Simba Corp has officially launched sales of the locally assembled Proton Saga saloon car. 

Speaking at the Proton Saga Media launch event held at Aspire Centre, Westlands, Simba Corporation Group CEO, Dinesh Kotecha said, “We look forward to having the Proton Saga and indeed the Proton brand take the Kenyan market by storm because we believe that this is a solution that our customers have been waiting for and we have finally delivered.” 

The Proton Saga is  locally assembled at the Associated Vehicle Assemblers plant in Mombasa. It comes with a 5 year, 150,000KM warranty.

Simba Corp has partnered with bank partners to make it easier for their customers to own this zero-mileage, high-value car. The Proton Saga also comes with a 4 star NCAP safety rating and will have over 50 service locations nationwide. 

Simba Corporation Executive Chairman, Adil Popat said, “The launch of the Proton Saga demonstrates how a positive partnership between the government, private sector and all industry stakeholders can deliver solutions whose impact will be felt by consumers at all levels of the Kenyan economy.” 

In his address, the Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development, Lawrence Karanja, said "We celebrate this growth and development in the manufacturing sector in Kenya in a bid to achieve Vision 2030. The government’s mission is to make Kenya a regional hub for automotive assembly and manufacture."

Adding "As a government we are supporting the industry by being committed to buying locally assembled vehicles because we believe in Buy Kenya and Build Kenya as this creates employment, skills development and transfer for our youth, research and development as well as promoting environmental protection.” 

on his part Kenya Auto Bazaar Association (K.A.B.A) Chairman, Major (Rtd) John Kipchumba said, “We don't import because we love used cars, we do it due to the demand. We are looking for affordable vehicles that are fuel-efficient and new, with zero (0) mileage, and the Proton Saga has come to address this.” 

“We have the utmost confidence that Proton will transform the automotive market and the lives of our consumers. The 5-year warranty, attractive financing options, safety features, aftersales network, all, for a brand new zero-mileage car that is assembled locally is an unbeatable deal.” said Simba Corporation Motor Division Managing Director, Naresh Leekha

Proton joins the growing list of globally renowned automotive brands that have chosen Kenya as their home and are being assembled by AVA in Mombasa.  During the Mombasa launch held in  

December 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta, President Kenyatta officially launched the car in Mombasa 

This vehicle is assembled at Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) in Mombasa which is also fully owned by Simba Corporation.  

TuneCore, the leading digital music distribution and publishing administration company for independent artists, has launched operations in Africa.

Jade Leaf has been hired as Head of TuneCore for Southern Africa and will share responsibility for key countries in East Africa with Chioma Onuchukwu, who has been hired as Head of TuneCore for West Africa.

Both Leaf and Onuchukwu will report to Faryal Khan-Thompson, Vice President, International, TuneCore.

Onuchukwu will be based in Nigeria and oversee countries in West Africa including Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

She will also look after Tanzania and Ethiopia in East Africa.

Leaf’s territory encompasses Southern Africa, including South Africa, where she will be based, as well as Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Lesotho.

Leaf will also manage TuneCore operations in East African countries Kenya and Uganda.

 Onuchukwu said "I am elated to be joining a renowned, independent music distribution powerhouse, especially in an incredible era for music creators in Africa at a time when we are gaining global recognition and increasing momentum. I look forward to collaborating with and supporting local artists."

Before joining TuneCore, Onuchukwu was Marketing Manager at uduX Music, a music streaming platform in Nigeria. There she worked directly with popular African artists such as Davido, Yemi Alade, Patoranking, Kizz Daniel and more. 

On her part Leaf said “I am incredibly excited to join the team in a time where the global conversation is around independence and ownership. TuneCore opens up a world of potential for independent artists at every level of their careers. Africa is home to a diverse range of artists who are seeking a reliable distribution service who understands their local needs and can ultimately give them the opportunity to turn their art into commercial success.”

Previously, Leaf worked at Africa’s largest Pay TV operator, Multichoice as the Marketing Manager for Youth & Music Channels, where she led brand re-imaging and marketing efforts for Music TV giant Channel O.

Before that, she worked at Sony Music Entertainment Africa, focusing on African artists and content, as well as numerous marketing campaigns & projects for local and international artists.

There has been a meteoric rise in the uptake of streaming services in Africa, the growth has been attributed to several factors such as an increase in internet penetration via smartphones, the entrance of international and local streaming platforms in key territories and its youth population. More than 60% of African’s are under the age of 25.

In 2020, TuneCore saw an increase in music releases globally, with many African artists opting to use the DIY Distributor Kofi Mole from Ghana and Small Doctor in Nigeria, Spoegwolf in South Africa, Mpho Sebina in Botswana and Fena Gitu in Kenya to name a few.

Khan-Thompson notes “Africa is an extremely exciting music market with a lot of potential for growth. By hiring Jade and Chioma to lead our efforts, TuneCore is well positioned to maximize opportunities for independent artists across the continent. Both Chioma and Jade bring a wealth of experience and genuine interest in helping artists make their dreams come true. ”

TuneCore, owned by Paris-based Believe, has been aggressively expanding its international operations, having gone from 5 countries in 2020 to 8 countries and 3 major regions in 2021. The company added India, Russia and Brazil last year and this year adds LATAM, Southeast Asia and Africa.

The company’s website is fully localized for 8 countries and translated into 13 languages and counting. 

Kenya Films Classification Board will partner with university students leaders  to help create clean content in the film and music industries.

According to KFCB CEO Ezekiel Mutua the student leaders have alot of influence especially in their respective institutions and can play a major role in the campaign against illicit content.

“These are the same people who can convince their peers and the people they lead or have influence over that making it in the industry does not necessarily require one to have lewd lyrics or have dirty content,” Mutua said.

Speaking in Mombasa during a meeting with university student leaders Mutua also called on the youth to avoid being manipulated by politicians saying the Kenyan population is made up of people under 35 years of age, a critical age-group that is most vulnerable to manipulation by politicians.

Mutua noted "“The student leaders are the people to be nurtured and be given the most critical opportunities by state corporations because they resonate well with the most critical age group,”.

His sentiments were echoed by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC )deputy director of communication Olive Metet  who said university students are key instruments when it comes to peace building.

"We have seen that in most cases youth are the ones being used by the political class and other interested parties in propagating hate" said Metet.

Celebrated Super model Naomi Campbell has officially begun her job as the brand ambassador for magical Kenya.

She took to her official instagram page which enjoys a following of over 10 million, sharing a video of herself touring the Kenyan sandy beaches stating "“I feel so privileged and honored to be confirmed as Magical Kenya International Brand Ambassador. Not just because of the obvious benefits that tourism brings to an economy but also I am proud to be able to represent such an important country as Kenya.”

Adding "“We all know about the astounding areas of natural beauty, the beaches and of course the wildlife but there is much more. Kenya has a history going back 100 million years and is considered by many to be the cradle of civilization so I am humbled to be talking about the country."

“We all know about the astounding areas of natural beauty, the beaches and of course the wildlife but there is much more. Kenya has a history going back 100 million years and is considered by many to be the cradle of civilization so I am humbled to be talking about the country."

The model was announced as the ambassador following a meeting between her and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala last month.

model is expected to spearhead marketing of Kenya as an ideal destination for international travelers.

Her appointment elicited sharp reactions from Kenyans forcing CS Balala to respond.http://ommydalla.co.ke/people/item/1936-balala-explains-why-he-picked-naomi-campbell-as-tourism-ambassador

The COVID-19 pandemic has refocused IT spending priorities for airlines and airports in 2020 as revenue plunged and the industry faced new health and operational requirements needed to keep flying.

Among the key findings from SITA’s 2020 Air Transport IT Insights, published today, was an accelerated investment in automated passenger processing focusing on touchless and mobile services. 

There was also a strong focus on virtual and remote IT services that allowed employees to work from home while ramping up communications with passengers. Cybersecurity and cloud services that helped automate operations and drive new efficiencies were key.

In 2020, SITA data showed that flight volumes plunged 44% year-on-year due to the pandemic. As a result of this impact on demand, IATA forecast the airline industry's full-year loss at $118 billion.

David Lavorel, CEO SITA AT AIRPORTS & BORDERS, said: "The severe slowdown in 2020 forced the air transport industry to focus on driving new cost efficiencies. Adding to the pressure, airlines and airports had to rapidly incorporate new health measures such as touchless passenger processing and the handling of new health information and protocols, including PCR testing in many destinations." 

Adding "To solve these challenges, the industry has turned to technology and, in many cases, reprioritized where they invested in 2020. The good news is that airlines and airports were able to capitalize on existing trends to automation and have made significant strides in implementing new solutions that will bring new improvements for the passenger now and into the future.” 

Data and automation are key  

Making the check-in process completely touchless is now the main priority for airports and airlines to help protect passengers and staff, improve the passenger experience, and drive efficiency. 

Biometric technology is the focus for airport investment with 64% of airports aiming to roll out self-boarding gates using biometric & ID documentation by 2023, three times as many as in 2020. 

Airlines have doubled implementations and plan to double investment for self-boarding using biometric & ID documentation by 2023 (82%).

Similarly, airlines are prioritizing a completely touchless check-in process, and most want mobile touchless payment options for all services provided.

The majority (79%), is focused on enabling self-bag drop for passengers. All essential customer services will become contactless from booking to arrival, including automated lounge access and mobile delayed baggage reporting.  

Airline mobile applications for passenger services is a priority with nearly all (97%) of airlines having major programs and R&D in place by 2023.

By 2023 the majority of airlines plan to send passengers real-time notifications on their mobile devices about their bags and plan to provide real-time bag-tracking information for staff. 

Virtual IT services   

In response to the pandemic, most airlines and airports are investing more in in-house virtual and remote IT services allowing employees to work in a more agile and effective way while speeding up communications with passengers.

Almost three-quarters of airports and airlines will continue to invest in data exchange, cloud services, cybersecurity, and business intelligence to accelerate their digital airport processes.

This includes increasing services on passenger mobile apps and ensuring staff services are accessible via mobile or tablets.  

The full report, including methodology and charts, can be found here.