Field Intelligence expands into eleven new cities across East and West Africa

Field Intelligence, the health tech startup that is digitising the supply chain and transforming access to essential, life-saving medicine, has today announced its expansion into Rivers, Edo, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu, Delta and Kwara States in Nigeria, and Eldoret, Mombasa, Kisumu and Naivasha in Kenya.

Independent and franchise pharmacies can access 1000 unique products, inventory planning, subscription delivery and Pay-As-You-Sell on the Shelf Life platform.

The expansion will build on Field Intelligence’s existing 700+ pharmacy membership, which has served over 1.4 million patients to accelerate quality frontline healthcare across Africa.

The expansion comes after a year of rapid growth in sales and Shelf Life membership subscriptions, with Nigeria increasing by 47% and 65% in Kenya, selling over 586,950 products in 63 different product categories. This included anticipated demand for anti-malaria and contraceptive products which sold over 87,000 products in these categories.

However, there was an unexpected inclination of sales in both countries for supplements (45,618 units), cough and cold medicines and PPEs as communities and health workers grew increasingly more conscious of COVID-19 symptoms and preventative measures.

By using data to optimise predictions and identify irregularities in the market, Field Intelligence has been able to meet the demands for prescription and over the counter drugs in multiple markets despite recent critical global shortages.

The digital-first, asset-light approach has enabled the start-up to build out its Pan-African solution and take the lead as the digital healthcare market gains momentum in Africa.

As well as definitive signs for scale and impact in pharmaceutical distribution and management, Nigeria has 4,500 registered pharmacies and over 15,000 drugstores, whilst Kenya has 6,000 registered pharmacies and chemists.

In 2022 Field Intelligence aims to surpass 2,000 pharmacies and drugstores using Shelf Life and by 2025 the company is targeted to have 12,000 pharmacies in its network, 4x that of Chinese pharmacy chain GouDam – making it the largest globally.

In its current operating markets, digital health in Nigeria is set to reach a revenue volume of over US$1.3bn by 2025, with a 22.31% annual growth rate. Similarly, Kenya is also due to see a positive trajectory, with a 19.97% annual growth rate, resulting in a market volume of US$649.73m by 2025.

Speaking on the company’s expansion Michael Moreland, CEO of Field Intelligence, said “Shelf Life’s rapid uptake across such a range of African markets is a testament to its potential as a solution for pharmacies across the continent.

Rural and urban, East and West, we have found Shelf Life helping pharmacies overcome a shared set of challenges and seize new opportunities for growth by improving access for their patients.

The ability of our technology to digitize, automate, and optimize planning, assortment, and fulfilment, led by an incredible team, is quickly making Shelf Life one of the largest retail pharmacy supply chains in Africa.”

Field launched Shelf Life in 2017 to solve the inventory problem cutting across Africa’s $75B retail pharmacy market. Its technology is radically simple for easy adoption in complex environments and effectively scalable, without the barriers of borders and languages.

Additionally, it provides unprecedented visibility and control of pharmaceutical procurement and inventory management to eliminate frequent over and understocking, which results in expiry losses of over 10% a year and 30% stockout rates, driving pharmacies to reduce the variety of products they offer and increase their prices.

Shelf Life takes the burden and risk of inventory off the client, managing forecasting, quality assurance, fulfilment, and inventory management in a subscription service.

Pharmacies sell Shelf Life-supplied goods on consignment through its Pay-As-You-Sell program, avoiding expiry risk and accessing a cheaper alternative to working capital finance. The pioneering model has seen pharmacies grow an average of 25% CAGR.

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source https://www.jbklutse.com/field-intelligence-expands-across-africa/

Why is it important to have video on your website?

People love to watch videos. The contents on video are the most exciting thing in today’s market. Business owners take video marketing strategy seriously. They want the audience to consume more video content because this is what they love nowadays. Brands are using video as their effective weapon to engage audiences. These viewers later become potential customers.

As per the video marketing statistics, video content has an immediate impact than anything. People have no time to read long blog posts; instead, they watch a 2-minute video to get an idea of the subject and topic. Both entertainment and informative videos are taking the attention of the masses.

Both millennials and Generation Z are consuming video content because they think it is more relatable. Hence, business owners, start-up companies, and small business owners use video marketing strategies to boom the business.

Importance of Business Website

You can start your business through Facebook, Instagram, and other social media, but having a personal business website is effective. No third party is involved, and you take complete control of the products, brand image, product photography, website contents, and SEO of the website and every detail of a website.

Through the website, you can share your passion, love for the brand and its products. You can showcase your talent, upload photos, write blogs, upload clients’ testimonials, and even connect with customers through email and contact forms on the website. It helps you understand your flaws, embrace your achievement and share the love of your business with a large audience.

It is like a baby you nourish since the website is created until it grows big and your business grows. Isn’t it amazing? But a few years ago, embedding video into your website was out of the question. But now, it is mandatory if you want to grow big.

Why Should You Have Video on Website?

1. Improves Website Experience

Previously, the website was just a static page. People come to your website, check the products, add to cart, buy them, and came out from the website. But marketing analysts say that people should spend more time on the website, and it is only possible if the platform is dynamic.

Videos on the website are dynamic. You can upload videos on the background story, how products are made, people involved in your business, especially workers, behind-the-scenes, showing the details of the products, and many more.

These videos are engaging. People love to see the background of your brand. They feel that these videos are relatable. Hence, they spend more time on the website. It even improves the audience retention of the website.

2. Improves Strategy of Inbound Marketing

When you upload a video, you use a keyword for the video. Now, whenever someone types with the same keyword on the search engine, then Google finds your website and the video inside the website with the same keyword. It improves the website rank. People get to know about your brand through SEO.

Also, when you create fresh video content, chances of visibility are always high. Also, these videos are sharable. So, you can share these videos on your social media handles to engage more and more audiences. Social media audiences are enormous too. Therefore, you will get more chances to interact with audiences.

3. Helps You Tell Story

Storytelling is an art, and selling through storytelling needs passion and dedication. Videos help the users hear the story from the brand. The stories can be anything like ingredients, raw materials of the products, why they started the business, or even their struggle to come up with the brand. Stories always sell more than anything else. That is why videos on the website are essential.

4. Improves Trust Factor

People are wise to understand who is honest and fake in the online world. When you upload videos showing your factor, talking about your brand and company culture, it increases your credibility to the business. People love you and believe in your story. You can connect with an audience based on the trust factor. Hence, videos are essential to creating trust among each other.

5. Improves Audience Interest

Videos come for a short period, but it has a long-lasting impression in the viewers’ minds. It is the best opportunity for you to pin the heart of the audience through captivating videos. The more engagement you provide through videos, the more audiences show interest in your business.

6. Engaging and Trending Content

Content also becomes viral, so if you make a video on the viral content and post it on your website, the chances are high that your video and website will show up on the search engine. Your website will get top hits, and orders will pour in. It is a great strategy to create a video on the viral idea or content.

7. Fasten Communication

Videos are fascinating, and hence it speeds up the communication process between brand and audience. When you upload a video and ask them to ask questions, query or suggestions on the video topic, they instantly write a comment, and you can address their issues immediately. It even helps you stay connected all the time with your audiences. You can communicate, interact with them one-to-one so that you understand your audience and try to consume constructive criticism.

What Types of Videos Should You Add to Website?

• A business introduction video is a great idea to share your story with the audience. The audience will know how to start, your struggle, and how you motivate others to create the same journey as yours.
• Products showcasing video helps you connect with the audience, and they can know about your services and products in detail.
• Also, upload customer testimonials and experts interviews. It shows the credibility of the company towards the audiences.

Conclusion

These are the following reasons for which you have to upload videos online. It even helps you stand out in the competition. You gain more followers and customers. You can share the hard work and determination that you give towards the manufacturing of the product.

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source https://www.jbklutse.com/website-video-importance/

New football season on SuperSport kicks off in August; Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, UEFA Champion’s Leagues, EUROPA et al

SuperSport is gearing up to deliver some of the most action-packed football from the best players in the world when the top leagues in the world return to our screens in August. What’s more, football lovers on DStv and GOtv can look forward to the return of the UEFA Europa, the second most important trophy in Europe, after the UEFA Champions League on their Channel of Champions. The Europa League and FA Cup will be exclusive to SuperSport adding to the best football viewing experience across all the continent.

As the Tokyo Olympics take centre stage this weekend, interest in the upcoming European football season is ramping up. With the best leagues, a variety of viewing options and expert commentary and analysis, DStv and GOtv are the true home of football in Ghana, offering a range and depth of action that no other rival can match – it’s literally Unbeatable Football.

Ghanaian football fans will be able to follow comprehensive coverage of the most loved football leagues with hundreds of games from the Premier League on DStv and select games on GOtv, plus La Liga and Serie A matches on DStv and GOtv.

Alex Okyere, Managing Director, MultiChoice Ghana says of the upcoming season: “Building on the excitements of the 20/21 season and the euphoria of the Olympics tournament, we are excited to deliver world-class football to fans wherever they watch, whether on television or on digital platforms. This season we are delivering even more value to our DStv and GOtv customers. We listened and have added the Europa League as a Pay TV exclusive offering. In so doing we further entrench our promise as the best football watching experience in Ghana”.

That includes the Premier League, where Manchester City and Pep Guardiola will look to continue their dominance but are likely to face a renewed challenge from Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, while England’s famed and beloved FA Cup remains an exclusive for SuperSport.

In La Liga, Atletico Madrid will start as favourites to hold off the challenge offered by Real Madrid and Barcelona, but an exciting Sevilla side could be even more prominent in the title challenge, while the high turnover of coaches in Serie A makes their new season entirely unpredictable! Internazionale are the reigning champions, but Juventus, Milan, Napoli, Lazio and a Roma side now managed by Jose Mourinho will all be gunning for the Scudetto in 2021-22.

Football is about connection: sharing it with friends and family makes ‘The Beautiful Game’ even more meaningful. And in no competition is this more applicable than the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League, the ultimate expression of the club game in Europe that has become the true measure of the greatest players and teams.

Keep an eye out for fixtures and more exciting football news in the coming weeks.

Don’t miss the 2021/2022 football season on DStv and GOtv.  Visit www.dstv.com  and www.gotvafrica.com  to subscribe or upgrade, and join in on the excitement.

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source https://www.jbklutse.com/supersport-football-season-2021/

Huawei Cloud ranked world’s 5th largest IaaS Provider

HUAWEI CLOUD IaaS revenue surge by a stunning 202.8%, placing it in the top five list of cloud IaaS providers in the world, according to a report from market research firm Gartner Inc.

According to the research firm, this is the second consecutive year of over 200% growth for Huawei Cloud in the IaaS market, braking Huawei Cloud into the top five IaaS vendors with 4.2% in global market share.

HUAWEI CLOUD was one of the first vendors to invest in cloud-native technologies. HUAWEI CLOUD helped establish the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) in 2015, and is the only founding member and the first platinum member of the CNCF, contributing more than 130 core features to the CNCF community.

By December 2020, HUAWEI CLOUD had launched more than 220 cloud services and more than 210 solutions. Through technology partnerships, HUAWEI CLOUD developed more than 20,000 partners, attracted 1.8 million developers, and launched more than 4,000 applications in the Marketplace.

Since its launch on South Africa in 2019, HUAWEI CLOUD has experienced exponential growth in the cloud market. Currently, the technology giant has four points of presence in Africa: two in South Africa, one in Nigeria and one in Kenya.

“The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in an increased move to the cloud, and need for technology enablers. We plan to increase the number of local, data centre’s as the demand for cloud services grows. We currently serve customers in 12 countries, with plans to grow rapidly as the need arises,” said Stone He, the new President for the HUAWEI CLOUD in Southern Africa.

In South Africa, during 2020, Huawei has seen great business growth in public cloud and hybrid cloud. South Africa’s Automobile Association (AASA), a 91-year-old AASA is a non-profit organisation that provides road security, roadside assistance and vehicle-related services to its five million registered users and 700 000 subscribers. Through its partnership with HUAWEI CLOUD, they have overcome infrastructure challenges and reduced their costs by around 10% per year.

“We have a unique strategy around our business model, with the focus on joint value creation with our partners and customers. We are committed to helping our partners grow their business and strengthen their competitive edge, through joint go-to-market strategies. Our business model is focused on joint value creation,” said He.

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source https://www.jbklutse.com/huawei-cloud-ranked-worlds-5th-largest-iaas-provider/

Ghana Library Authority launches online application system for ISBN, ISSN, ISMN and CIP issuance

Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) has launched an online application system for the issuance of International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN), International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN), International Standard Music Numbers (ISMN) and Cataloguing in Publication (CIP).

The online platform which was rolled out in November 2020 as part of the Technology strategy of the Authority, underwent rigorous testing and now officially launched for use by players of the publishing industry in Ghana.

Mr. Hayford Siaw, Chief Executive of GhLA who launched the platform highlighted the relevance of the introduction of an online application system of the ISBN, ISSN, ISMN and the CIP. He explained that, “ For many years, players in the publishing industry had to physically visit our issuance center in Accra; but the online platform allow stakeholders to sit in the comfort of their homes and offices and log on the website of GhLA (www.library.gov.gh) to apply.

He further stated “This online application system will increase to the efficiency and speed of the issuance process of this ISO certification for information and documentation.”

The ISBN is a 13-digit unique identifier for books used by publishers, booksellers, libraries, internet retailers and other supply chain participants for ordering, listing, sales records and stock control purposes. The ISSN is also an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication, such as a magazine, newspaper etc. ISMM is a unique identifier given to printed music.

Ghana Library Authority also announced the offering of Cataloguing in Publication (CIP) service for the Ghanaian publishing industry. Mr. Siaw who was impressed with the patronage of the CIP service indicated that; this will help books to be efficiently processed when procured by libraries. The CIP is a bibliographic record prepared by the GhLA for a book that has not yet been published.

Mr Francis Ahedor, the author of the “Faithful Church”, testified of this service, saying, “I would like to commend the Ghana Library Authority for automating the ISBN process. It is fast, convenient, and very affordable. I didn’t go through the hustle of traffic, transport fare and the risk of getting COVID-19, and the amazing part is, I received my ISBN instantly via email after meeting all the requirements. It saved me time and money.”

To Apply for ISO certification for printed and information materials in Ghana: visit www.library.gov.gh.

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source https://www.jbklutse.com/ghana-library-authority-launches-online-application-system/

HP Inc. launches Innovation and Digital Education Academy to equip Ghana educators with digital tools

Ministry of Education of the Republic of Ghana, HP Inc. and Mirai Partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a cooperative relationship to foster excellence and talent development in the education sector within the Republic of Ghana through the participation of selected teachers on the HP Innovation and Digital Education Academy (HP IDEA) program.

The newly launched program in collaboration with Intel offers educators in the country the opportunity to create digital capabilities based on educational frameworks from leading global universities.

“We are committed to the continual integration of technology in our schools,” said Bradley Pulford, Vice President and Managing Director for HP Africa, “HP IDEA will enable educators to acquire the right skills to take advantage of blended and digital learning solutions. The education system was under a lot of pressure due to the COVID-19 lockdowns in the country. This was especially the case in public schools where closures significantly disrupted the lives of learners and educators when it came to teaching and learning methods. The program focuses on pedagogy rather than specific products. This way educators can be equipped with the latest tools and best practices in teaching and learning, which in turn will enable better learning outcomes for students.”

Catherine Appiah-Pinkrah, Director of General Administration, Ministry of Education, Ghana: “The last two academic years have been a real challenge for teachers all over the world. School closures, a sharp transition to online education, and adaptation to new realities are not an easy task for both schoolchildren and their teachers. It is necessary to build the education system in such a way that no external factors can stop the educational process. For this, it is important to give teachers new knowledge and develop competencies in the field of IT and an interactive approach to teaching. We are glad that our teachers now have an excellent opportunity to join HP IDEA and improve their qualifications based on some of the world’s best programs”.

Christine Nasserghodsi, Co-founder of Mirai commented: “We have been supporting schools in their response to COVID-19 since February 2020. What began as a crisis response has evolved into a long-term approach to teaching and learning and the use of digital tools and resources. Effective distance and hybrid learning require innovation and a deep understanding of learning design, one aspect of this is the use of technology. No one is better equipped to shape the future of education than teachers and school leaders. That is the core value of the HP IDEA program which we have translated into a year-long program for select schools.”

The program is mapped against and delivers on the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) and the CESA objectives (Continental Education Strategy for Africa). The academy also incorporates world class research and frameworks from Harvard Graduate School of Education and University of Michigan.

Two programs for participating schools will be made available by HP Inc.:

• HP IDEA Fellow – A one-year pathway for a select cadre of innovative practitioners and instructional leaders. It is an immersive teacher development program designed to enable teachers, leaders, and students to develop and access new learning modalities in select schools in South Africa. Participating schools select 3-6 teachers and instructional leaders to shape practice at the school level through four conferences and weekly learning sessions.
• HP IDEA Associate – This includes focused coursework, designed by HP IDEA Fellows under guidance from Mirai & HP. All staff members at the participating schools will have the opportunity to become HP IDEA Associates by engaging in turn around training developed and delivered by HP IDEA Fellows.

HP IDEA is a part of HP’s commitment to enable better learning outcomes for 100 million people globally by 2025. The program has been launched in nine other countries across Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia: Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Egypt, UAE, Oman, KSA, Qatar, and Kazakhstan.

HP also has a series of educational programs such as the recently announced Classroom of the Future, HP Learning Studios, Campus of the Future, and HP LIFE, that accelerate blended learning.

For more information on the HP Innovation and Digital Education Academy, please click here.

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source https://www.jbklutse.com/hp-inc-launches-innovation-and-digital-education-academy/

MTN Ayoba Hackathon 2021 launched

On Tuesday 27th July 2021, personnel from the media gathered at the MTN Head Office, Ridge, to witness the launch of MTN Ayoba Hackathon 2021.

The event which marked the activation of the second edition of the Ayoba Hackathon kicked off with an address by Winnie Dzidonu, Applications and Partnerships Manager of MTN — welcoming the press and attendees to the event.

She intimated that Ayoba is one of the main platforms that MTN is using to drive the digital agenda in Africa — with the hackathon providing tech creators — being app developers and startups — with an opportunity to create Africa’s next big solution.

Ayoba was launched last year April during the onset of the Covid 19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown to keep people entertained as well as connected even though they had to be physically distant. While it is available for users of all networks in Ghana, MTN users get to experience the app for free

Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Noel Kojo Ghanson in his address to the press note that MTN has an ambition to make a significant contribution to the digital growth of the continent — noting that everyone deserves the benefit of modern digital life. Continuing his address, he intimated that MTN has confidence that its digital agenda will provide the opportunity for all to be a part of its family through innovation. This is evidenced through its work with Ayoba as well as making the MoMo API open to developers to utilize.

The Ayoba Hackathon will give app developers the opportunity to get creative and launch their futures through creating micro apps for Ayoba. With this year being the telecom giant’s 25th year, MTN is on a quest to partner with tech creators hence this edition of the hackathon being one of its flagship events.

The prizes for this year’s winners are as follows: 20,000 for the winner, 10,000 for the first runner up, and 8,000 for the 2nd runner-up.

Other benefits that come with placing top 3 are a complimentary co-working space at MTN House, technical, marketing, and development support, as well as placement into an incubator program.

With over one million users in Ghana, Ayoba is establishing itself as a digital economy catalyst for Africa.

Judges for the hackathon are Regina Honu, Kelvin Tyron, and Olufemi Adewumi with Emmanuel Sarpong and Emmanuel Hinneh serving as mentors.

The deadline for registration is 25th August 2021 and interested developers should register through this ayobahackathongh.com.

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source https://www.jbklutse.com/mtn-ayoba-hackathon-2021/