Tujuane Mixer: Info Session on Launching a start-up in Kenya

Nairobist (through the Tujuane Network) in Partnership with GoInnovate would be hosting an information session on financing and managing a start-up business in Kenya on July 30th, 2009 at The Sarova Stanley Hotel. Emerging Kenyan entrepreneurs are invited to discuss and share their insights on the challenges, opportunities and experience on financing and managing a start-up business in Kenya.

Theme: Challenges, Opportunities and Learning in Early Stage SME Financing.
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2009.
Venue: The Sarova Stanley Hotel (Huxley Room).
Time: 5:30 P.M to 8:30 P.M.
Cost: Tujuane Members: KES1000 (& it’s free to join!)

Topics:

• Strategies for overcoming challenges of start-up businesses
• Key economic trends that affect start-up businesses in Kenya
• How Innovation and Technology impacts the success of a start-up business
• Insights on Creating a Successful Hybrid Social Venture Capital Fund

Panelists and Speakers:
Gavin Bell: Founder and Managing Director, Kengele's Restaurants
Joanne Mwangi: Founder, Professional Marketing Services (SME Top 100 Firm)
Al-Khan Satchu: Founder and CEO, Rich Management Limited
Moses Kemibaro: Co-Founder, DotSavvy Limited
Annabel Onyando: Founder, Synergy Excel Management Consultants
Agatha Verdadero: Founder, Master Publishing and CAN-DO! Magazine
(Their Profiles)

Moderated by:
Wanjiku Kamau: Events Manager, Nairobist
Courtney Rountree: Harvard Kennedy School and Founder, GoInnovate

for more info click here or email info@tujuane.com

KenCall: Dialing Up An IPO - 2011

(Thanks to @alykhansatchu of Rich.co.ke tweets)

KenCall, a leading East African call center company based in Kenya, is planning an initial public offering (IPO) on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) or the London Stock Exchange (LSE) (how feasible is this?) in 2011. With the landing of fibre-optic cables at the Kenyan cost this month, call center costs are expected to decline tremendously. With the increased internet speed, the company aims to generate sales of up to $10 million this year.

According to their website, KenCall operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, has over 600 employees (mostly recent graduates) and can scale up to 1,500 seats. KenCall has a world class facility in Nairobi and last month opened an office in London. The company has been in business since early 2005 but turned its first profit in April 2006 (still searching for the numbers) .but it has not been a smooth ride ever since either, the company has had several cashflow glitches.

Expansion plan

In the next 18 months the call center plans to triple its sales and to expand its operations in Africa. The firm is already building a second bigger office in Nairobi to boost its capacity and plans to open an office in Rwanda by the end to this year.

Call center services in East Africa have been limited by the mere fact that we are probably the last part of the planet not connected by the under sea internet cables and depends mainly on costly satellite links for internet. That’s until the recent landing of The East African Marine Systems (TEAMS) fibre-optic cable at Mombasa, closely followed by the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy) and Seacom.

NSE & ‘The Envelop’

(over night Ocampo has become a household name – with varied pronunciations)

Who knew that a securities exchange could be affected by a mere envelop? Only in Kenya. The NSE has been on a downwards trend has Kenyan politicians continue with their bickering on what Annan’s handing over of ‘the envelop’ to the ICC means.. And the envelop is not opened yet!

Analysts have it that this may affect the market marginally, probably just this week, as investor adopt a wait and see approach. Then again we’ve been with this envelop for over one and half years, why should it tense investors now?

Where Did the IPO’s Go?

If my memory is not failing, there were several offer slated for the 1st half of 09 that have just disappeared into oblivion. Nothing is being mentioned of them in our Kenyan business media. Some that were slated for this year included DPL Festive Ltd, Telkom Kenya, K-rep and Nakumatt. The most recent announcement of intentions to list on the NSE has been Radio Africa (just launched KISS TV), Family Bank and Consolidated bank.

Others that also mentioned they’ll be seeking to list anytime were KenGen’s 2nd offer, Sarova Hotels, Wananchi Online, NSE (Demutualization) and Suntra Investment bank.

Also in line were several government of Kenya privatizations, with the likes of Kenya Wines Agencies, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Pipeline Company, Kenya Meat Commission and New-KCC being fronted. I think the government privatizations are still on course with the recent appointment of two transaction advisors.

BLUE Financial Services from down South Africa was also planning to cross list on the NSE but has since gone mum on when this will ever materialize. Similarly, with the finalization of the integrated East Africa bourse Ugandan Tanzanian and even Rwandan firms were set to cross list on NSE. But this will remain a pipe dream for a few years to come has the four countries sort out their ‘abusive’ relationships.

Sectors to invest in:

Regardless of the IPO’s dry spell I still consider Financials (especially banks), telecoms (Safaricom n Telkom Kenya on listing), construction (ARM’s, Bamburi, not Olympia), ICT (Accesskenya) and energy (KenGen, KPLC and KPC – despite the inefficiencies n desputes) as viable sectors to invest in at the NSE. Agriculture and Insuance are too risky for now.

1,000+ Tweets Later…

This is yet another excuse for a real post. I guess I’ve been spending far too much time on twitter and neglecting kainvestor Blog. Six months of tweeting has seen me post over 1,000 tweets (not much compared to a few twitter gurus) ranging from simple links on business issues and other news to very personal tweets. And its proving to be addictive, that is if you find your self thinking in 140 characters constantly!

For those who have not yet discovered Twitter, it is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables users to send and read others' updates, simply known as tweets. Phenomenal if you ask me, but who am I to say.

Looking back at some of my tweets, I think I have loosened up a lot on the personal information front. Something that is not quite easy to do in a blog post here (Ask @PinkM with her new ‘serious’ blog). From following 251 tweeps, being followed by 330 of them (bless them all!) and 1,022 Updates, I’ve made great online friends.

I would highly recommend following @bankelele, @coldtusker, @kachwanya, @InvestingInAfrica @Alykhansachu and @moseskemibaro for some serious business insights. @Ayittey for a serious dose of Africa leadership reality. @kahenya @roomthinker, @ArcherMishale, @alfredmutua and @mwaikibaki for some funny tweets and my friends @michaelmusau and @teyie if you don’t mind not getting any updates from them.

Funny that no one really answers the one simple question, ‘what are you doing?' the guys at Twitter.com brain stormed and came up with.