APRA stands with Kenyans over crisis, condoles families - ITREALMS

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The Executive Council and members of the
African Public Relations Association (APRA) has condoled with all Kenyans in general, over the recent crisis that happened in the country, which led to some deaths, reports ITREALMS.

This was contained in a press statement available to ITREALMS from the secretariat of APRA and endorsed by the Secretary-General, Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, declaring that they also are in solidarity with the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK).

Kenyans tops senders of mobile-to-mobile remittances

ITRealms:

Electronic transfers via mobile money accounts for 93 per cent of WorldRemit latest transactions to Kenya showed that Kenyans have continued to be early adopters of innovative technology, even when abroad, reports ITRealms.

Revealing this on the sideline of the 10th anniversary of ground-breaking mobile money service M-PESA, WorldRemit in newly released data indicated that the Kenyan diaspora is the biggest sender of digital remittances to mobile accounts.

Mobile money has played a key role in the growth of WorldRemit’s Kenyan customer base, attracted by the low price, speed and convenience of sending instant remittances from the app or website directly to a mobile phone in Kenya.

In January 2017, WorldRemit customers transferred more than $140m (at annualised rate) to Kenya, making WorldRemit one of the largest remittance companies serving the Kenyan diaspora.

Top remittance-sending countries are the UK, Australia, US, Germany, Canada and Nordic countries.

Around three million Kenyans live abroad, with large communities in North America, Europe and Australia.

Remittances play an important role in Kenya’s economy – inward remittances reached a record value of just under $161m in November 2016, according to the Central Bank of Kenya, making it one of the nation’s top earners.

WorldRemit is now connected to over a fifth of all mobile money accounts - 112 million of 500 million mobile money accounts around the world.

74% of all international remittances to mobile money accounts coming from money transfer operators are sent via WorldRemit.

The company has pioneered mobile to mobile remittances, sending to 32 mobile money services in 24 countries - more than any other money transfer service.

Globally, WorldRemit customers send more than 580,000 transfers every month to over 140 destinations. WorldRemit makes sending money as easy as sending an instant message.

Ismail Ahmed, Founder and CEO at WorldRemit, comments: “Kenya is famed for leading Africa’s digital transformation, and today it’s Kenyans abroad who are at the forefront of digitising international money transfers. Most of our Kenyan customers use our mobile app, demonstrating the strong demand for convenience when sending to friends and family.

“With half a billion registered accounts worldwide, mobile money continues to transform lives by allowing people to access financial services for the first time. WorldRemit customers now send more than 65,000 transfers to the country every month from the WorldRemit app and website with over 90% going to M-PESA”.

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15m Nigerians active on Facebook monthly via mobile

ITRealms:
 

Facebook  has released new statistics indicating that about 7.1 million Nigerians use Facebook daily while 15 million are active every month, ITRealms reports.
 
The new statistics also revealed that 2.2 million Kenyans use Facebook every day and 4.5 million each month, just as it showed that almost all these people are coming to Facebook on a mobile device: 100 per cent of Nigerian monthly users are active on mobile as are 95 per cent of Kenya’s monthly users.
 
This, ITRealms gathered, followed the recent announcement that Facebook’s active user population in Africa has grown by 20 per cent to 120 million in June 2015 from 100 million in September 2014. More than 80 per cent of these people access Facebook from their mobile phones. Now, 60 per cent of all Internet users in Africa are active on Facebook.
 
The newly appointed Head of Africa at Facebook, Nunu Ntshingila, in a press release noted that “At Facebook, we have a saying that we’re only 1 per cent done, and this couldn’t be truer for Facebook in Africa. I’m only beginning this journey, and I’m already incredibly inspired by the power of connection - from the smallest moments to fostering global conversations. Everyone on Facebook has a story, and I can’t wait to hear the stories from Kenya and Nigeria firsthand.”
 
Ntshingila went further to say, “Mobile is not a trend; it’s the fastest adoption of disruptive technology in history of communication. It’s also an incredibly personal device regardless of where a person lives or how they connect, and businesses need to reach people where they are, not where they were, in an authentic, personal and relevant way. I look forward to spending time with businesses across Africa to understand how we can work together.”
 
Facebook recently opened its first office in Africa to further the company’s commitment to help businesses connect with people and grow locally and regionally. The new office, ITRealms reports,  is the next step in furthering Facebook’s investment in Africa and its people. The team in Africa will focus initially on Kenya (East Africa), Nigeria (West Africa), and South Africa (Southern Africa).
 
Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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Pix: Nunu Ntshingila,

SimbaPay, Choice Microfinance Bank app for Kenyans

ITRealms

SimbaPay, a leading digital money transfer provider is partnering with Choice Microfinance Bank to bring financial services to Kenyans living in United Kingdom and other European Union countries, ITRealms reports. 

Kenyans living in the UK with a bank account, debit card or credit card are now able to use the SimbaPay app to make money transfers from any mobile phone, tablet or computer. The service will be rolled out to Kenyans living in other EU countries in the near future.

In the press release made available to ITRealms, the Head, Operations, SimbaPay, Victor Karanja, “Our customers who already bank with Choice Microfinance Bank or have friends and family using the bank will be glad to see their transfers being credited instantly”. 

The Deputy CEO, Choice Microfinance Bank, Stanley Kasyoka, added that “We are very excited about this new partnership with SimbaPay which is heavily engaged with the economic force that is Kenyans living abroad. Kenyans abroad are the country’s largest earner of foreign exchange today”.

SimbaPay and Choice Microfinance Bank, ITRealms gathered, announced the partnership on August 29, 2015 in London at the annual “Kenya in the Park” event where they also exhibited the service. The two companies jointly sponsored the event  with other businesses targeting Kenyans abroad. The event is an annual celebration of Kenya’s rich vibrant culture.

For ease of use, Choice Bank has been pre-loaded on to the SimbaPay platform which eliminates the need for customers having to remember the Choice Bank pay bill details. At the time of making a money transfer using SimbaPay, customers will be required to select the bank from a database of Pay Bill businesses and then enter the destination account number and amount, ITRealms learnt.

SimbaPay also launched free, instant transfers to all Nigerian banks in May 2015.  In June it became the first platform in the world to allow Kenyans living abroad to make M-Pesa Pay Bill payments and continues to disrupt the cross-border remittance industry with its focus on speed and convenience, ITRealms informs.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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