Uber Launches A Suite of New Product and Safety Features Across SSA #UberSSA @Uber_RSA

Hi Friends, 

Today Uber announced the launch of multiple new products and features which are going live this month in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria. The launch, which took place simultaneously across various locations in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), also showcased Audio Recording, the latest addition to its suite of safety features.

Speaking at the event, General Manager for Uber SSA, Kagiso Khaole said the brand is pleased to be expanding into eight more cities during September across Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana.

“As we gear ourselves to mark our 10th year anniversary next year, we are excited about moving into more cities enabling people to go anywhere and can get anything. Our commitment to raising the bar on safety remains relentless and we continue to work hard to grow the over 3 million earnings opportunities we have created thus far.”

Eight new cities and counting

Uber will now be operational in Owerri and Akure in Nigeria; Eldoret, Kisumu, Nakuru and Naivasha in Kenya; and Tamale and Sunyani in Ghana. These expansions are a testament to Uber’s commitment to the region and signal more opportunities for more drivers to earn, while riders have convenient and reliable travel options at the tap of a button. In these expansions, Uber brings a diverse product mix that is able to best serve the needs of the city residents.

More economical options for riders

To help reduce costs for riders and increase demand for drivers, Uber is launching UberX Share in Ghana and Nigeria and Uber ChapChap Share in Kenya. Uber’s shared rides offering allows riders to save up to 30% of the trip fare when matched with a co-rider heading in the same direction, and where a match is not possible, they will still be able to save 5% from their ride.

“The introduction of UberX Share allows us to proudly demonstrate the power of our platform, understanding the ability to match rider destinations while delivering convenience and affordability. We are a global company that builds locally; and in Ghana, we tapped into the local culture of car-pooling when moving around, which makes this product a great fit for the market,” says Khaole.

Travelling across the city with an entire crew has never been easier, with the launch of UberXL in Nairobi, Kenya. This option provides seating for up to six people which is great for airport and business trips where extra luggage space may be required. In South Africa, riders can now reserve their group travel 30 days in advance with UberXL Reserve and Uber Van Reserve.

Uber Comfort, which is currently available in South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire, will now be available in Ghana. This bespoke offering is designed for riders looking for an upgrade to their everyday ride with extra comfort. Drivers on Uber Comfort are known to provide excellent service while exhibiting friendliness, courtesy and professionalism.

Uber Connect, one of the app’s most popular products available in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ghana; will soon be available in two additional cities in Nigeria. Uber Connect is an on-demand delivery solution that allows users to send and receive packages with speed. The feature comes built-in with a PIN verification providing users peace of mind that their package is being delivered to the right person.

Taking a stand for safety

“Safety is at the core of how we do business and we are proud to announce three new safety features to help improve the experience of users”, says Khaole.

Audio Recording pilot in South Africa: Uber will now allow riders and drivers to use the app to record and share audio of their trip as evidence in the case of a safety incident - something that drivers have been asking for based on their feedback from roundtable sessions. This new opt-in audio recording feature, which is being piloted in Pretoria and Johannesburg, has been successful in the US and Latin American regions where Uber has a presence.

In-app emergency service in Nigeria: Uber is working with Sety in Nigeria, to provide on-demand security and medical response for riders and drivers while on a trip. This collaboration will also provide access to a private security response unit closest to their location, using a connected device.

Safety Check Up across SSA: This feature encourages riders to complete their safety profile by turning on and utilising the available features such as Trusted Contacts, PIN verification and RideCheck. This is available in all the countries within SSA where Uber operates.

Delivery innovations

At the launch, Uber Eats reinforced its aspiration of building an app of the future by creating a virtual mall experience that goes beyond just food. “Other categories we have ventured into include convenience stores, pharmacy outlets, alcohol and retail and this shows us that the possibilities are endless,” says Cikida Gcali-Mabusela, Head of New Verticals for Uber Eats Sub-Saharan Africa.

Uber Eats continues to push beyond boundaries with the adoption of the growing trend of dark stores, which gives non-traditional merchants opportunities to tap into unchartered markets that they wouldn’t have easily accessed.

Uber Eats currently operates in South Africa and Kenya. Kui Mbugua, General Manager for Uber Eats Kenya says, ‘With a 67% year-on-year growth of subscriptions on Eats, we are humbled and encouraged by the expansion that we have seen in the South Africa and Kenya markets.

“The future of logistics and technology in emerging markets looks promising. Our overall vision continues to be to build locally using global experience and become a one-stop shop for delivery needs. Not only is Uber Eats creating unique earning opportunities, but our operations also have a positive knock-on effect on restaurants, merchants, and delivery people. Looking ahead, we are committed to leading the category by investing in product and access, while leveraging the power of the platform,” concludes Kui.

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #10YearsofTheLifesWay. Support me if you want with USD 10 - https://www.patreon.com/TheLifesWay Namaste!

Quam's Money Debuts on @NetflixSA #QuamsMoney

Hi Friends, 

Another film that forms part of the historic West African Film Fund, QUAM’S MONEY will debut on Netflix today, Friday, 6 August 2021.

The film is a sequel to 2018’s “New Money,” and tells the story of Quam Omole (played by Falz), a security guard-turned-millionaire, whose life is thrown in chaos after he loses N500 million to a group of fraudsters.

Quam, with the help of a few friends, is willing to do anything and everything to get his money back.

The movie is produced by Inkblot productions, directed by Kayode Kasum and written by Chinaza Onuzo. It stars an ensemble cast of actors including Falz, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Williams Uchemba, Toni Tones, Michelle Dede, Karibi Fubara, Buchi Ojieh, with Jemima Osunde and Blossom Chukwujekwu also reprising their roles from the first movie.

Released in cinema in Nigeria in December 2020, the film achieved great success and had many glowing reviews.

Catch this hilarious action-comedy on Netflix from today, Friday, 6 August 2021.

See the trailer here - https://youtu.be/dUp8Gz5ErVw

Cheers!!!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your brand, services and products. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts and subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel too. Namaste! 

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay

What Can SA and Nigeria Do To Grow Faster? @HoganLovells

Hi Friends, 

The heads of state of sub-Saharan Africa’s two biggest countries – Nigeria and South Africa – met earlier in October as part of continuing bilateral engagements aimed at strengthening and deepening cooperation between the two countries.

Pres. Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and pres. Cyril Ramaphosa noted “with great satisfaction the economic cooperation between the two Republics and welcomed the steps to increase trade volumes as well as private sector investments”, according to a joint statement.

The visit comes at a time when the two economic giants of the region are struggling.

Growth in sub-Saharan Africa remained slow through 2019, hampered by persistent uncertainty in the global economy and the slow pace of domestic reforms, and the recovery in Nigeria, South Africa, and Angola – the region’s three largest economies – has remained weak and is weighing on the region’s prospects.

This is according to Africa’s Pulse, the World Bank’s twice-yearly economic update for the region, which says that overall growth in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to rise to 2.6 percent in 2019 from 2.5 percent in 2018, which is 0.1 percentage points lower than the April forecast.

Andrew Skipper, partner and head of Africa at Hogan Lovells

Global uncertainty is taking a toll on growth, but in Nigeria, growth in the non-oil sector has been sluggish, while in Angola the oil sector remained weak. In South Africa, low investment sentiment is weighing on economic activity, according to the report. Economic growth in Nigeria and South Africa remains sluggish and has been lowered from the forecast in April.

To accelerate the pace of economic growth structural reform and policy certainty in both Nigeria and South Africa are needed.

Buhari and Ramaphosa reaffirmed their commitment to working together in pursuit of economic development on the continent in the context of AU Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).

Agenda 2063 is Africa’s blueprint for transforming Africa into the “global powerhouse of the future”.

The aspirations of the 2063 Agenda include “an integrated continent, politically united based on the ideals of Pan Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance”; and an Africa “of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law”.

The impact of the AfCFTA Agreement is certainly potentially and theoretically huge for an “integrated” Africa and seeks in grand scale to unite 1.2 billion people, around 54 nations and a gross domestic product (GDP) of more than US$ 3.4 trillion under a single tariff-free continental market.

There is no doubt that it is critical, at a time when intra-African trade amounts to only 15% of the world’s GDP, as compared with 67% in Europe. The lack of scale of most independent countries on the continent inhibits growth (and especially the development of in-country industrial base), it is cheaper to get some ingredients from China than the next-door neighbour.

The AfCTCA has lofty ambitions to deal with these issues, especially to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers and increase intra-Africa trade to 50% by 2063.

Trade in Africa is one of the driving forces of integration on the continent and is crucially important for the economic development of the region and the establishment of the AfCFTA will support a further increase in intra-Africa trade.

Agenda 2063 also mentions “the Rule of Law”. The strength of the Rule of Law in a country ranks among the top three considerations when multinationals make decisions about where to locate foreign direct investment, which is crucial to economic growth. The consideration of the Rule of Law is above considerations such as the cost of doing business and access to national and regional markets, which is some of the findings of "Risk and Return: Foreign Direct Investment and the Rule of Law".

Hogan Lovells alongside the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law and the Investment Treaty Forum at BICIL, the Economist Intelligence Unit and the British Institute of International Comparative Law published Risk and Return in 2015, based on a survey of over 300 senior decision-makers at Forbes 2000 companies with global annual revenues of at least US$1 billion.

Where investors experienced Rule of Law challenges – particularly political instability, arbitrary or discriminatory treatment, and intellectual property violations – it also revealed that they are liable to reduce or even withdraw investment. 

There are other challenges in the two economic giants of sub-Saharan Africa, but progress towards higher economic growth can be made by, amongst others, driving clear strategy and policy, putting predictable regulations in place, and controlling corruption.

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to collaborate on your products, events, and services. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra!

@AcerAfrica Announces New Head of Commercial - Vic Brits #SouthAfrica #SSA

Hi Friends, 

Acer Africa has announced its new appointment for Head of Commercial in the Sub-Saharan region. Vic Brits will lead the commercial sector of the business, as he aims to increase Acer’s market share in the Southern African Development Community [SADC] and in the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise [SME] market in South Africa, alongside Acer’s channel ecosystem.

Early career

 
Brits ‘first position in sales was selling high-tech Test & Measurement equipment used to analyze and maintain process control and IT systems. Brits say, “This role taught me to apply my technical knowledge in order for me to more effectively manage complex sales cycle while learning to better understand customer needs in real-world environments. This was my first introduction to customer-centric solutions.

Brits experienced a transformation early on in his fast-developing career shortly after Compaq merged with Digital Equipment Corporation [DEC] in 1998. The transition from X86 systems to Unix system sales, was a significant technology advancement, expanding both, his technical knowledge, as well as his ability to understand the complexities surrounding integrated systems.

Brits still attribute this time in his career as one of his highlights, next to relocating to Lagos for two years in the early 2000s to set up a new subsidiary for HP in Nigeria, “This experience presented a definite challenge as I was exposed to different cultures and new business environments which laid a solid foundation for my future forays in cross-continental trade.” 

 

Values and mission
Brits say, “Being part of Acer, a globally established technology brand, has definitely encouraged and motivated me to apply my past experiences to further enhance what Acer has already instituted thus far.”

With this in mind, Brits believe that the most important factor in building a team is selecting people with the right attitude. Everything else can be taught, but the right attitude is an integral requirement for successful collaboration in a results-driven environment.

“To me, success is not only achieving business and personal objectives that I have set for myself but also being able to maintain a healthy work/life balance in the process,” he adds. Brits practice positivity throughout their professional and personal life and believe that positive thoughts lead to positive actions and progressive outcomes.

Acer Africa is delighted to welcome Brits to the local family and looks forward to seeing what the brand has to offer in the near future. For more information, follow Acer Africa on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

 

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

Introducing the Uber Lost & Found Index @Uber_RSA #LostandFound

Hi Guys, 

Everyone has experienced that moment of panic when you realize you forgot a personal item on a plane, bus, train, taxi and in many cases, your Uber. To acknowledge Uber’s most forgetful riders, and to prepare for Mercury falling into Retrograde in just over a week, we’ve created The Uber Lost & Found Index.

The Uber Lost & Found Index is a snapshot of our riders’ most commonly forgotten items, - from keys to chargers to wallets - and the most surprising items left behind. It also highlights which areas are most likely to forgetfulness, and which days of the week Uber riders tend to be most forgetful.

We found that phones and rings are the two most commonly forgotten items, with chargers and sunglasses rounding out the top 10. Riders have also left everything from licences and potted plants, to pool sticks and kites. Our riders never cease to amaze us!

Coming in at the top list of the most forgetful cities in South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria is Cape Town. And which day of the week do Uber riders tend to be most forgetful? We see the most reports on Sundays, presumably from items lost the night before. The full results are below. Take a look.

10 Most Commonly Forgotten Items in Ubers

• Phone
• Ring
• Keys
• Wallet
• Glasses
• Purse
• License /ID
• Gloves/ Glove
• Charger
• Sunglasses

50 Most Unique Items Forgotten in Ubers

1. Paintings
2. Diamond earring
3. Payslip
4. Guitar
5. Engagement Ring
6. Welcome Mat
7. School Papers
8. Chair
9. Laser
10. Nik Naks
11. Laptop Bag
12. Pool stick
13. Smoke Machine
14. Passports
15. Pearl Earrings
16. Wedding Outfit
17. Hard drive
18. Pram
19. Police Uniform
20. Fifty Shades of Grey Boxset
21. Panado
22. Braai
23. Meat boerewors pack
24. Bread board
25. Wooden Clog
26. Lottery ticket
27. Back massage device
28. Rose Tree
29. Mustard
30. Marketing 101 Textbook
31. Elf costume
32. Tap shoes
33. Expensive slipper
34. Harry Potter Glasses
35. Green Pesto
36. Kite
37. Super Hero Cape
38. Potted plant
39. iPad
40. Dog Jersey
41. Contact Lenses
42. Pink Floyd Vinyl
43. One Direction Concert Tickets
44. Arm sling
45. Cleaning Mop
46. Vacuum Cleaner
47. Jewelry Box
48. Money Bag
49. Violin
50. Umbrella

Most common days to report items as lost:

• Sunday
• Saturday
• Friday
• Monday
• Thursday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday

Most forgetful days in 2016 (days items were reported as lost):

• October 30
• December 11
• December 18
• December 4
• November 20

We also looked at lost items that are most commonly forgotten on each day of the week, compared to how frequently they’re reported as lost on the other days. Here’s what we found:

• On Sundays, we see the biggest spike in lost mobile phones.
• On Mondays, we see the biggest spike in lost skateboards.
• On Tuesdays, we see the biggest spike in lost swimsuits.
• On Wednesdays, we see the biggest spike in lost notebooks.
• On Thursdays, we see the biggest spike in lost suitcases.
• On Fridays, we see the biggest spike in lost briefcases.
• On Saturdays, we see the biggest spike in lost plane tickets.

If you’re one of those people who left something behind, look no further than this video, which outlines the simple steps you can take the next time you leave something behind in your Uber. Follow the brand on

Facebook: /Uber_RSA
Twitter: @Uber_RSA
Instagram: @Uber_RSA

 

Cheers!!!

 

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to blog, share and influence about your products and services on all my Social Media channels #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra !