<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-featuring-elegant-design-and-extraordinary-camera-technology">Featuring Elegant Design and Extraordinary Camera Technology</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1025" height="682" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-51641" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture2.png 1025w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture2-300x200.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture2-768x511.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1025px) 100vw, 1025px" /></figure>



1st July, 2021&#8212; TECNO is venturing into new heights by announcing its newest flagship smartphone, PHANTOM X. Debuting on July 1st 2021, PHANTOM X features an elegant design of 3D Borderless Screen and the industry’s first silk glass back cover. The combination of the 50MP Ultra-Night camera and the industry’s leading 1/1.3 super large sensor, 48MP Ultra-Clear Selfie camera with 105°Ultra-Wide angle, not to mention the AI-assisted Super Night Mode and 50mm Golden Portrait, provides a big leap in camera performance. Powered by a 4700mAh, 256G+8G large memory and a newly-updated HiOS 7.6 system, PHANTOM X empowers and supports every experience of users&#8217; lives and work.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="557" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture3-1024x557.png" alt="" class="wp-image-51642" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture3-1024x557.png 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture3-300x163.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture3-768x418.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture3.png 1269w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Committed to bringing users bold and extraordinary innovations in design, technology, and complete user experience, PHANTOM X empowers consumers to feel their extraordinary best throughout all their special moments in life. PHANTOM X will be available in two artistic colors; Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Monet’s Summer Garden. Customers can get PHANTOM X through the online one-stop website <a href="http://www.mobile-phantom.com">www.mobile-phantom.com</a> and shop at local TECNO stores across Africa and other countries including Pakistan, Turkey, Columbia and more.



“We’re proud to introduce the all-new PHANTOM X. It is an extraordinary beginning that encompasses TECNO’s vision, encapsulated and reframed for a new audience of more demanding consumers,” said Stephen Ha, General Manager of TECNO. “PHANTOM X isn’t just an innovative high-end smartphone; it empowers the modern extraordinary individual’s way of life &#8211; being bold to reject the ordinary, always striving for success and with the ambition to achieve new heights. Holding this spirit, we aim to continually make breakthroughs in product and design innovations as we have delivered through PHANTOM X.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extraordinary-beauty-of-design">Extraordinary Beauty of Design</h2>



PHANTOM X is equipped with a unique 3D Borderless Screen, embedded with a unique arc design at the right angle of 36.5° to accommodate a comfortable grip in the hand. The top-notch 6.7&#8243; screen supports an enjoyable experience for videos and games. Unbounded by bezels, the 3D borderless screen features a large bending angle up to 70°, making text and images blend seamlessly into infinity around the edges of the device. The finest AMOLED display projects a streamlined and fluid vision of the world around you.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="569" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture4-1024x569.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51643" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture4-1024x569.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture4-300x167.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture4-768x427.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture4.jpg 1278w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



The new PHANTOM X offers the industry’s first curved glass surface etched texture. The innovative silk glass is based on a series of complex tests and manufacturing procedures, finally creating the elegant touch of “silk delicacy” and “glass sparkle”. The extraordinarily etched textured design presents vertical refined lines, producing pure artistic expression based on exquisite craftsmanship.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="693" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture5-1024x693.png" alt="" class="wp-image-51644" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture5-1024x693.png 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture5-300x203.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture5-768x520.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture5.png 1254w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



PHANTOM X comes in two classical colours: Van Gogh’s Starry Night Blue and Monet’s Summer Garden. Van Gogh’s Starry Night brings a stellar display of the mysteriously nebulous sky. Monet’s Summer Garden is a display of warm and exuberant colours. Both are perfect options for bold explorers and innovators.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="355" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture7-1024x355.png" alt="" class="wp-image-51646" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture7-1024x355.png 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture7-300x104.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture7-768x267.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture7.png 1423w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extraordinary-pleasure-of-technology">Extraordinary Pleasure of Technology</h2>



Extraordinary Camera Performance



The powerful camera system of the PHANTOM X device consists of triple rear and dual front cameras. PHANTOM X adopts an industry-leading 50MP Ultra-Night Camera with a 1/1.3-inch Ultra-Large Sensor, making it easy to shoot crisp, professional photos. The 50MP Ultra-Night camera featuring 1/1.3-inch Ultra-Large sensor can take in 33% more light from the outer environment compared to a camera featuring 108MP and 1/1.5-inch sensor. With a wider ISO range and less noise, better exposure, users are empowered with the ability to capture unexpected beauty with a pixel size of 2.4μm in 4-in-1 mode, whilst not having to sacrifice on image quality even in complex lighting conditions.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="335" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture8-1024x335.png" alt="" class="wp-image-51647" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture8-1024x335.png 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture8-300x98.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture8-768x251.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture8.png 1525w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Imagine taking a selfie with PHANTOM X’s 48MP Ultra-Clear Selfie camera, you can capture every detail such as: clearer skin textures, sharper facial features, and even brighter smiles. It is ideal for both individual and group selfies with the AI-assisted 105°Ultra-Wide angle. With the self-developed AI face recommendation switching algorithm, when multiple faces are detected, the selfie camera automatically recommends users to switch to ultra-wide shot mode to meet the needs of those multiple party selfies.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="607" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture9-1024x607.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51648" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture9-1024x607.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture9-300x178.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture9-768x455.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture9.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



PHANTOM X is equipped with a macro lens of 50mm Golden Portrait to capture detailed portraits with a short focal length, comparable to professional portrait lenses. Users can also choose seven diversified portrait lighting effects without changing the photo background. Three professional portrait color schemes are available to choose from to accommodate different skin color types, in line with multi-regional aesthetics and the demands from consumers.



With PHANTOM X’s Super Night Mode, night photography will never be a challenge again. Even in dark environments of less than 0.1 lux, PHANTOM X can bring more vivid details than the naked eye with the algorithm-enabled camera by utilizing AI segmentation and night protection. All the while, optimizing the purity of the picture, the focusing speed, and the color representation at night. PHANTOM X makes it easy for you to capture the glorious night city scenes with the Super Night View 3.0, and even allows you to take elegant portraits in the spectacular night view with the help of Super Night Portrait.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="514" height="293" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture10.png" alt="" class="wp-image-51649" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture10.png 514w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Picture10-300x171.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 514px) 100vw, 514px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extraordinary-inner-power">Extraordinary Inner Power</h2>



PHANTOM X empowers users to become up to date mobile players with a large storage capacity, powerful battery, as well as an efficient UI and OS design. With 8G+256GB of storage, users can capture endless memorable pictures and videos. Also, you can always stay cool with the powerful 4700mAh battery. When fully charged, it can support 30 days standby battery life, 16-hour video streaming and 9-hour video meeting. With a 33W flash charge, 30 minutes of charge can pump up to 70% battery life and 60 minutes of charge will give 100%. What’s more, PHANTOM X is comprehensively upgraded in UI design, intelligent operation, and system performance, bringing a higher efficiency and fluency in use. Be among the cool and latest smartphone users with PHANTOM X, fully charged and up for any challenge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extraordinary-exclusivity-of-enjoyment">Extraordinary Exclusivity of Enjoyment</h2>



PHANTOM X also features an industry-leading AI voice assistant with a mastery of English and the Hausa language and can respond to your instructions even when you are offline. Activate Ella by calling “Hi Ella” whenever users need to make phone calls, set up alarms, play music, initiate driving mode and more, all without lifting a finger.



In addition, for other language barriers, PHANTOM X features AI live transcribe function that can transcribe more than 70 languages, allowing you to communicate with more than 80% of the global population without difficulty. Realtime and accessible communication is tailored for interactive conversations with a far-reaching audience. For business documents, the one-button Document Photography correction detects erroneous data with smart precision, and extracts words from any type of images.



Moreover, PHANTOM X provides a series of promising safety measures to protect user privacy. Functions like Peek Proof and App encryption hiding can prevent your information from being leaked. Even in the instance where users accidently lose their PHANTOM X, an anti-theft function alerts and remotely locks your device. Only you alone can unlock your smartphone, giving you confidence and guarantee in the security of your personal and sensitive information. The ultra-thin under screen fingerprint allows you to unlock PHANTOM X in less than 0.4s, giving you optimum unlocking speed without compromising on security.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-features-of-phantom-x">Features of PHANTOM X:</h2>



<ul><li>Full Pixel Dual-Core Focus + Laser Focus: Find focus in a flash with full pixel dual-core focus and laser focus.</li><li>AI Portrait Restoration: Using integrated neural networks provides surety that every portrait is flawless.</li><li>Film Mode: Edit your own cinematic films with your own hands, whether it be for business or pleasure.</li><li>Video Portrait Mode: Blurs out cluttered backdrops and puts you sharply in focus, even when you’re on the move.</li><li>960fps Slow Motion: Every fleeting moment can feel like memories frozen in time.</li><li>Most Used Office Software Built-in: Kick-off your day with most commonly used APPs.</li><li>Floating Chatter Box: Receive pop-up message notifications as a bubble and chatter away with friends without interrupting your favorite videos.</li><li>Smart One-button Phone Cloner: Transfer everything within your old phone to a new one quickly, efficiently, and hassle-free with a few simple clicks.</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-about-phantom">About PHANTOM</h2>



PHANTOM is the newest redefined sub-brand from TECNO, dedicated to high-end consumers. As an all-new sub-brand created for exceptional individuals who use every opportunity to break borders, reshape things, and be extraordinary, TECNO PHANTOM is committed to bringing them bold and extraordinary innovations in design, technology, and total user experience, empowering them to feel their extraordinary qualities and successful moments in life. PHANTOM X, the newest addition to PHANTOM, brings many extraordinary innovations &#8211; elegant and chic in design, borderless in view, fearless in its operation, and extraordinary in inspiring users to achieve more. By combining inspirational technology and unique aesthetics, PHANTOM presents technologies in the form of elegance that sits at the heart of the brand spirit of “Be bold and Be extraordinary”, allowing consumers to enjoy the unlimited pleasure that technology brings. To learn more about PHANTOM brand and shop for PHANTOM X online, please visit PHANTOM’s exclusive one-stop website <a href="http://www.mobile-phantom.com">www.mobile-phantom.com</a> .



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-about-tecno">About TECNO</h2>



TECNO is a premium smartphone and AIoT devices brand from TRANSSION Holdings. With “Stop At Nothing” as its brand essence, TECNO is committed to unlocking the best contemporary technologies for progressive individuals across global emerging markets, giving them elegantly designed, intelligent products that inspires consumers to uncover a world of possibilities. TECNO understands the needs of consumers from different markets and provides them with localized innovations and design breakthroughs demonstrated through their mastery of serving consumers who are “young at heart” and never stop pursuing excellence. TECNO’s portfolio spans across smartphones, tablets, smart wearables and AIoT devices made for consumers in over 60 emerging markets world-wide. TECNO is also the Official Partner of Manchester City, Premier League Champions 2020-21. For more information, please visit: <a href="http://www.tecno-mobile.com.">www.tecno-mobile.com.</a>

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TECNO Launches PHANTOM X As A Brand-New Flagship

An estimated 600 000 children with disabilities are out of school, according to a <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/05/24/south-africa-children-disabilities-shortchanged#:~:text=An%20estimated%20600%2C000%20children%20with,were%20in%20%E2%80%9Cordinary%E2%80%9D%20schools." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2019 Human Rights Watch article</a>, but the <a href="http://www.luccaspecialkids.co.za/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">L.U.C.C.A Support and Care Centre</a> in Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa is bridging this gap by supporting neuro-atypical children from birth to 21 years with their diverse educational, vocational, and functional mobility needs. 



The&nbsp;school&nbsp;was home to&nbsp;67 children, but&nbsp;34 of&nbsp;them couldn’t return&nbsp;after their parents were financially affected by&nbsp;the pandemic.&nbsp;The school subsequently had to lay off&nbsp;18&nbsp;staff members,&nbsp;hasn’t been able to pay its rent, and&nbsp;is&nbsp;currently in a state of survival.&nbsp;&nbsp;



&nbsp;To help the 34 children return to&nbsp;school, the L.U.C.C.A centre&nbsp;launched&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/educating-our-youth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">See the ABLE, not the LABEL campaign</a>,&nbsp;to&nbsp;raise funds to subsidise&nbsp;school fees for as many&nbsp;children&nbsp;as possible.&nbsp;Although the campaign has generated&nbsp;just over&nbsp;R13 000 in two months,&nbsp;it still falls short of&nbsp;covering the annual fee for&nbsp;a&nbsp;single&nbsp;child’s&nbsp;education and therapy, which costs R120 000.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The&nbsp;centre was founded by&nbsp;Alison Moschetta, who struggled&nbsp;for years&nbsp;to find a school for&nbsp;her son, Lucca, who has&nbsp;a&nbsp;rare genetic&nbsp;terminal&nbsp;deletion of chromosome 6p.25&nbsp;– 6p23.&nbsp;She resigned from her 25-year career in&nbsp;2014&nbsp;to establish&nbsp;the&nbsp;facility, which caters for children with multiple&nbsp;challenges, including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, visual and hearing impairments, neurological delays, autism,&nbsp;blind,&nbsp;premature babies, sensory integration difficulties, and development delays.&nbsp;



&nbsp;“Our school&nbsp;recognises&nbsp;each&nbsp;child’s&nbsp;unique challenges&nbsp;and creates&nbsp;a&nbsp;multicultural environment&nbsp;where&nbsp;they’re&nbsp;not&nbsp;treated as special needs children&nbsp;but just children with different needs,”&nbsp;says&nbsp;Moschetta.&nbsp;“Our objective is to foster a desire to learn, boost self-confidence,&nbsp;and nurture the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development of each child.”&nbsp;



These children need to return to&nbsp;school&nbsp;because, unlike neurotypical children who stagnate if they don’t go to school, special needs children regress. By&nbsp;keeping the children in school, they can also grow to become independent and integrate into society.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Providing holistically for such diverse needs of the children requires a range of highly specialised programmes, expertise and facilities. When these are provided consistently to learners, the entire trajectory of a child’s future can be transformed. However, this crucial stability can only be achieved with the necessary funding that enables continued access to the right specialists and the necessary equipment. A vast range of programmes are offered at the L.U.C.C.A school, to address the many unique needs of its students. Categories of complex programmes include vocational, academic, functional mobility, interactive digital tools and creativity.



All these measures are designed with the objective to foster a desire to learn, boost self- confidence and nurture the social, emotional, physical and intellectual development of each child. This enables them to best develop the skills and character necessary, to enhance themselves and their communities, and achieve success for the future.



The needs of the children at the L.U.C.C.A school are not the only important responsibility of its leadership: much-needed counselling, emotional and mental support is provided to staff and parents, who are often overwhelmed. Moschetta dedicates herself to being the support system for parents and her staff, understanding that this is often as necessary as the skills her qualified team use to care for her children.



&#8220;We&#8217;re blown away by the work the L.U.C.C.A school is doing, and&nbsp;the number of&nbsp;young&nbsp;lives impacted by Alison’s vision,” says Taylor Kwong, CSI Manager at Vuma. “By providing&nbsp;abundant and seamless&nbsp;connectivity to the school, we’re&nbsp;making an important difference to the daily experiences of the learners and their dedicated teachers &#8211;&nbsp;not only enabling the children&nbsp;with&nbsp;uninterrupted&nbsp;learning, but we’re also empowering them&nbsp;and their families by&nbsp;creating&nbsp;opportunities that give them a place in the world, like any other child.”&nbsp;



Visit<a href="http://www.luccaspecialkids.co.za/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;luccaspecialkids.co.za</a>&nbsp;to sponsor a child,&nbsp;volunteer, or&nbsp;donate essential goods and resources&nbsp;to help contribute to the school’s running expenses&nbsp;and&nbsp;give every child an opportunity to reach for the extraordinary.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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The L.U.C.C.A Support and Care Centre gives special needs children a place in society

&#8211; The signing of Chris Evans has intensified TECNO’s globalization strategy by breaking up the soil in more global emerging markets and to be the leader in these markets.



Lagos, Nigeria, 30 April, 2021 &#8211; TECNO, a global leading premium smartphone brand, has announced its new brand ambassador, Chris Evans. This signing has intensified TECNO’s determination of globalization allowing them to break into emerging markets around the world to become a leader in those areas. As the brand continues to grow on the world stage, TECNO now finds itself competing with major mainstream brands, who will undoubtedly take note of this new partnership.



Best known for his role as Captain America in the Marvel Universe series of films, the charismatic First Avenger Chris Evans embodies many of the qualities that has been synonymous with TECNO, especially the essence of breaking every difficulty and doing it consistently to achieve final success. The spirit of ceaselessly striving for excellence represented by Chris Evans in his career pursuit perfectly upholds TECNO’s brand motto ‘young at heart’ and the resolve to stop at nothing to achieve excellence in emerging markets globally. The Hollywood internationalization and elegant fashion temperament embodied by Chris Evans, also reflects TECNO&#8217;s constantly upgraded product design and qualities, which is increasingly elegant, energetic, durable and constantly pioneering.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tro-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51028" width="618" height="411" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tro-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tro-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tro-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tro.jpg 1430w" sizes="(max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px" /></figure></div>



In the last 2 years, TECNO has achieved significant positive results in its globalization by strengthening its technology innovation, stylish design, detailed elegant taste, professional photography experience as well as its worldwide partner network. The industry has witnessed TECNO’s solid achievements in mobile photography by its bagging of the championship after competing with the world&#8217;s best minds in its first match at the Look In Person (LIP) competition at Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) 2020 in Track 5: Dark Complexion Portrait Segmentation Challenge. In the latest report by industry leading research institution, Counterpoint, TECNO is also recognized as one of the few brands that have made break-throughs in AI-enhanced mobile photography and videography. TECNO’s excellent photographic performance has also led the brand to earning distinctions at the Guinness World Records 2020 with the largest flip book shot by its pioneer photography product line, the CAMON series and also at the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA) with &#8220;Camera Technology Innovation Smartphone Gold Award 2020&#8221;



TECNO’s increasing market share also speaks loudly for its globalization footprint. In 2020, TECNO led the industry through a tough year, where brands took a hit in terms of smartphone sales. According to global market intelligence company IDC, TECNO sales volume exceeded 25 million units, up 45%, and revenue exceeded 15 billion, up 38% YoY in 2020. TECNO’s India smartphone sales, increased more than 200% YoY, topped 5 million units in 2020, breaking its own sales growth record. There seems to be nothing stopping the upcoming brand from breaking new grounds and achieving new heights.



From the perspective of trend analysis, the future holds great promise for TECNO, as further exhilarating steps are anticipated. TECNO has been committed to strengthening its R&amp;D investments and layout in intelligent applications, intelligent connected devices, and building an intelligent ecosystem integrating hardware and software. In 2020, TECNO’s Research and Development



investment increased by about 30% year on year. The sky is the limit if TECNO continues in its trajectory of gaining greater market share.



Now, together with Evans, TECNO with its four reputable product lines will stand out in the global market as a new shining super star. TECNO’s wildly popular CAMON series is set to release the CAMON 17 within the next few days, setting the market and consumer ablaze with chatter on upcoming features and innovations. TECNO CAMON series have been well-known by the excellent photography experience and have been recognized by numbers of international media and industry professionals.

TECNO furthers its globalization strategy by announcing Internationally Renowned Actor Chris Evans as its brand ambassador

The quirky, fast-rising global movement known as “FELS” stands to prove this true.



Entrepreneurs change the world and create the future. They focus their energies on solving problems, improving things around them and making a positive impact on peoples’ lives everywhere. To do this, most true entrepreneurs embody several characteristics which help them align their lives around this pursuit – to be in the best possible position to achieve their goals successfully.



We often hear from business and entrepreneurship experts who preach the common factors of success &#8212; things like resilience, persistence, drive, and more recent buzzwords such as “grit” and “hustle”. These of course are useful personal attributes to have, in addition to general business acumen and technical knowledge of a specific field of work.



But such elusive traits are not easy to come by or easy to train for. They must arise from each person’s inner strength and character, shaped by a multitude of experiences and conditioning. That’s where the lifestyle comes in.



<a href="http://www.myfels.com">FELS</a>, or The Flourishing Entrepreneurial Lifestyle is an online content movement that has set out to identify the lifestyle formula most correlated with these positive outcomes and to help raise awareness for it. As an internet “tribe” it aims to grow and foster a global community of people who want to be better primed for high achievement, and to facilitate to exchange of insights and support between them.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="834" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/796A5410_01_resize-Copy-2-834x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50955" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/796A5410_01_resize-Copy-2-834x1024.jpg 834w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/796A5410_01_resize-Copy-2-244x300.jpg 244w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/796A5410_01_resize-Copy-2-768x942.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/796A5410_01_resize-Copy-2-1252x1536.jpg 1252w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/796A5410_01_resize-Copy-2.jpg 1479w" sizes="(max-width: 834px) 100vw, 834px" /><figcaption><a href="http://www.aimankabli.com/">Mr Aiman Kabli</a></figcaption></figure></div>



The movement advocates for ten main lifestyle pillars which have been carefully researched from the lives of top business leaders from around the world. These pillars cover a wide range of common life practices which come together to deliver a holistic impact. The hypothesis here is that their cumulative effect can help us become better at complex entrepreneurship pursuits, challenging business undertakings or any career aspirations by making us the best versions ourselves mentally and physically.



FELS is on a mission to bring these useful learnings to the world through simple blog-style content that provides examples of the lifestyle and how to best practice it. Aiming to make the content accessible to the people who may most need it, FELS focuses on the developing regions of the world and has created special sets of social media channels for each of them &#8212; such as FELS Africa, FELS Latino, FELS Arabia and the like. These channels are tailored to their local audiences’ culture and language, with a total of 14 major languages covered.



The movement has also released an eBook featuring interviews with more than 30 influential entrepreneurs and business leaders from around the world, each sharing their personal stories and insights reflecting on how these lifestyle pillars have contributed to their current success and prosperity.



With the community growing rapidly and reaching over half a million followers, FELS recently created a mobile app to centralize the conversation in one place and make it easier for members to step up as local leaders or ambassadors.



So who’s behind all of this? You may have guessed correctly that it must be a successful serial entrepreneur who has identified these factors from his own personal journey. Indeed, the life of movement leader <a href="http://www.aimankabli.com">Mr Aiman Kabli</a> serves as an example to these principles: as an innovator he has been part of over two dozen technology startups, as a digital nomad he has visited over 85 countries, and as an avid learner he has read over 300 insightful books over the last decade.

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Can your overall lifestyle really affect your success in work or business?

Johannesburg, 14 April 2021 – Professional Provident Society (PPS), the financial services company focused solely on providing financial solutions for graduate professionals, produced a resilient 2020 performance. This was amid a year in which COVID-19 impacted lives and livelihoods. Despite this, PPS stood focused on delivering its core purpose of paying valid claims and protecting its members’ financial health.



PPS’s strategy of delivering value to members, its strong balance sheet, coupled with growth of the business, contributed to its solid performance in this tumultuous period.



“We entered 2020 with solid capital reserves and with good momentum. This meant that we could act swiftly to put relief measures in place, pay claims reliably, secure our adviser network and maintain our full staff complement throughout the lockdown. The unique situation presented by the pandemic also served as a catalyst to accelerate the process of expanding and implementing our digitalisation strategy,” says Izak Smit, PPS Group CEO.



“Our resilience as a business, strong organisational values, the performance-driven culture of our people and our trusted relationship with financial advisers added to the sustainability of PPS through this difficult year,” he adds.&nbsp;&nbsp;



PPS is unique in the South African financial services industry, differentiated by its ethos of mutuality.



“This has proved its value as we mark 80 years since PPS was founded by a group of hard-working dentists who chose a methodology which is nowadays not so common in financial institutions. Mutuality permeates every aspect of our business, from the way we are structured to how new innovations are designed. The past year has again confirmed the purpose of our existence: to protect our members and their families so that they can focus on their professions and the lives they want to live.



“Our performance is significant against the backdrop of spending nine months of our 2020 financial year operating under lockdown. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of mutuality in providing financial security and long-term benefits to our members.



“In 2020, the Group paid R4.84 billion in benefit pay-outs and valid claims to members. This is 29% up from R3.74&nbsp;billion in 2019. Focusing on life claims in particular, this amounted to R3.12 billion in 2020, up 45% on the R2.16 billion in 2019. Of this, PPS paid more than 4 200 COVID-19-related claims to the value of R389.8 million between March and December 2020. As expected, medical professionals were most affected by the pandemic and accounted for 74% of these claims.”



Commenting on the performance, Smit says: “PPS has been able to provide a reliable financial safety net for its members. Because there were no outside shareholder interests to protect – we do not have such stakeholders – we looked for opportunities to assist members adjusting claim and premium protocols specific to the pandemic, while ensuring fairness between different cohorts of members. Despite this, due to our strong balance sheet and inherent profitability of the risk pool and the businesses, PPS was still able to allocate R2.2&nbsp;billion in 2020 in total profit to our members with qualifying products.”



Smit adds that the Group’s life insurance gross earned premiums was R5.12&nbsp;billion and were 7% up on the R4.77 billion in 2019. While many members’ finances were strained, and they remained cautious about spending, their awareness of the need to protect themselves and their families against unforeseen shocks increased. This, and assistance with premiums where members were struggling, helped to keep lapses low. Despite the challenges of 2020, all the subsidiaries showed incremental growth. PPS Investments had a strong year. Gross new investment flows to PPS Investments of R7.5&nbsp;billion were 22% up on the prior year.



Among the innovations introduced in 2020 to address the evolving needs of professionals is the enhanced PPS Profit-Share Cross-Holdings Booster. This makes loyal members’ Profit-Share work even harder for them in the long term, rewarding them based on the combination of products from PPS Investments, PPS Short-Term Insurance and Profmed medical aid that they hold over and above their PPS Life Risk Products.



Looking ahead, Smit says that it is impossible to make firm predictions for 2021 as the pandemic continues to evolve, and the long-term impact thereof is not yet known. A certainty is that the effects of COVID-19 will continue to be a market disruptor and a creator of opportunities.



“We are bracing ourselves for further waves, but an aspect that works in our favour is that many professionals in the frontline in fighting the pandemic, particularly those in the health professions, were the first to be vaccinated. We are confident that the professionals for which PPS was founded will continue to show the significant role that they play in ensuring the health and well-being of South Africa’s citizens and economy.&nbsp;



“I want to extend PPS’s special thanks to our members for their boundless service to the community. South Africa is indebted to them. Thank you for your continued support and trust,” concludes Smit.



About PPS



PPS boasts in excess of 150 000 members who enjoy access to a comprehensive suite of financial and healthcare products that are specifically tailored to meet the needs of graduate professionals.



PPS is the largest South African company of its kind, exclusively for graduate professionals, that still embraces an ethos of mutuality, which means that it exists solely for the benefit of its members. Thus, PPS members with qualifying products from PPS Insurance, PPS Investments, PPS Short-Term Insurance and Profmed share in the profits of PPS Insurance, PPS Investments, PPS Short-Term Insurance and PPS Healthcare Administrators via annual allocations to the unique PPS Profit-Share Account.



PPS membership provides access to the following tried, tested and trusted products and services: PPS Life Insurance, PPS Short-Term Insurance, PPS Financial Advisory, PPS Investments and Profmed Medical Scheme. Visit www.pps.co.za for more information.



PPS is a Licensed Insurer and Financial Services Provider.

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PPS RESILIENCE PRODUCES SOUND PERFORMANCE IN UNPRECEDENTED YEAR

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Entrepreneurship redefined by ten “Africa’s Business Heroes”

Content supplied by MiRO



Little over a year ago, our world was turned upside down with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lock down levels.  As we all adopted a Work-from-Home approach, this change in end user connectivity demand required a technology solution to address these challenges.  Luckily South Africa’s Internet Service providers took aggressive action to increase the reach and quality of their networks.



There have been some ground-breaking outcomes in South Africa from the pandemic, such as reduced cost of internet packages, a telecommunications company removing the need to tie consumers into lengthy contracts and some ISPs upgrading their clients to faster, more reliable connections at no additional cost.



The actions taken by ISPs have played a really meaningful role in empowering people to work and learn from home. While there have been success stories in the more developed metropolitan areas, there is still the persistent challenge, however, of getting connectivity to remote areas where the residents tend to have limited financial resources. The reality remains that for those living in rural and disadvantaged communities the cost of a typical internet package is out of reach – even if there is the connectivity infrastructure in place. Fibre in these areas is not an option and costly, capped mobile access the only plausible option if available.



This is where <a href="https://miro.co.za/brand/162-cambium">Cambium Networks</a>’ technology, available from MiRO, comes to the fore and enables ISPs to respond to accessibility and price points so that communities can access the internet. The Cambium Networks portfolio has a number of different types of solutions that are able to work harmoniously together, managed from its single centralised management platform, cnMaestro.



Then there is Cambium Networks’ wireless fabric, which is made up of three distinctive threads, the backhaul layer, the last-mile distribution layer and the WiFi layer.



The backhaul layer is the backbone of the IP network. Cambium’s high-capacity point-to-point radios, both unlicensed and licensed, are used to send and receive large amounts of data over long distances between internet breakouts and the distribution layer, where the data can then be disseminated via various fixed broadband or mobile access networks.



You might also be interested in: <a href="https://miro.co.za/brand/27-tp-link">TP-Link</a> Networking Devices and Accessories



Cambium’s PTP670 and the ePMP Force 400 offer robust, license-free solutions that operate on the 5GHz frequency.&nbsp; For getting internet connectivity to a rural location that may be many kilometres away from a fibre network, wireless backhaul links offer a speedy and effective method.



Once data has reached the area where it is required, it can then be distributed to residential and business clients using point-to-point (PtP) or point-to-multipoint (PtMP) wireless technology – the distribution layer. Cambium’s flagship PtMP solution, the ePMP 3000 base station, can be coupled up with up to 120 ePMP Force 300 subscriber module radios within 10 kilometres and a 90 degree radius. Four base stations can cover 360 degrees and these base stations and subscriber modules are easy to mount. Factors such as the estimated throughput and line of sight can be calculated before installation using Cambium’s free LinkPlanner Tool.



READ: <a href="businessinsider.co.za/how-to-keep-a-fibre-internet-connection-on-during-loadshedding-2020-7">Keep your fibre internet going during load shedding – here’s how much it costs</a>



The final WiFi layer provides end users with a direct connection to the internet. This can either be through using a residential <a href="https://miro.co.za/3-01-wi-fi">WiFi router</a> such as the cnPilot R190V or an enterprise WiFi access point such as the cnPilot E510 outdoor access point or the E410 indoor access point.



Within rural or disadvantaged communities, enterprise WiFi access points are more commonly installed because these can be used to create public WiFi hotspots.&nbsp; Custom guest portals with voucher systems with various payment options can be configured using cnMaestro Essentials.



More management features and report logs with extended time periods can be used and analysed with Cambium’s cnMaestro X. In a scenario where multiple access points are being used, cnMatrix PoE switches can be included to connect and power both Cambium and third-party equipment such as cameras, smart phones and IoT devices.



READ: <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/focus/2013/10/01/free-wi-fi-africa-really/">Free Wi-Fi for Africa… Really?</a>



As connectivity becomes incrementally more important, MiRO and Cambium Networks are actively seeking ISP partners in order to apply their skill sets to close the digital divide through cost-effective, stable and easy to deploy solutions that can provide connectivity for many years to come.



While technology is at the fingertips of some, it is important to remain cognisant of those people that need connectivity as much as anyone else in order to get an education or find a job to feed their families. They are the new frontier and service providers who recognise this will open up an important revenue stream and provide an essential role within these communities. To learn more about MiRO’s extensive range of Cambium Networks wireless networking solutions, MiRO is a phone call or click away. Visit <a href="https://miro.co.za/">https://miro.co.za/</a>.

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Technology to empower people

Dr. Jaishree Naidoo is the visionary CEO and co-founder of Envisionit Deep AI, a medical technology company that utilises Artificial Intelligence (AI) to streamline and improve medical imaging diagnosis to assist with early diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.



As a dedicated medical specialist who has served the public health care system for over 20 years, Jaishree became the first South African qualified paediatric radiologist at the Red Cross War Memorial Hospital in 2010, before heading up the paediatric radiology at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic hospital (2010 to 2016) and thereafter at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, where she commissioned the radiology department in June 2017.



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As a leader in her field of radiology, Dr. Naidoo understands the important role technology plays in transforming radiology and the healthcare system at large and so developed Envisionit’s Deep AI platform called RADIFY to assist in early diagnosis and treatment of many infectious diseases.



This platform not only offers a more proactive solution and reduces the burden of disease, but her overall vision is to democratise access to diagnostic healthcare globally, especially to those who are most vulnerable, including the 600 million Africans people under the age of 15 who lack sufficient access to paediatric diagnostic care.



Her special area of interest in pattern recognition and deep learning in radiology is driven by her passion for her sub-speciality and the need to positively influence the lives of children by offering sustainable healthcare solutions in Africa



She has twice chaired the South African Society of Paediatric Imaging (SASPI), is the President of the African Society of Paediatric Imaging (AfSPI) and serves on the Executive Council of the World Federation of Paediatric Imaging (WFPI) and African Society of Radiology (ASR).



Hard work, networking and persistence has seen Jaishree recognised for numerous accolades, these include: invitations to speak and chair sessions at many local and international radiology and healthcare conferences, highlighted by 2020’s Forbes Women Africa event where she was one of the “In the Spotlight” speakers as well as one of six global female founders featured on the inaugural “Google for Startups Podcast”.



Jaishree was one of UK-Africa’s Top 15 African Female Tech Founders and as such was honoured by MP’s at the UK Houses of Parliament in January 2020 in London.



One of the honours that has remained with Jaishree, was the opportunity to be one of 12 female tech founders to participate at the “Ladies who Launch” round table discussion with HRH the Duchess of Sussex Megan Markle, hosted by the UK-SA tech Hub in September 2019.



Envisionit Deep AI has also received two Apps Africa Innovation Awards in 2020 for Health Tech and Social Impact.



ENDS

26.03.21 Dr. Jaishree Naidoo

Brand South Africa – CEOs Know: Dr. Jaishree Naidoo

Sponsored post by: Uganda National Oil Company Limited (UNOC)



UNOC’s resiliency and adaptive strategies have positioned it as a major player in the oil and gas industry. Its upcoming projects are set to make a positive economic change on the country, the region and the lives of Africans.



With its vision to be an innovative and profitable organisation that operates across the entire petroleum value chain for the benefit of all Ugandans, Uganda National Oil Company Limited (UNOC) is one of the most important companies in Uganda whose investments will represent a large increase in Uganda’s GDP and its development. CEO of UNOC, Proscovia Nabbanja, says that being one of the founding members of UNOC is among her greatest achievements. “What you see today is a fully-fledged institution and it is exciting to see that we have a portfolio of projects stretching across upstream, midstream and the downstream segments. Knowing that we are going to make a difference in this country from a sector that is willing to invest US$15 to 20 billion and with a return value in 25 years that is potentially more than the current GDP of the country, I am proud to be part of that.”



<figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote>“We are duty bound to this nation to make sure that oil and gas resources are sustainable in the long-term and for the benefit of future generations to come.” <cite>Proscovia Nabbanja, CEO of UNOC</cite></blockquote></figure>



One of the hallmark projects that are ready to energise the oil and gas industry post-COVID is the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline, which is reaching its goal with the Final Investment Decision projected for early 2021. The oil fields will produce around 230,000 bpd, an immense quantity not only for Ugandan refinery but for the international market. On this auspicious opportunity, Nabbanja says, “The achievement of FID of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline will be a key milestone for us and pave the way for many things. First, it will make our crude hit the international market. It will also give visibility to the future of the refinery project, further exploration and attract more investment in the sector.” UNOC has been working steadily with partners and key government agencies to secure the Final Investment Decision in order to commercialise oil and gas resources. She continues, “The East African Crude Oil Pipeline is going to create a lot of business opportunities to supply goods and services to the project and it will create job opportunities during the construction phase, directly benefiting the host communities.” The project puts Uganda in a prime position for investments and will have a positive impact within Uganda and the East Africa region.



Overall, UNOC’s mission is to drive sustainable growth in the oil and gas sector through strategic partnerships and championing national participation. Aside from the Pipeline Project, UNOC boasts many other sustainable projects that bring revenue to the economy.



Nabbanja says, “Some of our other projects that are not dependent on the FID include the storage terminals. We have one storage terminal in Jinja and are set to construct another in Namwambula, on the outskirts of Kampala. This is an opportunity for UNOC to tap revenues from the low-hanging fruit projects. We have also embarked on trading in bulk petroleum products to supply the local market and regional forward markets. We have a business model built on sustainability recognising the need to generate revenue and make a return to the State.”



As Uganda emerges from the pandemic, she is led by His Excellency President Museveni’s Vision 2040, which is utilising oil and gas revenues to diversify the economy and develop sectors such as agro-processing, manufacturing, ICT and tourism. As the oil and gas sector directly or indirectly extends to other industries, it is playing a vital role in the country’s diversification. Nabbanja says, “The opportunities are there. We see the direct linkages with Vision 2040 driven by oil and gas for industrialisation. Some of our projects directly link to other sectors of the economy such as agriculture. The Kabaale petro-based industrial park will have linkages to the agriculture sector through fertiliser and agro-processing industries, as well as direct connection to the export market using the second international airport.” Due to these advantageous links, Nabbanja says that there are so many opportunities for investment in Uganda. “We are duty-bound to this nation to make sure that oil and gas resources are sustainable in the long-term and for the benefit of future generations to come.”

UNOC Refinery

An Innovative Organisation Driven By Long-Term Sustainability

Sponsored Post by: Uganda’s Railway Corporation (URC)



URC is on a mission to revamp and revitalise its railway network in order to guarantee reliable, cost-effective, efficient and safe transport services while advancing trans-African rail development.



Geographically positioned at East Africa’s crossroads, Uganda’s railway network has the potential to play a crucial role in the transportation of imports, exports and local cargo within the region. For this reason, President Museveni is on a mission to prioritise the extension and rehabilitation of Uganda’s network and Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) is making sure it powers this vision. Currently, URC is focused upon revamping and extending its railway network through the rehabilitation of a Meter Gauge Railway line and the construction of the new Standard Gauge network in the Northern Economic Corridor whose reach will expand to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. “The Standard Gauge Railway will ensure that all countries are connected to each other seamlessly,” explains Former Chief Financial Officer and currently its newly appointed Managing Director, Stanley Sendegeya. “Uganda is currently negotiating funding with China Exim Bank, we want to construct proactively towards Kenya as they build towards Uganda.”



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> “The Standard Gauge Railway will ensure that all countries are connected to each other seamlessly.”<cite>Stanley Sendegeya FCCA, Managing Director of Uganda Railways Corporation</cite></blockquote>



In June 2020, Uganda’s government approved US$366 million for the 270.6 kilometre Malaba-Kampala metre-gauge railway refurbishment project, including an immediate investment of over US$12 million approved to purchase four locomotives for the line and more than US$2.5 million for routine repairs across the network. This line will upgrade commuter connections between the capital city and Uganda’s eastern border with Kenya for cargo.



Later on in the year, in October 2020, the US$46.7 million 375 kilometre metre-gauge Tororo- Galu railway project was launched with a US$25.4 million financial input from the European Union and with the French contractor SOGEA-SATOM on board for the installation of steel sleepers. With the potential of being the longest railway line in East Africa, this single-track line will link eastern and northern Uganda to the port of Mombasa in Kenya. It will also connect to the new US$11 million multimodal Gulu Logisitics Hub which will be ready in 2024, an inland terminal with the capacity for 200,000 TEU, guaranteeing transport cost reduction and a plethora of job opportunities, as well as securing movement of freight to and from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MD-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50333" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MD-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MD-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MD-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MD-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MD-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MD.jpg 1800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



URC understands the importance of efficient construction, operation and maintenance of the country’s railway network and opportunities abound for foreign investors looking for potential and possibility within the nation. “Uganda’s Railway Corridor is ready for investments of over US$8 billion for other railway complimentary services,” declares Sendegeya. “We want to implement the transit-oriented model of development whereby our station areas and the land along the railway reserves can attract private parties who can build silos, warehouses, hotels and other facilities so that we can interface our business with the rest of the economy. With that model, the private sector can boost agriculture and the farmers in the villages will be able to transport bigger volumes of their products to the stations which are then shipped into the country or exported.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Port-Bell-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50330" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Port-Bell-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Port-Bell-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Port-Bell-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Port-Bell-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Port-Bell-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Port-Bell-600x338.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Investment in Uganda’s railway network will result in cost-effectiveness, sustainability and climate-friendliness while assisting in rapidly moving Uganda’s agenda forward. “We have reopened the connection between Uganda and Tanzania and are running the wagon ferries on the lake between the Uganda Port Bell and the port of Mwanza in Tanzania,” states Sendegeya. “We also run wagon ferries between Port Bell and Kisumu in Kenya mainly transporting diesel for the Ugandan market. We have been able to repair Kampala to Port Bell and Jinja station to Jinja pier railway lines and are negotiating for funding for some of the projects we are talking about. We have also negotiated funding from the Spanish government which is starting next year on the line from Kampala to Malaba.” Things are moving fast in Uganda and URC is proving itself on track to providing the means to drive the nation towards progress, sustainability, modernisation and social development.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="684" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Nalukolongo-workshop-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50335" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Nalukolongo-workshop-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Nalukolongo-workshop-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Nalukolongo-workshop-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Nalukolongo-workshop-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Nalukolongo-workshop-600x401.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Nalukolongo-workshop.jpg 2005w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>

Jinja pier

On The Fast Track To Sustainable, Economic And Social Development

Sponsored post by: Kiira Motors Corporation







With the shift of the automotive industry towards climate-friendly solutions, electric vehicles have been taking center stage and Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), a state enterprise for automotive manufacturing, was spawned by an extra-curricular activity endorsed by the Makerere University Faculty of Technology to focus on this demand. In 2011, KMC made history to global renown when it designed and constructed the first-ever electric vehicle in Africa, the Kiira EV. It was consequently awarded the prestigious Frost and Sullivan Visionary Innovation Leadership Award in Sustainable Mobility in 2016.



<figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote>There is a lot of sourcing of materials locally for the construction of the Kiira Vehicle Plant, but more importantly, this project is being undertaken by Ugandans.<cite>Paul  Isaac Musasizi, CEO of KMC</cite></blockquote></figure>







<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Kiira-Plant-in-progress-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50320" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Kiira-Plant-in-progress-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Kiira-Plant-in-progress-300x225.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Kiira-Plant-in-progress-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Kiira-Plant-in-progress-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Kiira-Plant-in-progress-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Kiira-Plant-in-progress-600x450.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Status of construction of the Kiira Vehicle Plant, December 2020</figcaption></figure>



Through the championing of the domestic automotive value chain for job and wealth creation, KMC’s vision is in line with Uganda’s industrialization plans and Vision 2040. Under the visionary leadership of the President of Uganda, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, in 2018, the government approved a Seed Fund to capitalize Kiira Motors Corporation for the construction and operationalisation of the Kiira Vehicle Plant on 100 acres of land at the Jinja Industrial and Business Park. The Plant in its first phase will have an installed capacity of 22 vehicles a day (5,000 a year) and in mid-2021, it will be rolling out the production of its Kayoola EVS electric buses, another first for Africa. The Kayoola EVS, a premium zero emission bus, is designed to facilitate a total sustainable mass mobility solution for urban centres in sub-Saharan Africa. Two buses are already running as staff shuttles for the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority between the capital Kampala and Entebbe International Airport.“There is a lot of sourcing of materials locally for the construction of the Kiira Vehicle Plant: cement, structural and reinforcement steel, iron sheets, sand, etc.” explains Paul Isaac Musasizi, KMC’s CEO, who has recently been added to Bloomberg’s ‘Ones to Watch in 2021’ list for his trailblazing innovation in manufacturing. “But more importantly, this project is being undertaken by Ugandans.” Uganda’s vast wealth of minerals is key to manufacturing vehicle parts and is poised to boost value addition while reducing the nation’s import bill. KMC has acquired 1,280 acres of land in Kayunga for the establishment of the Automotive Industrial and Technology Park to support the&nbsp; localisation of auto parts and the establishment of auto skilling and testing facilities. This provides an opportunity for strategic investments aimed at the localisation of key vehicle parts targeting the regional market. Uganda’s vast wealth of minerals used for the manufacturing of vehicle parts has massive potential to boost value addition saving on the nation’s import bill by US$450 million annually, the second highest value on Uganda’s import bill, as well as promoting the exportation of products in the East African Community (EAC) markets and beyond.



The extent of KMC’s inventiveness and innovation has continued to prove boundless. In 2020, in a bid to provide the critical care needed during the pandemic, the Corporation also developed the low cost and locally manufactured Bulamu Ventilator in collaboration with the Makerere University, Resilient Africa Network and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Musasizi affirms, “We are very excited about what this means about opening up possibilities for medical device manufacturing in this country.”



Through the development of green mobility technology, Kiira Motors are building the foundation for a knowledge-based economy while developing indigenous innovation projects, which are people-centred and kind to the climate. “Kiira Motors Corporation Uganda is part of the journey towards ensuring that a good percentage of the 10 million vehicles sold annually in Africa by 2030 are made here, while emphasising they should be clean energy mobility solutions. In this way, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to an enhanced environment in which we can move Africa to its rightful destination.”



<a href="http://www.kiiramotors.com">www.kiiramotors.com</a>

Kiira landscape

Piloting Home-Grown Green Mobility Technology

Sponsored post by: SA Shares



With the recent proliferation of affordable and fast internet across the African continent, observers have noted a remarkable increase in the rate of crypto and forex trading in many countries across the region.



While it is not surprising that greater internet access would result in businesspeople and entrepreneurs finding new ways to grow their wealth in the online space, Africa has a unique set of factors which has made it conducive to online trading in particular.



In this article, we explore the rise of crypto and <a href="https://forexsuggest.com/forex-trading/">forex trading</a> in Africa, and take a closer look at the ways in which this trend is impacting Africa’s diverse local economies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crypto-trading-in-africa-a-new-frontier">Crypto trading in Africa: a new frontier</h2>



Cryptocurrencies first entered the global market with a bang when a mysterious entity operating under the pseudonym of <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/technology/2014/02/01/china-bites-bitcoin/">Satoshi Nakamoto released Bitcoin in 2009</a>.



According to Nakamoto, Bitcoin was largely created as a reaction to the banking crisis of 2008 that crippled world economies, and which was mostly attributed to widespread malpractice throughout the banking sector.



To this end, <a href="https://sashares.co.za/bitcoin-to-rand/">Bitcoin</a> was a means of releasing local economies from their dependence on fiat currencies, and of allowing businesses to set prices according to their market value without suffering the impact of currency fluctuations.



This aspect has certainly been true for many of those in African countries who have adopted Bitcoin and the many other cryptocurrencies to have emerged in its wake, such as Ethereum and Litecoin.



Many African economies are plagued by ongoing hyper-inflation and currency instability as a result of political and economic instability, creating a troubling impediment to local business growth.



The adoption of cryptocurrencies has allowed business owners and entrepreneurs to by-pass failing national currencies and set prices for their goods based on their true market value.



It has also allowed increasing numbers of people moving into the remote online working sphere to receive payment quickly and efficiently, without the red-tape of national banks.



Apart from its business value, cryptocurrency traders are increasing as well, and use the cheap and easy access to online trading platforms to create new income streams, overcoming the broad problem of local unemployment to become, in many cases, steadily wealthier.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-explosion-of-forex-trading-in-africa">The explosion of Forex trading in Africa</h2>



As with cryptocurrencies, Forex trading has seen an unprecedented spike in numbers across Africa in the last year or so, also bolstered by fast internet and adopted by a largely young demographic interested in new and entrepreneurial means of making a living.



By June 2020, Forex trading had increased by a whopping 477%, and was seen largely to be the result of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic">Coronavirus pandemic</a>.



Just as the many lockdowns have forced people from around the world to find new ways of making a living, so Forex trading in particular has become a vital means for young Africans to beat increasing unemployment.



African nations are predominantly young, with the median age being around 19, and this dynamic and adaptive demographic has embraced Forex trading as a means grow their wealth at home without relying on employment growth, which is likely to remain sluggish for some time to come.



All in all, Africa has proven itself to be the next frontier of crypto and Forex trading, being home to a unique set of factors that has allowed its youthful and tech-savvy populations to forge a new path towards self-empowerment and economic growth. &nbsp;

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