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Ralph Mupita is the new MTN Group President and CEO

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MTN Group today announced that the current group CFO of MTN Group, Ralph Mupita, has been appointed as the new group president and CEO with effect from 1 September 2020. Ralph has served as the MTN Group CFO since April 2017 and has played a critical role in the development and execution of the group’s strategy, capital allocation processes, financial performance as well as in the resolution of a number of complex regulatory matters.  

MTN Group chairman Mr Mcebisi Jonas said: “After a rigorous and extensive search process, we are pleased to have appointed someone of Ralph’s calibre, experience and ability to fill the group president and CEO position. Ralph’s experience as the group CFO, strong knowledge of our businesses and markets, as well as successful background in financial services, M&A and emerging markets, place him in an excellent position to lead the growth and sustainability of the business going forward.”

Ralph is a graduate of the University of Cape Town with a degree in Engineering and an MBA. Prior to joining MTN Group, Ralph was the CEO of Old Mutual Emerging Markets for five years, a business that provided financial services to individuals and corporates across 19 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia, managing over R1 trillion of customer assets under management at the time.

Commenting on his appointment, Ralph said: “Leading a business with MTN Group’s history, scale and socio-economic impact is a privilege and honour, and I look forward to working with the group board and executive committee in driving growth and unlocking value for shareholders and broader stakeholders.”

“MTN Group is well positioned to take advantage of the digital acceleration shifts and opportunities across our markets, and we are well placed to play an important and leading role in digital and financial inclusion of the African continent, working with our stakeholders and partners.

The current group president and CEO, Rob Shuter, will step down from his executive responsibilities on 31 August 2020 and will thereafter support Ralph as required until the end of his fixed-term contract early next year.

An update regarding the GCFO position will be made on or before 1 September 2020.

NordVPN launches a cloud storage

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The company behind NordVPN called NordSec, that also runs NordLocker a file encryption tool has introduced a cloud storage add-on. The service sets new guidelines for the way cloud storage providers will treat client data later on. The encryption tool has its own cloud storage feature offering all-around encryption of users’ data.

“NordLocker took a challenge to revise and turn round existing cloud storage practices. Encrypting files first and uploading them to the cloud of the same provider helps to avoid the involvement of third-party vendors. All that can be done with a single move of drag and drop,” says Oliver Noble, an encryption specialist at NordLocker.

User privacy is enhanced on both the device and in the cloud, as both share the same encryption standards. Moreover, the files are synchronized across all the devices of the user, but nobody besides the owner can access the data.

“NordLocker is not just another cloud storage. It is an encryption tool that offers cloud storage for your files. We believe it’s better. Most cloud storage solutions encrypt only the storage itself, leaving files behind,” says Oliver Noble.

Why one needs NordLocker

NordLocker is perfect both for personal use and handling work-related data. In the wrong hands, private files, such as photos, videos, cryptocurrencies, notes, and other types of data, can be viewed or stolen.

“In 2017, pictures of A-list celebrities were leaked from their iCloud. No compromising pictures would have reached the public eye if the files had been encrypted,” said Oliver Noble.

Beside personal use, NordLocker is a must-have for companies storing their clients’ financial, legal, or medical records or deal with any other confidential information. In case of a breach, the encrypted data remains safe and private. That’s because NordLocker’s cryptosystem uses the most advanced ciphers and principles, featuring Argon2, AES-256, and ECC (with XChaCha20, EdDSA, and Poly1305).

NordLocker features zero-knowledge privacy. “Your data is not our business. Our encryption system is designed in a way that prevents us from seeing what you keep,” says Oliver Noble.

NordLocker’s main features:

  • Drag-and-drop encryption
  • Protection with a single master password
  • Confidential cross-platform synchronization
  • Encrypted files can be stored on the computer or in the cloud
  • Accessible on an unlimited number of devices
  • Powerful state-of-the-art encryption (AES-256, ECC, Argon2)
  • Zero-knowledge architecture

Running on both Windows and macOS, NordLocker supports files of any type. With a free version of NordLocker, users get 3GB of cloud storage. Premium users can enjoy 500GB of encrypted cloud storage. NordLocker’s business solution has free and paid versions as well.

With the introduction of cloud storage in its file encryption tool, NordSec strives to provide an all-around cybersecurity package. Last year, the company launched a business VPN solution NordVPN Teams and a password manager NordPass.

Microsoft Finally Kills Out of Date Internet Explorer

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In a blog post yesterday, Microsoft announced that Microsoft 365 apps and services will no longer support Internet Explorer 11 (IE 11) in favour of the revamped Microsoft Edge browser. IE 11 is the last update to the memorable browser from 2013 that windows introduced to us some 25 years ago. Microsoft 365 apps and services includes all windows apps.

“Today, we’re announcing that Microsoft 365 apps and services will no longer support Internet Explorer 11 (IE 11) by this time next year” reads the announcement which further reveals that beginning November 30, 2020, the Microsoft Teams web app will no longer support IE 11, and beginning August 17, 2021, the remaining Microsoft 365 apps and services will no longer support IE 11.

For the individuals or devices that will still have the application installed in their computers, the blog post assures that they will have what they have called a “degraded experience” where new features will not be available or existing features will not work. They will also not be able to connect to Microsoft 365 apps and services.

“While we know this change will be difficult for some customers, we believe that customers will get the most of Microsoft 365 when using the new Microsoft Edge” it reads.

According to the announcement, the decision to abandon IE 11 results from the fact that the internet is more sophisticated today, with open web standards and newer browsers that have “enabled better, more innovative online experiences.”

Shop From The US or UK And Have Your Goods Shipped to Uganda

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For many years now, many Ugandans have been fans of purchasing and importing goods from abroad but because of the various hindrances associated with it, many have been discouraged from purchasing the things they love, when they love them and had resorted to sending friends, family and colleagues that often travel.

This has been the case especially when it comes to shopping from stores like Amazon, Fashionova, eBay, and Walmart among others. These stores don’t ship to Uganda, and that had become a very big problem to perpetual shoppers of authentic goods, but not any more.

With 2Gule, that hustle is over with as they provide you with a cheap, fast, and reliable way to shop from your best International store(s) and have your goodies shipped in with the click of a button.

The 2GULE platform is here to help you buy what you want, when you want, at the best price & have it delivered straight to you in Uganda. There is no need to give up & settle for counterfeit products on the market because you can’t get what you want from the USA, UK or Canada so get around shipping restrictions once and for all.

How 2Gule works

Go online & look for the products you want to buy, and then visit the 2Gule website www.2gule.com where you can send them a link to your product or just a simple description of the items you want to buy from stores in the USA, UK & Canada.

Afterwards, they will send you a quotation with the total cost including; Cost of product, shipping costs, and taxes on arrival. After which, you can then pay 60% of the total price for which they buy, ship & pay taxes on arrival, all in under 14-21 days upon receiving the goods at their 2GULE warehouse in the US.

You can then pay the 40% after receiving your product from #2GULE. You receive an email you as soon as your purchased goods have arrived at their offices in the US and you can then either choose to let them know whether you want them delivered to you when they get to Uganda, or to pick them up from their offices at Kirabo Complex, Level 2, room 222.

In the event that you already bought your goods OR have items still stuck in the USA/UK or Canada, they can still help you ship them into Uganda, pay the customs fees and deliver them safely to you. Their fees range from $8 to $9 per pound of weight (includes shipping fees & tax on arrival), the cheapest on market at the moment.

Pricing for goods to be shipped

Let’s assume you want to purchase an item at $110 from Amazon. On checking out, Amazon will charge you a $15 USA tax making the total price of the good $125. 2Gule uses a dollar rate of 3850-3900 per Ugx. This makes a $125 product cost about Shs487,500.

So, planes charge about $8 per pound. Assuming your item weighs 12 pounds, it would bring the price to Shs861,900 however, this is before the URA taxes that vary from item to item, music equipment attracts about 30% tax at Customs. Remember, you will have your item in Uganda within 14-21 days from date of purchase.

Online Market Place “Suubula” Rebrands, as New Products are Launched

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Suubula.com alias Suubula Store SMC has today released a statement to reveal that the “online marketplace for brands, fashion, home decor, Art and others” as it describes itself, has been rebranded.

The process for the rebrand involved the making of changes to the company trademarks and a new design for the website among others that have been in works for the past three (3) months

“Suubula Stores SMC (www.suubula.com), Uganda’s leading marketplace, has this Friday morning unveiled its new e-commerce website following a 3-months rebranding process” reads part of the statement.

Old and New Logo

The statement further adds that the rebrand is intended to give the public a renewed experience with a variety of products including “arts and craft, books, foodstuffs, garments, beverages, home use supplies and electronics”, as priorities.

Their service is a “multi – vendor platform” that allows a trade, manufacture, creator of a product or service provider to list their range of offered products and services on their store and avail them to the several customers that are expected to flock the website.

According to the statement, it is free of charge for a vendor to open up a shop with the e-commerce platform after which one will be given access to an admin panel to be able to “add products, process orders, enter store data, monitor your sales and manage transactions”. Both sellers and buyers will also be able to access a messaging service on the platform where they will engage to be able to realise the best prices for the products on sale.

“This means a boutique owner, painter, wholesaler, beautician or gym instructor can create a store on Suubula.com to sell their products/services,” reads a quote from the marketplace’s Chief Executive Officer, Camble Hope, as it also allows for the “unemployed youth who can bake or pack honey or run a garden of rose flowers can list their products in a store and sell to millions of customers online”. Suubula also hopes that their platform will be able to encourage creativity among the youth and in effect reduce on the rate of unemployment in the country.

The e-commerce “platform is partnering with professional logistics firms to deliver purchased products” from the company’s home office in Ntinda to be distributed to the buyers, within Uganda and in the future, to the entire East African community. They are also working with Shopify, an international e-commerce platform to allow creators access to more visibility and better ecommerce tools to sell their products.

Some of their partners also include Fine Spinners, a local garment manufacturer, Coca Cola, Long Horn (publishers), Africa Queen, Nexus Lounge, Zenith (distributors of household items) among others.

The platform can be accessed on the company website and are located on  Plot 2 Bukenya Mall, Room 4, Kimera Road, Ntinda

Having a Stable Wi-Fi Connection is More Important Now Than Ever

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Your Wi-Fi is a critical component of running a home business, which is the norm these days, especially since going outside could cost people their lives. The many perks associated with the use of Wi-Fi work together in making your money-generating venture boom.

Since being online all the time can spell the difference between raking in profits and losing to the direct competition, it is a must that you can count on your Wi-Fi.

If it seems like you are constantly encountering Wi-Fi dropouts, you might need mac repair. The sooner that you allow an expert to check your machine, which plays a pivotal role in running your home business, the quicker that you can go back to being a prolific entrepreneur.

Your Service Provider May Not be the Culprit

You must always be around each time someone tries to inquire. Testing the patience of a customer is a terrible idea because he or she may end up running to the direct competition if it seems like you are not eager enough to engage.

Because being there to reply without much delay is a must, it is important to have a reliable internet connection that allows you to be present in real-time.

If the issue is a slow internet connection, there is no denying that the service provider is the one at fault. However, it is a different story if the matter is Wi-Fi dropouts. It is likely a router, range or interference issue that your internet service provider has nothing to do with.

Probably an Issue With Your Machine

Can you attend to your online business’ needs without any trouble using your smartphone or tablet that is connected to your home Wi-Fi but not your Mac?

If it’s just your machine that is experiencing Wi-Fi dropouts, chances are the problem lies in it and not elsewhere. Such is most likely to be the case if your Mac is practically right next to your router or there is no large furniture or solid structure that is getting in the way.

Worry not about your Wi-Fi issue because seeking mac repairprovided by an expert can help you go back to running your home business without internet-related trouble.

Going the DIY Route is Not Always a Great Idea

Online, you can easily come across tutorials on how to deal with random Wi-Fi disconnections. If you think that this is the best way to solve the problem, think again.

Not all “expert advice” posts in cyberspace are from the experts. Many of them are posers who want nothing but to get a lot of visits and views. If you commit the unfortunate mistake of going for the wrong tutorial, you may end up with a much bigger problem.

It is fine to conduct some troubleshooting. However, especially if you do not have the technical know-how, it is a better idea to leave the task to a qualified and experienced person.

Opt for Reliable and High-Quality Service

Because it is your home business that is on the line, you should never leave the task of repairing your machine to anyone whose track record is not proven stellar.

Make sure that the job is carried out by someone with long industry experience as well as lots of satisfied customers. You can either get the recommendations of family or friends, or look for a service provider online with lots of positive customer reviews.

Grow Your Assets By Finding a Reputable SMSF Consultant

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You may be inclined to handle your own self-managed super fund (SMSF) because it provides you with more control and flexibility. However, you must be warned that it may seem exciting and interesting at the start, but you can get burned out in the long run because this is a complex process that requires rigorous attention. If you don’t possess a proficient level of SMSF, investment, and finance knowledge, you may be taking up more than you are capable of handling. When it comes to managing a money fund, it will take time, expertise, skill, and experience so you will not lose the money you worked so hard to acquire. Luckily, there are many SMSF service providers like Super Concepts to help you out. When you are scouting for a firm to collaborate with, here are some considerations that may be able to help you narrow down your prospects. 

Peruse the Qualifications

When you are choosing your SMSF service firm, the priority is the license. This signifies the reputation of the company you are working with. To illustrate, SMSF auditors are required to have registration with the SIC. In addition, those accountants that offer SMSF taxation financial advice must be certified. The ASIC must accredit investment advisers. These accreditation credentials exhibit compliance with government and industry regulations. It indicates that you will be working with a team that possess proper software solutions and tools. Most importantly, it signifies that you will work with a firm that operates in accordance with the laws. This is vital because you don’t want to incur penalties due to improper handling. 

Research the History and Records of the Firm

Conduct your due diligence! It is vital to ascertain how many years of service the SMSF Firm has rendered in the industry. To illustrate, Super Concepts has 30 years of service, and they have received many awards of excellence over the years. This kind of longevity is proof of excellence. It shows that they have been successfully serving their clients effectively. It would help if you also found out who their current and past clientele are so you can ask first-hand testimonials of how well they have managed other people’s funds. A reputable SMSF firm will be happy to give you a reference list to show their confidence in their capabilities. The amount of clients they handle is a great indicator of the quality of their services. 

Find Out the Address of the Firm

It would be best if your SMSF firm is located in Australia. Their address asserts that you can readily access them in case you have pressing problems. It is advantageous to work within the same timezone so you can collaborate at a similar pace. Should your chosen firm be in a faraway city, you have to ascertain that they have the technology and online customer support to address your needs. If you prefer to have live face-to-face meetings, then you have to choose a firm that’s near your physical address. When online or offline, this depends on your preference, but the primary thing is your SMSF firm must comply with all the pertinent licenses. 

Find Out the Fee Structure

Before you sign up a contract with an SMSF firm, you must be fully-abreast regarding the fee structure. They are required by the government to provide you with an accurate SOA or statement of advice that highlights the fees and commissions they will be taking from you. It would be best if you found a firm that offers flexibility. If you need a full-service, they should be able to give that to you. In the same token, if you only want to avail of special service, you must have this option as well. Do scan the fine print for any hidden fees that may end up costing you a lot of money. Be wary of service providers that want to lock you into a very long contract because this will be very limiting for you. You want the freedom and flexibility to opt-out in case the partnership is no longer working to your advantage. 

Bottom Line

With so many SMSF providers out there, it may be confusing and overwhelming to decide which one to pick. Remember, there may be many providers, but they are not created equal. It would help if you researched to find the most cost-efficient finance management and accounting firm that will provide you with the best advice. You need the proper information so you can grow your money and make the best financial decisions that suit your needs.

An In-Depth Understanding of Infrastructure Project Management

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Photo by Levi Frey on Unsplash

Some people may still be clueless about infrastructure project management and its primary focus. Basically, it is a kind of project management whose concentration is on infrastructure projects. But it utilises all similar standard methodologies and procedures of other sorts.

A Short Definition Of Infrastructure Project

For someone who does not fully understand all of these, they may confuse a construction projection from an infrastructure type. Infrastructure is basically the core systems and services needed for operation. It is more of the fundamentals that all other elements are built on them.

An economic infrastructure is the infrastructure of a community which includes railways, power lines, sewers, and roadways. Common economic infrastructures are building new highways, adding underground power lines, changing a portion of the sewer system, and more.

Different Categories Of Infrastructure Projects

There are three main categories of infrastructure projects– technology, business, and economic. A technology infrastructure project may concentrate on the software development life cycle, which is less likely utilised on business or economic infrastructure projects. Hence, when talking about infrastructure project management, it is imperative to determine the type of infrastructure.

Usually, for businesses whose area is on infrastructure project management, they choose one among the categories to focus on. Besides, if the company focuses on technology infrastructure, it will have less chance of working on a project management job for economic infrastructure.

Given the broad categories, project managers usually specialise in an area, like certain managers only handle roadway and highway projects. Some of them may only deal with projects on facilities. A technology firm may have separate managers to oversee hardware projects and software projects. The fundamentals are generally similar, but specialisation provides a unique experience in handling a particular kind of project.

Types of infrastructure

Highways And Roads

Streets and roads are the typical infrastructure construction projects. In general, these are repair projects; they are not that complicated logistically than the rest of infrastructure projects. Thus, repair projects can include street resurfacing. It is more practical compared to street reconstruction but only a temporary solution. On the other hand, street reconstruction is a long term solution and known as an infrastructure construction project.

Telecommunications

Telecommunications is responsible for connecting the world. Thus, any infrastructure construction projects that involve telecommunication are crucial. In some countries, they have areas with limited access to telecommunication services, while others have crowded services in their place. These areas can take a lot from infrastructure construction projects since they create easy access to communication services.

Waste Management

One of the essential types of infrastructure construction projects is waste management. The seamless logistics of waste from household and commercial buildings make the cities sanitary. These waste products like wastewater and trash must be removed from horses and commercial areas to avoid causing diseases and pests. Citizens have the right to stay in a safe and waste-free environment.

Transmission And Electricity Generation

The building of the power generation plant is also an infrastructure construction project. Also included are the structures and facilities required to hold the transmitted power. These facilities play a major part in providing electricity in the entire country, and so their construction is essential. States follow different laws for projects like these. Thus, project management firms who handle these jobs must have a deeper knowledge of the relevant policies for every region.

Google Introduces People Cards, Allowing Users Create Profiles to Appear in Search Results.

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There is that contentment to feel in being able to make a Google search about oneself, or (let’s say you Google yourself) and then receiving an actual profile description off a website that is not an index from social media pages. Most of these profile descriptions come from Wikipedia, a platform that describes itself as a free encyclopedia, created and edited by volunteers around the world…” with profiles mostly of celebrities.

However, for some of us, the Wanainchi or the common people are not described because no one has the incentive to create the profile or they just do not know how to create that profiled description on Wikipedia. Google will try as much as possible to produce traces of your name, or its similarities, even revealing your social media pages as a result.

Google is making “googl-ing yourself” simpler. The company has today rolled out a new feature called “People Cards”, a feature that will allow Gmail account holders to create descriptions of themselves to appear in google searches. Google calls it a “a virtual visiting card”. This revelation was made by the company on its blog for Google India.

The feature is however, only available in India for now.

All a user in that country to access the feature (and globally when the global rollout is made) is to have their Gmail accounts logged in, and then they google themselves, and then Google will prompt them to “add me to Search”, or “Get started” and once clicked, the user will be given a form to input details about oneself, the picture to use will be gotten from the account profile picture, links to websites, social media pages, and other optional personal details. You can also google “add me to search”, and then you click on get started to complete the process.

Google also hopes that the feature will be helpful “for the millions of influencers, entrepreneurs, prospective employees, self-employed individuals, freelancers, or anyone else out there who wants to be discovered” reads part of the statement from the blog.

The feature is available in India, starting today.

How to Make the Most of Your New Zealand Sim Card

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Are you travelling to New Zealand? If so, make sure to purchase your NZ sim card before making the trip.

In recent news, New Zealand made waves for how the country was able to handle the ongoing pandemic and devise strategies to flatten the curve completely. But there is more to admire about the culturally diverse country.

First, New Zealand is home to a specific breed of small flightless birds called Kiwi. During the ancient period, the Kiwi was used to represent the country, until such time that it was now used as a nickname for the locals.  Aside from the historically significant bird, several hillsides, mountains, glaciers, and sandy shores can also be found in the said country.

The people of New Zealand also regard their visitors with the utmost importance, as exhibited by the practicality of the communication tools like sim cards that they offer.

If you are new to the area, there are specific methods or strategies you can use to maximize the convenience and function of your New Zealand sim cards.

  • Choose a SIM card provider

There are several plans available for the amount of SMS they can send, the time they can spend on voice communication, and the amount of data they can consume in a given period. Some providers offer at most 10GB worth of data and a broader range of plans for its subscribers. Others offer limited data range but compensate with additional features for international SMS and voice calls.

  • Shipping options

Ideally, you need to get hold of your sim card before you arrive at your destination. Otherwise, you might be scrambling your way around before you can confirm your reservations or keep in touch with the people you intend to meet there. Some sim card providers enable international shipping or delivery, while some do not. The charges for each provider will also vary, so take note of the difference in fees as well.

  • Unlock your phone

By unlocking your phone, it means making your phone functional even when you go abroad. You can consult your phone provider to determine how you can make your phone fully usable and versatile for international travels. You might need to prepare a set of security questions that will keep you from losing access to your phone’s features. Unlocked phones are typically at risk of being compromised by the strict security systems installed in Android and Apple phones.

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