Samsung Unveils New Generation Of Foldable Smartphones

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Samsung Unveils New Generation Of Foldable Smartphones

Samsung has unveiled a new generation of foldable smartphones as the tech giant continues its push to bring flexible-screen devices to the mainstream.

The company used its Unpacked virtual event to announce the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4.

The Fold is a traditional-sized smartphone which opens horizontally, like a book, to reveal a larger, tablet-sized screen, while the Flip is a smaller device which opens vertically to reveal a nearly 7in smartphone display.

The Fold4 has been given a substantial camera upgrade and features the triple camera system found in Samsung’s flagship S22 handset, while the cover screen on the outside has been slightly increased in size and a new PC-style taskbar has been built into the software to speed up jumping between apps.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
The Fold4 comes with better cameras and a new taskbar (Martyn Landi/PA)

The Flip4 has undergone a more modest upgrade, with improvements to the small cover screen used to view notifications when the device is closed and expanded camera features when the phone is open, which enable users to change the layout of the viewfinder and camera controls to get different angles.

Both phones will go on sale on August 26th.

“Samsung Galaxy foldables are built on the foundation of our openness philosophy, enabling new possibilities with complete customisation both inside and out,” said Conor Pierce, corporate vice president of Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland.

“Created in collaboration with our world-class partners, the next foldable devices offer unparalleled mobile experiences that meet the needs of our most dynamic users.

“With our all-new Galaxy Z Flip4 and Galaxy Z Fold4 devices, we’ve pushed the limits of what’s possible with two radically different smartphone experiences that allow people to express their individuality – because there’s no one-size-fits-all for foldables any more.

 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 foldable smartphone
The battery life is among the updates to the new Flip4 (Martyn Landi/PA)

“With this launch, we’ve successfully transformed this category from a radical project to a mainstream device line-up enjoyed by millions worldwide.”

Samsung still regards the devices as ultra-premium and aimed at tech enthusiasts, but wants to continue developing the category.

James Manning Smith, industry expert and senior analyst at CCS Insight, said: “The Z Flip4 and Z Fold4 will be almost indistinguishable from their predecessors to most consumers. Although Samsung may be criticised for this, it makes sense to take an iterative approach, given foldables devices are currently such a small segment of the overall smartphone market.

“We suspect it is still learning lots about the complexities of engineering this new category of products and although the phones look very similar to earlier models, they include numerous improvements such as better durability, longer battery life and multiple user experience updates.”

Samsung’s key smartphone rivals – Apple and Google – are yet to release a foldable device, and while other manufacturers have entered the space, none has yet grabbed the public’s attention.

“Samsung has been the market-maker for foldable smartphones over the last three years, and although several Chinese phone-makers are now offering rival products, Samsung is in a very strong position globally,” Mr Manning Smith said.

“The company will be hoping these products help build on the momentum it has created.”

Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy Watch5 and Watch5 Pro and a new set of wireless earphones, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro.

Helping Smallholder Cocoa Farmers In Côte d’Ivoire Secure Land Rights

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Helping Smallholder Cocoa Farmers In Côte d’Ivoire Secure Land Rights

In Côte d’Ivoire, we’re helping smallholder cocoa farmers formalise the rights to their land through an affordable land tenure documentation process. The West African country is where we source much of this key ingredient for our ice creams.

Having legal ownership of their land or long-term rights as tenants benefits the farmers by helping to improve their livelihoods and give them more security of the land they depend on. It benefits the environment as farmers have an incentive to invest in the land by adopting sustainable agriculture practices. And it benefits our business because we have a more sustainable source of high-quality cocoa.

This work is being carried out by the Côte d’Ivoire Land Partnership (CLAP), which brings together Unilever and other brands and industry bodies, the Ivorian and German governments, and Meridia – a social venture that manages the implementation of the programme on the ground.

Through a pilot that’s running in two villages in the south of the country, CLAP members subsidise the cost of the documentation and provide technical support to help the farmers navigate the certification process.

Earlier this year, the first group of farmers – more than 40% of whom are women – received 130 land tenure documents. CLAP’s early scale project, which runs until next year, aims to cover 30 villages and deliver over 9,000 documents. It will also create a blueprint for a larger-scale project.

Group of eight smallholder cocoa farmers holding up their land tenure documents at a presentation ceremony.

Why is CLAP so important?

With poor land management, soil degrades over time. This means that the farmer’s productivity and therefore their income decreases. It also means they are more likely to expand into forested areas to try and make up the shortfall.

With security of tenure, they have more choice of what, when and how to grow. Importantly, they also have an incentive to invest in the land and plan for the future, adopting long-term, sustainable practices. This increases the yield they get from the land, which in turn helps prevent deforestation.

As land tenure impacts cocoa farmers from a social, economic and environmental perspective, it’s a complex challenge that requires collaboration between many stakeholders including government, local NGOs, international development agencies and the private sector.

Cocoa farming is central to the Côte d’Ivoire economy. According to the World Bank, it accounts for 10–15% of GDP, nearly 40% of export earnings and provides a living for 5 to 6 million people, or one-fifth of the population. So it’s essential that the sector is sustainable for the long term.

“At Unilever, we believe that when smallholder farmers thrive, so will the environment – and our business. That’s why we’re encouraged by the progress that’s being made through CLAP in helping smallholder cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire secure legal land rights,” says Megan Willis, Unilever’s Head of Sustainable Sourcing, Naturals. “When smallholders have legal or recognised rights to their land, they are in a stronger position to improve the lives of their families and communities, secure land legality for future generations, and protect the forests and environment.

This programme is a great example of how Unilever collaborates with industry, civil society, communities and governments to drive impactful and systemic change for people and planet.

The CLAP partnership

The Côte d’Ivoire Land Partnership (CLAP) was founded by The Hershey Company, Barry Callebaut Group, The Cocoa Horizons Foundation, Unilever, the German Cooperation (implemented by GIZ GmbH) and the German Cocoa and Chocolate Foundation. All those involved are keen to work on the multiple issues related to insecure land tenure faced by Ivorian cocoa farmers. CLAP is endorsed by the Côte d’Ivoire government’s Rural Land Agency (AFOR) and managed on the ground by Meridia.

Negative Performance Returns In The Local Bourse

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Negative Performance Returns In The Local Bourse

At the end of yesterday’s trading session, the Nigerian All Share Index closed in red, declining by 0.12% to close at 50,014.60 points.

The performance was due to selling pressures in bellwether stocks such as MTNN (-0.50%) and ACCESSCORP (-1.12%). Consequently, the YTD return decreased to 17.09% as market capitalisation declined by ₦32.83 billion to close at ₦26.98 trillion.

The sectoral performance was mixed as two of the five indices under coverage improved, two declined while the Oil & Gas index closed flat. The Insurance and Industrial indices, the biggest gainers, rose by 0.61% and 0.10% on AIICO (+3.70%) and WAPCO (+1.29%). On the flip side, the Banking and Consumer Goods, the losers, declined by 0.62% and 0.03% on ZENITHBANK (-0.23%) and INTBREW (-0.95%) respectively.

Investors’ sentiment weakened but positive as the market breadth increased to 1.40x from 2.00x. This was illustrated by the advance of 21 stocks, led by NAHCO (+10.00%) and FCMB (+9.84%) and the decline of 15 stocks, led by ABCTRANS (-6.67%) and JAIZBANK (-5.56%). Activity level was mixed as the total volume declined by 52.16% while the total value improved by 17.06%, as investors exchanged about 133.59mn units of shares worth over ₦2.44bn.

We expect positive sentiment to return in the next trading session as the equities market still presents decent opportunities for investors chasing positive real returns on investments.

Fixed Income

There was quiet activity across the bond yield curve as all the four bond yields under coverage closed flat. The yields on the FGN-APR-2023, FGN-MAR-2024, FGN-JAN-2026 and FGN-JUL-2030 bonds closed flat at 9.30%, 10.99%, 12.35% and 12.49% respectively.

The Treasury bill yield for the 91-day paper compressed by 214bps, the 182-day yield increased by 275bps while the yield on the 364-day paper closed flat at 6.81% respectively.

We expect market activity to be influenced by the liquidity levels in the financial system.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

  • Negative Performance Returns in the Local Bourse, NGX ASI Loses 12bps
  • Quiet Activity across the Bond Yield Curve
  • Mixed Performance in Global Stocks
  • Brent Crude Reports @ $98.76/barrel
  • Positive Performance in African Stocks

Start Network Provides £274,780 Relief To Survivors Of Armed Conflict In Kaduna State

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Start Network Provides £274,780 Relief To Survivors Of Armed Conflict In Kaduna State

People in Kajuru and Kachia districts in Nigeria’s Kaduna state are receiving support after a timely response by Start Network, an innovative humanitarian actor that typically disburses funds within 72 hours of a crisis alert. Through a Start Fund alert raised by Start Network members, £274,780 in funding has been released to ameliorate displaced people’s needs, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in these areas. 

 

 

Start Network, which is made up of international, local, and national NGOs working in over 80 countries, have channeled the funds to ActionAid and Global Peace Development – local partners who are responding to the crisis. The armed conflict, which has claimed more than 45 lives, has been intensified by a prolonged drought and rising land disputes between nomadic herders and residents of Kaduna state. About 35,000 people have been impacted by this conflict, the majority fleeing their villages and relocating to shelters for people who are displaced – which are deemed safer due to the presence of security forces.

 

 

 

One major attack took place on 20 June 2022, affecting many communities that are already displaced. Following this, the region witnessed a spike in violent communal conflicts resulting in the killing of 48 people by armed bandits in Kajuru and Kachiaon one week later.

 

 

 

Funding from Start Network will support the people affected to recover quickly and build resilience. According to David Habba, Humanitarian and Resilience Manager at ActionAid, the £274,780 is essential to giving community members access to cash, water and sanitation, dignity kits for women, and non-food items, such as mats, blankets, water storage containers and mosquito nets.

 

 

 

“The attacks and conflict around Kachia and Kajuru are sadly reoccurring. People should not live their lives in perpetual fear. We are working with community leadership and groups to provide training that strengthen community systems and structures to identify, share information and respond swiftly when there are threats. We will also link these communities’ structures to key security formations within the areas.”

 

 

 

Esike Ebruke, Executive Director, Global Peace Development added, “We are very happy to have this intervention funded by Start Fund. Global Peace Development has presence and works in these communities. The communities look up to us when we talk about peace building, environment and community health, governance, and other matters.

 

 

 

The support from Start Fund makes it possible for us to be here for them in their most trying times. With this support, women and children who are most affected will be able to meet some of their basic needs like food, water and other materials like blankets. The intervention makes better the lives of the people who continue to bear the burden of the growing insecurity in Nigeria, especially women and children. We are very grateful.”

According to Serena Suen, Start Fund Programme Manager, “The response has been timely and is expected to support the people affected, with majority being women, children, the elderly, and people living with disabilities. We would like to thank our members and their local partners who have been instrumental in assisting affected people by providing them the necessary essential amenities as early as possible, covering any identified gaps. This alert has demonstrated the clear need for innovative, gap-filling financing initiatives, such as the Start Fund, within the humanitarian sector. We are pleased a local organization like Global Peace Development is leading part of the response and we believe that a more balanced international aid system, which shifts power to those closest to the front-line, will generate more effective and appropriate responses for people affected by crises.”

 

Flutterwave Increases Staff Size By 200, Announces New Chief People And Culture Officer

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Flutterwave Increases Staff Size By 200, Announces New Chief People And Culture Officer

Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, has completed the recruitment process for its inaugural Graduate Trainee Program, hiring 200 trainees, and growing its employee base by 38%.  

The paid program aims to nurture young Nigerians by upskilling them with technical and soft skills, exposing them to the company’s solutions and products, and giving them experience working at a global organization. The Program is the New Chief of People and Culture’s first project upon rejoining Flutterwave.

Mansi Babyloni, the New Chief People and Culture Officer was previously Flutterwave’s Global Head of People Strategy and Special Projects in 2020 before she left for an opportunity at PwC’s People and Org. practice in London, UK. She rejoins Flutterwave as the CPO and will be focusing on investing in people, culture and processes to drive growth for the organization.

Flutterwave opened the application portal on July 1st 2022 to enable young graduates across Nigeria to apply for various positions at the company. The portal closed on July 15th with 11,000 applications and 200 candidates making it into the program after a thorough recruitment process. The candidates received their offers on August 5th, with their 2-weeks onboarding to commence immediately.

The program aims to support young talent in Nigeria who will in turn support Flutterwave’s growing need for talent, as it works to meet its growth and expansion objectives. Flutterwave currently supports over 1,000,000 businesses and requires a steady stream of fresh new talent in order to sustain its continued growth.

Mansi Babyloni, Chief People and Culture Officer, Flutterwave said, “I’m thrilled to be back at Flutterwave as the Chief People Officer. This role offers me the opportunity to invest in the talent, develop our people and make us the best employer out there – things I am deeply passionate about. My work starts with the Flutterwave Graduate Trainee Program which has been a passion project of the People and Culture Team for a long time and we are delighted that it is now a reality. The program aims to teach our graduate trainees highly transferable skills via an on-the-job training methodology, skills that will set them up for success for the entirety of their careers. Flutterwave is what it is because of the talent, passion and innovation of a driven squad. We believe supporting the next generation of young talent to realize their potential is the most important way that we can give back to the community. This program is critically important to supporting our strategic growth needs, as we continue to expand across markets and geographies. As a global company, we’re looking forward to how this program can grow across other countries.”

Olugbenga GB Agboola, Founder and CEO, Flutterwave said, “The graduate trainee program is a key part of our continued efforts to support young talent and help them kick start their career. Over the years, we’ve been thinking about developing a program that serves as a pipeline for talent from the University to the workforce. We’re happy that Mansi and the entire People and Culture team at Flutterwave have made this a reality. Because of this project, 200 people will have an opportunity to break into their careers and get started on the path toward achieving their dreams. We’re elated that Mansi is back and pushing impactful projects in her first month with us.”

How To Beat The Great Resignation With Human Experience Management

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How To Beat The Great Resignation With Human Experience Management

With the world gripped in a state of unprecedented uncertainty following the disruption of the pandemic and the transformational impact of technology, companies are facing an uphill battle with attracting, motivating and retaining top talent.

 

According to Shiraz Khota, Human Experience Management Sales Leader at SAP Africa, the past two years have shifted the goalposts for every company wishing to build a high-performance culture.

 

“Employees today expect more from their employers than ever before, and are willing to walk away from jobs if they feel companies fall short in their efforts, as can be seen by the Great Resignation. In response, top companies are investing in new tools and technologies to improve their human experience management capabilities, with a focus on personalisation, diversity and inclusion, meeting employee expectations.”

 

The Great Resignation is a phrase coined in the US that refers to the nearly 50 million people who left their jobs in that country in 2021 alone. Since then the trend has been observed in other countries around the world, most notably in Europe, where nearly half of all Dutch workers recently indicated they are likely to leave their jobs.

 

“In South Africa the Great Resignation has taken a different form,” explains Khota. “Where in the US it was mostly lower-wage workers that resigned, in South Africa it has been mostly skilled professionals seeking more favourable working conditions, higher pay, or more flexibility in where and how they work. This has understandably put immense pressure on businesses to attract and retain their top talent.”

 

Building winning (diverse) teams

One of the most significant changes in modern workplaces is the growing importance of diversity and inclusion (D&I). Khota says there is now near-universal recognition that having people from diverse backgrounds helps to build stronger teams.

 

“This has prompted employers to pay close attention to how they engage and nurture diverse employees, particularly the younger generation, which is quickly becoming the majority in the workplace.”

Given the importance of D&I and the value it can bring to the workplace, companies are advised to consider employee satisfaction from the perspective of each individual employee.

 

“Decades of science has proven that socially diverse groups are more innovative, better at problem-solving, and make better decisions than more homogeneous groups. But with most companies operating on a hybrid work model and considering South Africa’s broadly diverse population, keeping track of D&I can be hard without the requisite tools and technologies in place.”

 

Personalise the employee experience

One of the biggest modern challenges with building and managing high-performance teams is the vast difference in work styles and expectations among the different generations. For example, Baby Boomers have a different approach to their work and to how they use technology than their younger Millennial counterparts, who are typically more comfortable with technology and collaboration.

 

“It is critical that organisations offer a unique and personalised approach to employee engagement,” says Khota. “A 23 year-old graduate entering the workplace has a different set of career growth aspirations and expectations than a 55 year-old, who may be more interested in stability as they approach retirement. Understanding what each expects and tailoring the employee experience to match those expectations is crucial to retaining and motivating your workforce.”

 

Khota adds that this level of workplace personalisation can be hugely tricky especially in bigger enterprises with high staff counts. “Organisations can empower their employees by investing in tools and systems that automate learning and development and enhance career planning. This ensures closer alignment between the organisation and its employees, leading to improved retention and higher job satisfaction rates.”

 

Keep the pulse of employee sentiment

Advances in human experience management tools has made it easier than ever for organisations to track and measure employee sentiment toward their jobs, the company culture, and their overall employee experience.

 

Khota says employee feedback should be solicited regularly to better understand employee sentiment and ensure company activities and policies are aligned to employee expectations.

 

“Companies must invest in employee experience management tools to become better listeners. This enables leaders to foster a listening culture and make decisions based on employee expectations, ensuring that each employee’s individual needs are well understood and met.”

 

He adds that the transition to hybrid work models has made it more important than ever for organisations to implement systems and processes that keep the pulse of their employees.

 

“Human experience management solutions can bring employers and employees closer together and help ensure that everyone is working in alignment to broader personal and company goals. Companies that implement the correct mix of technologies, systems and processes supported by a strong, inclusive culture will beat out their less-attuned competition for top talent.”

TikTok And Reels: 4 Powerful Reasons Your Business Needs More Video

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TikTok And Reels: 4 Powerful Reasons Your Business Needs More Video
There’s a reason TikTok and Reels are so popular. These short-form videos are engaging and entertaining and when produced effectively with sound strategy in mind, they can leave a lasting impression.
Research shows that 84% of consumers make a purchase based on watching a brand or business video. What’s more, your customers are consuming a lot of videos–the average consumer watches video content for about 100 minutes every day.
4 powerful reasons your business needs more video

It should not be surprising that video marketing is on the rise, and why marketing professionals shouldn’t underestimate the positive impact it can have for your business or brand.

“Video marketing is a powerful way to connect with your existing and potential customers and has a direct correlation to increased sales,” said Desireé Gullan, executive creative director and co-founder of G&G Digital. “It all starts with creating video content that resonates with your audience.”

Gullan suggests the first place to start is to look at your data from social media, email, and website, to better understand what content is getting views and engagement, and then to do more of that. Use polls and calls for comments to understand your customers’ wants, needs, and aversions. “Let your existing customers or followers guide your content strategy and narrative style and be sure to apply your insights in fresh and creative ways. It’s also important to front-load your key messages so that your investment is not lost on consumers’ limited time and attention,” Gullan added.

Here are four ways to make video work for your brand:

1. Add video to landing pages

This enhances your search rankings and can increase conversions by 80%. Make sure your video content tells the right story and conveys the right emotion. You can include strong calls to action.

2. Use video in email marketing campaigns

Research proves that including the word ‘video’ in a subject line substantially increases open rates, and video can be more effective than text, especially for complicated subjects or where striking images are required.

3. Include influencers and customer reviews

Videos that include referrals and recommendations build trust and increase conversions.

4. Create shareable content

Produce compelling video content, and your customers will share them. This opens your business to a greater audience who trust the referrals of their community.

The benefits of video marketing should not be ignored, even if you operate in highly regulated industries. “No matter your industry, be sure to comply with the regulations by including disclaimers, getting approvals, and keeping a record of your approved scripts on record,” concluded Gullan. “The extra effort that goes into producing strategic video marketing will get you a return.”

Virtuos Bolsters Southeast Asian Presence With Launch of Game Development Studio in Kuala Lumpur

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Founded by local games industry pioneers, Virtuos Kuala Lumpur supports the growth of Malaysia as a regional game development hub through talent training and jobs creation

SINGAPORE – or contact .

About Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)
MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

About Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)
Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is a government agency under the purview of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia entrusted to lead Malaysia’s digital economy forward. Incorporated in 1996 to oversee the development of the MSC Malaysia initiative, MDEC’s primary mandate today is to accelerate the growth of digitally-skilled Malaysians, digitally-powered businesses and digital investments in Malaysia. MDEC is focused on creating inclusive, high-quality growth through the nationwide digitalisation initiatives that are in line with the Government’s Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 and firmly establishing Malaysia as the Heart of Digital ASEAN.

To find out more about MDEC’s initiatives, please visit www.mdec.my or follow:
Facebook:

How To Keep Your Business Running After Working Hours

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How To Keep Your Business Running After Working Hours

Most offices operate their days from 9:00 AM to5:00 PM which only lasts during the daytime and because the cost of running a shift by servicing the office at night with an equal number of staff if need be might be cost-intensive, most organizations suffice to the normal routine of running an office by the daytime.

 

The concern is that our customers don’t sleep, when they want a solution it can be urgent and important and the earlier the speak to someone, the more relief they get that their solution is on the way and that they canbeat the deadline. Knowing that most offices are closed after 5:00 PM and on weekends, makes customers want to explore other options of reaching out to the service providers. With a business whose focus is centered on customer satisfaction and an amazing experience. There are options to keep your office running after working hours.

  1. Take advantage of social media pages

To run a business effectively, our online presence helps the most and involves our presence on social media channels by creating pages.

Facebook pages, for example, can be automated to reply messages the moment a user sends an enquiry, it is made to generate a predetermined customized message. Facebook also lets the person know the possible time range within which to expect a feedback, and this is made possible based on the time it took the business to reply a message, that provides the summary of the possible time of reply to the customer. This keeps the expectation of the customer that they would be replied and when the reply eventually comes, it proves the assertion that they are dealing with an organization that is customer-centric regardless of whether they are at work or not, in fact, the message can be crafted in such a way to contain a number that can be used for an emergency contact.

Typically replies in a few minutes

————————————————————-

Hi, Thanks for messaging us.

We’ll get back to you soon first name, last name (of the sender)

  1. Auto-responder

An auto-responder is a system that organizations use to respond to a user that sends a message via email whether they are out of the office, on leave, on a special assignment or outside the country of operation, with a message informing the person of the possibility of when they are likely to read and reply their message or an option of reaching another individual in the organization that could help process their enquiry. The line below is an example of the use of an automated message using an auto-responder

Thank you for your message.

I will be out of the office until Monday, August 20, 2018.

If this is an emergency, please contact first name, last name on

xyz@xyz.com, otherwise, I will

reply you on my return.

Thank you.

Yours Sincerely,

First name, last name

  1. A 24-hour office phone

I once read in an online forum where a customer needed a product for use, first thing on a Monday morning and tried to establish contact with supplier that they researched online, they found the office lines and called and it kept ringing without anyone picking at the other end, they kept on researching and found another supplier who they called an got an immediate response and delivery of the raw materials to start the production at the agreed time. What is the point of having an office phone that lies in the office without anyone to engage callers, I think today’s definition of an office, defies the limitation to place and gives us a meaning that refers to the person and processes which can be operated from any place and at whatever time of the day. I am of the opinion that every phone that an office uses, should be a mobile phone with a person that handles it and returns enquiries at any time of the day, even if it means the company would provide the handler the opportunity of benefiting from the usage of the phone from the provision of airtime and data services, it is worth all the effort to keep the business running all day. Although the telephone etiquette still applies.

  1. Online Support Services

With the goal of maximizing the online platforms of an organization, all platforms must be considered. Websites should be integrated with an online support system that can be installed on a PC (Personal Computer) and on a mobile phone, which can be accessed with internet services at any time of the day. These chat boxes are also automated to reply messages and the user gets a notification when there is an enquiry to be answered.

  1. Integration of Chatbots

Chatbots function with an integration of artificial intelligence to answer questions based on the similarity, pattern or keywords consistently used by customers. This integration works as a temporarily alternative to provide basic information before a human eventually connects with the customer when the chatbot has exhausted its ability with no respite to the demands of the customer. A full technologically integrated team is needed to execute this across platforms.

A sustainable business is built around the speed of attending to customer’s need within a reasonable timeframe, the communication that helps to flatten the gap, concise information needed to make an offer and meeting with the expected date or time of delivery of the customer. When all these are in cohesion, a business can definitely become a household name.

Verdant Capital Raises USD 10 Million Of Debt Funding For Zeepay

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Verdant Capital Raises USD 10 Million Of Debt Funding For Zeepay

Verdant Capital  has raised USD 10 million of debt funding for Zeepay. The medium-term debt raise, which forms part of its A.5 series, comes to support Zeepay in a bid to augment its fast-growing remittance to wallet business.

The debt funding is intended to support the rapid growth of the business. In 2021, the company processed USD 1.8 billion of transactions volumes, cross-border and domestically. It is the vision of the Founder and Managing Director, of Zeepay, Andrew Takyi-Appiah I, to reach the milestone of USD 200 billion of annual transaction volumes in the long-term.

Godfried Boakye, Zeepay’s CFO, said: “The raise had become mission critical as we expand our service offering and African expansion.”

Zeepay’s business is enjoying multiple growth drivers, including growth in the number of mobile wallets in recipient populations, as well as growth in the termination to the wallet as a percentage of global remittances. Zeepay is also expanding its value-added services (VAS) including credit offering and broadening and deepening its footprint in Africa (now terminating into 20 African countries). Zeepay is also expanding into the important Caribbean and Latin American markets.

Kwabena Appenteng, of Verdant Capital, said: “We are delighted to see the close of this component of the round, and urge local financial institutions and pension funds to find their niche, to enable them to participate alongside international lenders in the future as we work to deepen the African fintech ecosystem”.

JLD & MB Legal Consultancy, acted as legal counsel to Zeepay in connection with the funding, led by Zoe P. Takyi-Appiah, a senior partner at the firm.

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