Category: Business

The three-day expo, which ran from May 29 to 31, attracted a large pool of investors, exhibitors, and visitors from more than 130 countries across the globe. As the curtains came down on the event, one could not help but notice that it was a resounding success, not only due to the prominent figures and influential leaders but also thanks to the tireless commitment of a small, dedicated staff.

This group, consisting of logisticians, technicians, security agents, and maintenance personnel, worked tirelessly to ensure that every aspect of the event ran smoothly.

IGIHE’s Christelle Butoyi spoke with some of them. They shared their day-to-day experiences.

A major event like this requires a lot of effort. For Elharti Abdel Hamid, an official catering provider, normally the day starts very early for setup.

“We get up at 5 a.m. to start work at 7 a.m.,” he said.

There are many challenges, particularly satisfying people with different temperaments, according to Abdel Hamid.

Badr, a cleaner, also opened up about his routine. According to him, his team starts work from 8 a.m to 8 p.m. They begin their routine by cleaning the premises before people enter. It is certainly a tiresome job, but he doesn’t feel it because his colleagues are like family to him.

Hiba Moustanjidi, an agent at Armonia Facilities, is usually in charge of the Media Lounge and is tasked with checking badges for access to the venue. She told IGIHE that before starting work, the team begins the day with a briefing to ensure there are no complaints.

“Gitex is always number one in Morocco, so we try to manage and meet the challenges as best we can,” she emphasised.

Another staff member, Rokaya Abdelmoujoud, plays an important role in handling VIPs, especially welcoming them and escorting them to their seats.

“On my first day, I escorted the Prime Minister of Guinea. I accompanied her for an AI visit, then to her seat,” said Rokaya, noting that “it’s a crucial task.”

IGIHE learnt that most of Rokaya’s colleagues are students who are happy to have side gigs after school. However, the biggest challenge of her job is dealing with people who use disrespectful language.

In achieving its goal of promoting innovation and fostering tech collaborations on the continent, Gitex Africa 2024 could not have succeeded without the invaluable involvement of these behind-the-scenes workers.

Their dedication and professionalism enabled a seamless event, demonstrating that behind every great success, there is a devoted team ready to go to any length to achieve excellence.

This edition of Gitex Africa not only highlighted African technological advancements but also underscored the importance of each individual contributing to the realisation of these grand ambitions.

Additional reporting by Christelle Butoyi

The entry program is designed to empower African start-ups for cross-border growth.

“This program offers a unique opportunity for startups to navigate diverse ecosystems, form strategic partnerships, and scale their businesses across the continent,” the organisation announced.

To be eligible for selection, interested start-ups must be registered in an African country, with at least one of the founders being an African. The start-ups should also be at the scale-up stage.

Successful applicants will enjoy several benefits. They will be among 10 startups to pitch in front of key ecosystem players and potential investors. Additionally, they will receive travel arrangements, participate in ecosystem tours, and engage in one-on-one meetings with potential customers, collaborators, and investors.

The startups will benefit from six months of post-trip support to strengthen the connections made during ecosystem tours, including advisory services on the target market. They will also experience tailored ecosystem tours in one of the focus countries: Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, or Namibia.

Moreover, they will have access to Market Opportunity Packs (MOP), which provide insights into the countries they will visit and have the opportunity to showcase their products to a curated audience of collaborators, investors, and potential customers.

Interested applicants have until June 30, 2024, to apply. The selection exercise is slated for July 2024.

Pitch sessions will begin in August, ecosystem tours in October, and post-ecosystem tour support will take place between November and April 2025.

Interested startups can apply to join the program using the link: http://bit.ly/LetsBuildAfrica

The three-day event provides a platform for African startups and businesses to showcase their ideas and products to a worldwide audience, attracting investors seeking promising tech ventures in Africa.

Speaking to IGIHE, Nigerian investor Uchenna Ugbor termed his experience at the second edition of Gitex Africa as “very good”.

The founder of Ark Technologies Group attended the first edition of Gitex Africa, which made its debut on the continent in Morocco on May 31, 2023. He stated that he was able to invest in several projects and looks forward to a similar experience this year.

“I can’t count the number of stands I have visited. This is my second time. I was here last year and it’s not a disappointment at all. By and large, the event is very good, it has a lot to offer. I have quite a number of suppliers that are here. I have come all the way from Nigeria. Last year I met a couple of guys that I invested in their projects,” Ugbor stated.

According to Ugbor, the African continent has made great strides in innovation, and such efforts deserve applause.

“Given where we are coming from as Africans, I would [African startups] are impressive,” he commented. “The [business] is sustainable because 20 or 30 years ago, we weren’t at this stage, and we cannot compare ourselves with Europeans. It has to be a special case for people like Africans, who are a bit late entrants.”

Isaac Odongo, the CEO of Organic Route, was also upbeat about his experience in Morocco, where his company is showcasing their hybrid technology used to extend the shelf life of dried fruits and vegetables such as bananas.

Extolling the benefits of technology in the 21st century, Odongo said, “We also use tech to reach our customers and manage our finances.”

Liberia’s Minister for Posts and Telecommunications, Sekou Kromah, affirmed that such events offer fertile ground for policymakers to network and make better decisions in their roles.

“I am very happy to be here. It’s very exciting. This event normally helps us as policymakers to network and make sound decisions in terms of telecommunications and ICT,” the minister explained.

MOHE BioTech (Suisse), a company involved in the development of rapid diagnostic tests and an application that allows for quick health assessments and data collection in remote areas, told IGIHE that they had received “some pretty good feedback” from the participants.

“We created a platform that allows its users to know their health status whenever, wherever they are, anytime, while you just have the platform. If you are feeling sick, basically, instead of going all the way to the doctor to be diagnosed, you can do it yourself,” Marc Okambawa, the company’s marketing executive, said.

Okambawa added that their rapid test device can detect up to 12 diseases at a time, and thereafter the results are picked up by a medical practitioner who reaches out to the patient for further medical action.

Also present at the Morocco expo is Africa Smart Health, a company that offers a centralized platform for patients and doctors to keep their medical data. The platform can be accessed from any part of the world.

A user simply sets up a profile, enters all their medical conditions such as allergies, and shares them with their preferred medical professional to write a prescription. For doctors, there is a profile dubbed digital PA where they can manage all appointments and use AI to write medical reports very quickly using prefilled keywords.

The company works with local authorities to get relevant approvals for managing data such as doctor’s records. They also ask for consent from users during registration.

Additional reporting by Christelle Butoyi

The two companies entered the new partnership on Thursday, May 30, during the Gitex Africa 2024 tech expo, which is ongoing in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The partnership with Microsoft will complement Zindi’s practical skilling with courses and certifications in AI, data science, and data analysis, Celina Lee, co-founder and CEO of Zindi, told IGIHE at the forum.

“With this partnership, we’ll be upskilling 10,000 people across Africa in data and AI skills,” Lee stated.

Microsoft Africa President, Lillian Barnard, expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership, saying the company’s goal is to ensure that AI is developed and used in ways that benefit all Africans.

“Bridging the digital skills gap in Africa is vital to the future success of that endeavour. By partnering with Zindi, we aim to revolutionise AI skills on the continent, providing cutting-edge AI training and certifications to thousands of developers and future data engineers, preparing the future workers of the world,” Barnard said.

Zindi is Africa’s largest platform for data scientists and AI and machine learning developers.

According to CEO Lee, more than 70,000 people have registered on the platform, mostly young people.

“About half of them are students, all learning data science and AI skills,” the CEO revealed.

Through the platform, data scientists participate in machine learning and data science competitions to win prizes and enhance their reputations, access real-world problems to develop their skills, and explore opportunities posted by Zindi partners. On the other hand, the platform helps companies find top talent to solve their problems.

“We run competitions where companies can put up datasets and problems, and then the community of data scientists, thousands of them, try to build solutions for these real business problems. This means that businesses get access to incredible talent.

“For the young people on the platform, it means they are building real skills that the market demands. For us, we see ourselves as a professional network where data scientists can build up their profiles and skills. More than a professional network, they can showcase what they’re capable of and connect with job opportunities,” the CEO explained.

Additional reporting by Christelle Butoyi

Spiro was named alongside giant car manufacturers Toyota and BMW in the coveted list unveiled on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

Other renowned firms on the list include Microsoft, Google, Rappi, Huawei, Amazon, Airbus, Tata Group, OpenAI, Pfizer, and Bank of America.

Kenya’s asset financing platform M-Kopa and Food4Education, which supplies subsidized nutritious meals to primary school children, also made the list.

The Time 100 Most Influential Companies list celebrates businesses making extraordinary contributions in their fields, shaping the future of industries and society.

Spiro

Founded in 2019, Spiro launched in Togo and Benin in 2022, followed by Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, last year.

In Uganda, the e-bike and battery swapping provider has partnered with the government to replace its emission-heavy moto taxi fleet, known as boda-bodas, with electric two-wheelers.

Spiro bets on commuters’ needs in populous African cities to double its fleet of 14,000 electric bikes by the end of 2024.

Commenting on the Time’s recognition, Kaushik Burman, CEO of Spiro, said, “This recognition for Spiro in the Time 100 list is humbling and will catalyze our efforts to demonstrate our ability to innovate and deploy affordable mobility to customers, thereby fostering financial inclusion and empowering the lives of our customers and communities.”

Anish Jain, Group CEO of Equitane, Spiro’s holding company, added, “This accolade underscores the innovative work we are doing in Africa and beyond. We are committed to expanding our services and infrastructure to support the growing demand for sustainable transportation options.”

This is the revolutionary concept behind Canon’s “World Unseen” project. Going beyond the traditional frame of a photograph, “World Unseen” employs innovative techniques to create an inclusive experience of photography, particularly for visually impaired individuals.

In their very first exhibition in Africa, Canon Central and North Africa brought this campaign closer to home at GITEX Africa 2024, the largest three-day technology and startup event in Africa, ongoing in Marrakech, Morocco.

How the technology works

The technology behind elevated prints, bringing the power of imaging to everyone, includes the Arizona 2300 FLXflow using PRISMAelevate XL software. Thanks to the elevated print, people can feel the different elements of the scenes through shapes, highlighted areas, and textures, allowing them to visualize the images through touch.

At the Canon booth in Marrakech, delegates, both visually impaired and sighted, were able to have multi-sensory experiences connecting them with powerful images and the stories behind them through audio descriptions, soundscapes, and braille.

The exhibition featured a series of photographs taken by world-renowned photographers including multi-award-winning South African photojournalist Brent Stirton, renowned Brazilian Photojournalist Sebastião Salgado, Nigerian photojournalist Yagazie Emezi, sports photographer Samo Vidic, fashion photographer Heidi Rondak and Pulitzer winning photojournalist Muhammed Muheisen.

Hamid Nabil was among the individuals who had the opportunity to experience the power of this innovative technology aimed at fostering inclusivity and deeper appreciation for diverse perspectives.

Visually impaired, Nabil was Morocco’s first visually impaired student to graduate with a doctorate degree in English Studies from Rabat’s Mohammed V University.

Rashad Ghani, the B2C Director for Canon Central and North Africa, said the new innovative project is part of the renowned Japanese imagery brand’s commitment to contributing to a more inclusive society.

“It is Canon’s philosophy of Kyosei, you know, working and living together for the common good. That’s how Canon is. Canon is not only a brand that creates something for, you know, a product to do business. They always look at society and something to enhance in the society.

“Being an imagery brand for so many years, you know, giving products to create photographs. Yes, people can see it. But then also Canon as a brand positions itself that why those people who cannot see should not feel the product or feel the picture. And that’s where I think this has come out as a concept where they can also feel what is around them and they can also sense what exactly the pictures and the images are,” he stated.

Ghani affirmed that the elevated printing feature is just one among many available on Canon printers, and the company will stay abreast of the ever-changing world of technology to keep giving its customers new experiences.

The second edition of GITEX Africa kicked off in Morocco, on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, and will close on Friday, May 31, 2024. The three-day event showcases the latest innovations and trends in tech, with a focus on connecting businesses, entrepreneurs, and investors.

Additional reporting by Christelle Butoyi

According to the organization, which has been tracking Africa’s most admired brands for the last 14 years, despite 64% of Africans expressing confidence in the continent, they remain loyal to non-African brands.

The top five most admired African brands in 2024 are South African telecommunications group MTN, Nigerian conglomerate Dangote, Zambian consumer group Trade Kings, Nigerian telecommunications group Glo, and South African media group DStv, along with Ethiopian Airlines.

MTN Group, headquartered in Johannesburg, was ranked eleventh among the top 100 most preferred brands on the continent for the second year in a row, behind some of the world’s biggest brands that have dominated the market for decades.

Nike from the United States, Adidas (Germany), Samsung (South Korea), Coca-Cola (USA) and Apple (USA) all retained their positions for the fifth consecutive year as the top five most admired brands in Africa.

Other top 10 brands are Gucci (Italy), Toyota (Japan), Tecno (China), Zara (Spain) and Puma (Germany).

MTN, Coca Cola and UN/UNICEF were also recognised as leaders in “doing good for society and environment”.

South Africa (5) and Nigeria (5), along with Ethiopia (1), Zambia (1), Zimbabwe (1), and Tanzania (1), are the only six African nations that make up the 14% share of the top 100 brands.

Europe retained its 37% share of the top 100, while North America declined by 12.5% to 28%, and Asia grew its share by 23.5% to capture 21% of the African market.

“While the share of African brands remain a disappointing 14%, with Africans overwhelmingly believing that mostly Africa will contribute to a better Africa, as nations continue to create an enabling environment for African entrepreneurs and the AfcFTA opportunity is realized, it’s just a matter of time, but ultimately the share of African brands will increase,” said Thebe Ikalafeng, founder and chairman of Brand Africa.

Here is the full list of the top 100 brands in Africa by consumer taste:

ICCA’s “Country and City Rankings for 2023” placed Rwanda behind South Africa, which hosted 98 international events, against Kigali’s 32 events.

Kenya came in third with 29 international events, followed by Egypt and Morocco, which hosted 28 and 26 international conferences and meetings, respectively.

ICCA, which has its headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is the global community and knowledge hub for the international association meetings industry, offering data, education, communication channels, as well as business development and networking opportunities.

The organization publishes annual rankings on the number of meetings held in various countries and regions worldwide, offering a reliable indicator within the industry.

On the global stage, the United States topped the list with 690 meetings, while Italy and Spain were in second and third place with 553 and 505 meetings respectively. Other countries on the top 10 list are France (472), Germany (463), United Kingdom (425), Japan (363), Netherlands (304), Portugal (303) and Canada (259).

Rwanda becomes conferences hub

Rwanda has become a hub for high-profile conferences in recent years. Last year alone, the country played host to 165 conferences, attracting over 65,000 delegates from around the world.

Statistics from the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) show that the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) recorded a significant growth of 52 percent in 2023 generating revenue of $95 million (RWF 122 billion).

Among the high-profile events held in Rwanda last year was the 73rd FIFA Congress. The event, held on March 16, 2023, brought together more than 1,500 delegates representing 211 FIFA members, head of Confederations and other global players in football.

The Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD2023) was held in Kigali from 17-20 July 2023, where more than 5,000 delegates gathered to advance gender equality.

Additionally, the Giants of Africa Festival took place in Kigali from 13– 19 August 2023. The event brought together more than 300 African youth from 16 countries, who participated in an intensive series of basketball clinics and leadership workshops designed to help them pursue their dreams.

Rwanda also hosted two other major entertainment events in 2023: the Trace Africa Music Awards and Festival, which brought together music, fashion, and arts, giving young and creative talents a global stage to showcase their skills; and The Move Afrika by Global Citizen, which was headlined by the globally renowned artist Kendrick Lamar.

Other notable events were World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Ironman, Cybertech Africa 2023, International Conference on Learning Representation, Africa Health Agenda International Conference, International Congress on Conservation Biology, Mobile World Congress, Global Anglican – GAFCON, nclusive Fintech Forum, Segal Family Foundation and the 19th Kwita Izina Ceremony.

Norrsken African Week Meeting, TIME 100 Summit + Awards and Unleash Rwanda were also among notable events hosted in Rwanda in 2023.

The unique service offers passengers the convenience of dropping off their luggage at the airline’s offices located at Hôtel des Mille Collines before heading to board their flights at Kigali International Airport, situated on the outskirts of Kanombe, about 5 kilometers from the city center.

Brussels Airlines Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dorothea Von Boxberg attended the reopening of the city check-in section.

“We are very proud that we can offer this very good service again, which is to drop off luggage and check-in at the city office in the morning and spend the day not worrying about your luggage, then go to the airport and ensure the luggage is there,” the CEO stated.

To fulfill the airline’s commitment to offering convenience to its customers Ms.Von, Boxberg also announced that the airline would begin daily flights from Kigali starting in June.

“To further enhance convenience, we’re increasing service to daily flights from Kigali starting in June,” Von Boxberg announced.

Brussels Airlines Country Manager Audrey Natukunda explained that the check-in service was halted after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in line with the government measures introduced to curb the spread of the virus.

“We, as Brussels Airlines, care for our staff and passengers. We needed to comply with the regulations to keep the distance and stay healthy,” Natukunda explained.

Following the reopening of the service, passengers will receive an email inviting them to check in luggage at Hôtel des Mille Collines before their flight.

Charles Habonimana, the Managing Director of Rwanda Airports Company (RAC), lauded the service, saying it is particularly convenient for passengers who use motorbikes to beat traffic to the airport, as they do not need to struggle with their luggage. He encouraged other airlines to introduce similar services to increase customer satisfaction.

Versmessen Bert, the Ambassador of Belgium to Rwanda, welcomed the resumption of the check-in service at the city center, terming it timely as the tourism sector continues to experience remarkable growth since the pandemic.

A report released by the Rwanda Development Board last month shows that the tourism sector recorded $650 million (RWF 832 billion) in revenues last year, representing a 35 percent growth in revenue compared to 2022. The tourism sector is projected to fully recover from the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, having made a significant rebound in 2023.

According to a survey by the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the tourism sector achieved 88 percent of pre-pandemic levels last year. Total export revenues from tourism, encompassing passenger transport, reached approximately $1.6 trillion in 2023, nearly 95 per cent of the $1.7 trillion recorded in 2019.

Projections suggest a continuation of this positive trend, with estimates indicating a 2 per cent growth in international tourist arrivals above 2019 levels.