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Twiga Foods, Jumia signs deal for Fresh Food distribution during COVID 19 Crisis

April 24, 2020 Editor

E-commerce platform Jumia Kenya and Twiga Foods have signed a partnership agreement that will enable shoppers on the platform to buy fresh produce as well as processed foods distributed by the farm produce aggregator. Through the deal, shoppers can now buy pre-packed bundles whose cost will range between Sh1,230 and Sh3,180 depending on the goods. The bundles will save customers up to 50 percent compared to average supermarket prices, and consist of items like watermelon, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, bananas, maize meal and processed milk. Delivery will be free in Nairobi…

MPESA option now available on Aliexpress App

March 12, 2019March 12, 2019 olivia Craig

Shopping online can seem like a daunting task to some people, especially considering the limited payment options and security issues that bog online transactions. Alibaba-owned e-commerce platform, AliExpress, has slowly but steadily gained popularity in Kenya as the platform opens up the Chinese vast goods market to Kenyans. International shopping in Kenya has mainly relied on third-party services such a Vitumob or Something Random, that aim to connect locals to the well-established platforms like Amazon but recently we have seen these shopping websites make an effort to directly reach their…

How prepared are African businesses to tap AI benefits?

March 1, 2019March 1, 2019 Editor

The world is becoming a consumers’ market where future trends are now determined by an impatient customer with a smart phone. The modern shopper wants the best for less right now. They also demand that brands speak to and about their unique individuality. These conversations are taking place online in real time, feeding research, design and development teams with enough data to make accurate predictions of what will sell in the future. How this information is collected and collated is being made possible by technology. What does Artificial Intelligence mean…

Can Blockchain + Virtual Reality Boost E-commerce In Africa

October 24, 2018 Dianne Jacobs

eCommerce will be worth $75 billion in Africa’s leading economies, and came into existence as the solution to the stress of beating traffic to get to stores, bringing about a more convenient way of buying and selling. Today, online retail seems to be fast replacing the brick and mortar stores, and warehouses are becoming the one place to order items from. Ventures such as Alibaba, eBay, Payporte, Jumia, and Konga are cashing in big on African’s need to do convenient shopping from the comfort of their homes. While this a…

Amazon acquires Ring for $1 billion to help boost your home security

March 1, 2018 Dianne Jacobs

Amazon has acquired Ring, a Santa Monica, California-based maker of connected video doorbells and security cameras, for $1 billion. That will see the E-Commerce giant push further into the home security business: it previously acquired Blink, which makes similar products. Plus, it already offers a Cloud Cam that’s designed for use inside your house, and to allow couriers into your home to drop off parcels as part of its Key program. GeekWire notes that while neither firm has shared details on the way forward, it’s expected that the Ring brand…

Alibaba Continues its Offline Retail Push by Investing in Hypermarket Operator

November 21, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

Alibaba is continuing its expansion into offline retail after the Chinese e-commerce giant bought up more than one-third of one of Chinese most prolific operators of hypermarket stores. The firm announced today it has spent HK$22.4 billion (around US$2.88 billion) to acquire of 36.16 percent in Sun Art Retail Group, a Hong Kong-listed business that operates 446 hypermarkets across 224 cities in mainland China. The deal makes Alibaba the second largest shareholder in the business, which has a market cap of over US$10 billion. Ruentex, the shareholder that sold to Alibaba, will retain a 4.67…

NHS offers Smartphone GP appointments

November 6, 2017 Dianne Jacobs

A 24-hour service has been launched for NHS patients, offering GP consultations via videolink on smartphones. The pilot scheme will initially cover 3.5 million patients in greater London. Patients will be able to check their symptoms through the mobile app and then have video consultations within two hours of booking. The Royal College of GPs has warned the service may not help patients with complex needs. The new free service has been launched by a group of London GPs and the online healthcare provider Babylon. Patients joining will leave their…

Yahoo-backed E-commerce search startup Twiggle gets $12.5M Series A Funding led by Naspers

April 8, 2016

E-commerce operator Naspers led a $12.5 million investment that Twiggle will use to expand globally. (Bloomberg)—A Yahoo Japan-backed Israeli startup, Twiggle, has lined up a funding round led by Naspers Ltd., the Cape Town, South Africa-based group known for its early investment in Chinese e-commerce site Tencent Holdings Ltd. Twiggle, a web- and mobile-based service focused on search, aims to license its software to leading online retailing companies around the world and will use the $12.5 million in funding to expand globally. Using machine learning, artificial intelligence and natural language…

25% internet users’ account hacked in 2015 says Kaspersky Lab Report

October 16, 2015February 11, 2016 Staff Writer

MUMBAI: If you are on the internet, chances are that your Gmail, Facebook or Twitter account was hacked in last few months. According to a latest research by Kaspersky Lab study one in four internet users had at least one of their online accounts hacked. In most cases unauthorised messages were sent out in the users’ name with a malicious link included and the loss or theft of personal data, the study said. According to another study by the lab just about 38% of the users create strong passwords and…