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The business session of the Kenya – Gulf Cooperation Council States High-Level Business Forum was held this morning at the Raffles Hotel in Dubai, marking day 2 of the ongoing Kenya Week at the Expo Dubai 2020. The forum was graced by H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta and was attended by business delegates and government officials from Kenya and the GCC.

The event entailed a presentation and discussions of the current opportunities and investment possibilities available in Kenya and the GCC, in addition to a B2B session for the business delegates.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday graced the opening of the Kenya-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states business forum in Dubai on the first day of his working visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The President, who invited Gulf investors to set up shop in Kenya, said the country needed to adapt to what investors wanted and remove the bureaucratic red tape that undermined trade.

Uhuru directed Kenyan Government officials to be at the forefront in facilitating trade to give the country a comparative advantage as an investment destination of choice.

“We need to be the welcoming party. We are here to listen. We are here to facilitate. We are here to do what these investors require from us to come into our country to bring their investment, to help us create jobs, and to help us develop our economy,” Uhuru said.

Captains of industry and business executives from both Kenya and the Gulf region among other delegations attended the high-level business forum held on the margins of the Expo 2020 Dubai.

President Kenyatta emphasized that Kenya seeks to strengthen its trade with the UAE, noting that a wide range of goods and services that the UAE imports from other parts of the world could be produced and supplied by Kenya.

“These include services such as hospitality and tourism, banking and financial services, ICT and data processing,” he said.

His Excellency assured the GCC of a favorable business climate in Kenya to enable their investors to penetrate the African market lauding the Kenya Week as a great opportunity to sell the Kenyan brand and prepare the country for new trade opportunities.

Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry President, Richard Ngatia highlighted that Kenya is an important gateway into the African market through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

In his presentation, he urged the Kenya-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to look no further than Kenya for favorable investment returns. The AfCFTA will connect 1.3 billion people across Africa with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) valued at $3.4 trillion.

“With the implementation of AfCFTA, there lies the potential for formulating trade agreements to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers between the two blocs. There is an opportunity for GCC states to support the industrial capacity required for the AfCFTA implementation,” said Mr. Ngatia.

He alluded to Kenya’s membership in regional blocs such as EAC, COMESA, and IGAD as important in accessing the regional market. The port of Mombasa serves as an important logistic hub for the entire region, including the landlocked countries of Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Burundi.

Completion of the LAPSSET corridor project is expected to improve transport and logistics between Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda, and enhance trade between the GCC and Eastern Africa. Highly sought minerals such as copper and cobalt are readily available in DRC which the GCC can access through the Kenyan gateway.

Nairobi, Monday, February 14, 2022, The SACCO Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA), has today commenced stakeholders’ consultations on a proposed levy on the deposits of specified Non-Withdrawable Deposit Taking (NWDT) SACCOs to fund its expanded functions.

According to the recently published draft SACCO Societies (specified Non-Deposit-Taking businesses) Levy Order, the regulator seeks to charge a levy of 0.165 percent on the total non-withdrawable deposits of the targeted SACCOs.

According to SASRA, the authority will use the consultations, which end on February 25 and are a legal requirement before such policy changes, to collect feedback on the levy order from SACCOs, particularly those undertaking specified non-deposit-taking businesses, other stakeholders within the cooperative sector, and the general public.

These developments come hot on the heels of the regulator issuing 185 NWDT SACCOs with licenses to operate for the period January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. This followed the bringing, last year, specified NWDT SACCOs under the regulatory mandate of SASRA, which was already regulating 175 Deposit-Taking (DT) SACCOs. The latter already pay a levy of 0.175 percent on their total deposits to SASRA to fund its regulatory and supervisory activities.

Speaking during the first stakeholders’ consultation forum in Nairobi, the Cooperatives Commissioner Mr. David Obonyo said: “The non-withdrawable deposit-taking SACCOs should pay their respective share of contribution to the supervisory and regulatory oversight of the authority.’’

Mr. Obonyo disclosed the imposed levy is in tandem with the government’s effort of safeguarding the stability of the financial system in Kenya through effective supervision of the SACCO sector.

‘The rollout of the levy will see SASRA net at least Sh137.98 million from 169 non-withdrawable deposit-taking SACCOs that recently came under the authority’s regulations with deposits of Sh83.62 billion. SASRA has, however, restricted the levy at a maximum of Sh8 million, meaning that such SACCOs holding more than Sh4.84 billion will be spared the expense,’’ added Mr. Obonyo.

Speaking at the same forum, SASRA CEO Mr. Peter Njuguna said: “We have done a detailed appraisal of the potential impact of the proposed levy order on the SACCOs and their members and a cost-benefit analysis. The Levy Order has been prepared based on existing government guidelines and regulations on the funding of regulatory state agencies, considering the legal underpinnings prescribed in Section 15 of the SACCO Societies Act as well as the provisions of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act. We encourage all the key stakeholders to share their feedback and opinions on the proposed Levy Order to enable us to move to the next step.”

He further revealed that since the establishment of the Authority in June 2010, the Authority has been funding its supervisory and regulatory oversight activities over the DT-SACCOs, principally from deposit levies paid by the DT-SACCOs under the Sacco Societies (Deposit-Levy) Order, 2011 (Legal Notice No. 188 of 2011 and Legal Notice No. 51 of 2018). However, the annual levies collected from the DT-SACCOs have been insufficient to fund the operations of the authority, forcing it to operate below its optimal levels. He also stated that SASRA had received some donor funding.

“Most of the Authority’s ICT equipment, staff capacity buildings, research activities, and regulatory policy developments have been funded by donors. It is important to note that the donor support has substantially been scaled down or stopped altogether. As such, the authority must look for alternative sources of funding to execute its expanded mandate effectively,” added Mr. Njuguna.

With their coming under SASRA’s mandate, the Non-WDT-SACCOs have been ushered into a more stringent regulatory regime. To this effect, they are expected to submit regular returns for offsite analysis to ascertain their compliance, be subjected to regular onsite inspections, and be required to seek approvals for certain business initiatives they intend to undertake. All these are aimed at ensuring NWDT Sacco’s financial stability and the general stability of the financial system they operate in.

The Covid-19 authentication pass for the bloc’s citizens is meant to ease travel across the region’s internal borders.

The Principal Secretary in the State Department of East Africa Community, Ministry of East African Community, and Regional Development of Kenya, Dr. Kevit Desai lauded efforts to bolster the regional integration agenda.

He was speaking during the East African Business Council (EABC) Trade Facilitation Forum held at Taveta/Holili One-Stop Border Post.

Dr. Desai called for collective efforts toward trade facilitation and value addition to boost manufacturing and urged East African businesses people to boldly tap into the markets of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

On their part, the chairpersons of women cross-border traders stated un-harmonized measures on COVID-19 increase the cost of business operations citing the USD.10 antigen test on the Tanzania side while on the Kenya side is free of charge. Women cross-border traders also elaborated that EAC Simplified Trade Regime is not implemented as envisioned.

Speaking at the Forum, Mr. John Bosco Kalisa said “Taveta/Holili One-Stop Border Post cleared 33,000 cargo trucks in 2021 a 73% increase from 19,000 in 2020.” He expounded that the increase in the volume of trade underscores the importance of eliminating Non-Tariff Barriers for the quick recovery and resilience of the EAC economies amid COVID-19.

He called for a green channel for East African products at the border to boost intra trade and competitiveness of the region.

Levies on transit and EAC originating goods (East African products) by the counties in Kenyan and re-testing of products by Bureaus of Standards are among other hurdles raised by the business leaders during the forum.

The women cross-border traders recommended more sensitization campaigns on the EAC Simplified Trade Regime, customs procedures, formation of clusters & consolidation of products to be deployed to ease trade.

The Eastern Africa Grain Council and Taha Fresh called upon the customs agencies to offer priority clearance to perishable and all agricultural goods, especially during Information Technology System breakdowns to avoid delays.

Dr. Desai urged for the regular holding of the joint border management committees, strengthening partnerships to set up the Jumuiya Market at Taita/Taveta and, explained that the Ministry’s Business Reforms Unit will work closely with the EABC and Chambers of Commerce to analyze counties’ regulatory compliance.

Kalisa said Holili/Taveta OSBP links the northern and central corridor and has high potential to transform into a leading trade hub in the continent.

The forum also recommended cross-border traders be permitted to cross and do business up to 10 km on both sides of the border, quick rollout of the EAC COVID-19 pass, and improved infrastructure such as cargo scanners.

The EABC Trade Facilitation Forum was attended by over 60 delegates composed of Officials from the Ministry of EAC, trade facilitation agencies, importers, exporters, transporters & freight forwarders, Eastern African Sub-Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI), and women cross-border traders.

The forum was supported by GIZ’s  “Support to East African Market-Driven and People-Centred Integration” programmeprogram (SEAMPEC).

As the world celebrates Valentine’s Day, over 700 inmates at the Narok GK prison had a rare chance of commemorating the day by receiving snacks and sanitary materials from the Narok Peace Association group.

During the celebrations attended by Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde, the inmates had a chance to exercise their talents and dance with the county commissioner.

The inmates cut a cake to commemorate the love day and were given bread and soda, which they rarely have.

Masinde said he decided to share the love day with the inmates because they were part of society and can be made to be good people in society after reforms.

“My carpenter was once a prisoner, he does a very good job because of the skills he learned in prison,” he said.

“Make sure you do not come out of this place the way you came, if you come out in a good way, go to your chief and inform them you have changed so that he or she can connect you to the government programs that give loans to young people. Many spiritual leaders who own big ministries were once inmates, this means everything is not over with you,” he said.

He called on the inmates to continue observing Covid-19 regulations and ensure they were fully vaccinated to keep the disease at bay.

The Narok GK Prison In-Charge Benson Lomeri thanked the humanitarian groups for volunteers to share the love with the prisoners by sharing the little they have.

“Today is a day of love and we want to share the same love with the prisoner. I am happy because of all those who came to show love to our clients,” he said.

John Chikamai, an inmate serving a 17-year imprisonment term, said he was happy that there were people who were concerned with the inmates.

Narok Peace Association Ambassador Joshua Kaputa said they were in prison to celebrate love with the prisoners as the biblical command and remind them that they would not be in prison forever.

“We do not have to wait to be millionaires to show love, but we came to share the little that we have with the prisoners,” he said.

Savings and credit cooperative members have been urged to be more vigilant on the running of their business by actively taking part in key decision-making.

Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (Sasra) CEO Peter Njuguna told the 15the annual general meeting of Acumen Sacco, based in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado North.

He said as a cooperative’s business grows and gets more complex, “the more members must purpose to attend AGMs as their presence and voice are important”.

The government has called upon digital lenders to embrace financial inclusion which is a crucial enabler of economic growth as the country works towards achieving Kenya’s Vision 2030 and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary (CS) Joe Mucheru said that while the lenders have made great strides in formal financial inclusion in the last decade, they remain a key opportunity area in developing and emerging markets.

Mucheru said that in Kenya, the results of the 2019 FinAccess Households Survey revealed that formal financial inclusion has risen to 82.9 percent, up from 26.7 percent in 2006, while complete exclusion has narrowed to 11 percent from 41.3 percent in 2006 thanks to mobile money.

The CS said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) for ICT and Broadcasting Ms. Maureen Mbaka at a Nairobi hotel on Wednesday during the launch of Tala flexible loans credit options dubbed jichagulie due date.

Mucheru added that financial technology deployed by Fintech companies such as Tala has been a fundamental tool in enhancing significant financial inclusion mainly to unbanked Kenyans who had been left out of the formal financial economy.

He said that by leveraging alternative forms of data for underwriting, the company has been able to make key advancements towards democratizing access to credit for Kenyans.

“To grow, thrive, and deliver your promise to the global unbanked, Tala will have to continue putting customers at the forefront of their innovations. Tala should also continue with their co-operation with the various regulators such as the Central Bank of Kenya following the passing of the CBK Amendment Act which places you under the regulatory ambit of the CBK,” said the CS.

He highlighted that Kenya has embarked on its digital transformation journey that informed the formulation of the country’s Digital Economy Blueprint which is a roadmap for the digital transformation of the economy that seeks to see every citizen, enterprise and, organization get digital access and the capability to participate and thrive in the digital economy.

“Financial inclusion is at the core of our mission. To reach these goals and follow our pathway towards a digital economy, we must build collaborative ecosystems that facilitate digital transactions on a national, regional, and global scale. This is the rationale that informed Kenya’s digital economy blueprint,” said Mucheru.

Tala Country Growth Manager Annstella Mumbi said that for the seven years they have been in operation in the country, they have remained driven by their founding mission which is to empower the global underbanked to take control of their financial lives.

“Since the company started in 2014 as the market pioneer in digital credit, we have continued to do this by developing financial products that have not only shaped the Fintech sector as we know it today but have also positively impacted the economy by bringing access to financial services to over three million Kenyans and with $1 billion in loans disbursed,” said Mumbi.

She added that with the new product, they are giving every Tala customer the power to choose the due date that works best for them explaining that it was developed after a rigorous user research process in collaboration with their customers.

“This new flexible credit option seeks to put the power of choice and control in the hands of our consumers by allowing them to choose the due date that works best for them, not Tala. Kenyans can now time their due date around their next pay day-pay-day and other financial obligations, making repayment easier, and enjoy lower fees depending on the duration they choose,” she said.

Mumbi said that they will continue being customer-first in their innovation while proactively centering responsible lending practices at the core of their business operations, even as they move into a new operating environment under the ambit of the CBK.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has established a multi-agency team to address rising cases of bird strikes at airports across the country.

The team comprising Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and County Governments will work with KCCA officials to mitigate the menace which is a threat to safety of the airspace in the country.

KCAA Director General Captain Gilbert Kibe said the birds not only endangered the users of air transport, but also caused damage on aircrafts which was expensive to repair.

Meanwhile, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was leading with 22 cases reported per month.

Wajir Airport was second with 12 cases reported every month, followed by Kisumu International Airport with 3-6 bird strikes reported monthly.

The multi-agency team was exploring all avenues to address the menace, including ways of handling other wild animals likely to pose a danger to the aviation sector.

The measures will include removal of dump sites located near airports to control the birds. “This waste is what attracts birds therefore we are working with the relevant county governments to relocate the dumping sites far away from the airports,” said Kibe.

Consequently, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has been engaged to come up with bird deterrent systems to help reverse the trend.

Speaking in Kisumu during a round table meeting with the media, Kibe said stringent measures have been put in place to ensure that the Kenyan airspace remains safe adding that the last International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rated Kenya 75.41% against a global average score of 65.3% and regional average 61.1%.

The KCAA Kisumu office, he said, has put stringent measures in place to ensure the airport runs smoothly as the city gears to hosting the Afri-Cities conference.

“We expect over ten Heads of State and a host of other dignitaries to fly to Kisumu for this conference. Our officers are on the ground to ensure that everything runs smoothly,” he said.

Captain Kibe further cautioned against illegal flying of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones) as their usage gains popularity across the country.

He said KCAA has only licensed 200 drones and 300 pilots since the law regulating their usage came into effect on 30^th March 2020.

The use of drones was expected to increase significantly given the rising demand for data collection, research, environmental conservation initiatives, mapping and academic research.

“The authority notes that drones are increasingly becoming part of business in provision of other services including health care emergency services, creative economy, filming industry, sports and news gathering,” he said.

The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Regulations 2020 requires a person owning and operating a drone to register it and obtain a license from KCAA.

To operate a Class A Unmanned Aircraft which is less risky, an operator is required to pay Sh3, 000 as registration fees and Sh2, 000 authorization fee every time the drone is used.

Kibe cautioned against illegal use of the drones as witnessed during the political rallies, adding that anybody found culpable risked Sh2 million fine, six months in jail or both.

Kenya and the United Kingdom (UK) Tech Hub among other partners have launched the second business regulatory toolkit.

The business regulatory toolkit focuses on counties to capture the full cost of doing business as well as documenting the compliance processes for all county business levies and fees.

This comes after a successful performance of the National Business Regulatory kit launched in March last year that was tailored to address business issues at the National level, having been tested in 10 pilot counties: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Machakos, Uasin Gishu, Garissa, Kakamega, Kajiado, and Laikipia.

The tremendous business success witnessed from the first National regulatory toolkit was highlighted by East African Community (EAC) and Regional Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Adan Mohamed while speaking at a Nairobi hotel, stating that there have been remarkable steps witnessed from the toolkit and as a result, there have been reforms that have seen an increase in foreign investments as well as the creation of jobs.

Mohamed said that the toolkit identifies special needs faced by SMEs and provides relevant support agencies which cover general business in Agriculture, Energy, Manufacturing, ICT, Import-Export, Tourism, Education, Finance, and Construction.

“I do not doubt that profitability of SMEs will improve as they focus more on things that matter as opposed to having frustrations and spending a lot of time at county offices getting licenses,” said Mohamed adding that the platform will play a key role in changing the lives of the people.

The CS said that he was pleased by the outcome of the 10 pilot counties and that the ministry is seeking to integrate the 47 counties into the tech-based business solution toolkit.

He appealed to county governments to balance the need for raising revenue by giving licenses and opportunities to people to provide capacity support to counties to undertake the requisite administrative reforms and streamlining of services which will enhance their competitiveness.

Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) Chief Executive Officer Carol Kariuki noted that the toolkit was a timely idea that will help navigate through the pandemic as it fosters cooperation among the counties, private and public sectors to work together.

She further stated that KEPSA engages with government-to-government the and acts as a soundboard for putting up reforms and coming up with solid business structures, adding that government agencies like the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and National Social Security Fund (NSSF) work together to ease the process of starting a business.

During the launch, British High Commissioner to Kenya, Jane Marriott, congratulated the government on the success of the first phase, and at the same time elaborated that the second phase will go deeper to calculate taxes from county to county to help entrepreneurs to manage and scale up their businesses.

“With the tax calculations on the toolkit, an entrepreneur can plan their business with certainty, bringing a good base for business growth and longevity,” said Marriott.

She also said that UK Kenya Tech-Hub being among other partners that have created an SME business regulatory toolkit will advocate to engage and understand the Kenyan business environment and develop awareness to unblock barriers and enable SMEs in steering their business to higher heights.

In addition to training investors to invest in local businesses, Marriott added that 50 million dollars had been disbursed by UK Kenya Tech Hub to Equity Bank to boost SMEs.

The British High Commissioner concluded her statement with a resounding call for peace in the coming transition election expressing that businesses need certainty and reliability in political stability to thrive.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 3 February 2022: In alignment with the company’s commitment and dedication to Innovation, Canon CCNA recently announced the next leap forward in full-frame mirrorless cameras – the professional-grade Canon EOS R3. Building on the success of the EOS R camera series, Canon EOS R3 is packed with robustness and performance that can deliver maximum speed, versatility, and reliability for sports, wildlife photographers, and reportage.

The company has also kick-started its Canon R tour – a series of roadshow events that will give people a chance to get up, close and, personal with the revolutionary camera from January until December 2022. The R3 roadshows will be held in different countries inviting people from diverse backgrounds to participate in the dry run and experience the genius innovation of Canon R3 firsthand.

Leveraging its technological advancements developed for the original EOS R series in 2018 as well as bridging the gap between the much-celebrated EOS R5 and the illustrious Canon flagship EOS-1DX line, Canon EOS R3 highlights outstanding AF performance and swiftness with fast-moving subjects.

The EOS R3 is also the first “3” series camera from Canon since the widely used EOS-3 film camera was launched in 1998. Additionally, with the EOS R3, photographers can now enjoy a top shutter speed of 1/64,000sec and 30fps burst shooting, with simultaneous AF/AE tracking.

 

One of the key features of Canon’s innovation involves the next-generation Eye Control autofocus technology that allows for the camera to seamlessly focus wherever the photographer is looking thus enabling extreme agility in fast-paced scenarios.

Commenting on his experience with Canon R3, multitalented Lifestyle and Fashion Photographer Lorenzo Salemi, says, “We live in the age of content and any tool that makes generating content easier for you is a jackpot. I have been in the field of photography for years toying with the different paces fast subject but never have I ever been so impressed with a camera before.

The autofocus and eye-control features undoubtedly set this camera apart from everything else that’s available on the market, the EOS R3 captures fleeting moments at 30fps, revealing details that are missed with the naked eye.

So whether you want to shoot motorbikes or wildlife or capture details in fashion photography, Canon’s R3 has got your back. After just 2 days of using the camera, I realized I wanted to use it for shooting all kinds of images, the camera unlocks your potential for creativity. It’s like the sky is your limit when you have Canon R3 by your side.

The battery life is another brownie point, one can easily shoot up to 1500 images without batting an eyelid, making EOS R Camera a dynamo that lets you outperform and outpace with its potent blend of innovative design, intuitive controls, and ergonomic excellence.”

The design of the camera integrates a high-resolution 5.76m-dot OLED EVF and a 3.2″ vari-angle touchscreen LCD, along with dual memory card slots, wireless and wired connectivity, and an updated Multi-Function Shoe design for expanded accessory compatibility.

Paras Chandaria, Kenyan Wildlife Photographer, tried his hand on the Canon R3 for the past couple of months concluding that this newest addition from Canon is par excellence.

Elaborating about his experience, he said, “As a wildlife photographer, I have been an avid user of Canon but this year I challenged myself to shoot African Fish Eagles in action at Lake Naivasha and Lentorre Lodge’s photography hide to try photographing the rare and nocturnal species at the Ol Kiramatian Conservancy. And I couldn’t have asked for a better camera than Canon R3 which makes the ultimate choice available right now in the market with its advanced technology and features for complicated photography scenarios like these. ”I was amazed to see how great the images came out as it is not easy to capture African fish eagles which are extremely fast, but the results were amazing.”

The biggest plus point for me is the design ergonomics that make wildlife shooting easier, as we cannot carry bulky equipment in the wild so the camera-body design is of critical importance to wildlife photographers, not only is Canon R3 the perfect size and weight but its exceptional battery can support you to shoot in nature for more than 24 hours uninterrupted. Canon R3 has hit the spot for fast-paced photography with its advanced technology and user-friendly design.”

The camera is capable of shooting 6K 60p RAW and 4K 120p 10-bit uncropped video with Canon Log 3 support, in addition to the possibility for oversampled 4K and RAW movie internal recording. Emmanuel Oyeleke, esteemed Canon Ambassador and lifestyle photographer, assessed the camera in a trial run for two months eventually filming a documentary solely with the new EOS R3.

Coining the EOS R3 as a ‘Canon’s Phenomenal Masterpiece’, Emmanuel elaborates further on his experience, “I am thoroughly impressed using the EOS R3 for past few months, be it the new technology, the added features or ergonomics or the battery life.

It takes the art of photography to the next level with the amount of ease it offers whilst shooting. I shot a complete documentary merely with Canon EOS R3, however, once you see it, it is hard to tell that there is only one piece of equipment involved in shooting as it is pretty similar to the film-grade image quality. For the purpose f my documentary, I had to shoot various fast-paced subjects which the camera captured brilliantly. If you are looking for speed, power, accuracy, ease of use, the Canon R3 has it all to go above and beyond the call of duty.

It is like a beast of a camera that lets you outperform in any situation, whether you are outdoors or indoors or in harsh climatic conditions. If you are someone like me who likes to shoot diverse subjects from fashion to street-style to nature to portraits, this is surely the camera that will captivate your imagination.  Continuing the legacy of 1DXthe  series, Canon R3 is indeed every photographer’s dream and best friend.”

To imbue the revolutionary spirit that stands behind the design of the EOS R3 camera system amongst photographers and visual artists, Canon has invited around fifteen to twenty local photographers from the region to test-drive this newly launched camera under its Generation-R program.

The hub features exciting photo competitions, prizes, exchange of useful equipment as well the current trends in the photography world. The chosen photographers will receive the new EOS R3 camera to assess its features, design, handling, and quality of images.

Furthermore, the company’s R tour – a spectacular roadshow series of activations from January to December 2022 where people can get their hands on the actual Canon R3 camera to feel and experience it for themselves will be held across various locations.

Speaking on the matter, Amine commented, “Canon’s R tour is an excellent opportunity for anyone to pilot study our new products from the EOS range as well as unite and network with other people to pursue and share their passion and knowledge with others. We are elevating our concept of touch and try through this roadshow where it is us that go to the people and let them have a go at our Canon R3.

There is no better way to gauge the success of your products than to have people test-drive these and receive authentic and genuine feedback on the spot, we are extremely confident that the Canon R3 will steal the hearts of people with its cutting-edge and innovative features.”

For product specs and more information about the Canon EOS R3 Camera, please click here -> https://en.canon-cna.com/cameras/eos-r3/

About Canon Central and North Africa

Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) (Canon-CNA.com) is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2015 was a strategic step that aimed to enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region – by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus.

CCNA also demonstrates Canon’s commitment to operating closer to its customers and meeting their demands in the rapidly evolving African market.

Canon has been represented in the African continent for more than 15 years through distributors and partners that have successfully built a solid customer base in the region. CCNA ensures the provision of high-quality, technologically advanced products that meet the requirements of Africa’s rapidly evolving marketplace. With over 100 employees, CCNA manages sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa.

Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei – ‘living and working together for the common good-good. CCNA pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon’s products, solutions, and services.

At Canon, we are pioneers, constantly redefining the world of imaging for the greater good. Through our technology and our spirit of innovation, we push the bounds of what is possible – helping us to see our world in ways we never have before. We help bring creativity to life, one image at a time. Because when we can see our world, we can transform it for the better.

For more information: Canon-CNA.com

Zoho, a global technology company offering the most comprehensive suite of business software applications in the industry, today announced that its enterprise collaboration and communications platform, Workplace, now serves more than 16 million users globally.

The company attributes this substantial growth to increasing business demand for contextual applications with utmost standards for user privacy as well as rising costs from other collaboration platform providers.

Since the start of the pandemic, Zoho Workplace adoption has accelerated as businesses of all sizes transitioned to digital-forward, remote work.

“Zoho has always been about persistent long-term execution, and our investment in Zoho Workplace attests to that. As competitors continue to raise prices or eliminate free editions for those who need them most, Workplace continues to serve businesses and professionals with a feature-rich suite that increases productivity while remaining broadly affordable,” said Hyther Nizam, President MEA, Zoho Corporation “Our ad-free approach and respect towards user privacy will add to the overall experience that our solution provides.”

Zoho Workplace experienced 34% year-to-year growth in 2021, with more than 40% of new customers making the switch from Google and Microsoft. Growth was strong in all segments, with the SMB customer base increased 40%, mid-sized by 36%, and enterprises by more than 20%. In Kenya, the Workplace customer base saw 73% growth in 2021 while overall growth in Africa was 59%.

Demand is largely driven by businesses still facing the harsh realities of the pandemic, and its impact on their growth and budget. Unforeseen hikes in operational costs to support collaboration makes it more difficult for these businesses to recover and thrive. Within days of Google announcing that it would be ending the free edition of Workspace, Zoho’s Workplace platform experienced a 120% increase in migrations from Google-hosted domains.

“Zoho is unique amongst its productivity suite competitors for not rolling out a cost increase for 2022, nor removing their freemium offerings,” commented Thomas Randall, Senior Research Analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. “Other providers have justified price add-ons and increases to reflect the additional value they believe their customers have received over the pandemic for using their tools. Yet freemium offerings and price consistency have been central for many customers and businesses to stay afloat during lockdowns. Now that such offerings are in short supply, Zoho will likely see increased demand for their Workplace services as customers seek strong ROI for productivity and collaboration software.”

Zoho Workplace is available in three editions: Standard (KES210 per user, per month, billed annually) Professional (KES420 per user, per month, billed annually), and Mail-only (KES70 per user, per month, billed annually).

About Zoho

With 50+ apps in nearly every major business category, including sales, marketing, customer support, accounting, and back-office operations, and an array of productivity and collaboration tools, Zoho Corporation is one of the world’s most prolific technology companies. Zoho is privately held and profitable with more than 10,000 employees. Zoho is headquartered in Chennai, India. Additional offices are in the United States, India, Japan, China, Canada, Singapore, Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. For more information, please visit www.zoho.com/