup that is addressing at least one of the SDGs, must be female aged between 18 and 35 years old and be able to communicate fluently in French or English.

Applications are now open for candidates from the four countries on the official website of the program (www.techafricanwomen.com) until the 10th of August 2022 for Tunisia, and until the 17th of August 2022 in Ethiopia, Senegal and Tanzania.

www.techafricanwomen.com

[Rwanda] The Internet Society Pledges to Expand Internet Access in Africa

As the Internet Society (ISOC) celebrates its 30th anniversary as a global nonprofit advocating for an open, globally-connected Internet, the organization is calling for accelerated action to further Internet development throughout the African region. During the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) 2022 taking place from in Kigali, Rwanda under the theme “Connecting the unconnected to achieve sustainable development”, Dawit Bekele, Regional Vice President of the Internet Society in Africa, lauded the progress made by stakeholders in expanding access throughout the continent, while encouraging more collaborative efforts to bridge the digital divide.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest growth in global Internet penetration, increasing from less than 1% in 2000 to 30% today.  Between 2019 and 2021 Internet use in Africa jumped by 23%. Despite this impressive growth, there is still a coverage gap of over 840 million people who don’t have access to reliable and affordable Internet access.  

“The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the value of Internet connectivity which has been an essential lifeline for the continuity of business, healthcare, education, government, and other critical activities. We applaud the significant investments in the last decades to develop Internet infrastructure, which have made the Internet available to more people across the continent. However, the pandemic also highlights the digital divide that remains, particularly in rural, remote and even urban areas around the world,” said Dawit Bekele.

In Kenya specifically, the rapid pace of Internet ecosystem development since 2012 underscores the critical role that Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and the accompanying infrastructure play in the establishment of strong and sustainable Internet ecosystems. The Internet Society has conducted technical capacity training on Internet routing technologies for network operators in Kenya and supported the development of community networks including TunapandaNET in Kibera, AHERI in Kisumu, and Lanet-Umoja in Nakuru. 

It’s through such initiatives and collaboration from the government that has propelled an increase of the number of internet users from 0.4% in 2012 to 41.9% of the population in 2020 with nearly 70% of traffic localized. Localizing Internet traffic has led to significant cost savings for participating networks and puts the country in a strong position to participate in the digital economy.

Community networks are a way to help address the digital divide.  They are communications infrastructures built, managed, and used by local communities and are a sustainable solution to address connectivity gaps in underserved regions. The Internet Society has a long history of working with communities worldwide to fund, build and train people with the skills needed to run and maintain community networks.

In Africa, the Internet Society has helped build community networks in South Africa, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia, Morocco, Senegal, and Ethiopia. 

At WTDC, the organization will be making a pledge to support 100 complementary solutions to connect the unconnected, and to train 10,000 people to build and maintain Internet infrastructure, all by 2025 as part of the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition, an initiative led by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that aims to foster meaningful connectivity and digital transformation in the hardest-to-connect communities around the world.

Also vital to expanding the Internet throughout Africa is the interconnection between local networks, content providers, and users. Currently, millions of dollars are spent every year to route local Internet traffic through expensive international links. This not only makes the Internet slower and more costly for Internet users, but it also limits the kinds of applications that can run on the local Internet. For this reason, the Internet Society has been at the forefront of supporting the establishment and growth of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) that enable and encourage local traffic.

ISOC research shows that IXPs improve the end-user experience, lower the cost of access, and stimulate the development of local Internet ecosystems and cross-border interconnections. By improving local Internet services and reducing their costs, well-managed IXPs open new worlds of possibility with modest investment.