Transactions by Card Payment Falls by 500,000 in Kenya – Regional Business Roundup

The number of transactions carried out through card payments fell by nearly 500,000 or one percent in the nine months to September compared to a similar period last year as consumers continue to show a preference for mobile money.

Latest Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) data shows there were 160.7 million card transactions in the period, down from 162.2 million last year.

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Tanzania Tourism Arrivals Increased to 1.3 Million As the Sector Blooms

Tanzania Tourism Sector Survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that the number of tourist arrivals increased by 12.9 percent to 1,284,279 from 1,137,182 in 2015. Of the total revenue earned during the year under review, 3.93tri/- was earned from tourists who came for leisure and holidays.

Similarly, Zanzibar earnings increased by 30.4 percent to 842.6bn/- in 2016 compared with 645.7bn/- earned in 2015 owing to increase in the number of arrivals by 40.7 percent to 284,519.

Most of the Zanzibar earnings 832bn/- were received from visitors who came for leisure and holidays

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Swedish Government in Uganda Invests in Renewable Energy through 6 Local Firms

Six Ugandan companies have won a combined USD 4 million from the Renewable Energy Challenge Fund – Clean Cooking Window, a Swedish embassy funded initiative.

The six; WANA Energy Solutions, Fenix International Uganda, Green Heat Uganda, Josa Green Technologies and Raising Gabdho Foundation (RGF), were the finalists among 60 companies that applied for the fund.

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Jacob Zuma’s Promise of Free University Education Deemed Hollow

The announcement by President Jacob Zuma of free higher education lacks substance and is deliberately vague on what is needed to implement.

In light of the state of public finances announced by Minister Gigaba in October, it is difficult to reach a different conclusion than that it amounts to nothing less than a further empty promise and another failed delivery according to critics.

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