MTN Unveiled as Headline Sponsor for Freestyle UNLOCKED Africa 2020, 5 International Judges Announced

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MTN Unveiled as Headline Sponsor for Freestyle UNLOCKED Africa 2020, 5 International Judges Announced

Feet ‘N’ Tricks International, the organisers of the Freestyle UNLOCKED Africa 2020 has announced MTN as the headline sponsor for the fourth annual games kicking off on Monday, July 1, 2020. 

Valentine Ozigbo, the Chairman of Feet ‘N’ Tricks International, in a press statement on Monday, July 6, 2020, revealed that the telecommunications giant will be the headline sponsor of the freestyle football championship whose finale will hold on July 19, 2020.

“We are excited to welcome our returning sponsor, MTN, in this year’s championship which we are hosting in unusual and difficult times for many around the world,” said Mr Ozigbo, who is also the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Rahul De, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria said, “As a youth-focused company, Freestyle Football’s brand essence reflects what the MTN brand stands for – excellence and excitement wrapped into one solid platform.”

“Freestyle UNLOCKED Africa 2020 is a worthy platform for MTN to touch the lives of the future freestyle football stars on the continent of Africa. The sport embodies the beauty, diversity and fluidity of the African people and we are proud to partner with Feet ‘N’ Tricks International on this adventure,” De added.

This is the second time that MTN has sponsored the sporting event. The first was in 2018. Other sponsors of the championship are Valentine Chineto Ozigbo Foundation and Eko Disco.

Freestyle UNLOCKED Africa 2020 is the virtual version of the African Freestyle Championships organised by the sports promoter. The competition began in 2017 as the Nigerian Freestyle Football Championship. The following year, it became a continental sports event with over 18 countries participating in the finals in Lagos, Nigeria.

Feet ‘N’ Tricks International, which is hosting this competition in partnership with the World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) also announced the judges for Freestyle Unlocked Africa 2020.

Daniel Wood, the co-founder of WFFA, informed that the judges are a panel of legendary freestyle footballers selected based on their expertise and vast experience in the sport spanning, cumulatively, several decades.

According to him, the panel of judges demonstrates that “freestyle football is an important sport touching the future of Africa”. 

“We are particularly delighted to welcome, for the first time, two legends of freestyle football in Africa. Chris Njokwana, 2008 South African Freestyle champion who has performed in front of 70,000 people and featured in countless TV adverts and Kamal ‘Kamilio’ Ranchod, who won South African’s Freestyle Streetstyle championship in 2010 and went on to place 2nd in the World Championship later that year.

“Ranchod has served as a judge of international championships such as Super Ball World Open and Sal Beach Games,” Wood announced. 

The other judges are the head judge Lukasz Chwieduk, 27, a Polish freestyle footballer and two-time European freestyle football champion; Caitlyn Schrepfer, an American freestyle footballer and two-time USA female champion, and Yo Katsuyama, 23, a Japanese freestyle football champion who finished 2nd at the 2019 Super Ball World Open Championship.

Mr. Ozigbo, a respected business leader and philanthropist, said he was driven to start the championship with his friends owing to his keen love for the game of football and the expressiveness of the freestyle genre.

Feet ‘N’ Tricks International is Africa’s largest promoter of freestyle football and Freestyle UNLOCKED Africa 2020 will open for entries on July 1, 2020, and the finale will be on July 19, 2020.

While explaining that sustaining the championship will guarantee the growth and continuity of the freestyle football genre, Ozigbo went on to use the opportunity to call on well-meaning sponsors and sports-lovers alike to seize this chance to push forward a culture that can rally people and foster unity and oneness.

Ozigbo reiterated his assertion that he doesn’t plan on dropping momentum with freestyle football until Nigeria hosts the World Football Freestyle Championship.

Nestlé’s new-recipe plant-based burger is now Sensational

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Nestlé’s new-recipe plant-based burger is now Sensational

As people are firing up barbecues across Europe, Nestlé has improved its Garden Gourmet plant-based burger to give it an even meatier taste and texture.

It is now so incredibly juicy and incredibly delicious that it really deserves a name that does it justice: Garden Gourmet Sensational Burger.

The new burger is appearing in stores (and on grills) across Europe now. Aside from its even more meat-like flavour and texture, the burger now also cooks better, making that transformation from raw to cooked with a satisfying sizzle.

It is the second upgrade to the Garden Gourmet plant-based burger in just over a year since it was first launched. Further improvements and innovations for the burger and other plant-based products are expected later this year, as Nestlé’s plant protein experts, food scientists and chefs continue to listen to consumer feedback and create an exciting product pipeline.

Wayne England, head of Nestlé‘s food business, said: “As consumers around the world seek healthier, more sustainable diets, we have created some of the tastiest and healthiest plant-based foods available. The new Garden Gourmet ‘Sensational’ name evokes the senses that are stimulated by our burger: the visible transformation and aroma when cooking, the sound of it sizzling in the pan or on the grill, the great taste and texture.”

The Garden Gourmet Sensational Burger still has some of the best nutritional values of any plant-based burger on the market, scoring a Nutri-Score ‘A’ rating. It also accounts for much lower CO2 emissions, water and land use than a beef burger.

It combines natural soy and wheat protein, colour from natural plant extracts, rapeseed and coconut oil and a proprietary method of fermenting plant-based ingredients to boost the ‘umami’ flavour of the burger.

Torsten Pohl, Head of the Nestlé Product Technology Center in Singen, Germany, which specializes in plant-based foods, said: “We are focused on delivering competitive plant-based products which are both nutritious and great-tasting. Our experts continuously explore new technologies and recipes, to deliver a wide range of plant-based innovations that have the right texture, the right taste, as well as a superior nutritional profile.”

Nestlé is committed to providing more delicious, nutritious and sustainable plant-based options for consumers around the globe. People are continuing to look for different ways to eat more healthily and lower the environmental footprint of their diets. Nestlé has announced its ambition to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, including by offering more plant-based food and beverages.

Nestlé has been working in plant-based food for around 20 years. The Garden Gourmet brand enjoys a heritage that goes back around 35 years as a pioneer in plant-based food.

As Wayne England added: “We know plant-based food and we know meat substitutes. We have been doing this as long as anybody and will continue to focus our energy on what really matters to consumers – delivering truly outstanding plant-based products that are good for people and for the planet.”

Other Garden Gourmet ‘no compromise’ products, including plant-based sausages and grounds, will also carry the ‘Sensational’ name going forward.

It’s Not Biblical For A Woman To Take Her Husband’s Name Or Surname After Marriage — Says Catholic Priest

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It’s Not Biblical For A Woman To Take Her Husband’s Name Or Surname After Marriage — Says Catholic Priest
You may not like what I am about to say, but I am not saying it for you to like it.
It is NOT biblical that a woman after marriage MUST take the man’s name or surname. It has nothing to do with the bible and it is NOT what portrays the Christian teaching of “two becoming one flesh.”
In the on going discussion concerning Native Names versus English Names, many agreed that our identity or names are very important, and that no one should be forced to take an identity he or she cannot relate to.
To suggest that it is a MUST for a woman to take the husband’s name after marriage is the same thing as saying the woman has no identity outside of the man.
You are not happy that a catechist or a priest is imposing a name on your child during baptism but you don’t see anything wrong with the fact that you are imposing your name on your wife after marriage. Heloooooo!!!
You want to question everything that you consider as coming from colonial masters, but you don’t want to question this part. Hmmm!!!
Even biblically, this sort of thing never existed. People were simply identified by what they do or where they live or the children they have or simply as wife or husband of so and so person. They never changed their names.
For example:
Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 21:11)
Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21)
Mary of Magdala (Mark 15:40)
Mary mother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55)
Mary wife of Cleopas (John 19:25)
Zacharia the priest (Luke 1:5)
Paul the apostles to the gentiles (Romans 11:13)
Joseph the husband of Mary (Matthew 1:16)
Zacchaeus the tax collector (Luke 19:1-10)
We can go on and on. . .
Mary after marrying Joseph did not answer Mary Joseph. Elizabeth did not answer Elizabeth Zacharia etc.
If you trace your African culture back to your great grandfather’s era, you may still see the same pattern as the Bible.
So, where did we get the teaching of women taking the husband’s name as a MUST? Maybe from the obsolete law of Converture developed around the late Middle Ages. Or maybe from what some may call our culture that tends to see women as not having any identity outside of the man. A culture that promotes the view that male children are more important than female children. A culture that looks at ten female children as not being equal to one male child. It is to us to question such culture, but leave the bible out of this.
I know of a woman whom after marriage changed her name. About five years into the marriage, the man became sick and died. She remarried and she had to change her name again.
So, I was imagining the story of the Samaritan woman with Jesus in John 4 who married about six times. Or the story told by the Sadducees in Matthew 22 where a woman had to marry for seven times because the men kept dying without a son. It then means, following our present custom, she will keep changing her name after the marriage of a new husband. It is like saying “you are nobody until you get a husband.”
This post would have ended here, but I think I need to make this clarification before I get misunderstood.
First, it is a different thing if a woman WILLINGLY wants to take the husband’s name. Just like how there should be nothing stopping a man from taking his wives to name as well. What I am against is the normalization of this practice and making it a MUST. If your wife does not want to change her name to yours, it should never be seen as an act of stubbornness or not doing the right thing.
Again, THIS IS NOT ABOUT FEMINISM. Please avoid the temptation of thinking Fr Kelvin is speaking for feminists. Some of the things feminists advocate for are true and I agree, but they are true not because feminists say them, rather feminists say them because they are true. There is a big difference between the two. Truth existed before feminism and not the other way round. It is that truth I stand for and not the branch of that truth.
Well, as I will always maintain, you can argue with me, but make sure you come with facts.

ESR completes APAC’s largest logistics warehousing project

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388,570 sqm state-of-the-art distribution centre in Japan’s Greater Osaka to set new standards for modern logistics properties

 

HONG KONG, CHINA – Media OutReach – 8 July 2020 – ESR Cayman Limited (“ESR” or the “Group”; SEHK Stock Code: 1821), the largest APAC focused logistics real estate platform, today announced the completion of ESR Amagasaki Distribution Centre (“ESR Amagasaki DC”) in Greater Osaka which, with a GFA of 388,570 sqm (117,542 tsubo), is the largest domestic consumption logistics warehousing project in Japan as well as in APAC[1].

Strategically located in the Greater Osaka Metropolitan area, the six-storey, state-of-the-art facility epitomises the highest quality specifications as well as the human-centric and sustainable designs for which ESR properties are renowned. The development is a landmark project for ESR’s RJLF2 Japan development fund and key co-investment partners.

Stuart Gibson, Co-founder and Co-CEO of ESR, said, “The development of ESR Amagasaki DC marks a milestone for ESR. It further cements our position not only as APAC’s leading logistics real estate platform, but as a company that consistently leads the industry with the highest standards of innovation. The state-of-the-art operational design and visionary elements that the ESR team have crafted for this facility are ground-breaking.”

“This property provides an important new platform to service the logistics industry, especially given the current social and economic environments. The pandemic has accelerated the structural shift toward online consumption. We believe this trend will continue for the foreseeable future and drive even greater demand for high quality logistics space among e-commerce and 3PL companies. We will continue to invest in advanced, modern facilities like ESR Amagasaki DC to support our global and domestic tenants, allowing them greater capacity and agility of delivery for the rapidly evolving needs of their customers,” continued Mr. Gibson.

In line with the cutting-edge design, architecture and top international standards that the Group’s best-in-class properties emulate, ESR Amagasaki DC has been awarded a CASBEE (Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency) Class A certification and an ABINC (Association for Business Innovation in harmony with Nature and Community) certification. In addition to a wide array of sustainable elements such as energy-saving features, onsite solar energy generation and ample green space, the facility boasts a suite of human-centric features underpinning ESR’s design philosophy, including a child day-care centre (BARNKLÜBB), a private lounge (KLÜBB Lounge), a retail shop, communal amenities and open space for onsite workers.  

ESR continues to accelerate its efforts to provide scalable and efficient space and solutions for its customers, underscored by a focus on strategic investments in key cities of Japan. The total AUM of its Japan business grew 48% to US$7.7 billion as of 31 December 2019. The Group manages approximately 3 million sqm of GFA in the country and holds the largest development pipeline in Greater Tokyo and Greater Osaka.

In the wake of
the Covid-19 pandemic, e-commerce
and related businesses are displaying a strong appetite for expansion amid
rising online consumption of food and daily necessities. As a result, the
vacancy rate for large multi-tenant properties has been in decline, 3.7% in
Greater Osaka and 0.5% in Greater Tokyo, according to CBRE Research[2]. Approximately 70% of the newly
completed facility, representing over 270,000 sqm of space, has already been pre-leased
to some of ESR’s largest global tenants, further reinforcing the trend in
demand for high quality, well-located and innovative logistics warehouses.

Flourishing as one of the most advanced gateways to Japan and a major
base for global businesses, Greater Osaka will continue to see multiple
catalysts including a number of large-scale infrastructure projects. Built at
the centre of the country’s key logistics network, ESR Amagasaki DC is
well-placed to service the Japanese domestic market, with exceptional access to
Osaka CBD, large national ports and international airports.


[1] The largest single-phase, single-asset
logistics warehousing project in terms of GFA, as of July 2020. Sources: CBRE
data and ESR research.

[2] Asia Pacific MarketView Q1 2020, CBRE Research


About ESR

ESR is the largest APAC focused logistics real estate platform by gross floor area (GFA) and by value of the assets owned directly and by the funds and investment vehicles it manages. Co-founded by its senior management team and Warburg Pincus, ESR and the funds and investment vehicles it manages are backed by some of the world’s preeminent investors including APG, SK Holdings, JD.com, CPP Investments, OMERS, PGGM, Ping An and Allianz Real Estate. The ESR platform spans across the People’s Republic of China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia and India. As of 31 December 2019, the fair value of the properties directly held by ESR and the assets under management with respect to the funds and investment vehicles managed by ESR recorded approximately US$22.1 billion, and GFA of properties completed and under development as well as GFA to be built on land held for future development comprised over 17.2 million sqm in total. ESR has been listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited since 1 November 2019.

 

For more information on ESR, please visit www.esr.com.

Tsimshatsui Overtakes Causeway Bay as the Most Expensive Retail District for First Time

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Greater Central office availability reaches a 15-year high

 

  • Grade A
    office rental declined for the fifth consecutive quarter with Greater Central
    rents down by 7.5% quarter-on-quarter, the steepest drop among all submarkets
  • Rental declines accelerated with
    Causeway Bay rents falling by
    25% in the quarter; Outlook may improve in
    the second half with rents forecasted to begin to stabilize, depending on the situation of the local outbreak

 

HONG KONG, CHINA – Media
OutReach – 7 July 2020
– Rental declines accelerated in Q2 in both the office and retail leasing markets,
and that overall availability of Grade A office space rising to 10.7% means
office rents will be under further pressure in the second half of the year. On
the retail side, a more stable retail leasing landscape in Tsimshatsui helped
boost the prospects there, which has overtaken Causeway Bay in terms of retail
rents for the first time, according to Cushman & Wakefield, a leading
global real estate services firm, in its review of the Hong Kong office and
retail leasing markets today.

 

In Q2, net absorption in the overall Grade A office
market remained in negative territory at -513,510 sq ft, as compared to
-524,947 sq ft in Q1. With COVID-19 and the worsening economic outlook continuing
to weigh on the market, the quarter saw a growing number of firms surrender
space, especially within retail, tourist-related, financial and co-working sectors,
all hard hit by the pandemic.

 

Mr Keith Hemshall, Cushman & Wakefield’s Executive
Director, Head of Office Services, Hong Kong, commented, “Office space take up is
expected to continue to contract, leading to approximately 1.5 million sq ft of
negative absorption for 2020, as corporates reduce headcount and shelve
expansion plans. In addition, the formalization of ‘work from home’ initiatives
for a proportion of staff is currently being closely evaluated as a cost saving
and business risk management strategy, although the degree of its
implementation has yet to be seen and will vary according to industry sector.
Given the rising importance of wellness in the workplace post COVID-19, some of
the space freed up by such initiatives may be left vacant to reduce headcount
density and increase social distancing but cost pressures should ensure a
proportion will be handed back to the market.”

 

The overall availability edged up further from 10.0%
in Q1 to 10.7% in Q2, the highest level in 15 years. Rents remained on the
downward trend, with Greater Central down by 7.5% from Q1, while Hong Kong East
recorded the smallest decline among all submarkets, by 2.7% on the quarter.

 

Mr John Siu, Cushman
& Wakefield’s Managing Director, Hong Kong, commented, “With overall
availability increasing, landlords are offering a more diverse range of
incentives to generate demand for vacant premises or to retain existing
tenants. For new tenants, longer rent-free periods, partial subsidy for fit-outs,
stepped rental packages, flexible rights to break or sub-let space and bumper
fees for introducing agents are all being seen. For existing tenants, we are
seeing landlords agreeing to early lease restructures or renewals at less than
the passing rent, often with rent free being provided to lower the effective
rent.”

 

“As surrender
stock increases, we expect overall availability to reach approximately 12% by
the end of 2020, depressing overall grade A rents by another 8% in the second
half of the year. Greater Central rents are expected to decline by up to 20%
for the full year.”

The retail market remained in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic in
Q2 as border closures and travel restrictions brought tourism to a virtual halt.
Mainland visitor arrivals volume dropped 99% year-on-year to a total of 13,446
in Q2. Retail sales in May, at HK$26.8 billion, were down
32.8% year-on-year, led by declines in jewelry & watches (69.7%) and medicine
& cosmetics (62.0%).

 

Rents in Causeway Bay continued to be heavily impacted by a
struggling luxury sector. With the biggest quarterly drop among all submarkets,
by 25% to HK$969 per sq ft per month, the current level represents a drop of 46%
year-on-year and of 76% from the peak in Q4 2013. The decline also meant that
Tsimshatsui, with rents at HK$1,018 per sq ft per month, surpassed Causeway Bay
as the most expensive retail district in Hong Kong for the first time.

 

Mr Kevin Lam, Cushman & Wakefield’s Executive Director, Head
of Retail Services, Hong Kong,
commented, “The retreat of luxury will push the vacancy rate (7.9%) in
Causeway Bay further up this year. Incoming, non-luxury tenants are likely to
drag down the rents along a shift in the tenant mix. On the other hand,
Tsimshatsui’s rents will be more sustainable because the retail landscape there
is owned by and has the support of several major developers. The different
trade mix there and in Mongkok also means rents of these core submarkets will
be more resilient than those of Causeway Bay and Central.”

 

F&B rents saw a quarterly drop of around 15% for the core
submarkets in Q2, but have stabilized towards the end of the quarter following
the easing of social distancing measures in restaurants and bars in May. Although F&B sales would be down by 47%
year-on-year based on our Q2 projection, the sector’s performance reflected a
base demand that consisted of largely local consumption. With the growth
momentum shifting to F&B, the sector could be close to bottoming out in
both sales and rents.

 

Mr Lam said, “Amid
the ongoing pandemic and rising unemployment rate, the prospects of high street
retail remain challenging. Non-discretionary retail, pop-up shops, shopping
malls with an organized promotional effort and more supporting elements for
tenants, will be among the emerging trends in the coming quarters. In this
regard, we expect shopping mall rents to be more stable than those on high
streets in the second half, where it is expected to be slightly downward or
stable at best for Causeway Bay and Central, while Tsimshatsui and Mongkok can
look to rentals to possibly edge slightly upwards.”

 

Please
click HERE
to download the event photo.

Photo
Caption
From Left to Right: Mr Keith Hemshall, Cushman & Wakefield’s Executive
Director, Head of Office Services, Hong Kong, Mr John Siu, Cushman &
Wakefield’s Managing Director, Hong Kong and Mr Kevin Lam, Cushman &
Wakefield’s Executive Director, Head of Retail Services, Hong Kong

About Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global
real estate services firm that delivers exceptional value for real estate
occupiers and owners. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate
services firms with approximately 53,000 employees in 400 offices and 60
countries. Across Greater China, there are 22 offices servicing the local
market. The company won four of the top awards in the Euromoney Survey 2017 and
2018 in the categories of Overall, Agency Letting/Sales, Valuation and Research
in China. In 2019, the firm had revenue of $8.8 billion across core services of
property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets,
valuation and other services. To learn more, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com.hk
or follow us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/cushman-&-wakefield-greater-china)

Vodacom Tanzania: Send money to Tanzania from anywhere around the World

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  • Over 200 countries can send and receive money via Vodacom’s
    Tanzania M-Pesa.
  • The mobile Money services continues to drive economic growth and financial
    inclusion in Africa.

Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania – EQS Newswire – 7 July
2020 – Tanzania’s leading mobile money service provider – Vodacom
M-Pesa – has announced the expansion of its International Money Transfer
service portfolio. Vodacom customers will now have the option and ability to
easily transfer and receive funds from individuals across more than 200
countries worldwide.

Download Image: Assistant
Manager, Oversight and Policy at Directorate of National Payment Systems from
Bank of Tanzania, Albert Cesari (centre), in a group photo with Vodacom
Tanzania Executive Committee members including WorldRemit Tanzania Country
Director Cynthia Ponera (second left) during International day of family remittances
event held in Dar es Salaam

This was said recently at an
international day of family remittances event held in Dar es Salaam where
stakeholders met to deliberate on the future of International Remittance post
COVID 19.

Speaking during a panel discussion
on the same, Assistant Manager, Oversight and Policy at Directorate of National
Payment Systems from Bank of Tanzania (BOT) Albert Cezari said the national
bank has increased limits on digital transactions and reviewed balances of
mobile wallets in a bid to provide relief and ensure continuity of services as
part of measures taken amidst COVID-19.

On his part, Vodacom Tanzania PLC
Managing Director Mr. Hisham Hendi, said that international remittances make
possible people and small businesses to stay connected irrespective of
geography. He further pointed out that international remittances continue to
transform the lives of thousands of Tanzanians through facilitating payments in
education, health, and various business segments which is why Vodacom M-Pesa has
aimed to continue providing a platform for Tanzanian diaspora to effectively
participate in socio-economic activities which will contribute to the overall
development of the country.

“We pride ourselves for being
enablers in the payment system by facilitating cross border trade within the
region for the efficient and seamless sending and receiving of funds, from
anywhere around the globe through M-Pesa International Money Transfer Service.’
He said.

Vodacom M-Pesa has broadened its
portfolio of partnerships and countries over the past few months to widen its
Money transfer service worldwide. At the global stage, partners include
MoneyGram, WorldRemit, Remitly and JubaExpress, all of whom enable customers to
receive money from over 200 countries across the World directly into their
M-Pesa wallet.

Pan African partnerships include
Safaricom, MTN, EcoCash and Mama Money, which enable customers to send or
receive money from Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Burundi and South Africa.

‘With such a huge portfolio of
international Money transfer partners, the world is a village with M-Pesa. We
thank our customers for their patronage and we remain committed to deliver on
our vision to lead Tanzania into the digital age and change lives through
technology” He concluded.

Peter De Caluwe, CEO- Thunes praised
the move saying such partnerships and innovations support the true African
spirit because African countries have always been connected through daily
movement of people, goods and services. International Money Transfer services
are critical to the African economies as they facilitate inflow of foreign
currency into these countries which has a direct bearing on the social and
economic welfare of Africans”.

“Whilst the importance of
mobile payments to financial inclusion in developing markets cannot be
overstressed, the M-Pesa IMT service goes an extra mile by allowing previously
excluded to send and receive money across borders affordably. Thus our
partnership with Vodacom M-Pesa aims at increasing the reach of international
money transfers’.

According to World Bank Figures,
Tanzania recent remittances stood at $430 million, an increase of $25 million
from 2019. The sum represents 0.8 percent of the country’s GDP.

The issuer is solely responsible for
the content of this announcement.

About Vodacom Tanzania:

Vodacom Tanzania Plc is the
country’s leading mobile operator and mobile financial services provider. We
provide a wide range of communication services for consumers and enterprise –
including voice, data and messaging, video, cloud and hosting, mobile solutions
and financial services – to over 15 million customers. Vodacom Tanzania Plc and
its subsidiary companies are part of the Vodacom Group registered in South
Africa, which is in turn, owned by Vodacom Group Plc of the United Kingdom. It
has been registered on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) with registration
number ISIN: TZ1886102715 Stock name: VODA.

For further information, please
visit our website: www.vodacom.co.tz

About Vodacom M-Pesa Tanzania


Vodacom M-Pesa is Tanzania’s largest
mobile financial service introduced by Vodacom Tanzania PLC in 2008. Now GSMA
certified and with over 10 million customers, M-Pesa has significantly
contributed towards financial inclusion and economic activity in the country.
Customers deposit and withdraw money from their M-Pesa wallets through over
200,000 agents across the country. The M-Pesa ecosystem connects businesses,
banks and government agencies making digital payments possible.

To date, M-Pesa continues to be the
market leader in mobile financial services, rolling out innovative services
such as savings & Loans, Virtual Debit cards, Overdraft services, Group
savings, E-payments and many more, which address the real needs of Tanzanian
thereby enhancing financial inclusion and deepening.

Accuity Helps Leading Banks in Pakistan Stay Ahead of Global Regulatory Requirements

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Financial crime compliance solutions ensure that local banks can fight AML/CFT threats in real-time and better support economic growth

 

ISLAMABAD,
PAKISTAN / SINGAPORE – Media
OutReach – 7 July 2020 – Accuity, the leading
provider of financial crime screening, payment services, and counterparty
know-your-customer (KYC) solutions, today announced how leading banks across Pakistan,
including HabibMetro
Bank, Sindh Bank Limited, and Askari Bank Limited, are using Accuity solutions to
meet ever increasing regulatory requirements. Having supported more than 40% of
Pakistan’s banking and financial services institutions over the past decade, Accuity continues
to work closely to enhance the sector’s ability to meet their local and international
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering Financing of
Terrorism (CFT) obligations.

Pakistan has been making progress in meeting the Financial Action Task Force
(FATF) 27-point compliance requirements. By meeting this global standard,
Pakistan aims to strengthen its fight against money laundering and terrorist
financing and at the same time boost its economy by positioning itself as a
regional financial and exports hub.

“Accuity has helped
contribute to the efforts of the Pakistan government and State Bank of Pakistan
to establish a strong system to combat money laundering and terrorist
financing,” said Bharath Vellore, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Accuity.
“With our best-in-class financial crime screening and compliance solutions, our
customers in Pakistan across banking, microfinance and insurance are
confidently offering financial products and services to meet the levels of
compliance required by global, regional and local regulators  They are now in a better position to accelerate
cross-border trade volumes, enable remittances from its large diaspora, drive
financial inclusion, and provide small and medium enterprise credit.”


Establishing Global Banking Relationships to Serve the World’s Seventh Largest
Diaspora


HabibMetro
Bank is a subsidiary of Habib Bank AG Zurich (HBZ) — a Swiss multinational
bank with operations in nine countries. Due to its international presence and
multiple correspondent banking relations, HabibMetro must perform due diligence
on its correspondent banks in a timely manner, as per the guidelines from FATF
and the Wolfsberg Group.

To do so,
HabibMetro uses the Bankers Almanac solution from Accuity, including
the Due Diligence module, to conduct KYC due diligence
checks when increasing its correspondent banking footprint in other
geographies. Bankers
Almanac provides a single and consistent source of truth for information on
over 21,500 banks, providing supporting documentation for due diligence checks,
and allowing the Bank to more effectively manage its financial counterparty KYC
and mitigate any associated risks.

“Bankers Almanac helps HabibMetro to comprehensively manage our periodic financial counterparty
reviews and onboard new financial counterparties more efficiently, with the
click of a button,” said Farooq Ahsanuddin, Head of Financial Institutions
& Remittances at Habib Metropolitan Bank. “These
capabilities allow us to increase the productivity of our financial services
team and streamline our banking operations, while delivering unparalleled
service to our customers worldwide.”

Real Time Screening
Capabilities to Meet Compliance Mandates and Drive Financial Inclusion

Sindh Bank Limited is a government-owned
Pakistani scheduled bank with 330 branches in 169 cities nationwide. To
effectively manage its AML and CFT compliance checks, identify politically
exposed persons (PEP), and deter proscribed persons from engaging in illicit
financial activities, the bank adopted Firco
Compliance Link and Firco
Global WatchList® solutions to demonstrate enhanced screening
capabilities and processes to local regulators. It is also using Bankers Almanac to provide
supporting documentation for due diligence checks.

“The bank’s ability
to have a consolidated
view of all accounts and transactions activities, conduct on-going and
automated screening, coupled with comprehensive audit trails to the regulators,
is fundamental
in ensuring that our branch network both meets compliance mandates and
promotes economic development,” said Mr. Imran Samad, President and CEO of
Sindh Bank Limited. “We have chosen to partner with Accuity for its
sophisticated, intelligent and automated approach, speeding up operations and
improving our services to our valued customers. This in turn gives us more
capacity to innovate and help drive financial inclusion.”

Setting Strong
Controls on Exports with an Advanced Trade Compliance Solution


Askari Bank Limited is
a commercial and retail bank in Pakistan that implemented Firco Compliance Link
in 2018 to manage risks related to trade-based money laundering and terrorist
financing. This solution brings together proprietary data, on-ground
intelligence, and regulatory compliance expertise that allows the bank to
centralize its screening processes against trade transactions involving
sanctioned individuals, entities, vessels, ports,
and dual-use and controlled goods
(DUG).

“By offering an
enterprise-wide, single screening solution, Accuity is covering seven different
applications of the bank that are mostly integrated for the purpose of
performing real-time screening for accounts, payments and trade transactions.
Accuity is able to meet all our compliance and business requirements, thereby
safeguarding the bank from any regulatory or reputational risks,” said Mr.
Ali Raza Zaidi, Chief Compliance Officer, Askari Bank
Limited. “This allows Askari Bank Limited
to maintain our position as the local standard bearer in proactively meeting
the highest trade compliance requirements, while ensuring innovation.”

More information
on the Accuity portfolio of financial crime screening and payment services solutions
can be found here: https://accuity.com/what-we-do/overview

About Accuity:

Accuity offers a suite
of innovative solutions for payments and compliance professionals, from
comprehensive data and software that manage risk and compliance, to flexible
tools that optimise payments pathways. With deep expertise and industry-leading
data-enabled solutions from the Fircosoft, Bankers Almanac and NRS brands, the
Accuity portfolio delivers protection for individual and organisational
reputations.

Part of RELX,
a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business
customers across industries, Accuity has been delivering solutions to banks and
businesses worldwide for 180 years.

PepsiCo Elects Segun Agbaje To Board Of Director

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PepsiCo Elects Segun Agbaje To Board Of Director

PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP) today announced its Board of Directors has elected Segun Agbaje as an independent member of the Board. Mr Agbaje, 56, will join the Board and the Audit Committee effective July 15, 2020. He currently serves as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, a Nigerian multinational financial institution.

CEO, Guaranty Trust Bank, Segun Agbaje

“I am delighted to welcome Segun to the PepsiCo Board,” said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, Ramon Laguarta. “Segun is a well-respected and proven business leader with a deep understanding of complex businesses and fast-growing markets, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa where we recently acquired Pioneer Foods as part of our strategy to expand in the region. His experience in business transformation and passion for delivering consumer value will serve PepsiCo well as we continue our journey to be the global leader in convenient foods and beverages by winning with purpose.”

Prior to becoming Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank plc in 2011, Agbaje held several positions at the bank after joining in 1991, including Executive Director and most recently Deputy Managing Director from 2002 to 2011. Previously, Agbaje served as an auditor for Ernst & Young LLP in the United States from 1988 to 1990.

“We look forward to Segun joining the PepsiCo Board and to the valued global perspective he will add to our team,” said Daniel Vasella, chair of the Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. “His knowledge and experience of embracing and scaling new technologies and critical capabilities will be valuable as we continue to invest in opportunities that create shareholder value and deliver long-term sustainable growth.”

Agbaje also currently serves as a director of MasterCard Advisory Board Middle East and Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of San Francisco.

Lasaco Assurance Plc Announces Delay in Filing its Q1 2020 Unaudited Financial Statements

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Lasaco Assurance Plc Announces Delay in Filing its Q1 2020 Unaudited Financial Statements

Lasaco Assurance Plc wishes to notify the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), its shareholders and the investing public of the Company’s inability to file its Unaudited Financial Statements for the first quarter ended 31st March 2020 within the stipulated period.

 

This is due to the fact that the Company is still awaiting the approval of its 2019 Financial Statements by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM ).

The Company is optimistic that the Audited Financial Statements will be submitted to The Exchange on or before 20th July, 2O2O together with the Unaudited Financial Statements for the quarter ended 31st March 2020.

5 online tips for keeping in touch with people you care about

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5 online tips for keeping in touch with people you care about

Keeping in touch sometimes requires conscious effort. We meet a lot of people physically and virtually. Today as we embrace the new normal of working remotely, staying at home and practising social distancing, staying close to those you care about can be a challenge.

Technology can help.

Photo by Jovaughn Stephens

Here are 5 online tips that will help you keep in touch with those you care about.

  1. Video calls/meeting

Connect with your friends, co-workers and family using Google Duo. It is a free video calling app that allows you to spend time face-to-face when you can’t be together in person. The app has a feature called, “Knock, Knock” where you can get a preview of who is on the other side of the line before accepting the call. There is also Google Meet, a conferencing platform for secure video meetings.

  1. Play online games

You can easily find your friends on Google Play Games. You and your friends can compete on leaderboards, compare achievements and find new games together. Games are more fun with the Google Play Games app. Whether it’s a puzzle or an action game, with “Instant Play” you can play your next favourite game without having to install anything.

  1. Share videos 

Stay in touch by sharing entertaining, educational or inspiring YouTube videos. Simply go to the YouTube Channel page, in the browser address bar, copy the URL and paste it wherever you want to share it. Sharing videos with your friends and family can become a fun and exciting activity that creates a bond.

  1. Keep track of events

With Google Calendar, you can quickly schedule meetings and events with your friends, family and co-workers. The Google Meet link is available in your Calendar and you use it to host virtual meetings. You can share your calendar with others so they can find your schedule and fit in with theirs. While Google Calendar is used for work purposes, it is also a good organizational tool that makes sure you get reminders for planned events.

  1. Share Photos

Using Google Photos, pictures you take are saved automatically and can be shared privately and securely with those you care about so you can relive happy memories together.  You can make collages, movies or animations of your images and share them either by email, text or your favourite social network. Hundreds of photos can be shared at once with shareable links and high quality is always guaranteed. Note that the person you intend sharing photos with must also be using a Gmail account.

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