CIO Africa Magazine March - April 2023

VOL 32 | ISSUE 23 | MARCH-APRIL 2023 EDITION

ALEX KARANJA Head of digital TRANSFORMATION

TRANSFORMING

E-COMMERCE AT NAIVAS

INSIDE

ONE-ON-ONE WITH MOROCCAN SOPHIA ALJ A CASE FOR SACCOS & FINANCIAL INCLUSION A CHAT WITH EUGENE KASPERSKY

1 KSHS.300 | USHS.9,000 | TSHS.6,000 | RWF.2,200 | OTHER USD.9

Meet the dx⁵ team >> EXECUTIVE TEAM

Kelly Bentley

Co-Founder & Group CEO

>>EDITORIAL TEAM

harry hare

Co-Founder & Chairman

ANDREW KARANJA Co-Founder & Director

CAROL ODERO Head of dxContent

>>CREATIVE & DIGITAL TEAM

SAMUEL nDUNGU

Lead dxCreative & Design

IAN WAGGA

Lead dxDigital & Social

Customer Success

Editorial Writer

STEVE MBEGO Editorial Writer

>>DEVELOPMENT TEAM

EUNICE MACHYO Graphic Designer

ARTHUR NYAKUNDI Design & Digital

VICTOR PAUL

dxDevelopment Lead

samuel oduor Full Stack Developer

>>FINANCE TEAM

>>SALES TEAM

STACY WANJERI

KeVIN NAMUNWA

Billy omingo Customer Success

Esther waweru Customer Success

>>HR/ADMINISTRATOR TEAM

WILLY MBURU

TEDDY MUKABANE

PURITY KAMAU Finance Assistant

Human Resource Coordinator

JUSTIN MAGANGA

SHIRU WAWERU

EVERLYN MITHAYO

CATE CHEPCHIRCHIR

Customer Success

Finance Manager

VIDELIS SYOVATA

SANDRA MNDEBELE EA to Group CEO

>>EVENTS TEAM

PETRONELLA GORRIE Head, dxConnect

ELLEN MAGEMBA

dxGuest Engagemet Lead

>>EVENTS TEAM

>>STUDIO TEAM

JANICE BIATA

AGUTU DAN

Guest Engagement Coordinator

dxStudio Lead

MELISSA DORSILA

dxConnect Creative Architect

Customer Success Architect

GERALD MUCHAI

MICHAEL ODONGO

Sound & Line Producer

Tech Lead

Guest Engagement Coordinator

fidelis kihobe

Technical Assistant / Editor

Guest Engagement Coordinator

SAMUEL MWANGI

Motion Graphic Designer

Guest Engagement Coordinator

IAN OBUKWA

Guest Engagement Coordinator

wayne muthui

Technical Assistant / Editor

>>ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL

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PRISILLAH OMINDE Administrator

samuel fanjo Administrator

CONTACTS

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The content of CIO Africa magazine is protected by copyright law, full details of which are available from the publisher. While great care has been taken in the receipt and handling of material, production and accuracy of content in this magazine, the publisher will not accept any responsility for any errors, loss or ommisions which may occur.

Content

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06 IT LEADERSHIP

Is Cyber Immunity The Future of Cybersecurity?

08

THE LEAD

08

Inside Naivas Supermarket Chain’s Digital Transformation Journey

14 sacco news

The Rise Of Financial Inclusion With SACCOs

18 dxnova interview

14

Embedding Fintech And E-Commerce Through Francophone Africa

22 the round up

The lastest technological trends in 2023

26 THINKING ALOUD Going Into The Cloud

30 hard talk

If Data Is The New Oil, When Do We Go Green?

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editor’s note

“The habit of saving is itself an education; it fosters every virtue, teaches self-denial, cultivates the sense of order, trains to forethought, and so broadens the mind.”

– T. T. Munger

Why Your SACCO Needs A CIO When SACCOs were started back in the day, the whole affair of saving and lending was known as a merry-go-round. It meant at least once a year, a SACCO member got to host other members. It created camaraderie, a social aspect to SACCOs where people became friends or friendships were reaffirmed on a mostly sunny Saturday. SACCOs have since evolved into magnificent, powerful beasts that require sophisticated gadgetry. Which is great. Banks can learn a lot from SACCOs, SACCOs partner with fintech and everyone is happy. Sure, the social aspect of a SACCO vanished and moved beyond the common thing that bound its members because we all have enough friends, right?

I would like to think it is the social aspect of a SACCO that eventually became their personal touch with members, designing a customer experience that felt personal even though there were just to many people to know everyone’s names. While SACCOs can sometimes feel unsteady in their leadership, the bigger they get, the more structure they need, and the more important tech becomes as a tool and an ally.

Technology can help SACCOs operate more efficiently, provide better service to their members. By embracing technology as a friend, SACCOs can stay competitive and meet the changing needs of their members in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. With the emergence of new technologies, such as mobile banking, digital payments, and blockchain, it is very possible SACCOs may lack the resources or expertise to adopt these new technologies.

The one thing about SACCOs that banks and even fintech can’t touch as a result, is financial inclusion. Reached the underserved and unbanked nooks and crannies. Not only do SACCOs deliver access to affordable credit: they also encouraging a saving culture, which, is a whole other conversation. SACCOs often offer microfinance services, which provide small loans to individuals or groups that may not qualify for traditional bank loans. This can help promote entrepreneurship and economic growth in underserved communities.

Mobile banking and digital payment solutions can also help reduce the costs and barriers associated with accessing financial services, because there is a sense of ownership from, and by, the members. SACCOs are based on cooperative principles, which highlight democratic control, member participation, and social responsibility. It places them on the path of a social mission; and because they are community-based, they will be concerned over the well-being of their members.

However, SACCOs need to accelerate their digital transformation so that all these amazing things can find their way into the lives of underserved. Automation, data analytics, cybersecurity, cloud and core banking would serve any SACCO well without having to break the bank.

SACCOs may struggle to achieve financial sustainability as well thanks to insufficient capital, high operating costs, low loan repayment rates, and insufficient revenue generation. It is why SACCOs are getting into investing.

@dx5ve

@dx5group

The possibilities of a SACCO can be wrung out by the fabric of technology, sharpening it into a precise instrument that members can direct, aim, and shoot. It is why a CIO can be a partner to walk with a SACCO. www.cioafrica.co | MARCH-APRIL 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵

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ARTICLE by

CAROL ODERO

IT leadership

Is Cyber Immunity The Future of Cybersecurity?

What kind of security do you need in 2023? It turns out the answer is much. There is no one-size-fits all especially with the list of threat predictions in 2023 Eugene Kaspersky – yes, that Kaspersky - is the kind of person who when they walk into a room, you know they’re bringing something with them. In his case, it starts with an extroverted persona that feels larger than life and ends with a brilliant mind. Founded in 1997 by well, Kaspersky, the company is headquarted in Moscow, Russia.

They are well known for their antivirus software which is designed to detect and remove viruses, malware, and other threats from computers and mobile devices. “Unfortunately, the bad guys are very active, so we are seeing a massive increase in the daily incidence of malicious files. Our daily catch is now about 400,000. This is an indicator that there are more people developing malware, and the criminals are getting smarter.”

He adds that, “We have witnessed an increase in cyber-attacks ostensibly aimed at gathering intelligence.

There has also been the development of new malware, and, along with the heightened awareness of the importance of cybersecurity has meant organisations are increasingly investing in cybersecurity.”

Something which has led to the rise of international cooperation were countries are coming together to address growing threats. Eugene mentions two worldwide cyberthreat trends namely professional targeted attacks (APTs) by criminal and espionage groups, and attacks on industrial and critical infrastructure.

Attacks are also highly complex, 6

professional, and massive in scale.

He particularly identifies REvil aka Sodinolibi, a ransomware actor whose group members were arrested in November 2021. Just Google ‘cybercriminals arrested’ and you will find more of such stories.

For Eugene, this presented an opportunity - to construct a cybersecurity ecosystem which will cover all cybersecurity scenarios over entire corporate infrastructure. The ecosystem will be managed from a single platform embedded automation for security operation centers. And — very important — the ecosystem will exercise the principle of zero trust approach for highest security levels.

“Today’s hyper-connected world requires us to reconsider the way we do cybersecurity. We need to shift toward a more reliable approach – one with no room for error. This is why we’re working on developing cyber immunity products with ‘innate’ protection against cyberthreats. Most attacks on the cyber immune systems are ineffective. We want a safer and more resilient digital world where cyber immunity is the new norm,” said Eugene.

All interactions between them are controlled at the level of the microkernel and the internal security system: they allow only what was indicated at the stage of system development. That way, even if an attacker could gain access to any of the components, they will not be able to perform malicious actions and in any way affect the operation of the system.

Eugene gives a rather alarming list on what to expect in 2023.

•

Other advanced threat predictions for 2023 include: •

SIGINT-delivered malware: One of the most potent attack vectors imaginable, which uses servers in key positions of the internet backbone, allowing man-onthe-side attacks, may come back stronger. While these attacks are extremely hard to spot, they will become more widespread and will lead to more discoveries.

•

The rise of destructive attacks:

Today, traditional operating systems work with added security tools, such as antiviruses. The problem is that even those do not guarantee 100 per cent protection. And in some cases (for example, electronic control units in cars), it is impossible to install them.

Enter cyber immunity with its architecture is based on the division of objects into many isolated modules.

www.cioafrica.co | MARCH-APRIL 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵

The next WannaCry and drones for proximity hacking. Statistically, some of the largest and most impactful cyber epidemics occur every six to seven years. The last such incident was the infamous WannaCry ransomware-worm, leveraging the extremely potent EternalBlue vulnerability to automatically spread to vulnerable machines. Kaspersky researchers believe the likelihood of the next WannaCry happening in 2023 is high.

Given the current political climate, a record number of disruptive and destructive cyberattacks affecting both the government sector and key industries is expected. It is likely that a portion of them will not be easily traceable to cyberattacks and will look like random accidents. The rest will take the form of pseudo-ransomware attacks or hacktivist operations to provide plausible deniability for their real authors. There will be high-profile cyberattacks against civilian infrastructure – energy grids or public broadcasting may also become targets, as well as underwater cables and fiber distribution hubs, which are challenging to defend.

•

Mail servers become priority targets: Mail servers harbor key intelligence, making them valuable to APT actors, and have the biggest attack surface imaginable. The market leaders in this industry have already faced exploitation of critical vulnerabilities, and 2023 will be the year of 0-days for all major email programmes.

•

APT targeting turns toward satellite technologies, producers, and operators.

There is evidence of APTs being capable of attacking satellites, with the Viasat incident as an example. It is likely that APT threat actors will increasingly turn their attention to the manipulation of, and interference with, satellite technologies in the future, making the security of these technologies ever more important.

•

Hack-and-leak is the new black. The new form of hybrid conflict that unfurled in 2022 involved many hack-and-leak operations.

These will persist in the coming year with APT actors leaking data about competing threat groups or disseminating information.

•

More APT groups will move from CobaltSrike to other alternatives. CobaltStrike, a redteaming tool, has become a tool of choice for APT actors and cybercriminal groups alike. It has gained significant attention from defenders, making it likely that attackers will switch to new alternatives such as Brute Ratel C4, Silver, Manjusaka or Ninja, all offering new capabilities and more advanced evasion techniques.

And how does the protector protect others? “We do security updates every year when we design our security strategy.” www.cioafrica.co | MARCH-APRIL 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵

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ARTICLE by

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www.cioafrica.co | MARCH-APRIL 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵

KEVIN Namunwa

the lead

Inside Naivas Supermarket Chain’s Digital Transformation Journey You don’t want to be the one playing catch up when it comes to adopting technology. This is not the case though, for Naivas. The retail sector is one of the first sectors to be affected by accelerated digital transformation not for adoption’s sake, but to stay ahead of the competition. E-commerce was the major disruptor in the retail sector having posed a challenge to supply chain retail stores and corner shops.

During the pandemic, for instance, e-commerce really grew up and out with most of us preferring No Contact shopping and delivery. It challenged retailers, particularly supermarkets.

Re-evaluation became mandatory and technology became vital for the maintenance of their customer bases and to improve shopping experiences.

It was such innovation that put Alex Karanja on the dx100 Awards radar.

As Head of Digital Transformation: Data Analytics and Innovation, Naivas Supermarket Chain, Karanja’s submission was also his inaugural. He made it to the shortlist of the revered CIO of the Year Africa Award. It was certainly worth a good conversation.

Who is Alex Karanja?

I am a technology enthusiast who believes that technology has the power to transform our everyday interactions and improve, if not exceed, our aspirations. I consider myself a rather quiet fellow most of the time, given that I grew up in a large family with five brothers. I am married, with two young boys who I surprisingly learn something new from every other day. I see a lot of myself in them.

What precisely is your main role at Naivas?

My job title is Head of Digital Transformation: Data Analytics and Innovation. I lead the team behind the implementation of technologies that brings business innovation and delivers the customer promise. My team provides solutions to support our primary focus as being customer centric.

I am extremely passionate about IT, data and how both can be leveraged to enhance business processes, develop a data-centric corporate culture, enhance productivity and process ownership, and lower overall operating costs.

What does your typical day at Naivas look like?

I would describe myself as a night owl who much rather prefers a late night to an early start. My day typically starts off with a series of meetings with company leaders and department heads to discuss ongoing projects, new initiatives, and any issues or challenges that need to be addressed.

These meetings often involve reviewing progress reports, discussing strategies and plans, and making decisions about resource allocation and prioritisation.

Lunchtime, for me, is usually time to catch up on industry news and trends by reading tech blogs and news articles. In the afternoons, I might have additional meetings with external partners, vendors, or technology experts to discuss new technologies or partnerships that could benefit our company. As the end of the day approaches, I often take some time to review progress reports and action

items from the day’s meetings and work, and to plan for the next day’s activities. I will also check in with my team and provide guidance or support as needed. I try to leave work at a reasonable hour so that I can spend time with my boys. I mostly dedicate any late hours to self-development, tinkering around with tools and new tech.

Digitally, what is the edge that Naivas has over other players in the supply chain sector?

We have an appetite for innovation and technology continuously investing in digital infrastructure not only to improve our own processes but also to influence efficiency in our vendors operations.

Naivas leverages on data analytics tools and technologies that enable us to collect analyse vendor and customer retail data in real-time, and to use this information to make more informed business decisions. By developing loyalty programmes and other incentives that reward customer loyalty, we provide a personalised shopping experience, which then influences the vendor demand and supply forecasting, as well as promoting variety for the customers. We also invest in vendor relationships by fostering digital engagements which not only consume feedback, but builds flexibility in the business interactions such as aligning schedules of work between various parties.

Your project using WEBCON BPS got you on the final list for the dx100 Awards. How did you feel about that achievement?

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Honestly, I was elated. It came as a surprise and an honor to be on a finalist.

It was the very first time I had applied, and my peers had enthusiastically encouraged me to do so. Becoming a data driven business not only for big decisions but also for day-to-day frontline decisions is my team’s objective.

Having this not only recognised but to also have it resonate with the industry is truly rewarding. WEBCON BPS is a low code platform that is workflow oriented.

As it is business process centric, it allows the business to not only digitalise, but also process re-engineer simultaneously. It has a distinct feature termed as InstaChange allowing us to be agile on the go, rolling forward any process changes into the existing data instances. It truly lives up to the mantra ‘fail fast, fail forward.’

Had you anticipated winning the CIO of the Year, Africa award? What was your reaction when you didn’t?

To have my name mentioned among such talented finalists was already a big reward for me. To get this far, I did have the confidence to take the prize. The support and words I received from my peers at the event was the most humbling part of the experience.

Ultimately, my satisfaction comes from seeing the positive impact technology can have on our business and on the lives of our customers and employees.

If I am very proud of the work that my team and I have accomplished, it is because I intend to focus on driving innovation and transformation.

of ownership that quickly identified the bottleneck in the chain allowing for quicker decision turnaround times and productivity from all parties.

Transformation is more than just a senior management responsibility. By being process centric, we were able to carry the business along as a whole.

Apart from the dx100 Awards, what other awards have you been listed for, and won?

I have played in the background for a long time and participating in CIO events has been a very good entry to the industry peers. I hope to gain more from these interactions and perhaps some trophies along the way.

You would deserve it so all the best with that! Now, what is the result of getting recognised to the CIO given how CIOs weren’t recognised as much prior to the digitally accelerated transformation of the pandemic?

The recognition at these awards had a big influence on me. I am now totally focused on innovation and data analytics in our company with the fortune of having a CTO run with the daily operations. The innovators are heroes of change and are rarely acknowledged for the impact they bring, and have, alongside the evolution of adoption. Shining a light on these roles within the ICT business infrastructure has a tremendous effect of validation and inspiration to the industry at large.

In your opinion, what was it about the project that got you to the nomination list?

In your opinion, what has been the tech uptake by supermarkets in the African space? Do you think the players in the supply chain sector are using technology to its full potential?

The project addressed challenges not only in our business, but the industry at large with the various players in the supply chain. By embarking on an ambitious project to evolve our business process, we not only sought to disrupt our own traditional beliefs on the way of work, but also have a wider impact on the standards which the supply chain operates on. Our project’s achievements bring a level of transparency and clarity

The increasing penetration of smartphones and mobile internet across the continent has created new opportunities for digital engagement with customers. In particular, the supply chain sector has been investing in technologies such as mobile apps, digital payments, and e-commerce platforms to enhance the customer experience and drive sales. Many retailers have also been using data

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analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to gain insights into customer behaviour and preferences, and to optimise their supply chain operations.

What can be done to improve the use of technology in the retail sector?

Of course, there is always significant room for growth and improvement in terms of technology uptake by supermarkets and players in the supply chain sector in Africa. Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the sector are still not fully leveraging the power of technology.

They still encounter challenges such as limited access to affordable and reliable internet connectivity, as well as a shortage of skilled technology professionals. Generally, the emergence of AI in the common space should be a tool we leverage to get ahead of the curve as I see this being used in the future.

It can be said that e-commerce has quite revolutionised the retail sector.

Does this pose as a challenge to supermarkets?

With the growth of online marketplaces and e-commerce platforms, consumers have more options than ever before when it comes to shopping for groceries and other consumer goods. However, I still believe that supermarkets provide an unmatched experience for consumers. Many consumers still prefer to shop for groceries in person, particularly for fresh produce and other perishable items. Supermarkets can leverage this preference by providing a seamless omnichannel experience that allows customers to shop online or in-store all the while also providing customers with personalised experiences and fostering digital engagements to build customer loyalty.

With data analytics coming into play as well, supermarkets can predict and deliver an experience that consumers would want to have.

What can supermarkets learn and borrow from e-commerce platforms in Africa?

the lead

I have played in the background for a long time and participating in CIO events has been a very good entry to the industry peers. I hope to gain more from these interactions and perhaps some trophies along the way.

As much as technology is becoming a norm, the support system around it is what needs a lot of investment. We are not only talking about the skills needed, but also, government incentives for trainings. When you release a tech invention, the bigger part of the success is the usage of that technology. You need to train your people and make them more aware. I think when we get to a point where the same way people operate social media platforms is the same way they navigate other systems banking on technology, then we would be further ahead. Like I said, many consumers still prefer to shop for groceries in person, particularly for fresh produce and other perishable items. Supermarkets can leverage this preference by providing a seamless omnichannel experience that allows customers to shop online or in-store.

However, to achieve that, we need the public to be more aware.

Maybe they can make it more fun the way social media platforms are doing it.

Yeah. You gamify things, you put in www.cioafrica.co | MARCH-APRIL 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵ 11

some competitions. We are building the innovations team and having a CTO run operations. It allows us to focus on enhancing the customer experience.

There are exciting things in the pipeline including gamifying how we operate as employees. We might also be working on a super app. You will see more about it soon.

What would you say drives and motivates you?

I am a curious mechanic, a term I picked up in my earlier years. Providing solutions and tech supported ones at that, drives me. I aspire to be a part of the digital disruption wherever I go.

Could you share an example of something that has challenged you, perhaps even to the point of failure?

I think challenges and successes go hand in hand. Project failures are always life lessons. I’ll give an example.

Four years ago, we felt it was a good time to do internal systems change at Naivas. The highlight of that project for me was that we were able to do it without closing any branch as we had around 60 branches at the time and had very little customer downtime.

However, it was during the pandemic.

The data analytics part, which was a big part of that project, did not go as planned. We reached a point where everyone was trained, but the existing experience needed to handle normal project management just didn’t work.

The biggest lesson from that was we need to be agile and flexible. That was a real struggle on the assumptions we made and the consequences of

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those decisions. We also learnt a lesson on how to balance business and technology.

Could you give us an example of a project you have worked on that was successful and you achieved what you set out to?

I would obviously talk about the project that got recognition at the dx100 Awards …! A while back, I did a lot of implementations for retail in systems.

When I was a real techie. There was a time when I was in Lusaka for over a month, and we essentially changed the business process and systems of that supermarket in that window. We talked solutions one week, and the next week was about providing the solution for it then the following week, we were talking about something else entirely.

the lead We did that project in a very short time and you couldn’t recognise that store two months later.

What would be your advice to young individuals who aim to one day be in the C-suite, like you?

Identify your interests early. If its tech, then identify it early, and choose an industry early so that you are not just oriented towards an industry, but you also have deep knowledge about said industry. It is also important to focus on yourself and your growth. The phrase ‘fail fast and fail forward’ resonates across all levels.

Aside from this, focus on building a strong foundation, develop your leadership skills, build a strong network, be adaptable, focus on adding value. That is my advice.

What do you do outside of work?

I enjoy playing football. I joined a group of older gents, and we play at Galleria. The younger ones outpace me now. I also enjoy road trips; I find driving calming even when at the karting track.

Do you follow the English Premier League?

Yeah. Actually, you will be surprised but I’m a fan of Tottenham Hotspurs.

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sacco news

ARTICLE by

STEVE MBEGO

The Rise Of Financial Inclusion With SACCOs If you walked around any of our events and randomly tapped someone on their shoulder, chances are they are in a Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO), and also know someone in a SACCO. As financial institutions owned and managed by its own members who share a common bond, such as working for the same employer or belonging to the same community, members who pool their savings and use these funds to provide affordable credit to each other find magic in financial inclusion.

SACCOs are increasingly playing a vital role in driving financial inclusion in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries. They are popular in African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Rwanda just to name a few. Africa has 37.8 million members according to latest data from the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU).

According to the World Bank, financial inclusion means individuals and businesses can access useful and affordable financial products and services meeting their needs, including transactions, payments, savings, credit, and insurance, delivered in a responsible and sustainable way. This access to a transaction account is the first step toward broader financial inclusion because it allows people to save, send and receive money.

African SACCOs are built like M-PESA – which is incidentally a fintech beloved by many when it comes to disbursing SACCO funds – to serve people excluded from traditional banking services such

as low-income earners, small business owners, and rural communities. With the charm of no assets as collateral, members can access credit using their deposits and security of guarantors.

It gives them financial power in a way banking does not seem to be able to.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most SACCOs operated in the traditional way that involved the filing of manual forms to apply for loans or physical visiting to offices to deposit funds. COVID ushered new social rules such as social distancing, lockdown, which forced many SACCOs to embrace technology to continue serving members. They adopted digital core banking systems, mobile banking technologies, web portals, online applications, digital customer support systems, and data analysis to roll out new services to members which helped expand reach hence deepen financial inclusion.

Henry Maisiba, ICT Manager at Kimisitu SACCO which currently houses over 11,400 members, a generous portion of whom are in the Diaspora says, “Before the pandemic, Kimisitu SACCO members used to fill physical loan forms and register for membership through physical forms. This changed completely to online after COVID-19 hit and now members make their loan applications online and new members register online. Therefore, I would put the percentage shift to 98 per cent from a meagre 30 per cent before the pandemic.

Through technology, SACCOs can offer tailored specific products and increase

their reach to new members. According to Maisiba, technology has enabled Kimisitu to, “Offer products that are accessible to everyone and some that are geared towards specific groups like chamas and farmers. Mobile banking has a deeper reach in society and hence easily accessible. This has made SACCOs reach far areas and serve members in far-flung areas. Mobile banking has allowed SACCOs to roll out more loan facilities and other services to the benefit of members.” Specific products such as the ones mentioned above help promote financial inclusion by making formal financial services available, accessible and affordable to all segments of the population. It ensures that economic growth performance is inclusive and sustained.

Kimisitu has also implemented a web portal where members can apply for their loan needs, check their statements, check their guarantor status, and request for changes to their accounts e.g., update of next of kin and beneficiary details. “This has gone a long way ensuring that members are easily able to reach their SACCO and make various applications from their comfort.

Kimisitu has also a portal where members of the public who wish to join the SACCO can register.”

Kelvin Ebole, ICT & Business Innovations Manager at Safaricom SACCO highlights that mobile banking and digital lending have provided a safe space for members to interact with their SACCOs and access facilities fast when in need and discreetly. “The idea of anywhere anytime banking has revolutionized not

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only SACCOs but financial institutions at large. Since the wake of COVID-19 for instance, Safaricom SACCO has doubled on its mobile loan adoption.

This has had a positive impact on Interest income in the last few years even though the interest rates were reviewed downwards to cushion or members from the COVID-19 effect. This in essence speaks to how availability of products and services can be heightened by properly executing a well thought out technological strategy.”

products, services geared towards individuals, groups, or whatever demographics we see fit. Data analytics will allow the SACCO an opportunity to dissect and understand further the needs as posed by their membership who fall in the traditionally excluded groups.”

But digital transformation for SACCOs is not without challenges with the main one being cybersecurity. Financial institutions are leading targets of cyber-attacks. SACCOs that invest in technology are, on the flip side, exposed to hackers who try to gain access to their core banking systems with the intent or stealing money or crucial data.

Technology has also enabled SACCOs to integrate their services with players in the fintech ecosystem like banks. For example, Kimisitu have an integration with Cellulant to enable our members pay for utility bills. The SACCO has also integrated with local Kenyan banks to enable its members transfer their funds to their bank accounts. This has enabled our members make these seamless transactions from their comfort hence efficiency.

Data analysis has enabled SACCOs to understand their customers better therefore accord them the right product and services. Ebole says, “Deploying various data analytical tools to your SACCO environment allows you to understand your member better.

This will assist you develop solutions,

Henry Maisiba, ICT Manager at Kimisitu SACCO

27th April 2023 NAIROBI, KENYA FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: customersuccess@dx5ve.com

A big challenge for SACCOs would, however, have to be the cost of acquiring the technology. Maisiba argues for this saying, “SACCOs can overcome the big budgets needed for service delivery through technology by continuously budgeting for technologies in phases, hence making it easy to achieve the goals.” Ebole highlights the need for SACCO CIOs to “Push the digital transformation agenda, punch on numbers and provide proper direction on the value of technology in a SACCO, the RoI that comes with it and the need to be aligned with the current trends in banking.”

TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY

ARTICLE by

KEVIN Namunwa

Embedding Fintech And E-Commerce Through Francophone Africa In our November 2022 issue, we highlighted the 45 Most Influential Women In Digital Transformation, Africa. Among the iron women that have contributed greatly to the growth of technology in the continent, was Sophia Alj, Co-Founder and COO of Chari (pronounced shee-rii).

Born and raised in Morocco, Alj has always been drawn to entrepreneurship.

Her dream has always been to create solutions that would benefit the community and improve the lives of its members. She got a shot at achieving this dream when she cofounded Chari with her husband, Ismael Belkhayat. The start-up was set up to help corner shops (your everyday kiosk just a stone’s throw away from your doorstep) in North Africa have a go at getting on the digital transformation bandwagon. Sophia believes the Mom and Pop Shops also need to benefit from technology and have a seamless working experience.

Who is Sophia Alj? I was born and raised in Morocco, grew up in Casablanca but travelled to study at the McGill University in Montreal Canada. I studied Civil Engineering then did my master’s in Management at ESCP Europe, Paris. I tried to learn all the skills I needed to become an entrepreneur as I knew very early on I wanted to become one.

Could you tell me more about Chari?

It is a start-up I co-founded with my husband in January 2020 with our client base built over that year. Our client base is basically Mom and Pops. We provide them with a B2B e-commerce app allowing them to order goods which are delivered the next day while they also

benefit from various financial services like payment facilities and micro credits. We have operations in Morocco, Tunisia, and Côte d’Ivoire and we aim to be a leader in the B2B e-commerce embedded with fintech space in Francophone Africa.

How was the experience of founding a start-up with your husband? Did having him as a partner make it easier for you?

It is very hard to be a solo founder because there’s so much you need to do.

I admire solo founders who have built their businesses from ground up alone.

It is a very difficult fete to achieve.

Ismael was already a tech entrepreneur with two successful projects. He had also built a web incubator that hosted several start-ups still growing. He has a lot of experience in the tech industry in Morocco, so of course, it made it simpler for me.

How does your partnership work?

We have clearly separated our tasks; he’s the CEO, and I’m the COO. Ismael is more in charge of things related to development, strategy, and fundraising, while I am in charge of the operations and the tech part of the business. We also have two separate offices where I’m close to operations which is where our warehouses are located - while he is at the city centre. We make it work by having clear responsibilities.

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What is it that attracted you to technology?

You can make your operations more efficient by adding the right technology to it. I am fascinated by process optimisation through disruptive technologies. When I was working at McKinsey & Company as a strategy consultant (before co-founding Chari), I worked on a digital transformation power and I really wanted to apply that in my start-up. With Chari, we have tried to digitise the whole value chain of the consumer goods industry by optimising the consumer experience from placing an order, following its preparation, all the way to the delivery of the order.

What is the big hairy problem you are looking to solve with Chari?

We want to help Mom & Pops fight competition coming from the modern trade. In emerging markets in Africa, these shops are part of our daily lives. We visit them every day to buy goods for our households. They know our families and are part of our communities. We decided to position Chari as a central purchasing body and a one-stop-shop for all these retailers.

We want to push it further by allowing them to have access to financial services and while at it, work on their financial inclusion.

In your opinion, what do you think is the scope of growth of e-commerce in

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North Africa?

In Africa today, around 80 per cent of the population have smartphones.

People have the tools to be online to consume goods through e-commerce.

The generation that was born during the smartphone era know how to navigate it more than the older generation. There is the rise of e-commerce in North Africa through different platforms improving convenience for the final consumer.

The education has started, people are using these services, they know it’s convenient and of course, there is a very high potential for growth in these regions.

There have been reports that B2C e-commerce platforms are not turning a profit. Why do you think this is so?

I think that one of the reasons they are not profitable is high logistic costs that cannot be covered by delivery fees. If you also think about other costs like back-office costs, it makes it that much more difficult for them to turn a profit. However, for Chari, we are a B2B e-commerce platform and not a marketplace. We buy goods from our suppliers, and thus benefit from a higher margin. The battle here is to improve your cost structure to make sure you deliver goods to your clients at a fair market price.

Doesn’t that require a lot of data, to know when your clients will need the goods?

It does, but now that’s where there’s the difference between B2B and B2C e-commerce. With B2B e-commerce, the average basket is much higher than the one for B2C clients so reaching profitability is sometimes easier. It is also easier to analyse data from B2B e-commerce clients.

Then, what do you think would work for B2C e-commerce?

Well, to improve profitability there are several things they would need to work on.

•

Improving your gross merchandise value (GMV) through improvements

in volumes and margins.

•

Cutting costs to ensure you have a cost structure that is reasonable.

•

And, B2C e-commerce platforms invest a lot in marketing and maybe re-targeting can help with their campaigns.

I, however, generally think the goal is getting higher baskets and getting customers to buy larger volumes.

More like what’s happening with B2B e-commerce.

Everything got bumped up for you after Y Combinator backed you up, as you acquired Axa Assurance’s credit arm and Diago (an Ivorian B2B e-commerce).

What difference did being backed by YC bring to Chari?

Getting to Y-Combinator was a success because it was a way to prove what we were building really made sense.

We were working for a billion-dollar company and by having people from Silicon Valley believing in us comforted us because we knew we had put our finger on the pulse of something great.

We were working very hard for that, and we were super happy to have Y-Combinator recognising it. We went through acceleration programmes and raised a round of funds through YC and investors we met during that period of time. That achievement showed that we had proof of concept, traction, and validation from international standards. After that we started to scale geographically as we expanded to other countries by acquiring companies.

We then made a move into the fintech space. 2021 was intense for Chari and we can only prospect for better things for the future.

Before people get successful at anything, they mostly go through failure which give them lessons. Could you give an example of a project you tried and got lessons from?

In fact, the great entrepreneurs I have met in my life are people who have not been successful all along. In my case, I would give the example of a project I

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started in Morocco immediately after coming back from studying in America.

I am passionate about travelling and after being abroad for some time, I realised that we had a beautiful country and I wanted to do something in tourism. So, I launched a start-up in tourism where I basically wanted people to experience short excursions. The idea was good, but I think the timing was not that good. I don’t see it as a failure but rather something unfinished that I would like to explore later.

What about an example of a project you have worked on that was successful?

With Chari, we are at the very beginning of the story, but I feel like we have been growing fast during the past three years and in my opinion, it’s already a great battle that we have won. We still have a lot of work to achieve but we believe in the future.

What drives you every day? What is your motivation?

The dream of building something that will have a true impact on the region, a social and economic impact. I want to leave a footprint that will be helpful for society by impacting start-ups in French-speaking African countries.

What is your message to young girls who look up to you?

Believe in yourself. We are all superwomen. Each one in their own special way and we need to believe in that, empower ourselves, and believe that we can build something great. We all have dreams, and we should not hesitate to try to make them come true.

I know it’s not easy; you need to put effort and hard work into it. I know it’s not easy.

What do you do outside work?

I am a mother of two, so I spend a lot of time with my kids; Malik and Leila. I also see Chari as my third child but that’s a story for another day. My hobbies are mostly outdoor activities. I like swimming, cycling, and running. I am also a sky diver.

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the round-up

What’s Trending

The Latest News From The Continent MARCH-APRIL 2023 2023 | CIO | CIO Africa Africa Magazine Magazine | by| dx⁵ by dx⁵ 22 www.cioafrica.co | FEBRUARY

ARTICLE by

STEVE MBEGO & KEVIN Namunwa

Liquid C2 launches third Cyber Security Fusion Centre in Zambia Liquid C2, a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, recently opened the Zambian Cyber Security Fusion Centre (CSFC) in Lusaka, making this the third centre of its kind in Africa.

“Zambia’s ongoing digital transformation has seen businesses increase their online service adoption to serve the growing cyberpopulation, meaning Zambian businesses are becoming increasingly high-risk targets for cyber-attacks. Our Cyber Security Fusion Centre will provide businesses with timeous responses to mitigate these attacks successfully, ensuring that their business is prepared to face current and even future threats,” said David Behr, CEO of Liquid C2.

In Zambia’s case, government research shows that 2021 saw over 10 million cyberattacks on citizens and businesses, including mobile money reversal scams, social media account hijacking, and fake product promotions and investment schemes.

Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science, Hon. Felix Mutati, announced last year that an increase in cybercrime is among the country’s biggest threats.

“Launching Liquid C2’s third Cyber Security Fusion Centre in Zambia is critical in safeguarding the country’s digital economy. Adding the Cyber Security Fusion Centre to the country’s cyber security infrastructure will strengthen our ability to protect vital small businesses from increasing cybercrime threats, as it focuses on bolstering the growth of the small businesses sector. The Centre will offer comprehensive cyber security services, including threat intelligence, detection, and incident response, customised to meet the requirements of businesses in Zambia. By providing these services, Liquid C2 aims to enable businesses of all sizes to concentrate on their growth without worrying about the escalating cyber security risks,” said Mark

Townsend, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Zambia.

This centre will prove invaluable in Liquid C2’s efforts to ensure Zambian customers have access to real-time intelligence-driven alerts and advisory services, enabling them to mitigate potential threats timeously. Most importantly, customers can focus on their critical business needs, while Liquid manages their customers’ cyber security requirements 24/7/365 with the most cost-efficient and effective approach.

The Zambian CSFC is the third in the matrix of security centres to be launched

by Liquid C2 in Africa. The centres are designed to allow the organisation an increasing oversight and understanding of the cyber threats its customers face in real-time. Liquid C2 relies on the data gathered from all the CFSCs and manages every element of cyber protection using this intelligence to build a mesh to identify, mitigate and protect businesses across the continent www.cioafrica.co | MARCH-APRIL 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵ 23

M-PESA Invests $2 Million In Shared Service Operations Centre

Safaricom PLC has launched the M-Pesa Africa Shared Service Operations Centre (SSOC) hosted Nairobi, to oversee service operations and technical support for 5 African markets.

The M-Pesa Africa SSOC will oversee service operations and technical support including incident monitoring and resolution, managing platform changes and upgrades, deployment of new features and capacity management, and coordination with technical vendors.

“For 16 years, M-Pesa has been at the core of our purpose to transform lives by using technology to connect customers to different opportunities.

The M-Pesa Africa SSOC builds on our purpose by enabling us to deliver a higher service quality and increased platform reliability as we expand to more markets and add more products to the platform,” said Peter Ndegwa, the CEO at Safaricom.

The M-Pesa SSOC will support M-Pesa operations in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Lesotho, Ghana as well as future markets the service expands to.

M-Pesa platform operations in the five markets were previously being handled across several points in Africa and Europe and the SSOC brings the entire platform in-house to a single point in Kenya for the first time.

“Financial services remain a priority for us as we drive financial and digital inclusion on the continent. The

launch of this Operations Centre is an important milestone and testament to our commitment to continue delivering innovative and cost-effective personal finance and business solutions that were previously difficult and cumbersome to acquire – further supporting us in connecting the next 100 million African customers,” said Shameel Joosub, CEO, Vodacom Group.

M-Pesa Africa has invested more than $2 million into the SSOC and is part of the company’s transition to a digital cloud-based platform. The new M-Pesa platform is designed to be scalable and offer the entire range of products and services across all markets, support integration of new products and services as well as leveraging emerging technologies in areas such as Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.

“We are delighted to launch the M-Pesa Africa Shared Service Operations Centre which empowers us to provide 24/7 monitoring and support to operations and services across different markets.

The Shared Service Operations Centre strengthens our position as Africa’s largest fintech and digital ecosystem, bringing us closer to our vision of one M-Pesa, providing one platform and unified operations across all our markets. It will enable us to deliver increased reliability, a more robust platform, faster upgrade and change management as we transition to a fully digital ecosystem connecting customers and businesses across the continent,” said Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, MD, M-Pesa Africa.

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Remittances Play a Powerful Role in Consumers’ Financial Planning As global populations navigate macroeconomic headwinds, consumers expect remittances to play an even stronger role in their current and future financial planning. According to Western Union’s inaugural Global Money Transfer Index, 64 per cent of global money transfer consumers send and/or receive money once a month or more. Over the next 12 months, 75 per cent expect these remittances to increase.

The Global Money Transfer Index asks consumers how, when, and why they use international money transfer capabilities today, as well as their expectations for tomorrow. Surveying 30,600 consumers in 20 countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, it is the largest consumer research published by a money transfer operator. The results bolster Western Union’s ‘Evolve 25’ strategy to combine high-value, accessible retail, and digital financial services for all.

Focus on Africa In Africa, five key markets were surveyed. These are South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and Morocco.

According to the findings, most of Africa’s consumers (62 per cent) receive money transfers at least once a month or more. Fifty-nine percent send funds across borders at the same rate. Over the next 12 months, more than threequarters of Africa’s receivers (78 per cent) expect these remittances to increase.

The Global Money Transfer Index shows that economic challenges such as higher global cost of living mean 81 per cent of receiving consumers (compared to 79 per cent globally) across the African continent are asking senders for more money. For the same reason, 72 per cent of African senders (71 per cent, globally) agree they are sending more

transfer services at all, trust and customer experience are identified as top barriers—along with a preference to seek face-to-face interaction—among both senders and receivers.

When consumers look to the future, however, the picture changes. Almost half, 49 per cent of consumers in Africa (52 per cent, globally), want a choice in platforms when transferring or collecting. Bridging the digital with in-person experiences will significantly broaden the consumer financial ecosystem.

than previously. This may contribute to why consumers state frequency and volume of remittances are primarily influenced by family requirements, despite common perception that remittances are driven by when salaries are received.

“The Index tells us that the cost-ofliving squeeze across Africa means consumers are relying on money transfers as their daily lives have become more challenging,” said Mohamed Touhami el Ouazzani, Head of Africa at Western Union. “As consumers tell us that the remittances they receive will need to increase, it is imperative for money transfer providers to stay agile, and support consumers on their journey.”

While family support is identified as the main purpose for remitting, consumers say transfers also play a strong role in future financial planning. Paying for education costs ranks second highest as a reason consumers remit money.

Supporting business interests at home and saving for the future are cited by consumers as critical reasons too.

Maximizing opportunity during times of instability Consumers also demonstrate that they keep a sharp eye on how their local currency performs back home. In a bid to maximise on opportunity, 67 per cent of consumers in Africa (68 per cent,

globally) send more money when the currency value falls in their receiving country. Sixty-five percent of receivers across the region agree that when currency values fall, they receive more money.

Currency fluctuations are front-of-mind for consumers. When asked about the future, 84 per cent (79 per cent, globally) of senders want money transfer brands to offer an additional service notifying them when relevant currency values begin to shift so they can plan transfers accordingly. Achieving better service and greater value also reflects in how consumers determine which money transfer brands to use. Criteria such as achieving the best exchange rate, ensuring lowest or no charges paid by receivers and speed of transfers sit in the top three.

Digital today, choice tomorrow Industry research shows that there are over five billion internet users in the world today, growing at an annual rate of 1.9 per cent. This growth rate is even higher in developing economies. In sync with this, the Index highlights that over half (58 per cent) of Africa’s consumers want to use digital-only solutions for their money movement needs.

However, three billion people remain unconnected, so there is much more to do to achieve true digital equity. Of those who choose not to use digital

“Combining digital and physical experiences is the power behind Western Union’s strategy,” said Ouazzani. “If we want to maximise financial inclusion, we must offer consumers diverse options when moving money. This is vital if we want to create long-lasting relationships with consumers and make meaningful impact in communities.”

Innovation sits high on consumers’ agenda Consumer preferences will continue to spur innovation within the financial services industry. When asked how they would like remittances to evolve, the focus is on advances that will enable even greater convenience, better planning, and inclusivity.

74 per cent of senders and receivers across Africa are frustrated with repetitive and time-consuming paperwork (72 per cent, globally). In fact, 83 per cent of senders in Africa (79 per cent, globally) would prefer facial recognition/biometric technology for instant and reliable registration.

Seventy-eight percent of receivers in Africa also want their funds to be disbursed on a prepaid card or e-wallet that does not require a bank account, as well as the option of receiving in different currencies (90 per cent). 85 per cent of all consumers surveyed in the region are also eager for integrated ‘super’ apps, allowing them to manage remittances alongside other financial products with ease.

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ARTICLE by

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MICHAEL MICHIE

thinking aloud

Going Into The Cloud What is getting in the way of your migration to cloud? Come let us sit and reason together.

The easiest way to go cloud is to adopt an already existing cloud solution. This, most commonly, has been through e-mail and document storage. Think Gmail and Dropbox. This small step into cloud pales in comparison to the monumental task organisations face moving their own applications to the cloud. Whether these applications are built in house or from a third party, the migration is tediously expensive, and often fails even though the applications do end up on cloud.

The why - why do we move to cloud?

- has been discussed, and its value is known to all. However, the how - how do we move to cloud? - is the thing we often get wrong. The question now becomes; how do you move to cloud or, to go deeper we can ask - is there a right way to move to cloud?

The traditional model of cloud migration looks something like this; with a significant focus on the implementation and the rest split between architecture and design. This very model is why so many organisations now are feeling the cost and scaling burden while on cloud.

It is why they are considering things such as hybrid solutions (mixing cloud and on prem).

But, inverting the model gives us our priorities as it should be for a cloud migration. Shifting the focus towards architecture and design means there is less work on implementation.

More importantly, that you can build something robust and malleable enough to change.

With four main types of cloud migration, this model would work well on all the types: 1. Traditional Cloud Migration 2. Language Migration 3. Structural Migration (microservices)

4. Cloud Modernisation (serverless) Understanding the type of migration is essential to success or failure. An organisation may perform two such migrations together i.e., language and structural migration as a pair. Given that most organisations run monoliths on-prem before moving to cloud, their journey would begin with the traditional migration of taking a monolith to cloud.

Then after having it on cloud, struggle to change it to modular monolith and to a microservice type cloud estate.

This journey to cloud could be due to the size and complexity of the monolith, or not having all your dependencies ready for cloud. However, it can be overcome using MVMs (Minimum Viable Migrations). Traditionally, our migration to cloud was built on waterfall methodology and this also led us to using cloud with a waterfall mindset, no matter how hard we hid behind fancy terminology and team structures of agile.

If your move to cloud was waterfall, you will operate as such. And this dooms you to the cries that ultimately follow stating cloud is not for you because it is too expensive, does not scale, and has become too complex and many more.

A lot of reasons to leave cloud can be traced to having a direct link to how you moved into cloud.

The goal of MVM is to migrate the minimum amount of data, applications, and infrastructure required to provide value to the business while minimising the risks and costs associated with migration. Combining this with an event-driven architecture to guide your structural migration also adds to the overall success of the migration.

MVMs allow you to start small and scale the migration over time. Continuous design change will ensure you are

flexible enough to meet changes not as blockers, but as opportunities to optimise.

A critical part of MVM is the bridge.

This is what allows for communication between what you have on-prem and what is on cloud. The bridge allows a bi-directional flow of events between the domains and means there will be little need for heaps of data migration down the line. MVM also has a scoping phase that requires eight-week cycles to build, should have known ROI, should be injectable, should have known risk and dependencies and should relate to one bounded context.

Yet another key component to this migration is understanding the effects of the migration to the organisations culture, people, processes, policies, and structure. If you think cloud migration is tech only, then you will fail when it comes to being on cloud. Cloud is best designed for the automation of processes. On cloud automation is one way to validate that you built for cloud, that you are utilising cloud, reducing risk on cloud and becoming a transformed organisation. An example is in deployment, automated pipelines for continuous delivery will have no need for a CAB (change approval board). If you have one, consider that a huge risk.

Cloud migration is more like continuous delivery, an always ongoing task that strives to move from monolith through a few phases and end up at serverless cloud adoption (or whatever will come after serverless). Additional incorporation of game development pipeline (such as vertical slices) also adds value to cloud migration. With these tools in place, the question that remains for you should only be - what is your barrier to cloud adoption?

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Innovative · Safe · Connected

Johannesburg – Gauteng – 1st and 2nd June 2023 Ballito – Kwazulu Natal – 6th June 2023 Cape Town – Western Cape – 8th June 2023

Overview New technologies continue to play an important role in the evolving healthcare landscape. While the sector presents exciting opportunities for innovation, it is imperative that healthcare professionals remain at the forefront of these trends to leverage these opportunities for improving the quality and effectiveness of healthcare delivery.

A deeper understanding of changing patient needs, new regulations and policies and technology disruption is central in enhancing the patient experience and delivery of services. This is why attending the Smart Health Summit is a MUST! The Smart Health Summit will provide unparalleled opportunities to develop new ideas, build sustainable collaborations and enhance your reputation as an influencer.

During the event, your association will have: •

Opportunities to meet, share best practices and advance your knowledge by exchanging information with others from different specialities and organizations who are addressing similar challenges.

•

Powerful insights from industry experts that can help you identify the most critical elements for digital transformation success.

•

Access to interactive roundtables, workshops and plenary sessions led by expert speakers and technologists

•

The space to debate, discuss and exchange ideas during networking breaks and over lunch by meeting with event attendees to help discover partnerships, pinpoint areas of collaboration and focus topics for follow up conversation.

•

The freedom to explore a digital universe of healthcare using hands-on demonstrations outside of formal presentations featuring the latest applications, devices and techniques developed specifically for the sector.

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ARTICLE by

ROBERT YAWE

hard talk

If Data Is The New Oil, When Do We Go Green?

Perhaps we need to treat data with a little more care. It is, after all, just as precious as the environment.

The relationship between oil and data is becoming uncannily similar in all facets; from what it costs to extract them, to how they are consumed.

Does that mean it is time to equate it to something more environmentally sustainable? We have, for years now, been equating data to oil. Yet, over the same period, there has been a move to eliminate oil from our lives due to the environmental and human damage it causes a situation we are now experiencing with data.

As our demand for storage of data has increased, so too has the consumption of carbon-based fuels needed to keep that storage powered - be it for our phones, or the huge centralised cloud storage facilities. Some of the latter consume more power than certain entire African countries, yet I haven’t even gotten to processing.

Data is the basic building block for information and knowledge just like crude oil is the core of our modern lifestyles with both having negative impact on the environment as well as the human. This might explain why we are so comfortable equating them as similar if not identical.

Pollution today doesn’t only mean the spewing of dangerous gases into the

air. Gases which can damage human lungs. It also refers to the spewing of information extracted from data that affects the minds of innocent civilian consumers, both of which remain unseen until they manifest in different ways.

The similarity of data and oil was best experienced during the 6 January 2021 raid on The Capitol Building. Based on questionable information due to the unverified data upon which it was extracted.

I suspect the ease with which such a large group of otherwise sane people reacting unreasonably to a tweet could be attributed to pollutants in the air from the burning of fossil fuels. All which serve to affect the human brain.

But then, I am simply speculating.

In the past, crude oil was the cause of many proxy wars. Today, it is data. Such as data from the past four disputed elections in Kenya, all of which had a minuscule technology component namely transmission of backup results.

The latter was based on the unfounded belief someone was physically sitting inside the servers and altering the results, thus the demand for servers to be opened.

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Just like with the crude oil extracted from the bowels of most African countries which is then shipped out for processing into useful products; that are then imported back for consumption, so too is what is happening with Africa’s data. It is being shipped out to be stored and processed into information in foreign nations over fibre optic pipelines.

In much the same way most oil producing African countries are clueless of the real value of the crude they ship out, so, too, is the case of our data. The data we keep sharing and is stored in foreign servers.

By equating this data to oil, we sanitise the process of the release of our data to foreign players who are then able to manipulate our thinking, as was seen with the Cambridge Analytica’s manipulation of Kenya’s elections, an issue that we still refuse to address.

As of now, the current US President Joe Biden is looking to stop TikTok, a platform allowing youth to share goofy dance moves, from operating in the States while claiming the data it collects can be used to compromise the security of the US. What about the security of Kenya and other countries?

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