This Singapore based startup wants to help textile manufacturers buy the right amount of fabric and use with minimum wastage. This is how.
Tullah Stephen
Kenyan government and the Sultanate of Oman are set to begin talks on setting up a Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) that will guide trade between the two countries. The agreement is expected to eliminate double taxation income arising from individual states and paid to residents of the other country.
Representatives from the two countries are set to meet and deliberate on the modalities of the DTA. Speaking during the opening ceremony of the Omani Products Exhibition in Nairobi, Oman’s Minister for Commerce and Industry H.E Dr Ali bin Masoud bin Ali al Sunaidy, said the two countries have enjoyed good relations in trade and having a DTA in place will see more growth in trade volumes. “Having a DTA in place will create a favorable environment for investment and trade. It will remove uncertainties on taxation arising by having two different authorities.”
On his part, the Cabinet Secretary for East Africa Community Adan Mohammed, reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to further consolidate and advance bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries. “There is commitment from the two countries and soon we will set up a meeting that will foster the development of a DTA.” To date, Kenya has signed at least 21 DTA’s with different countries with the last one being that between Kenya and Japan.
During the meeting, Kenya and the Sultanate of the Oman, agreed to further work towards strengthening of business, trade and shipping links. Mutual collaborations in the field of manufacturing, trade, tourism, agriculture and housing were discussed during the two countries meeting at the exhibition. CS Mohammed also encouraged Omani businesses to explore the available opportunities that Kenya has to offer.
Over 100 Omani businesses are currently in Kenya participating in the Omani Product Exhibition. The exhibition is geared towards introducing Oman Industries to several companies and consumers in Kenya while highlighting the variety of Oman made products and services.
By Tullah Stephen
California based online home rental platform Airbnb, is taking over Africa’s tourism space at a fast pace. Since launching in Africa, Airbnb has managed to make over 130,000 listings available and recording over 3.5 million guest booking at listings on Airbnb across Africa. Half of the number recorded arrived in the last one year alone.
Airbnb lets people rent out their property or spare rooms to guests. At the start, the online home-sharing site allowed people to sleep on an airbed in random person’s living room for a low price. Airbnb’s model allows for low-value customers because since it does not require one to own property or employ operating staff. This was seen as a low-cost solution to a low-value customer.
The entry of disruptive ideas such as Airbnb is changing how people are viewing tourism in Africa. Previously, people associated tourism with certain landmarks, hotels, cultures, and festivals. But with Airbnb tourism is now viewed more inclusively with the idea of people and their homes. Rather than tourists booking motels and hotels, they now have access to people’s homes which offer a more personalized and intimate experience.
Once guests have booked, they together with their hosts, arrange when and where to meet. After which guests are shown around the property as they settle in. There is plenty of criteria to list for or search a property. Choices range from a shared room to an entire house. Guests have photos of the property, and the host with full map listing. For hosts who have a spare room to rent hosts on the other end, have chance to earn some cash. Airbnb takes 3 per cent commission of every booking from hosts, and between 6 per cent and 12 per cent from guests.
According to a report by Airbnb titled Overview of the Airbnb Community in Africa released in 2017 local households earned about USD2 .1 million. Hosts in South Africa and Morocco, two of the most popular destinations averaging about USD 1,000 annually, have earned over USD400 million in income. Hosts on Airbnb in Kenya have been welcoming guests into their homes since 2012. Airbnb reports that 46 per cent of Kenyan host income is earned by women hosts. Collective earnings from hosting on Airbnb for Kenyans in 2017 increased by 106 per cent compared to the previous year.
Kenya has about 5,900 active listings on Airbnb with USD970 annual earnings for a typical host. In 2017, about USD3.9 million was earned by Kenyans as income. According to a recent report by Airbnb, Nigeria registered 213 per cent growth on guest arrivals, Rwanda 73 per cent, Ghana 141 per cent, Kenya 68 percent while Mozambique and South Africa recorded 136 and 65 per cent as at July 2018.
However, such disruptive technologies face hurdles from sectors they enter. For Airbnb the challenge has been mainly on the regulatory front. Hotel and resort owners have been up in arms at the lack of regulation applied to Airbnb as well as ways it can manipulate the accommodation market in times of high demand. Some argue that Airbnb has encouraged private home-owners to rent out rooms in competition with established hospitality businesses.
Key argument has been the fact that registered operators have to comply with regulations, private operators such as those on Airbnb are getting away without paying tax or levies. In response to that, governments in Africa has been seen to tighten the noose for private operators. Namibian government has already ordered for any accommodation establishment with two or more bedrooms to register with the tourism board. While Tanzania, in September, the government of Tanzania gave a 50 day window for operators like those signed up with Airbnb, to register or face arrest.
Other sticking points for Airbnb in Africa include the lack of confidence in destinations and hosts, and safety concerns given the platform’s regulatory grey areas. “There’s always the danger with products offered online. Things can sometimes not be as they seem to be in flesh. However there are reviews which can also help guests make their decision,” says Lisa Vierri Airbnb hosts from Kenya.
Beyond South Africa, the rest of the continent has generally been slower to take off – although Airbnb’s CEO and co-founder, Brian Chesky, who was quoted by QZ magazine saying the company’s management remains confident over its potential. According to Chris Lehane, Airbnb Global Head of Public Policy and Public Affairs, among the things that make Airbnb a game changer is that it directly empowers people at the grass roots. Chris was speaking during the Airbnb Africa Travel Summit in Cape Town South Africa in September.
By Tullah Stephen
Kelej’s passion and enthusiasm for women in Africa is contagious and endless. The Egyptian born, award-winning community builder, is pioneering change when it comes to women’s health especially, how infertility is viewed in Africa.
For about two years now, the pharmacy graduate from Alexandria University, has been heading up the Merck Foundation, a charity organization she help set up in 2012. Her main mission has been to bring hope and empower women who are discriminated and looked down upon for their inability to have children.
Kelej says she noticed that in most parts of Africa, women are solely blamed for infertility. This is despite the fact that both men and women are equally affected by it. “Women who remain childless are seen as burdens on the socio economic well-being of the community. Their husbands will often marry another wife leaving them isolated, hopeless and purposeless.”
Although data on the cases of infertility is scanty, a report by the World Health Organization released in 2016, reported that one in every four couples in Africa is infertile. This translates to about 180 million couples on the continent. Further, around 85 per cent of the infertility is caused by untreated infectious diseases which arise as aftermath of practices such as genital mutilation, unsafe abortion, unsafe delivery, Child marriage and STDs.
For the last six years Kelej has been the orchestrator of the ‘Merck More Than A Mother’ program run by the Merck Foundation. The initiative specifically aims to empower infertile women in Africa by delivering infertility awareness, prevention and treatment initiatives addressing medical, financial, social and emotional challenges for African women.
The 46-year-old Kelej, believes that providing access to infertility care is important. She emphasizes that it is even more important to intervene to decrease stigmatization and social suffering arising from the condition. “Stigma extends to the wider family including parents and in-laws who are deeply disappointed by the loss of continuity of their family.”
Kelej says that over 1,200 infertile women in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Central Africa Republic, Ethiopia, Liberia, Tanzania, Niger, The Gambia and Cote D’Ivoire who no longer can be treated, have been empowered socially and economically to lead independent and happier lives through ‘Empowering Berna.’ The ‘Empowering Berna’ initiative aims to empower underprivileged infertile women and help them establish their own small business and build independent lives.
In east Africa currently, the cost of treatment for fertility is very high, and this is due to the massive gap in demand and supply of fertility care in Africa. There are a handful of skilled embryologists and fertility specialists with most practising in the private sector.
Merck Foundation has partnered with Uganda’s ministry of Health to train personnel at their first public IVF clinic, which is built to provide services for East Africa. Kelej reveals that the Foundation plans to roll out the initiative in Tanzania. The goal will offer unique clinical and technical training for the first public IVF in Tanzania similar to the one the foundation runs in Ethiopia.
Kelej says over the years, the Foundation has grown in leaps and bounds. “Initially everyone told me it will never pick up as infertility issue is not important for Africa since it is overpopulated and have other pressing issues such as HIV, hepatitis, STDs and so on. I persisted with the push to set up the campaign. I did this with the support of Merck Chairman and Merck CEO who both believed in the critical need to address this issue in Africa.”
Kelej who always dreamt to be a pharmacist and a film director, says it has been impressive that leaders both men and women, governments, community members and media experts rally behind the cause once. This is after understanding the magnitude and social consequences of infertility stigma in Africa.
Infertility is an area that most men in Africa rarely talk about, they are mainly bystanders in the whole period or process. Kelej says it is time to end misconceptions and replace them with empathy, understanding and facts. “Men in Africa are very kind, once they realize the scientific facts that show that infertility has nothing to do with their sexuality, they support the idea of getting tested and start to deal with the society and family pressure on themselves and their wives.”
Merck Foundation launched a campaign dubbed #menToo that encourages men to boldly speak out. Kelej says the result has been impressive with political leaders, the media and healthcare professionals and supporting the campaign by becoming ambassadors of Merck More than A Mother.
Kelej says there is a need for artificial reproductive technology to be made a priority in Africa. This will ensure that women have the right to easily access treatment using different technologies as well as other aspects of adaption, egg or sperm donations surrogate mothers she believes this will protect both women and men from any kind of abuse. “Infertility is often seen as a treatable problem for the upper-class primarily because the poor cannot afford the basic healthcare alone leave alone treatment such as ART.
Merck Foundation has also provided for more than 50 candidates, three to six months clinical and practical training for fertility specialists and embryologists in more than 15 countries across Africa and Asia.
For Kelej who out of choice chose not to have children says the highlight of her life, is seeing women stronger, happier and with self-confidence. The reassurance that they are still important and valuable whether they are mothers or not. “This compensates all the effort and time I spent away from my family trying to realize Merck foundation’s vision.”