Customers can now opt in by dialing *173#

All Masaza communications to be powered by Airtel-K2

Kampala: Airtel Uganda in partnership with K2 Telcom has today announced the enhancement of the network services with the aim of boosting customers’ experience and expanding the reach of the partnership.

This was revealed at a press briefing held today at Bulange in Mengo. The new development will see all Airtel customers access Airtel K2 services which had been previously limited to Airtel–K2 customers on the 07o8 and 0709 number ranges.

Started in August 2018, the Airtel K2 partnership has seen the integration of K2 customers into the Airtel fold under the number ranges 708 and 709 with full access to Airtel’s wide range of affordable Voice, Data, Mobile Money services that they opt for.

While announcing the development, Airtel Uganda’s Managing Director Manoj Murali said, “This partnership has demonstrated that we can deliver value to the communities we both love to serve while developing the cultural diversity. We have been able to grow the Airtel K2 customers numbers, extend Buganda Kingdom information to the subjects, and kept them connected without differentiation”.

“Today, We have extended the valuable Airtel K2 services that were previously only accessible on codes 0708 & 0709 to other Buganda loving customers who opt in. A customer will now simply dial *173# and have access to the services on the Airtel K2 network as well as additional services like Buganda kingdom anthem, and other related content,” Manoj added.

Speaking on behalf of Buganda Kingdom, The Katikkiro of Buganda Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga said, “Airtel has demonstrated commitment to working with Buganda Kingdom in the pursuit of economic empowerment of our people. Access to information, opportunities, markets and solutions that help our people to be enlightened and prosper ”Owek. Mayiga further revealed, “These joint efforts being undertaken with partners like Airtel not only benefit the Kingdom but the country as a whole. We have numerous people who are employed in the Airtel-K2 Shops, the Youth whose talent is natured in the Masaza Cup while they earn a decent living through the sport, the Kabaka Birthday run that advocates for social responsibility initiatives like the eradication of HIV/ AIDS among other noble causes they partake intended to foster socio-economic growth.”

“We know that communication heavily depends on a reliable connection and as Airtel, we take pride in being the leading Smartphone Network with the widest 4G coverage in the country. Airtel boasts of over 21,000 masts that are powered on 4G which guarantees that our customers on the Airtel–K2 network will get the desired connectivity across the country.” Manoj concluded.

#DrinkMilk4GoodHealth

Dr Sabrina Kitaka, a senior pediatrician says that milk as a beverage taken correctly is considered as a beneficial product for growing children and teenagers.

Milk contains the daily required sources of water, proteins, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B, and vitamin D which are much needed for growth, as well as strengthening teeth and bones for growing children.

Marketing Manager Fresh Dairy – Vincent Omoth highlights that Fresh Dairy Long life UHT milk now offers convenience to consumers because it lasts up to 90 days with or without it being refrigerated, tastes as good as fresh milk and is now available in both 500ml and 200ml packs.

Dr Sabrina adds that milk cannot be used as a whole meal, but rather as a healthy nourishment to a balanced diet. It is important to limit your child’s milk intake to 480 – 720 milliliters a day. Include iron-rich foods in your child’s diet, such as meat, poultry, fish, beans, and iron-fortified foods. Continue serving iron-fortified cereal until your child is eating a variety of iron-rich foods. Is milk good for growing girls?Dr Sabrina mentions that while calcium is the main benefit of milk for teen girls, milk also provides protein. Most milk is also fortified with vitamin D, which improves calcium absorption.Why should children and teens drink milk every day?Dr Sabrina emphasizes that Children and teenagers are advised to drink milk on a regular basis because milk contains almost all the essential nutrients. Milk contains an appropriate balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat.

Many children and teenagers have been removed from milk after their first birthday because of myths and a fear for developing lactose intolerance or excessive weight gain if too much milk is consumed. Worldwide, only 2 percent of the world’s population is lactose intolerant. Even lactose-intolerant adults may find that 1 glass of milk is tolerated, whereas an additional glass of milk or other milk product may produce symptoms.Dr Sabrina highlights that Milk has some benefits for the skin too.

Milk works as a natural cleanser and treats acne. The lactic acid in milk pulls out the dirt by deep cleansing clogged pores and removing acne-causing bacteria called microbes present on your skin surface. Raw milk soothes and calms the acne-affected area. It decreases skin inflammation and gives you clear, smooth, and grease-free skin. Dr Sabrina adds that milk also moisturizes the skin because it has biotin and other moisturizing elements that help in nourishing your dry, cracked, withered, and flaky skin. It goes into deeper layers of skin and gives your skin conditioning and moisturization from the inside.

Milk also provides hydration to your skin and helps get rid of itchiness. Using milk as a face mask or cleanser gives you soft and glowing skin by boosting cell regeneration. Vitamins in milk help in maintaining healthy and youthful skin. You can make gram flour and milk masks to lock moisture into your face.If one was to look at the cost benefit analysis of giving your child or teenager a glass of milk per day, I would certainly go with the more beneficial approach of allowing that much needed glass of milk as children grow, Dr Sabrina says.

‘Children and teenagers are encouraged to eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly and sleep for at least 8 hours a day.’

dfcu Bank in partnership with Monitor Publication Limited’s Daily Monitor and Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) have been running a program dubbed ‘Rising Woman’ aimed at recognizing, celebrating, and promoting a culture of mentorship among women in business.

Nakayenze Sandra emerged as the 2nd runner up in the Inaugural Rising Woman proposal writing competition and won UGX: 5,000,000 and a study tour trip to Nairobi.Seven years ago, Sandra Nakayenze set out to change the lives of female coffee farmers in the hills of Sironko District.

The social, economic, religious, and cultural hardships encountered by both young rural women and the girl children in her village compelled Sandra to form ‘Kalaa Mugoosi Women Empowerment Limited’.

At 22 years of age, Sandra ventured into a trade predominantly occupied by men and facing multiple challenges on account of her age.

She says people really never took her seriously because she was young. But today, she runs one of the most successful coffee businesses in Sironko District.

This is her story.

Introduce yourself and business.

My name is Nakayenze Sandra Kibooli born at the footsteps of Mount Elgon in Busiita Model Parish.

Growing up as a girl, I witnessed the effects of child marriages, early pregnancy, domestic violence, gender discrimination, poverty and lack of economic opportunities inflicted on women.

Even then, I was worried about what my future would look like. After attaining my Bachelor’s Degree in Education at Kyambogo University, I looked for formal employment to no avail. I returned to my community, and it was there that I realized the potential Arabica Coffee contained; as a weapon for women empowerment in reversing the trend of gender inequalities and poverty.

At the age of 22, me and other four ladies formed a group called Kalaamugosi Women Empowerment as a response to the economic social and cultural challenges women were facing. Kalaamugosi is a Lugisu word meaning cutting the ropes/ hardships that had tied women down.

In 2018 Kalaamugosi registered as a company working with 2000 coffee farmers, 32 lead farmers and 2 agronomists. We offer free training in good Agricultural practices, coffee processing and quality control. We also prioritize women-empowerment training. We work with Great Lakes Company and buy coffee from our farmers at a very good price and extend bonuses to them. We also extend agriculture inputs and coffee processing equipment to our farmers and support Rural Women Savings Groups. We buy coffee, process, roast, and package it as Zesui Dream Coffee that is certified by Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and is distributed across the country.

What was your experience participating in the Rising woman competition?

It gave me a platform to share my story and the inspiration behind my work. In addition, I met and continue to connect with several women who like me, are entrepreneurs doing their best to bring their dreams to life.

Looking back to when you started, how did Rising Woman Program / competition change you/ impact you?

With the various publication in papers, online and independent magazines, I became one of the recognized and respected young businesswomen in the coffee sector – I am well known and respected both locally and internationally. I won UGX 5 Million from the competition as 2nd Runner-Up which I used to procure a coffee pulping machine that has helped us in increasing volume of coffee pulped. This machine’s capacity has reduced on the time that rural women and girls spend on pulping coffee.

What lessons did you pick out of the Rising woman experience?

I learned that it was a fairly held competition – I’m from the depths of Sironko District but I managed to be among the overall 10 winners and top winners. I also learned that it’s important to register your business. Most women businesses were left out because they were not registered. On top of this, it’s crucial to have a well-documented business plan.

Finally, I learned the great value of staying informed; I learnt about this competition through mass communication.

If you were given a second chance, how would you handle the competition?

I would handle the competition what I think would be better ways, technically. For instance, I would attach photographic evidence of my business and use a better format to make my pitch. I would also encourage the sponsors of Rising Woman to make follow up checks on those companies that might not emerge as winners. There are women entrepreneurs who might not be able to make a business presentation but are doing great work on the ground.

Since participating in the competition and winning, what progress have you registered as a business and at an individual level.

In 2021 we participated in a cross-country Arabica competition organized by Uganda Coffee Development Authority in partnership with British High Commission Kampala and Uganda High Commission London.

Our coffee emerged the 5th runner-up out of 52 samples submitted!We have received funding from ENABLE THE YOUTH program that is funded by African Development Bank and the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) that aim at supporting the youth along the value addition in Agriculture. We have also expanded our business premises.

Where do you see your business heading?

I see Kalaamugosi becoming the top women led coffee business with the best memorable coffee experiences. We will attain this by producing a high-quality coffee and services that meet international standards while promoting sustainable coffee farming best practices to the satisfaction of our customers.

For many new and seasoned crypto currency investors, it is important to note that the ecosystem is characterized by bulls and bears – trending upwards or downwards depending on several market factors such as public hype, supply, demand, and investor sentiments, among others.

Therefore, to sustain the community of users who aim to build wealth and enjoy the freedom of money through investments in cryptocurrency, niche digital currencies have been developed by exchange platforms to hedge against such volatility, known as Stablecoins.

Stablecoins play a vital role in the crypto economy by introducing more liquidity into the ecosystem, allowing more digital asset trading on cryptocurrency exchanges. The different types of stablecoins are pegged based on their underlying collateral structure: fiat-backed, commodity-backed, crypto-backed, or algorithmic.

For instance, on Binance, the Binance USD (BUSD), USD Tether (USDT), and USD Coin (USDC) are secured to the US dollar on a 1:1 basis, which means that the value of one BUSD for instance, is the same as one US dollar.

As its name implies, its purpose is to provide price stability and serve as an alternative to the volatility of other cryptocurrencies, limiting their use cases for possible transactions.

For new investors and expert traders, the certainty of stablecoins makes them a good asset to invest in and hold on to, especially during bear markets.

In the same way that traditional investors might choose to keep portions of their assets in low-risk instruments like treasury bonds or mutual funds, crypto investors also have the option of utilizing stablecoins; this provides a long-term store of value for players in the crypto space, especially when the market takes a prolonged downward turn.

For instance, Binance USD (BUSD), a U.S dollar-backed stable coin approved by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYSDF) is one of the most trusted stablecoins available in the ecosystem. It has continued to maintain its position because it is backed and regulated by reserves contingent on regular attestation.

With BUSD, investors are protected by a regulatory body that has painstakingly assessed the underlying foundation of the asset offered to new and experienced investors.

In other words, investors can rely on coins like BUSD as low-risk instruments because of the strength of the regulation that goes into establishing the fiat-back reserve of each stablecoin.

Another key benefit of having a regulated stablecoin is that much like in the traditional market where investors can earn a fixed interest from a variety of investment products, crypto investors can also earn interest with stablecoins through lending. Investors can earn at a set interest rate from borrowers when they lend out their stablecoins.

Also, a user can earn interest with stablecoins through staking, which involves holding funds in a cryptocurrency wallet to support the security and operations of a blockchain network for which they receive rewards.
A crucial role stablecoins have been able to play, due to their highly predictable stability, is the building out of some of the more recent applications in the crypto space, namely non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized finance (DeFi). Stablecoins have enabled investors to generate returns on their crypto assets in the DeFi market while alleviating the potential adverse effects of market volatility.

Dollar-backed stablecoins like Binance USD (BUSD) are one of the preferred currencies of NFT marketplaces and storefronts. These digital currencies offer a convenient funding source for NFT enthusiasts.

Thus, stablecoins are creating the foundations for blockchain and crypto applications.

As more people in Africa aim to take control of their finances and achieve financial freedom, stablecoins will remain a suitable alternative to fiat currencies, serving as an essential part of the crypto ecosystem. In addition, even though stablecoins are currently considered a niche crypto asset, they are well on their way to becoming a store of value and means of payment outside the crypto ecosystem.

This is because to function effectively as a currency alternative, cryptocurrencies need to possess certain qualities such as liquidity, relatively low-price volatility, and the ability to be integrated with established financial institutions; all qualities the stablecoins currently possess.

Future regulation and compliance coupled with the collaboration with other fintech companies focusing on digital payments could potentially make stablecoins an option for retail payments as well as cross-border payments and remittances.

Interested in purchasing and investing in stablecoins? Get started today by downloading the Binance app here and trade from anywhere in the world. There are different options available for buying cryptocurrencies at Binance; through a fiat deposit or by using a Binance P2P.

Socialite Debie Kagisha looks stunning in new photos shared on her Instagram page.

Binance, the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider has announced that London-based, Nigerian musician-artist, NISSI OGULU, has launched ‘Jigsaw Tribe.’

The exclusive NFT For Good collection was made available on the Binance NFT marketplace in collaboration with Binance Charity on May 30, 2022.

The digital art series features a collection of unique pieces exploring the musical heritage of Africa through ancient yet animated instruments, ‘Jigsaw Tribe’. It explores the different facets of life and music, each represented as a puzzle piece.

“With ‘Jigsaw Tribe’, my intention is to take you across the continent to discover hand-crafted musical instruments, in all their colourful glory, that may not be known to the rest of the world. The pieces also reflect the music tradition of Africa, with its amazing sounds, in a hyper-contemporary and animated artistic expression,” says Nissi.

This NFT collection comprises of NFTs with various rarity levels and pricing, added value utilities include invitations to live events and art exhibitions to concessions on signed & printed digital art pieces and whitelisting privileges to future NFT drops.

The exclusive artwork series will be sold in a premium auction on the Binance NFT Marketplace between May 30th and June 20th, 2022. This is the latest collaboration for Binance Charity’s NFT For Good Campaign, an initiative that enables world-renowned creators to convert their art and creativity into meaningful global action targeting social and humanitarian issues. As part of this, a percentage of proceeds will go to The Reach, an Ogulu family initiative that provides 6000 meals a month for underprivileged people in Nigeria along with other ad hoc community initiatives.
“Binance Charity’s NFT for Good initiative connects creators, their art, and their cause. Jigsaw Tribe is yet another exciting example of this and it’s beautiful to see the series merging tradition and technology. Having spent many years working in Africa, the region, the people and their culture hold a special place in my heart. I’m thrilled we’re able to collaborate with Nissi in a homage to her heritage.” said Helen Hai, Executive VP of Binance and Head of Binance Charity.
Born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, into a highly creative family, Nissi’s older brother is Burna Boy (dubbed ‘the African Giant’) and her grandfather is Benson Idonije who was an Afrobeat legend and Fela Kuti’s manager.

She credits entertainment business mogul, Bose Ogulu, her mother, who she describes as a “powerhouse”, for her and her sibling’s flair for creativity and innovative thinking. Her sister, Ronami, is also a genius in the world of fashion and creative strategy.

As an artist, Nissi has worked with a variety of mediums but found her niche in the world of fine art with her unconventional, contemporarily driven style of paintings and artistic innovative design. She has further expanded her deep involvement in the digital realm with her founding of Creele Animation Studios, which creates black and African content with storytelling through animation, music, the metaverse and games.

“What excites me is the fact that African music and culture are finally getting the renown and success they so richly deserve as being integral to global music and creativity. So, the collection is my artistic take on bringing the continent’s vibrant music tradition and all-around creative brilliance to the world, this time in an animated way,” says Nissi.

To participate in this charitable auction in support of the Binance Charity, traders need to open a cryptocurrency account on binance.com and bid for the artwork on https://www.binance.com/en/nft between 30 May 2022 (12:00pm CAT) and end on 20 June 2022 (12:00pm CAT). Trades will be accepted in BNB, the cryptocurrency coin that powers the Binance ecosystem.

On May 25, 2022, Nissi joined Helen Hai for a live ‘Binance Charity Chats’ on Binance YouTube, discussing her eagerly anticipated NFT For Good drop.
Watch HERE

Art Collection includes:
1. AN AFRICAN PLAYGROUND
2. GAN GAN
3. GRIOT
4. HAMMAR
5. MAMA CHIVOTI
6. NZUMARI
7. SWEET TAMBOURINE
8. ZULU HORN
9. TO MY FANS
1. An African Playground: The conga, aka tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Although the exact origins of the conga drum are unknown, researchers agree that it was developed by Cuban people of African descent during the late 19th century or early 20th century. Its ancestors are thought to be the yuka and makuta (of Bantu origin) and the bembé drums (of Yoruba origin). Congas were originally used in Afro-Cuban music genres such as conga (hence their name) and rumba, where each drummer would play a single drum. Congas have become a popular instrument in many forms of Latin music such as son (when played by conjuntos), descarga, Afro-Cuban jazz, salsa, songo, merengue, and Latin rock.
2. “Gan Gan”: An instrument in the percussion family that originates from West Africa. This hourglass-shaped drum can be traced back to the olden days and is known by a variety of names including the gangan in Yoruba and doodo in Songhai. They are referred to as “talking drums” because they are able to be tuned to mimic the sound of human speech in terms of tone and accent such as emotion.
3. GRIOT: A griot is a West African storyteller, singer, musician, and oral historian. They train to excel as orators, lyricists, and musicians. The griot keeps records of all the births, deaths, and marriages through the village or family generations. Griots today live in many parts of West Africa and are present among the Mande peoples (Mandinka or Malinké, Bambara, etc.), Hausa, Songhai, Tukulóor, Wolof, Serer, Mossi, Dagomba, and many other smaller groups. In addition to being singers and social commentators, griots are often skilled instrumentalists. Their instruments include the kora, the khalam (or xalam), the goje (or n’ko in the Mandinka language), the balafon, the junjung, and the ngoni.
4. HAMMAR: This horn of the Hamar tribe of Ethiopia is usually played at the jumping ceremonies where the women and girls get into a frenzy through their dance, song, and horn blowing as their traditional ritual of strength is being performed.
5. MAMA CHIVOTI: This instrument is the only one of its kind found in Kenya. It is longer than most wind or string instruments, made from bamboo, and is similar to a flute with six holes. It is used mostly as a mellow outro instrument in a musical routine.
6. NZumari: The Zumari instrument also known as Nzumari of the eastern African coast, South Somalia is a conical double reed of wood or horn and metal having four to six finger holes. In East Africa, the spread of the cone oboe likely started from the island of Lamu and some ethnic groups belonging to the Mijikenda on the Kenyan coast.
7. SWEET TAMBOURINE: A musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame (wood or plastic) with metal jingles referred to as “zills”. The origin of the tambourine is unknown, but it appears in historical writings as early as 1700 BC and was used by ancient musicians in West Africa, the Middle East, Turkey, Greece, and India. Tambourines were also used in ancient Egypt.

8. ZULU HORN: An African horn trumpet may be made from the horn of most any animal, such as elephant horns used by the Akan people of Ghana (crafted before legal bans on the use of ivory) or a cow horn, as in the “side-blow” Ugandan trumpet known as the eng’ombe. A traditional African horn trumpet may appear more in ceremonial or ritual music than in popular music. Zulu warriors blow antelope horns known as kudu horn.
9. TO MY FANS: A special NFT love letter to Nissi’s fans, emphasizing her journey from child to adulthood and the pieces of the puzzle – the inspirations in her life – which have made her the artist and musician she is today.

We are proud to say that the second HiPipo 40 Days 40 FinTechs that ran in the months of July and August, 2021 set the bar very high.

Even though it started soon after the partial lifting of the 2021 lockdown, it was tremendously successful.

#40Days40FinTechs has quickly grown into one of the world’s premier showcase events for the innovations that are enabling ever more people to join the digital economy space.

That is surely going to remain the case, in large part due to the inspiration and collaboration that our partners; Level One Project, Mojaloop, ModusBox, and Crosslake Technologies generate, but mostly because of the continuing, generous support of the Gates Foundation.

Digital Innovators and FinTechs around East Africa should be more eager to embrace 40 Days 40 FinTechs as Season three will cover physical destinations in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda.

Run under HiPipo’s Include Everyone program that also encompasses other initiatives such as FinTech Landscape Exhibition, Women in FinTech Hackathon, Summit & Incubator and the Digital and Financial Inclusion Summit and Digital Impact Awards Africa; the #40Days40FinTechs platform aptly provides a setting for the various players and stakeholders involved in digital and financial technology to exhibit their products & Services and also share their ideas on how more of us, especially those unserved and underserved by the present financial systems, can be brought into the fold.

The 40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative offers participants useful tools and an introduction to industry’s emerging technologies, such as Mojaloop Open Source Software, and guidance from Level One Project foundational material.

The skills gained from this initiative cover Level One Project Principles, Instant and Inclusive Payment Systems (IIPS), Inclusive Finance and FinTech in general.As captured by its name, 40 Days 40 FinTechs always delivers over two months of exhibition, dialogue and discussion, one not seen in the sector before.

The initiative continues to generate enormous publicity, demand and pull for instant and inclusive real-time retail payment systems. Last, but definitely not least, it draws the most attention yet to what is undeniably the future of digital financial services – interoperability.

Several participants are going on to innovate for sectors beyond just the traditional financial services but are making forays into healthcare, education, lending, remittances, agriculture, Robo-advisor, Payments, RegTech, InsurTech, crowdfunding, neo-banking, cryptography, cryptocurrency, Interledger, Blockchain, cross-border payments, retirement schemes and new ways of operating bonds and real estate among others. In their day-to-day operations, they are changing the lives of the likes of rural farmers, women, merchants, small business holders (formal and Informal), and unemployed youth, in a way creating forays for digital youth champions, women and other special interest groups (SIGs).

Not to be overlooked are the various governmental policymakers and regulators who continue to participate in the different discussions and activities we host. It is evident that demand for FinTech, DFS, IIPS, and interoperability has rapidly grown in recent years due to the impact of the broader HiPipo Include Everyone Program.

For the FinTechs, the cost-free exposure aided by the generosity of the Level One Project; an initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Financial Services for the Poor (FSP) program, which is part of their Global Growth and Opportunity division, is still of immeasurable value.“As HiPipo, our extensive effort and advocacy is partly for the intention of championing digital innovation and interoperable instant & inclusive payment systems (IIPS) in Africa to a point where our innovators enjoy and achieve sound profit margins to help them keep designing and deploying affordable and inclusive Financial Services for the Poor.

It was thus pleasant for us to learn that up to 25 of our season two participants not only continued to enjoy increased client engagement and better bottom lines as a direct result of participating in the 40 Days 40 FinTechs initiative but are also helping to generate economy-wide efficiencies by digitally connecting millions of low-income consumers that are learning to transact at a fast rate,” Innocent Kawooya, the HiPipo CEO noted.“But this is just the start, and we acknowledge there is a lot more to do. Season three of 40 Days 40 FinTechs is here, starting mid-2022 with optimism that the initiative will impact even more lives and livelihoods going forward.”We are alive to the current market realities which continue to inform ours and our partners’ thinking, in regards to ensuring the healthiness and overall safety of participants throughout the different activities. Furthermore, we believe that, just like last year, FinTechs will take up the challenge and use the opportunity to ride the wave of appreciation for cashless payments the pandemic has brought. We need to be prepared with appropriate products and have the appropriate real-time retail payment systems in place to support an inclusive, interoperable digital marketplace that is both thriving and safe.“It will be exciting to see what the participants have to offer. And again, various stakeholders will be on hand for more discussion and debate, with this time round extra insight from the likes of banks and MNOs. We anticipate extensive discussion on Instant and Inclusive Payment systems, Central Bank Digital Currencies(CBDC), advancing convenience for users, cross-border payments and on micro-lending products (especially those offering facilities to persons and communities that are still on the bylines of finance and trade for example; women, PWDs and other SIGs),” said Innocent Kawooya, the HiPipo CEO.

40 Days 40 FinTechs Initiative is implemented by HiPipo in partnership with Crosslake Technologies, ModusBox, and Mojaloop Foundation, and generously sponsored by the Gates Foundation.

It is ultimately also HiPipo’s hope that more people, from all walks of life, will be drawn to the advocacy for financial inclusion. Together, we will bring the day when it is at 100% ever closer.

Registration is on first-come, first-served basis so qualifying FinTech stakeholders operating in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and other parts of the continent are encouraged to book their slots before 11th June 2022. So see you soon.

Kampala: MultiChoice Uganda the home of great PAY TV entertainment in Uganda has today added Smart 24TV to its list of channels showing on its GOtv platform.

In addition to this, the Pay TV service provider has powered fifteen charity homes with decoders of one of their platforms, GOtv all with full yearly subscriptions.

Rt. Honorable Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among recognized the entrepreneurial minds of the people behind the new local Smart24 TV.

“This initiative is going to create jobs for the young people in Uganda, and for this, on behalf of the Government, we appreciate you and congratulations! We pledge as the Parliament of Uganda to support this enterprise.”

While addressing the press at the launch and handover, Brian Mulondo the Head of Local Content at MultiChoice Uganda recognized the importance of adding such channels to their list of available channels for the customers.

“We recognize that the love for local content and channels is growing and as such with channels like Smart 24 TV, Ugandans will have relatable content to watch,” he said.

Smart 24 TV which is a Ugandan business channel broadcasting in both English and Luganda includes a content mix of local live talk shows, special events, documentaries and business updates.

In addition to the launch of Smart 24 TV and in their bid to ease access to quality entertainment, MultiChoice handed over GOtv Lite decoders with a year’s subscription of GOtv to entertain and educate charity homes and orphanages which were recommended to them by the Smart 24 TV team.

While handing over the decoders, Josephine Namuddu, the GOtv Brand Manager thanked these charity homes for looking out for young and needy Ugandans, and empathized the importance of brands like GOtv Uganda, finding ways in which they can support these charities.

“With channels like Smart 24 now available for all Ugandans, we are confident that matters pertaining to business news and current affairs can be gotten from such channels. In addition to that we offer an array of content ranging from edutainment, entertainment, current affairs, sports, to mention but a few,” Nathan Nabeta Igeme, the Chairman Smart24 TV said.

Hon. Nabeta Igeme thanked MultiChoice for enabling the station reach an even wider audience through the GOtv platform.

“Most of our viewers will now easily access our content given that we will be available on the GOtv platform. Smart 24 TV started in 2018 and it is definitely one of our milestones to see that we have launched onto GOtv,” he mentioned Smart 24 TV is available to all GOtv subscribers on channel 394.

MultiChoice and Bomb Productions are proud to announce that production on the epic drama series, Shaka Ilembe, which is set to be released in 2023, has commenced and is currently filming in South Africa, providing jobs for over 8 000 people.

Set in the 1700s, Shaka Ilembe tells the story of the making of the iconic African king, with iterations from his early childhood through to adulthood.

The two key actors playing Shaka are the incredibly talented Lemongang Tsipa (adult king) and newcomer Ntando Zondi (boy king).

The star-studded cast is headlined by Amazon’s Coming 2 America’s breakout star, Nomzamo Mbatha, who plays Queen Nandi, the revered mother of Shaka, with Thembinkosi Mthembu starring as King Dingiswayo and Wiseman Mncube in the role of King Zwide.

Mbatha will also executive produce the series.“Being able to bring this important story to the screen with such stellar talent speaks to the heart of MultiChoice’s ongoing commitment and investment in our local entertainment industry. We are committed to telling great African stories and this is a proudly African series told through the lens of Africans for the very first time,” said Yolisa Phahle, CEO of General Entertainment & Connected Video at MultiChoice.

“I am honoured to bring the giant that is Queen Nandi to life. History will remember those who informed its people of where we come from, to better understand who we are. I am fortunate to be part of a project that is much bigger than ourselves and to tell this story in our own language. Impi iyeza!” expressed Mbatha.

“It is a cast with deep talent,” added Angus Gibson, Creative Director at Bomb Productions. “It is magical witnessing these performers bring life to characters we only know from the history books. When the cast arrive on set, fully dressed in wardrobe and hair from the period, I am blown away.”

The production has been six years in the making, consulting historians, academics and family descendants, including the late King Goodwill Zwelithini and Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

“This is our appointment with history; we want to capture the authenticity and deepen the understanding of this era,” explained Nhlanhla Mtaka, an executive and cultural advisor. Striking a balance between historical authenticity and drama is crucial to the plot. “We want people to learn about our history and culture, but we also want to keep viewers glued in anticipation. This drama seeks to uncover nuggets of history, but creates narrative in the gaps by putting known characters alongside fictional characters in order to keep the story moving,” Phahle continued.

MultiChoice is the biggest funder of local content in Africa – producing content in local languages with local actors, and telling stories that resonate culturally.

This production comes off the back of multiple successful co-productions such as Trackers, Reyka and most recently Recipes for Love and Murder.

The group’s production quality and their ongoing partnership with international production companies allows for worldwide appeal and promotes South African talent on a global stage.

Corner shops, Bodas, market vendors can now separate their personal money from their business money using their existing SIM Cards

Kampala: Airtel Mobile Commerce Limited, the provider of affordable and secure financial services in Uganda has today announced the addition of the Merchant Till Number for small businesses feature on Airtel Money.

The service suitable for informal businesses like market vendors, salon operators, boda boda riders on the Airtel network will now be able to separate their business money collections from personal money using their existing Airtel SIM cards.

This service was unveiled today by the AMCUL Managing Director, Mr. Japhet Aritho at a function at Nakawa Market. The function was attended by representatives from the different Kampala markets.

Effective today, regular Airtel Money customers and business owners across the country, using their existing SIM Cards, will be able to separate their business finances from their personal airtel money wallet by using the USSD Code *185*10*10# to create a Unique Merchant Till Numbers.

They can then use this number to;Receive payments for goods and services from their duuka, boda rides, saloon, etc. Transfer money from the till number to their Airtel Money number and View balances on both their new Merchant Till Number and personal Airtel Money wallet.

While launching the new service, Mr. Japhet Aritho, the Managing Director Airtel Mobile Commerce Limited (AMCUL) noted, “We are committed to delivering on our promise to grow financial inclusion for all in Uganda. Today, we have enabled small businesses, in the comfort of their shops, to create the Airtel Money Merchant Till Number. This is the first tool in business basic financial management. It will help these growing businesses to focus on growing their businesses and tracking their revenues better” He added, “Airtel has deliberately built a telecom infrastructure of over 21,000 site masts across Uganda, and it is on the back of this infrastructure that innovative solutions like the Merchant Till Number service have been made possible. Customers can enjoy seamless boarder to boarder connectivity, get access to affordable devices, and affordable e-commerce solutions.

According to Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) 2021 quarter 3 report, the number of active mobile financial service agents grew by a factor of 11% from 285,371 in June 2021 to 315,895 by the end of September 2021.

This reflects a sustained increase in business activity that is gradually positioning the mobile as a financial tool. In comparison to 2020, the agent footprint across the country has grown by 39% and over 88,000 mobile money agents have been added to the distributed file system ecosystem over the last twelve months.

Japhet concluded saying, “The new Micro Merchant Till number service will boost business as the proprietors will have proper accountability and oversight of their business. They will know the income that is resultant of the business transactions separate from their personal transactions. The users will, using their current SIM cards, be able to monitor up to 10 different branches of their small businesses.”

It is a fact that in Brazil it is possible to find a goldmine of highly talented footballers. You can make your quick bet Uganda now – 1xBet bookmaker, which offers tons of opportunities to start wagering on Brazilian football.

One of the best but most controversial Brazilian players from the 1990s and 2000s was Edmundo. It is true that he wasn’t at the same level of other players like Ronaldo or Romario. However, he was still good enough to be a star on most of the teams where he played. The 1xBet Uganda bookmaker allows you to make your quick bet now in the most important Brazilian football teams.

In addition to his incredible talent, Edmundo was also quite a controversial figure. The fact that he was nicknamed “The Animal” already says a lot. This is because in many matches he tried to provoke rivals in order to make them react. It is fair to say that many huge brawls that took place in matches where he played were started by him.

Brazil, Japan and Italy

Edmundo played professionally between 1991 and 2008. He spent his entire career between three countries, Italy, Japan, and his native Brazil. While waiting for the next great Brazilian football match, you can try the best ug slots from 1xBet bookmaker website. Some of the teams where the Brazilian striker played included:

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• and Tokyo Verdy.

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In 1993 the player moved to Palmeiras. He was crucial in helping the squad to end a 17-year long title drought. For this reason, he is still dearly remembered on that team. Later, he also had a spell at Flamengo, where he had one of the most controversial episodes in his career, which was known as the Zandonazo.

Playing for the Brazil national football team

Edmundo’s talent also allowed him to be selected for the senior Brazilian national team for the first time in 1992. Understanding how to download 1xBet app is extremely simple, and this allows its users to wager on the Brazilian national side.

In total, he was selected for the national side on various occasions between 1992 and 2000. During that time, the striker played 42 games and scored 10 goals. It should also be noted that he played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup final. Unfortunately for the Brazilians, this contest ended in a painful defeat against France. The process of how to download the 1xBet app can be done easily, and it can be used to wager on the FIFA World Cup.

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